Students were subjected to an active shooter drill that included police firing blank shotgun rounds in the halls of their Ohio high school to see how students would react.
Though the student body of more than 800 at Franklin High School knew the drill was coming, many were still terrified by the actual events as the unfamiliar sound of shotgun blasts echoed through the hallways of their school. “When they did have the gunfire up by our room it was scary. I knew it was happening but I still jumped,” one student said. “It was very emotional — I started to cry. I just don’t know … it’s a really horrible situation if that were to actually happen.”
Another student described the drill as “shocking” as he and his classmates attempted to barricade themselves in their classroom. Some students requested counseling at the conclusion of the drill.
“I know some people were anxious about what this would look like for students. And I’m happy to say that we should never underestimate our students,” school principal Kelli Fromm said. “They’re far more resilient than we give them credit for, and they thought of things today that we never could have thought of.”
In a presentation ahead of the shooting drill, School Resource Officer Amanda Myers reaffirmed the purpose of the intense drill with real weapons. “This is your school, guys,” she said. “We’re here to help you protect you.”
