A Vermont police department has been slammed for staging a mock shooting that school officials say left students “scared and confused.”
The incident happened as Burlington High School students attended a presentation at the Burlington Police Department as part of their Year End Studies (YES) program. That presentation, which was designed to teach students about how detectives solved crimes, included a mock gunman played by a police officer who burst into the room while wearing a mask and pretended to open fire.
“I’m shaking and crying because I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna get shot,’” an unnamed student who attended told local outlet Seven Days Vermont. “It felt so real.”
A letter sent to parents by the Burlington School District said the enactment involved “screaming and fake gunshot sounds” that took place without warning.
“As a result, some students believed the demonstration was real and were left feeling scared and confused,” the letter reads.
“We take our responsibility to keep students safe very seriously, and we are deeply sorry that this event occurred,” the letter continues.
The Burlington Police Department said in a statement they told school officials about the simulation ahead of time, asking teachers if they thought the roleplay would be acceptable for their students.
“It is about as real life as you can get and is certainly exactly the sort of thing we deal with most frequently,” officers told school officials, per the police department.
The department said school officials responded: “I think these students will be fine with this simulation. We will give a heads up to parents and students.”
It is unclear whether parents and students were warned ahead of time. Two students who spoke to Seven Days said they were unaware of the simulation beforehand.
The Independent has contacted the Burlington School District for comment.
“I’m baffled,” one unnamed mother told Seven Days. “It is a very real threat to kids these days to have a school shooting. It’s something they worry about.”
The police department apologized for the incident.
“First and foremost, the Burlington Police Department apologizes to any students in attendance who were upset by the specific scenario and crime scene portion of the presentation,” the police department said. “The role-playing scenario only involved three department personnel simulating a robbery scenario and was not directed at any students or faculty.”
