Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is moving forward with enhanced security measures by implementing “Evolv” weapons detection systems at McGavock High School and Cane Ridge High School this week.
The decision follows the tragic January school shooting at Antioch High School, where Josselin “Dayana” Corea Escalante lost her life in the cafeteria. Antioch High School piloted the AI-driven detection system on students’ first day back after the incident. In February, the MNPS board voted to install these systems in all Nashville high schools to bolster security.
Unlike the security measures in place during the Antioch shooting, the Evolv system uses artificial intelligence to identify weapons as individuals enter the building. The same technology is currently used at Nissan Stadium and Bridgestone Arena.
According to an MNPS spokesperson, the district plans to continue rolling out the new safety measures in two high schools per week, pausing only for spring break.
Last month, an 18-year-old student at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville was arrested this week for allegedly bringing a loaded handgun onto school property. Christopher Hayes, a senior, was charged after school administrators discovered the weapon, along with five magazines, in the glovebox of his vehicle parked on campus.
Authorities also linked Hayes’ vehicle to attempted break-ins from the previous week. School resource officers took him into custody, and he was booked on a $15,000 bond.
The incident comes just one month following the death of 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante, who was fatally shot on Wednesday, Jan. 22, when a fellow student opened fire in the Antioch High School cafeteria.
“Every school shooting affects every student in the state of Tennessee,” said rally organizer Hannah Mosher, a senior at Hume-Fogg High School. “We are all scared, and we really need legislative action as soon as possible so this does not happen again.”
