Schools In Three States Test Pepper-Spray Drones For Shooter Response
Several K-12 schools in Colorado, Florida and Georgia will deploy Mithril Defense's pepper-spraying Campus Guardian Angel drones for the 2026-27 school year, company officials said.[1]
The drones are remotely piloted from Mithril's Austin, Texas, headquarters and can fly up to 50 mph in hallways.[1] Mithril says a drone can locate a shooter in about 15 seconds and use sirens, strobe lights and pepper gel to disable a threat.[1] The company says each drone can ram an attacker at up to 60 mph as a last resort.[1]
Mithril secured state funding for deployments in five Georgia school districts and three in Florida at roughly $20,000 per year for an 80,000-square-foot school.[1] Districts plan to begin rollouts in classrooms and hallways for the 2026-27 school year as officials weigh new tools to respond to active-shooter threats.
The move comes as districts explore technology beyond guards, cameras and metal detectors. U.S. schools collectively spend about $4 billion annually on physical security measures such as cameras and metal detectors, a figure districts cite when considering novel options.
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📌 Key Facts
- Several K-12 schools in Colorado, Florida and Georgia will deploy Mithril Defense’s Campus Guardian Angel drones for the 2026-27 school year.
- The drones are remotely piloted from Mithril’s Austin, Texas, headquarters, can fly up to 50 mph in hallways, and aim to locate a shooter within about 15 seconds.
- Each drone can use sirens, strobe lights and pepper gel, and can ram an attacker at up to 60 mph as a last resort.
- State governments are funding deployments in five Georgia school districts and three in Florida, at roughly $20,000 per year for an 80,000-square-foot school.
- U.S. schools collectively spend about $4 billion annually on physical security measures such as cameras and metal detectors.
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