Scenes of teens running through Santa Clarita parking lots, wearing floaties and squirting water pistols — sounds harmless enough, but school and law enforcement officials are raising concerns about the appearance of hyperrealistic plastic replica guns.
The source of the amusement/concern of late has been “Senior Assassin,” an annual game that has been played among high school seniors this time of year for decades.
There’s even an app for it now, of course, with the most popular one being called “Splashin,” which offers a digital structure and rules to what essentially combines hide-and-seek and tag with the use of Nerf or water guns.
The app now offers players rules and guidelines that everyone’s supposed to agree to, but that’s not the problem.
Recent news reports from incidents everywhere from San Diego to Chicago to Charlotte prompted a proactive message to William S. Hart Union High School District parents from Canyon and West Ranch high schools’ administration.
A Troutman, North Carolina, high school was put on lockdown due to a water pistol that looked like a handgun with an extended magazine. The Villa Park Police Department created a message saying it was trying to alert the community about the potential danger.
However, last year a local news station in Texas shared a story about a student who was shot while playing the game.
And the concern about avoiding a worst-case scenario of mistaken identity with the fake weapons is real.
Shirley Miller, spokeswoman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, said Thursday that station officials were going to send out a similar message of concern to support the schools, as the station has received reports about the plastic toys made to look like real guns.
“Much of this game is posted on social media where targets and leaders are named and/or pictured online. While seemingly harmless, the game has raised safety concerns due to potential misunderstandings and incidents which just last year became national news with a student being shot with a real gun,” according to the West Ranch High School message.
“Thankfully, the student survived, but this incident demonstrates exactly why we as parents need to take this seriously and speak to our kids about the dangers of these types of games,” read the message sent from West Ranch High School.
Canyon High leaders shared a similar admonishment.
“It is critical for us to convey that Canyon High School does not support or condone this trend,” read the message to parents of the Cowboys. “We take very seriously any jokes or comments about shooting, guns, or violence. Even when intended humorously, this type of language is inappropriate in a school setting and may result in disciplinary consequences. In addition, bringing water guns or any look-alike weapons onto campus or to any Canyon HS event is prohibited under California Education Code.”
