Armed police were dispatched to a home in Southend after neighbours reported hearing what sounded like gunshots, along with someone shouting “I’ve been shot!”.
The incident happened in Sherwood Way at around 3:30pm on Saturday 18 April, after a 999 call had been made from a concerned resident who feared someone had been seriously injured.
Given the nature of the report, officers responded as if there was a genuine firearms incident. Armed police attended the scene, supported by other emergency service colleagues, while the Air Ambulance was also dispatched and landed nearby in case urgent medical treatment was needed.
What officers found at the scene
But when officers arrived, fully equipped and ready to deal with a potentially life-threatening situation, they quickly established there was no real danger.
Instead, the noise had reportedly come from “someone playing Call of Duty loudly” on a newly purchased sound system.
The combination of highly realistic gunfire effects and shouted phrases from the game was enough to alarm nearby residents, triggering the full emergency response.
Police statement confirms no injuries
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We were called with concerns a person may have been injured with a firearm at an address in Sherwood Way at about 3.35pm on Saturday 18 April.
“Armed officers quickly attended the scene with the support of emergency service colleagues and confirmed no firearms were present and no one had sustained any injuries.”
Police confirmed the 999 call had been made with good intentions, highlighting how seriously reports of potential firearms incidents are treated.
Incidents like this are not entirely unheard of. Across the UK, there have been similar cases where realistic sound effects from films, video games or even loud audio systems have led to emergency callouts.
In some situations, neighbours have mistaken explosions, gunfire or shouting from speakers as real-life incidents, particularly in quieter residential streets where such noises are unexpected.
How armed police respond so quickly
Behind the scenes, Essex Police maintain specialist armed response units that are trained and ready to respond at any moment.
Unlike routine patrol officers, authorised firearms officers undergo rigorous and ongoing training, including scenario-based exercises designed to replicate real-life incidents such as active threats, hostage situations and reports of gunfire. This training focuses not only on the use of firearms, but also on rapid decision-making, risk assessment and protecting members of the public.
These officers are deployed from strategically located bases across the county, allowing them to respond quickly to incidents in areas like Southend. Vehicles are equipped with specialist gear, and teams are on standby throughout the day and night to ensure coverage at all times.
When a call like this comes in, control room staff treat it as a potential threat to life. Armed units can be dispatched within minutes, often alongside standard response officers, ambulance crews and, where necessary, the Air Ambulance. The aim is to secure the scene quickly, assess the situation and provide immediate support if anyone is injured.
This “assume the worst, hope for the best” approach is designed to minimise risk. Even if an incident later turns out to be harmless, the priority is always to ensure no time is lost if the threat is real.
A sign of how realistic modern gaming has become
It also serves as a reminder of just how immersive and realistic modern video games have become – particularly when paired with high-powered speakers that can carry sound well beyond the walls of a property.
For residents nearby, what sounded like a serious emergency turned out to be something far less dangerous – but it shows why people are encouraged to report anything that doesn’t seem right.