This is the water gun that teens were using during a game of Senior Assassins. | Nassau County Sheriff's Office
Published on February 12, 2025 at 3:49 pm
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An off-duty officer of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shot an 18-year-old student in the arm Wednesday as he played a game of “Senior Assassin” in Nassau County with a water gun.
High school seniors often play the game using water guns to “assassinate” one another. The last person standing is the winner.
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The shooting happened just before 6 am. on Purple Martin Lane in Yulee. The FDLE agent saw what appeared to be three people prowling outside his house in the dark, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said.
The blue water gun looked like the real thing, Leeper said.
One of the three students was from Yulee. The student who was shot is from Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville. He was taken to UF Health with injuries that were not life-threatening.
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“While intended as a harmless senior tradition, the game has drawn serious safety concerns from law enforcement officials,” Leeper said. “These types of games may seem innocent, but when you have young people sneaking around in the dark wearing masks and carrying objects that could be mistaken for weapons, you’re creating a potentially deadly situation.
“This incident demonstrates exactly why parents need to take this seriously and speak to their kids about the dangers of these types of games,” Leeper added. “The next time this happens it could be someone’s life.”
The Sheriff’s Office did not release the names of the students or the FDLE officer. More information will be released when it is available, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting with the FDLE and the State Attorney’s Office.
