- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Crystal Today
By the People, for the People
Juveniles Engage in Toy Gun Fights at Crystal City Parks
Police concerned over realistic-looking Orbeez guns causing chaos and disruption
Apr. 1, 2026 at 8:35pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
In Crystal, Minnesota, groups of juveniles have been arriving at Becker Park by rideshare and engaging in fights using Orbeez toy pellet guns, some of which closely resemble real firearms. This behavior has alarmed other park visitors and led to dispersals, arrests, and even temporary park closures, but the issue has persisted across multiple locations.
Why it matters
The use of realistic-looking toy guns in public spaces raises serious safety concerns, as they can be mistaken for actual firearms and lead to dangerous escalations. The disruptive behavior of these large groups of juveniles also threatens the community's ability to safely enjoy public parks and amenities.
The details
Crystal Police Chief Brian Hubbard explains that many of the Orbeez guns confiscated look like real firearms from a distance, causing fear and panic among other park visitors. Despite dispersing crowds, making arrests, and even temporarily closing the park, the groups have continued to move to surrounding business districts, creating further chaos.
- Over the last several days, police have responded to incidents at Becker Park.
- On Sunday, the park was closed down due to the ongoing issues.
The players
Brian Hubbard
The police chief of Crystal, Minnesota, who is leading the response to the incidents at Becker Park and other locations.
What they’re saying
“A lot of them look like fun Nerf guns, and many of them don't. Many of the ones that we confiscated over the weekend are black guns that, from not much of a distance, don't look like a toy. They look real.”
— Brian Hubbard, Police Chief
“This isn't acceptable. We're not going to allow it to happen, and we want that park to remain the wonderful amenity that it is. We need parents to know where their kids are and what their kids are doing.”
— Brian Hubbard, Police Chief
“We're gonna have a zero tolerance for this kind of disruptive behavior in these large groups. And so, we are taking a number of measures in terms of how we're monitoring the park and basically stopping these large scale gatherings before they get started.”
— Brian Hubbard, Police Chief
What’s next
Police in Crystal have vowed to maintain a zero-tolerance policy for the disruptive behavior and will continue to monitor the parks and surrounding areas to prevent further incidents.
The takeaway
The use of realistic-looking toy guns in public spaces raises serious safety concerns and disrupts the community's ability to safely enjoy public amenities. This issue highlights the need for increased parental supervision and community-wide efforts to address the underlying factors driving this behavior among local youth.
