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Emergency training day at West High School prepares hundreds of police officers, school
administrators and students for the worst.
 Antioch police officer Dean Pfeiffer (left), Tracy police officer Cody Dellabitta and Milpitas SWAT officer Jason Speckenheuer take Zach Newman into custody as he plays the role of a gunman loose inside the library at West High School during police emergency response training today at the campus. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
Screams of panic erupted from students and teachers as a
lone gunman stormed into West
High School’s library
firing shots today.
Principal Jeff Frase lay dead in front of one of the
library’s exit doors as frantic students and teachers made their way around him
to safety. Police and SWAT teams rushed the library in military-like formation
sweeping the rooms in search of the gunman.
Seconds later, the
suspect, a teenager with a spiky mohawk, was shot three times and contained
after police found him crouching behind a desk with a revolver.
 Tracy High graduate Kaitlin Corey is a faux victim of a shooting during police training today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
In a scenario vividly reminiscent of the horror that befell
Columbine in 1999 and Virginia
Tech University
last year, law enforcement officers from 37 agencies met at West
High School for a training exercise to prepare police, school administrators and
students for active shooter situations.
 Police officers from various Northern California departments form a team as they prepare to enter a classroom in search of a pretend gunman on a shooting rampage during training today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
No live ammunition was used in the training, but blank
rounds were used by the mock-gunmen. Loud gunshots, screaming and fire alarms
could be heard periodically throughout the school grounds, adding to the sense
of realism. Six students, Principal Frase and a teacher wore made-up
gunshot wounds on various parts of their bodies.
 Police officers search hallways and classrooms of West High during today's training. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
“The idea of this is to put things in motion and learn from
it,” he said. “Everything looks good on paper, but it’s not until you see it
played out until it all comes together. The training has been very helpful.”
More than 60 administrators from the Tracy Unified
School District took part
in the exercise, along with 10 students.
 Tracy police officers Ricky Hernandez (left) and Octavio Lopez head toward the West High library with their guns drawn today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
“I’m excited,” said Kaitlin, who had moulage gunshot wounds
on her shoulder and head. “I’ll just be lying there acting like I’m dead, but
it’s still exciting.”
Brian, who was supposed to have been fatally shot in the
neck, said he’d be better prepared now if something like this were to ever
really happen.
 Tracy police officers carefully make their way to the second floor of the West High library with their guns drawn in training today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
Kurt Anderson, president of the organization, has hosted
these sorts of exercises before, but said it’s the first of its kind in Northern California. He knows that police conduct active
shooter exercises within their respective departments all over, just not on the
large, collaborative level that was being conducted at the school.
 Tracy police officers Kami Ysit (left) and Octavio Lopez keep the room covered as they begin to remove the victims played by school district administrators at the West High library during police emergency response training today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
Officer Dean Pfeiffer of the Antioch Police Department said
the training wasn’t just specifically for school shootings but could be used
in many different situations.
 Police officers train today. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press
Overall, close to 300 people took part in the 10-hour
exercise, costing the city of Tracy
$15,000.
To reach reporter Aaron Rognstad, call 346-0084 or e-mail
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