City Council Member Shares Experience With Mass Shooting Training


JAMESTOWN – City Councilwoman At-Large Vanessa Weinert (D) said Monday night that she has not become desensitized to mass shooting incidents.
Weinert, who spoke to WNYNewsNow before Monday evening’s Work Session, recently underwent an active shooter training to help prepare for events such as the “credible threats” of an active shooter on Utica College’s campus Monday. The campus underwent a lockdown due to the threats.
“There are very clear methods for police to respond to those types of active shooter situations,” Weinert said. “The one that I attended at work was more about what we do at Chautauqua Institution if something like that happens.”
Weinert went into detail about what the Institution does, adding that the Institution is fortunate to have a strong police presence on campus.
“We’re very lucky as well. We have a police force on the grounds, so again, one of the police officers did the presentation and talked through all of those practices that every single police force has used since Columbine,” Weinert said.
Weinert currently sits on both the Public Safety and Housing Committees.
Reporters Ryan Hedrick and Justin Gould contributed to this report.