Armed police carrying chainsaw swooped on home when Call of Duty gamer's powerful speakers led to fears gunshots were real

Published: 01:09, 20 April 2026 | Updated: 01:29, 20 April 2026 Armed police sent to reports of gunshots at a Southend-on-Sea home on Saturday arrived to discover the noise had come from a video game. Firearms officers wearing balaclavas - including one wielding a chainsaw - were called at around 3.35pm with paramedics and an air ambulance after a member of the public reported gunshots and a shout of 'I've been shot' from a flat. But responders, who were prepared to force entry into the home, found the noise came from a gamer playing Call of Duty and using powerful speakers. The first-person shooter game, first released in 2003, simulates warfare, with some gameplay based on real-life military missions.  It is understood the 999 call reporting the unrest was made with genuine concern. Essex Police said no firearms were involved and stood down but the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance had already arrived at the nearby Bournes Green Park to prepare for immediate medical evacuation if needed. The force said it was called 'with concerns a person may have been injured with a firearm' and armed officers had 'quickly attended the scene'. But officers soon 'confirmed no firearms were present and no one had sustained any injuries'. Police and paramedics were pictured in Southend-on-Sea after being called to reports of gunshots An air ambulance also attended the call, which turned out to have been triggered by noise from a video game Armed police had arrived with a chainsaw and were prepared to force entry into the flat before realising there was no threat In August last year a 16-year-old boy was pinned to the floor by police after an imitation firearm sparked fears of a 'mass shooter' in the area. But the Metropolitan Police later dismissed claims the boy was an 'attempted mass shooter' as claimed on social media and believed he may have been travelling to a nearby comic convention. And in 2016 Surrey Police sent firearms officers to a cafe in southwest London after a passer-by reported seeing guns inside. The three gun-wielding officers arrived to discover Hussar's Coffee House in Hampton Wick was being used as a film set. Essex Police used its armed response unit for around 14,000 incidents last year - those officers arrested 336 people. But the unit has not shot in public for more than a decade, since a suspect was hit in the leg and arrested in 2015. That was the first such case for more than 30 years. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.