This week the Longmeadow Police Department got a call involving “several vehicles circling the area with no headlights.” In the backseat of one 17-year-old’s car was what appeared to be a firearm.
Police, however, discovered it was actually an air soft rifle that “was intentionally ‘blacked out’ to make it look real for the purpose of a game the high school seniors are playing called ‘senior assassin.’”
The incident, police warned in a Facebook post, “could have been deadly.”
The department wrote, “It is 10:30 p.m. and you respond to a report of a male holding a rifle hiding in a backyard. Upon searching backyards, you locate a male in the dark holding EXHIBIT A. How would you respond?”
The department added, “How would you respond if you came home and found someone hiding in your backyard holding that weapon waiting to ambush your child?”
The goal of the game, “senior assassin,” is to ambush and squirt other seniors with squirt guns for a chance to win the cash prize. But this one had the orange tag, used to differentiate between toys and the real thing, covered up.
Police shared photos of the toy alongside a real firearm to show the similarities between the two items.
“Did you notice that exhibit A is actually an air soft rifle in which the orange tip has been taped over to make the weapon appear real,” the Facebook post stated.
Police asked people to think throughly about why and how they’re using air soft rifles.
“Knowledge is power,” the Facebook post states. “Please help us educate and spread the word as to why this scenario could have been deadly and completely avoidable.”
View: https://www.facebook.com/longmeadowpolice/posts/3881562901927000
Police, however, discovered it was actually an air soft rifle that “was intentionally ‘blacked out’ to make it look real for the purpose of a game the high school seniors are playing called ‘senior assassin.’”
The incident, police warned in a Facebook post, “could have been deadly.”
The department wrote, “It is 10:30 p.m. and you respond to a report of a male holding a rifle hiding in a backyard. Upon searching backyards, you locate a male in the dark holding EXHIBIT A. How would you respond?”
The department added, “How would you respond if you came home and found someone hiding in your backyard holding that weapon waiting to ambush your child?”
The goal of the game, “senior assassin,” is to ambush and squirt other seniors with squirt guns for a chance to win the cash prize. But this one had the orange tag, used to differentiate between toys and the real thing, covered up.
Police shared photos of the toy alongside a real firearm to show the similarities between the two items.
**Police seize firearm from 17 year old** Now that we have your attention, did you notice the difference between the...
Posted by Longmeadow Police Department on Wednesday, May 5, 2021
“Did you notice that exhibit A is actually an air soft rifle in which the orange tip has been taped over to make the weapon appear real,” the Facebook post stated.
Police asked people to think throughly about why and how they’re using air soft rifles.
“Knowledge is power,” the Facebook post states. “Please help us educate and spread the word as to why this scenario could have been deadly and completely avoidable.”
Students playing ‘senior assassin’ blacked out air soft rifle to make it look like real firearm, police said
"How would you respond if you came home and found someone hiding in your backyard holding that weapon waiting to ambush your child?"
www.masslive.com
View: https://www.facebook.com/longmeadowpolice/posts/3881562901927000