That's what the university and first responders wanted to find out in the most realistic way possible on Friday.
Students played the roles of shooting victims; they are acting as they are just part of a drill.
The Virginia Tech shootings last year revealed a big hole in campus security. On Friday morning, 20 San Jose State police officers took part in a drill that they hope will stop another massacre.
San Jose State police held a drill for its officers. Two officers were on the loose.
The first action was a warning to every office and classroom through the phone system.
"In the aftermath of Virginia Tech, it's pretty clear to everyone across the country that we need to do everything we can to get a message to our students, employees and community members as soon as possible," said SJSU Media Relations spokesperson Pat Lones Harris.
Officers raided McCory Hall.
"We had two gunmen in the fourth and fifth floors, and when they gave us a signal we basically just ran outside, screaming, covered in blood," said SJSU student Jackie Fuller.
Justice studies students played the victims.
"As the role players were running down they were given little bits of information, and they are going to be getting a bigger picture of what is happening," said CSU police Michael Santos.
The looks and sounds were real. Hopefully this preparation from the worst will keep us from knowing how it felt.
"They take it very seriously, because obviously it's happened in other campuses before, so we want to make sure we are prepared just in case it happens here," said Santos.
Friday's drill was just for officers. Police officials hope to hold a campus-wide drill for employees and students later this year.
