Those who forgot there was no school Oct. 8 and found themselves blocked by police officers, do not be alarmed – this was only a drill.
At 1:48 p.m. a call came over the walkies from the officers standing in Lot 3.
“We have a student with a gun in the Music Building.”
The atmosphere of the lot moved into action as police go in groups to the officer with information on the situation.
Also present in the parking lot were Theatre students playing the roles of media reporters, their hands stained with fake blood from the victims they made up inside.
Though the “victims” and “hostages” were actors from California State University, Stanislaus, the men and women in uniform were real emergency responders and police officers who executed the drill as if the call coming in was a real occurrence.
As a plan of action was discussed by police, walkies on all officers were reporting 911 calls and information from dispatch.
A signal only the trained responders recognized was given by the man who appeared to have taken point and the first group of officers jogged with guns at the ready towards the Music Building.
The next call came in.
“Suspect in a green shirt,” followed quickly by a pained voice shouting, “Officer down.”
A student was seen wandering slowly towards the lot before collapsing on to the curb, where he was met by nurses and medical responders.
Slowly, other students were brought out, some supporting each other because of wounds in the arms or legs. One student even appeared to have had a bullet graze her cheek.
Medical teams rushed a canopy out, supporting the wounded officer who had made the call and who appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.
During the chaos of the shooting and the attempts to get medical attention to those who managed to get out of the building, an officer approached those representing the media.
“We are investigating an active shooting is all I can tell you,” Officer Lewis of the Turlock Police Department said, informing the reporters that they would need to go across the street because the entire area was a crime scene.
At 2:45 p.m. the count was heard over the radios: two deceased, and an unknown amount of injuries and no more incoming patients. The remaining injured were taken towards the Health Center for treatment and the drill came to a close.
The injured suddenly became healthy and the emergency responders were smiling. The officer who had suffered the shot to the leg proceeded over to her comrades, joking about who did and did not come to her rescue with some minor overviews of technological malfunctions.
The Huffington Post has reported 13 college campus shootings incidents nationwide in 2013. Additionally, campus lockdowns have taken place on average once a week.
Although a campus shooting has not occured on campus in recent years, many of those involved in the shooting simulation would be assisting students and faculty if a real  emergency occured on campus.