Raymond Chaluisant: TikTok under fire again after lethal 'Orbeez Challenge' sees teen, 18, shot dead
BRONX, NEW YORK: A teenager was fatally shot by an off-duty corrections officer after the victim shot at the warden with an illegal air rifle which was similar to the ongoing 'Orbeez Challenge' on TikTok. The challenge includes shooting unsuspecting strangers with the air rifle that shoots soft gel balls. The teen was shot in the chin and was found in a bloodbath in the passenger seat of the car.
Raymond Chaluisant, 18, was fatally shot by Dion Middleton, 45 after he allegedly shot at him from his car on Thursday, July 21, using an air rifle ejecting Orbeez soft gel balls which are used in this viral TikTok trend. It's against the law to possess the Orbeez gun, which resembles a pistol and shoots gel water beads propelled by a spring-loaded air pump, in NYC, as per New York Daily News sources. Middleton is being charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon. Sources claim that Middleton fired more than once, and it's unclear who Raymond was aiming at. It's reported that the shooting took place at Cross Bronx Expressway and Morris Ave, but Raymond was found half a mile away from the location. The cops found him unconscious in a silver Acura at 1:35 am at the Grand Concourse and E Tremont Ave in Mount Hope. So far, no TikTok video recording of this trend has been found.
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Raymond's older sister, Jiraida Esquilin, 29, said, "I can’t believe a corrections officer killed my brother. They were just having fun. It’s a new nerf gun that shoots water. The whole neighborhood was having a water gun fight. It was 90 degrees." Raymond was rushed to the St Barnabas Hospital but could not be saved. According to the police, Middleton was arrested at Rodman’s Neck shooting range, where he worked, and apparently punched in after the fatal shooting. "He went and clocked in. He's a 45-year-old man. Raymond could've been his son. What a coward," said Esquilin. Following this attack, the NYPD's official Twitter account tweeted, "Bead Blasters shoot gel water beads propelled by a spring-loaded air pump, making them an air rifle. Air rifles are a violation in NYC & are unlawful to possess. Violators found in possession of these will be issued a criminal summons & the weapon will be confiscated."
Bead Blasters shoot gel water beads propelled by a spring-loaded air pump, making them an air rifle. Air rifles are a violation in NYC & are unlawful to possess.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) July 21, 2022
Violators found in possession of these will be issued a criminal summons & the weapon will be confiscated. pic.twitter.com/otLkGAHFu4
Who was Raymond Chaluisant?
Raymond was an 18-year-old teenager who was shot dead by an off-duty corrections officer while he was out allegedly participating in the deadly 'Orbeez Challenge' going on TikTok. Esquilin explained that Raymond was a neighborhood favorite saying, "My brother was well known and well-loved by everyone in that neighborhood. He was just hanging out and having a good time." The Orbeez challenge is considered a dangerous trend and is now being compared to the 'Knockout Game' and the 'Water Toss' TikTok challenges where one would sucker-punch a pedestrian and toss water on innocent bystanders, respectively.
Correction Commissioner Louis A Molina said in a statement that the officer, Middleton, will face termination if convicted as per Daily Mail. Molina said, "These very serious charges are in no way a reflection of the officers who work to keep our city safe every day." TikTok has often been associated with deadly challenges that may or may not impose a threat on someone's life, and this time a teenager succumbed to his death for possessing an illegal air rifle which is used in the Orbeez challenge.