Agency official: Active-shooter drills prepare SROs at Holbrook Middle School

An agency official at Holbrook Middle School said the site hosted active-shooter scenario training for school resource officers, describing exercises set up across the building to ready officers ahead of the school year. "We're doing active shooter training for our SROs," the official said, noting the event included multiple stations and rotating groups.

The official described scenarios in the auditorium, gym, main hallway and cafeteria and listed participating agencies from across the county, including Dallas, Bessemer City, Lowell, Cramerton, Belmont and Mount Holly. The drills, the speaker said, are intended to prepare officers both physically and mentally "the week before school" so they enter the school year able "to protect the students, protect the buildings." The official added, "We train every year to be prepared for that, to respond effectively to those types of situations so that we can quickly neutralize the threat and immediately start rendering aid to victims."

The speaker emphasized partnership with school administrators and community trust, saying principals, parents and students appreciate SROs and that the school system has consistently allowed use of facilities for training. The official warned that social media sometimes creates concern and that the community does not always see the preparatory work: "I think the community can be confident and be at ease knowing that the police departments are working together and working hard to get ahead of anything that might happen at a school."