‘I thought he was going to shoot me.’ Unsuspecting middle school students terrified by active shooter drill.

Police officers in Florida surprised students, teachers and parents Thursday with an active shooter drill. And by “active shooter drill,” we mean that a Winter Haven middle school went into lockdown as two armed police officers burst into classrooms, guns drawn, leaving the unsuspecting children terrified — and their parents furious.

According to Fox affiliate WTVT, officials at Jewett Middle Academy e-mailed parents to inform them of the drill, after it took place. By that point, WTVT reports, cellphones were already filling up with texts from frightened students, who thought there was a real shooter in the school.

In a later statement to The Post, spokesperson Jamie Brown for the Winter Haven police department said they were only aware of one student who texted a parent during the exercise.

“Unfortunately, no one gets an advanced notice of real life emergencies,” Polk County Public Schools spokesman Jason Gearey said in an e-mailed statement to The Washington Post. “We don’t want students to be scared, but we need them to be safe.”

More Here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2014/11/14/i-thought...

Favorite

5 members favorited this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ragnarok on November 15, 2014 at 1:36pm

Also one can only imagine what would have happened if there had been kids with anxiety disorders or with health problems.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Deep Space on November 16, 2014 at 12:54am

DEEP SPACE FREE FLOW THOUGHT #228 [11/16/14]

http://12160.info/xn/detail/2649739:Comment:1516708?xg_source=activity

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by merlynX on November 16, 2014 at 1:07pm

It's a shame no student was a black belt or knew self defense, then there would have been a few dead cops instead of frightened/terrorified kids for no good reason. I wish kids had self defense classes as part of gym class.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Deep Space on November 16, 2014 at 1:19pm

Training in the use of firearms should be available for any student who's interested.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by merlynX on November 16, 2014 at 1:43pm

Firearms training starts with the family for youngsters. I don't want all the kids in middle school or high school packing. Kids do stupid things when they feel threatened or picked on, and I would rather they had non-lethal means to defend themselves. Only when they feel helpless do kids do lethal/stupid things.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Leigh James on November 16, 2014 at 2:14pm

This training should be carefully provided by their parents/guardians (and is in many Texan homes), however. NOT a school "teacher".

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Deep Space on November 16, 2014 at 2:49pm

I was thinking more along the lines of a certified firearms instructor.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Leigh James on November 16, 2014 at 4:13pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-Qdx6vky0

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Deep Space on November 16, 2014 at 4:24pm

That's a classic. Love the way he tries to carry on with the class as if nothing had happened after shooting himself in the leg.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Leigh James on November 16, 2014 at 4:30pm

Thats just what I said!! ;)

No "Excuse me children, I'm clearly an idiot in need of emergency treatment and must rush to receive it!" but rather "let me see if I can play it off". Dumb-ass.