For those playing ‘Senior Assassin’ game, keep it safe to stay out of trouble

That is because some seniors are dressed in costume for the assassin task in all black, using water guns that look like the real thing, according to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. And that can be scary for those not familiar with the game who might mistake the teens for criminals, police said.

“We’re not trying to stop this game,” Jordan Yuodis, spokesperson for the Paulding sheriff’s office, said in a recent Facebook video. “We’re just trying to let our citizens know that this is happening, and the way these folks are dressed is not playing a game.”

The sheriff’s office also showed video from doorbell cameras in its warning to students. The remarks from Yuodis came several days after the agency posted a warning to students.

“Why on God’s green earth do you think it’s okay to be dressed in all black, running around with guns — regardless of whether they are real or fake — and knocking on folks’ doors?" the sheriff’s office said. “When your parents were young, they played ‘ding dong ditch.’ In 2025, you can’t be doing that. The consequences are real and extremely dangerous.”

It’s not just metro Atlanta police that are dealing with the impact of the “Assassins” game.

On Thursday, Florida State University student McKenzie Heeter told CNN when she witnessed a shooting on campus, she wondered if it could be part of the game.

“I was like oh OK, maybe it’s a BB gun,” Heeter said. “Or maybe it’s like, you know how seniors in high school will do those water gun fights, Senior Assassins or whatever. Maybe it’s something like that.

Heeter quickly realized it was a real weapon the gunman was using to fire multiple shots, killing two people and injuring several others.

Earlier this month, a 911 caller in Indiana reported an incident at a restaurant parking lot, according to police. The caller said two SUVs were blocking in a car, and people with guns were chasing another person, a Chicago television station reported.

Officers arrived to find teens playing the game, and the guns were toys.

In February, an off-duty Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent shot an 18-year-old Bishop Kenny High School standout football player in the arm while the student was playing a game of “Senior Assassin” in Nassau County, News4Jax reported. The agent had spotted what he thought were prowlers outside a home.

“These types of games may seem innocent, but when you have young people sneaking around in the dark and carrying objects that could be mistaken for weapons, you’re creating a potentially deadly situation,” Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said after the incident.

Some local school districts are also warning students about the possible dangers of the game, even though it is played off campus.

“We encourage all students to think carefully before engaging in any behavior that could risk their safety, or the safety of others,” Anne Boatwright, spokesperson for Fulton County Schools, said in an emailed statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We also ask parents to speak with their students about making safe and responsible choices. What may seem like harmless fun can quickly escalate into something far more serious.”

Boatwright said the goal is to keep students safe. Plus, some behavior or actions off-campus could still violate the district’s code of conduct.

Seniors planning to participate in graduation ceremonies, for example, would not want to jeopardize that with disciplinary issues or even criminal charges.

Local students say they have heard about the game causing fear and police action. But they still want to play, so they are reminding their friends to be smart. Plus, it’s fun.

At Northview High School in north Fulton, senior Kaia Ardle says there is a list of rules her classmates must follow. Those wanting “immunity” from being squirted with a water gun must wear floaties on the arms and goggles on their head, Ardle said.

Participants cannot “kill” their targets while driving, on campus, at church or work. And you must have a phone to record the “kill” so that it can be approved, Ardle said. The video files are then posted to Instagram.

Ardle isn’t playing, but is one of the “game masters” and says there have been no issues so far.

At Rome High School, senior Davian Adams told the AJC he has stopped to think about safety concerns.

“It did cross my mind,” Adams said. “I will make sure I don’t do anything to make people think it was anything else other than a game.”

Adams said he and his friends won’t be wearing all black, and they know to play in public areas, rather than by people’s homes. His senior class has been playing for weeks, and participants each paid $5 to play. The money will go to the winner.

“Each round you get a target and if you eliminate your target during the round, then you get their target,” Adams explains. “You just have to spray them with water in any way. It’s like hide-and-seek in the summer, but with water guns.”

Adams’ classmate, Charles Scott, said the game has helped bring a variety of students together, crossing the lines of the various “friend groups” in the class.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Scott said. “Since doing this, we’ve all kind of intermingled and talked.”

Ardle agrees about the game being a good way to end her high school days.

“All of the seniors are coming together to (do) one last fun thing as a class,” she said.