Why Some Say (Naked) Teenagers Running the Streets With Fake Guns is Nothing to Worry About

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From Statehouse News Bureau reporter and concerned mother Jo Ingles:

IMPORTANT-PLEASE READ. The seniors in the Olentangy School District are starting senior shootout. It’s a giant nerf gun fight and the kids have been known to do some pretty stupid and dangerous things in the pursuit of winning the game. One climbed in and hid in my garage once. Luckily, I knew what was happening. So before you grab a gun to go after the “intruder” hiding behind your bushes, remember it could be some good kid exercising poor judgment. Watch for kids who might be driving while distracted while playing the nerf gun game. In case you are wondering, this is NOT a school sponsored event. In fact, the district discourages it. But the kids love this game and it’s a tradition so the madness ensues. I just want to make sure everyone knows so we all can be help prevent major problems.

A brief description of the Olentangy “senior shootout,” for the uninitiated: A competition among high school seniors in this Columbus suburb which pits teams of students armed with foam-bullet guns, often Nerf Blasters, against each other. The goal is to suffer the fewest foam-bullet “fatalities.”

The Columbus Dispatch explained the rules of the game in a 2010 story:

“There’s no shooting when someone’s on the clock at work, or on school property at any time, or at church,” said Olentangy Liberty High School senior Joe Kon. “And you can’t get shot if you’re naked.”

The game is not sanctioned by the school district.

As of today, more than 200 students had joined an official Facebook page for the annual shootout.