Drones Equipped With Pepper Spray Aim to Combat School Shootings

WHO:

Fast Company - Mithril Defense developed the Campus Guardian Angel drones.

Fast Company - Justin Marston is the CEO of Mithril Defense.

The Guardian - Campus Guardian Angel of Austin, Texas, is providing the drones to multiple schools across the country.

CBS News - Schools in three states are involved in the initiative to use drones.

ABC News - Several schools across the country are participating in the installation of the drones.

WHAT:

Fast Company - The Campus Guardian Angel drones can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and can ram into an active threat at around 60 miles per hour.

Fast Company - The drones can spray pepper gel, flash strobe lights, or sound sirens to slow down a shooter.

The Guardian - The drones can remain airborne for about eight minutes on a single battery charge and operate at 900 MHz.

The Guardian - The drones are equipped with a pepper launcher capable of firing pepper balls at a shooter and can deliver kinetic energy strikes against a confirmed attacker.

CBS News - Drones equipped with pepper spray will be used to find and deter active shooters.

ABC News - The use of pepper-spraying drones is part of a new effort to protect children from school shooting attacks.

WHERE:

The Guardian - The Georgia state legislature included $550,000 in its annual budget to fund the drone program.

The Guardian - The drones are set to be installed in at least four schools in Georgia, three in Florida, and one in Colorado.

The Guardian - John Adams Academy in Douglas County, Colorado, is preparing to introduce the drone technology.

The Guardian - The Georgia schools set to pilot the drone program include Coffee County High School in Douglas, Gainesville High School in Gainesville, River Ridge High School in Woodstock, and Statesboro High School in Statesboro.

The Guardian - In Florida, Deltona High School in Volusia County is set to install 39 drones, with other schools including Amos P Godby High School in Leon County and Boyd H Anderson High School in Broward County.

CBS News - The initiative is taking place in schools located in three states.

ABC News - Schools across the country are set to install the drones.

WHEN:

CBS News - The drones will be equipped and operational in schools during the upcoming academic year.

WHY:

The Guardian - Bill King, co-founder of Campus Guardian Angel, stated, “Once I get the drones on you, you just can’t escape them.”

The Guardian - Khristof Oborski, tactical operations director, noted that the concept was inspired by the use of small drones on the battlefields in Ukraine after Russia invaded in February 2022.

Fast Company - Mithril CEO Justin Marston stated, “We think every school should have some kind of active-shooter suppression system, and five years from now, you wouldn’t send your kids to a school that doesn’t have one.”

The Guardian - The company stated its goal is to “escalate the effects in waves of 3 or 4 drones, keeping the shooter occupied until he/she can be apprehended by authorized responders.”

ABC News - The motivation behind the initiative is to enhance safety and protect kids from potential active shooter situations.

HOW:

The Guardian - The drones can fly through windows that are not coated with ballistic film, using a front lance to break through.

The Guardian - The drones can be flown from thousands of miles away and support two-way communication through an embedded speakerphone, allowing the company’s response team to engage verbally with a threat or communicate to teachers and school staff.

CBS News - The drones are designed to respond within seconds to active shooter situations.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 23:18 UTC)

The Georgia state legislature has allocated $550,000 in its annual budget to fund a new drone program, which will see drones installed in at least four schools in Georgia, three in Florida, and one in Colorado. Bill King, co-founder of Campus Guardian Angel, emphasized the effectiveness of the drones, stating, “Once I get the drones on you, you just can’t escape them,” while tactical operations director Khristof Oborski explained that the idea was inspired by the use of small drones on battlefields in Ukraine. These drones are designed to fly through windows that lack ballistic film, using a front lance to break through barriers.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 22:25 UTC)

Mithril Defense has developed innovative Campus Guardian Angel drones, which can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and ram into threats at around 60 miles per hour. These drones, capable of spraying pepper gel, flashing strobe lights, or sounding sirens, are set to be introduced at John Adams Academy in Douglas County, Colorado, as part of a new active-shooter suppression system. CEO Justin Marston emphasized the importance of such technology, stating that in five years, parents wouldn’t want to send their kids to a school without these safety measures in place.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 16:24 UTC)

Campus Guardian Angel of Austin, Texas, is rolling out drones to multiple schools across the country, with a focus on Georgia and Florida. These drones can stay airborne for about eight minutes on a single battery charge and are equipped with a pepper launcher to incapacitate potential threats while allowing for two-way communication with a response team. Schools like Coffee County High School in Georgia and Deltona High School in Florida will be among the first to pilot this program, which aims to keep a shooter occupied until authorized responders can intervene.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 14:46 UTC)

Schools in three states are set to participate in a new initiative that involves the installation of drones equipped with pepper spray, aimed at finding and deterring active shooters. This effort, which is part of a nationwide movement to enhance safety and protect children from potential school shooting attacks, will see the drones operational during the upcoming academic year. Designed to respond within seconds to active shooter situations, these drones represent a significant step in school safety measures.