While we debate the solution to gun violence in America, children as young as three are practicing preparedness drills in schools. The idea for Code Red came out of my experience participating in the national walkouts with my daughter (a second grader at the time) shortly after the Parkland shootings in 2018. Hearing the explanation of the steps of a code red with small children beside me prompted questions such as: Can we prepare young children for an active shooter without also teaching them fear and mistrust? Does the benefit of preparation outweigh the anxiety and emotional trauma of active shooter drills? Does teaching children to hide and keep quiet at school damage our efforts to establish open and conducive learning environments? Are we putting more responsibility on the potential victims rather than the potential perpetrators? Have we accepted that shootings are going to happen rather than working proactively to prevent them