A late night police stop in Germantown got tense fast when officers rolled up on four teens in dark clothing, initially believing they might be armed. The group turned out to be high school seniors playing the year end "Senior Assassin" game with toy water guns, and the encounter ended without citations. Still, the body camera footage has nearby departments and school officials warning that the popular tradition is edging into dangerous territory.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, Germantown officers later confirmed the teens were carrying toy Nerf style or water guns and were taking part in the game, not planning an attack. FOX6 reports that the station obtained the bodycam video of the response and that no one in the group was ticketed.
Twin Lakes Sgt. Heather Giovannoni told FOX6 that the game is supposed to stay firmly in the obviously fake lane. "They are supposed to be using water guns that are clearly water guns. Nothing can resemble a gun or anything like that," she said. Giovannoni and Germantown officers are urging parents to step in, warning that late night ambushes, masks and dark outfits make it far more likely police or bystanders will misread what is going on.
How the mix-ups happen
Senior Assassin usually has high school seniors hunting assigned classmates with water or gel blasters, trailing them through yards, parking lots or commercial areas. From across the street, that can look less like a game and more like a stakeout, especially when players lean into masks and dark clothing. The Batavia Police Department has cautioned that realistic looking blasters, sneaking around homes and hiding near businesses are exactly the kind of behavior that triggers 911 calls and high risk police responses.
In some communities, the confusion has already gone well beyond an awkward conversation with officers. In Kenner, Louisiana, late night play related to the game reportedly led to gunfire and arrests, according to local reporting, a reminder that not everyone who sees teenagers creeping around with guns, real or fake, is going to assume it is all in fun.
Recent arrests and legal risk
The fallout is not always just a scare. In Portage, an 18 year old was charged with felony intimidation after a realistic looking water gun brought out a heavy police response, per a felony charge and three nights in jail. In Polk County, four students were charged with disruption of a school function after they allegedly waved what appeared to be handguns at Davenport High School, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Police advice for students and parents
Local departments say that if students insist on playing, they need to strip the game of anything that could reasonably be mistaken for real violence. That means brightly colored, clearly toy style water guns, no masks or camouflage, no creeping around private property and no late night missions. Officers recommend that play stay in supervised, daylight settings where everyone nearby knows what is happening.
Residents who spot suspicious activity are urged not to confront players and to call police instead. Officers also stress that participants should immediately stop, drop the water guns and follow directions if approached, and they should never run from law enforcement.
For Germantown, the bodycam footage is a close call on video, a reminder that a supposedly harmless senior prank can turn into a public safety problem when realistic looking toy guns, darkness and community fear all collide. Police and school officials say a quick talk about safety and common sense rules might be the difference between a funny story at graduation and a tragedy that never should have happened.
