Vermont Police Department apologizes after visiting students witness simulated robbery and shooting

A Vermont police department has apologized for a shooting simulation which took place at the station while students were there as part of a school program.

Burlington High School students were visiting the Burlington Police Department as part of an end-of-school-year, or YES, curriculum in forensics.

The simulated shooting was a “role play (sic) scenario” in which three members of the Burlington Police Department simulated “a robbery scenario,” according to a department news release.

The simulation “was not intended for any student or faculty,” the department said, but invited students witnessed the simulation. One student told local newspaper Vermont Public that she was unaware of the planned scenario. She said that during the simulation, two screaming women burst into the room, followed by a man wearing a ski mask. The simulation was accompanied by the sounds of gunfire, the student said.

“We laughed about it afterwards,” she told Vermont Public. “(It) just felt like a prank, basically – not really a demonstration.”

The department said it communicated plans for the simulation to school officials.

“On May 23, 2024, police department personnel and OUI program personnel communicated details of the scenarios, including saying that the training incident would involve “the use of imitation firearms during a simulation shooting”. Do you think this type of incident would be acceptable for your group of students? This is about as real as it gets, and it's certainly exactly the kind of thing we face most frequently '”, the ministry said in the press release.

“YES program staff responded, 'I think this simulation will be appropriate for these students. We will notify parents and students,'” the department continued.

The Burlington School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.

The police department said it will meet with students Friday to talk about the presentation and its impact. The mother of one student told local newspaper Seven Days she feared the incident would exacerbate children's fears about gun violence.

“I’m baffled,” she told the publication. “A school shooting poses a very real threat to kids these days. It's something they worry about.”