The Viral ‘Senior Assassin' Game Comes With Some Risks: Here's What Parents Need To Know

Yahoo

19-05-2025

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.
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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 accidents.Best of SheKnows
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