MCPS warns about dangers of ‘Senior Assassins’ challenge game

Participating students making social media videos could endanger themselves and others, district says

May 10, 2024 3:34 p.m.

Editor’s note: This article, which was orignially published May 10 at 11:34 a.m. was updated May 10 at 12:35 p.m. to add headlines from around the country about the game.

Montgomery County Public Schools and county police are warning families about the potential dangers of high school seniors participating in a game of tag called the “Senior Assassins.”

The game involves students recording videos of themselves as they spray other students with water guns to eliminate them from the competition, MCPS said in a Friday email sent to families. The videos are then posted to social media. The last student in the game is considered the winner.

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“It is reported that students who play this game may also engage in dangerous behaviors such as reckless driving and trespassing, and there are reports of teenagers in public parking lots with water guns,” the email said. “The use of water guns, as they resemble weapons, can cause alarm and lead to unintended situations where someone may feel threatened or scared.”

The district said that while reported incidents have not occurred at any MCPS school, “we want to remind you that this type of behavior is strictly prohibited on any MCPS campus. We are closely monitoring the situation and are fully prepared to respond immediately if it were to occur. “

The game is reminiscent of one played by hundreds of students at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring in 2013.

That game, an annual tradition, was prohibited by school officials in the wake of growing sensitivity about guns and potential threats following the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

The district encouraged parents to speak with their students about the potential dangers of participating in the game and to contact police if they witness any students who are participating.

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The game has also been the subject of headlines recently in Northern Virginia’s Loudoun County and farther away in the Chicago area. Family of a teen from a town outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, also recently cited the game as a potential contributing factor in his death.

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