Latest news with #Omnilert
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
Nashville considers adding weapon detection system to all high schools
In the wake of a deadly shooting at Antioch High School last month, the Metro Nashville Public Schools board will consider installing a concealed weapons detection system into all district high schools. A 17-year-old student opened fire in the cafeteria at Antioch High on Jan. 22, fatally shooting 16-year-old student Josselin Corea Escalante and wounding another student. The shooter then fatally shot himself. The tragedy reignited a long-simmering debate over whether MNPS should install metal detectors. Less than a week after the shooting, Antioch High reopened with a new concealed weapons detection system in place known as Evolv. The system includes scanners at the entrance of the school similar to what patrons at a stadium or arena may pass through before an event. System Integrations, which owns Evovl, loaned a system to Antioch High for a monthlong pilot as students returned. "The system has proven to be an effective layer of security, helping detect weapons while maintaining a welcoming and efficient entry process for students," a Friday news release from the district said. 'We see you': Antioch High students return to school with protest, more security after deadly shooting The day of the shooting at Antioch High, a separate system designed to detect brandished weapons failed to pick up the shooter's gun. That system, known as Omnilert, is powered by artificial intelligence and installed on all security cameras across MNPS. District spokesperson Sean Braisted said the student's gun was not detected due to the location of the cameras and the position of the weapon. However, the system did detect the brandished weapons of police officers as they entered the school a short time later. MNPS Director Adrienne Battle said expanding Evolv is "an important step forward" and would take time to implement effectively to make sure the transition is smooth. "There is no single solution to ending gun violence, a national epidemic that affects all parts of society, with access to weapons often going unchecked. However, we remain committed to doing what we can to protect our students and staff in our schools," Battle said in the release. More: Antioch High School's AI weapon detection system failed to detect student's gun before deadly shooting The proposed expansion will go before the MNPS board during its regular meeting Tuesday. It would amend the district's current contract with System Integrations to lease and install the systems on high school campuses district-wide. A preliminary estimate showed the expansion would cost $1.25 million annually, according to the release. The proposal includes a plan to gradually deploy the systems to MNPS high schools in the coming weeks and month to work out efficient entry flow designs, train staff and educate students. While the overall cost may change, it will be up to the district to work out how to secure funding for the systems, if approved. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell reiterated his call for stronger policies to prevent gun violence, but also acknowledged the proposal as a necessary step to address threats to school safety. "I regret that we live in a time when schools must invest in weapons detection systems to keep students safe," O'Connell said in the release. "The reality is that meaningful gun safety measures by state and national leaders have remained out of reach, and we cannot wait for change that may never come." MNPS Board Chair Freda Player also expressed her support for the expansion, saying it is part of a broader effort to train security personnel, secure access to schools and prepare for emergencies. "As a school board, we are committed to providing the tools and resources needed to protect our students against another tragic situation like we experienced at Antioch High," Player said in the release. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville schools: Weapon detection system may expand to all HS campuses
Fox News
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Nashville school district defends no metal detectors before school shooting: 'Unintended consequences'
Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where a deadly shooting took place last Wednesday, did not have metal detectors due to some administrators' concerns about racism, the New York Post reported. "I knew this day was gonna happen," Fran Bush, a former Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) board member, told the New York Post. "I knew it was gonna happen just because it's like a free open door, everybody coming in." The shooting, which left 16-year-old student Josselin Corea Escalante and the suspect dead, has parents calling for the school to bring in metal detectors after the AI security system failed to detect the 17-year-old gunman's weapon. Bush claims she pushed for metal detectors while serving on the MNPS board, but district Director Adrienne Battle wasn't receptive. Battle told reporters that the school district did not have metal detectors because of potential "unintended consequences," but did not elaborate on the possible repercussions. MNPS allegedly sent the Post a study showing that metal detectors can disproportionately impact students of color and instill more of a sense of fear than one of safety for some. However, Bush dismissed this reasoning as a "bunch of bull." "There's no study [that] shows metal detectors don't work," Bush told the Post. "If that was the case, then we won't have them in our airports, sports games, we wouldn't have them in all these places that require security." Parents are demanding that MNPS at least consider installing metal detectors. MNPS mom Mary Uhles told local outlet WSMV 4 that it's time for administrators to take action and not "sit around and wring hands." "At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself the question, which are you more afraid of? Walking through a metal detector or some terrible piece of violence happening?" Another MNPS parent, Melissa Alvarez-Zabriskie told WSMV 4 that she has been demanding metal detectors for years and she believes that they could have "prevented" the fatal shooting that occurred last week. Following the deadly shooting, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed gratitude for "law enforcement & first responders who responded quickly and continue to investigate." He also said he was praying for the victims and their families. "Every day I told her how much I loved her," German Corea, the father of Escalante, told WTVF. "It's not fair." Escalante's aunt also told WTVF that the 16-year-old was a "very calm girl and well-behaved." In February 2023, the MNPS board greenlit a $1 million contract with AI gun detection system Omnilert, which is set to end on Nov. 30, 2025, local outlet WKRN reported. On its website, the AI company claims that the system can identify gun threats and send "human-verified intelligence" to first responders. However, last Wednesday, the system failed to pick up on the 17-year-old suspect's weapon. "AI visual gun detection is a new and promising way to get advance warning before an incident occurs, allowing preventative action to take place. This is particularly so since most gun violence begins outdoors and often in full view of previously unmonitored security cameras. In the Metro Nashville case, unfortunately, the gun was only brandished in the bathroom, where there are no cameras, and then for 30 seconds in the cafeteria where the gun was not visible to the camera, neither to human eyes nor to AI," Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser told Fox News Digital. "We're saddened that this tragic incident occurred despite the various security methods in place, and it serves to remind us of the value of our mission and to redouble our efforts to have monitoring on every available camera. Remarks that the AI system 'failed' are misleading to say the least and may serve only to decrease the safety of children and staff in our schools." MNPS has yet to respond to a Fox News request for comment.
