Teen playing 'senior assassins' in Portage charged, police say water gun looked like firearm

PORTAGE, Ind. (WLS) -- Portage police shared photos of a toy water gun they found on a student playing the popular "senior assassins" game.

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On Friday, police received multiple 911 calls about an armed person with an extended magazine in a Planet Fitness parking lot at 6221 U.S. Highway 6.

Police said they are aware of the game, but thought they were responding to a real threat, since school was in session.

The objective of the game is to assassinate another student with a water gun.

"This emergency response put the officers and the community at unnecessary risk as well as delayed responses to three other calls for service occurring simultaneously in the city," a police spokesperson said.

Ten on-duty Portage police officers, two off-duty officers and an on-duty Porter County sheriff's deputy arrived and found Adrian Williams, 18, inside a car with a toy gun in the passenger compartment.

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Police said that as he was being detained, he told police he was playing the game, waiting for his target outside the gym.

The toy water gun is available for ages 3 and up.

Williams, a Portage High School student, was charged with felony intimidation and taken into custody.

"It's a shame. But in today's world that we live in, you can't really joke around at all. And I know it was a prank. And I know it was those, but if I was sitting in there, and someone came in with that, I could have a heart attack, right?" Portage High School parent Roger Lewis said.

Williams' mother said he's a football player and honor roll student.

"We understand that this game has been played by high school seniors in our area for a few years, and this appears to have become a tradition," police said. "Unfortunately, we have previously had to respond to reports of reckless driving, road rage and carjacking."

Police urge teenagers to use brightly colored water guns and to not engage in reckless and dangerous behaviors.

"It is ultimately the duty of the young adults who engage in this game to conduct themselves in a safe, lawful manner that does not cause fear and panic within our community," the spokesperson said.

Portage High School parents and students reacted Tuesday to the incident.

"I think senior assassin should be a fun game. Some of the guns are getting too realistic here. I feel like it should be common sense, if it is black most cops will see as a red flag," one student said.

Williams will appear in court April 22. His mother says he has received a full scholarship to St. Xavier University. While her son was worried he would lose it over the prank, she says the school told Williams Tuesday his scholarship is not in jeopardy.

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