High schoolers relive splash of childhood with water gun game, but not everyone rides the wave | Canada Voices

The water war at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic school began last week, as these things often do, with a betrayal.

A 12th grader at the high school in Oshawa, Ont., turned up for what he thought was a friendly meeting. But when he found himself facing down the barrel of his friend’s water gun, he realized he’d been set up. Double-crossed. He watched his friend pull the trigger. Splash.

And just like that, he was the first one eliminated in the graduating class of 2026 at Monsignor’s game of “senior assassin.”

If you know a high school senior or live anywhere near a high school, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed some odd behaviour in recent weeks. Maybe you’ve seen a kid, Nerf gun in hand, hiding in a neighbour’s bush, or a teen wearing swim goggles in the middle of a Tim Hortons.

This is senior assassin, the game that has exploded in popularity – and controversy – in recent years. It has become a rite of passage at this time every year, 12th graders across the country playing essentially a giant game of water tag around their neighbourhoods and communities.

It’s a game where teenagers hide behind trees, inside of giant recycling bins, even striking deals with siblings to hide out inside each others’ homes, all in an attempt to catch their target with a water gun. The aim is to eliminate their target while avoiding being eliminated themselves. Nobody knows who is targeting who, and the assignments are constantly changing as players are eliminated.

But after a string of unfortunate incidents (including a teen in Guelph, Ont., who was arrested at gunpoint last year by police after his water gun was mistaken for a real firearm), it has pitted two camps against each other. On the one hand, police and school officials, who see the game as disruptive and potentially dangerous. (Some school officials not only discourage it but ban it.) And on the other, teens and their families, who argue it’s a last gasp of childhood, a rare chance to have some real-life, wholesome fun.

In light of incidents like the one in Guelph, police departments from coast to coast have warned teens over the past few months against playing senior assassin.

This is because of the potential for danger when unsuspecting onlookers are combined with the very real fears people have about gun violence, said Temitope Oriola, a professor of criminology at the University of Alberta.

“People will call the police, and the police will, of course, have to respond,” he said. “From there on, the consequences are incalculable.”

But others see the fears as overblown.

In Oshawa, where the game of senior assassin at Monsignor school has been officially under way since May 11, it has become something of a family project in the Iacono household.

Michelle Iacono is as enthusiastic as her 17-year-old daughter, Vivianna – if not more so. She bought for Vivianna a Ghostbusters-style super soaker to wear on her back, bright pink, with a picture of Skye, the air rescue pup from Paw Patrol, on it.

“She can hide this under her hoodie,” said Ms. Iacono, pointing to the backpack portion. And the hose part, she said, “she can stick that in her sleeve.”

It’s not lawlessness; there are rules to this combat, said Ms. Iacono. Players – including those at her daughter’s school – agree to a long list of rules to the game. No trespassing. No chasing people in cars. Be respectful to others. And chief among the rules: no realistic-looking guns. Only brightly coloured water guns allowed.

And she said it’s been a delight to see her daughter get outside, off her phone, and interacting with other young people.

“I feel like there’s a whole generation that forgot what it was like to be a kid. We were always in our neighbour’s backyards, being kids. Having all that fun freedom,” said Ms. Iacono.

“It used to be, ‘Oh, there’s a group of kids playing in the playground,’” she said. “And now adults seem to be, ‘Oh, there’s a group of kids. What are they up to?’”

Vivianna, too, has thrown herself into the game, strategizing for it with the tactical precision of the Navy Seals. She has built alliances, kept a close eye on the game app the kids use (where her target’s locations are posted in real-time), and waited for opportunities to strike.

The day before, she’d come close to striking distance. Ms. Iacono was pulling up in her car to pick up Vivianna, who could see that her target was just around the corner.

“I shouted, ‘Get in the backseat! Lie down!’” said Ms. Iacono.

“Mum,” said Vivianna, “was very excited.”

Alas, her target was gone by the time they got there.

For people her age, Vivianna said, “We want to go out and do things. But like, what are we going to do? This is something to do.”

What’s more, such games can provide valuable experiences for young people, said Steven Downing, a professor in criminology and social sciences at Ontario Tech University.

“Play is a vital part of everyone’s life,” he said. “Play brings children closer. It teaches them how to develop rules and boundaries on their own, which is very important.”

Plus, he added, “there is an irony that the police are saying, ‘Don’t do this, because we might accidentally shoot you,’” he said. “That onus should fall on the police.”

The game that Vivianna and her classmate are playing this year is battle-royale style. In other words: last person standing. As of the end of last week, Vivianna was still standing.

She has been doing everything she can to stay safe from elimination, including wearing her pair of grey and blue swim goggles around everywhere – the agreed-upon symbol of immunity. (Don’t ask why; there’s no good answer.)

She has been spending most of her time in safe zones: on school grounds, at the bus stop, at home.

And, of course, she’s always, always, keeping one eye on the lookout.

“Always pay attention,” she said. “Always stay aware.”