The police department of Burlington, Vermont, this week issued an apology after students attending a Year End Studies program were scared by a simulated robbery at a police station that featured “a mock shooting,” NBC News reports.

According to a letter sent to families by the Burlington School District, a group of about 20 high school students taking part in a forensic studies program took a trip to the Burlington Police Department on Wednesday, where they saw a “realistic demonstration” of a simulated robbery scenario involving fake firearms and a mock shooting.

The letter added: “While the gun was fake, the enactment involved screaming and fake gunshot sounds, taking place without warning and behind where students were seated. As a result, some students believed the demonstration was real and were left feeling scared and confused.”

In a press release apologizing for the incident, BPD stated that while planning the visit, department personnel communicated with school staff about their plans for “using fake firearms in a mock shooting,” asking, “Do you think that sort of incident would be OK for your group of students? It is about as real life as you can get, and is certainly exactly the sort of thing we deal with most frequently.”

A staffer responded: “I think these students will be fine with this simulation. We will give a heads up to parents and students.”

However, school officials later said in the letter to families in the district: “We didn’t realize the demonstration would happen without warning or a chance to properly prepare students to understand what would be taking place.”

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