Police warn about dangers of high school game involving fake guns
By James Felton and Hannah Mose
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MIDLAND, Michigan (WNEM) — Police are warning that a game among high school seniors could quickly go south.
“Senior assassins” is played across the country using water or water-bead guns, but in today’s day and age, the Midland Police Department worries unaware bystanders may not know it’s a game at all. The department said it has already responded to one incident so far.
“Our patrol officers did respond to a situation involving teens playing this game, and the children were turned over to their parents,” said Lt. Dan Keeler with the Midland Police Department. “This is a dangerous thing you’re doing that could potentially go sideways very fast.”
Keeler said the issue with the game is toy guns that look very real.
“These gel blaster toys very often look just like real firearms to the point where, unless you had a moment to really closely inspect them, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” Keeler explained.
He said that could potentially lead to a serious response from police, or law-abiding citizens, if students are out and about playing this game.
“There’s also legal pistol owners who have the right to carry and conceal, and if they see something happening say, in Target, or at the mall, or Kroger, or Meijer, wherever, things could escalate pretty quickly,” Keeler said.
He was quick to point out that if someone thinks you’re pointing a real gun at them, even if it’s a fake, under Michigan law, that’s felony assault punishable by up to four years in prison.
“We don’t want kids, students who have their entire lives to look forward to, students who are getting ready to move on to college and adulthood, to suddenly be labeled a felon because they were playing a game,” Keeler said.
He said, given the frequency of school shootings, he thinks this senior prank is in poor taste.
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