The principal of Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute is urging students to put a stop to 鈥淪enior Assassin,鈥 a live-action game involving water pistols that is a popular among high school seniors but is raising growing concern among police.
鈥淲e kindly ask that this game come to an end immediately,鈥 Michael Griesz appealed to Grade 12 students and their families in an email sent out late Wednesday about the non-school-sanctioned activity. He explained water pistols 鈥渃an easily be mistaken for real firearms, especially by law enforcement.鈥
Griesz did not respond to questions from the Star, but Emma Moynihan, a spokesperson for the 海角社区官网District School Board, confirmed there had been an incident earlier in the day involving a group of Lawrence Park students off school property.
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A popular 鈥渞ite of passage鈥 for graduating students across Canada and the U.S., Senior Assassin is like a massive game of tag where students eliminate 鈥渢argets鈥 in creative ways, from marking them with chalk to hitting them with Nerf balls 鈥 and most commonly, with water guns聽鈥 until only one victor remains.
Game rules usually include not playing on school grounds, and students are able to wear items, like swimming goggles or water wings, to give themselves immunity.
Versions of the game have existed for decades, originally emerging on university and college campuses as a fun bonding exercise combining stealth and strategic planning. Social media, with its ability to connect and co-ordinate, has fuelled the game鈥檚 growth.
But that popularity has posed problems for school administrators and police forces who are increasingly faced with community complaints over suspicious characters hiding behind corners, darting into traffic or holding what looks to be like a weapon.
Police from and ., to have, just over the past week, issued warnings about the game, noting that calls are diverting units from legitimate emergencies. Earlier this year, a by an off-duty police officer.
Halton Regional Police Service, now in its fifth year of , told the Star it has received about 12 related calls so far this year, but has laid no charges. 鈥淭he HRPS discourages youth from participating in this game and encourages parents and guardians to speak to their children about its potential risks and consequences,鈥 the public notice stated.
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About 200 Lawrence Park students were participating in this year鈥檚 activity. Up for grabs, from the entrance fee, was a pot of $2,000 for the winner.
, which touts itself as the number one app for Senior Assassin by assisting with local tracking and game management, explains on its website that 鈥渆specially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe that it is more important than ever for kids and adults to have enjoyable ways to connect in real life again.鈥
But the company adds that safety comes first and recommends players use brightly coloured equipment that cannot be mistaken for real weapons and advises against wearing disguises.
Janet Hurley is a 海角社区官网Star journalist and senior writer
covering culture, education and societal trends. She is based in
Toronto. Reach her via email: jhurley@thestar.ca.
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