The state of Michigan will pay $13 million to settle a lawsuit over an active shooter drill at a psychiatric hospital for children that reportedly terrified patients and staffers, NBC News reports.
On Dec. 21, 2022, the Hawthorn Center, located in Northville Township just outside Detroit, announced over the speaker system that two armed intruders had entered the building and that shots had been fired, according to attorney Robin Wagner.
Wagner said that patients and most staffers at the hospital were unaware that the announcement was an active shooter drill, as were the dozens of police officers who responded to the 911 calls made by patients and staffers who thought they were in danger. Two men, who were not armed, were asked to pose as shooters and were captured, according to Wagner.
"It was horrifying," Wagner said on Tuesday. "Everyone went into, 'Oh my God. This is the worst day of my life.' People were hiding under their desks. They were barricading the doors, trying to figure out how to protect the children."
Court of Claims Judge James Redford approved the $13 million settlement earlier this month, according to court records.
The settlement will be divided between the patients and staffers, with fifty children to receive about $60,000 and the 90 employees to receive an average of about $50,000, with the exact amount depending on an exam to determine their level of trauma. An additional two dozen people will receive smaller amounts from the settlement.
"The state recognized that this was really a bad decision and harmed a lot of people," Wagner added.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said that the agency "felt it was in the best interest of all involved parties to settle this matter."
"We regret that our patients, staff and community were negatively affected by the unfortunate incident in December 2022," spokesperson Lynn Sutfin added.