Kanawha County Schools First in West Virginia to Deploy ZeroEyes AI Gun Detection and Situational Awareness Technology

District Adopts Proactive Solution to Protect Students, Faculty, and Visitors from Gun-Related Violence

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeroEyes, the creators of the first AI-based gun detection video analytics platform to earn the full U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, today announced that its proactive AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software has been deployed by Kanawha County Schools (KCS) to help protect students, staff, and visitors from gun-related threats. With the help of IT services and solutions provider Advantage Technology, KCS is the first district in West Virginia to deploy ZeroEyes, joining hundreds of K-12 schools nationwide already protected by the technology.

KCS serves a number of communities in Kanawha County, with its central office located in Charleston, West Virginia. It is the largest public school district in the state, serving more than 22,000 students and 6,000 staff members across 62 buildings, including 34 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 8 high schools, as well as the Ben Franklin Career Center, the Carver Career and Technical Education Center, and Chandler Academy. With a footprint that spans urban, suburban, and rural communities, the district provides a world-class education that prepares all students to be college- and career-ready. Guided by its belief that every child can achieve, and that safe, caring schools are essential to student success, Kanawha County Schools has added ZeroEyes to its layered safety strategy, which also includes Verkada cameras, an integrated emergency mapping system, and much more.

"A neighboring district deployed a different AI gun detection system and was so overwhelmed by false positives that staff ultimately ignored the alarms," said Director of Security, Bryan Carper. "ZeroEyes' operation center is full of military and law enforcement experts who rapidly verify every detection to eliminate these false alerts. That 'human-in-the-loop' aspect is very important to us."

ZeroEyes' AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness software layers onto existing digital security cameras. If a gun is identified, images are instantly shared with the ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC), the industry's only U.S.-based, fully in-house operation center, which is staffed 24/7/365 by specially trained U.S. military and law enforcement veterans. If these experts determine the threat is valid, they dispatch alerts and actionable intelligence — including visual description, gun type, and last known location — to local law enforcement and school administration as quickly as 3 to 5 seconds from detection.

"Advantage Technology is proud to partner with ZeroEyes in delivering a cutting-edge AI gun detection system for Kanawha County Schools, reinforcing our shared commitment to proactive school safety. We're always looking for the most effective, forward-thinking solutions to protect our students and staff," said Jonah Adkins, School Safety Consultant for Advantage Technology. "ZeroEyes brings a level of precision and reliability that aligns perfectly with our mission. At Advantage, we continually strive to bring the best technologies to the table—solutions that not only meet our customers' needs but exceed their expectations."

"Kanawha County Schools is setting the standard for school safety in West Virginia," said Mike Lahiff, CEO and cofounder of ZeroEyes. "By embracing innovative solutions like ZeroEyes, they're showing what's possible statewide."

About ZeroEyes

ZeroEyes delivers a proactive, human-verified AI gun detection software solution that integrates into existing digital security cameras and helps to mitigate mass shootings and gun-related violence by reducing response times, providing actionable intelligence with images, and delivering clarity among chaos — ultimately saving lives. ZeroEyes' patented solution has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a promising anti-terrorism technology and was the first video analytics technology to receive full SAFETY Act DT&E Designation.

Founded by Navy SEALs and elite technologists, ZeroEyes dispatches accurate and real-time actionable intelligence about the illegal brandishing of a gun near or in an occupied area or building, to local staff and law enforcement with an image of the shooter(s) and location of the threat, as quickly as 3 to 5 seconds from the moment the gun is detected.

The ZeroEyes team also provides tech consulting, installation assistance and practice drills for active shooter events to enhance safety at schools, corporate and government facilities. Headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia area, the company's affordable and effective gun detection solution has been adopted by the US Department of Defense, leading public K-12 school districts, colleges/universities, healthcare facilities, commercial property groups, manufacturing plants, Fortune 500 corporate campuses, shopping malls, big-box retail stores and more. Learn more about ZeroEyes at ZeroEyes.com

SOURCE ZeroEyes