Lehi City News
“Assassins” game gains visibility among Lehi-area students, raises safety concerns
April Slaughter | Lehi Free Press
The annual student game “Assassins” is gaining traction among Lehi-area middle and high schoolers, drawing attention to its impact and risks. This tradition most often takes place outside school grounds, where students try to eliminate assigned targets with water guns. By forming teams or competing in brackets, players aim to be the last participant or group remaining.
While many students consider the game harmless and fun, educators and law enforcement caution about potential safety risks and legal complications.
Although the game itself isn’t new, mobile apps and social media have made it more structured today. Players can now track targets, submit video proof of eliminations, and plan strategies in real time. The added organization can encourage more elaborate tactics, including stakeouts, disguises and ambushes.
In many versions, participants pay an entry fee, with pooled money awarded to the final player or team.
These elements have prompted mixed reactions from families. Some view the tradition as a fun way for students to connect with friends, while others worry about trespassing, distracted driving, nighttime chases, or confrontations with unaware bystanders. What may seem like a harmless water gun competition to participants can appear far more serious to homeowners, drivers or passersby who witness teenagers running through yards or carrying objects that resemble weapons.
Even when the game takes place off campus, administrators say it can still affect the school environment through conversations and planning among students.
Beyond school, the concern for police and parents is often not the game itself, but how quickly ordinary play can appear dangerous to someone outside the game. The game may be legal, but choices made during play — such as entering private property, chasing near roads or creating alarm in public spaces — can bring real consequences.
The risks posed by the game extend beyond just participants. When students hide near homes, approach parked cars, run through yards, or carry toy weapons in poor lighting, they may appear threatening to those unaware of the game.
In such situations, a witness may call 911. A homeowner may confront the student. Officers may initially respond as if they were confronting a real weapon until they can assess the scene.
Key safety concerns for players include the risk of accidents or injuries if students are pursued through traffic, drive while distracted, or enter private property. Additionally, running at night, wearing masks or dark clothing, or startling others in public spaces can lead to confrontation or panic.
Problems multiply when the game spills into areas where people are especially vigilant for threats, such as school campuses, parking lots, churches, parks, stores, hospitals and other public buildings.
In these settings, even a water gun or Nerf-style toy can be misinterpreted, particularly if students are running, shouting, or filming the interaction.
For parents, the concern is less about the game’s premise and more about the choices students might make during play. Establishing clear rules can reduce the likelihood that a prank escalates into a police incident or safety emergency.
As a result, common guidelines include avoiding realistic-looking weapons, not wearing masks, keeping off private property, abstaining from gameplay at school, not chasing near roads, staying out of businesses or public buildings, and not driving during pursuits.
The game may still distract students from schoolwork, even when intentions are clear, and can also increase stress. In response, local school policies usually prohibit activities that mimic violence or disrupt the educational environment — even if they occur off-campus and affect students during school hours.
In a time of increased public safety concerns, even harmless activities may be perceived as threats. For Lehi families, the Assassins game represents the tension between teen tradition and modern realities.
Students keep playing while parents, educators, and officials weigh the risks and benefits. Setting clear rules and raising parent awareness can help prevent the game from escalating to a police response, injury or confrontation, ensuring safety and understanding for everyone involved.
