Police in Irvine are urging high school students and parents to reconsider how they play a popular graduation tradition after realistic-looking toy guns triggered emergency responses in the past.
The Irvine Police Department issued a public safety warning Thursday about “Senior Assassin,” a game in which high school seniors eliminate one another using water guns and gel blasters. According to the Los Angeles Times, the department shared a 2024 doorbell camera photo of a teen carrying a realistic-looking toy pistol that prompted a resident to call 911.
Ziggy Azarcon, public information officer with the Irvine Police Department, said officers responded to that call and referred the teen to youth services. While no similar incidents have occurred recently, authorities want to raise awareness as graduation season approaches.
The game typically involves students organizing elimination tournaments through group chats and social media. Participants track down and ‘eliminate’ one another with water gun shots, with the last person standing—or in this case, dry—declared the winner. Sometimes money is involved, Azarcon said.
KTLA reports that police worry the toy weapons can closely resemble real firearms. ‘The risk is in how these objects are perceived,’ the department stated in a social media post. ‘Replicas can closely resemble real firearms. If someone runs through a neighborhood with a replica, they may be reported as armed, triggering an emergency police response.’
NBC Los Angeles notes that some of the water guns and gel blasters look like Glock pistols. ‘A split-second misunderstanding can have real consequences,’ the Irvine Police Department warned. ‘These encounters can escalate quickly and pose a danger to students and the public.’
Azarcon emphasized that police want students to enjoy their final year of high school but urged them to be mindful of their choice of water gun and where they play. In dark conditions, distinguishing between a toy and real firearm becomes difficult, he said.
The department recommends teens choose ‘something that’s obnoxiously fake-looking,’ like a neon green or orange Super Soaker, and avoid playing in public areas including parking lots, neighborhoods, and around schools.
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