Mary Knowlton arrived at the Punta Gorda, Fla., police station Tuesday night to learn how to be a community steward. 
 
 The 73-year-old was there as a student in the citizens police academy, a two-hour course intended to give an intimate look at what makes the department in the quaint Florida town work. On this night, the group of 35 would tour the station and talk with officers, an essential part of academy curriculum that has gained popularity across the country amid a heated national debate about police violence. 
 
 When it came time to get involved, Knowlton volunteered. 
 
 The hosting officers chose two students to role-play a lethal force simulation, a scenario intended to demonstrate how and when officers decide to pull the trigger. Knowlton played the victim, Charlotte Sun photographer Sue Paquin told the newspaper, and a Punta Gorda police officer played a “bad guy.” These scenarios are usually safe, acted out with either fake or empty weapons. 
 
 But when the officer’s gun was fired, Knowlton — a mother, wife and career librarian — was hit with a live round. 
 
 She was rushed to a local hospital and was pronounced dead. 
 
 Her husband of 55 years witnessed the shooting and is “devastated,” her son, Steve Knowlton, told the Associated Press. 
 
 The tragedy has rocked the historic waterfront town on Florida’s west coast, home to 17,500 people and a popular destination for retirees. Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis called the shooting a “horrible accident” and said that everyone involved was in a “state of overwhelming shock and grief.” 
 
 “Our entire police department and all of our city leaders are absolutely devastated for everyone involved in this unimaginable event,” the chief said Tuesday night. “I am asking that if you pray, you pray for Mary’s husband and family and for all of the officers and witnesses involved in this incident.” 
 
 At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Lewis shared few details about how the tragedy unfolded but said his department was unaware that live ammunition “was available to the officer” during the class. 
 
 Lewis has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct an independent investigation which, the chief said, will determine how the ammunition ended up in the handgun without anyone noticing. 
 
 That same weapon has been used in previous simulation classes, which the department holds annually, Lewis said. 
 
 The morning after Knowlton’s death, city leaders issued a brief statement calling her a beloved member of the Punta Gorda community. 
 
 “We are shocked by this horrific accident and are grieving deeply over Mary’s passing,” the statement said. “We also would like to acknowledge the impact this had on the other participants who were present during this tragedy.” 
 
 City officials are providing grief counseling to anyone who may need it. 
 
 Knowlton’s Facebook page says she worked at the public library in Scott County, Minn., where she was from. Jake Grussing, the library director, said Knowlton worked there in the 1980s and was an active community member, serving on the library board from 1993 to 2001. 
 
 “She was a vibrant, outgoing person who was really dedicated not only to libraries, but also to serving the community,” Grussing told The Washington Post. 
 
 Knowlton and her husband moved south to Florida, where she continued her librarian work and served on the Friends of the Punta Gorda Library board of directors. 
 
 73yo Mary Knowlton was accidentally shot and killed by PGPD officer during citizen police academy, police say pic.twitter.com/xRmTnwniJ1 — Corey Lazar (@CoreyLazarWINK) August 10, 2016 
 
 Authorities have not yet said where Knowlton was shot. And they have not released the name of the officer, who has been placed on administrative leave. 
 
 Lewis said Wednesday that the officer is with friends and family. 
 
 “I forgive him,” Steve Knowlton told the AP of the officer who killed his mother. 
 
 He added: “There’s too much hate in this world, in America. We always feel like we need revenge and it doesn’t solve anything.” 
 
 Photos posted online late Tuesday night showed the police station surrounded by yellow tape and illuminated by red and blue lights. Inside, FDLE officers questioned citizen academy students and other witnesses to the shooting, according to CBS affiliate WINK. 
 
 The citizen police academy was organized by the chamber of commerce, police said, but the program mirrors the one presented as part of the city’s Citizens Academy, a free, eight-week class intended to give an “up-close and personal look” at Punta Gorda government, according to the city website. 
 
 That program includes class work, on-site visits and facility tours and is meant to “develop future leaders through well informed and civically engaged residents,” according to the website. 
 
 Photos on the Punta Gorda Police Department Facebook page posted in March show academy participants engaged in simulations similar to the one that police described was taking place Tuesday night. Civilians are taught how to aim and holster what appears to be a fake gun or a stun gun. They climb in and out of police cruisers and ride on department Segways. 
 
 In a series of photos, two people dressed in dark protective gear and helmets appear to be simulating a physical fight. Another participant approaches the scene, gun in hand, to mitigate the situation. Here, the gun does not appear to be real. Nobody is shot. 
 
 Citizens police academies have proved to be a successful tool for law enforcement agencies hoping to improve relations between officers and the community. The first known citizens academy held in the United States was established in Orlando in 1985, according to a report from the Criminal Justice Institute. In 2000, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 15 percent of police departments surveyed conducted citizen academies at the time. Seven years later, that figure had not changed. 
 
 Last year, the International Association for Chiefs of Police listed citizens police academies as an integral way to improve community relations, and establishing these courses was also named as an action item in the final report from the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. 
 
 There is even a National Citizens Police Academy Association, which explains the importance of the courses on its website. 
 
 “The Citizens and Police Officers meet each other face to face in a neutral, friendly setting and each becomes a person to the other,” according to the website. “In the past, citizens have simply seen a uniform, now they have an understanding about the person behind the badge.” 
 
 And like the one in Punta Gorda, many citizens police academies across the country teach a curriculum that includes addressing use of lethal force by police. 
 
 As citizens heard of the fatal shooting Tuesday night, they took to the comment sections of news articles online, expressing grief — and shock. 
 
 “So sad.” 
 
 “So horrible.” 
 
 “How the hell did this happen?” 
 
 A previous version of this story misidentified Jake Grussing. This post has been updated. 
 
 More from Morning Mix: 
 
 Nine people fatally shot in Chicago, marking city’s deadliest day in more than a decade. 10 more wounded. ||||| The officer involved in an accidental shooting Tuesday evening at the Punta Gorda Citizen Police Academy that left a 73-year-old woman dead has been identified. 
 
 The officer involved in an accidental shooting Tuesday evening at the Punta Gorda Citizen Police Academy that left a 73-year-old woman dead has been identified. 
 
 Mary Knowlton's life served as an inspiration to many people she met through her work as a librarian and volunteer in the community. 
 
 Mary Knowlton's life served as an inspiration to many people she met through her work as a librarian and volunteer in the community. 
 
 The husband of the woman who was accidentally shot and killed by an officer during a Punta Gorda Police Academy training speaks for the first time since the incident. 
 
 The husband of the woman who was accidentally shot and killed by an officer during a Punta Gorda Police Academy training speaks for the first time since the incident. 
 
 Memorial service plans are now underway for Mary Knowlton, the woman shot and killed at the Punta Gorda Police Department's Citizens Police Academy. 
 
 Memorial service plans are now underway for Mary Knowlton, the woman shot and killed at the Punta Gorda Police Department's Citizens Police Academy. 
 
 A month has passed since a Punta Gorda police officer shot and killed a woman during a Citizen's Police Academy session, and we're still waiting for an official account of what happened. 
 
 A month has passed since a Punta Gorda police officer shot and killed a woman during a Citizen's Police Academy session, and we're still waiting for an official account of what happened. 
 
 The City of Punta Gorda and Mary Knowlton’s family reached an agreement on a proposed $2 million settlement in the accidental fatal shooting at the city’s Citizen Police Academy. 
 
 The City of Punta Gorda and Mary Knowlton’s family reached an agreement on a proposed $2 million settlement in the accidental fatal shooting at the city’s Citizen Police Academy. 
 
 The State Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that Officer Lee Coel, the policeman who accidentally shot Mary Knowlton during the Punta Gorda Citizen Police Academy, turned himself in on charges of manslaughter. 
 
 Additionally, Police Chief Tom Lewis was served a summons on misdemeanor culpable negligence for failing to provide a safe environment for 73-year-old Knowlton. 
 
 Coel’s charge is classified as a first-degree felony, and he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. 
 
 Knowlton was randomly chosen to participate in a “shoot or don’t shoot” scenario in August 2016. The exercise simulates using lethal force in a live role play. However, Coel’s gun was loaded, and Knowlton was shot during the exercise. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. 
 
 In November, Knowlton’s family and the city of Punta Gorda reached a settlement of more than $2 million. 
 
 Coel is in the Charlotte County Jail, while Lewis was not arrested. 
 
 We spoke with the city manager about Chief Lewis' job status. He scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning to address the charges. 
 
 As for Coel, he bonded out of jail for $5,000. 
 
 It isn't the first time he's been tied up in controversy. In 2013, he resigned from Miramar Police Department after allegations of excessive force. 
 
 Last year, a man sued to the city and the police department after he was attacked by Coel's K-9 during a traffic stop. 
 
 Neighbors, friends reflect on Knowlton's life 
 
 Knowlton's death rocked the community where she spent much of her time volunteering. 
 
 Neighbors say there's a void left on their street after her death. 
 
 They described her as a perfect person who always tried to make others feel welcome. They said she was described as an organizer – the person on the block who invited everyone to the barbecue and rushed out to welcome new neighbors. 
 
 Her death had been felt by everyone on the street where she lived but none more than her husband, Gary, who they say has been left broken. 
 
 "And to think that he was sitting there, when it happened, he was in the audience," said neighbor Jo Jacqulyn Lazzell. "He and she went down there to do their civic responsibility which is finding out what the police feel like when they're having to attack people." 
 
 The community that Knowlton knew so well has reacted in different ways but all want to know just how those bullets got in the gun. 
 
 "Absolutely astounded that something like this could have happened," said Eugenie Burns of Punta Gorda. "There should have been many checks and balances before the actual training exercise to make sure the weapon was not used." ||||| An eye witness to the fatal shooting of a Florida retiree during a citizen police academy drill in which she was playing a role said Wednesday at first they thought it was "theater" when she suddenly collapsed. 
 
 But when they saw that Mary Knowlton was bleeding, they realized this was no act, witness John Wright told NBC News 
 
 Mary Knowlton ended her employment in 1988. From 1993-2001 she served on the library board of advisers for the Scott County Library system. Provided by family. 
 
 "We all thought that this was part of the theater, we all thought it was expected," said Wright, who is president of the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce and was taking part in the training exercise. "When she went to the floor I think we all realized the severity of what we'd all witnessed." 
 
 Wright said he saw the blood and when he looked over at Punta Gorda Chief Tom Lewis there was "anxiety and panic and horror on his face." 
 
 "Nobody in their wildest dreams thought this was live ammunition in there," he said. 
 
 Wright's wrenching account of the fatal shooting of the 73-year-old mother of two grown sons came as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE ) opened an investigation into Tuesday's tragic shooting. 
 
 Knowlton was taking part in a "shoot/don't shoot" exercise when she was struck by a live round while almost three dozen other participants looked on, Chief Lewis said. And the fatal bullet was fired from a revolver that the officer had used before in "earlier exercises." 
 
 "We were unaware that any live ammunition existed for this kind of weapon," Lewis said. "We thought only blanks were available." 
 
 A civilian was killed in "Shoot/Don't Shoot" Scenario at Punta Gorda Police Department in Florida, Mary is the victim and Gary is her husband. Provided by family 
 
 Lewis said the department has "protocols in place" designed to prevent accidental shootings, but he declined to go into detail citing the FDLE probe. 
 
 The Punta Gorda Police Department later Wednesday identified the officer who shot Knowlton as Lee Coel, who has been on the force since March 17, 2014. 
 
 Coel has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is under way. 
 
 "Like any other human being, he's very grief stricken," Lewis said. "Officers have been assigned to him to make sure he's psychologically stable." 
 
 Citizen police academies like the one Knowlton attended "are common around the state," FDLE spokesman Steve Arthur said. "They're a way of showing the community the various responsibilities of law enforcement." 
 
 So are the "shoot/don't shoot" drills, he said. "It gives people a better idea of what an officer has to deal with when confronted with ambiguous situations," said Arthur. 
 
 But asked whether it was common to use live ammunition in these kinds of drills, Arthur said, "No, it is not." 
 
 Earlier, Knowlton's son Steve told NBC News he forgives the Punta Gorda police officer who fired the fatal shot that killed his mom. 
 
 Mary th victim and her family. Provided by family 
 
 "My mom taught us never to hate," Steve Knowlton, 50, said. "I can't harbor hate." 
 
 Steve Knowlton said he was supposed to celebrate his birthday with his parents this weekend and his dad was "hysterical" when he called him with the news that his mother was dead. 
 
 A retired librarian from Minnesota who was active in Punta Gorda's civic life, Mary Knowlton had signed up for the course after two recent break-ins in her neighborhood, her son said. She also was trying to show support for police officers after the recent deadly attacks on police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 
 
 Steve Knowlton said his mother got picked to play the part of an "intruder." Wright disagreed and said she was actually "playing the police officer." 
 
 Knowlton "was excited to be selected as one of the two people selected to play a role in the shoot/don't shoot scenario," he said. "So Mary went over and started the role play and within 30-40 seconds of it starting, all we heard were three loud bangs," he said.
– In what's being described as a "horrible accident" by Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis, a 73-year-old Florida woman was mistakenly shot dead while participating in a citizen police academy designed to better relations between officers and the community they serve. The "shoot or don't shoot" role-playing session was part of Punta Gorda's eight-week academy—a "series of interactive sessions designed to provide insight into city government and to develop ... civically engaged residents." Mary Knowlton was one of 35 participants who was on Tuesday night touring the police station; she was chosen at random to play the victim to an officer's "bad guy" during a session about when officers decide to use lethal force, reports WBBH. The weapon used should have been fake or empty; instead, Knowlton was hit. The Washington Post reports by way of her Facebook page that Knowlton was a long-time librarian in Minnesota who had relocated to Punta Gorda, where she was part of the Friends of the Punta Gorda Library board of directors. The name of the officer who shot her has not been released, but he is on administrative leave pending an investigation. The Post reports that for three decades, citizen police academies have been offered throughout the US; per decade-old Justice Department stats, about 15% of surveyed police departments had such academies. Said Lewis of the "unimaginable event": "If you pray, please pray for Mary's family, and for the officers who were involved. Everyone involved in this accident is in a state of overwhelming shock and grief."