With only a few weeks left in the school year, police and school districts are cautioning students and parents that a game played by high school students with sometimes-realistic-looking toy guns can be dangerous, even catastrophic.
In the game, often called “Paranoia” or “Senior Assassin,” teens use water pistols or Nerf-type guns to “shoot” other players and teams to eliminate them from the game.
Many parents see the game as harmless fun if it’s played in a safe location with brightly-colored guns that are clearly toys. Police worry, however, that a trend toward players ambushing others while wearing masks and camouflage and painting their weapons black to look real could cause concealed carry holders to feel threatened, perceive them as active shooters, and fire at the teens with real bullets.
“Some students have modified their ‘weapons’ to be painted all black in efforts to make them look more realistic,” Winnetka police wrote in a statement. “…Realistic-looking weapons and their public displays carry extreme risks.”
Police have connected the game to several incidents in the Chicago area where law enforcement responded.
In a Gurnee incident last April, Gurnee police said some students wore ski masks and entered a restaurant with water pistols, targeting other students dining in there.
“An adult, who was a concealed carry holder, in the restaurant mistook the situation for a genuine threat, and the situation could have escalated quickly,” Gurnee police cautioned.
In Northfield, a 17-year-old in full camouflage was hiding behind a car in front of former Police Chief Bill Lustig’s home, and the teen had painted the orange tip of his toy gun black to make it look real, according to April 2022 Northfield village board meeting minutes. “Chief was grateful the subject did not point the gun at the officers and complimented officers for responding fast (and) not using excessive force,” per the minutes.
Earlier this month, Portage, Indiana police arrived at a restaurant parking lot after a 911 caller said a person was being chased through the lot by a group of armed subjects brandishing firearms. The Portage Police Department later wrote in a public announcement, “it was discovered that the ‘firearms’ were in fact toys, although that was not immediately evident from a distance in the low light conditions to the 911 caller.” They advised parents to set boundaries with their teens who want to play “Senior Assassin.”
In April 2024, Itasca police linked a rollover car accident to two students playing the game, according to the department’s Facebook page.
Against the backdrop of those events, many law enforcement agencies including Glencoe, Northfield and Glen Ellyn are expressing their reservations.
“Although the game is not against the law or local ordinance, Glencoe Public Safety does not condone the way this game is played,” noted a department statement. “We ask that all participants recognize how their actions may be perceived by members of the community and law enforcement. The unintended result of players running throughout the village with toy guns that often resemble a real firearm can have severe consequences.”
Some parents and teens say the game started out being played in a more innocent way and maintain it can be fun under those conditions.
Ann Monaghan McAlexander, who went to high school in Wilmette and lives in Chicago near Skokie, said when her daughter was a high school senior 11 years ago, “they’d started doing this with Super Soaker water guns. It was fun, and a little crazy, but not harmful. The intensity has escalated over the years. The camo, masks, etc., have turned it dangerous. I’m okay with the fun version my daughter was part of, but not when it’s gotten to be like this.”
Ellie Schejbal, a senior at Niles West High School in Skokie, commented, “It is fun when you know the other team because when you are friends with them, you guys get to eliminate each other.”
Many school districts, however, are telling students not to participate in the game, with reminders it is prohibited on school grounds.
“While the game may stem from a sense of camaraderie, I have serious concerns about student safety and the impact on our community,” Lake Forest High School Principal Erin Lenart wrote in a community message. “Behaviors associated with ‘Paranoia’—such as ambushing others in public, prowling near private homes, and chasing others in vehicles—can lead to dangerous situations.”
Mandy Hughes and Barbara Georges, the respective principals of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook and Glenbrook South in Glenview, co-signed a letter stating their fears.
“To date, we have heard stories about students driving erratically at high speeds, hiding outside people’s homes, and surprising people while dressed in camouflage or all-black clothing,” the letter read. “Most community members are unaware of the ‘game’ and may call the police if they are afraid that their homes or neighborhoods are being targeted. This could have catastrophic results. To keep everyone safe and help them understand the risks involved with participating, we ask you to speak to your student about how this game could negatively impact them and others physically and/or emotionally.”
For her part, Schejbal the Niles West senior, maintained the game is fun, but endorsed limitations. She said players should not take part in car chases and the game should not be played on school property.
“I don’t think they are overreacting when it comes to people’s safety,” she said. “That should be a priority.”
