FBI trains campus officers for active shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC– “It happens in a matter of minutes it’s over in matter of minutes sometimes,” said FBI Special Agent, Jack Moore.

The bullets might not be real but FBI agents say this scenario and simulation training is as close as it comes to a real life incident.

“The world is different, it’s changed over the years and now there’s a need and a focus on active shooter training,” said Moore.

Johnson C Smith University Police Chief Debra Duncan says watching the images from the Brussels attacks Tuesday morning are an even bigger reminder to be prepared.

“It’s makes it very timely very important we have this training,” said Chief Duncan.

Twenty campus officers from local colleges took part in both classroom and tactical training as part of the FBI Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, or ALERRT program.

“Whatever can happen anywhere can happen here we need to be prepared we need to train,” said Duncan.

FBI agents say having a planned response allows all police forces to be on the same page if they need to work together when an attack happens.

“You can talk all day and say bang bang with you hand but when there rounds coming back at you it enforces the tactics we’re teaching them,” said Moore.

The training scenarios are so real life we had to wear these masks in case any of these blanks hit us, more than 300 officers have participated across North CArolina, these officers came from Johnson C Smith, Davidson, Queen and UNC Charlotte.