"Senior assassin" game in Stoneham, Massachusetts causes 911 caller to mistake water gun for pistol: "He's about to ambush"
The ongoing issues with the "senior assassin" game across Massachusetts caused a close call in Stoneham.
On Monday, Stoneham Police raced to a home for a report of a person with a gun waiting to ambush someone. It turned out to be part of the controversial game high school seniors play before graduation.
It started as a terrifying 911 call from a house on Gerry Street in Stoneham Monday morning.
"I have a gentleman outside my house hiding with a gun. Looks like he's about to ambush somebody. I need someone to come right away." the caller said. "He's got a black hoodie on. He's got a gun in his right hand. He's got gray sweatpants."
When officers arrived just after 7 a.m. they found a man who fit the description. Police body camera showed they approached him with guns drawn for a moment. He held his hands in the air, got on the ground, and followed the officers' commands.
After the officers handcuffed him, the man told them what was going on. "It's a senior assassin water gun for the senior class," the man said.
The man in cuffs was actually a Stoneham High School senior, hiding outside of a classmate's home in the hopes of "tagging" him for "senior assassin." The game started on Wednesday, April 29, students told WBZ-TV.
"Basically, everybody gets a target, and you have to get them but nobody knows who has you," explained senior Sophia Blessing. "And you just keep playing until there's one person left and whoever wins, wins all the money that gets put into the game."
About 80 kids are playing, she said, for the prize of nearly $800. Students wait for their targets and blast them with water guns - all outside and off school property.
Blessing got her target on Thursday.
"This morning, I went and I hid in the bush near her house, near her car so I could get her before she got to her car," she said.
But now Stoneham Police are warning of the dangers of using real looking guns, which can lead to frantic calls like the one they received on Monday.
"We get a call, a guy with a gun hiding in the bushes and they said the guy seemed crazy," a police officer can be heard saying on the body camera footage.
"We have already worked closely with our partners in Stoneham Public Schools to engage with students and their families about this issue, and we will continue to do so," Stoneham Police Chief James O'Connor said in a statement. "The high school principal has sent a letter home to families, and we are proud of the strong partnership and open lines of communication between the Stoneham Police Department and the Stoneham Public Schools."
The student didn't get in any real trouble. He was let go immediately. In fact, when he called his mother at the request of officers, she answered the phone by saying, "Did you get him?" in reference to the game.
"I got caught by the cops," her son responded.
"I would like to credit the officers who responded to this incident for their calmness and demeanor," said Chief O'Connor. "What could have been a potentially dangerous misunderstanding was quickly sorted out by well-trained professionals. It is my hope that we can turn this incident into a learning opportunity for our entire community and other communities who have also faced this issue."
