Guelph Police warn of dangers of ‘Senior Assassin' game after teen arrested at gunpoint

CTV News

13-05-2025

A game played by senior high school students could have serious consequences.
The game is known as 'Senior Assassin.'
'It's an app-based game for senior high school students,' the Guelph Police Service's Media Relations Coordinator Scott Tracey said during an interview on Tuesday. 'Essentially they sign up for the game, they're assigned a target, a person they're supposed to assassinate, and they do that by shooting them typically with water guns or projectiles.'
Participants are considered fair targets at any time of day, not just during school hours.
However, some of the water guns that are being used have sparked concern in the community.
'A lot of the guns that the players of this game are using, they're very realistic. They're difficult to distinguish from real firearms, especially at night or in low light settings,' Tracey said.
Police have received calls from concerned people throughout the city.
'Members of the community see these young people going around, brandishing what appear to be real firearms, pointing them outside the window of cars,' he said.
In a news release Tuesday, the Guelph Police Service said a high school was briefly put into lockdown on May 1 after police received a report about teens with guns in a car outside the school. One teen was arrested at gunpoint.
'Through investigation it was determined that they were playing the Senior Assassin game and were armed with very realistic-looking handgun water guns,' Tracey said.
The three teens involved in the incident were cautioned about possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and will have to complete an educational program through the John Howard Society.
In an email to CTV News, the Upper Grand District School Board confirmed the school involved was Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute.
'Our school is taking this situation very seriously, and are asking that families reinforce the messaging that this game be stopped immediately,' an email sent to parents read. 'The presence of any kind of weapon is very concerning even when it may be a replica weapon, as they are not easily identifiable as fake.'
Police said officers must treat all weapons calls as legitimate until proven otherwise. That can often prompt a large police response, pulling officers away from other urgent calls.
'We understand that it is a fun game and young people want to participate in it. We just ask that if they are doing so, that they do so responsibly and that would include using a water gun that is not going to be mistaken for a real firearm. Maybe not using it in circumstances where other members of the public see them or become aware of what they're doing,' Tracey explained.
He also urged parents to talk to their children about the consequences of playing the game.