JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There is growing concern over the dangers of a high school game being played by seniors in our area.
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On Wednesday an off-duty Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent shot a Bishop Kenny High student in the arm while he was playing “senior assassins” in Nassau County.
RELATED: NCSO: Bishop Kenny student playing ‘Senior Assassins’ in Yulee shot in arm by off-duty FDLE agent
Deputies said the FLDE agent saw three people prowling outside their home holding what appeared to be a gun.
“The water guns often look like real firearms, certainly in the dark,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
Action News Jax asked Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper if the agent identified herself as law enforcement before shooting the teen.
He said the agent is not required to do that.
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“There’s no requirement,” said Sheriff Leeper. “She is a homeowner. Someone’s coming into her property. She’s not going into someone else’s property. She’s off duty. She is protecting what she has.”
Action News Jax also asked if the teens were told to drop their weapons before the shooting. Sheriff Leeper said that is still under investigation.
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Law enforcement leaders urge parents to have conversations with their kids about the game. And they are calling on others to help ensure that Wednesday’s incident does not repeat itself.
“School administrators, elected school board members, head of schools, and parents, please help us in calling an end to these contests,” said Nelson. “It might seem like a game and certainly it seems fun to young kids, but the consequences could be deadly.”
Duval County Public Schools sent out this student to families:
“You may have seen media reports this week about a Bishop Kenny High School student who was shot and injured while participating in a dangerous game known as “Assassins.”
In short, this game involves teenagers, particularly high school seniors, using water guns, airsoft guns, and slingshots to “assassinate” other participating players. While it is played in good fun, this game can be dangerous, particularly when others who are not aware of the game take legal or forceful action to respond to what they perceive as a real threat or weapon. That appears to be the case with what happened this week.
In response, we are uniting with our law enforcement community to make sure our families and students are aware of this game and its potential for tragic outcomes. We encourage you to watch and share this informative PSA from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, please watch this joint news conference featuring law enforcement leaders from around our area discuss this potentially deadly game.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping children safe.”
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