Lawton Chiles Middle School in Oviedo, Florida, briefly entered a Code Red lockdown after ZeroEyes, an AI weapon-detection system, flagged a suspected gun. Human reviewers notified police, who responded and quickly determined the object was a clarinet carried by a band student. The incident highlights concerns about AI false positives and the need for careful human oversight of automated security systems.
AI False Alarm: Clarinet Mistaken for Gun Triggers Lockdown at Florida Middle School
Brickbat: the Music Man
Lawton Chiles Middle School in Oviedo, Florida, briefly went into a Code Red lockdown after ZeroEyes, an AI-powered weapon-detection system, flagged what it believed was a person carrying a firearm.
Human reviewers monitoring the system confirmed the potential threat and alerted local police, prompting officers to respond immediately to the campus. After a rapid on-site assessment, authorities determined the object was not a weapon but a clarinet being carried by a band student.
What Happened
The automated alert, followed by human verification, triggered standard lockdown and police response protocols. The situation was resolved quickly with no injuries reported, but the incident highlights the potential for AI-driven false positives to disrupt school operations and generate alarm among students, staff, and families.
Why This Matters
ZeroEyes and similar systems are designed to speed detection of threats in public spaces, but this episode illustrates the challenge of balancing rapid response with accuracy. Administrators and parents are raising questions about the reliability of AI alerts and the procedures for human review before law enforcement deployment.
“The swift response shows the system and staff are taking safety seriously, but the false alarm underscores the need for continued oversight and improvement of AI detection tools,” a school safety expert said.
The school district and ZeroEyes have not reported any changes to their protocols publicly; the incident is likely to fuel further discussion about the role of AI in school security.
