“Two Students Charged After Toy Gun Scare Near Seminole County Schools”

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Two students were arrested near Lake Brantley High School on Monday after police say they were playing with a toy gun.

News 6 received a report from Altamonte Springs Police showing that officers were sent to Sand Lake Road just after 2:50 p.m. following reports from drivers who had seen children with a firearm.

During interviews with two women, they mentioned that while they were leaving school, they observed four children on the other side of the street from Lake Brantley. One of the children was holding a gun and was pointing it at another child, ultimately discharging it, as detailed in the report.

According to witnesses, they heard around “20 pops” as one of the children began to run away while another recorded the incident. The report mentioned that the child with the gun started shooting it in the air, laughing, and then proceeded to strike another child.

One man told our News 6 crew that he saw the group.

“They were just shooting each other, playing around,” he said. “I went to go past them to pick up my son, and then when I went back they were still playing with that same gun.”

A spokesperson with Seminole County Public Schools said that both Lake Brantley High School and nearby Forest City Elementary School were placed on code red Monday afternoon out of an abundance of caution.

You can read the full statement from the district below:

“This afternoon, Forest City Elementary and Lake Brantley High were placed on a brief Code Red due to students in the area near campus using a toy Orbeez gun. Our law enforcement partners immediately placed both schools on Code Red out of an abundance of caution to investigate. We are thankful for the quick response of law enforcement and cooperation of students, staff, and families while we waited for the all-clear which has now been received. Law enforcement has confirmed this was a toy orbeez gun, and not an actual weapon, however, we will always take any potential threat seriously.

Thank you for your patience as we worked to resolve this situation. It takes all of us working together to keep our school a safe and vibrant place of learning.”

Seminole County Public Schools

Altamonte Springs Police went to the home of the kids involved in the incident Monday and confirmed it was a toy weapon.

A variety of Orbeez guns are sold online at retailers, and are often called gel ball blasters, gel guns, water bead blasters, etc. They are similar to airsoft guns but shoot superabsorbent polymer water beads instead of bullets.

Teens have been in trouble before for using the toy weapons. In 2022, an 18 and 19-year-old were arrested in two separate incidents in Volusia County for driving around and shooting at random people with Orbeez.

Two students, who both attend Lake Brantley, were arrested in the incident, according to police. They are facing charges for disrupting school pickup and trespassing.