According to the New York Post, Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where a tragic shooting occurred recently, did not use metal detectors. This decision was reportedly influenced by concerns from certain administrators about racism.
Fran Bush, a former member of the Metro Nashville Public Schools board, expressed her anticipation of such an incident. She shared with the New York Post her belief that the lack of security measures like metal detectors contributed to the tragedy.
The violent event resulted in the deaths of 16-year-old student Josselin Corea Escalante and the suspected shooter, a 17-year-old. In response to this tragedy, parents are demanding that the school implement metal detectors, especially after the failure of the AI security system to detect the presence of the gun brought by the assailant.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said a shooting incident is under investigation at Antioch High School. Three people have been wounded, including the suspect, who shot himself. (X/ @MNPDNashville)
“Every day I told her how much I loved her,” German Corea, the father of Escalante, told WTVF. “It’s not fair.”Â
Escalante’s aunt also told WTVF that the 16-year-old was a “very calm girl and well-behaved.”
In February 2023, the MNPS board greenlit a $1 million contract with AI gun detection system Omnilert, which is set to end on Nov. 30, 2025, local outlet WKRN reported. On its website, the AI company claims that the system can identify gun threats and send “human-verified intelligence” to first responders. However, last Wednesday, the system failed to pick up on the 17-year-old suspect’s weapon.
“AI visual gun detection is a new and promising way to get advance warning before an incident occurs, allowing preventative action to take place. This is particularly so since most gun violence begins outdoors and often in full view of previously unmonitored security cameras. In the Metro Nashville case, unfortunately, the gun was only brandished in the bathroom, where there are no cameras, and then for 30 seconds in the cafeteria where the gun was not visible to the camera, neither to human eyes nor to AI,” Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser told Fox News Digital.
“We’re saddened that this tragic incident occurred despite the various security methods in place, and it serves to remind us of the value of our mission and to redouble our efforts to have monitoring on every available camera. Remarks that the AI system ‘failed’ are misleading to say the least and may serve only to decrease the safety of children and staff in our schools.”
MNPS has yet to respond to a Fox News request for comment.
