Police warn high school seniors about the dangers of 'water wars' after a close call
High school senior "water wars" are prompting serious warnings from police and school districts across Southeast Michigan after a game led to a police response in Grosse Pointe Farms.
Watch Peter Maxwell's video report: Police warn high school seniors about the dangers of 'water wars' after a close callThe popular springtime showdown involves high school seniors chasing each other with water guns to win a cash prize. However, local school districts and law enforcement agencies are urging students to think twice about safety and trespassing.
I spoke with Warren Police Lt. John Gajewski about the potential dangers of the game.
"Water wars are fun until somebody gets hurt or gets a ticket," Gajewski said. "It's one of those situations where you're on private property, you're in somebody's yard, it's late at night it's dark those are the elements that a lot of times get the police called."

On Tuesday, that exact situation played out in Grosse Pointe Farms. According to dispatch audio, a caller reported a man crouching in a backyard by a shed with a possible weapon.
"Caller states that there's a man crouching down in his backyard by the shed. He believes he possibly has a weapon in his hand unaware of exactly what it is but it is an object. He states that he could be hiding from somebody," a dispatcher said.
An officer responded, noting the situation sounded like the senior water game.
"It sounds like it's going to be that senior water park game, where they shoot each other with squirt guns and such," an officer said to the dispatcher.

I spoke with Steve Fedirko, whose daughter is a senior at Grosse Pointe South High School. He walked me through what happened during the game that day.
"The plan was she was going to come back from school and as she was walking out to go to our side door the boy who was the assassin to target my daughter was hiding between the fence and the house, but what made it even worse, he was in their backyard behind their shed," Fedirko said. "Worked out to be OK, but it could have been much, much worse."

Grosse Pointe South High School reminded parents and seniors in an email to stay off private property, warning that trespassing could carry ramifications.
Fedirko said he is all for this type of fun but wants the teenagers participating to be safe and for other parents to be aware.
"From a parent's standpoint, I wish there was a more vocal understanding, a better message, so people knew what was going on," Fedirko said.

Police say the message is simple: have fun, but do not put yourself or others at risk.
"If you're out there using a squirt gun and doing these water wars, make sure it is abundantly clear this is a squirt gun," Gajewski said.
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