Redding police have joined other law enforcement agencies in urging high school students to act responsibly if they chose to play a popular live-action water gun game that has sparked alarm and even resulted in arrests in some cities.
The Redding Police Department issued its warning to the public on Facebook over the weekend as high school graduation time draws near.
According to news reports, the app-based game typically pairs young people who are water-gun toting “assassins” with others who play the role of “targets” who get stalked and shot with the water gun, thereby eliminating that target from the game. Surviving competitors move on to the advanced rounds until winners are declared.
Sgt. Brian Berg said that local students have played the “Senior Assassin” game for a number of years, which he said is regarded as a “fun tradition” at graduation time. Berg said that “this is not a new activity in our area, but something the general public may not be aware of.”
West Valley High School Principal Justin Byxbe said such a live-action game isn’t played on the Cottonwood school’s grounds during school hours.
“It’s definitely not taking place on campus, that I can confirm. We wouldn’t allow that on campus,” Byxbe said. He added that, “We haven’t had any water gun incidents during school hours. It won’t be an issue for school hours, so we are not going to get involved in an issue that’s not impacting our campus directly.”
In Redding, police have not received complaints about the stalking game “that have been overly concerning,” said Berg.
He added that the department’s Facebook post “was intended as a precautionary message to encourage common sense and help prevent a situation from developing into a safety issue. The concern is less about a known local problem and more about avoiding misunderstandings or risky behavior before they occur.”
In its post on April 18, the Redding police agency told the people who play the game: “Do not trespass, do not run into traffic and do not approach people in a way that could be mistaken for a real threat. Avoid schools, businesses, and any place where your actions could cause fear or trigger a police response.”The police post added: “No realistic-looking weapons in public. If someone tells you to leave, leave. If something feels off, walk away” and “use common sense and keep it safe.”
“Your goal is to graduate, not get hurt or end up in a report. Make good decisions, look out for each other, and keep it fun without putting yourself or others at risk,” the Redding agency’s Facebook post said.
In other cities, news reports said that the water gun stalking game has led to several incidents because the young people appear to be pursuing others with what is mistaken for a real firearm.
The Portage Police Department in Indiana said a teen playing the game was arrested and charged on April 10. The incident drew 13 law enforcement personnel, according to ABC News.Police in Kenner, Louisiana said one homeowner and her adult son were unaware that late-night activity outside the house on April 4 was being carried out by six people who were playing the water gun game and hiding behind vehicles parked in the home’s driveway. Believing they were under threat, the adult son allegedly fired warning shots from their actual gun at the teens, police said.
In that case, police said no one was injured and the six people were charged with criminal offenses. “This could have ended in a tragedy,” Kenner police said in their Facebook post.
More broadly during the graduation season, Redding’s Berg urged “students to make safe decisions related to celebrations, driving, parties, trespassing, and conduct that could create unnecessary risks for themselves or others.”
Michele Chandler covers public safety, reports on trials in Shasta County Superior Court, writes about restaurants and foodies and handles whatever else comes up for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Accepts story tips at 530-338-7753 and at mrchandler@gannett.com. Please support our entire newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: High school water gun ‘assassin’ game sparks Redding police warnings
Reporting by Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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