Florida Park’s New ‘Bullseye Blast’ Game Closed After Being Deemed ‘Insensitive’

Amid an increase in tragic mass shootings across the United States, people are more sensitive toward games that feature guns.

A Florida amusement park has temporarily halted a controversial new game that allowed patrons to spend an extra $5.95 to shoot targets with an infrared, scoped toy gun from the top of the park’s 400-foot tall Ferris Wheel.

The game, called Bullseye Blast, was said to be insensitive to the victims of recent mass shootings, including a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, a Grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

ICON Park, which was the subject of controversy in March when a 14-year-old fell to his death from their FreeFall drop-tower ride. His family has filed a lawsuit and it has been revealed that the teen was 100 pounds over the ride’s weight limit and had been sitting in a chair that was modified to fit larger riders against the manufacturer’s recommendations and had its safety sensor turned off. That ride has been closed indefinitely.

Bullseye Blast was a new attraction added to the Ferris Wheel (simply called “The Wheel” by ICON park) and was just announced on Thursday. The Wheel is the centerpiece of ICON park and gives riders a bird’s eye view of the park, nearby Disneyland, and the surrounding areas. Patrons can also purchase beer, wine, or cocktails to drink on their roughly 18-minute ride and use Bluetooth speakers built into each capsule to play music from their devices.

The statement announcing the Bullseye Blast’s closure was released on Saturday. “Some non-guests and community members expressed that they considered the toy shooting device used to be insensitive,” the statement reads. It also mentioned that the game was well received by guests.

The attraction garnered attention online, including from Florida state Senator Linda Stewart. The Democrat called the game “in poor taste” on Twitter.

While the park announced the closure, it also defended its original decision to add it in the first place.

“The attractions industry has many similar games which use similar shooting devices, so that is what we were limited to when exploring the game,” the statement continues. “However, we believe that a device can and should be designed which does not offend anyone in the community.”

Shooting games have been a staple of carnivals, amusement parks, and boardwalks for decades if not longer. One of the most popular games is the Water Gun Balloon pop game, where players shoot water guns at targets, racing to see who can pop a balloon first.

It is not currently known how the game will be modified before it reopens.