Police seek 2 suspects who injured 3 people with ‘gel-like’ pellets

SAN ANTONIO — Police in South Texas are searching for two men who allegedly shot “gel-like” pellets in the parking lot of a shopping center, injuring three people.

One of the injured victims was a 9-year-old child, the San Antonio Police Department wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The alleged assault took place on June 21 in the parking lot of the shopping center on Austin Highway near North Vandiver Road in northeastern San Antonio, KSAT-TV reported.

Police said that the three victims were walking in the parking lot when two men drove by and shot the pellets at them, according to the television station. The suspects then drove away, police said.

Authorities said that all three victims were injured, but said the child had visible bodily injuries, WOAI-TV reported. Police did not reveal the severity of the victims’ injuries but noted that the other victims “also suffered bodily injury.”

In its Facebook post, the San Antonio Police Department published photographs of two men believed to be the suspects.

The men were observed walking inside the shopping center moments before the alleged assault.

According to police, some recent incidents involving the gel beads or pellets were motivated by a TikTok challenge that involves people shooting at unsuspecting pedestrians, KSAT reported. Authorities warned that injuries like the ones suffered by Friday’s victims could result in arrests and charges against the shooters.

An investigation is ongoing.

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