The Camarillo Police Community Resources Unit along with the Camarillo School Resource Officers (SROs) would like to advise our community members of the start of a game played by high school students every year called “Water Assassins.” The game will likely start this week in Camarillo.
Water Assassins is typically played outside of school hours where senior high school students are given the name of a student to target with a water gun. This can involve targeting their homes, vehicles, and/or social events. Most students know how to play the game with a brightly colored toy water gun, but sometimes poor judgement is used, and the water gun may appear to look like a real firearm. This obviously presents great challenges for law enforcement.
The game is not sponsored by schools and schools strongly discouraged the game. The game is not typically played at school. During the “water assassination,” students will commonly video record their target getting hit with water to prove they were eliminated from the game. In past years, due to the game occurring outside of school hours, it increases patrol calls for service when community members believe criminal activity is occurring and call 911.
The Camarillo Police Community Resources Unit and Camarillo SROs would like to inform the public of the game, since at first glance it can appear to look like criminal activity. We suggest parents who may have students participating in the high school game talk to their kids about being safe and using good judgement. Students should avoid the following dangerous actions:
- Do not speed or chase each other using their vehicles.
- Do not block traffic with their vehicles or create traffic hazards.
- Do not wear dark clothing at night and hide under vehicles or behind bushes.
- Do not use water guns that look like real firearms.
- Do not disrupt business operations nor the peace of uninvolved citizens.
The Camarillo Police Community Resources Unit and Camarillo SROs have a great relationship with our local students and parents. The Camarillo SROs enjoy regularly talking to students at different locations in Camarillo and want all students to be healthy and safe during the remainder of this school year.
If you have any questions regarding the Water Assassin’s game or any other school-related questions, please contact Senior Deputy Matt Koenig (805-388-5131) who is Camarillo Police Department’s Youth Services Coordinator.
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This game is a hoot! They forget to mention it also involves brightly colored inflatable toys that you have to wear to be “immune” and the use of swim goggles. Maybe that’s just an SB/Goleta variant? Pretty clear when giggling blow up unicorn-wearing teens are shooting each other with water guns that it’s a game.
Of course, kids can be unwise and I’m sure some have used realistic looking water guns somehow? I don’t think they even make those.
If you have HS seniors in your house, remind them to only use ridiculously colored water guns and be sure to keep their safety inflatables on them!
Fun times!
Camarillo should be worried about federal agents attacking their residents and less about high schoolers having fun.