IL mother calls for change, claims school’s active-shooter drill traumatized child (VIDEO)

A Cahokia, Illinois, mother of an elementary-aged girl is urging her daughter’s school to make changes after she claims an active shooter drill Wednesday left the girl traumatized and afraid, KMOV reported.

Apparently active shooter drills, like tornado and fire drills, are required at Illinois schools, but according to the girl’s mother, A’Lia Burrell didn’t realize that the drill wasn’t real.

“While we were under the computers, I uh started to pray,” the third-grader told reporters.

A’Lia’s mother, Jackie, says that “code red” drills like those conducted this week are a bit too extreme for youngsters and need to be toned down. She also feels that the school should inform parents of drills ahead of time to better prepare kids.

“With all the stuff going on now a days I understand they need drills, but there’s a better way to go about it,” Burrell said. “Now she doesn’t want to go to school and she’s scared. When I came walking in the door earlier she said, ‘I thought you were an intruder.’ That’s really affecting her right now.”

Burrell is also disturbed by what her daughter says a school resource officer told her during the drill.

“One of our school people said they are killing that way,” A’Lia said.

Reporters asked Cahokia Superintendent Art Ryan about this statement and, although he was not present for the drill, he spoke with the school’s principal who was.

“I talked to the principal and she was with the resource officer the whole time and there was not a statement of anything like that,” Ryan said.

Nonetheless, Ryan stands behind the intensity of the school’s drills.

“The kids need to be prepared for an extreme circumstance so maybe have the drill be a little on the extreme side doesn’t hurt,” Ryan said. “I do understand your concerns about the age of the children, I’d much rather your children be a little bit scared and alive, than not knowing what to do and end up being hurt.”

Guns.com has contacted the National Association of School Resource Officers Executive Director, Mo Canady for his opinion on active shooter drills in schools. This story will be updated with a statement from him when available.

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Source: http://www.guns.com/2014/02/14/il-mother-calls-for-change-claims-schools-active-shooter-drill-traumatized-child-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=il-mother-calls-for-change-claims-schools-active-shooter-drill-traumatized-child-vid