'Senior Assassin' Game Returns At Local Schools: Arlington Heights PD

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — As the school year enters its final months, the Arlington Heights Police Department is alerting residents of the return of the "Senior Assassin" game. The game is played by high school students across the country, beginning in early spring, in conjunction with senior graduation activities.

According to the AHPD, participants attempt to forego match elimination by squirting other players with a water gun. The last person remaining wins.

In years past, the game has resulted in calls to police about participants carrying guns that look real, and there has been at least one injury so far this spring. One call resulted in a "significant" police response based on a homeowner reporting "a man with a gun" running through their residential yard.

This year, the Village was asked about someone with a gun at an intersection near two elementary schools and a park. The person was playing the game, according to police.

"We encourage parents to talk to their children about safety concerns linked to openly carrying a squirt gun that resembles a look-alike firearm and being on private property without permission," AHPD said in a news release.

Police do not condone or support the cited objectives of the water gun game. They ask residents not to assume any suspicious activity to be part of the game and to call 911 immediately.

"The unintentional result of participants running throughout the community with a water gun, some often resembling a look-alike firearm, could have deadly consequences," police said.