Antioch High School shooter Solomon Henderson managed to evade an artificial intelligence weapon detection system in the moments before he opened fire and killed 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante.
Metro Nashville Public Schools had invested more than $1 million in the Omnilert system, which works with all the district's cameras to instantly identify weapons and alert local police, the Tennessean reports.
But when Henderson, 17, grabbed a gun from the men's room Wednesday morning, the camera system didn't detect his weapon.
“In this case, based on the shooter's location and the position of the weapon, the system did not activate,” school district spokesman Sean Braisted said at a news conference Thursday.
However, when police and school staff arrived on the scene, the system was activated.
Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser also emphasized to NBC News that “this is not a case where the firearm is not recognized by the system,” and that instead “the location of the shooter and the firearm meant the weapon was not visible.”
Police have said Henderson opened fire in the school cafeteria shortly after 11 a.m., firing several rounds from a handgun before killing himself with the weapon.
Another student was also injured with an abrasion to the arm and was rushed to hospital in a stable condition, while a fourth boy was injured during the commotion to flee the scene.
Antioch High School shooter Solomon Henderson, 17, skillfully avoided an artificial intelligence weapon detection system in the moments before opening fire
The Omnilert system was only activated after school personnel deployed their weapons
Metro Nashville Public Schools had invested more than $1 million in the system
Nashville Schools Superintendent Adrienne Battle said in the aftermath that the district has implemented a “range of safety measures,” including partnerships with police for school staff, unbreakable film for windows and security vestibules that provide a barrier between visitors and schools. the main entrance.
“It all works together as a system, but one system alone will not keep people safe,” Braisted said Thursday.
“And there are also concerns among the general public about the way a 17-year-old has a gun.
“I mean, these are questions that are beyond the scope of Metro Schools, but they need to be addressed by the broader community.
“But we are doing what we can as a district to install and equip our schools with the safety protocols and resources that we can use to be safe.”
Donald Maye, chief of operations at IPVM, a surveillance technology research firm, said Wednesday's shooting “highlights the challenges school districts face.”
“They'll make these announcements that they've invested millions in a solution, and then there's still a lot of cases where the system won't be a factor in preventing violence.”
Adrienne Battle, Nashville's superintendent of schools, spoke about the district's safety measures during a news conference Wednesday
Amy Klinger, director of programs for the nonprofit Educator's School Safety Network, added that the most effective protections schools can use to prevent violence are based on building trust among students, teachers and administrators to recognize early signs of violence. share potential threats, such as erratic behavior or disturbing behavior. posts on social media.
“In the vast majority of cases, there is something concerning — behavior, disclosures, conversations, warning signs — that you might notice if someone was paying attention,” she said.
'If you combine that with technology, great. But you can't replace it with technology.'
It is now believed that Henderson was 'significantly influenced' by web-based material found on sites which police said 'most would find harmful or offensive'.
There are also online materials that police are investigating, Police Chief John Drake said Wednesday.
Henderson shot and killed 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante shortly after 11 a.m
“There are a number of materials on the Internet that we are looking at, that are currently being investigated,” he said, according to The Tennessean.
“We think there is some material, and maybe they were seen,” he continued, adding that if someone “said something, maybe more could have been done.”
Henderson even streamed the shooting online and had written on his X page that he had saved enough money to buy a GoPro camera “but it was hard to explain to my parents why I needed it so I couldn't don't buy,” said Henderson. to Rough Story.
But classmates described Henderson to WKRN as a 'smart person' [at the] the best in the class' who was 'quiet and private.'
He also attended the military training program and may have had at least one “prior incident” in high school, Drake said at a news conference — though he said he wasn't sure of the details.
On Wednesday, police said they received a call about a shooting at the school within two minutes of Henderson opening fire.
Two school officers were also in the building, but were not in the immediate vicinity of the cafeteria, and by the time they arrived on the scene, Henderson had already committed suicide.
On Wednesday, police said they received a call about a shooting at the school within two minutes of Henderson opening fire
Another student suffered a grazed arm and another suffered a facial injury during the chaos to flee the scene
Police had initially alleged that the teenage shooter took the bus to school that day, but authorities have since learned that his mother drove him to high school, according to Fox News.
Officers also determined that Henderson fired ten shots from a 9mm handgun within just 16 seconds of entering the cafeteria.
The gun was loaded with nine rounds when it was recovered at the scene, and a magazine loaded with seven rounds was also recovered from the cafeteria floor.
The Metro Nashville Police Department investigation found no connection between the shooter and the victims.
“They may have been affected by his random gunfire in the cafeteria,” the department said, WSMV reported.
But police have determined that the gun used in the shooting was purchased by an unknown person in Arizona in 2022 and was not reported stolen. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is now helping police determine how Henderson obtained the gun.
