The initial 911 call came in as a person running through a neighborhood with a gun.
But the New Castle County Police officers who responded quickly to the Newark-area community on Thursday afternoon didn’t find anyone armed with an actual firearm — instead, it was a water toy being used in an increasingly-popular game called “senior assassination.”
In recent weeks, the game − which is largely played by high school seniors — has drawn the attention of police departments nationwide due to its potential for deadly consequences.
During the game, which is typically played off school property, students separate into teams and try to shoot each other with water guns. Teams are assigned “targets” to “assassinate” each week.
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The “assassins,” police agencies say, may wear dark clothes and sneak through neighborhoods to find their target. Videos of the “hits” are then posted on social media.
Some of the videos show the “assassins” wearing ski masks and other face coverings.
Though the game has been played for years, police agencies are now reporting that some of the water guns used in the game resemble real handguns, as was the case on Thursday.
The concern, police say, is that citizens or police may not be able to differentiate between a real firearm and a toy.
“This behavior, though intentionally innocent, could easily be perceived, reported, or confronted as suspicious behavior by unknowing persons and outcomes could have serious consequences,” the Northern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Regional Police Department wrote in a public service announcement issued last week.
“Determining the intentions of the ‘suspect’ and the difference between a real firearm and a replica water gun at that moment can be life-altering.”
Are Delaware students playing it?
Up until recently, police in Delaware hadn’t reported the game being played in The First State.
At least two police agencies told Delaware Online/The News Journal they hadn’t even heard of the game, while a New Castle County Police spokesman said he had heard of it but hadn’t received any reports of it in the state.
That changed with Thursday’s 911 call.
Given the game is not school-sanctioned, nor does it frequently occur on campus, Delaware schools have not weighed in.
MORE:Holmdel, NJ High School seniors are playing a dangerous game, cops say
Elsewhere across the country, however, school districts have prohibited the game from being played on campuses and issued warnings about its potential for danger.
Still, some administrators — including one at a Maine high school where the game was ended earlier this year due to “multiple mishaps” in the community — consider it a “fun tradition.”
Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_
