Police apologize for 'mock shooting' that terrified high school students

Police in Burlington, Vermont, apologized after high school students were left terrified Wednesday by a “mock shooting” they didn't know existed.

The exercise – in which officers simulated “a robbery scenario” including fake firearms – took place at the Burlington Police Department (BPD) station as part of the end-of-year curriculum at Burlington High School focused on criminal justice, the BPD said in a statement. .

Police said they issued the statement after becoming aware of an unspecified social media post “made by a student who was not present at the presentation but may have known someone who was present and who would have been upset.”

In its statement, the BPD apologized to “all students in attendance who were upset by the specific scenario and crime scene of the presentation,” which they said “involved three department staff members simulating a crime scene theft and was not directed at any student or professor. “.

Police also said they asked school officials as recently as May 23 if they could hold a training exercise, saying it would involve “the use of imitation firearms during a shooting simulation,” according to the press release.

“Do you think this kind of incident would be acceptable to your group of students? This is about as real as it gets, and it's certainly exactly the kind of thing we deal with most frequently,” said the BPD in the school program. personnel, according to the press release.

The statement further states that school officials responded “I believe these students will feel good about this simulation” and that they would “inform parents and students.”

The release concludes by saying the Burlington Police Department has contacted school officials and will meet with Burlington High School students and staff on Friday “to discuss the presentation and its impact. We hope this can be an opportunity for growth and reflection for all parties.”

Neither Burlington High School nor Burlington School District officials immediately responded to a request for comment from ABC News.