HOUSTON, Texas — A scary scenario played out Thursday inside a Houston-area church.
That's where dozens of officers and others responded to an active shooter training exercise.
The simulation was not for real though, it was meant to be realistic by using role players as victims and gunmen who fired blanks.
We watched as first responders worked inside before SWAT entered from outside to help clear the building in a coordinated effort that could last for hours in an actual shooting.
"Everybody is showing up to stop the threat and save lives," said FBI Houston Special Agent In Charge James Smith. "We have to stop the killing immediately.”
FBI Houston led the training in conjunction with Memorial Villages police.
Agencies from around the area responded as they would in an actual large-scale emergency.
"Most events like this that we practice are 15 people or so involved," said Memorial Villages Police Chief Ray Schultz. "I’ll tell you there’s over 100 involved in this and that’s very, very unique.”
The exercise was planned after the Uvalde massacre, although it wasn’t a direct result of it.
The response and communication which lapsed in Uvalde were among the focuses of Thursday's simulation.
"In any event, there’s always something to learn,” said Smith.
The training exercise included a reunification center and even upset families requesting information from officers outside the crime scene.