LEHI, Utah — Police in Lehi have a warning for students who are playing a non-school-sanctioned game of "assassin" with squirt guns, hoping to prevent safety issues.
The game involves kids paying a participation fee and putting on a colored wristband, which they take off if they are shot by another participant with a water gun. Lehi Police said this usually takes place among high school students, but they've learned that kids in middle school and junior high may be joining this time.
Lehi Police are reminding those who choose to participate: the game is not allowed to be played on school grounds or during school-sponsored events.
They're also warning against the following behaviors that they've seen in the past because of the game, such as aggressive driving and trespassing — which, they said, has included participants "lurking in the darkness around homes" or even entering someone's home without permission, all in an effort to eliminate someone from the game.
"If a parent hears someone in their home they may retrieve their own real weapon, believing they may need to protect their own family," Lehi PD said in a Facebook post. "We have already had calls about suspicious individuals ... holding what the caller very understandably perceives as a real gun. This can cause a heavy police response and panic among citizens."
Police also pointed out that some water guns are nearly indistinguishable from real guns. They said police officers may have difficulty telling the difference, even during the day.
"For parents of students who are choosing to participate, we urge you to PLEASE speak to your students about the game and make sure they understand that they might be playing just a 'game' but the consequences of reckless driving or committing other crimes while playing are very real, should someone get hurt," Lehi Police said.
