Students nervously peek around corners, rush to and from work, and stalk the locations of their fellow pupils. Senior Assassin is in season and is currently leading to high tensions amongst the class of 2025.
Senior Assassin is not just limited to the streets of Floyds Knobs and surrounding areas. The game itself has garnered a consistent stream of popularity since the 2010s. The origin of the game is not exactly known, but its rise to prominence began through appearances in shows like iCarly and Gossip Girl. This early push was later accelerated by the game’s wildfire-like spread to prominence via social media.
The rules of the game are simple at first glance. Simply the pursuit of squirting other assigned targets with a water gun.
“Get a target each round, so I think it’s like seven days, and your goal is just to assassinate your person with a water gun. And stay protected,” said senior Molly Spitznagel.
The complexity of the rules is a direct inverse of to the simplicity of the equipment required to play.
“Basically, you need a brightly colored water gun and swim goggles,” said senior Luke Leathers.
The game also offers a unique buy-back in system. This allows eliminated assassins to buy back into the game, not only giving them a shot at the cash prize but also increasing the prize pool.
“For the first round, you only had to pay ten dollars to buy back in. And so far, I love the game. It’s high tension. Everyone wants to win. It’s fun,” said Spitznagel.
The daily lives of students participating have shifted in a variety of different ways. The stipulations of the game garner different offensive and defensive strategies from those participating.
“I feel like some people are not doing as much as they would be normally throughout the week. And I guess some people, also, are going out, trying to play the game in a way and get people,” said Leathers.
Whilst the game has brought a competitive drive from some participants. In others it has led to a persistent state of playful paranoia.
“I don’t trust anyone. I’m constantly worried someone’s watching me. I wear goggles everywhere, so I look like a fool every time I go out in public,” said Spitznagel.
Despite the inconveniences and heartbreaks that arise from the game, the general consensus of those in the fog of water gun war remains consistently positive.
“It’s a fun thing to do, you get to do something with friends, classmates. It’s a fun bonding experience and it’s just a good thing to do,” said Leathers.
As much fun as those participating in Senior Assassin may be having, safety concerns have arisen across the US at large. Like an incident in Florida wherein a player of the game was shot by a concerned homeowner.
“The 18-year-old student who was shot is recuperating from a wound to his arm. No charges will be brought in the case, Nelson said. The incident occurred around 6 a.m., when the FDLE agent noticed ‘three people prowling outside their residence in the dark’ and mistook them for home invaders, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said,” reported by Michelle Corum of Jax Today.
Incidents are not just relegated to nationally reported incidents. A local occurrence relating to senior assassin was reported to local authorities.
“I had a second lieutenant call me and inform me that it [Senior Assassin] was going on. I had a student of mine who was at a dead-end road, blacked out in his vehicle for a long period, and made the neighbors nervous, and hence they contacted the police. Those he was a person was sitting in front of an elderly lady’s house and I guess he got out of the vehicle and had something in his hand and which appeared to be a firearm, which she contacted her son, who was on his way and luckily the police got out there first,” said student resource officer Woodruff.
The manners in which to improve the safety of the game are relatively simple. Those in charge of student safety believe these are integral to the safety of seniors participating in the game.
“What I highly recommend is to avoid going on people’s property, especially late at night, early in the morning, not to be in all black clothing, not to be hiding behind bushes, and the best thing I could ever recommend. I think it sounds like a fun game, but use brightly colored water guns, like the Super Soakers, the really bright green, pink, or blue, that when somebody sees it, they know it’s a water gun,” said Woodruff.
The common-sense recommendations from school and local officials are echoed by some participating in the game.
“I guess they’re nervous about it not being a game, just not completely understanding, which I understand. I mean, you know, it can look like something else. So I’d recommend staying away from people’s property, stuff like that, not going super out in public, doing something, just being smart you should be fine,” said Leathers