Police Warn Teens Against 'Assassins' Game

Fremont police are telling high school seniors to stop playing “Assassins” after reports of teens carrying realistic-looking toy guns around the city. (kron4.com) The warning was published April 20, 2026, as seniors in Fremont played the off-campus game with water guns, Nerf blasters and other imitation weapons. Police said the activity has already triggered high-risk patrol responses and traffic stops. (kron4.com) In the game, 12th-grade students try to “eliminate” assigned classmates with toy guns, usually in neighborhoods, parking lots and other public places outside school. Fremont police said those scenes can look like an active gun threat to officers and to people calling 911. (kron4.com) The department said suspicious activity tied to the game can bring law-enforcement contact, citations or arrests, especially when it involves trespassing, reckless driving or carrying an item that resembles a firearm. Police also said students may not bring imitation or toy weapons onto school campuses. (kron4.com) Fremont police said they are working with Fremont Unified School District and asking parents to step in before graduation-season pranks spill into emergency calls. The department said injuries or property damage tied to the game could also leave parents financially liable. (kron4.com) The warning in Fremont matches a broader wave of police alerts this April as “senior assassin” games spread on social media and among graduating classes nationwide. ABC News reported April 17 that departments in several states had issued cautions after incidents that alarmed residents and police. (abcnews.com) In Portage, Indiana, an 18-year-old student was charged after police said a water gun used in a “senior assassin” game looked like a real firearm. USA Today reported April 14 that the case became one of the clearest examples cited by departments warning teens that the game can quickly turn into a criminal investigation. (usatoday.com) A suburban Chicago school also went into lockdown after police linked a nearby scare to the same game. NBC Chicago reported last week that parents who saw the incident said even fake weapons near a campus now draw an immediate response. (nbcchicago.com) Fremont police have not announced arrests in the local warning, but the message was direct: a toy gun that looks real can bring a real police stop. The department’s notice landed as seniors head into the final weeks of the school year. (kron4.com)