Against school shootings, the use of drones experimented in the United States

In the face of school shootings, an American company is marketing drones remotely piloted by human operators from a center based in Austin, Texas. Coordinated in real-time with law enforcement, they are intended to be a first line of response.

“Our CEO observed the effectiveness of drones in first-person view (FPV, which immerses the pilot as if in the cockpit, NDLR) on the battlefield in Ukraine. This led him to rethink how to introduce this system to address a growing problem in the United States: school shootings,” explains AFP’s Khristof Oborski, director of tactical operations at Campus Guardian Angel.

The company is conducting pilot programs in several schools in Florida and Georgia, funded by local authorities. In Houston, Texas, even parents have taken up this initiative, Mr. Oborski explains.

According to a database from the IntelliSee portal, 233 incidents involving firearms were recorded on American educational campuses in the year 2025 alone.

The company first maps the school in 3D to optimize intervention routes.

The drones are then placed in mini-hangars strategically located. The goal is to intervene anywhere in less than 15 seconds after the alarm is triggered, to reduce the response time before the arrival of police forces.

“The type of intervention is determined by the suspect’s actions. If it’s a child walking down a hallway with a gun, our presence alone could be enough to defuse the situation. Our drones are equipped with an audio system, allowing us to communicate with the suspect and give instructions like ‘Hey! Drop that weapon, we don’t want anything bad to happen to you’,” explains Mr. Oborski.

“In contrast, if the individual is actively harming children, we immediately take action,” either by striking the attacker with the drone or by using non-lethal pepper gel, he continues.

This strategy aims to divert the attacker’s attention and keep them under surveillance until the police arrive.

“Does this system rely on artificial intelligence? Our answer is no: there is no AI involved here. This precision reassures many people, especially when they discover that the operators we employ are elite professionals, hand-picked – simply the best experts,” observes Bill King, co-founder of the company.

Teams consist of four pilots, one responsible for liaising with the police, mostly from professional drone leagues.

“Being the ‘nerd’ who works behind the scenes to support the heroes of this world – those who protect us from lurking dangers – is a deeply rewarding experience,” testifies 30-year-old drone pilot Alex Campbell. “It’s a huge satisfaction to be able to contribute and help these men and women on the ground, even though I’m just a technician who isn’t meant to be on the front lines.”

The service is offered in the form of annual contracts, with costs varying based on the size and layout of the establishments.

“The ideal scenario would be to install this system in absolutely all schools in the United States… and never have to use it. Because it has a real deterrent force,” concludes Bill King, a former member of the Navy Seals, the US Navy’s special forces.