It says a lot about the state of America that 9 out of 10 public schools now hold lockdown drills to prepare students and teachers for a mass shooting.

It’s what Vox calls the “new normal” in American schools.  With nothing changing in Washington beyond offering “thoughts and prayers,” schools have taken it upon themselves to prepare for the worst.  According to Vox:

Since Columbine, 32 states have passed laws requiring schools to conduct lockdown drills to keep students safe from intruders. Some states went even further after 20 children died in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. Now, six states require specific “active shooter” drills each year.

A report written by a task force for the Ohio Attorney General’s office after the Newtown, Ct. shooting detailed what teachers and students should do in the case of an “active shooter.”

“If an intruder enters and begins shooting, any and all actions to stop the shooter are justified. This includes moving about the room to lessen accuracy, throwing items (books, computers, phones, book bags) to create confusion, exiting out windows, and confronting (assault, subdue, choke) to stop the intruder. Tell students to get out anyway possible and move to another location.”

What about Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, the scene of the latest shooting rampage?  According to The Daily Beast, the school had been practicing lockdown drills for years.  So accused killer Nikolas Cruz knew what would happen when he began shooting.