Blaine Police Chief Applauds Students For Safe Nerf Wars

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Students at Blaine High School will finish their Nerf War on Friday May 27, but the for the last several weeks they've been keeping their game safe with strict rules and regulation.

"Nerf Wars" is an activity involving foam-firing nerf guns or other foam firing toys. Teams who play at Blaine High School are divided into more than 40 groups of six, that play for points over several weeks. At the end of the game the group with the most points takes 1st place and a cash prize.

Last December, tragedy struck Lakeville South High School when Jake Flynn, 17, and Jonny Price, 18, lost their lives after the truck they were in rolled over. The teens were playing a game of Nerf Wars at the time. A few weeks ago, a student in New Hope blew through a stop sign forcing another car into a power pole, injuring the passengers.

"Fun had at the expense of life is intolerable I believe," said Santiago Garcia, a senior at Blaine High School.

Garcia is one of the organizers of his school's Nerf War, but his group is doing something different.

"We're trying to have it so people can't shoot or be shot with nerf guns while operating a vehicle," Garcia said. "If you have the right rules in place saying you can't operate a vehicle then that will cease to happen."

Garcia says the rule is heavily enforced, so much that' they've kicked at least one student out for violating it.

"We basically got reports of some kid doing a burnout and kind of being an idiot. We told him, 'Hey man, you're out,'" said Garcia.

Huy Tran is the main organizer of the Blaine High School Nerf War. He says they've even worked with Blaine Police on where to hold their battles.

"A couple of weeks ago I talked to one of the park patrol police officers," said Tran. "They told us the situation of like they don't want us running around in a park and like families coming up with their kids to try and play. And they see a bunch of teenagers there, so they just leave. So they told us a bunch of big open parks that we can do it at."

Blaine Police Chief Chris Olson says the games are going happen, so he's glad to hear these kids are trying to police themselves.

"I applaud them. They've obviously seen bad things happening to their peers out there," said Olson. "We can at least, hopefully, give them some direction. Let's keep it real, let's keep it safe, let's put it in an appropriate place. I think everybody wins."