DELTONA, Fla. — A Florida high school has become the first in the nation to install a drone-based security system designed to confront active shooters before law enforcement arrives, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Deltona High School began using the Campus Guardian Angel system in fall of 2026. Made by Texas-based Mithril Defense, the drones are stationed throughout campus and can be launched remotely to locate, distract and potentially incapacitate an attacker while officers respond.
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How it works
School staff can alert the company through an app or a panic button. Trained pilots in Austin, Texas, then launch the nearest drones and use school security cameras, onboard cameras and digital maps to find the threat, according to the WSJ.
The drones use sirens, strobe lights and pepper gel. If those fail, they can ram a shooter at up to 60 mph, USA Today reported.
The company says it aims to launch drones within five seconds of an alert, reach an attacker within 15 seconds and incapacitate the threat within 60 seconds. CEO Justin Marston told USA Today the company will ask local law enforcement for permission to use force but won’t wait for approval in an emergency.
During a recent demonstration in October observed by the WSJ, two drones flew into a room and circled a dummy representing an armed attacker, creating a distraction before an officer entered.
Deputies train alongside pilots
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has also been training with the system. In a August social media video, the agency showed school resource deputies running active-threat scenarios at Deltona High School with Campus Guardian Angel pilots.
The training focused on communication between deputies and remote operators, who can relay live camera views as officers respond.
Expansion and open questions
Marston told the WSJ that three more Florida schools and five Georgia schools are preparing to adopt the system, and that schools in Colorado and Texas have raised money for installations. Florida authorized the pilot for three districts in late 2025, and Georgia lawmakers appropriated $550,000 in July for five schools, according to USA Today. Marston told the outlet he expects the program to reach “seven or eight” states by the end of the year.
Not every campus is live. Officials in Florida and Georgia told USA Today the system is not yet operational at at least five participating schools. A Broward County Public Schools spokesperson said the district has not evaluated, endorsed or authorized any specific drone capabilities, including pepper spray deployment. In Georgia, Troup County School System’s athletics and safety director said in late September that 24 drones were expected at Troup County High School within three to four weeks.
Marston acknowledged the drones have never been used in an actual school shooting. He said they can’t break through doors or certain types of windows and that a gunman could shoot them down. He said the company doesn’t plan to arm them with lethal weapons.
Campus Guardian Angel, which demonstrated its drones at University Park Elementary in Texas’ Highland Park Independent School District in April 2025, is also developing similar systems for workplaces, houses of worship and other public venues.
Would you want drone support during an active shooter response at your school? Why or why not?
