Law enforcement and school leaders nationwide are warning students against playing a trending game that they worry could end in tragedy.
Last year, an 18-year-old high school student in Jacksonville, Florida was California recently posted a similar warning on its Instagram account.
"While the game involves only fake weapons, it has become a safety concern and can lead to high-risk patrol and traffic stops," the toy guns that look realistic to the public and to our officers, and the behavior associated with this game has caused public concern due to the belief that participants are carrying real weapons and acting suspiciously. This creates a dangerous situation and diverts emergency 9-1-1 and police resources, since officers take every report of gun violence and suspicious firearm use seriously."
An instance of the game played by middle schoolers at Anza Trail School in a suburb of Tucson, Arizona earlier this week led to a police investigation, according to KOLD.
A teacher saw a student with a water gun, mistook it for a real gun, and called 911. Police contacted the boy's parents, who told them where they could find him.
"The investigation revealed the juvenile had brought an Orbeez-style toy as part of an end-of-the-year prank known as Senior Assassin," the Sahuarita Police Department reportedly said. "Additionally, officers located the toy gun and confirmed it was not an actual firearm and was not loaded with any sort of projectiles."
"The Sahuarita Police Department takes these types of reports very seriously and truly appreciates the community for reporting suspicious activity."