Police are warning parents of a “potentially deadly situation” after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agent mistakenly shot a high school football player while the student was playing the popular “Senior Assassin” game.

The off-duty FDLE agent encountered three individuals “prowling” outside the agent’s Nassau County home early Wednesday morning, in what was actually a game of “Senior Assassin,” authorities said in a release.

The game consists of teams using toy guns to “shoot” each other to eliminate players until the remaining team wins. 

The agent mistook the teens for home invaders and shot the 18-year-old student in the arm. 

The Village of Bartlett in Illinois is cautioning residents about the rise in popularity of the dangerous “Senior Assassins” game. (Village of Bartlett, Illinois via Facebook)

“Across the country, there have been tragedies and near-tragedies that have occurred as a result,” Nelson said. “In one instance, a teen player was paralyzed when the father of a [player] shot him, mistaking the game for a criminal assault.” 

In 2024, a group of high school students walked into an Illinois restaurant carrying water pistols disguised as firearms and wearing ski masks, seeking out fellow teenagers involved in the game, according to police. 

A restaurant patron carrying a concealed weapon mistook the students for a legitimate threat, but no one was harmed. 

“[We] would like to emphasize that the depiction of firearms, whether real or imitation, in any public setting, is a matter of concern and may instill fear among the public,” the Gurnee Police Department said in a statement. “We urge community members to reconsider their participation in such activities and recognize the seriousness of their actions.”

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters shared with Fox News Digital how funding key policies helped change Jacksonville from being the “murder capital of Florida.” (Fox News Digital)

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters told Fox News Digital that he hopes that parents bridge the gap and speak to their children about this issue – and the dangers of the so-called “game.”

“The teenage mindset is that it will never happen to me. I’ll be just fine. I can play this game; nothing is ever going to happen to me. Unfortunately, we saw what happened in Nassau County yesterday. We do not want young people NOT to have fun. That is not our goal here. The goal is to make sure everyone is safe,” he said. “We would ask that you seriously re-evaluate what you’re doing and find another way to have fun.”

The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office referred Fox News Digital to their initial release on the incident.