FAIRMONT, N.C. (WBTW) — More than dozen Robeson County school resource officers on Wednesday navigated smoky hallways and classrooms filled with mannequins sitting in for students — preparing for the unthinkable.
“They’ve got to be prepared, and they’ve got to be ready to go for anything,” said Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ricky Williams. “They would handle whatever comes across. They’re not just going to sit around and wait, but this just reinforces what they already know.”
Seventeen officers spent much of the day at Green Grove Elementary, a decommissioned school now operated by Robeson Community College as a training center for active shooter drills.
They participated in solo scenarios that included simulated gunshots and distressed children. Soap filled plastic pellets were used to replicate live rounds.
“The only way to perfect this type of training is to make it as realistic as possible,” Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said.
The simulation is possible thanks to a partnership between Robeson Community College and the sheriff’s office.
“These men and women serve and protect each day at our schools, and make our campuses safer places to learn,” said Freddie Williamson, Public Schools of Robeson County superintendent.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
