Schools in Colorado, Florida and Georgia joined a Mithril Defense drone pilot intended to deter or incapacitate shooters with sirens, strobes and pepper gel. The system is not yet operational on at least five campuses and has never been used in a school shooting.
Florida authorized the pilot for schools in three districts in late 2025; Georgia lawmakers appropriated $550,000 for five schools in July, and a Colorado charter school had planned an August installation, the company said. On Sept. 24, Troup County's safety director expected 24 drones at its high school within three to four weeks. The drones could ram an attacker at speeds up to 60 mph if other measures failed. Broward County Public Schools said it had not evaluated, endorsed or authorized any drone capabilities, including pepper spray.
Marston said school staff could alert his team by app or panic button; pilots would use maps and cameras, and in an emergency would not wait for law enforcement's permission to use force. Marston said law-enforcement exercises located a shooter in under a minute, while the company says pilots could locate a threat within 15 seconds. School safety experts Michael Dorn and Kenneth Trump questioned whether drones could respond fast enough; Dorn called the technology impractical given its cost. Both urged schools to prioritize prevention, including threat assessments and stronger student supervision.
