Dublin Schools, Police Warn Against "Assassin" Game

DUBLIN, CA — The Dublin Unified School District and Dublin Police Services are warning the community about the risks associated with a game called “Assassin” that some students at Dublin High School have begun playing.

In the game, senior students are assigned “targets” to assassinate using a toy Nerf-type gun that fires foam darts. After several weeks of play, the winner is the last person standing.

In a news release, DUSD said the game is of “significant concern because students have, in the past, engaged in risky behaviors for the sake of the game.” Examples of past behaviors associated with the game include:

• Painting or disguising weapons to make them look more realistic
• Reaching for concealed weapons in public places
• Lying in wait behind bushes, trash cans, vehicles, or fences
• Trespassing and hiding in other people’s’ properties, often late at night
• Waiting for a target while dressed in all black or camouflaged clothing
• Reckless driving to avoid being targeted
• Stalking or hunting targets
• Jumping out of moving vehicles to attack or flee
• Conducting a “drive-by” shooting of a target in a public lot or street

“When viewed through a non-participant’s eyes, the behaviors look and have all the elements of an actual threatening or violent event unfolding,” DUSD said. “They often prompt multiple calls to police who respond to what they believe to be a violent incident in progress.”

The district said that students will face disciplinary action if any weapons, even imitation weapons, are brought to school. Students and their families could face possible legal and criminal consequences if anyone is injured during a response to what appears to be a violent crime.

Anyone with questions is asked to contact DPS Capt. Nathan Schmidt at 925-833-6689, or DUSD Public Information Officer Chip Dehnert at 925-828-2551, ext. 8006.