Winnebago Police warn parents of ‘Senior Assassin game’ risks

WINNEBAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Police in Winnebago are warning parents of a “game” played by high school students that involves shooting other students with realistic-looking water guns in the public.

According to the Winnebago Police Department, students wearing ski masks and targeting other students in public places with realistic-looking squirt guns, are causing multiple police departments nationwide to issue warnings to residents.

Police said game is called “senior assassins,” and involves teams in tournament-style competition, with participants trying to eliminate opposing teams by “tagging” them with water guns.

School Resource Officer Jeff Spelman alerted the police department that some Winnebago High School students are participating in the activity.

“Parents, we urge you to discuss the dangers of this activity with your children and monitor their actions accordingly,” the department said in a statement.

In April , an adult concealed carry holder who witnessed students from a neighborhood community barge into a restaurant in Gurnee with fake weapons “mistook the situation for a genuine threat and the situation could have escalated quickly.”

St. Charles Police posted a photo of the water guns, which appear startlingly realistic and look like modern firearms.

According to Arlington Heights Police, who issued a similar warning , the game rules say it cannot take place during school hours or on school property, leaving players to locate their opponents at home, at local parks, and other public venues.

In Itasca, police said two teens playing the “senior assassins” game were injured in a rollover crash that happened as a driver lost control of a vehicle while attempting to “assassinate” another teen with a squirt gun.

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