An Ohio school conducted an active shooter drill Tuesday in which two police officers fired blank shells from a shotgun and a rifle inside the school as students sheltered in place.Principal Kelli Fromm of Franklin High School told the Dayton Daily News that school officials were certain the students could handle it.”We want them to feel empowered” to deal with the situation, Fromm said.Teachers were put through a similar drill several weeks beforehand in order to prepare, and students were debriefed on appropriate procedures and guidelines for the drill. Counseling opportunities were also made available for those who sought assistance.However, even with preparation many students were jarred by the gunfire and the smell of gunpowder in the hallways of the school.”When we heard the gunfire up by our room, I knew it was happening but I still jumped,” said student Samantha Earnhart. “I became very emotional and I started to cry. I just don’t know… it’s a really horrible situation if that actually happened here.”Sophomore Isaiah Bales and his class barricaded their classroom door during the drill. Bales described the experience as “shocking.”Other students said the experience was helpful, as it prepared them for a real active shooter situation.The drill was planned over the course of two years, according to Franklin City Schools business manager Rodney Roberts.Schools throughout the country have come up with varying responses to deal with threats of mass shootings.Fruitport High School in Michigan went so far as to incorporate architectural changes into the design for a new school building, scheduled to open in 2021. The design features include curved hallways to reduce the line of sight of a potential shooter, impact-resistant glass to prevent a shooter from breaking through windows, and a central lock system that can be operated by smartphone.In addition, a Florida law took effect this week that allows certain teachers to come to school armed, in order to assist in the event of an active shooter on school premises.The law was passed in the wake of a 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.
