CLUTE, Texas – An image of a student outside Brazoswood High School is what prompted the campus to go into a lockdown during school drop-off Wednesday morning. A parent, who wants to remain anonymous, said his daughter texted him that she was hiding.
“She was scared. Friends were scared. Family was scared. Everybody was scared,” said the parent.
The ZeroEyes A.I. security system in the school picked up the image. The technology notified ZeroEyes staff members who relayed the image to school officials. The school made the decision to go into lockdown. The district said it notified parents around 7:40 a.m.
“Our analysts erred on the side of safety and said we believe that this indeed is a rifle just based on the image that we’ve given the software and the service that we’re providing,” said Zero Eyes Chief Customer Officer Dustin Brooks.
After further review, the situation turned out to be a false alarm. Officials said the area where a red box is outlined in the image on the featured video was not a weapon.
“In the background, there was some brush and shadowing and a ditch from the background, so all of that was in communication with our software and how an individual’s arm was positioned, just as if it would be holding an assault rifle,” said Brooks.
Brazosport ISD sent KPRC 2 a statement saying in part:
“In the past several months since installing ZeroEyes, the system has captured other photos of potential weapons that were dismissed before any alerts were sent to our officials after the staff of ZeroEyes had reviewed the images. However, yesterday was the first instance where a lockdown was actually called.”
The parent KPRC 2 spoke with said he has mixed emotions about how Wednesday’s lockdown was handled.
“I think it’s one of the things that say, ‘Hey, safe and sorry,’ but at the same time, it’s kind of like the boy who cried wolf. So if you say, ‘Hey, oh, it’s another incident, oh, it’s another false alarm,’ you know, and I pray to God that this never happens here.”
ZeroEyes officials said they would rather be safe than risk a dangerous situation.
The district added in its statement:
“We are currently in discussions with ZeroEyes to address the false alarm and the disruption it caused. Furthermore, we have been diligently analyzing the entire event and implementing measures to enhance our security protocols and methods for potential future incidents. Our commitment remains steadfast in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of our security systems. We want to reiterate our appreciation for the swift response of our BISD Police Officers, our local municipal police officers, and the unwavering actions of our staff and students. We understand that lockdowns can be unsettling, but in this case, our top priority was ensuring safety, which led us to take precautionary measures.”
Executives said they apologize for any fear or disruption the lockdown caused. Brazosport ISD said it is working to add more safety measures to prevent future incidents.