In a settlement approved by a judge, the state of Michigan will pay $13 million to resolve a lawsuit filed over an unannounced active shooter drill at the Hawthorn Center, a psychiatric hospital for children in suburban Detroit. The drill, which took place on December 21, 2022, saw someone falsely declare over a speaker system that armed men were inside the facility and shots had been fired, causing panic and chaos among the children and staff present.
As a result of the settlement, 50 children at the hospital will receive approximately $60,000 each, while 90 staff members will receive more than $50,000 on average based on their trauma exam scores. Additionally, two dozen others will receive smaller amounts. The total settlement amount also includes over $3 million for the attorneys involved in the case.
The state Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that the drill was a bad decision and caused harm to many individuals. The drill was apparently organized by the Hawthorn Center’s safety director, who still works for the state. Despite the settlement, the hospital was subsequently closed for reasons unrelated to the incident. The police, who responded to the emergency calls, were not aware of the drill and arrived at the scene prepared for an actual active shooter situation.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com