A Florida school district has selected an artificial intelligence (AI)-based gun detection platform as a way to proactively protect its students and faculty against gun-related violence.

Leon County Schools of Tallahassee, Florida has deployed the A.I.-based gun detection video analytics platform ZeroEyes, which holds a U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, across five high school campuses.

The system has been added to Leon County Schools’ multi-layered security plan in response to rising gun-related violence in schools, with the K-12 School Shooting Database reporting more than 240 incidents to date in 2023. The district has a history of school safety and security, manning a 24-hour security center and working hand-in-hand with the Leon County Sheriff's Office for more than 40 years as part of its School Resource Program.

Leon County Schools is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida and is the sole school district of the county. Its mission is to support an engaging, safe and respectful learning environment that embraces change and produces successful learners who value diversity and are conscientious contributors to society.

The AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software will be layered on existing digital security cameras at the five high schools as a pilot project. If a gun is identified, images will instantly be shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC), staffed 24/7/365 by specially trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. If a threat is determined to be valid, alerts and actionable intelligence will be dispatched, including visual description, gun type and last known location, to local staff and first responders in as fast as 3 to 5 seconds from detection.

A variety of K-12 school districts and other industries have adopted gun detection technology to improve building safety.