Vermont Cops Scare Students Sh*tless With Surprise Mass Shooter Drill

Students ducked for cover as Burlington, Vermont police broke into a mock classroom in their police station and began firing fake rounds. The “gunshot-related crime” simulation was a part of a lesson to show the fallibility of witness statements, according to Seven Days, a Burlington-based news source, but the surprise setup left the teens in a state of shock. Students of the Burlington High School were told that they were going to receive a tour of the police station and insight into the way detectives solve crimes—but they were reportedly ambushed with the mass shooter drill instead. All 20 students were facing the front of the classroom when two women followed by a man in a ski mask with a gun broke into the back of the room and began the drill. Fake gunshots rang through the room as students ran for cover, some injuring themselves in the process. Students told Seven Days that they were not told about drill beforehand. “I’m shaking and crying because I'm like, ‘Oh my god, I'm gonna get shot,’” one student told Seven Days. “It felt so real.” Parents and students were outraged. One parent told Seven Days she was “baffled,” adding that “it is a very real threat to kids these days to have a school shooting.” Police said the simulation was intended to be as realistic as possible. Teachers added that the police did apologize after realizing it did not “translate well to high school students,” according to Seven Days.