Following the Sandy Hook shooting, public schools nationwide implemented different school invasion drills. Most commonly known as a “code red drill”, students must turn off the lights, stand or sit in a corner of the classroom and remain silent until the drill ends. The drill intends to practice safety, however, the efforts remain futile.

American parents face the potential terror of seeing their child’s school on the news after a school shooting. Public schools participate in these drills not only for safety but to help ease the fear of students, teachers and parents nationwide. More times than not, a school shooter attends or previously attended the school under attack such as Nicolas Cruz, the Parkland shooter, who had attended Douglas High school for four years. This means that he, along with plenty of other school shooters, have practiced the same safety drills. 

The shooters’ familiarity with these drills puts everyone in a school building in increased danger. The intruder knows the layout of the school, faculty and staff along with the school’s bell schedule. The advanced knowledge from the attacker defeats the purpose of the code red drill. Oxford High School shooter, Keegan Gregory, knew the exact location of the people he targeted. In a viral video of the attack, students participating in the drill received a knock on the door from Gregory impersonating the school officer. After shouting back and forth, the students recognized the imposter’s voice. Shortly after, the students ran out the back window, while the shooter continued to jiggle the door handle. 

“Everyone is silent in the beginning and then it becomes a hot mess by the end. People start to giggle, talk or make random noises. I feel like only some people take the drill seriously while others couldn’t care less about it. Obviously, it’s not real, but the fear for a lot of people is still there during the drill,” senior Ana Clara Almeida said.

In regards to school safety, one must note the difference in protection for the different age groups of students. Gaining access to an elementary school equates to trying to access a secure government building. In most K-5 elementary schools nationwide, a visitor must ring a buzzer equipped with a camera, state their name, and reason for visiting the employee on the other side of the camera, as opposed to public high schools that do not require identification upon arrival. Several unlocked access points exist at NC and other similar high schools. Anyone at any time throughout the school day can gain access by simply opening the door. At NC specifically, maintenance crews walk in the hallways without proper uniforms or an ID badge. Students typically do not recognize these employees and business continues as normal. 

“I am happy, or at least comforted by the fact that they do practice in case of an actual code red. It does make me sad that they have to do it at all, but that’s the reality of the world we live in. Preparation is important,” government and economics teacher Tara Sisino said. 

Americans live in a society where access to firearms trumps the safety of minors at school. While code red drills serve a necessary purpose, they would not need to exist if real gun control took effect in this country. Until legislators come to a meaningful solution, students and teachers will continue these drills and mentally cope with the possibility of a school shooting.