- Killeen ISD
- Police
KISD Police Conduct Active Shooter Drills

7/27/2022
By: Todd Martin
In a simulated drill that all participants hope never comes to pass, Killeen ISD police converged Thursday afternoon on an elementary school in Killeen to take down an active shooter.
Nineteen school district police officers culminated a week of training with a series of scenarios involving a shooter in the building complete with the piercing drone of the fire alarm, the explosion of chalk-rounds fired from simulated 9 mm handguns and even casualties.
The shooting scenarios played out in the hallways and classrooms of Bellaire Elementary School, a campus that closed two years ago and consolidated with a newly built school last year.
Killeen ISD Police Chief Ralph Disher said the week of training was a valuable exercise that provided the kind of authentic details that produces muscle-memory response in the event that the worst happens.
In a scenario that officers conducted three times for local media, three police officers arrived at the west side of the Bellaire campus at the edge of the playground where the shooter was first spotted.
Other officers, playing the part of students and staff members waved the officers into the side entrance, where they entered and made their way down the hallway following the sound of gunshots to Room 123.
Nineteen school district police officers culminated a week of training with a series of scenarios involving a shooter in the building complete with the piercing drone of the fire alarm, the explosion of chalk-rounds fired from simulated 9 mm handguns and even casualties.
The shooting scenarios played out in the hallways and classrooms of Bellaire Elementary School, a campus that closed two years ago and consolidated with a newly built school last year.
Killeen ISD Police Chief Ralph Disher said the week of training was a valuable exercise that provided the kind of authentic details that produces muscle-memory response in the event that the worst happens.
In a scenario that officers conducted three times for local media, three police officers arrived at the west side of the Bellaire campus at the edge of the playground where the shooter was first spotted.
Other officers, playing the part of students and staff members waved the officers into the side entrance, where they entered and made their way down the hallway following the sound of gunshots to Room 123.


Inside, they found a gunman, exchanged gunfire, and eliminated the shooter. Officers reported nine casualties, played by officers dressed in protective gear.
During the week of training, KISD officers responded to a wide variety of situations with differing numbers of shooters in different locations of the school.
The shooter during the scenarios was played by a 15-year-old son of one of the officers, a detail Disher said was appropriate since most perpetrators of such crimes are 20 years of age or younger.
Police officers trained with simulated 9 mm handguns and chalk-tipped rounds. The weight of the weapon is the same as the actual guns that officers carry.
During the week of training, KISD officers responded to a wide variety of situations with differing numbers of shooters in different locations of the school.
The shooter during the scenarios was played by a 15-year-old son of one of the officers, a detail Disher said was appropriate since most perpetrators of such crimes are 20 years of age or younger.
Police officers trained with simulated 9 mm handguns and chalk-tipped rounds. The weight of the weapon is the same as the actual guns that officers carry.

“We wanted to do something internal and in-house,” Disher said, explaining that the school district officers routinely train with area law enforcement agencies and would continue to do so.
“Every time we clear, we brief with officers to talk about what worked well and what didn’t,” the chief said. The department will also use the cameras still installed in the decommissioned building to learn from the training.
“Officers love going through this kind of training,” Disher said, “because it’s as close to reality as possible. You have a shooter shooting back, so there is adrenaline flowing and the blood pressure rises.”
KISD police officers will continue to use professional development days throughout the year to train in different school buildings to sharpen their skills.
A week ago, Disher presented safety information to the Board of Trustees and this week, school district leaders conducted safety forums for the public.
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