The Hopkins Nerf Assassins game has been going on for several weeks, and more than 300 players have been “killed.” In only its second year, Nerf Assassins attracted more than 400 students, each competing for their share of roughly $3000.

As always, students and their teams are trying to eliminate other players by shooting them with Nerf guns.

Historically, the game has gone on without much trouble from the community. There were occasional run-ins with police, but these were usually isolated incidents. However, this year, police are cracking down on the assassins game.

Jonathan Palmer, senior, is in charge of running solo Assassins, a long-standing HHS tradition similar to Nerf Assassins, though without teams. He is also playing in the Nerf Assassins game and has had an encounter with the police. Palmer was looking for kills at a park with his team when a cop entered the park.

“We all piled in our cars and decided it was best to avoid confrontation, so we left the park. As we were trying to leave, a second cop car blocked the entrance. [Policemen] saw our Nerf guns and told us we needed to be more conscious of the community we were in,” Palmer said.

Palmer isn’t the only player who has been stopped by police while playing. Maddie Steinbrunn, senior, is also playing Nerf Assassins. She, too, had a run-in with the police.

Steinbrunn was looking for kills near Alice Smith Elementary School, a place where many players go to look for kills. Consequently, police have received many calls from neighbors around the area.

“The cops ended up coming, they stopped both of our cars and told us how we need to be more responsible. They also said we shouldn’t be on public property when playing,” Steinbrunn said.

In both cases, police talked to players about the risks that Assassins poses, including hurting other players or innocent bystanders and scaring people who may not know about the game.

There are players, however,  who don’t see the game as a safety hazard. Abas Nor, senior, had an experience with the police during Nerf Assassins’ “Purge Day,” a day during which many rules were no longer in effect.

“We were driving around Hopkins a couple times when a cop stopped us. He knew about the whole game going on,” Nor said.

Nor and his team talked to the cop, who told them something similar to what the police told Palmer and Steinbrunn.

“He said it was a safety hazard, but I don’t see that. We were in a parking lot with nobody around,” Nor said.

If an individual is walking down the street carrying a Nerf gun, many might see this as suspicious activity and call the police. Mr. Jason Tait, Police Liaison, notes that these police are simply doing their job.

“Police get calls in the community of suspicious persons or activity related to Assassins on a regular basis after the game starts. It is a strain on police services and often leaves the callers in fear of something more sinister happening,” Tait said.

These police don’t necessarily want to give players a ticket. Instead, they are trying to ensure that the game doesn’t pose a risk to the players and the broader community.

In planning the solo Assassins game, Palmer made sure to keep safety a priority.

“I tried to keep in mind the safety of the players. I wanted to keep everything legal and safe. I didn’t want my players to have any run-ins with the police. We have rules regarding concealing guns, decoy rules, and trespassing rules that keep people out of trouble,” Palmer said.

Some of the rules Palmer made include a ban on playing at the following locations: school property or events, inside private residences unless invited in by someone who lives there, and testing sites. There is also a ban on drive-bys.

Benjamin Parker, senior, is also playing Nerf Assassins. He understands that the game is not worth causing trouble over.

“If I were causing problems in a neighborhood while playing Assassins, and the cops threatened to give me a ticket, I think that would be fair. I would listen to the cops. It’s a game; there’s no point to risk getting in trouble with the authorities over a game,” Parker says.

When the police get involved, the game becomes more serious and the penalties get more severe than losing.

“At the end of the day, all you need to do is avoid causing a lot of trouble, and you can avoid the cops,” Palmer said.
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