What Happens During a School Shooting: A First-Hand Account

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of school violence that may be sensitive for some listeners

What really happens when a school goes into lockdown during an active shooter incident? In this powerful episode, Dr. Christopher Villarreal shares his first-hand experience of a school shooting, when he was a third-year teacher hiding under his desk, unable to reach anyone, learning about the crisis through news reports on his laptop.

Now serving as Director of Communications and leading school safety initiatives, Christopher and co-host Dr. Deb Anderson discuss how school emergency protocols have transformed, what actually helps students and staff recover from crisis, and what gives hope for keeping schools both safe and joyful.