University of Georgia football player charged over reported 'Orbeez Challenge' shooting
Georgia Bulldogs Defensive Tackle Warren Brinson (97) during the college football game between the Charleston Southern Buccaneers and the Georgia Bulldogs. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ATHENS, Ga. - A University of Georgia football player has been charged with simple battery after reportedly taking part in a dangerous viral TikTok challenge.
Officials say Warren Brinson, who has played for the Bulldogs since 2020, was charged on two counts of misdemeanor simple battery and three counts of reckless conduct.
In the University of Georgia police report, three UGA students say they were walking on a sidewalk near McWhorter Hall when two of them were shot in the ribs and sternum by what they thought was a BB gun. Using surveillance footage from the area, police were able to find the vehicle involved in the shooting and trace it back to Brinson.
According to UGASports, Brinson was arrested after he allegedly took part in the "Orbeez Challenge" on TikTok. Brinson told officers that he thought he was shooting at someone he knew but was mistaken. The gun and water pellets were turned over to investigators.
The defensive lineman reportedly turned himself in at the Athens Clarke-County Jail and was released on bond Friday morning. UGA has not commented on the arrest.
Warren Brinson (Clarke County Sheriff's Office)
Who is Warren Brinson?
Brinson, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound reserve defensive lineman played in 12 of the Bulldog's 15 games last season. According to the University of Georgia Football page, he had nine tackles and no interceptions in 2021.
The Savannah native went to school at IMG Academy, majors in marketing, and is the recipient of the Joseph S. Espy Football Scholarship.
What is the Orbeez Challenge?
While the Orbeez aren't meant to be shot from an air-powered gun, police in cities throughout the U.S. have seen a rise in shootings involving the water pellets.
Police in Arizona said they have answered multiple calls of people shot with water beads.
"There is an indication that this incident could be related to a national social media challenge where the Orbeez water pellets are shot in a "drive-by" method," police said in a statement.
Sandy Springs police reported a similar pellet gun shooting in February, though police did not confirm if the teens arrested were firing Orbeez pellets or if they were participating in the "challenge." A victim said, since he posted about what happened to him on social media, he has heard from a dozen other people who have had the same experience.
In LaGrange, two brothers were charged with reckless conduct and simple battery after they were accused of shooting people in the head and face at Granger Park's tennis courts.
The small water pellets can be very painful and cause permanent injury, and officials say teenagers are modifying the beads to be more painful when they fire them at innocent bystanders.