LAGRANGE, Ga. — LaGrange police have arrested two young brothers and their mother after they say the boys entered a tennis store and fired two plastic handguns loaded with gel projectiles.
Police said the incident happened March 7 at the Tennis Pro Shop on Hunnicutt Place. The toy guns, also known as “splatter guns,” were loaded with Orbeez Gel projectiles, which are small beads filled with water.
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Police said they shot one of the store’s employees a dozen times in the face and neck from 20 feet away and laughed as they carried out the attack.
They then ran out of the store and into a parking lot, where police said they shot a woman in the back multiple times.
Officers arrested two brothers on March 12 and charged them with reckless conduct and simple battery. Their mother was also charged with parental responsibility to supervise.
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The boys’ identities have not been released.
“The LaGrange Police Department would like to make it known that these kinds of reckless behaviors from anyone intentionally trying to cause harm with these plastic guns will not be tolerated,” police said.
LaGrange police have reported a series of attacks with splatter guns in recent weeks. Police warn that despite the fact that the guns are toys, they can cause serious bodily harm and can also be mistaken for real weapons which “could result in deadly consequences.”
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Police asked parents and guardians to speak to children about the dangers of the trend and to take away water bead guns if they are found.
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