Students are taught to hide in closets and under tables if there is a school shooting – but does practicing for this possibility keep kids safe?

Most states have some sort of requirement for a minimum number of lockdown drills a year, but there is no set federal guidance.

By: James Densley, Metropolitan State University , The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 29, 2026

Words: 1,061

Last Updated: 3 months ago

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By James Densley, Metropolitan State University

There have been 63 school shootings – meaning any time there is gunfire on a school campus – so far in 2026.

They happen so often that preparing for one has become normal. Students as young as 4 years old routinely practice for the possibility of a school shooting with lockdown drills – typically, hiding in the corner of a dark classroom, behind a locked door.

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