California police warn of app-driven ‘assassin’ game where students track and ‘eliminate’ each other

A popular high school tradition is drawing fresh warnings from California law enforcement as graduation season approaches.

The Redding Police Department is urging teens to think twice before taking part in “Senior Assassin,” a live-action game where high school seniors track and “eliminate” each other using water guns.

There’s an app-driven version of the game that assigns each player a target and uses phone location services to help them hunt each other down. The company behind it, Splashin, has urged safety when using the app.

Players advance by soaking their assigned opponent while avoiding being eliminated themselves.

Police say the concept may be harmless, but the execution can quickly alarm the public and result in deadly consequences.

“Do not trespass, do not run into traffic and do not approach people in a way that could be mistaken for a real threat,” the department said in a Facebook post.

Officers also warned players to steer clear of schools, businesses and any area where their actions could cause fear or trigger a police response.

The advisory added: “No realistic-looking weapons in public. If someone tells you to leave, leave. If something feels off, walk away” and “use common sense and keep it safe.”

Sgt. Brian Berg noted that local students have played the game for years, describing it as a “fun tradition” tied to graduation, according to the Redding Record Searchlight. 

However, he acknowledged that many in the community may not recognize it, increasing the risk of misunderstandings.

While Redding police say they haven’t received complaints that are “overly concerning,” incidents elsewhere have escalated.

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Last year a student in Texas died of injuries after he fell off the back of a moving vehicle while playing the game and in 2024 two students had a real gun pulled on them in a Chicago suburb when a man with a concealed firearm confused the situation with a robbery.

School officials in the region are keeping their distance.

West Valley High School Principal Justin Byxbe confirmed the game is not permitted on campus during school hours and said there have been no water gun-related issues at the California school, according to the Redding Record Searchlight.

The modern version of “Senior Assassin,” a tradition dating back to the 1980s, includes rules aimed at reducing risk.

Players are instructed to use brightly colored water guns, avoid disguises and stay out of restricted areas like private property.

Still, authorities stress that even with safeguards, the sight of teens stalking each other in public, especially with anything resembling a weapon, can quickly turn a game into a public safety scare.