Indiana Teachers Were Shot With Airsoft Guns During Active Shooter Training

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Teachers at an Indiana elementary school say that they were shot in back with airsoft guns during an active shooter training program. The allegations were made by members of the Indiana State Teachers Association while testifying in front of the state's Senate Education Committee. Two of the teachers involved in the training confirmed the incident to the Indianapolis Star. The teachers, who asked not to be identified, said they were left with welts, bruises, and cuts after getting shot by officers.

“They told us, ‘This is what happens if you just cower and do nothing,’” said one of the two teachers. “They shot all of us across our backs. I was hit four times. It hurt so bad.”

The teacher's union described what happened during the training in a series of tweets.

During active shooter drill, four teachers at a time were taken into a room, told to crouch down and were shot execution style with some sort of projectiles - resulting in injuries to the extent that welts appeared, and blood was drawn.
The teachers were terrified, but were told not to tell anyone what happened. Teachers waiting outside that heard the screaming were brought into the room four at a time and the shooting process was repeated.

The union is trying to convince lawmakers to ban police from shooting teachers with any type of ammunition during active shooter drills. Legislators are currently considering a bill that would require all schools in the state to host the training at least one every year.

"No one in education takes these drills lightly," the teacher's union said. "The risk of harming someone far outweighs whatever added realism one is trying to convey here. ISTA requests an amendment in bill so that more reasonable limits are placed on these drills."

White County Sheriff Bill Brooks, whose department ran the training program, told the Star that his department no longer uses airsoft guns during the active shooter drills. He says he is unsure if it happened in the past because he just took office in January.

Photo: Getty Images


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