Early this year, defense companies are set to provide drones to schools to help address active shooter situations.
Initially, schools in Colorado, Florida, and Georgia will implement Mithril Defense drones as part of their security measures. Mithril Defense, founded by U.S. veterans in 2023, specializes in creating small, non-lethal drones designed for education, marine environments, oil and gas industries, and defense sectors.
The drone, named the Campus Guardian Angel, can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour indoors and 160 miles per hour outdoors. This drone is equipped with pepper spray, strobe lights, sirens, and glass-breaking tools, aiming to reach an active shooter in just 15 seconds. As a last resort, it can charge at people at speeds up to 90 miles per hour.
“This is the initial rollout for schools,” said Mithril’s CEO, Justin Marston. “We believe every educational institution ought to have some form of shooter mitigation system. In five years, it’ll be unthinkable to send kids to a school that lacks one.”
Six drones will be stored in boxes placed at various locations around the school. They will be operated remotely by a team of drone pilots located in Austin, Texas, who will utilize the school’s “digital twin” to maneuver the drones.
The purpose of the Campus Guardian Angel is to “distract, disorient, confront, degrade, and incapacitate an active shooter,” granting law enforcement crucial time to arrive and potentially saving lives.
The first few moments of an incident can be the most perilous.
Before law enforcement shows up, schools depend on various protective mechanisms like panic buttons, locked doors, lockdown procedures, and classroom barricades.
— Campus Guardian Angel (@cga_drones) March 20, 2026
“Officers shouldn’t have to risk their lives for what a drone can do; the drone doesn’t have a life, it’s just a piece of plastic,” Marston remarked. “We can quickly move to the next one. A police officer’s life is much more valuable.”
Three school districts in Florida announced plans to begin a drone pilot program in November 2025, as noted in a release from the Florida Department of Education. The initiative is expected to cost about $557,000.
In Georgia, five school districts have been approved to test the drone program starting in June, with funding of $550,000 set aside by the Georgia General Assembly for this effort.
John Adams Academy Douglas County, a public charter school in Colorado, is also on board to pilot this system, joining schools in Florida and Georgia.
This drone initiative is aimed at enhancing school safety amidst rising concerns over school shootings. Reports indicate there have been over 1,000 school shooting incidents in the past three years, a staggering increase compared to a decade ago, resulting in 800 injuries or fatalities.
Nonetheless, some parents are wary about the integration of drones, arguing that their presence doesn’t necessarily equate to increased safety.
“They’re being remotely operated from Texas. These are our kids, and now they have to deal with drones,” voiced parent Kim Carroll.
Jennifer Iversen raised concerns about the potential risks associated with the drone’s pepper spray features, saying, “What if it accidentally harms a child? This raises numerous ethical and legal dilemmas.”
“Though this company has deployed drones in other locations, we have no real data on their effectiveness,” remarked parent Julie Ort. “School safety is vital, and children shouldn’t be subjected to experimentation.”
