Active shooter drill conducted at Barstow elementary school

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.
Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.

Barstow police officers descended on an elementary school on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.

Crestline Elementary School, located on Monterey Avenue, hosted the event, which was also attended by members of the Barstow Fire Protection District. No students from Crestline Elementary, in the Barstow Unified School District, were involved in the training, officers said.

“These training exercises help public safety to strengthen protocols and response efforts in crisis situations with the goal of ensuring the safety of our schools,” police officials said.

Photos from the training event show police officers in tactical and medical gear moving onto the school campus and preparing to enter a classroom.

Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.
Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.

One photo showed two injured students, actors from a local high school, on the ground and being cared for.

“A special thanks to Mrs. Gilmore’s Art Class from Barstow High School for providing the background actors in today’s drill,” police officials said. “We would like to thank every agency involved and look forward to additional opportunities to serve our community.”

Before the drill, signs were posted showing the training area and the public was requested not to enter the area.

Federal data indicates most public school students have practiced a lockdown drill, which is used for any threat inside a school building. Additionally, most states require at least one drill annually to prepare for an active shooter situation.

Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.
Barstow Police and fire officials descended on Crestline Elementary Schools on Thursday to conduct an active shooter and public safety training exercise.

California Department of Education does not specifically require active shooter drills. State education officials say that school districts often work with local law enforcement to determine best practices, and many law enforcement agencies provide training.

In 2022, more than 6,000 children and teens were injured or killed in shootings, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. That's the most in a single year since the database began tracking nine years ago.

However, of all kids affected by gun violence last year, a small percentage were shot at school.

In 2022, there were 50 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths, according to Education Week. At least 31 children were killed in the shootings, including 19 murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

USA TODAY reporter Grace Hauck contributed to this report.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Active shooter drill conducted at Barstow elementary school