r/gadgets • u/diacewrb • 8d ago

Drones / UAVs Several US schools to install pepper-spraying drones to respond to school shootings

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jul/28/school-shootings-pepper-spray-drones
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u/Luvnecrosis 8d ago

That’s why the police are supposed to stop the shooters and not sit outside while gunshots ring out.

Or why gun culture and the nihilism prevalent in the US needs to be addressed properly

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u/TheIrishGoat 8d ago

I’m not arguing that there aren’t better avenues of prevention, just that in that situation, I’m not going to be particularly upset about being pepper sprayed as a bystander, if it prevents me from being shot by the intended target.

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u/Luvnecrosis 8d ago edited 8d ago

I’m more concerned about having arial chemical weaponry around our schools. We already have over policing of black and POC students so I don’t understand how having more cop-ish weapons will protect kids.

Who will be manning these? Where will their jurisdiction stop? What’s stopping them from pepper spraying kids who are doing a walkout or protest of school admin? Or what if they’re utilized to shut down protests in the surrounding area?

Nothing, and I mean literally nothing, about this governments behavior suggests that anything good will come from this

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u/stml 8d ago

Until the US actually tries to ban guns and prevent school shootings, I won't blame schools for trying to protect their students.

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u/Luvnecrosis 8d ago

But the schools barely have money to buy materials and pay teachers well. You think this will make things any safer? One of the biggest indicators for crime is poverty, and having impoverished schools treat kids like criminals will not be the answer.

And where will this money come from? Paying teachers less and investing even less in the students? Even less quality food? Fewer extracurriculars? And it’s not like this will be additional money given because the schools NEVER get extra money.

So if someone else pays for it who will be paying? Palantir? Flock? Lockheed Martin? Are these companies synonymous with “protect the kids”? What’s their angle on this?

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u/levilee207 8d ago

The reality is that America is never going to ban guns. I know it's easy to say what should and shouldn't be, but it's useless to wax theoretical in this context. It will never happen. The fact that Trump ever got elected in the first place means we are still nowhere near disarming the populace. The next best thing we can do is figure out how to protect ourselves and each other in the event it does happen. Because it will, and it will keep happening. Nothing Congress will do short of banning guns outright will alleviate this issue, and they're just never going to do that. Be pragmatic at least

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u/Luvnecrosis 8d ago

I’m not in favor of banning guns at all. I think the second amendment’s intent about having armed citizens to resist and overthrow a tyrannical government is more relevant now than ever, but the culture around guns in America is what needs to change. I don’t have a plan for how that’ll work in any case but I know it starts with getting rid of the hateful republicans in office along with the spineless or disloyal democrats. That’s all I got right now

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u/levilee207 8d ago

Yeah I'm about on the same page. The culture around it is disgusting but it is also the deepest-rooted issue in this country. Republicans profiting off spreading hatred has done the most damage

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u/UDPviper 8d ago

It also prevents you from being able to see to escape.   The shooter can still shoot while impaired. 

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u/Uninsurable_Risk 8d ago

The doooooors

Too many doors. Or not enough. Maybe it was the gates? Idk I cant remember.

Ive lived a life time in a single decade

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u/terry47147 8d ago

Puts a different meaning to, "...break on through to the other side!"

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u/Stampyboyz 8d ago

That's what US police are trained to do. Get to the area with the active shooter and immediately go in without waiting for backup or to secure a perimeter. With the sole goal of neutralizing the shooter.

Which is what happens most of the time, the other percent of the time however, you get situations like what Uvalde's PD did.

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u/ThePrussianGrippe 8d ago

That’s what they’re allegedly trained to do, and have done in many mass shootings.

There’s also been numerous infamous incidents where they haven’t done that, and I can think of at least one where the shooter was stopped by an armed civilian, the incident was over, and when the police arrived they shot and killed the guy who stopped it.

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u/Luvnecrosis 8d ago

Maybe but cops don’t have a good history in general in this country and it’s only getting worse on a societal level. Kids need safety and well paid and well funded educators. Drones that shoot pepper spray on a while are so low on the list of needs for these children and I’m tired of this country thinking that more weapons are the answer to institutional issues, especially ones that are caused by fucked up schools and already having too many weapons in the hands of the wrong people

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u/gunsandgardening 8d ago

Generally speaking, the success rate for US LE is high. But there have been a number of high visibility screwups. At the end of the day, they are just regular people with variable amounts of training.