Student “assassins” hunt for classmates until one lone survivor is left– that is the objective in a game that seems to be gaining popularity and causing a lot of headaches for law enforcement.
Participants in the assassin game use mock weapons and put in $5 to enter. The winner gets the jackpot after everyone else is “eliminated”.
The game, which could potentially last for weeks, used to be popular only on college campuses or remote campgrounds, police say, but it now seems to be moving into the cities as well.
“This is more like an urbanized thing now where they’re out on the streets doing it and where they’re mingling with the public,” said Halton police Staff Sgt. Paul Davies.
That’s creating a big problem for local police departments. This game has been around for years, but lately there seem to be a lot more calls coming in, and the guns are looking a lot more real now.
In a recent case, a black water pistol –which looked a lot like the guns officers carry –was being used by a teenager who was playing the assassin game. He was reportedly driving his car at the time and holding the pistol to the head of a female passenger, police said.
It’s just harmless fun, students say, but police disagree.
It “puts everyone’s safety at risk and prompts situations where police officers may not be available for real emergencies and be faced with what could be deemed a serious bodily harm situation or lethal force confrontation,” Hamilton Const. Steve Welton said.
In another incident last month, officers received a call about three people wearing ski masks, who were pointing guns at students walking home from school. Turns out they were playing the assassin game and carrying water guns, The Hamilton Spectator reported.
Police are encouraging parents to talk to their kids about the possible dangers involved when playing this game.
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