The Brief
The Minneapolis school shooting that killed two children has southeastern Wisconsin school leaders reassessing their own safety measures.
Security experts say schools must have comprehensive, proactive safety plans beyond drills on paper.
Hales Corners Lutheran School has added bulletproof protections and conducts active shooter drills with first responders.
HALES CORNERS, Wis. - Two children were killed and 17 other people were injured in a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
What we know
The suspect, who has been identified as Robin Westman, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting through the church windows as children worshiped during their first week of school mass.
The FBI said it is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
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The latest school shooting has school leaders and security experts in southeast Wisconsin asking tough questions about how prepared they are if tragedy strikes.
Experts note the average school shooting lasts just four minutes, raising concerns over whether prevention and response plans are enough in that timeframe.
Local perspective
Brian Dorow, a former police officer and Department of Homeland Security official who now runs a private security company protecting schools, churches and businesses, said preparation must go beyond hope.
"It's not just a one-off that, 'You know what, hopefully it never happens to me,’" Dorow said. "You know what, I train, 'It's going to happen to you and how you prevent it from happening.'"
He added that schools and workplaces should have detailed, proactive safety plans.
"It's covering all those different threats to somebody's well-being and peace of mind, and it could be an active assailant," he said. "It could be a weather-related incident. But the key is, it can't just be a binder that sits on the shelf."
At Hales Corners Lutheran School, Principal Chad Kogutkiewicz has worked with local police, firefighters and EMTs to hold active shooter drills inside both the school and its church. Security upgrades include bulletproof film on lower-level windows and reinforced doors.
"It helps us practice like we play, does that make sense?" Kogutkiewicz said.
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He’s hoping his staff never have to use that experience, but said they will keep practicing and adapting.
"It's an on-moving target," he said. "The things that you thought you had figured out, the world changes their tactics, and so, you have to change your response as a Christian community."
Dig deeper
Both Dorow and Kogutkiewicz compared the need for training to the fire prevention systems now standard in schools. The latest National Fire Protection Association data shows fires at schools rarely end in death.
They said there is more to do through training, building additions and more to bring the same change towards active shooters.
The Source
The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
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