Police across the country are urging high schoolers to exercise caution in playing a popular so-called "assassin" water gun game, after the activity caused a scare in several communities.
The Portage Police Department in Indiana issued a message to the public on Facebook this week saying there was an incident in which a teenager was arrested and charged after playing the trending "senior assassin" game, in which high schoolers "hunt" each other using water guns or some other sort of mock weapon.
In the Facebook post, police said they received a call on Friday, April 10, reporting "a man outside of [a] business" who appeared to be "waiting for someone to come out" while "armed with a handgun."
Police said 10 on-duty patrol officers, two off-duty officers, and an on-duty Porter County Sheriff's deputy responded to the scene.
When officers arrived, police said they located an 18-year-old suspect sitting in his vehicle and detained him, after which they say the teen "spontaneously uttered that he was playing 'Senior Assassin.'"
"An apparent firearm was visible in the passenger compartment of the vehicle that turned out to be a water gun," the department wrote. "The officer noted in his report that the water gun appeared to be a genuine firearm until he was [within] a few feet of it."
Police said the 18-year-old was taken to the county jail, and a deputy prosecutor authorized a felony intimidation charge.
"We understand that this game has been played by high school seniors in our area for a few years and this appears to have become a tradition," they said. "Unfortunately, we have previously had to respond to reports of Reckless Driving, Road Rage, and Carjacking, which were also associated with this game."
Authorities in Louisiana described a similar incident earlier this month involving a group of teenagers playing the same game. According to the Kenner Police Department, a resident contacted authorities on April 4 after spotting six individuals outside their home, hiding underneath and behind their vehicles, which were parked in their driveway.
Police said the resident "believed they were there to commit crimes due to the hooded garments, hiding around her property and seeing a figure of a gun," and after the resident's adult son arrived on the premises, he "fired 4-5 'warning shots' into the grass of his front lawn" with a real firearm, prompting the individuals to flee the scene.
"We don't know what geniuses thought that putting on ski masks and 'hoodies' and running around Kenner chasing each other and others with water guns was a good idea, but it could have ended in tragedy," the department wrote on Facebook.
The "senior assassin" game, which has found extreme popularity among American teens, is a live-action group game played by high school seniors, generally in celebration of their impending graduation.
The game typically pairs up anonymous "targets" and "assassins," and requires the "assassins" to stalk their "targets" and "catch" them, usually by shooting them with a water gun, at which point the "target" is eliminated from the game.
Surviving competitors move on to the advanced rounds until winners are declared.
As the game has grown in popularity, so too have the tools teens use to master it, including an app that offers in-game maps and real-time chats to enhance the game's experience.
The app's description says its features "makes it easy, thrilling, and safe to organize and play."
"Each player must agree to the guidelines before they can play," the description states, noting that the guidelines "cover topics such as respecting private property, using clearly recognizable toys, and being respectful of their communities."
Police around the country have issued warnings about the game, citing instances in which residents have been disturbed to see what they believed to be armed individuals hiding out in public or on private property.
Authorities have urged participants to exercise caution while playing, including using clearly identified fake weapons to reduce concerned calls to law enforcement.
In New Jersey, the Hackensack Police Department has warned teens not to play the game, stating on Facebook that officials "strongly discourage participation," but adding that if students do participate, they should use "bright, clearly identifiable toy water guns," avoid trespassing on private property, and avoid "reckless behavior" such as "unsafe driving or running into traffic."
The Hackensack Police Department further warned that teens should be aware their participation in the game "may prompt emergency calls."
The Portage Police Department stated in its Facebook post that it is "ultimately the duty of the young adults who engage in this game to conduct themselves in a safe, lawful manner that does not cause fear and panic within our community."
The Kenner Police Department took a harder line approach.
"The Senior Assassin game has spread across the country and has caused similar problems in other communities," the department stated on Facebook. "The Kenner Police Department is asking schools and parents to prohibit this type of reckless behavior."
