Teens Warned To Stop Playing 'Assassins' Game

Fremont police are telling high school seniors to stop playing “Assassins” after toy-gun encounters triggered high-risk stops in the Bay Area city. (ktvu.com) The warning went out on April 18, when the Fremont Police Department said 12th-graders were using water guns, Nerf blasters and other imitation weapons to target classmates in an off-campus elimination game. Police said some of the toys looked realistic enough to alarm residents and officers. (kron4.com) Police said the game had already led to high-risk patrol and traffic stops, and that reports of suspicious activity can pull officers away from actual emergency calls. Fremont officers said they treat every report of gun violence or suspicious firearm use as real until they know otherwise. (hoodline.com) “Senior Assassin” is a spring tradition at many U.S. high schools, usually played by seniors before graduation with app-based rules, assigned targets and water-gun eliminations. In Fremont, police said the activity was happening across the city, not on school grounds. (usatoday.com) The risk for students is not just school discipline. Fremont police said trespassing, reckless driving and carrying an item that resembles a firearm can lead to police contact, citations or arrest, and that parents can face financial liability if the game causes injury or property damage. (ktvu.com) The department also said imitation or toy weapons cannot be brought onto school campuses. Fremont police said they were working with Fremont Unified School District to discourage participation and asked parents to intervene before a prank turns into a weapons call. (kron4.com) Fremont is not alone. Police departments around the country have issued similar warnings this spring, and some incidents have ended in arrests after teens were reported as armed or driving recklessly while chasing targets. (abc10.com) In Fremont, the message from police was narrower than a blanket warning about senior pranks: a toy gun that looks real can draw a real police response. That is why officers asked students, parents and schools to shut the game down now, before graduation season brings more calls. (patch.com)