Editor’s note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
A south suburban police department has become at least the second Chicago-area law enforcement agency in under a week to issue a warning about “Senior Assassin,” a popular game played by high school students in the springtime.
“The City was made aware of the “Senior Assassin” game played by high school seniors,” the Palos Heights Police Department said in a news release on Monday. “Because the game involves students hiding and running from each other with water guns, one may assume a potential dangerous situation or circumstance…”
The game, often played by high school students ahead of graduation, involves students chasing each other with water or NERF-style guns. After receiving reports the game is being played, police advised residents to be aware of teens running in groups within neighborhoods.
While noting the game isn’t illegal, police in the Facebook post encouraged parents to speak with their children about making smart choices.
Less than a week earlier, police in suburban Villa Park issued a similar warning, saying it was made aware of high school seniors playing “Senior Assassin.”
“…Because the game involves running, hiding, and chasing, it can draw large groups of students into neighborhoods and onto residential properties,” Villa Park police said in a Facebook post, in part. “In some communities, participants have used toy guns that closely resemble real firearms, which can cause confusion and create potentially dangerous situations. While the game itself is not illegal, certain actions associated with it could result in criminal charges or violations of local ordinances.”
Other suburban villages and police departments issued similar messages about the game during the springtime last year.
Several suburbs also warned of the game in April of 2024, with some participants wearing ski masks in an effort to “catch their opponent off-guard.”
In one incident related to the game, students targeted another with a water gun inside a busy Gurnee restaurant.
“An adult, who was a concealed carry holder, in the restaurant mistook the situation for a genuine threat, and the situation could have escalated quickly,” Gurnee police said at the time. “The gravity of the situation cannot be emphasized enough; it had the potential to lead to serious consequences.”
