As April 21 and the first list of targets draw closer, hundreds of Camas High School (CHS) seniors are getting ready for Camas’ third year playing Senior Assassins.
This year, 218 CHS seniors are participating in the game, which has grown in popularity across the country over the last several years. Each Monday (starting April 21), seniors are given a target that they have one week to “eliminate” using any sort of water-based weaponry. The last senior standing is the winner.
The prize? Over 1,000 dollars.
The event, which is not school sponsored, is being run by CHS seniors Charlotte Gillespie and Katherine Ryan through the Splashin app. The entry price, which goes towards the pot, is seven dollars per person. Participants can pay an additional three dollars and 68 cents to become premium members with expanded in-app abilities and privileges (money spent on premium membership does not go towards the winner’s pot).
As Monday draws closer, a lot of participants are eagerly waiting for the game to begin. Seniors have spent the week buying floaties, goggles, and water guns in preparation for their first targets.
“I’m really excited to see how people are going to try and win,” CHS senior Emma Gessler said. “I’m honestly not set on winning, but I’m excited to be a part of the game.”
“I’m getting ready to just consistently be on my toes, checking locations all the time, wearing my goggles all the time,” CHS senior Cya Cook said.
A major feature of senior assassins is the weekly Friday “purge”, where participants can eliminate any other participant (not just their assigned target) and all protective gear is voided.
“I expect the purges to be interesting and the most fun, I think most people will get out that way,” CHS senior and Senior Assassins admin Charlotte Gillespie said.
Without the ability to protect themselves, some students are worried about the Friday purges.
“I’m feeling anxious, especially with the fact that I have work every Friday…which is gonna be stressful with getting back to my car quickly,” Cook said.
With money on the line, a lot of participants have started to get pretty serious—and in some cases, have caused issues.
“Issues about rules and types of [water] guns have already been surfacing!” Gillespie said.
A series of arguments, which descended into personal insults and mockery, erupted over the last week on a groupchat within the Splashin app over the admins’ decision to ban electric water guns. The move was made in response to fears that electric water guns could be mistaken for real guns by law enforcement or concerned community members.
After days of angry arguing and calls from participants (many of whom had already purchased weapons) to allow electric water guns, the admins caved and changed the rule but also took down the group chat—at least for now.
“It’s only gonna get more competitive…we disabled the chat for now, but maybe we’ll bring it back—who knows!” Gillespie said.
With Monday right around the corner and competitive spirits already high, there is no way to know how CHS Senior Assassins 2025 is going to go. May the best senior win!
