Heavily armed gunmen enter Williams Bay High School as part of a mock attack VIDEO CNN's Lisa Price reports the drill is designed to help the school prepare for the worst Windows Media 28K 80K

August 10, 1999
Web posted at: 8:11 p.m. EDT (0011 GMT)

From Correspondent Lisa Price

WILLIAMS BAY, Wisconsin (CNN) -- The drill early Tuesday morning at Williams Bay High School wasn't a fire alarm, but an exercise that reflects the reality of modern education.

Three students armed with automatic rifles, shotguns and plenty of ammunition stormed the school in a mock shooting incident.

Within seconds, shots rang out and victims fled the building. The police response to the drill was swift; more than 100 law enforcement agents were on the scene within 30 minutes.

Triage units were immediately established on school grounds to assist the wounded as helicopters arrived to transport critical patients.

Two arrests were made before police learned that the actual gunmen were inside. A standoff ensued.

The elaborate drill was created by the Walworth County Sheriff's Department in response to the recent school shootings in Colorado and other seemingly "safe" communities.

With the school year just two weeks away, authorities and parents in this small Wisconsin town were eager to at least have a plan on paper.

Both law enforcement and school officials concede that such drills can't prevent another Columbine High School incident, but stressed that preparation might save lives.

"I don't believe it will stop those kind of things, but if they can get here 30 minutes earlier -- if they can save one life -- it's been worth it," said Principal Dan Bice.