Off-duty cop shoots Florida HS student during pre-dawn 'Senior Assassins' game; student mistaken for prowler, had water gun

An off-duty agent from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shot a high school student in the arm last week during a pre-dawn game of "Senior Assassins," the Nassau County Sheriff's Office said.

In the game, players carry fake guns such as water pistols, conceal their identities, run through areas, and hide in obscure places, Fox News said. The object is to tag or shoot other players, authorities said.

'These types of games may seem innocent, but when you have young people sneaking around in the dark carrying objects that could be mistaken for weapons, you're creating a potentially deadly situation.'

Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson said the game is gaining popularity among high school students across northern Florida and throughout the country, the cable network added.

Sheriff Bill Leeper said the FDLE agent in question encountered what appeared to be three prowlers outside the agent's residence on Purple Martin Drive in Yulee just before 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Immediately following the shooting, the off-duty agent began administering first aid, the sheriff's office said. Arriving investigators discovered the wounded individual was an 18-year-old Bishop Kenny High School student. The school is in Jacksonville, which is in Duval County, but the sheriff's office said the "target" of the game was a fellow student who lives in Nassau County.

The wounded student's injuries were not life-threatening, the sheriff's office said.

'Potentially deadly situation'

“These types of games may seem innocent, but when you have young people sneaking around in the dark carrying objects that could be mistaken for weapons, you're creating a potentially deadly situation,” Leeper said.

He added that "thankfully the student will survive, but this incident demonstrates exactly why parents need to take this seriously and speak to their kids about the dangers of these types of games. The next time this happens it could be someone's life.”

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office said it's working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit on the investigation and will release additional information as it becomes available.

Anything else?

Law enforcement officers have tied the game to incidents such as reckless driving and trespassing on private property and are asking parents and elected officials to discourage kids from playing, Fox News said.

"Across the country, there have been tragedies and near-tragedies that have occurred as a result," Nelson said during a Thursday news conference, according to the cable network. "In one instance, a teen player was paralyzed when the father of a [player] shot him, mistaking the game for a criminal assault."

Fox News, citing police, said a group of high school students wearing ski masks and carrying water pistols disguised as guns walked into an Illinois restaurant last year seeking fellow teens involved in the game. A restaurant customer carrying a concealed weapon mistook the students for a legitimate threat, the cable network said, adding that no one was harmed.

"[We] would like to emphasize that the depiction of firearms, whether real or imitation, in any public setting, is a matter of concern and may instill fear among the public," the Gurnee Police Department said in a statement, according to Fox News. "We urge community members to reconsider their participation in such activities and recognize the seriousness of their actions."

This story has been updated.

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