Greenville schools, first responders complete active shooter training

School shootings have become an all too common concern for teachers and law enforcement agencies across the nation. 

A total of 349 school shooting incidents occurred in the U.S. in 2023, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. This was an increase from 308 incidents in 2022. 

Ahead of the new school year, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Greenville County Schools to host active shooter training on July 24 and 25. The training allowed first responders and teachers to practice working together to ensure the safety of students and staff if a shooting occurred on campus. 

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said such training allowed school personnel and first responders to efficiently respond to the fatal shooting at Tanglewood Middle School in 2022. 

“One thing we’ve learned quickly from the Tanglewood incident, these teachers are willing to sacrifice themselves for their students,” Lewis said. “We saw teachers move and secure kids and lock classrooms and move them through the school. Not one teacher panicked.”

“You hope for the best, you prepare for the worst and make sure you respond to that.” – Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis. 

Around 300 K-12 teachers attended the training. They learned emergency event protocols, practiced administering emergency medical care, and participated in active shooter scenarios. Phillip Davie, deputy superintendent of Greenville County Schools, said the teachers are given many different strategies to use.

“The effort that’s going on today is an extension of what goes on in our schools all year long,” Davie said. “There are training events that happen at schools – active shooter training, fire drill training, emergency response drills.”

The two-day training also allowed law enforcement and first responders to practice searching the school for suspects and go over plans on how to evacuate students safely. Law enforcement agents, fire department personnel, emergency medical services, school resources officers and the school district’s security team attended the event.

Greenville County Schools students go back to school on Aug. 8. Parents are encouraged to communicate with their children about what they can and can not bring to school. Davie said the school district also has a “See Something, Say Something” protocol to encourage students to report anything they see or hear that’s concerning to an adult. 

“The safety of our students and our teachers and our community members is the utmost priority for us every single day,” Davie said.


Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo
Greenville County 2024 first responders training with GCS and sheriff - Megan Fitzgerald photo

Weapons Detection System

One of Greenville County Schools’ safety measures is an enhanced weapons detection system called Evolv. The technology has the capability of identifying concealed weapons including a firearm. The school system has nine Evolv machines. They are used on a random, rotating basis in middle and high schools across the district. 

Number of shootings at schools in the U.S.

This includes when a gun is brandished, is fired or a bullet hits school property. 

According to the K-12 School Shooting Database

Year Number of Incidents
2023 349
2022 308
2021 256
2020 116
2019 124
2018 119
2017 60
2016 50
2015 41
2014 47
2013 34

 

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