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CBS News
14-05-2025
- CBS News
Criminal charges won't be filed after "Senior Assassin" game left Grand Prairie teen on life support
Criminal charges won't be filed in connection to a viral game that left a North Texas teen on life support, according to the Arlington Police Department. Isaac Leal, 17, has been on life support at an Arlington hospital for nearly a month after falling off the back of a vehicle while playing a game called "Senior Assassin." APD said Leal and other students were playing the viral game when Leal onto the back of a Jeep Wrangler. Leal rode on the back of the Jeep through a residential neighborhood on April 21. Shortly after the Jeep made a turn, Leal fell off the vehicle and was injured. The driver of the Jeep stopped and 911 was called. EMS responded to the scene for what was described as an unconscious person and Leal was transported to the hospital. APD said investigators found no evidence to support claims that the driver of the Jeep was driving recklessly at the time or intentionally trying to cause Leal to fall off the vehicle. APD said no criminal offense occurred. Family reports encouraging signs for 17-year-old on life support Leal's family said he is showing signs of responsiveness from the hospital bed where he has been for three weeks. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez "Our kid is a fighter," said Jose Leal, Isaac's dather. "You know, basically, what I can say about my son — he's never been a person to give up." Leal said his son moved his legs on command. "We see certain characteristics, like a smile or we see tears coming down his eyes," Leal said. "You know, those are the things that we're looking at. That gives us hope." While he fights for his life, a table was decorated in honor of the South Grand Prairie High School senior Monday night at the baseball team's annual banquet. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Injury prompts school districts to warn against playing "Senior Assassin" Isaac Leal's injury and the attention it's received have prompted a number of North Texas school districts to issue warnings and threaten students caught playing the game. The "Senior Assassin" game has become an unofficial tradition among students across the country. Family searches for long-term care facility The family says it's yet to find a long-term care facility that will take Isaac Leal. Despite his grave condition, they haven't given up hope that he could attend his senior class graduation in two weeks. "Isaac's supposed to be graduating May 25," Jose Leal said. "We're hoping that he's able to walk, be out of here before May 25. That's what we're hoping for. We're asking God to deliver." Julia Falcon Julia Falcon is a digital content producer at CBS News Texas. Julia has previously written for news outlets across Dallas-Fort Worth like the Denton Record-Chronicle, D Magazine, 1080 KRLD and 105.3 The Fan. She covers a span of topics, focusing on sports and trending topics. Every week, Julia produces a show called "Eye on Trending," where she answers top trending questions. contributed to this report.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Family keeps hope alive for North Texas student on life support after "Senior Assassin" game injury
Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez The South Grand Prairie High School baseball team is honoring the 17-year-old student fighting for his life after playing a controversial water gun game popular among graduating seniors. His family reports encouraging signs of responsiveness, fueling hope for his recovery. Isaac Leal has been on life support at an Arlington hospital for nearly a month after falling off the back of a vehicle while playing a game called "Senior Assassin." His father said he has a new reason to have hope that his son will recover. Family reports encouraging signs for 17-year-old on life support after "Senior Assassin" water gun game It was April 21 when the teenager was playing a water gun target game called "Senior Assassin" and fell off the back of a moving vehicle. He's been on life support since. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Isaac Leal's family wants to show everyone video they believe is proof that the 17-year-old is showing signs of responsiveness from the hospital bed where he has been for three weeks. "Our kid is a fighter," said Jose Leal. "You know, basically, what I can say about my son — he's never been a person to give up." Jose Leal said his son moved his legs on command. "We see certain characteristics, like a smile or we see tears coming down his eyes," Jose Leal said. "You know, those are the things that we're looking at. That gives us hope." While he fights for his life, a table was decorated in honor of the South Grand Prairie High School senior Monday night at the baseball team's annual banquet. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Injury prompts school districts to warn against playing "Senior Assassin" Isaac Leal's injury and the attention it's received have prompted a number of North Texas school districts to issue warnings and threaten students caught playing the game. The "Senior Assassin" game has become an unofficial tradition among students across the country. Isaac's family searches for long-term care facility and hopes for the future The family says it's yet to find a long-term care facility that will take Isaac Leal. Despite his grave condition, they haven't given up hope that he could attend his senior class graduation in two weeks. "Isaac's supposed to be graduating May 25," Jose Leal said. "We're hoping that he's able to walk, be out of here before May 25. That's that's that's what we're hoping for. We're asking God to deliver."
USA Today
13-05-2025
- USA Today
High school student in critical condition after controversial 'senior assassin' game
High school student in critical condition after controversial 'senior assassin' game A North Texas teenager is in critical condition after falling off a vehicle he reportedly hopped onto while playing a controversial water gun game often played by high school seniors. Isaac Leal, 17, jumped onto the back of a Jeep that began to pull out of a driveway in Arlington on April 20 and later hit the ground, suffering a severe head injury, according to local stations KXAS and KTVT. Raquel Vazquez, the boy's mother, told KXAS she believes Leal fell off after the vehicle hit a bump on the road. She said a young girl driving the Jeep reached high speeds for around five minutes before eventually hitting a dip, the outlet reported. The incident happened while playing prank game known as "senior assassin," commonly played by soon-to-be high school graduates. Participants spray each other with water guns, paintball or airsoft guns until there is a winner who has not been soaked. "Everybody that's playing has to download that app," Isaac Leal's father, Jose Leal, told KTVT. "So, that way, they can tell you what location each person is at." Parents seek criminal investigation in son's injury Leal, a baseball star at South Grand Prairie High School, is on life support after suffering the head injury weeks ahead of his high school graduation, KTVT reported. Both Jose Leal and Vazquez are urging authorities to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident. Jose Leal told KTVT the driver made six turns over five minutes, adding, "that's five minutes of him holding on for his life." "I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident," Vazquez told the station. "I have not been able to go home because I can't imagine going home without him." The Arlington Police Department said it is investigating the traffic incident that security cameras partly captured but have not confirmed any foul play, KTVT reported. The department reportedly said in a statement that "Mr. Leal was hanging out the back of the vehicle when the accident occurred." USA TODAY has reached out to Vazquez, Jose Leal and the Arlington Police Department for comment. Officials previously warned against 'senior assassin' game The latest injury comes after police agencies, educators and state officials have warned teens across the U.S. not to play "senior assassin," "water wars," "senior splashin" or other similar games. Officials have also warned that their toy guns could be mistaken for a real weapon. Police in Sylvania, Ohio warned in April that students had made their toy guns more realistic and that the department received several calls of concern. "These scenarios present clear risks of tragic outcomes, including the possibility of officers or armed citizens mistaking students for actual threats," the department wrote on April 18. In 2024, a Florida high school principal sent a video to parents warning them of the trend's dangers, asserting that any student participating in it on school grounds would face suspension, reported Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network. Police in several Chicago suburbs sent out alerts about the trend last year, WMAQ-TV reported, saying that there have been "concerning incidents," including kids wearing ski masks and carrying fake weapons that look real. Contributing: Emilee Coblentz
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Awful video shows how Texas schoolboy ended up on life support while playing viral 'senior assassin' game
A horrific video has depicted the moments before a water gun game turned tragic when a Texas teen fell from the back of a moving Jeep. Isaac Leal, 17, was running around with another teen before hopping on the back of a classmate's car while playing 'senior assassins' - a popular high school tradition where kids have to catch their pals and shoot them with water guns. But Leal's innocent fun turned into a nightmare on April 20. New video showed the Jeep backing out of a driveway, while he stood on the back bumper, holding onto the car. Wearing a red shirt, Leal was seen holding onto his water gun when the Jeep began to drive off. The car then accelerated down the road, as the teen flashed one arm in the air. Leal's father, Jose, said in an interview with CBS News that the Jeep's driver, who has yet to be identified, drove with his son on the back for five minutes. He added that the Jeep took six turns and Leal was 'holding on for his life.' When the Jeep suddenly hit a dip in the road, Leal was thrown from the back of the vehicle and fell into the road, knocking him unconscious. Terrifying images showed passersby and first responders huddled around the boy's body, which was sprawled in the center of a residential street in Arlington, Texas. Leal - a beloved star baseball player in school - was rushed to hospital with life-threatening head injuries and is still on life support, 19 days later. Police were notified of the incident on May 3 after Leal's parents filed a report. They were not dispatched to the scene because the initial call was believed to have been a traffic incident. The Arlington Police Department issued a statement saying their traffic division would be leading an investigation into the incident. 'In reviewing calls for service from the date the incident occurred, April 20, we learned that EMS responded to the accident site for what was described as an unconscious person,' the police said in a statement. 'PD, however, was never dispatched and we were not notified that Mr. Leal's injuries stemmed from a traffic incident until we spoke with his family this past weekend.' The police added that, based on initial evidence, it appeared that the incident was an accident. Leal's parents are pushing for justice after the tragedy that left their star baseball player on life support. Leal's father told CBS News that his son was holding onto the back of the car for five minutes The teen is seen here, holding on to the back of the Jeep before tragedy struck 'I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident,' his mother, Raquel Vazquez, said in an interview with CBS. Leal is being treated at Medical City Healthcare in Arlington, Texas, which is a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth. The Texas teen attended South Grand Prairie High School and was a star on the baseball team. He is graduating this spring. Leal was participating in an unofficial senior tradition with his classmates. 'Senior assassin' is a game where students are assigned peers as their 'targets.' They are tasked with 'assassinating' them with water guns. Leal's father told CBS that all the participating students download a tracking app that shows where their targets are. Officials have warned parents about the game for years, as it poses potential dangers. Leal is a senior at South Grand Prairie High School and was a star on the baseball team Police in Oklahoma warned last month on Facebook that water guns can accidentally be mistaken for real guns, causing potentially fatal misunderstandings. The game can also lead to trespassing and unsafe driving. Leal's parents are hoping that students across the nation will refrain from playing the game. 'There's a reason why they're telling you not to play it, don't play it. It's not worth it, it's not worth it,' Vasquez told local Fox affiliate, KXAS-TV. South Grand Prairie's principal warned that students who continue to play the game could face disciplinary actions.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Teenage boy fighting for his life after 'senior assassin' game goes horribly wrong
A teenager is fighting for his life in the hospital after he jumped on a classmate's car while playing a water gun game called 'senior assassin.' The game is often played by high school seniors who are approaching graduation. Students playing the unofficial game are assigned a fellow classmate as their 'target.' The seniors are then tasked with finding their target and 'shooting' them with a water gun. A Texas teen, Isaac Leal, was participating in the game when he jumped on a girl's Jeep and rode on the back while she continued driving it, his mother, Raquel Vazquez told local NBC affiliate, KXAS-TV. 'The girl reversed and took off and drove for five minutes at a high speed to where he could not jump off,' Vazquez told the outlet. 'She hit a dip and that's where I was told, allegedly, he flew off the Jeep and hit his head.' Cell phone and surveillance camera footage captured the moment the teens jumped on the car. The students appeared to be playing the game as the Jeep started driving down the road with Leal still holding onto the back. An ambulance responded to the scene and found Leal unconscious with a head injury. The incident occurred on April 20, and the South Grand Prairie High Schooler has been in the hospital ever since. While Leal remains on life support, his family is asking for justice. They filed a police report with Arlington Police on May 3. 'I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident,' Vazquez told CBS News. Leal's father, Jose, added, 'It was literally six turns and it ended up being five minutes, so that's five minutes of him holding on for his life.' Police responded in a statement confirming they were made aware of the incident on May 3, adding that only emergency services were dispatched at the time. EMS rushed to the scene after receiving a call about an 'unconscious person.' Police said they weren't dispatched because the injuries were believed to have been a result of a traffic accident. 'The APD Traffic Division is leading the investigation. Based on evidence we have reviewed, it appears Mr. Leal was hanging out the back of the vehicle when the accident occurred,' the statement continued. As the investigation continues, Leal's parents are hoping and praying for their son's recovery. The family is trying to get the teen moved to a different hospital, but Vasquez told KXAS that her son's bed can't even be moved without his vitals reacting. 'We're going to keep fighting for my son. I don't know how to make it more clear,' Vasquez told CBS. The teen's mom said that she believed in miracles and was hoping for 'full restoration of every cell in his body.' 'Not the vegetable state that they say,' she told KXAS. The parents spoke out in hopes that other teens across the nation will choose not to participate in the game and school officials can discourage potentially dangerous behavior. 'People need to be aware of games like this, as a teenager, you're not aware if something bad is gonna happen,' the teen's father told CBS. Police departments across the nation have issued public warnings, advising parents to discourage the game. The water guns that teens use can often be mistaken for real guns and the game can get out of control. A GoFundMe to help the teen's parents pay for medical bills was recently set up. The fundraiser has already generated over $21,000. Leal was about to graduate from high school and was a star on his baseball team.
