Public safety officials conducted a comprehensive emergency exercise on March 16, 2024, simulating a mass-casualty shooting at John Kerr Elementary School in Winchester, Virginia. This drill involved collaboration among multiple agencies from various locations, including Fredericksburg and Morgan County, West Virginia. The aim was to evaluate their readiness to respond to a crisis, neutralize an attacker, ensure the safety of students, and provide medical assistance to the injured.
Ethan Longenecker, the emergency management coordinator for Winchester, described the drill as a culmination of a training process that began in 2022. “This exercise was an assessment to see if that training was effective,” Longenecker stated after the four-hour event. He noted that approximately 300 individuals participated, including personnel from the Winchester Police Department, local fire and rescue teams, and various health and educational organizations.
Detailed Simulation and Response Actions
To facilitate the exercise, police cordoned off the area surrounding John Kerr Elementary. While residents of the nearby Meadow Branch Apartments were allowed to enter and exit, access was limited to ensure safety during the drill. The scenario involved a single shooter inside the school, with participants required to ascertain the actual number of assailants as part of the exercise’s objectives.
The drill commenced at 09:00 with a lockdown announcement broadcast over the school’s loudspeakers. Within five minutes, the first police units arrived on the scene. To ensure safety, a coordinator verified that officers were equipped with non-lethal airsoft guns. Shortly thereafter, ambulances arrived but remained at a distance until the area was deemed secure for unarmed medical personnel.
As the situation unfolded, city school buses were dispatched to evacuate students, while a medical helicopter from Valley Health circled overhead, prepared for emergency transport. Sean Peavey from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management indicated that the shooter was typically neutralized within 90 seconds of police entering a building, mirroring many real-life incidents.
By 10:00, a radio call confirmed that the building was secure, allowing medical teams to begin transporting victims to nearby hospitals. Each “victim” was assigned a card detailing their injuries and the urgency of medical care needed. While most victims were volunteers simulating injuries, dummies represented four individuals who were declared deceased during the exercise.
Aftermath and Evaluation of the Drill
Counselors were permitted to enter the school once safety was established to provide support to any traumatized students. Meanwhile, the uninjured students were transported to Daniel Morgan Middle School, where a reunification center was set up for parents to collect their children. By 10:30, the primary drill was concluded, but the exercise continued with a press conference arranged for local media.
During the debriefing, Winchester Police Chief Ronnie Lewis confirmed the shooter had been neutralized but withheld details about the casualties. Jason Van Heukelum, the superintendent of Winchester Public Schools, emphasized the importance of providing counseling for students affected by the incident.
The exercise concluded shortly before noon, with Longenecker stressing the importance of open and honest feedback among participants. He noted, “We’re going to be brutally honest with each other — what we did well, what we did not do well.” An after-action report will be compiled to identify areas for improvement, continuing the cycle of training and preparedness in response to potential school shootings.
This comprehensive exercise not only tested the effectiveness of the response strategies but also reinforced the importance of collaboration among various agencies in safeguarding the community.
