UNCW holds active shooter training exercise

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — If you were near UNCW Tuesday morning, you may have seen a lot of law enforcement. The school was practicing its response to an active shooter.

This training exercise was scheduled before the shooting at UNC Charlotte in April. The chief of University Police says they’ve been doing training like this at UNCW since 2006.

“The timing is really a by-product of where we are nationally and within the state,” said Chief David Donaldson.

In the simulated scenario, crews are responding to a routine medical emergency when a second call comes in.

“On top of that call was a call in an adjacent building, in Randall Library, of reported shots fired,” Donaldson said.

Law enforcement rushed into Randall Library, Kenan Auditorium, Bear Hall, and Deloach Hall. Simulated gunfire could be heard coming from the library, and volunteers played injured victims.

“We expect to learn from this, we expect to learn from every training exercise that we have,” Donaldson said. “You know, it’s really easy sometimes to write something on paper in a plan, but then when you mobilize that plan, when you put boots on the ground and you’re responding under stress, it’s a much different experience than the administrative process of running a plan.”

After that exercise was complete, the university held a mock press briefing so school representatives could get used to answering questions from the media.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center was involved as well, practicing treating the pretend victims.