Vermont police subjected unsuspecting students to a simulated shooting

Police in Burlington, Vermont, subjected a group of high school students to a simulated shooting without warning, traumatizing teenagers who were raised to hide from… and even defend yourself – school shooters.

In a statement, the Burlington Police Department apologized on Thursday for the “presentation” it held the day before at the station.

“The rollover scenario involved only three department employees simulating a robbery scenario and was not directed at any students or faculty,” the department wrote.

Local media outlet Seven days reported that the simulation involved police officers breaking into a room and pretending to open fire:

According to local NBC affiliate WPTZSchool district officials said teachers were aware that a gun-related demonstration would occur to show how unreliable witness testimony could be, but did not realize it would happen “without warning.”

Choosing to hold a simulated shooting to teach students a lesson about eyewitness testimony is a perplexing choice in and of itself, considering the very real threat of gun violence that Americans live with. In a time of relaxed gun laws and all-too-frequent mass shootings, active shooter drills are common in US schools, including preschool.

To look for showed that such exercises can have lasting effects on mental health in children, even when there is ample warning. Gun safety advocates say other school security measures can be more effective in preventing gun violence – and much less traumatizing for students.

This article was originally published in MSNBC.com