Senior Assassin Leads to High School Lockdown in West Essex, NJ

The water gun was presumed to be a handgun. Photo Source: Fairfield Police Department via Tap Into West Essex

The water gun was presumed to be a handgun. Photo Source: Fairfield Police Department via Tap Into West Essex

Arya Kaul
June 9, 2023

On Monday, May 8, 2023, West Essex Regional High School and West Essex Middle School were in lockdown due to reports of two students who were presumed to be carrying firearms on campus. 

 

According to NJ.com, a citizen notified the Fairfield Police Department that he observed two individuals sitting in a car in a Wawa parking lot. The caller claimed that the pair were passing a handgun back and forth. Police were dispatched to the location, and they found the car in the student parking lot of West Essex High School. The North Caldwell Police Department was notified, and they contacted the administration of West Essex. Both the high school and junior high school were put into lockdown.

 

The investigation identified four students in connection with the car, and the police entered various classrooms and took the students into custody for further investigation. The investigation concluded that the presumed handgun was a Glock-style water pistol that one of the students had recently purchased on Amazon as part of the school-wide Senior Assassin Game (NJ.com). Ramapo administration sent out an e-blast condemning the game, stating, “This game is not a school-approved event, and […] it should not take place in the school building, on school grounds, or in the community.  While we understand the playful intention of this type of activity, this behavior poses a potentially serious and elevated risk for a dangerous interaction or safety hazard.”

 

Senior Assassin, a tradition for seniors in high school, is practiced by schools all over the country. Students aim to be the last ones standing in order to win a prize, taking out the competition through friendly water gun fights. These games are not affiliated with the school and are usually run by a student or group of students. Ramapo Senior and Senior Assassin participant Ava McCann agrees that Senior Assassin is a “fun, good-spirited game” that gives students “a sense of community,” but buying a water gun that looks “exactly like a gun and is not one of the cheap, fluorescent water guns from a drug store is taking it too far.”

 

Students who may approach fellow players to shoot them with water are vulnerable to making the same mistake as this Fairfield citizen. Given today’s social and political climate and controversy regarding the legality of carrying handguns, it is not out of the realm of possibility to think that this could be a tragedy in the making (TapInto West Essex). 

 

According to TapInto West Essex, the individuals in this case were released from custody and did not face any charges, however, the future of Senior Assassin is at risk if students are not responsible and safe when playing the game. 

 

Below is the eBlast we sent to the community:

Ramapo Indian Hills Regional H.S. District
School Community Alert

Dear RIH Community:

There have been recent reports of a competitive game called “Senior Assassin” where individuals or pairs are assigned targets that they have to eliminate from the game with the use of squirt or nerf guns, water rifles or pistols, toy guns, and other similar items.

In past years, due to this game, there have been reports from surrounding towns of behavior that may be perceived as suspicious or armed persons, or as causing suspicious activity that prompts a response from residents and/or response from local law enforcement posing a potential threat to the safety of adolescents and others in the community.

Yesterday, West Essex Regional High School in North Caldwell was placed on lockdown during a police investigation that resulted in the recovery of a Glock-style water pistol that one of the students had in his vehicle and which was recently purchased on Amazon so that the student could participate in the widely reported “Senior Assassin Game.”

West Essex Schools Put on Lockdown Monday During Investigation

Please be aware that this game is not a school approved event, and that it should not take place in the school building, on school grounds, or in the community.  While we understand the playful intention of this type of activity, this behavior poses a potentially serious and elevated risk for a dangerous interaction or safety hazard. The school administration has already expressed our concerns related to this activity to our students. Our school district and our local law enforcement agencies urge parents to have a conversation with their children about the potential risks associated with the Assassins game.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation to help keep everyone safe.

Dr. Greg Vacca, Principal of Indian Hill High School

Travis Smith, Principal of Ramapo High School​​​​​​​
Ramapo Indian Hills H.S District131 Yawpo AveOakland, NJ 07436201-416-8100