CASTRO VALLEY NEWS YEAR 2 NUMBER 7
WWW.CASTROVALLEYTV.COM
MAY 2015
“Assassins” Toy Gun Game in Castro Valley Explained
After 9 PM on April 16, a number of
Alameda County Sheriffs Deputies responded to reports that individuals with rifles and guns were on Beacon Hill Drive in CV. The gunmen were teens pointing fake rifles in cars as they looked for a kill as part of the popular “assassins” game. Seeing realistic looking guns pointed in cars, Beacon Hill residents thought a real danger was posed in their neighborhood. “The situation is troublesome because kids do not think in advance. They think this is just a BB gun game, but it poses a danger because people report what they think are real guns,” explained Alameda County Sheriffs Deputy Travis Brannon who is a School Resource Officer at CV schools. Each participant of the game pays an initiation fee and gives their name and address to a group of “mafia bosses” who oversee the game by creating rules and assigning “kill” targets. If players do not carry out assignments, they can be killed by one of the bosses.
The last man standing is the winner of the game who collects all the entry money. Assassins is currently being played across the United States. Several college campuses have either banned the game or implemented disciplinary preceedings for students engaging in the game. Last year, the CVHS newspaper ran a story about the game where Junior Ruben Cabrera decalred, “This game should continue to be played for years to come. Not only is it fun, but it is also a great way for us all to truly enjoy ourselves.” In contrast, the article quoted campus Assistant Principal Matt Steineke, “If someone is walking around with a rifle, the cops will draw their weapons.” Brannon is concerned for the safety of the community, “Someone may think the fake gun is real and might harm them. We do not want something tragic to happen to anyone,” he added.
Photo by Matt Talajkowski