Several US Schools to Deploy Pepper-Spraying Drones for Active Shooter Response
Multiple US schools are set to install drones equipped with pepper spray and other non-lethal tools to intervene during school shootings, a concept inspired by drone warfare in Ukraine. The initiative, led by Texas-based Campus Guardian Angel, has drawn both support and criticism.
Several schools across the United States are planning to introduce drones that can spray pepper and perform other actions to neutralize attackers during school shootings. The technology, developed by Austin, Texas-based company Campus Guardian Angel, is inspired by the use of small drones on battlefields in Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion.
According to the company, the drones activate after an alert and confirmation of a credible threat. They can be flown remotely from thousands of miles away and are equipped with a speakerphone for two-way communication, allowing operators to talk to the shooter or school staff. The drones have a battery life of about eight minutes, operate at 900 MHz, and can fly through windows not coated with ballistic film using a front lance. They are also fitted with sirens, air poppers, and a pepper launcher that can fire pepper balls or deliver kinetic energy strikes to incapacitate an attacker.
Company co-founder Bill King, a former Navy SEAL senior enlisted leader, and tactical operations director Khristof Oborski, a former Austin police SWAT team leader, stated that the goal is to keep the shooter occupied with waves of three to four drones until law enforcement arrives.
Schools set to pilot the program include Coffee County High School in Georgia, Gainesville High School, River Ridge High School, and Statesboro High School, with Georgia's legislature allocating $550,000 for the initiative. In Florida, Deltona High School plans to install 39 drones, along with Amos P. Godby High School and Boyd H. Anderson High School. John Adams Academy in Colorado is also preparing to adopt the technology.
However, critics argue that the focus should be on prevention rather than reaction. Tony Montalto, whose daughter was killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting, emphasized the need for preventive measures. Data from the Washington Post shows that since the 1999 Columbine shooting, over 398,000 students have experienced gun violence at school.
