Henderson County law enforcement, along with Henderson County Public Schools, are expressing concern about a type of toy gun that is becoming increasingly popular among kids in the community.
They're called gel blasters, and while the small, liquid-filled pellets they shoot out are practically harmless, the toy guns themselves can look far from harmless.
"A lot of these toys, they've changed to mimic actual weapons. That's become a big concern of ours," said Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin.
Griffin said many kids are spray-painting the gel blaster toy guns solid black, making it difficult to distinguish them from an actual firearm.
"When you've got the common layperson on the street, even to a trained eye, you've got somebody chasing somebody, trying to engage somebody with something that looks like this, that could lead to some decisions, split-second decisions, that could have some tragic outcomes," Sheriff Griffin said. "I'm afraid at some point, there's a strong possibility that there could be some sort of interaction that has a tragic outcome to it and that's what we don't want."
In the wrong setting, these toys could spark fear.
"We don't want for anybody to see something, to cause a panic, to launch some sort of investigation," Griffin said.
That's why the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and Hendersonville Police are urging people to use common sense when it comes to where they pull one of these gel blasters out.
"I've got school resource officers that have encountered these," Sheriff Griffin said. "If it's an area where a weapon shouldn't be, then these things shouldn't be there."
A spokesperson for Henderson County Public Schools said they have seen a couple of gel blasters brought onto school campuses recently. While they said it was after school hours and no harm was intended, they said the gel blasters have no place on school property. Students who bring them onto campus could face disciplinary action.
Griffin urges people to avoid bringing gel blasters to campuses, public parks or anywhere they could incite panic. He said appropriate places to use them would be at home or on private property.
We serve a great population here, I will always say that. We're just asking folks -- look, make the proper decision with these things," Griffin said. "Use them and enjoy them, but use them and enjoy them where you're supposed to use them and enjoy them."
Henderson County Public Schools sent out a phone blast on Wednesday, Feb. 16, as well as the following email, out to families regarding gel blasters:
"We are aware that the toy guns known as gel blasters - especially the brand Orbeez - have become popular among students in our community, and are reaching out to parents and families in partnership with our local law enforcement partners to raise awareness of the potential consequences of their use on district property.
These toys, also known as gel guns, gel shooters, hydro markers, hydro blasters, and water bead blasters, are similar in design to the popular airsoft guns, with some models very closely resembling a true weapon.
While these toys discharge water balls (also called water beads, hydrogel balls, gels, and water bullets) and are intended for play, they still are inappropriate items for school. Gel blasters can present a safety concern for our students and the School Resource Officers on our campuses, as they are very realistic looking and can easily be mistaken for real guns.
It is our expectation that students do not have a gel blaster on any campus or HCPS property at any time, and failure to meet this expectation may result in disciplinary action. Our district leaders and local law enforcement partners ask that you take time to talk with your student about this expectation to help us ensure the overall safety of our school communities.
School safety takes everyone, and we appreciate the support of our families."
STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOShttps://wlos.com/news/local/henderson-county-sheriff-public-schools-warn-realistic-gel-blaster-toy-guns-lowell-griffin-disciplinary-action-concern
