Hampton Bays High locked down after toy 'senior assassin' gun used in game mistaken for real weapon, police say
Hampton Bays High School “was placed on lockdown as a safety precaution,” according to Southampton police. Credit: Tom Lambui
A student with a water gun caused Hampton Bays High School to enter a lockdown Thursday morning and prompted a search by the Southampton Town Police Department, according to a news release from the agency.
The incident began around 7:20 a.m. when a resident called police about a teenager who exited his vehicle with what appeared to be a long gun near the high school. Southampton police wrote that it then “conducted an extensive search of the area” and found the student. Schools Superintendent Lars Clemensen wrote that the incident was over by 8:36 a.m.
The gun was “determined to be a toy” being used as part of a “non-school sanctioned game of ‘Senior Assassin,’” according to the police department, which explained that the game involves students hunting each other with water guns.
“Apparently, a number of students were participating in a game that takes place off-campus,” Hampton Bays High School Principal Christopher Richardt wrote in an email to parents at 10 a.m. “Essentially, in this game, students use water guns to eliminate their friends, leading to a single winner.”
The school “was placed on lockdown as a safety precaution” during the incident, according to Southampton police. Clemensen told parents in a message before 8 a.m. that the school was still “operating under its normal schedule,” but with an increased police presence “in and around the high school.”
It’s unclear if any students were arrested or will face any legal consequences. A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for additional information. The identities of the students involved have not been released.
Richardt told parents in a message after the incident that the school hosted an assembly for seniors to “explain the potential dangers associated with this game.”
“Toy guns can easily be mistaken for a real weapon, which will result in a consistent and significant response from law enforcement,” he wrote in his message to parents. "Please speak with your child about this game and making good decisions. We want all students, especially the Class of 2026, to enjoy their senior year experience in a safe and productive way.”
Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
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