Photo credit: Chron.com

In an effort to aid emergency responders, law enforcement and civilians in preparing for a mass shooter event, the U.S. Army and Department of Homeland Security have released a video game that simulates a mass shooting.

The program called Edge was originally designed to train the army is now being adapted for schools. The program is being tested at an Orlando army base research lab in partnership with the University of Central Florida and other computer engineering firms.

Attacks on schools are simulated in the program complete with eerie screams, fleeing students, broken glass, bullet casings, and gun smoke are all included in the life-like scenarios.

Tamara Griffith of the Army Research Laboratory says, "We can prevent a lot of these deaths. We can prepare people better. We can make this a safer environment if we can get this in the hands of the right people."

Records show a third of all mass shootings since 2000 have taken place in a school. The latest of these deadly school shootings took place at a high school in New Mexico.

<img src="https://media.8ch.net/file_store/62d1419c4c845d70f3fa950ece502002cc48009692ce1a0bdf73d7638eb4fd3b.jpg" style="max-height:640px;max-width:360px;">

<span style="margin-top:15px;rgba(42,51,6,0.7);font-size:12px;">Credit: chron.com</span>

Griffith goes on to say that the researchers behind the program went to great lengths to achieve an accurate portrait of the terrifying event. She says researchers studied school shootings like Columbine and even went and spoke with the mother of a child who died at Sandy Hook who walked them through the event.

Dozens have the ability to train together online from their home computers playing the role of staff or police, a simulation that is normally prohibitively expensive. Researchers went to great lengths to consider all possible scenarios including using makeshift barriers on doors.

The Army Research Lab plans to make the program available to schools soon, free of charge.

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Source: https://www.chron.com/news/media/School-Virtual-Shooter-Program-Aimed-at-Survival-1155244.php