A California elementary school principal has been placed on administrative leave for conducting an unauthorized training drill in which he allegedly pretended to shoot his students, and even said seven children were “dead,” according to reports.
Nina Denson, principal at Washington Elementary School in San Gabriel, conducted an open-ended active shooter lockdown drill Wednesday. KTLA reported.
“She was walking around campus pretending to shoot people she saw by moving her fingers and banging on windows,” parent Jennifer Chavez told the outlet.
“From what I heard, she said to one of the students, ‘Boom!'” You’re dead! ” she said.
Some of the children who witnessed the horrific incident were reportedly as young as four years old.
“Oh, he was really upset,” Chavez said of her freshman year. “One shocking and surprising thing he said when he was 6 years old was, “I’m so glad none of my friends died.”
Employees said Mr. Denson even announced that seven students had been “dead” during a mock drill.
“Can you imagine the amount of trauma a child could go through just thinking, ‘Oh my God, my friend was killed,’ or ‘I was shot and told I was dead.'” Another parent, Anna Bustamante, told KTLA.
“It was very upsetting because these children are young,” she added.
District Superintendent Jim Simmons said the drill was unauthorized.
“This type of training in which the scenario played out is not approved by the district or by any part of the district’s protocols,” he told the news outlet.
The district told parents in an email that “the conduct of the training does not appear to be in accordance with district procedures or best practices.”
Authorities have launched an investigation and a veteran teacher has been installed as interim principal, but some parents are calling for Denson’s removal.
“I don’t want her to come back here at all,” Chavez told KTLA. “She is not trusted by the community.”
Officials told the outlet that counselors were available for students and staff who may have been traumatized.
