JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is warning of a potentially dangerous game school age children and teens have been playing.
Teenagers and young adults have been playing the social roleplaying game, where players form teams and make attempts to “assassinate” members of the other teams.
"As game participants are typically armed with fake weapons, and the lengths that some go to in carrying out their play 'assassinations,' there are inherent risks to those playing," the agency said.
The game provides for serious safety concerns, the agency said. A person hiding in the dark may jump out at another "Assassin" player, and interpret the situation as an actual attack.
In addition, a person might think that a toy gun for a gun, and that there is an imminent threat of violence, JSO continued, warning that an armed citizen could then exercise their right of self-defense and "legally take action" against an “Assassin” player.
"We do not want young people in our community to be shot or killed participating in a roleplaying game," the agency said. "We would urge parents to talk to their children about the inherent dangers of this game."
