Police: Don't Be Alarmed If You Wake Up to Gunshots

Don’t worry, it’s not the real-life version of the Purge; the Sarasota Police Department is holding a SWAT team shooter training session.

The exercise will be held at Temple Beth Sholom School at 1050 South Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota. Authorities are urging residents to ignore the sound of gunshots on Wednesday morning from 8-10 a.m. 

“The public and residents in the area should not be alarmed if they hear shouting, loud bangs or noises,” said Genevieve Judge, spokesperson for the Sarasota Police Department.

Judge said the training is practice for officers who respond to active shooter incidents that involve rescuing victims.

This type of training is for new law enforcement personnel as well as refresher training for veteran officers so they can be prepared to respond to critical incidents if needed.

The Sarasota Police Department is working with the school and using their buildings as a training site while classes are not in session.