Normal? School trains for inevitable school shooting, bomb scare, hostage situation

Around this time of year, teacher training sessions are nothing special. In the past week alone, educators from local districts have taken part in technology, mathematics, and career/technical education workshops. Several others have taken place in the past few weeks, and even more lie ahead.

But the armed intruder training that took place in Perquimans County High School for the first time Thursday was significantly more unsettling than the rest, as school staff and local law enforcement received training on how to handle a school shooting, bomb scare, or hostage situation.

Gathered around a projector screen in the school’s library sat a mix of the district’s principals, counselors, nurses and front desk staff — all present expected to play the most critical disaster response roles, should a Columbine or Virginia Tech scenario play out in Perquimans County.

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