A popular springtime game among high school seniors is drawing safety warnings from San Diego law enforcement, with police urging parents to have a direct conversation with teens before the game gets underway.

"Senior Assassins" is a game in which seniors try to tag each other out using water guns or gel blasters, with the rules varying from school to school. San Diego Police Officer Anthony Carrasco said the game has increasingly involved gel blasters — devices that look nearly identical to real firearms.

"This is my department issued gun," Carrasco said, holding a real weapon next to a gel blaster during a public safety demonstration reported by NBC 7 San Diego. "Yeah...they look very similar." He warned that a "split-second misunderstanding can be deadly" if a responding officer mistakes a gel blaster for a real weapon.

Carrasco said there have been no known incidents involving gel blasters in San Diego, but similar situations in other states have triggered school lockdowns after responding officers could not immediately determine whether a weapon was real. He advised players to use water guns with bright, obviously non-realistic colors and shapes that make it immediately clear the device is a toy.

For parents of high school seniors across San Diego County, Officer Carrasco recommended students avoid using any realistic-looking toy firearms outdoors or in public spaces. Law enforcement wants players and parents to understand the potential risks before this spring's game season begins.