Pueblo police, fire departments participate in active shooter drill at Central High

“We are on lockdown. At this time, we are on lockdown,” were the words heard through the speakers. The call came in just after noon on Friday. It was t he beginning of an active shooter drill for Central High School in Pueblo. The first officer took off running toward an uncertain scenario happening inside the school walls. Senior Emilio Montelongo, who was in a classroom at the time, said it was more intense than he thought it would be. “I was just, like, scared. I was nervous. I didn’t know what was going to happen, of course, like, just sad,” Montelongo said

This is the first active shooter drill in which Pueblo City Schools has participated. Pueblo police Chief Troy Davenport said the involvement of the students and teachers is one of the most important aspects of the drill. “That first five minutes it’s up to the staff. They are actually the first responders and the ones that have the potential to be the biggest heroes here,” Davenport said. Social studies teacher Kim Sanchez said as she went through the drill, she learned how to react. “We have a lot of learning to do and also have a lot of great policies in place and procedures that we can count on,” Sanchez said. Capt. Charlie Taylor said he saw a lot of areas in which law enforcement officers responded well, but there is always room for improvement. “Where it becomes more difficult for us as first responders is the aftermath and how do you move 1,000 kids or 100 kids out of a building that’s is like a maze in many ways,” Taylor said. The hope is that this drill is the only time the students, teachers and first responders will ever have to go through a scenario like this. Fifty police officers and 20 firefighters participated in the drill.