School shooter exercise a success: police

Police swarmed over Charlottetown Rural High School Wednesday in an exercise designed to help them learn todeal with people with guns attacking the school.

The students were fully involved in the exercise, practising lockdown procedures, with some of them being evacuated to the nearby Holland College Royalty Centre.

Three shooters were placed in the school. There was gunfire, and even casualties played by students from the Atlantic Police Academy.

"I was really impressed that we were going that far with it, and that it sounded really realistic," said Ryan Gallant, 17. "I think something like this would definitely save lives."

The exercise, part of a new program called S.A.F.E., started at 9:15 a.m., and involved city police, RCMP, the Eastern School District, the Red Cross and several other agencies. This is the first time the plan was tested on P.E.I.

Const. John Flood, who co-ordinated the exercise, said he felt it was very successful. A debriefing will determine areas that can be further improved.