Gel blaster battle broken up in Downtown St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — Police broke up groups of teens firing gel blasters at each other in Downtown St. Louis Monday night. The incident happened at 6th Street and Locust at around 9:15 p.m. One of the teens had several Roman candles on them.

Three 16-year-olds and a 19-year-old had gel blasters. A 17-year-old was carrying extra ammo. The teens were all taken to the police station, where most of them were picked up by their parents. One 16-year-old was sent to juvenile detention for a parole violation. The 19-year-old was released after being identified by detectives.

Gel blasters are legal in the United States due to their use of super-absorbent water beads as projectiles, which pose minimal risk of causing injury. They sting upon impact, similar to a rubber band snapping on your skin.

Two weeks ago, there was a frightening incident at an AMC Theatre in Creve Coeur . A young person started shooting gel beads into the audience with an Orbeez gun. Police arrested a young person, who witnesses said wore a ski mask and shot the gel beads. They say it could have been much worse if someone with a gun or a police officer had been there and thought it was a threat.

Recently, there have been more crimes in St. Louis involving airsoft or pellet guns . One of the latest incidents happened in Soulard, where a woman was hit with airsoft guns early in the morning. This is one of five similar incidents reported this month where innocent people were hit while walking or standing on city streets.

The police say these attacks seem random, even though they’ve affected media members too. They’re not sure if all the incidents are connected. One TV crew from FOX 2 was even hit while working on a different story last November.

Sergeant Charles Wall from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department says that while kids might think it’s just a game, under Missouri law, this kind of behavior can lead to serious charges like felony assault. He warns that parents could also be held responsible if their kids are involved.

Call police at (314) 444-2500 if you’re a victim or have information about these gel blaster assaults.

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