Latest news with #watergun
CTV News
23-05-2025
- CTV News
‘Senior Assassin' water gun trend leads to lockdown at Alberta high school
A popular online trend led to a gun complaint and lockdown at a southern Alberta high school on Friday. Strathmore RCMP responded to a complaint of a suspect with a gun at Strathmore High School just before noon. RCMP told the school and other buildings in the area to initiate lockdown procedures. Police learned, after initial investigation, that there was never a threat to anyone, and the suspect was carrying a water gun. RCMP said they were participating in the 'Senior Assassin' game, which has become a popular trend among graduating students across Canada. 'Although an innocent game, RCMP is reminding those partaking, please be mindful that someone witnessing this or driving by could perceive a water gun to be a real firearm. Please be cautious and safe,' RCMP said in a news release. The online trend has recently been making headlines across Canada for all the wrong reasons. The Calgary Police Service issued a warning about the trend last week, saying it's only a matter of time before a major incident occurs, with water guns getting confused for the real thing. The live-action game is typically played by senior high school students and involves players eliminating 'targets' during a set time period using water guns, spray bottles or other methods.
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.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
North Texas high school student on life support after "Senior Assassin" game injury
A North Texas high school student is fighting for his life after playing in late April a controversial water gun game that's become popular among seniors about to graduate. The game is called "Senior Assassin." Players have a list of classmates they need to "kill" by spraying with a water gun, while voiding being "killed" themselves. Participants use one of a handful of mobile apps to track their targets. While the rules may seem harmless, some say it encourages kids to put themselves in danger. Arlington student on life support after playing "Senior Assassin" Armed with water guns and chasing classmates through an Arlington neighborhood, Isaac Leal jumped onto the back of a Jeep that began to pull out of a driveway. "Everybody that's playing has to download that app," explained Jose Leal, Isaac Leal's father. "So, that way, they can tell you what location each person is at." Only minutes after the vehicle pulled away with the 17-year-old standing on the back bumper, he was on the ground with a severe head injury. Only minutes after the vehicle pulled away with Isaac Leal standing on the back bumper, he was on the ground with a severe head injury. CBS News Texas The South Grand Prairie High School baseball star, only weeks away from graduation, is now on life support at Medical City Arlington. Videos show the moment "Senior Assassin" took a wrong turn "Everything was planned out, but plans changed overnight," said Raquel Vazquez, Isaac Leal's mother. "Nothing matters but saving your kid's life." Videos from security cameras show Isaac Leal standing on the back bumper of the Jeep as it made several turns before a dip in the road ejected him onto the pavement. "It was literally six turns and it ended up being five minutes, so that's five minutes of him holding on for his life," Jose Leal said. Only an ambulance responded to the scene, which upset the parents who want the police to conduct a criminal investigation. Arlington PD responds following parents' complaint In a statement to CBS News Texas, the Arlington Police Department said it was first made aware of the incident on Saturday, May 3, "when his family contacted us and officers responded to the hospital to speak with them" and a police report was taken. The statement continued: "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. 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 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." "I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident," Vazquez said. Isaac Leal's family holds vigil, hoping for recovery The family said it's having trouble moving Isaac to another hospital. Medical City Healthcare/Medical City Arlington released the following statement to CBS News Texas: "Our hearts go out to any family with a seriously ill loved one. If for any reason a family requests treatment for their loved one at another facility, we try to facilitate a transfer. It is important to note that transfers are dependent on the patient's condition, whether they are stable enough to be transferred, as well as the receiving hospital's capacity and willingness to accept the patient." "We're going to keep fighting for my son," Vazquez said. "I don't know how to make it more clear." The South Grand Prairie High School baseball star, only weeks away from graduation, is now on life support at Medical City Arlington. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Isaac Leal's family has kept a constant vigil by his side since the accident, holding out hope that he will recover. They wanted to speak out to hopefully spare other parents from the same pain they are going through. Family, school warn about "Senior Assassin" game "People need to be aware of games like this, as a teenager, you're not aware if something bad is gonna happen," Jose Leal said. The "Senior Assassin" game has become an unofficial tradition among students across the country. Most of the controversy surrounds the use of water guns, which have been mistaken for real firearms. It prompted South Grand Prairie High's principal to issue a warning to the senior class: "Students who engage in this activity on or around school grounds may face disciplinary action, including the loss of senior privileges." The principal at nearby Timberview High School is threatening three days if in-school suspension for students caught playing the game on campus. While his baseball teammates are "Playing for Isaac" and a community surrounds a devastated family, a photo of the promising young pitcher with scholarship offers, now clinging to life, may send the strongest message yet about celebrating a senior year safely. "You never think it's going to hit close to home until it does," Vazquez said.
