Latest news with #NBCDFW
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
The Viral ‘Senior Assassin' Game Comes With Some Risks: Here's What Parents Need To Know
Playing with toy guns in this day and age is like playing with fire — just look at the tragic death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot by police when they thought the BB gun he was playing with at a park was real. Yet, teens and tweens around the country are playing with water games in a viral 'Senior Assassin' game that has already caused serious harm to a student in my home state of Texas. The 'Senior Assassin' game works like this: high school seniors will go around neighborhoods, parking lots of other stores, and public parks with water guns. I've even seen teens walking around a local outdoor mall playing amid the strollers and families shopping. The teens will try to shoot other high school students to eliminate them from the game. They keep track of each other's locations via the Splashin App. It's become so popular in recent weeks, that even kids in other grades have started playing with their friends. More from SheKnows Graduation Season Hits Different When It's Your Baby Wearing the Cap & Gown It seems innocent enough (albeit annoying if you get caught in the crosshairs), but it can be dangerous too. One 17-year-old student named Isaac Leal, a senior at South Grand Prairie High School in Dallas-Fort Worth, was hospitalized after playing the game with his friends on April 20, per NBCDFW. Police told the outlet that Leal climbed in the back of another student's Jeep Wrangler while the driver drove. As the Jeep drove, the car hit a dip and Leal fell off, where he was taken to the hospital. Police and the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office found no evidence of criminal offense, driving recklessly, or intentionally trying to harm Leal. Leal is reportedly on life support after suffering a head injury after the fall, according to KTVT, per USA Today. Isaac Leal's father, Jose Leal, told the local outlet that he believes what happened 'was not an accident' and is calling for further investigation. 'I have not been able to go home because I can't imagine going home without him,' he said. The game has caused other incidents across the country. Last week, a medical building in Guilford, Connecticut, went into lockdown mode after police received a call that a man was running around with a gun, per Patch. It ended up being a student playing 'Senior Assassin' with a water gun that was designed to look like a real Glock. The Guilford Deputy Police Chief Martina Jakober warns teens to play the game outside of school hours, not on school grounds or private property, and with an obvious water gun that is brightly colored, so it won't be confused with a real gun. 'It is imperative that parents and guardians speak with their seniors about the potential outcomes of their actions when playing this game,' the police said in a statement. 'Students should also be mindful that they could face arrest if the level of their actions rises to a crime.' The Splashin App was designed to create more safety and structure around this game. 'Senior Assassin, a long-standing high school tradition since the 1980s, has often lacked structure,' the app states on its website. 'Each year players had to reinvent the rules, safety, and gameplay management. Splashin changes this by empowering schools, administrators, and players with tools and sensible, baseline rules to help organize safe and responsible gameplay.' They added, 'With Splashin, schools have the ability to create games, manage players, and enforce rules and safety standards. These tools have allowed schools and parents to engage with their students – enabling them to play safely and responsibly.' Of course, getting teens to listen to these rules is another battle. But spreading awareness about this game and how teens can play more safely, like with colorful water guns and in public places, can help lower the risk of of SheKnows 19 Celebrity Stepparents Who Have a Tight Bond With Their Stepkids I'm 29 Weeks Pregnant, & Comfortable Sandals Are a *Must* This Summer—These Are the Best Ones on the Market Recent Baby & Toddler Product Recalls Every Parent and Caregiver Should Know About
New York Post
08-05-2025
- New York Post
Texas high school baseball star on life support after playing ‘Senior Assassin' just weeks before graduation
A standout Texas high school baseball star is on life support after he was seriously injured while playing a water gun game wildly popular among teens across the US. Isaac Leal, 17, a senior at South Grand Prairie High School, was chasing his classmates through an Arlington neighborhood on April 20 when he hopped on the back of a parked Jeep with his 'Senior Assassin' target inside, NBCDFW reported. Cellphone and doorbell camera footage captured the teen standing on the back bumper of the Jeep right before his target drove away at a 'high speed.' Advertisement 5 Isaac Leal was seriously injured while playing the game 'Senior Assassin.' GoFundMe 'They were playing 'Senior Assassin.' He jumped on a young girl's Jeep as it was parked. The girl reversed and took off and drove for five minutes at a high speed to where he could not jump off,' Leal's mother, Raquel 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.' Advertisement A doorbell camera captured the teen lying on the pavement, surrounded by first responders tending to the unconscious teen. Leal suffered a severe head injury in the fall and was rushed to Medical City Arlington, where he remains on life support. The Arlington Police Department said they were made aware of the situation and have launched an investigation. 5 Cellphone and doorbell camera footage captured the teen standing on the back bumper of the Jeep right before the unthinkable happened. CBS Advertisement The 17-year-old was only weeks away from graduation and had scholarship offers to pitch in college. However, doctors fear he may never fully recover from the life-changing head injury he sustained playing 'Senior Assassin.' 'I believe God does full miracles, so I'm asking for full restoration, full restoration of every cell of his body, not the vegetable state that they say,' his mother said. 5 A doorbell camera captured the teen lying on the pavement, surrounded by first responders tending to the unconscious teen. CBS 5 Leal suffered a severe head injury in the fall and needed to be rushed to Medical City Arlington, where he remains on life support. CBS Advertisement In the viral 'Senior Assassin' trend, players download an app that provides the location of targets. Then, armed with water guns, players need to 'kill' their targets by spraying them. In the wake of the tragedy, Leal's father warned other parents that the game can put their child at risk of being seriously injured despite its innocent nature. 'People need to be aware of games like this, as a teenager, you're not aware if something bad is gonna happen,' Jose Leal told CBS News. 'You never think it's going to hit close to home until it does,' Vazquez said. South Grand Prairie High Principal Larry Jones also told parents that students caught playing the game on campus would face punishment, 'including the loss of senior privileges,' according to a statement seen by CBS. School districts and police departments across the US have previously warned that the game could have deadly consequences following a series of incidents involving players. 5 Leal's father is urging other parents that the game can put their child at risk of being seriously injured despite its innocent nature. GoFundMe In addition to seeing participants suspiciously hiding around town and frequently trespassing on other people's property, the use of water guns can produce deadly consequences if bystanders suspect the weapon is real. Advertisement Last June, a high school senior in Kansas was left paralyzed from the waist down when a furious father shot him in a Walmart parking lot after the teen fired a toy gun at the man's daughter during a game of 'Senior Assassin.' The single shot left the teen with severe injuries, as it 'punctured his duodenum (upper part of the small intestine) and damaged his spinal cord, causing loss of sensation from the waist down,' his parents said at the time. 'The bullet caused significant damage to his body, necessitating the fusion of his L1, L2, and L3 spinal bones.'
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Bride was enjoying happiest day of her life...then freak accident left her with BRAIN DAMAGE
A Texas bride was tragically left with brain damage after suffering a violent fall on her wedding night. Denton resident Star Torres and her husband, Jacob, had spent April 17 celebrating the wedding they had spent a year meticulously planning. But in one heartbreaking moment, Star fell and smashed her head on the ground beneath her, leaving her in the ICU with brain damage on what was supposed to be the happiest day or her life. 'It was really a freak accident. I just took a bad fall... dumb, just not paying attention,' she told NBCDFW. 'I fell headfirst onto the concrete floor and cracked my skull.' The couple had already cut the cake and enjoyed their first dance when the night descended into chaos. 'It was breathtakingly beautiful,' read a note on a GoFundMe fundraising page set up to help with medical expenses. 'Until the beauty turned into something that took everyone's breath away for a very different reason.' The newlyweds' honeymoon was spent in the hospital, where for four days Star was monitored by doctors in the intensive care unit with a fractured skull and brain bleeding. On Facebook, she wrote that the fall left her with a brain hemorrhage and a traumatic brain injury. Star said that she also suffered a brain hemorrhage from the fall 'For those wondering, my recovery has been really hard. Until yesterday, I haven't been able to do anything on my own, including walking, going to the bathroom, showering etc. and the [traumatic brain injury] symptoms have been ruthless,' she continued. Star was moved to the trauma wing, while her new husband stayed glued to her side. 'This is what marriage is all about, in sickness and in health, you know, ready to act,' Jacob told NBCDFW. 'You know, a lot of people were asking about me, and I was like, "I'm fine. I'm not the one who just took a fall." More so, it's just wanting to be there for my wife and making sure she's okay was like the biggest thing for me,' he added. Star added on social media that she 'would not be recovering as well as I am if it weren't for Jacob.' 'He has done more than what could ever be expected of him. Through the fear and the unknown he has been steady through it all,' she wrote. 'There really aren't enough words to explain how amazing he has been, but I thank God daily and want everyone to know how grateful I am for him and how lucky I feel that he's mine.' Despite her wedding day ending in disaster, Star was lucky that the fracture stopped just short of her spine. Jacob said: 'We've had a traumatic experience on what was supposed to be a perfect, beautiful day, and it's just a constant reminder that life happens no matter what, no matter the situation, and what you make of it is everything' Doctors have told her they believe she will make a full recovery once her concussion symptoms ease. And even with the dramatic ending, the couple still cherish their wedding day. 'We've had a traumatic experience on what was supposed to be a perfect, beautiful day, and it's just a constant reminder that life happens no matter what, no matter the situation, and what you make of it is everything,' Jacob told NBCDFW. Star said she felt 'overwhelmed' by the support from her family and friends. 'Thank you God for our family and friends, for the EMTs, nurses, techs, doctors, neurosurgeon, cafeteria staff, imaging staff, strangers that have prayed for us...' she said.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bishop T.D. Jakes Steps Down As Head Pastor Of The Potter's House
Bishop T.D. Jakes has decided to step down as the head pastor of The Potter's House megachurch in Dallas. The difficult decision was made as a result of the heart attack he suffered in November 2024. 'You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me,' he told the congregation during Sunday morning's service (April 27). 'And I'm so grateful […] I cannot afford, especially after November, to risk something happening to me and you be sheep without a shepherd.' He told NBC Today that if he had made it to the hospital five minutes later when he experienced his heart attack, he would've died. He returned to the pulpit for their New Year's Eve service, calling his return a 'message from God.' His daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and his son-in-law, Toure Roberts, will take his place starting in July. 'I'm grateful, I'm honored, as your daughter,' Roberts said. 'I'm so happy you're going to get some rest.' Jakes founded The Potter's House in 1996, and some of the church members believed he had been preparing to step down for years, even before the heart attack. Although he will no longer be head pastor, he will still hold the position of chairman on the church's board and operate as a spiritual overseer. 'I was sad, it's hard to replace an icon like Bishop, I mean, it's just hard to do that,' Patrick Moore, a member of The Potter's House congregation, told NBCDFW. 'It's actually impossible to do that, so very sad.' Nonetheless, he and his fellow churchgoers are optimistic about the future of the church without Bishop T.D. Jakes. 'Transition is always tough, in anything we do, it's a tough thing. So I have trepidation about it, but it's still an exciting time, too.' More from Bishop T.D. Jakes Reveals He Had "Emergency Surgery" After Mid-Sermon Health Scare This Spirit Airlines Incident Is Worse Than All Of The Internet Jokes Combined J. Cole Claims He's the Mt. Rushmore of His Era on 'The Off-Season Tour'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
T.D. Jakes Steps Down from Church Role Months After Having a 'Massive Heart Attack' During Sermon, Announces His Successors
Bishop T.D. Jakes is stepping down from his role as pastor of The Potter's House in Dallas The religious leader announced that his daughter and son-in-law will be his successors and are set to take over as senior pastors in July The bishop's decision comes five months after he had a "massive heart attack" during a sermon in November 2024 Bishop T.D. Jakes, a renowned Christian pastor and motivational speaker, is stepping down from his church leadership role, months after experiencing a medical emergency during a sermon. In an announcement shared during The Potter's House's Sunday service in Dallas, Jakes, 67, revealed that he has tapped his daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and son-in-law Touré Roberts as his successors. The pair will begin their new roles as senior pastors in July. According to local affiliate outlets FOX 4 and NBC DFW, Jakes, while holding back tears, also shared that he will remain on The Potter's House Board of Directors. "You have been faithful to God, and you have been faithful to me," Jakes told the congregation during his Sunday morning service, per NBC DFW. "And I'm so grateful." The bishop's decision comes five months after he had a "massive heart attack" during a sermon on Nov. 24, which was shared widely via a live stream at the time. Related: Megachurch Bishop T.D. Jakes Experiences 'Health Incident' Onstage After Sermon, Church Says He Is 'Stable' "As we look across our great nation and survey the unyielding economic, societal and spiritual needs visiting our communities, it's clear that we can't afford to squander the potential of our youth or the elders who have paved the way," Jakes wrote in a lengthy social media post after making the announcement that he was stepping down from his role. "The hardships of first-time home ownership, the dire need to invest in the growing entrepreneurial landscape and a younger generation needing a home for their faith walk in the midst of increasing skepticism; these issues we face are not a tale of despair; they are a clarion call for change," he added. Jakes founded The Potter's House in 1996 as a non-denominational, multicultural church in South Dallas. The church has said it has more than 30,000 members and has expanded to North Dallas, Fort Worth and Denver, per its website. In March, Jakes spoke about his November medical scare during an appearance on Today, opening up about how people rushed to his aid after he suddenly slumped over on his stool onstage. 'I didn't really realize what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance,' he said on the show's March 26 episode. 'And the doctor leaned over in my ear and said, 'You've had a massive heart attack.' " The bishop noted that he didn't have the typical symptoms of a heart attack, which made the news surprising to him. Related: Megachurch Bishop T.D. Jakes Reveals He Underwent Emergency Surgery After Health Incident: 'You're Looking at a Miracle' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn't know what it was,' he explained. '[The doctor] said five minutes later I'd have been dead on arrival.' Jakes continued: 'The right side of my heart had completely stopped giving blood at all. And as long as I was up preaching, I felt fine. But when I sat down, the adrenaline dropped and it exposed the fact that I was preaching with half of my heart closed with a clot.' 'In retrospect, it was such a privilege to stand on the other side to get a little glimpse of what that might be like or at least what it was like in that moment for me,' he added. 'I think it was absolutely amazing. And then I had my whole church — and when I say my whole church, I mean global not just the congregation, even people who didn't go to my church — people everywhere sending prayers. I'm so thankful.' Read the original article on People
