Police issue safety warning ahead of Nerf Wars in Chaska

CHASKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Sophomores, juniors and seniors are armed and ready as Nerf wars begin this week. The game, which gets underway Friday at 7 p.m. in Chaska, has received much criticism after two teens died while playing the game in 2015. 

“Obviously we’re not going to condone it, but kids are going to play it as we talked about from Chanhassen and Minnetonka and all these communities surrounding us,” said Trent Wurtz of the Chaska Police Department. “We just hope that the kids follow the rules that are put in place and make good decisions.”

There are plenty of rules, some are to avoid angering those who aren’t part of the game, but most of them are geared towards keeping players safe. In 2015, two teens died in a rollover crash in Lakeville while playing Nerf Wars. 

Last year, there was a crash in Waconia while the game was underway. No one was seriously hurt in that incident. Some parents have called for the games to be banned, so far though, it’s still game on in Chaska and many other cities.

“Winning isn’t going to change your life, so drive safely, follow the rules of the game and be smart and don’t let the moment allow you to make a poor decision, which could have a critical ending to it,” said Wurtz.

Some of the rules include safe zones: high schools, churches, bus stops, the community center. You can’t fire from a moving car or from inside businesses. Authorities are also urging teens not to drive recklessly.

“That’s when they’ll kinda sit and wait and see a vehicle and that’s when they get out of the car and start shooting at a car that’s kinda moving, that’s when we get those moments that we’re trying to avoid,” said Wurtz.

“We want to make sure people aren’t racing through neighborhoods, we have a lot of young people, kids riding their bicycles, people going for walks in their neighborhoods, it’s not worth someone getting hurt,” said Mike Kleber of the Chaska Police Department.

Police say common sense should keep the students safe that includes following curfew, which is midnight for 16 and 17 year olds.