The importance of school safety took center stage on Tuesday morning, when Gateway Community College in New Haven, held a lockdown emergency drill on campus.
During the drill, all students and staff members were ordered inside classrooms and offices by security.
"Some people think, ‘Oh it never happens here,’ but you never know, it could,” Brianna Short, a freshman from Wallingford, said.
The drill came a few weeks after police charged a woman with making threats to commit a Newtown-style mass shooting at Gateway Community College and just days after Manchester Community College went on lockdown following a report of "a man with a gun" on campus.
In that case, police searched, but never found anyone with a gun at the college.
"It trains the college community that in an emergency they'll know what to do, it's not only important for the students, but also staff and faculty,” said Gateway Community College Security Supervisor, Brian Higney.
Short said, practice drill or not, she takes campus security seriously.
"In the end, it is a big deal because what if something did happen? At least you're prepared for it, you know what to do,” Short said.
Gateway Community College will hold another drill in April.
