Pearland police are putting the word out to high school seniors engrossed in a dangerous game known as "senior assassin," where players wield toy guns and plink at each other with Orbeez, the squishy water-filled gel beads, the Houston Chronicle reports. Intended as harmless fun, the game has spiraled into public nuisance territory with complaints rolling in about the risks it poses when played on public streets and around unsuspecting bystanders, according to Pearland police spokesman Chad Rogers.

Reports of reckless driving and plastic projectiles inadvertently hitting people and cars are raising alarm bells, Rogers emphasized the need for public awareness about the implications of the game “These people and these vehicles were getting caught up in this game, and it’s creating unnecessary disorder,” he told the Houston Chronicle. Police have made it clear, through a public service announcement on social media channels, that the toy guns—resembling military-style firearms but brightly colored—could easily be mistaken for real weapons, inciting a real threat to safety and order.

Moving beyond mere cautionary advice, Pearland Police Department's statement obtained by Pearland.com issued a stark warning to students to refrain from shooting at or from vehicles, emphasizing the legal and lethal risks of such actions. While not having taken measures against the students as of yet, the police's emphasis is on encouraging smarter play avoid unintended injuries to those who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

An email response from Pearland ISD, as referenced in the Houston Chronicle, indicated that the district is collaborating with its campuses to prioritize safety in these games, striving to maintain an equilibrium between youthful exuberance and community tranquility. Public opinion is divided, as demonstrated in the comments on Pearland police's social media, with some baffled by the game's aspects while others equated it to childhood memories, chalking it up to senior year hijinks.