AI Weapon Detection System Didn’t Detect Gun Used in Nashville School Shooting

The artificial intelligence-generated system used to detect guns inside Nashville’s public schools did not spot the gun a student used in the fatal shooting at Antioch High School this week.

The software, called Omnilert, did not detect the gun because of where security cameras were located in the school, but it did activate when police officers who responded to the scene drew their weapons, Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted said at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 23, according to NBC News.

The Tennessean reports that the system was installed at all public schools in the district after a contract was approved in February 2023. The district reportedly invested over $1 million into the software.

“There is not one system that is 100% going to capture everything that a person may have on them,” Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said, per NBC News.

According to its website, Omnilert connects to already installed security cameras and uses AI technology to identify “gun threats and triggers immediate, intelligence-driven responses.”

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Jan. 24, Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser said, “Our hearts go out to the students, staff, families, and the entire Nashville community affected by this tragic event.”

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our schools is our top priority,” he added. “We can confirm that the Omnilert Gun Detect system is deployed at Metro Nashville schools but in this case the location of the shooter and the firearm meant that the weapon was not visible. This is not a case of the firearm not being recognized by the system.”

The shooting on Wednesday, Jan. 22, claimed the life of 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante and wounded another student. The student gunman, identified by police as 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, carried out the shooting in the school’s cafeteria before dying by suicide.

Metro Nashville police said they are investigating “concerning on-line writings and social media posts” connected to Henderson as they work to establish a motive for the shooting.

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In an update shared on Thursday, Jan. 23, police said the 9mm pistol used in the shooting was purchased by someone in Arizona in 2022. “It had not been reported stolen,” police said. “Efforts continue here and out of state to further this aspect of the overall investigation.”

Corea Escalante is remembered as a “kind and loving” girl who played soccer and got good grades, her family told News Channel 5 Nashville.