Out of 419 players, two winners emerged in a campuswide game marked by bright, neon water pistol guns and goggles. NU’s Senior Assassin 2026 brought the graduating class into close quarters before its members headed their separate ways after commencement.
Sarah Kim (Medill ’26) and Will Montgomery (Weinberg ’26) won this year’s Senior Assassin game, according to a June 12 Instagram post. Gabe Essex (McCormick ’26) was the player with the highest “kill” count, after an almost two-month battle beginning April 27.
Played across the nation, “senior assassin” is a game in which each player is assigned a randomized target to “kill” with a water gun. Though each variation of the game has its own stipulations, NU players could wear ski or swim goggles as immunity items — except on designated “purge” days. Winners received $1,000 each, and the person with the most “kills” received $100.
Allison Gould (Communication ’26), who ran the game’s Instagram page where students kept up with the game, said she enjoyed reading the comments and seeing new friendships spark.
“It’s nice that we were helping organize that and help facilitate this environment in which people who don’t know each other get to know each other,” Gould said.
Players were required to submit a photo with their target to the Instagram page in order for their “kill” to count.
Despite the element of fun for participants, police departments predominantly in the U.S. have warned of safety concerns regarding the game, as the water guns have been mistaken for firearms, and other dangers have stemmed from the nature of the game.
Nicholas Hoag (Weinberg ’26), another organizer, said safety precautions were taken in planning the game, such as emphasizing to players the importance of being respectful in public spaces and using distinguishable, small neon water guns with orange tips.
Max Garon (Weinberg ’26), who played in the game, said some players — desperate for the “kill” — employed a strategic approach by looking up their target’s schedule and actively asking people around them for their locations.
In contrast, Garon said he took a more laid-back approach because he didn’t want the game to affect his end-of-year experience. He was ultimately eliminated while trying to run away at a house party.
“It’s fun to take the game seriously, but I don’t want to affect my willingness to go out and about and enjoy my senior year,” Garon said.
In contrast to last year, when organizers individually assigned targets, Hoag said this year they used a CSV file with an algorithm to randomize targets.
In a four-page document inherited from previous organizers, the Senior Assassins 2026 Rulebook listed out the do’s and don’ts of the game. Nevertheless, Hoag said decisions surrounding “kills” and other aspects of the game ultimately came down to the organizers’ discretion.
“It’s just been us texting every hour, like, ‘What do we think about this? How are we interpreting this rule?’” Hoag said.
For example, Hoag said although restaurants are considered “safe zones,” or places where players cannot be eliminated, bars are not, and it’s a case-by-case analysis for organizers since a restaurant may also serve alcohol.
For Elly Hall (Weinberg ’26), a third organizer, watching the process of players trying to get to know their targets and their involvements at NU was a fun aspect of the game.
Hall said players used platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn to understand where and when their targets were most likely to appear at various locations.
“It’s really interesting to hear and eye-opening to have so many different experiences on the same campus,” Hall said. “I feel like it does bring us all together.”
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