Senior Assassins take over Montville: Water guns, strategy and one last game before graduation
Montville seniors embrace a high-stakes game of tag—while police urge safety as the tradition plays out across town.
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With water guns in hand, pool floaties strapped to their arms and ankles, and eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, Montville High School seniors are on high alert.
It may look unusual to outsiders—but for the Class of 2026, it’s all part of a long-standing tradition: Senior Assassin.
“It’s so much fun to get away from school,” said senior Ryan Conlon. “Obviously, I do sports, but it’s just something fun to bring the grade together.”
The game, popular among high school seniors nationwide, is essentially a large-scale, real-life version of tag. Each participant is assigned a secret target, with one goal in mind: eliminate them using a water gun—before someone else gets you first.
“You have a target, and the target doesn’t know that they have you,” another senior, Brian Puleo, explained. “So you kind of go around and get them out with a water gun.”
The competition blends strategy, patience and surprise. Players track progress through an app that assigns targets and monitors eliminations. But there are rules.
“You can’t get them at work,” Conlon said. “But you could wait outside their house, wait outside work—all that kind of stuff. Just trying to be stealthy.”
School grounds are off-limits, providing a safe zone where no eliminations can happen. Players can also use inflatable floaties as temporary protection—though even that comes with a catch.
“People can’t get you out,” Conlon said, gesturing to his floaties. “But there’s this thing called purge—so each round there’s two purges that last two hours. Even if I’m wearing this, it does not matter.”
While the game is not officially sanctioned by the school, local authorities are keeping a close eye on it. Montville Township police shared a message on Facebook to alert residents and emphasize safety.
“We want them to be safe,” said Police Chief Andrew Caggiano. “We don’t want them operating cars in unsafe manners. We want them to be cognizant of people’s property and be careful when they are playing this game.”
Police also stressed that only brightly colored water guns should be used to avoid confusion or alarm.
Students say they understand the concerns—and are taking them seriously.
“I think it’s really cool—the passing down of the torch,” Conlon said. “Being a freshman and seeing all the seniors play, and now being able to be a senior and get to play—it’s a lot of fun.”
With graduation just weeks away, the game is as much about memories as it is about competition.
And as police remind students to celebrate responsibly, seniors seem to agree: the only thing that should be eliminated is the stress of senior year.
