As gun violence has increased drastically throughout the years in public education, the list of safety precautions schools take has only gotten longer. Many teachers want to reassure their students that they are in a secure environment as much as possible, but there is only so much they can do to enforce the security they speak of. Unfortunately, as time has gone on, more unfortunate events have occurred; but technology has also advanced to prevent the absolute worst from happening.

Schools in North Carolina have auto-locks on their doors that require a key card to gain entry. Windows serve two purposes in Ohio schools; they are bullet resistant as well as emergency escape routes. Though, these defense efforts have not been proven to be enough to put public educators at ease. Not only have teacher’s professions been interrupted by the pandemic, they’ve also had a hard time feeling safe in an in-person environment. Many do not think the government is taking as many preventative measures as it should.

As a student attending the same environment five out of seven days a week, with every bit of certainty, I agree with the safety concerns of the average American public school teacher, and have high hopes for further development of defensive mechanisms. The rising prevalence of AI systems in modern technology is one large factor Prince William County middle and high school plan to incorporate throughout the next four years. With the investment of $10.7 million, AI devices that ward off firearms will be implemented into said Virginia schools. In comparison to regular metal detectors, AIs can scan about 2,000 people a lane per hour and track as well pinpoint specific locations of guns. If all state governments were to take the prevention of gun violence as seriously as Prince William County has shown to, I believe the worries of school shootings could be lessened nationwide.