Sherriff Says Shooter Drills Saved Lives in Michigan School

A shooter killed four people at Oxford High School in Michigan, Tuesday, November 30.  The death toll could have been higher, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, if students and teachers hadn’t received “active shooter” training.

There seems to be some student video that backs this up. What you’re about to see is a group of students hiding in a locked classroom. A voice is heard outside the door saying, “Sheriff’s office. It’s safe to come out."

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The way the students respond to the voice seems to suggest they’ve had drills about this very kind of scenario.

It now looks like the voice in that video actually WAS an officer at the door.  I guess cops DO use words like “bro” after all. But, still, the way the kids respond in this video is impressive. They kept their wits about them and it’s clear that they had received some kind of training for this kind of situation.

Some listeners let us know that when THEY had active shooter drills they were told not to unlock the door until the principal came with a key. I don’t know if that’s a national standard or if every school comes up with its own protocol. Whatever the case, I don’t think anyone would fault young kids in this situation for taking a “better safe than sorry” approach.

“Active Shooter” training for students has been controversial. Critics have argued that some shooter drills do more harm than good for students. Some students have said they suffered nightmares and increased anxiety after “surprise” active shooter drills.