Fake gunfire would be banned from active-shooter drills in California's public schools under legislation proposed Tuesday that would also require schools to notify students, teachers and parents ahead of time whenever a drill was planned. The measure was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Chris Ward, who argues that some districts have gone too far in their efforts to prepare students for possible tragedy, such as by too realistically re-creating shooting scenes.
” With school security ballooning into a multibillion-dollar industry in recent years, some groups are pushing lawmakers to do away with shooter drills. A 2021 study by Everytown for Gun Safety and the Georgia Institute of Technology associated active-shooter drills with an increase in depression, stress and other mental health issues among students. The legislation would require the state Department of Education to provide standardized guidance on active-shooter drills.