Apr 19, 2023 5 min read

For more than a decade, seniors at Canon-McMillan have celebrated the end of high school with a game of Assassins, or a variation on that name theme.

The Class of 2023 is continuing the tradition, with their Assassins game scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 18, and continuing until one team of two players remains standing.

“ASSASSINS STARTS TOMORROW AT 6 AM. MATCHUPS WILL BE RELEASED TONIGHT,” the Canon Crazies, a C-M High School sports fan group, tweeted Monday.

Local law enforcement has seen it played before, but Canonsburg police Chief Alex Coghill said the game went silent during COVID-19. This year marks the first post-pandemic game of Assassins played by C-M seniors, to the general public’s knowledge, and there is concern that it’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

“Just the name of the game seems to strike a little bit of fear into people. They don’t know what it is,” said Canonsburg police Chief Alex Coghill. “I know the school released a statement. Hopefully we don’t have any traffic-related issues, meaning reckless driving or careless driving. I’m just waiting to see when the game starts, just waiting to see what the game brings.”

CMHS administration sent a statement to parents explaining the game is not school sanctioned.

“This game is not safe and we do not promote or support it by any means,” the statement said.

Assassins is, at its core, a game of buy-in elimination tag in which students pair off into teams and are assigned a target. As long as they’re not on school grounds, targets may be followed and shot – typically with a Nerf or water gun. When a team eliminates its target, another is assigned.

The game continues until the final showdown: Teams are both hunter and prey. The first to eliminate its target wins bragging rights and the cash pot.

Before this year’s game began, the Canon Crazies shared Assassins rules to Twitter. Rules state “both teammates needs to be killed for the team to be eliminated,” and “anything that squirts water is fair game,” but includes parameters for hunting and squirt-shooting targets.

“You can not block people from getting in & out of places,” the rules read.

The Canon Crazies made it clear that Assassins participants are not allowed to shoot targets on school grounds or during school events or practices. Gameplay is off-limits at church, during church events, and while a target is going to or is at work (though the target is fair game when leaving work).

“Inside homes are prohibited without proof of permission (includes garage). If this is broken and you do trespass in someone’s home, you will be removed from the game,” the rules state.

Accidental shootings have made headlines, most recently this past weekend, when a 20-year-old New York woman was shot and killed after she and three friends pulled into a stranger’s driveway while looking for their friend’s house. The stranger fired two shots, killing the young woman.

Coghill understands Assassins is good, clean fun, but worries about students running through town, wielding what might be mistaken for a weapon.

“With all the people who do carry concealed firearms, my first obvious worry is something looks like a real gun and there’s an accidental shooting,” Coghill said.

He also worries about traffic violations.

“You’re playing this game, you’re tracking cars. It is worrisome any time you’re tracking a person, tracking a vehicle. It may be innocent for the game, but there are other people who track people for other reasons, stalking,” he said. “While it may be intended for the game, you just don’t know sometimes.”

In a tweet Monday, the Canon Crazies warned participants against tracking targets with air tags, which is a second-degree misdemeanor. The Twitter account also encourages those playing Assassins to explain the game to their parents and to be smart.

“Make it crystal clear to your PARENTS that you are participating in assassins. Explain in detail that there will be High School students at your home/property. As well as people may be following you at any time and stalking you,” the rules read. “If your parents are not informed and the police get involved … the game may get shut down.”

The rules also encourage students to play in daylight, and “DO NOT make your water guns look like real guns.”

Two years ago, Washington police were called after a group of young men were spotted driving through town with what looked like real guns.

“It has been brought to our attention that kids in Washington are playing a game called ‘Assassin.’ They are driving around town with BB guns and shooting at each other. These BB guns look like real guns,” Washington police posted on Facebook. “We received one call of a group of males waving a gun out of a moving vehicle. We stopped the vehicle and recovered this BB gun. Please talk to your kids about this and tell them not to play this ‘game.’ It causes very dangerous situations.”

Washington School District Superintendent George Lammay said Tuesday that he had no knowledge of the game, and as far as he knows, Prexie seniors have not organized a game akin to Canon-Mac’s Assassins.

The game was not advertised for any other local districts.