Simsbury Police are taking to Facebook to raise a red flag about “Water Wars,” a game played by Simsbury High School seniors.
During the game, seniors eliminate classmate players with water guns. It’s not a high school event and it’s banned from being played on school grounds.
But with recent the recent gun and school violence climate, among other potential safety hazards, officers want to make sure the community, parents and students are aware of what to look out for.
They also asked the “Water Wars” coordinator to alert participants about safety and potential criminal consequences, according to the post.
Over the years, officers have responded to complaints about teens hiding in the bushes on private property, Sgt. Matthew Christian said.
“We’ve actually had one time where some of the participants were hiding in unlocked vehicles, waiting to squirt someone. And we’ve had in the past a pretty significant accident where individuals were driving erratically trying to catch someone else,” Christian explained.
Other concerns listed on the post include teens walking through private property or guns being mistaken for a real firearm.
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Christian said teens have even painted their water guns a dark color so they weren’t visible at night.
“They prowl around the backyards, in the parking lots, around the cars. It’s dangerous and people do have guns. I think you got to watch it when you’re on somebody’s property,” Simsbury resident Jill Mazur said.
Her daughter Zoe is a junior at the high school. Zoe Mazer said she understands the concerns, but seniors consider “Water Wars” a rite of passage.
“I know there’s a lot around guns now but I think with all the rules, they’re trying to make it as safe as possible,” Mazur said.
“There isn’t really much to do in this town so I think something like that really spices our town up,” said John DeMaio, a junior at Simsbury High School.
DeMaio explained that he knew someone who was in a crash related to “Water Wars.” His sister didn’t participate because she was worried about being stalked.
But that won’t deter him from potentially playing next year.
“It allows kids to have fun. Especially when they’re stressed as seniors,” DeMaio said.
In the Facebook post, police said they’ve asked previous senior classes to not organize “Water Wars” and they’ve complied. The Class of 2018 opted to play. Now, they’re asking kids to make smart decisions.
