
Illinois School District Integrates AI Gun Detection and Intelligent Situational Awareness Technology to Protect Students and Staff
PHILADELPHIA, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ZeroEyes, the creators of the first AI-based gun detection video analytics platform to earn 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 Illinois' Palestine Community Unit School District #3 to help protect students, staff, and visitors from gun-related threats.
Located in Palestine, Illinois, the district serves students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and is committed to creating a caring community where students are educated and prepared for a successful future. With strong ties to local families and close collaboration with community partners, the district prioritizes providing a safe and supportive learning environment.
District leadership met with ZeroEyes multiple times to evaluate the technology and determine how it could strengthen existing safety measures. The deployment represents a proactive enhancement to the district's security infrastructure, adding an advanced layer of protection designed to identify visible firearms before shots are fired.
"The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority," said Jessica Sisil, Superintendent of Palestine CUSD #3. " ZeroEyes was willing to work with us to implement a solution that enhances our safety efforts while remaining mindful of our resources. This partnership is an important step forward in protecting our school community."
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 law enforcement and school security teams as quickly as 3 to 5 seconds from detection.
"Palestine CUSD #3 has taken a proactive, tactical approach to campus safety, protecting students and staff while maintaining a welcoming environment," said Mike Lahiff, CEO and co-founder of ZeroEyes. "We're proud to provide technology that mitigates gun-related incidents with speed, accuracy, and integrity."
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 an effective anti-terrorism technology and was the first AI-based gun detection technology to receive full SAFETY Act 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
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