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Popular senior prank wars tied to school lockdowns in Tampa

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Published  April 23, 2025 10:55pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

'Water wars' warning for high school seniors

FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis reports.

The Brief

    • Law enforcement is warning students and parents about the dangers of senior prank wars like "water wars" or "senior assassins."
    • Tampa police responded to two different schools this week over the games going too far.
    • Similar incidents have popped up around the state.

TAMPA, Fla. - It’s a popular senior game, sometimes called "water wars" or "senior assassins," but this week, it led to two Bay Area schools locking their doors and calling law enforcement.

That’s why educators and law enforcement are warning teens and parents that this game can go too far. 

TikTok is full of videos of screaming seniors getting splashed with Super Soakers, but the silly game has caused real scares.

Recent Incidents:

Tampa Police responded to an incident at St. Mary’s Episcopal School on Monday.

A road rage incident with a teen wearing a mask and appearing to carry a gun caused the school to lockdown, and nearby Coleman Middle School went into a "lock-in." 

TPD determined the teen involved was a Plant High senior participating in "water wars."

In a letter to parents, the Plant High principal said students who create safety concerns on any school campus could face disciplinary action. Other communities are going a step further.

Police in Georgia went door to door to show parents how far the game was being taken.

Law enforcement said the gun sounds seemed real.

"My concern is that they would end up getting hurt because, in this community, people own firearms," said resident Amanda Stanzione.

READ: Body-armored man holding loaded rifle shot, killed by deputies: HCSO

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office put out its own warning.

"Some participants have gone to great lengths to carry out their game assassinations, including operating in the middle of the day and operating in the middle of the night," said the sheriff.

The warning came after an off-duty FDLE agent in Nassau County shot a high school student, hiding on her property before sunrise. He was injured but will be OK.

Police say he was carrying an airsoft gun that had been wrapped in masking tape.

What they're saying:

Regarding this week’s incident in Tampa, TPD tells FOX 13, "Our school resource officers have been in contact with school officials to reinforce to students [that] these kinds of pranks might be intended as harmless, but they can result in potentially dangerous consequences."

The Source: FOX 13’s Genevieve Curtis collected the information in this story.

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