Senior assassin water gun game concerns school principals; students say it's harmless fun

Some Virginia school leaders are warning against senior assassin, a game students play with water guns. But others say it’s just harmless fun.

“I’ve known seniors who have played it since I was a sophomore and I’ve looked forward to playing it since … I was that age. And now that it’s actually here, I look forward to playing it,” a West Potomac High School senior said.

The goal of senior assassin, for those who choose to participate, is to spray their assigned target. The last person in the game gets a monetary prize.

In some cases, high school seniors create Instagram accounts to document the game, posting videos of teammates' successes in action.

“You pay $5 to get a target each week and you have to get your target out by the end of the week or else you’re out,” another senior told News4.

However, the principals of West Potomac High School and Cedar Lane School sent a letter to parents this week, calling the game a security risk that could normalize gun violence.

"In stressful or high-pressure situations, it can be very difficult to quickly differentiate a toy gun from a real firearm. This confusion can lead to misidentification and potentially tragic consequences," they said.

Students say the game is an innocent senior tradition.

“It's not played on school grounds; it has no effect on the teachers or anything like that. It’s a lot of money to win, and I think it’s really fun,” another senior said.

In a suburb of Chicago, the game has faced backlash. The Gurnee police department said a group of students entered a pancake restaurant wearing ski masks and carrying water guns that looked real, which scared the patrons.