Water gun used in ‘Senior Assassin’ game leads to lockdown, arrest at South Iredell High School

TROUTMAN, N.C. (WBTV) - A student at South Iredell High School was arrested this week after a realistic-looking water gun used in a popular end-of-year game sparked a 911 call, a police response and a school lockdown, Troutman police said.

The game, commonly known as “Senior Assassin,” typically involves graduating seniors trying to “eliminate” classmates by ambushing them with water guns. Troutman police warned the activity can have serious consequences because some replica-style toys can be difficult to distinguish from real firearms.

That’s what happened on Tuesday, March 17, according to police, when a store clerk called 911 believing one of the game’s participants was pointing a real gun at two teenagers. Through their investigation, police determined the subject was a student at South Iredell. The school was placed on lockdown until investigators determined the gun was a toy.

Troutman police provided WBTV photos of the water gun and photos of a Glock pistol, showing their similarities.

“If you looked at that, I mean definitely, someone would think that is real,” resident Austin Hicks said, when showed a picture.

The 18-yeasr-old student was charged with disorderly conduct for disrupting school, according to Troutman Police.

Kate Hoyt, a parent with three young children, appreciated the urgency shown by police, but thought criminal charges might have went too far.

“It sucks because they’re kids and you know they want to do the fun games and they don’t see the harm in it,” she said. “That really stinks for him, but I get that it’ll show everybody you can’t just do that.”

A magistrate issued the student a $5,000 bond, according to police.

Law enforcement agencies in North Carolina have issued similar warnings about the game. Last year, Union County deputies cautioned families after reports of teenagers prowling around homes in the dark.