Student with BB gun removed from Lewis & Clark Middle School, faces expulsion

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Lewis & Clark Middle School in Jefferson City received a tip from a student that a classmate had a gun Tuesday but the weapon turned out to be a BB gun, police said.

A student was found with a BB gun that shoots gel balls or plastic pellets and taken out of school, Principal Justin Browning said in an email to families.

The school did not release the student's name.

"Weapons of any kind, including Orbeez and BB, are prohibited in our schools, and anyone in violation will be referred for expulsion," Browning said in the email.

Earlier this year, law enforcement officials from around the country warned of an "Orbeez challenge," which was a TikTok challenge where young people shoot gel balls called Orbeez at other people.

A student in Illinois was charged earlier this year for shooting multiple students in relation to the challenge.

The incident in Jefferson City comes after a school shooting in St. Louis left two dead and seven injured on Monday. A vigil was held for the victims Monday night and classes for Central Visual and Performing Arts High School were canceled for the rest of the week.

There was also a police presence at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia on Tuesday after a report that a student was possibly armed.