Fremont Police Warn About 'Assassins' Game

Fremont police are telling high school seniors to stop playing “Assassins” after toy guns in the game triggered high-risk police stops. (kron4.com) The Fremont Police Department said April 20 that the game is typically played by 12th-graders off campus, using water guns, Nerf blasters, or other imitation guns to “target” classmates around the city. (kron4.com) Police said some of those toy guns look real enough that officers and bystanders have treated the calls as possible firearm incidents. The department said that has already led to high-risk patrol and traffic stops involving unarmed teens. (kron4.com) In Fremont, a “high-risk” response can mean tactical support from the department’s Special Response Team, which backs patrol on dangerous calls and high-risk operations. The unit is on call year-round and handles situations including active shooter response, hostage incidents and other armed confrontations. (fremontpolice.gov) The warning lands in late April, when Bay Area seniors are moving toward graduation and off-campus traditions pick up. Fremont police said they are working with the Fremont Unified School District and asking parents to talk to their children now. (kron4.com) The department also tied the game to conduct that can bring separate penalties. Police said trespassing, reckless driving, and carrying an item that resembles a firearm may lead to law enforcement contact, citations or arrest. (kron4.com) Fremont police added that imitation or toy weapons are not allowed on school campuses. The department said injuries or property damage tied to the game could also leave parents financially liable. (kron4.com) The concern is not limited to Fremont. ABC News reported April 17 that police in Indiana said an 18-year-old senior was arrested after officers responding to a report of a man with a handgun found he was playing “Senior Assassin” with a water gun that looked real from a distance. (abcnews.com) That same ABC report said police in Louisiana responded after residents saw teenagers hiding around cars with what appeared to be a gun, and one homeowner’s adult son fired warning shots with a real firearm. Fremont’s warning follows that same pattern: a game built around fake weapons meeting real-world armed-response rules. (abcnews.com) Fremont police have not announced a citywide ban or a school discipline policy in the warning they publicized this week. Their message was simpler: stop playing before a toy gun is mistaken for a real one again. (kron4.com)