Fremont police warn about 'Assassins' game

Fremont police are warning high school seniors to stop playing “Assassins” after reports of teens carrying realistic-looking toy guns around the city. (kron4.com) The game typically has 12th-graders trying to “eliminate” classmates with water guns, Nerf blasters, or other toy guns, usually off campus in neighborhoods and parking lots around Fremont. Police said some of those toys look real enough to trigger emergency calls and armed responses. (ktvu.com) Fremont police said the activity has already led to high-risk patrol and traffic stops. The department said officers treat every report of possible gun violence or suspicious firearm use as real until they can verify otherwise. (kron4.com) Police said the problem is not the game’s rules but how it looks in public: teens hiding, following cars, trespassing, or holding objects that resemble firearms. The department said that kind of behavior can draw law enforcement contact, citations, or arrests. (ktvu.com) Fremont officers also said imitation or toy weapons are not allowed on school campuses. The warning comes as seniors across the country play versions of “Senior Assassin” in the weeks before graduation, often organizing the game online and outside school supervision. (kron4.com; usatoday.com) Other police departments have issued similar alerts this spring after 911 calls, stops, and arrests tied to the game. ABC News reported warnings from Indiana police, and Patch published notices from departments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey describing teens with water guns, masks, and cars circling neighborhoods. (abc10.com; patch.com; patch.com) In Fremont, police said they are working with Fremont Unified School District and asking parents to step in before a prank turns into a felony stop or a trip to jail. The department also said parents could face financial liability if the game leads to injuries or property damage. (kron4.com; ktvu.com) Fremont Police serves a city of 230,646 residents and handled 297,302 calls for service, according to the department’s website. Its message to seniors this week was simple: if a toy gun looks real on the street, officers and bystanders will assume it is real too. (fremontpolice.gov; ktvu.com)