Nerf War Raising Concerns for Gig Harbor Police

The is warning local high school seniors to think twice before engaging in a Nerf war.

On Friday evening, authorities cited a 17-year-old driver for reckless driving after the teen collided into another car while playing the game.

According to Gig Harbor Police Sgt. Kelly Busey, seniors at team up in groups of four, where each group throws $20 in the pot. The teams then try to shoot the other team members with Nerf guns to eliminate them. The last team standing gets the pot.

Around 6:30 p.m., Gig Harbor Police responded to two cars that were blocking traffic and were engaging in the game on Pt. Fosdick Drive. Police said they were gone by the time they arrived. However, one of the cars that was still chasing the other opponent was involved in a collision with an uninvolved car in the parking lot of Gig Harbor High School a few minutes later.

The teen driver collided into the car driven by a 46-year-old man after he backed up rapidly without looking in an effort to chase down an opposing team member.

The kids may think it’s all fun and games, but police said it could cause problems like disturbance of the peace and reckless driving.

“We really would like to see an end to the Nerf War game played by our high school seniors,” said Busey. “The kids get so caught up in these games that they engage in risky behavior. We’re afraid that someone will get seriously injured…or worse. This game is senseless.”

Police said both cars suffered moderate damage, but no one was hurt in the incident.