UNITED STATES - Police departments across the country are warning about a viral "senior assassin" game after some students have been arrested for participating in the controversial game.
The game involves students hunting opponents down and spraying them with water guns, which seems harmless on the surface, but police departments have issued warnings about it, according to USA TODAY.
A student in Portage, Indiana, was arrested by local police while waiting outside a Planet Fitness gym to spray his target, the department said in a Facebook post on April 14. A 911 call sparked the incident after the caller reported seeing a man with a handgun, which police later identified as the student's water gun.
The 18-year-old senior was subsequently charged with felony intimidation and transported to a county jail. "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. Unfortunately, we have previously had to respond to reports of reckless driving, road rage, and carjacking, which were also associated with this game," the department wrote.
As the end of the school year approaches, more authorities are cautioning about the safety of students choosing to play the game. The voluntary game "senior assassin" is usually organized and played by the seniors of a graduating high school class to celebrate the end of the year and build camaraderie.
While the rules can fluctuate, each player is generally given a person they have to "eliminate" among their fellow students, as explained by social media posts. To eliminate a target, players have to "assassinate" another designated player by spraying them with a water gun and filming the attack.
The player who is sprayed is eliminated, while the other moves on to a new target. The last player standing without being sprayed wins. Restrictions are usually built into the game, including not playing on school grounds, not trespassing, and following a time period for players to eliminate their target or face elimination themselves.
While the senior assassin game is considered mostly playful, it's had real-life consequences in recent years, including the 18-year-old who was just arrested in Portage, Indiana.
An elementary school in the Chicago suburbs went on a brief lockdown on April 7 after multiple 911 calls were made about a man carrying a gun in a car pickup line, which turned out to be a senior assassin player trying to eliminate a target. The student was charged with disorderly conduct.
The game has also produced dangerous moments in previous years. A student was placed on life support in May 2025 and later died after falling off a vehicle while playing the game. In 2024, a student was shot and left paralyzed by another teenager's father in Kansas while playing the game. The father was sentenced to three and a half years.
Issues with the game quickly arise when the water toys look like realistic guns and the pranks "can look disturbingly similar to real firearms," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Colorado said in an online warning. In Delano, California, the local police department is urging parents to talk to their students about the game and ways to play safely.
"Open conversations can help keep everyone safe and prevent situations from escalating," the department said in its post. "Let’s work together to make this a safe and positive time for our seniors."
Using good judgment, respecting private property, and driving safely is also important for seniors engaging with the game, the Yorktown Police Department in Indiana said.
"Remember that what feels funny to friends may look alarming to others. No game is worth someone getting hurt, causing panic, or creating a situation that puts the public on edge," the post said. "We also ask the community to keep this in mind before assuming the worst if you see teens behaving suspiciously in a way that seems unusual but not dangerous."
The game involves students hunting opponents down and spraying them with water guns, which seems harmless on the surface, but police departments have issued warnings about it, according to USA TODAY.
A student in Portage, Indiana, was arrested by local police while waiting outside a Planet Fitness gym to spray his target, the department said in a Facebook post on April 14. A 911 call sparked the incident after the caller reported seeing a man with a handgun, which police later identified as the student's water gun.
The 18-year-old senior was subsequently charged with felony intimidation and transported to a county jail. "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. Unfortunately, we have previously had to respond to reports of reckless driving, road rage, and carjacking, which were also associated with this game," the department wrote.
As the end of the school year approaches, more authorities are cautioning about the safety of students choosing to play the game. The voluntary game "senior assassin" is usually organized and played by the seniors of a graduating high school class to celebrate the end of the year and build camaraderie.
While the rules can fluctuate, each player is generally given a person they have to "eliminate" among their fellow students, as explained by social media posts. To eliminate a target, players have to "assassinate" another designated player by spraying them with a water gun and filming the attack.
The player who is sprayed is eliminated, while the other moves on to a new target. The last player standing without being sprayed wins. Restrictions are usually built into the game, including not playing on school grounds, not trespassing, and following a time period for players to eliminate their target or face elimination themselves.
While the senior assassin game is considered mostly playful, it's had real-life consequences in recent years, including the 18-year-old who was just arrested in Portage, Indiana.
An elementary school in the Chicago suburbs went on a brief lockdown on April 7 after multiple 911 calls were made about a man carrying a gun in a car pickup line, which turned out to be a senior assassin player trying to eliminate a target. The student was charged with disorderly conduct.
The game has also produced dangerous moments in previous years. A student was placed on life support in May 2025 and later died after falling off a vehicle while playing the game. In 2024, a student was shot and left paralyzed by another teenager's father in Kansas while playing the game. The father was sentenced to three and a half years.
Issues with the game quickly arise when the water toys look like realistic guns and the pranks "can look disturbingly similar to real firearms," the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Colorado said in an online warning. In Delano, California, the local police department is urging parents to talk to their students about the game and ways to play safely.
"Open conversations can help keep everyone safe and prevent situations from escalating," the department said in its post. "Let’s work together to make this a safe and positive time for our seniors."
Using good judgment, respecting private property, and driving safely is also important for seniors engaging with the game, the Yorktown Police Department in Indiana said.
"Remember that what feels funny to friends may look alarming to others. No game is worth someone getting hurt, causing panic, or creating a situation that puts the public on edge," the post said. "We also ask the community to keep this in mind before assuming the worst if you see teens behaving suspiciously in a way that seems unusual but not dangerous."
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