Teens' "Senior Assassins," "Paranoia" toy gun games have suburban police departments issuing warnings
It's supposed to be a game where high school seniors shoot water guns or NERF guns at each other, but people across the Chicago suburbs are now calling the cops.
The Village of Northfield posted a safety alert from the Northfield Police Department to their Facebook page, warning about area high school students playing a game called "Paranoia," while the Glen Ellyn Police Department warned its residents about students playing a game called "Senior Assassin."
In both games, students try to shoot each other with water guns or, in the case of Paranoia, NERF guns.
Local police departments are getting daily calls about the games and they want people to be aware.
The games have become a tradition of sorts as high school seniors near graduation. The problem is a lot times people think the teens are trespassing, or they mistake the water guns or NERF guns involved for an actual firearm.
The games can be fun, but can quickly turn frightening for anyone unsure what is going on.
"I just think people look out their window, they see something suspicious, and they call. They should call" Lake Zurich Police Sgt. Andrew Sieber said.
Lake Zurich police get a few calls a week about kids carrying guns.
Early Tuesday morning, police were alerted a teen was running between homes in a Barrington neighborhood.
"There was a suspicious person call, where a young person was dipping in and out around a garage. A concerned neighbor called the police, reported the suspicious activity, and it just ended up being a kid playing the game," Sieber said.
High school seniors playing "Senior Assassin" try to shoot their classmates with water guns, and the last one standing wins a cash prize.
"Each participant gets a name on it, of one of their classmates, and it is their job to 'assassinate' that person with a squirt gun," Sieber said.
But the game can be deadly. In Minnesota last year, two students died in a car crash playing the game.
Last spring in Itasca, Illinois, two kids miraculously survived after the car they were in rolled over as they were playing the game.
Incidents like those are why police departments across the Chicago area put posts on social media recently, alerting parents and community members.
Already this week, Schaumburg police said officers responded to a call of a student with a handgun at a fast food restaurant. It turned out to be a water gun replica of a Glock that could appear real due to its similar size and shape.
"We would like to remind both students and parents that this game poses serious safety concerns. The game is not illegal, but the actions taken can create hazardous situations. Actions taken during gameplay can be misinterpreted as threats, potentially leading to police involvement, criminal charges, or disorderly conduct violations," Schaumburg police said in a statement.
Schaumburg police and several other suburban police departments have encouraged parents to talk to their teens about the risks of playing the games, and to discourage them from participating.
"More often than not, their guns are looking more realistic, more tactical. It's hard to tell the difference between them," Sieber said.
Until police determine it is a squirt gun, Sieber said officers have to treat each incident like the real thing. He said it's possible for students to be charged with trespassing, but also disorderly conduct or aggravated assault, if they point a weapon at the wrong person and that person believes it's real.
"We want them to call police. We just don't want any overreactions that could result in tragedy," Sieber said.
In 2024, Gurnee police said a group of high school students were nearly confronted by an adult with a Concealed Carry License when they went into a local restaurant wearing ski masks and carrying water guns that looked like real guns.
Schools like Distict 95 in Lake Zurich have come out saying they do not sponsor the game, and it is prohibited on their property.
