BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — It’s a game that can quickly go from fun to terrifying.
“Luckily no one was injured,” Mark Harris said.
Harris lives in the Brooklyn Park neighborhood, where a homeowner called police around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday after seeing someone in their yard wearing camouflage and holding what appeared to be a long gun.
“Our officers take it very seriously, and so should we. Every call like this is handled as if it were real,” Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Elliot Faust said.
In this case, the weapon in question turned out to be some kind of water pistol, police said. It was held by a Champlin Park High School student who told officers he was playing a game called “senior killers.”
“I think as times are changing and there have been tragedies in our community that have put everyone on edge, I think this kind of takes a different form for people now,” Faust said.
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In 2015, two Lakeville South students died in a crash while playing the game.
“The last thing we need is another problem with people shooting projectiles, even innocent ones, at each other on the roadway. It’s not the right place for this type of behavior,” Faust said.
In a letter to families on Tuesday, Anoka-Hennepin Schools wrote in part: “By taking a proactive stance, parents and guardians are urged to reinforce safe driving practices with children to ensure their safety and the safety of their friends.”
“Swings, toys, and we have young kids around, and if we can stop the kids from doing stupid things, that’s it,” Harris said.
Carrying firearm look-alikes, also known as facsimile firearms, in Brooklyn Park is a crime.
“We really want to prevent a tragedy from happening and this is our attempt to get ahead of that,” Faust said.
Kirsten Mitchell
