Texas school massacre prompts changes in Mercer County sheriff’s active shooter response training

FORT RECOVERY — The deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May prompted some new scenarios for this year’s session of the Mercer County sheriff’s active shooter training.

“Now that you see the video come out where they didn’t respond,” Sheriff Jeff Grey told News Center 7′s James Rider on Thursday. “We teach deputies and the police officers that are in this [that] you get there, you get in that building right now. You go to the threat.”

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Grey was referring to the surveillance video of the Uvalde school shooting, which shows the police response to the shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who killed 19 children, two teachers and wounded 17 other people -- including his mother -- on May 24.

The video, obtained by several news outlets, showed the police response as tentative as Ramos was shooting his victims inside Robb Elementary. He was shot dead an hour and 14 minutes after police first arrived on scene.

Grey wanted to make things clear to the officers and teachers who took part in the training Thursday.

“We’re a military organization and when somebody who out ranks you tells you to do something, we expect you to do it. But as I’ve told the deputies, I’m the sheriff, if I tell you not to go and somebody’s shooting in that school you go. You go.”

Teachers were made up to be victims; officers used Air Soft guns.

At one point, Fort Recovery Police Chief Jared Laux played the role of an officer trying to stop or slow officers and deputies as they responded to the incident set up in the scenario.

Most of the scenarios are based on incidents that have happened in Ohio or across the nation. Each person who goes through the training has an immediate discussion with instructors about decisions made during the exercise.

“It’s interesting to watch different officers,” Grey said. “The newer younger guys that haven’t been through the training so much sometimes are a little more hesitant on what to do. Not hesitant on going in to attack but hesitant on what’s the right thing to do.”

This year’s training session began today and continues Friday at Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School.

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