Gloucester Township, NJ (WTXF) Gloucester County police held a seminar for people to learn what to do if they're caught in an active shooter situation.
"If you don't think about it ahead of time you panic. So if the incident occurs you don't know what to do," said Jane Windle who made sure to attend the Active Shooter Response Training put on by Gloucester Township Police. They want their residents to know what to do if they find themselves in that situation.
"It impressed me more as far as the looking around and being more aware of my surroundings. I don't think I've done that in the past," said Windle. She and others watched graphic but moving reenactment videos about different scenarios in which a gunman tries to carry out mass casualties in crowded places such as the workplace.
Sergeant Jason Fretz hopes it will be a wakeup call for many who many have a false sense of security or be desensitized because of mass shootings around the country.
"Part of it is denial. They don't want it to happen here so if it's out of sight out of mind then hopefully it won't," said Sergeant Fretz. He says the message they hope to drive home is "Run, Hide, Fight" to save your life.
"Any training is going to engrain something in people that they're going to be able to fall back on," he said.
Windle who is a retired teacher says the tactics are common sense but tonight was an important refresher on awareness.
"I'm going to do a lot more observing where I am and the area around me. And the people around me so that I know where I want to head if anything is going to happen," said Windle.