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Across the country, law enforcement and school officials are urging students to refrain from participating in a popular game that many fear could lead to dangerous situations.
Known as “Senior Assassin,” this game is primarily played by high school seniors and involves participants stalking and “eliminating” each other using water guns on school grounds. Players often engage in this activity both on school premises and private property, attempting to remain dry while drenching their opponents. The last participant to avoid getting wet emerges victorious.
However, police warn that the game not only diverts valuable resources but also poses significant risks.
The game, Senior Assassin, involves players stealthily tagging others with water guns, often requiring strategic hiding and ambush tactics, according to police warnings.
“Each year, police departments field numerous 911 calls from concerned citizens reporting suspicious activities, only to find they are linked to this game,” the Lower Makefield Police Department in Yardley, Pennsylvania, mentioned in a recent Facebook post. “Moreover, toy guns, water guns, and replica firearms can be easily mistaken for real weapons, leading to fear, panic, and potentially dangerous misunderstandings.”
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Last year, an 18-year-old high school student in Jacksonville, Florida was shot by an off-duty Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agent who mistook the student and two friends for potential intruders on his property. Fortunately, the student survived the incident, but police warned at the time that the game is “potentially deadly.”
After that incident, Florida officials called on parents to stop their children from playing the game.
The Fremont Police Department in California recently posted a similar warning on its Instagram account.
A child’s blue water gun floats in a pool, commonly used as a toy for water play. (Adobe Stock)
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“While the game involves only fake weapons, it has become a safety concern and can lead to high-risk patrol and traffic stops,” the department said. “Some students have chosen to use toy guns that look realistic to the public and to our officers, and the behavior associated with this game has caused public concern due to the belief that participants are carrying real weapons and acting suspiciously. This creates a dangerous situation and diverts emergency 9-1-1 and police resources, since officers take every report of gun violence and suspicious firearm use seriously.”
An instance of the game played by middle schoolers at Anza Trail School in a suburb of Tucson, Arizona earlier this week led to a police investigation, according to KOLD.
A teacher saw a student with a water gun, mistook it for a real gun, and called 911. Police contacted the boy’s parents, who told them where they could find him.
The Village of Bartlett in Illinois is warning residents about the increasing popularity of the dangerous “Senior Assassins” game. (The Village of Bartlett, Illinois via Facebook)
“The investigation revealed the juvenile had brought an Orbeez-style toy as part of an end-of-the-year prank known as Senior Assassin,” the Sahuarita Police Department reportedly said. “Additionally, officers located the toy gun and confirmed it was not an actual firearm and was not loaded with any sort of projectiles.”
“The Sahuarita Police Department takes these types of reports very seriously and truly appreciates the community for reporting suspicious activity.”