Inside a high-stakes active shooter drill: ‘We rehearse so we’re ready’
Garrett Hottle
PERRIS, Calif. — Law enforcement, students, and volunteers gathered Wednesday at Citrus Hill High School for one of the region’s most immersive active shooter training drills to date.
The all-day simulation, led by the Val Verde Unified School District Police Department, was designed to mimic the critical first 15–30 minutes of a school shooting. Officers responded to rotating scenarios that included simulated gunfire, mock explosive devices, barricaded hostages, and student “victims” covered in realistic makeup.
“We’re giving officers the safest environment to train in — but creating the most chaos possible,” said Val Verde PD Chief Mark Clark.
Now in its sixth year, the drill featured role players from multiple agencies and Explorer programs, with some students aspiring to law enforcement careers.
Jesse Garcia, a junior from Orange Vista High School, said the program changed his life: “It’s helped me a lot. My dream is to graduate and go to college.”
The training also incorporated breaching tactics, tourniquet use, and split-second triage decision-making. Clark said the department’s policy mandates officers enter rooms even in hostage scenarios — a lesson drawn from real-world tragedies.
“We do monthly fire drills,” Clark said. “But we don’t prepare enough for this. That has to change.”
The training is expected to serve as a model for other school districts and local police agencies seeking to enhance readiness.