What was supposed to be a senior-year prank in West Dundee turned into a tense afternoon on Tuesday, when Dundee Highlands Elementary briefly went into lockdown after parents in the pickup line reported what they believed was a man carrying a rifle. Responding officers quickly swarmed the area and traced the scare to a "senior assassin" water-gun game, with an 18-year-old Jacobs High School student ultimately taken into custody. Parents left rattled, and school staff are now reexamining how they handle safety on an otherwise routine school day.
According to NBC Chicago, multiple 911 calls poured in from the pickup line, prompting officers to respond as if there were a real active threat. Investigators later determined the apparent weapon was actually a water gun used in the game. West Dundee Police Chief Shawn Green told NBC Chicago the toy "looked exactly like an M4 rifle" and called the stunt dangerous and reckless. Community Unit School District 300 declined to comment while the investigation continues.
Why Police Are Warning Teens About This Game
Suburban departments have been sounding the alarm about the seasonal "senior assassin" contests, which often involve students ambushing each other with water guns off campus. The problem starts when those toys look a little too real. Officers say realistic-looking replicas can easily be mistaken for actual firearms, which can trigger armed responses and full-scale lockdowns.
As Chicago area police issue warnings, law enforcement has urged students to steer clear of realistic facsimile weapons, trespassing and surprise attacks that are likely to generate frantic 911 calls. Authorities recommend sticking to brightly colored water guns and clear, agreed-upon rules so that a celebratory game does not get mistaken for a real emergency.
Heightened Sensitivity After Nearby Shooting Report
Tensions in the area were already running high. The Daily Herald reported that just days earlier, on April 8, police were investigating shots fired between two vehicles in West Dundee. Dundee Highlands Elementary is located nearby, which led school officials to activate safety protocols in response to that incident. The Daily Herald noted there were no injuries, but the close call helps explain why any hint of a firearm near a school now brings an immediate and serious reaction. Local officers say they are obligated to treat every such report as a potential emergency until they know otherwise.
Legal Note
As reported by NBC Chicago, the 18-year-old involved in the prank was charged with disorderly conduct. Police and school officials stressed that stunts involving realistic replica weapons can lead to criminal charges, trespass citations or school discipline, depending on what happens. Parents who were stuck in the pickup line during the scare told reporters they were shaken and said there is no place for replica guns anywhere near a school.
West Dundee police are urging students and families to find safer, less dramatic ways to celebrate senior year and reminded the public to call 911 if they see something suspicious rather than confronting anyone themselves. School leaders say they will keep reviewing pickup procedures and coordination with law enforcement in hopes of preventing the next prank from looking, even briefly, like a real-life threat.
