HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
School and law enforcement officials are warning families in Hendersonville about a playful but potentially dangerous activity called “Senior Assassin” that they want to stop among high school students.
The game appears to be a variation of a form of higher-stakes “tag” that has been happening around the country for decades — at least since a 1982 film called “Tag: The Assassination Game.”
According to a community message Monday from Mark Garrett, Superintendent of Henderson County Public Schools, the game in Hendersonville encourages players to seek each other out by surprise and then shoot the target with water guns. Garrett said it poses serious safety risks.
“Though this may seem harmless on the surface, while in possession of an item resembling a firearm, and when conducted either in the dark, in residential neighborhoods or on active roadways, the opportunity for mistaken identity and possible tragic outcomes is very real,” Garrett wrote in a community message re-posted on the Henderson County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
“While this is not an activity sanctioned by Henderson County Public Schools, we do not want to turn a blind eye to the potential risks our students face by participating in this game,” Garrett wrote. “We encourage parents to discuss this with your students and encourage them to celebrate the Class of 2024 in other ways.”