Masked teenagers in dark clothes darting through yards with what look like real guns have been spooking homeowners in Union County, and the sheriff says he has had enough.
Deputies say they have fielded multiple calls in the Weddington and Indian Trail areas tied to the viral “Senior Assassin” game, where high school seniors stalk and “eliminate” classmates using water guns. The problem, according to law enforcement, is that many of those toy guns closely resemble actual firearms, creating a recipe for a dangerous, even deadly misunderstanding.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office sounded the alarm in a post on Facebook, saying deputies had “responded to several recent calls” about students playing the game. The agency urged parents to sit down with their teens and talk frankly about the risks, and reminded residents to call 911 if they see anything that looks off. The post specifically called out Weddington and Indian Trail as hot spots where deputies have been dispatched.
What Deputies Found
According to the sheriff’s office, callers have reported teens hiding around homes, chasing classmates and driving erratically while wielding toy guns that lack bright safety tips and, at a distance, look all too real. In one case, a homeowner spotted two students hiding beside a house and called it in. Deputies say they were able to step in and calm that situation down without anyone getting hurt, as reported by WSOC‑TV.
For law enforcement, it is not a stretch to see how scenes like that could go sideways fast, especially in neighborhoods where homeowners may be on edge or armed.
Why It Can Turn Dangerous
Union County is not the first place to confront the darker side of this senior-year tradition. National outlets, including ABC7 Chicago, have highlighted close calls in other communities where bystanders or concealed-carry holders mistook replica guns for the real thing. Those near-misses, authorities say, underscore how quickly a prank can start to look like a crime in progress.
Union County deputies say the scenarios they are seeing locally line up with those warnings: masked teens, realistic-looking "weapons" and late-night lurking around private property that can leave neighbors scared and unsure what they are looking at.
Sheriff's Advice And Legal Risks
Sheriff Eddie Cathey is asking parents to be blunt with their kids about the stakes. In his online message titled “Parents, We Need Your Help,” he stressed that wandering around neighborhoods with what appears to be a firearm, or sneaking onto someone else’s property, is not just bad judgment. It can also draw the attention of armed homeowners or police and may lead to criminal charges.
The sheriff’s office points to state law that allows for trespass and related offenses to be charged in situations like these. Those rules are spelled out in the North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 14.
Parents and students often see Senior Assassin as harmless tradition, another box to check on the way out of high school. But neighbors and deputies say the optics are hard to ignore, and the potential consequences are anything but a game. If you spot masked teens or toy guns that could pass for the real thing, officials say your best move is to call 911, give dispatch a clear description and let deputies handle the rest.
