A New York City corrections officer has been charged with the murder of a Bronx teenager who had allegedly been playing with a “bead blaster” air gun.
NYPD officers found Raymond Chaluisant, 18, with a gunshot wound to the face in the passenger seat of a car on Grand Concourse and East Tremont at around 1.35am on Thursday morning, a spokesperson told The Independent in a statement.
He was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
It was later determined that Mr Chaluisant had been shot half a mile away on the corner of Cross Bronx Expressway and Morris Avenue.
Corrections guard Dion Middleton, 45, who was off-duty at the time, has been charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
Investigators said they were looking into whether a bead blaster toy gun that shoots water gel pellets and was found in the vehicle next to Mr Chaluisant had played a part in his death.
The NYPD said there was no evidence that the teenager had fired the toy gun at Mr Middleton.
Jiraida Esquilin, Mr Chaluisant’s sister, told the New York Daily News, that the teen had been having a water-gun fight with friends on the night he died.
Her brother was “just hanging out and having a good time”, she said, adding that the whole neighbourhood had joined in.
She said the family were still grieving the loss of her father, who died five months ago.
A few hours after the shooting, the NYPD tweeted a warning about the use of the bead blasters.
“Bead Blasters shoot gel water beads propelled by a spring-loaded air pump, making them an air rifle,” the tweet said.
“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 have become popularised after on TikTok where users upload videos with the hashtag #OrbeezChallenge.
The viral social media trend has prompted warnings from police across the United States that people were getting hurt.
TikTok has since banned use of the #OrbeezChallenge hashtag.
NYC Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina told the Washington Post in a statement that Mr Middleton worked at the academy’s firing range.
He said Mr Middleton, who had been with the department since 2013, had been suspended without pay and would be fired if convicted.
