A man says he was worried he would lose his sight after being hit by prison beads.
St. Petersburg, Fla. — St. Pete police are investigating after a prison in the downtown area was struck by bullets. A viral social media trend called Orbiz Challenge involves teenagers shooting strangers with gel beads.
Mike Shuman said last Saturday that he was saying goodbye to some friends near his parked car.
“I just saw this white and orange gun sticking out the back window,” Shaman said.
Schuman said he was hit multiple times in the face with prison beads. He says the pearls ruptured a blood vessel near his eye. He said it affected his vision and caused a lot of pain.
“I was really worried that I was going to lose my sight,” he said.
Although Shuman’s eye has recovered, he says the incident left him unsettled.
“I always get nervous because cars pass me when I’m going out,” he explained.
Related: Social media trend ‘Orbie’s Challenge’ has alerted the police.
A St. Pete couple on their daily walk was struck by a pair of gel beads this weekend. The woman said she started screaming because she was shocked and a pearl went into her mouth, choking her.
“My tongue was numbing so badly I felt like I was having trouble breathing,” she said.
The St. Petersburg Police Department is still looking for those responsible. They believe a black Nissan Altima was involved. They are asking anyone with information to call 727-893-7780. In addition to SPPD, you can also send your tip to TIP411.
Other nearby law enforcement agencies are also seeing an increase in incidents involving this viral trend. Clearwater police said a woman was injured after being shot with an Orbis gun on the beach a short time ago.
Rob Shaw with Clearwater Police says he makes sure his officers are aware of these trends going viral on social media.
“Sometimes we distribute internal bulletins to officers saying this is what you need to look for,” he said.
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RELATED: Teen arrested for shooting woman in eye with Orbiz gun, police say