08-04-2025
Suburban police departments warn of "Senior Assassin," "Paranoia" water gun games
Several suburban police departments have issued safety alerts about games being played by high school students.
The Village of Northfield
posted a safety alert
from the Northfield Police Department to their Facebook page, warning about area high school students playing a game called "Paranoia," while the
Glen Ellyn Police Department warned its residents
about students playing a game called "Senior Assassin."
In both games, students try to shoot each other with water guns or, in the case of Paranoia, NERF guns.
The games are not permitted on school grounds or during school hours, and in both cases students will try to chase and hide from each other, and also ambush their targets.
Police are discouraging students from taking part in the games.
"The squirt guns and NERF guns used to play the game can easily be mistaken for real firearms, and seeing teens carrying these and chasing each other cannot only be alarming, but potentially tragic," Northfield police wrote. "In the past, Northfield Officers have responded to reports of armed subjects, trespassing subjects, and other suspicious activity, only to learn that the subjects involved were students playing Paranoia. These calls generate a significant Police response, which can be dangerous for the officers, innocent bystanders, and the students playing the game."
Glen Elly police echoed the sentiment, writing, "While the game is not illegal, the Glen Ellyn Police Department and Glenbard West High School do not condone student participation. Actions of participants could create a preventable incident resulting in potential criminal and/or ordinance violation charges."
In 2024,
Gurnee police said a group of high school students were nearly confronted by an adult with a Concealed Carry License
when they went into a local restaurant wearing ski masks and carrying water guns that looked like real guns. And in Itasca, two students playing "Senior Assassin" rolled their car.
