This study examines how acceptable play was framed for a class of pre-Kindergarten children by their teacher and classroom aide. Using comic subjectivity theory [Zupancic, A. (2008). The odd one in: On comedy. Cambridge: MIT Press], the author explores how children's playing at pretend violence (bad guy and pretend gun play) is forbidden, but playing at real violence (in the form of active-shooter lock-down drills) positioned the children in the classroom as victims of violence, rather than agentic powerful players. As gun violence in the United States continues to invade school spaces, this paper crtitically examines how 'acceptable' play for young children is being framed and defined by outside forces rather than pedagogical and professional knowledge. (author abstract)