Assassins is an annual tradition for the juniors and seniors at many high schools, including West. The game started Feb. 24 and will finish May 18 or until there is one assassin standing. Every year, students who participate give the senior leaders of the game $10 which is put into a pool for the winner of the game.

Every person in the game is assigned a target while also being a target for another player. The objective is to shoot your target with a water gun before the particular round is up. If the target is not shot within this time frame, the player is out. 

Seniors Max Valdez and Brandon Roupsouay are running the game this year and get 5% of the money pool for their time.

“Honestly it’s pretty stressful,” Valdez said. “A lot of people have questions because they haven’t read the rules…but other than that it is fun to see everyone get worked up and excited about it.”

The game does have some restrictions such as no eliminations during school or school-related events, church, senior trips, prom, grad parties, or inside the person’s house unless you are invited inside. 

Seniors players such as Kylie Krause, have heard lots of stories about assassins in the past and the extreme tactics of some players.

“My brother’s friend was in her car and she drove all the way home from school and when she got out, someone hidden in the back of her truck shot her when she got out,” Krause said. “That terrifies me.”

These extreme tactics are all in hopes of winning the prize money at the end of the game which varies in dollar amount from year to year.

“This year it will be a little over $1,000 for the first-place winner,” Valdez said.

70% of the prize pool money goes to the winner, 15% goes to the first runner-up, and 5% goes to the second runner-up. There are 127 players this year, so winning is statistically challenging, but players have come up with tactics to try and win the money.

“My strategy is to figure out where they work and what car they drive,” Krause said. “I will probably stay home a lot because I’ll be paranoid and I will get a far-shooting water gun so I can reach them from further distances.”