It’s become a right of passage for many grade 12 students: enter into a free-for-all game of ‘assassins’ that has students hunting each other down with water or Nerf guns.

It’s all fun and games, but Halton Police are warning students to be smart about it.

For years, graduating high schoolers pay into a pot and hunt each other down while capturing it all on camera.

“You got to record, squirt the water gun and when you’re squirted you’re out of the game and the last person to be dry I guess wins all the money in the pot.”

With the pot sometimes reaching $1,000, the competition gets fierce.

“A lot of people’s friendships got ruined over it because a lot of people snake each other but other than that it was a lot of fun.”

But these grads say they laid out rules to keep each other safe.

“For our grade there was no shooting while you were driving, school property was off limits so no one could be assassinated on school property.”

Earlier this month, Halton Police were called to Oakville Place Mall by a concerned shopper claiming to have seen teens with guns

“We investigated some of the students in the parking lot they were waiting for a friend to exit the mall.”

Students say the guns they use could never be mistaken as actual firearms.

“Nerf guns and everything it’s pretty visible that it’s a toy gun I feel like people are a little too sensitive.”

But police say with gun violence involving teens making headlines, it seems some people are on high alert.

“When you see groups of teenagers, bursting into stores chasing each other, we understand they don’t mean any harm they’re trying to have fun but those do create situations where the public gets alarmed and call police and we have to respond appropriately.”

Halton Police say they’ve only received that one report related to the assassins game.

They recommend keeping the game away from spaces like malls and instead focus their plans around parks.