AUSTIN – An idea plucked straight out of a sci-fi movie will soon land at Boerne Independent School District campuses — drones meant to stop school shooters.
“I’ve grown so much to appreciate the concept now, but my initial reaction was no, this doesn’t make any sense,” said Rick Goodrich, the district’s chief of safety and security.
For the last year, he has worked to bring Campus Guardian Angel to Boerne ISD.
The district’s legal team has signed off on the system, which is set to be installed later this school year, according to a district spokesperson.
Goodrich said his focus is on keeping students safe.
“I really look at all these children as if they’re my own,” he said. “Because I see my daughter’s face in them.”
Sirens, pepper balls, strikes
KSAT Investigates visited Campus Guardian Angel’s headquarters in Austin to see the drones in action.
The co-founders of the startup said the goal is for the drones to confront a school shooter within 15 seconds.
The drones use loud sirens, flashing lights, pepper balls and even direct strikes to distract a threat.
Bill King, the chief tactical officer and co-founder, said the non-lethal tactics are used to buy law enforcement time.
“I’m gonna hit you at 60, 70 miles an hour,” he said. “It’s not gonna kill you. It’s like getting hit by a baseball bat.”
When the drones are deployed, a team of highly skilled pilots uses virtual reality and cameras to navigate around a school.
Once the system is activated, the Austin-based team will be responsible for piloting the drones in Boerne ISD schools.
“From Austin, we can fly drones at any school in the nation in five seconds,” said Justin Marston, the CEO and co-founder of the startup.
“Where do you get an idea like this?” KSAT Investigates asked.
“The inspiration came originally from just looking at how incredibly effective small drones were against people with guns in Ukraine,” Marston said.
Marston believes the drones would have saved lives in Uvalde. Three years ago, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School.
“We feel very good that had we been there, we would have been able to confront that person in the parking lot and the shooter would never have made it into the building,” he said.
Marston said a parent of a victim from the 2018 Parkland, Florida, shooting believed Campus Guardian Angel would have saved lives there.
Goodrich hopes the district never has to use the drones.
“I pray we never do,” he said.
The district is prioritizing prevention by using teachers, nurses and law enforcement to assist students requiring additional support.
“When we hear that there’s a need, whether it be an acute, urgent or crisis-level need, we’re ready to respond,” said Krista Pomeroy, Boerne ISD’s chief student support officer.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.