What began as a prank involving an Orbeez-style toy gun quickly escalated into a dangerous confrontation that ended with both a Florida teenager and an armed adult facing criminal charges.
According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, officers were called Wednesday evening after reports that juveniles were firing what witnesses initially believed was a BB gun or pellet gun from a moving vehicle. Within seconds of the 911 call, the department’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) program was in the air, providing officers with a live view of the situation before patrol units arrived.
The object was later identified as a brightly colored blue, white, and yellow Piranha gel blaster that fired water-absorbing gel beads. A 15-year-old admitted to firing the toy at an occupied vehicle after mistakenly believing it belonged to a friend. During interviews, the teenagers told officers they were playing “Senior Assassin,” and admitted the incident was intended as a prank.
What happened next, however, is exactly the type of escalation law enforcement agencies across the country have been warning about.
Driver Chased the Teens Instead of Waiting for Police
The driver of the targeted vehicle believed he and his fiancée were being shot at and began following the teenagers while remaining on the phone with 911.
Officers were already responding, and investigators concluded Gregory Allen Davis had multiple opportunities to safely disengage while continuing to provide updates to dispatch.
Instead, the juveniles eventually stopped their vehicle, and 49-year-old Davis got out armed with a loaded Taurus PT111 G2 9mm handgun. Authorities allege he ordered the three juveniles out of their vehicle at gunpoint and kept them on the ground until officers arrived.
Body camera footage also captured a witness telling officers that Davis exited his vehicle first and pointed the handgun at the teenagers before they got out of their car. Thankfully, no one was injured during the confrontation.
Both the Adult and Juvenile Were Arrested
Following the investigation, Port St. Lucie police arrested Davis on charges of:
- Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon Without Intent to Kill
- False Imprisonment of a Child to Commit Aggravated Abuse
The 15-year-old juvenile was arrested on a charge of Shooting or Throwing a Missile at or Into an Occupied Vehicle.
According to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup, Davis was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail at 2:13 a.m. Thursday, after being arrested by the Port St. Lucie Police Department. Jail records show his bond was set at $15,000 on each charge, for a total bond of $30,000.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What Is Senior Assassin?
Body camera footage released by the Port St. Lucie Police Department captured the teenagers telling officers they were playing “Senior Assassin,” a game commonly played by graduating high school seniors in which participants use water guns or other toy blasters to “eliminate” classmates while trying to avoid being eliminated themselves. The juveniles also admitted they were attempting to play a prank after mistaking the victims’ vehicle for a friend’s.
In recent years, some participants have begun using gel blasters that fire water beads, prompting warnings from law enforcement agencies across the country.
According to KTLA, departments nationwide have responded to reports of students carrying toy guns in public, chasing one another through neighborhoods, and even hanging out of moving vehicles while playing. Departments warn that these situations can easily be mistaken for real crimes, resulting in 911 calls, armed confrontations, serious injuries, and criminal charges.
Those concerns have prompted warnings from agencies, including the Sparks Police Department, which recently reported an increase in calls involving teenagers playing Senior Assassin with Orbeez guns, and the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which arrested two Florida students after deputies said they fired an Orbeez gun from a vehicle during what they described as part of the social media trend.
What Is an Orbeez Gun, and Why Are Police Warning About Them?
The toy recovered by Port St. Lucie police was a Piranha gel blaster, a battery-powered toy that fires small water-absorbing polymer beads often referred to as gellets or Orbeez-style beads. Unlike a traditional BB gun, gel blasters do not fire metal projectiles, but they can still cause injuries, particularly to the eyes or at close range. According to Technology.org, manufacturers recommend users wear eye protection while using them.
Although the Piranha gel blaster recovered in the Port St. Lucie case was a brightly colored blue, white, and yellow toy that did not resemble a real firearm, incidents involving gel blasters, Orbeez-style toys, airsoft guns, BB guns, and similar projectile devices can still create fear and quickly spiral into dangerous situations. The Community Consolidated School District 21 has warned parents that these toys can cause injuries and, depending on how they are modified or used, may be mistaken for real firearms.
Following this week’s incident, the Port St. Lucie Police Department reminded residents that if they believe they are the victim of a crime, they should call 911, be a good witness, and allow responding officers to handle the situation. The department said pranks involving gel blasters, airsoft guns, BB guns, and similar projectile toys can quickly escalate, while pursuing suspected offenders can turn an already dangerous situation into a criminal case for everyone involved.
Social Media Was Split Over What Happened
The department’s Facebook post generated hundreds of comments, with many readers agreeing the prank was reckless and could have ended much worse.
Others argued Davis crossed the line by continuing to pursue the teenagers after calling 911, saying the situation became far more dangerous once a firearm was introduced.
Thankfully, everyone walked away physically unharmed, which makes it possible to acknowledge one of the stranger twists that followed. Local residents quickly identified Davis as being associated with a local Facebook scanner page, and before long, social media did what social media often does. The comments were filled with memes, jokes, and criticism, with many poking fun at the irony of someone connected to a scanner community ending up at the center of one of the area’s biggest public safety stories.
Beyond the legal consequences Davis and the juvenile now face, the incident also serves as a reminder that actions taken in public, especially those captured on body-camera footage and shared online, can have lasting reputational repercussions. The internet has a long memory, and once a story takes off, public opinion often becomes part of the aftermath as well.
The department also released drone footage and body camera video documenting the incident, giving the public a firsthand look at just how quickly a prank involving a toy gun escalated into a confrontation that could have ended much differently.
All charges referenced in this article are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.