Reports Of Kids With Guns Spur Message From Police In 1 Bergen County Town

MAHWAH, NJ — Mahwah police said that they responded to "several" calls about kids with guns last week — but it wasn't what the callers thought.

The "guns" turned out to be water guns, police said, part of a controversial game that's become a tradition.

"A current trend is for high school students to play the 'Assassin' game, with the purpose to spray a classmate with a water gun," police said in a message. "If your children are taking part in this game please make sure they are making smart decisions and being careful with how they take part in the game and what water 'guns' they use."

They added, "Please speak with your high school aged children about being safe and using common sense."

The senior game involves trying to hit an assigned target, and that person's target, until everyone is out except the last person standing.

Some parents and police in North Jersey have said that the game is no longer appropriate. It also has led to shootings and injuries.

Recent Injuries

CBS News reported this week that a student in Arlington, Texas is on life support after jumping onto a moving Jeep while playing. He fell and hit his head, the story says.

In Florida in February, police shot a young player who was mistaken for a home invader, the local media reported.

And in Utah, a teen was arrested last week and faces a charge of threat of terrorism for running through a hospital with a Nerf gun as part of the game, ABC said. The report said he was chasing his friend.

The popularity of "Assassin," also known as "The Assassination Game" (TAG) or "Killer," rose in the early 1980s. Kids sometimes used a rolled-up sock or paint gun to "assassinate" other players in high school halls or college campuses, in the days before the increase in school shootings.

Two movies at the time, Gotcha and TAG: The Assassination Game, reflected the pastime's popularity.

PRIOR REPORTING: 'We Do Not Condone This Game,' Say Police In North Jersey