Evanston Township High School reminded students that all weapons, including fake and toy ones, are banned from the property in a statement about safety concerns related to a popular “Gotcha” game played by teenagers.
Players in the game, which is commonly called “Paranoia” or “Senior Assassins,” eliminate assigned individual or team targets by tagging them with foam Nerf darts, water guns or other means. The game continues until only one team or individual has not been eliminated.
“While the intent of the game is often friendly competition, we are deeply concerned about the potential risks associated with participation, including the possibility of misunderstandings or serious incidents arising from the use of toy weapons or physical contact,” the statement said.
The ETHS Pilot Student and Family Handbook forbids the presence of any weapons, real or fake, on District 202 grounds. Students can face consequences of expulsion or police involvement for bringing these items to school.
The statement urged parents to discuss their children’s decisions with them to encourage safe behaviors and expressed concern for participation in the game.
“Recent reports in our area have highlighted incidents involving police reports, car accidents and instances where “Gotcha” participants were mistaken for genuine threats to public safety,” the statement said.
‘Gotcha’ game incidents
Other high schools in the North Shore and in Chicagoland have seen a variety of incidents related to this common end-of-senior-year game.
The Winnetka Police Department released a statement on the game citing a few such incidents, and the department discourages anyone from participating.
In Itasca, students chasing a target for their game were involved in a rollover crash.
In Gurnee, students wearing ski masks holding water guns scared restaurantgoers trying to surprise their target. A restaurant patron with a concealed-carry license perceived a potential threat.
Students in Schaumburg playing this game in a parking garage also had the police called on them.
“The water guns displayed looked realistic, and the youths were in a populated area,” the Schaumburg Police Department said in a community alert on Facebook. “We are urging youths to be aware of how their actions when playing this game can be viewed as alarming and disturbing.”
Last year, New Trier High School students caused a lockdown at the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth when they carried toy guns that launched small water balls near the school.
Police also notified Cary-Grove High School of suspicious activity surrounding this game in 2023. The school confiscated a squirt gun that resembled a real one.
Multiple police departments in surrounding suburbs have released statements on the game this year.