BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — Delano police are urging parents to talk with their children about not participating in “Senior Assassin,” a game in which students are using water guns to “eliminate” each other.
The Delano Police Department confiscated this water gun because of how real it looked when playing “Senior Assassin.” (Courtesy: Delano Police Department){ }
An officer said in a video posted to social media on Monday that when the department responds to such incidents, officers cannot tell if the replica guns are real or not.
“Every call for service involving a gun is taken very seriously. We don’t know if it’s a water gun when the call comes out, so we take every call very seriously,” said School Resource Officer Orlando Guzman.
The department asks parents or guardians to have open conversations, which can help keep everyone safe and prevent situations from escalating.
DELANO POLICE DEPARTMENT (KBAK/KBFX)
Police say the game typically involves students using an app that assigns them a target to eliminate using a water gun. While it may seem harmless, officers warn the situation can easily be misinterpreted by the public.
“When they see four kids chasing one kid with a water gun, that may look real they’re not calling it in as a senior assassin game. They’re calling it in as there’s four subjects with a gun chasing another subject,” Guzman said.
Officials say using replica firearms in public could also lead to legal consequences.
Water gun that looks like a real gun is being used to in a game called “Senior Assassin.” (KBAK/KBFX)
“There are penal code subsections for possessing a replica firearm this can be considered one of those,” Guzman said.
Guzman says the goal is not to take away fun, but to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
“This is not me trying to discourage them from having fun. This is me discouraging them from getting hurt.” he said.
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