Updated at 5:20 p.m.

While teaching a class to high school students on Wednesday, Burlington police officers staged a surprise demonstration in which a masked gunman burst into the room and pretended to open fire.

The simulation, which occurred at the Burlington police station, was meant to show the unreliability of witness statements. But the lack of warning — and the loud gunshot sounds — sent students diving for cover in fear for their lives.

In response, the Burlington School District apologized to parents and offered counseling services. The Burlington Police Department, meanwhile, issued a statement on Thursday afternoon apologizing to any students “who were upset by the specific scenario and crime scene portion of the presentation.”
Students and parents who spoke with Seven Days expressed shock and outrage, saying the demonstration played on the fears of students who have grown up amid a nationwide increase in violence at schools.



“I’m baffled,” said one mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter’s identity. “It is a very real threat to kids these days to have a school shooting. It’s something they worry about.”

The incident unfolded during a forensics class offered through Burlington High School’s annual year-end studies program. The roughly 20 students in attendance were told that they would tour the police department and see a presentation on how detectives solve crimes.

Two students who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the class was facing the front of the room listening to a detective speak when they heard screams from behind them. Two women ran in, the students said, followed by a man wearing a ski mask who was holding a gun. Then gunshot sounds rang out.

One of the students said she dove on the floor, scraping her knee. The other said she scrambled to find her phone so that she could text her mother.

“I’m shaking and crying because I'm like, Oh my god, I'm gonna get shot,” she said. “It felt so real.”

The students realized it was fake only after noticing that the cops in the room had done nothing to stop the pretend shooter, they said.

Burlington School District officials confirmed the demonstration occurred, saying in a statement to Seven Days on Thursday morning that teachers knew officers might demonstrate a “gunshot-related crime” but not that it would happen without warning.

In an email to parents on Wednesday afternoon obtained by Seven Days, teachers said officers told them that they'd previously used the lesson with college students and adults, and that they wanted the event to be “as realistic as possible.”

“The detectives did apologize after they realized that the reenactment did not translate well to high school students,” the teachers wrote.

On Thursday, Mulvaney-Stanak expressed disappointment about the incident. She said she was concerned that the police department would conduct a mock shooting in front of high school students in the first place, let alone without warning them of it beforehand. She said she’s asked the department to "reflect on why [the demonstration] was problematic."

The incident comes two days after Mulvaney-Stanak reappointed Murad over objections from her fellow Progressives on the city council, who have criticized his leadership. Mulvaney-Stanak said on Thursday that she’s not rethinking her decision but that she plans to meet with department heads in July to “establish goals” for the next year, including how the city engages with the public.

“Clearly, this is going to be part of the mix,” she said.

The police statement said officers will meet with students on Friday to discuss the presentation and its impact.

“We hope that this can be a reflective growth opportunity for all parties,” the department wrote.