LUBBOCK, Texas — Police in Lubbock will begin to train citizens in responding to an active shooter.

The Citizen's Response to an Active Shooter program is geared toward providing businesses and citizen groups a basic understanding in how to survive an active shooter incident, the department said in a news release. It comes on the heels of the tragedy in Aurora, Colo., and aims to combat the potential devastation of such an event.

The program is led by qualified Lubbock officers who tailor the training to specific needs of individual venues like large businesses, schools, churches or areas used for social gatherings.