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Indianapolis preschool conducts training for active shooter scenarios

After the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the Lynhurst Baptist Church Preschool Ministry knew they had to have a plan.

INDIANAPOLIS — The recent rise in mass shootings has schools and churches beefing up security and taking a closer look at emergency drills.

It's not something they want to think about, but after what happened last month at Uvalde, it's something the staff at Lynhurst Baptist Church Preschool Ministry said they have to think about: What would they do if somehow an active shooter got inside?

"In Hollywood, they teach us all kinds of things stop bullets. Well, Hollywood's wrong," said Indianapolis Metro Police Lt. Allen Tuttle.

Preschool teachers heard straight-talk Monday night from IMPD about what they should do if someone came inside shooting.

"We will be talking about tough stuff, like the murder of children, people being hurt, people being shot," Tuttle said.

None of it is hard to imagine, given the recent shootings at Robb Elementary School in Texas that left 19 elementary school kids and two teachers dead, and another at a supermarket in Buffalo, where 10 people were killed and three more were wounded.

"We do tornado drills. We do our fire drills for early childhood. I never thought I would have to do an active shooter drill," said Renee Dixon, the preschool's director.

RELATED: Delaware County safety agencies take on active attack training

But that's just what Dixon decided her staff needed after seeing what happened in Texas.

"What can we do to prepare ourselves, because if you're not prepared, your mind just shuts down and you don't think, but if you even prepare just a little bit, then you have something," Dixon said.

RELATED: State Police teaches prevention methods, public awareness in active shooter training

"What we teach is kind of a run-hide-fight scenario," Tuttle said.

In its active shooter training for public spaces, IMPD teaches, if you can get away, do that. If not, hide.

"Putting large items between you and a potential shooter, and then the last thing is to actually fight, if you have to," Tuttle added.

The training doesn't teach people how to fight, but how to get ready to fight.

"We teach you how to get into the right mindset if you have to fight," Tuttle said.

It's something Dixon and her staff hope to never have to do, but they're talking about it now because not being prepared isn't an option.

"What do I need to do? What do me and my staff need to do to protect our children?" Dixon asked.

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