Good morning from the Region — three cities, one wire, zero time for small talk. Let's go.
### Senior Assassin is back and Waterloo Region police are not amused
Seriously, you're not going to believe what's happening with our high school seniors. It's called 'Senior Assassin' and while students think it's all in good fun, the police here in Kitchener-Waterloo – and apparently across the country – are putting out warnings. Here's the thing about this region: we pride ourselves on being sensible, on innovation, on not causing a fuss. But then you have something like this, and it’s a whole different kind of chaos.
The game itself sounds like something out of a teen movie, if I'm being honest. Grade 12 students are 'hunting' each other with water guns, trying to 'assassinate' their targets before they get 'assassinated' themselves. There's even an app that tracks scores and collects video 'evidence.' Sounds harmless, right? Except when you've got kids in dark clothing, potentially masked, lurking around residential streets in places like Beechwood in Waterloo, or even down by Victoria Park in Kitchener, it starts to look less like a game and more like a situation that could go sideways fast. Imagine seeing someone jump out of the bushes with what looks like a weapon near the Iron Horse Trail. Your first thought isn't "oh, it's just a water gun."
What This Means for Kitchener-Waterloo:
* **Police Resources:** Every time someone calls 911 because they think they're witnessing something suspicious, it pulls resources away from actual emergencies. * **Public Safety:** It creates unease in neighbourhoods. We're a tight-knit community, and anything that makes residents, especially seniors, feel unsafe is a problem. * **Reputation:** We're known for our tech and our universities, not for high schoolers running around playing real-life Call of Duty.
Look, I get it, kids want to blow off steam before graduation. But there are better ways to celebrate your last few weeks of high school than making your neighbours nervous. Maybe try a scavenger hunt through Uptown Waterloo, or a massive board game tournament at the Communitech Hub. Something that doesn't involve looking like you're about to commit a crime.
Anja Baumann-Fong, MiTL Sports Desk.
Rachael and the crew really dug into this on the Morning Wire. You can catch the replay at mornings.live.