Simi Valley is in the throes of its yearly 'Water Wars' where teams of primarily high school seniors use high-powered squirt guns to ambush fellow players on campus or in neighborhoods, soaking them down for points - and fun.
The problem is some of the squirt guns look like the real thing, and Simi Valley Police Officer Casey Nicholson says they are sending out a warning in hopes of preventing a tragic mishap from putting a damper on the teens' fun.
"Simi Valley Police Department released a community notification which included some examples of those types of more realistic water guns. We are strongly discouraging those types of products are used in water wars."
Nicholson said he witnessed a pair of water warriors earlier in the day Tuesday, ready to pop out from behind an RV and ambush someone, but they had brightly painted water guns, obviously marking them as toys.
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He offered some counseling to the young men before they left to find another unsuspecting target.
The game is said to last from now through spring break, so keep an eye out if you find yourself in the Simi Valley area.
The department urges anyone involved to use brightly colored water weapons clearly identifiable as toys from any distance.
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