A weapon detection system using artificial intelligence did not identify the handgun that a 17-year-old student used in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday. The shooting resulted in the death of a 16-year-old girl, according to officials.
The software named Omnilert didn’t identify the gun because of the camera locations at Antioch High School, according to Sean Braisted, a spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public Schools, during a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
Braisted said the cops turned on the system while responding to the shooting, and they had their weapons out.
Omnilert works with the school’s current camera system and uses AI to spot weapons. However, in this case, the shooter was too far from the cameras for the system to accurately identify the threat and trigger an alarm.
Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser said in an email that the shooter’s position and the gun made it hard to see the weapon. “The system recognizes the firearm.”
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said, “No system can perfectly identify everything a person has.”
Omnilert changes security cameras into tools that save lives and help lower the costs related to gun crime, according to its website. It helps find guns and sends out alerts right away.
“We wanted a system that could work with multiple cameras across the network to capture what is on camera.” “It works, but it won’t work all the time or in every situation, depending on where the weapon can be seen,” Braisted said. “That’s why we have extra safety and security measures.”
Besides Omnilert, the school has AI systems at the front door, security entryways, and employs school police officers.
“It all functions as a system, but no single system can ensure people’s safety,” Braisted said. “And there’s also just the general public worries around how a 17-year-old has a weapon.
“These questions are important, but they go beyond what Metro Schools can handle. The whole community needs to deal with them,” he said. “But we are doing what we can as a district to install and equip our schools with the safety protocols and resources that we can use to be safe.”
The missed finding shows that high-tech security systems have their flaws and that there are risks in depending on them, according to experts.
“This shows the problems that school districts have,” said Donald Maye, head of operations at IPVM, a company that studies surveillance technology and weapon recognition systems.
“They announce that they have invested millions in a solution, but there are still many situations where the system won’t help prevent violence,” Maye said.
Amy Klinger, who runs programs at the nonprofit Educator’s School Safety Network, said the best way to prevent violence is to create trust between students, teachers, and school leaders. This trust helps them share early warnings of potential dangers, such as strange behavior or concerning social media activity.
“In most cases, there are signs to worry about — like behaviors, conversations, or warnings — that someone can notice if they are being alert,” Klinger said. “If you mix that with technology, that’s good.” “But technology can’t take its place.”
Some people have asked why the school didn’t use metal scanners. Battle told reporters on Thursday that study shows there are benefits and drawbacks to using the detectors.
There are many unexpected results, especially when we consider the kind of learning environments we want for our kids. “We want our students to connect with their principals, teachers, and classmates first,” she said.
It’s not clear why the shooting happened. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said that investigators are checking online papers thought to be from the shooter, Solomon Henderson. He shot and killed himself after the incident.
Authorities stated that Henderson was an engaged student. They reported that he took the school bus before he later opened fire in the cafeteria, resulting in the death of Josselin Corea Escalante. Another student was hurt when he was hit in the arm.
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