Valley College Serves as Location Shoot for LASD Video on Active Shooters

If you can't imagine what it would look like to have an active shooter on the campus of Valley College, you soon will be able to.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department filmed scenes today for a public safety video aimed at teaching people how to prepare for just such an emergency.

The sheriff's video production unit has been working on the video project for more than a year to educate the public on how to survive an active shooter situation, according to sheriff's Sgt. Harry J.K. Drucker.

The production team, which uses fake blood and guns in the scenes, has shot at schools, in offices and in other public places. The filming this afternoon depicted a shooting at Los Angeles Valley College, with victims hiding under furniture and running away.

"We're hoping they may pick up a few tips that save their lives one day," Drucker said.

Most active shooter situations have ended before law enforcement and medical help arrives, so the video is meant to help the public increase their chance of survival.

"What we hope to do is that our audience would pick up even one or two little tips about being aware of your location, being aware of where your exits are so that if something does go down ... that you've already got something in mind of what you are going to do," Drucker said.

The video is expected to be ready for release by the late summer or early fall and will be uploaded to YouTube and the sheriff department's website.

--City News Service