AI weapon detection system at Nashville high school failed to detect gun, official says
Rachel Wegner, USA TODAY NETWORK
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — An artificial intelligence-powered weapon detection software installed on cameras at Antioch High School failed to pick up the firearm the suspected shooter used in a shooting Wednesday that killed a 16-year-old female student, a Nashville school district official said.
The software, known as Omnilert, is an add-on to the camera network at all Metro Nashville Public Schools campuses. The district invested over $1 million in the software after the school board approved a contract in February 2023.
"In this instance, based on the location of the shooter and the position of the weapon, it did not activate the system," Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.
But the system did activate as armed police officers entered the school, he said.
The shooting killed Josselin Corea Escalante, 16, and left a 17-year-old wounded after a bullet grazed him. The suspected shooter, Solomon Henderson, 17, then fatally shot himself, according to police.
Authorities are still investigating the shooting.
Metro Nashville Police Department John Drake said the suspected shooter was a student at Antioch High and that he rode the bus to school Wednesday morning before making his way to the cafeteria, where he confronted and shot Escalante. He then fired several rounds before turning the gun on himself, Drake said.
'Committed to understanding how and why this happened'
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle said Wednesday that multiple safety measures are in place at Antioch High, including school resource officers, a secured vestibule at the entrance, and cameras with weapon-detection software.
She praised school staff, including school resource officers who rushed to the cafeteria from another part of the building, for responding quickly as the shooting unfolded.
"While we have been focused on addressing the immediate situation, we are committed to understanding how and why this happened and what more we can do to prevent such tragedies in the future," Battle said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "It’s important to remember that our schools have historically been safe places for learning, friendship, and growth. We cannot allow this tragedy to overshadow the positive experiences of our 80,000 students."
Antioch High School will be closed for the rest of the week. All other district schools will remain open this week, and school counselors will be on hand to provide support.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville high school shooting: AI system failed to detect firearm