Sage Creek High School has banned the Senior Assassins water-gun game from every Carlsbad Unified School District property, warning that students who play on campus will face discipline.

The school's administration team issued the notice Tuesday, Sept. 29, stating the game is not affiliated with Sage Creek or Carlsbad Unified School District and is not a school-sponsored activity. The ban covers all CUSD facilities, including the SCHS parking lots, the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and all athletic facilities.

No water squirt guns of any kind may be brought onto district property, the notice said. Students who ignore the directive will face school discipline, though the administration did not specify whether that means detention, suspension or another penalty.

The ban also applies to non-seniors acting alongside senior players or being targeted by them.

What parents should know

Families who want their student out of the off-campus game can simply have them withdraw, the administration said. Anyone who witnesses unsafe behavior related to the game off campus should contact the Carlsbad Police Department at (442) 339-2197.

Senior Assassins is a voluntary, student-organized elimination game in which seniors are each assigned a target to spray with a water gun. The last player unsprayed wins. The game is typically organized through group chats and social media, not by schools, USA Today reported in April.

Safety concerns extend beyond Carlsbad

The game has drawn law enforcement attention across the country. USA Today reported that an 18-year-old in Portage, Indiana, was arrested and charged with felony intimidation after a 911 caller mistook his water gun for a handgun. A student was placed on life support in May 2025 after falling from a vehicle during a game and later died. In 2024, a teenager in Kansas was shot and paralyzed by another player's father.

Closer to home, San Diego Police Officer Anthony Carrasco warned in a Feb. 21 Fox 5 San Diego report that toy guns and gel blasters used in the game can look like real firearms, especially at night. That kind of sighting can prompt officers to respond with weapons drawn, police said.

The SCHS notice did not describe any specific incidents at or near Sage Creek that prompted the ban. The Carlsbad Police Department has not issued a public statement about the game at the school.