Glendale officers get training for active shooter scenario inside local high school

GLENDALE — Shots rang out at a West Valley high school last week, but nobody was in danger. It was just the Glendale Police Department going through active school shooter training at Deer Valley High School.

Officers had to locate where the shots — blanks from an AK-47 — were coming from, race to the correct classroom and take down the shooter. This was all while fake students rushed at them trying to get away and “injured” people lay on the floor.

Sgt. Trevor Goode, the training instructor, explained how Wednesday’s drill was different than what officers learn for other scenarios.

“If we’re serving, let’s say, a narcotics search warrant, I’m not going to risk my SWAT team’s lives over a dope case,” he said. “But in here, I do want my officers coming in as fast as they can. I do want them risking a lot to save a lot, because there’s kids in here that are completely innocent, can’t defend themselves, and we are the defenders of the community,” he said.

Officers also worked on improving response times and breaching doors. pic.twitter.com/aP4gqmXmDY

— shiratanzernews (@shiratanzernews) July 7, 2025

Goode added that being in a real school provides a more accurate training ground, with officers facing an unknown environment.

“We all know our training layouts, right? We’re in there all the time. … Nobody can gain the room in here because they just don’t know what the room looks like. So, it’s nice that Deer Valley was a great partner with us,” he said.

Why school shooter training is important for police

Sgt. Lacey Tolbert, who participated in the exercise, said school shooter training is essential for officers “so the first time that they see it is not when it happens the first time.”

“This is something that … our country experiences,” she said.

Tolbert said the training provides steps officers can fall back on in an active situation, presenting new techniques on response times and priorities in the hypothetical scenario.

“I think in a critical incident like that, you’re going to rely on your training. That’s where your mind’s going to go,” she said.

Goode said the ultimate goal of training is to improve responses and better serve the community.

“If we can train for that high-risk stuff, then the low-risk stuff maybe becomes a little bit easier for the officers,” he said. “So, the more I can stress them out in training, the more I can get them thinking, running, moving and handling those weapons. Hopefully, the less mistakes they’re making, they’re providing better service to the community.”

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

Related

$118 million withheld from Arizona’s schools by U.S. Department of EducationWhat can be done about so many young Arizona kids falling behind in reading?New Arizona school safety law expands options for campus precautionsArizona Supt. Horne urges Phoenix district to reconsider stance on armed officersMaking shopping for back-to-school supplies easier for Phoenix-area parentsKimberly Yee wins GOP primary for Arizona schools chief over Tom Horne