UVALDE, Texas () Three years after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District is implementing artificial intelligence technology to detect firearms and trigger immediate lockdowns.
The district received a $400,000 grant from Omnilert, a Virginia-based company that uses AI to scan existing security cameras for visible weapons. The technology can detect, verify and respond to gun threats within 30 seconds, according to company officials.
“The sooner you know there’s a threat on your campus, the sooner you can respond,” Ashley Chohlis, superintendent of Uvalde CISD, told . “I believe that any amount of time that you can put between your people and a threat is a game changer.”
The May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary exposed what a Justice Department report called “cascading failures” by law enforcement during the 77-minute attack.
$400K Omnilert grant provides 30-second threat detection & response
The new AI system aims to provide faster response times by immediately alerting school officials and police when a brandished weapon is detected.
Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser told the company created the Safe Haven Grant specifically for Uvalde after the tragedy.
“After Uvalde, it really was a dramatic awakening of almost a frustration of people trying to figure out what they could do to safeguard schools,” Fraser said.
System scans cameras for weapons, triggers lockdowns automatically
The technology works by monitoring security camera feeds using AI algorithms trained to recognize firearms. When a weapon is spotted, the system verifies the threat and can automatically lock doors, sound alarms and send notifications to authorities within seconds.
District officials emphasized the system does not use facial recognition technology and stores no personal data. It focuses exclusively on detecting brandished weapons, though it will not trigger alerts for holstered firearms carried by authorized personnel.
“We will not be using it for any kind of facial recognition or to identify people,” Chohlis said. “It is purely for gun detection.”
Technology deployed in 600+ schools
The Uvalde district has already implemented additional security measures since 2022, including 8-foot, nonscalable fencing and two dedicated security officers who monitor cameras around the clock.
Omnilert’s technology is currently deployed in more than 1,000 organizations nationwide, including over 600 schools across 50 districts. The company serves hospitals, businesses, transportation hubs and sports arenas.
Fraser acknowledged the system has limitations, particularly with concealed weapons, and recommends a “layered approach” to security that includes multiple detection methods.
The installation is currently underway across Uvalde CISD campuses, with full deployment expected before the end of the school year.
