Artificial intelligence (AI) gun detection systems have been under scrutiny since their launch several years ago, prompting many to question whether these systems are effective and worth the investment. Last month showed an example of the shortcomings of the systems involves a complete police response to a Baltimore County high school over a bag of Doritos.
Baltimore County has installed the Omnilert AI Gun Detection System in numerous schools throughout the county. This system is from a different company than the AI gun detection system that was recently removed from the New York City subway system after failing to detect any firearms. That system is by Evolv. They have yet to detect any actual illegal guns and have been in use in many hospitals and government buildings since 2021. That system has also falsely flagged iPads as revolvers, leading many to question if any of these expensive systems work.
On Friday, Baltimore police responded to an Omnilert alert about a firearm at 5 PM at Parkville High School on the 2600 block of Putty Hill Avenue. Police drew their guns on a group of students, holding them at gunpoint. The officers confirmed that none of the students had any firearms. Then proceeded to search the school, where they were not able to detect any guns.
Last month at another Baltimore school police responded to another incident where the system detected a gun and responded with eight police cars. The student who was detected to have the weapon was handcuffed and searched before police determined the system had mistaken a bag of Doritos for a handgun.
“They made me get on my knees, put my hands behind my back, and cuffed me,” Kenwood student Taki Allen said about the incident that occurred while he was waiting to be picked up from school after his football practice.
“They searched me, and they figured out I had nothing. Then, they went over to where I was standing and found a bag of chips on the floor,” Allen said.
“The first thing I was wondering was, was I about to die? Because they had a gun pointed at me,” Allen said, saying about “eight cop cars” pulled up to the school.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” Allen said.
Kenwood Principal Kate Smith said the school district’s security department reviewed and canceled the gun detection alert after confirming there was no weapon, according to a statement sent to parents. Smith said she reported the matter to Kenwood’s school resource officer, who called local police for support.
The principal didn’t immediately realize the alert had been canceled, a spokesperson for Baltimore County Public Schools said.
“We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident,” Smith said in the statement. “Please know that ensuring the safety of our students and school community is one of our highest priorities.”
Omnilert stated that they “regretted” the incident but noted that the system worked as intended. This alert isn’t the first time a false alert has happened in Baltimore with the system. Last month, the system also detected a gun that turned out to be a false alarm. The system is currently hooked into 7,000 cameras throughout the Baltimore school system and has been in use since 2023. Ammoland News has been unable to locate a single incident where the system has successfully detected a gun. The company is unwilling to provide the data.
“We regret that this incident occurred and wish to convey our concern to the student and the wider community affected by the events that followed,” the company said.
“While the object was later determined not to be a firearm, the process functioned as intended: to prioritize safety and awareness through rapid human verification,” the company added.
The false alarm shows that AI is still in its infancy when it comes to detecting guns. Many worry it is only a matter of time before a mistake happens that leads to a tragedy.
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About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons, follow him on X at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.
