Senior follies: Police say high school ‘Assassins’ game is dangerous

A group of masked men entered a Gurnee restaurant Tuesday morning, armed with what appeared to be handguns and seeking several people.

But before they could find their targets, another patron who was packing a gun and concealed carry permit drew his weapon to confront them.

What happened next could have been a tragedy, if not for a quick-thinking restaurant employee.

“Luckily one of the servers realized the (masked men’s) weapons were water guns and was able to help stop the situation from escalating,” Gurnee police Detective Shawn Gaylor told us in an email describing the “very scary situation.”

The masked intruders, it turns out, were local high schoolers playing a game called “Senior Assassins.” And while the rite of spring for soon-to-be graduates isn’t new, recent incidents like the one in Gurnee and a car wreck in Itasca have led several suburban police departments to issue warnings about the game.

“The gravity of the situation cannot be emphasized enough,” Gurnee police said.

The game involves senior participants putting an agreed-upon amount of money in a pot, and then attempting to eliminate other players — usually with water or paintball guns. The last player standing wins the cash.

Because the rules typically bar players from being eliminated on school property and during school hours, the “assassinations” are carried out elsewhere in the community — homes, stores and, yes, restaurants.

Or, as was the case in Itasca last week, on the streets. According to police, a car chase between two players ended when one vehicle lost control and rolled onto its side.

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, but all involved were cited by police.

“We ask anyone who is participating in this ‘game’ to ‘think’ about what consequences may come from their actions,” Itasca police said.

In a Geneva-area Facebook forum, one mom said her husband went out to take out the trash and found a teen hiding inside the container, waiting for a target. In St. Charles, police gave three teens a talking-to last week after somebody reported seeing them hiding behind a car, carrying what looked like firearms.

Arlington Heights police responded to 911 calls twice last week about people running through neighborhoods with a gun. In one case, officers found students who were playing the game. No one was located on the second call, but police believe it involved Senior Assassins players.

So, if you’re a parent of a high school senior, what should you tell your teen?

“The police department suggests talking to your children about the safety concerns linked to openly carrying a squirt gun that resembles a look-alike firearm,” Arlington Heights police Sgt. Mike Orlando told us. “Doing so on private property could lead to deadly consequences, depending on the property owner’s interpretation of the situation.”

Back to Gurnee

The teens involved in the Gurnee restaurant incident got lucky in more ways than one. Besides avoiding a one-sided gunfight, police decided to give them a break and not bring charges.

But no guarantee that’ll be the case next time, Gaylor told us.

“We sent out the message on social media to let the community know that we are aware of the game and it will not be tolerated,” she said. “Future incidents could result in charges.”

Hopping in to help

By the very nature of their work, KaneComm 911 telecommunicators help save lives all the time by dispatching aid, talking people through CPR and more.

KaneComm Director Michelle Guthrie recently highlighted one of the more unusual saves when she presented an annual report about the center to the county board’s judicial and public safety committee.

Around Christmastime last year, a person called 911 to report seeing rabbits on the side of the road. Judging by their color and size, the caller could tell they were pet rabbits, not wild ones. Someone had dumped them out to fend for themselves.

A radio operator ‒ himself an animal lover, with many pets ‒ took it upon himself to rescue them. He drove out to the location as soon as he could and started looking for the two bunnies.

The rabbits were friendly and used to human contact, so he was able to pick them up, put them in a box and take them back to the KaneComm dispatch center. Workers there named them Clark and Cousin Eddie — characters from the movie “Christmas Vacation” — and gave them food and water.

But after a checkup by a veterinarian, it was determined those names were not appropriate, given the bunnies turned out to be females. So they were renamed Autumn and Winter.

The two now live with the employee who rescued them.

Cuffed, and cuffed again

You just can’t make this stuff up.

From the weekly Westmont police blotter report: At 12:13 a.m. on April 3, police were called to help a man who reported he locked himself in a pair of handcuffs. (Susan’s guessing that happens more often than one might think.)

After he was freed, the man found himself in those of a police officer. It turns out there was a warrant out for his arrest, alleging he had failed to appear in court as required to deal with a possession of controlled substances charge.

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