VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Lots of people are on edge with recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
Now, more than 500 people are registered for an active shooter defense workshop in Virginia Beach this Saturday.
It’s called the Active Threat Citizen Defense Workshop.
The Virginal Beach police department puts together a free training twice a year. Master Police Officer, David Nieves’, spearheads the training.
The last time we spoke with him, 13News Now previewed the community safety event was the day of the Virginia Beach municipal center shooting.
“It’s gotten real now because it’s close to home, but it’s always been real,” said Nieves.
They canceled the training after the tragedy. Now, at least 150 more people registered for this training. That includes special guests from the city of Virginia Beach like Mayor Bobby Dyer.
“I’m ready to go, ok excited,” said Nieves. “I was broken at first but broken can be fixed. Never the same but broken can be fixed.”
Since 2012, Nieves has taught more than 9,000 people in the community.
He said that nine thousand is just a drop in the bucket, he said everyone should be trained.
During the event, Nieves will show the group how to respond if confronted with an active shooter.
It’s hands-on learning where the community can gain skills like recognizing hostile situations. It teaches individuals how a person's body reacts under pressure, and how to defend themselves and others.
This teaching will show you how to:
- Recognize hostile situations and attempt to diffuse them.
- Realize how items in your office can be utilized to defend yourself and save your life.
- Understand how the body reacts during stressful situations.
- Perform a "no-skills needed" maneuver to combat a gunman
The Active Threat Citizen Defense Workshop is free and open to everyone.
It’ll run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. inside the Coastal Community Church located at 2800 S. Independence Boulevard.
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During the training, there will be a 30 minute break in between for lunch. Officials encourage everyone to eat breakfast and pack a lunch, or purchase lunch at the youth basketball fundraiser on site.
Space is limited, so get here early and get ready to learn.
“That’s my mission, to make sure everybody in Virginia Beach is as safe as possible,” said Nieves.