A popular game involving water guns has led to police being called twice in the past week in Collingwood.
On April 24, Collingwood and The Blue Mountains OPP received a report of several teens in a white vehicle at an address on Kirby Avenue. They were trying to get to another teen, “who had taken refuge in a residence,” according to a news release. Police were told one of the teens had a handgun.
The teens were taken into custody before police determined it was a water gun.
On April 28, police responded to a report of several teens in a vehicle on Bush Street who were “acting suspiciously in front of a residence.” It was believed they had firearms, but police attended and found they were water guns.
In both instances, police determined the youth were playing a game called Senior Assassin.
“Senior Assassin has grown in popularity across Canada and the United States. Although it’s getting young people to take time away from their devices and online gaming, the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains detachment would like to raise awareness for players and the public to limit confusion between the game and a real scenario,” police said.
Senior Assassin is popular among high school students. The game sees them selecting targets and trying to squirt them with water guns within a certain amount of time. The targets are eliminated from the game if they’re squirted. Those who do not squirt the targets before time runs out are also eliminated.
Police urge those playing this game to ensure they are not using water guns that can be mistaken for real firearms.
“Stick to the brightly coloured plastic type; don’t linger around other people’s homes or trespass on their property; and don’t wear face masks that cover the face. It is important for young people to understand how their actions could look/be interpreted by a member of the public who is unfamiliar with the game that they are playing.”
