Murrysville squirt gun ‘assassin’ game results in multiple police responses
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A teen squirt gun game has resulted in several calls to Murrysville police in the past week.
The “FR Assassins” game, which has its own Twitter feed, involves teens “eliminating” one another by ambushing a randomly chosen participant with a squirt gun. A video on the group’s Twitter page shows an innocuous scene of someone being squirted in the back while walking down the street.
Participants pay into a pool, and the winners receive prize money once all but two teams are eliminated. The annual game began April 11.
But police have been dispatched multiple times recently for reports of “disturbances” that turned out to be young people playing the game.
“These calls are initially being dispatched as disturbances, possible fights, domestics, suspicious persons and (suspicious) vehicles,” Murrysville police said in a social media post. “Though this game may seem harmless, it is causing alarm to residents who witness it. Specifically when this is happening at night and causing disturbances outdoors.”
The Facebook post generated more than 100 comments.
“This is not funny, could turn into something really bad for the officers & the kids,” one person wrote.
“Parents need to get a life and let their kids have fun… there are more important things our officers can be worrying about then going to a call for some teens with neon-colored water guns playing a friendly game because parents can’t handle the kids having fun,” another posted.
Below, a video from the “FR ASSASSINS 2022” Twitter feed, showing a typical elimination:
Ella and Lexa are out❌❌❌ #latenightshopping pic.twitter.com/JVByC2wxWj
— FR Assassins 2022 (@FRassassins_22) April 19, 2022
The police department’s post lays out the legal definitions for misdemeanors like disorderly conduct, loitering/prowling and trespassing, and asks that people be aware if they are technically breaking the law while participating in the game.
While the administrators for the “FR ASSASSINS 2022” Twitter page declined to comment, the police post has gotten their attention: a tweet pinned to the top of the page reads, in all capital letters, “This is an emergency tweet. If the game does not calm down and people don’t follow the rules, the game will be shut down by the Murrysville police.”
A Google Document linked in the group’s Twitter page lays out a large number of rules for the game, including things such as:
• No water gun usage while operating a vehicle
• No shooting at someone who is operating a vehicle
• No going into homes/garages without permission
• No illegal activity
• No shooting water guns inside any building or business
One Facebook commenter said his daughter and niece were both participants, and while he had concerns, he recognized it was just a children’s game.
“Was definitely concerned about hiding in my neighbors’ bushes or getting bit by a dog, but my daughter and niece are having a blast playing the game,” he wrote.