Multiple teenagers have been arrested over the last few weeks while playing a game called “senior assassin.” Police are warning communities and kids of the dangers.
WASHINGTON — “Senior Assassin” is a popular, often student-organized, off-campus elimination game played by high school seniors. Players receive a target to “assassinate” with a water gun — the last player remaining wins.
But it’s leading to police arresting multiple teenagers and law enforcement across the country warning about the game.
“No game is worth someone getting hurt, causing panic, or creating a situation that puts the public on edge,” the Yorktown Police Department in Indiana posted to social media. “We want our seniors to enjoy this season, make memories, and do so in a way that keeps everyone safe.”
In Texas, police detained eight teens after being called around 10:30 p.m. April 3 to a parking lot where the caller said “multiple people were chasing each other through a parking lot with what appeared to be firearms,” KCEN reported.
While police later released those teenagers, the Kenner Police Department in Louisiana said it arrested six teenagers April 4 and charged them with criminal mischief, WWL reported.
Police said some teens were playing the hide-and-seek type game by hiding under vehicles in a driveway around 11:30 p.m. while wearing hoodies and face coverings. A 911 call came in from the homeowner who said she feared for her safety.
Her son came to the home and shot his gun four to five times into the grass as warning shots, police said. The teenagers ran away and were later caught and arrested.
“This could have ended in a tragedy. It would be easy to understand how a resident or a law enforcement officer would feel they were under siege and open fire,” said Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley.
Other departments are warning kids playing the game to “use good judgment, respect private property, avoid unsafe behavior near roads and parking lots, and remember that what feels funny to friends may look alarming to others.”
