Police, educators and state officials across the country are worried about a new TikTok trend called “senior assassins” that could cause injuries, or worse, if toy guns are mistaken for real ones. are speaking out about it.
The game is meant to be an advanced tradition in which two or more high school students use water guns to “eliminate” targets, usually outside of school grounds.
However, some people have used paintballs and airsoft guns, and videos of the “hits” have been uploaded to TikTok and other social media platforms for entertainment, Fox News reported.
Here’s what the authorities said:
Authorities issue nationwide warning about ‘senior assassin’ tendencies
florida: A Florida high school principal sent a video warning parents of the dangers of the trend, claiming students who participate in the trend on school grounds will be suspended, reports USA TODAY Network. This was reported by Florida Today.
Police in Satellite Beach, Florida, released a statement after receiving a flood of 911 calls. According to FOX News, Satellite Beach Police said, “Our officers respond to these 911 calls without knowing whether this is an incident of students just having fun or an actual crime.” Stated.
Virginia: Educators in Virginia issued a similar warning, telling WRC-TV, “In stressful or high-pressure situations, it can be very difficult to quickly tell the difference between a toy gun and a real gun.” “There is,” he said, adding that the confusion “could lead to misidentification and potential possibilities.” A tragic ending. ”
illinois: Police departments in several Chicago suburbs are warning of this growing trend, citing “concerning incidents” such as children wearing ski masks and carrying fake weapons that look real. WMAQ-TV reported.
“The adult in the restaurant, who was carrying concealed carry, may have mistaken the situation for a genuine threat and the situation escalated rapidly. The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. , could have had serious consequences,” police in the Chicago suburb of Gurnee said in a statement on Facebook.
michigan: In Michigan, the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department and Cheboygan Police Department issued a joint press release warning residents about this trend.
Examples of students playing this game include a student breaking into another student’s home and “tagging” him with a paintball gun, and a group of students wearing ski masks going to a restaurant to find an opponent. There has been a commotion, with people entering and being confronted by juveniles with licenses. The Cheboygan Daily Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network, wrote that he was carrying a concealed handgun. Car accidents are happening.
Sheriff Tim Cook said: “This is extremely dangerous and eventually the police will be called.” “Some of these toy guns look like real guns, leading others to believe that a person’s life is in danger and witness some kind of assault with a deadly weapon. If you believe this and take action, this could result in someone being injured or killed.”
pennsylvania: A reporter from Pennsylvania wrote an article for the York Daily Record about her own encounter with this trend.
“As I was folding laundry, I heard children screaming near the backyard,” Angel Albring wrote. “When I went out on the balcony, I saw several teenagers crouching in the alley behind the garden. They were all dressed in black, with hoodies and hoods on, and I saw them from a distance. He was holding something that looked like a gun.”
Albring immediately realized what was happening, but that may not have been the case, authorities said.
WCAU-TV reported that the state has taken legal action to ban ski masks downtown.
This is not the first problematic trend
The ‘Senior Assassin’ challenge is the latest in a long list of troubling trends, with the first widely recognized challenge occurring in 2020, when children were drinking more than the recommended amount to hallucinate. ‘s Benadryl Challenge, USA TODAY previously reported.
Students face suspension in 2021 after schools spoke out during the ‘Slap the Teacher’ challenge. A 12-year-old Oklahoma boy has also died after participating in the “blackout challenge,” in which children are strangled until they lose consciousness.
Earlier this year, the Senate held a hearing on the negative effects of social media use on America’s youth. Todd Miner, father of 12-year-old Matthew Miner, stood in the crowd. He died after watching a trending “choking challenge” video on TikTok that falsely claimed that “children can safely strangle themselves.” Shared with USA TODAY.
“Congress must hold these companies accountable for the lives they end and destroy,” Miner said during the hearing.
Contributed by Jillian Fellows of the Cheboygan Daily Tribune and Angel Albring of York Daily Record
