Survivor Sues AI Gun Detection Firm After Nashville School Shooting

On 15 January 2025, a shooter opened fire in the cafeteria of Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, killing one student and the shooter and grazing survivor Antonyous Henin. The AI gun detection system from Omnilert, installed by System Integrations, did not flag the weapon.

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In 2023, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools approved a contract worth over $1 million to add an AI detection layer to its camera network. Omnilert’s marketing promised “unparalleled reliability,” detection “before a shot is fired,” and cited the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting as a scenario its product could prevent, while omitting any mention of false alarms or detection limits.

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The defendants are Omnilert (AI system developer; co-founder Ara Bagdasarian declined comment) and System Integrations (reseller, also silent). The plaintiff’s attorney is Chris Smith. The filing alleges the system has “significant operational limitations” tied to camera placement, weapon proximity, angle, lighting and visibility, which could cause detection failures in emergencies.

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Omnilert CEO Dave Fraser told NBC News that the shooter’s position kept the gun out of camera view, stressing the system did not fail to recognize it. MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted said the imagery “wasn’t close enough to get an accurate read and to activate that alarm.” The district noted the system later activated when police entered with weapons drawn. Omnilert’s co-founder and System Integrations gave no comment.

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Attorney Chris Smith called AI gun detection “questionable” and “bullshit,” arguing that reliance on narrow conditions undermines safety. Education-security analyst David Riedman warned that funds spent on the system could have been used for counselors or other crisis interventions. An October 2025 incident in which Omnilert’s system flagged a bag of Doritos chips as a weapon has heightened reliability concerns.

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Omnilert blames camera placement; the lawsuit says the company knew or should have known about inherent detection limits. MNPS acknowledges the system “does work, but it’s not going to work in every instance,” exposing a gap between promised “unparalleled reliability” and observed performance. No comment was received from Omnilert’s co-founder or System Integrations.

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• “The location of the shooter and the firearm meant that the weapon was not visible,” — Dave Fraser, CEO, Omnilert.

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• “It does work, but it’s not going to work in every instance, in every spot, based on where that weapon might be visible,” — Sean Braisted, MNPS spokesperson.

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• “I’ve never seen a school shooting where there was a lack of notification,” — David Riedman, Education & Security Expert.

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• “I just thought that it was kind of bullshit.” — Chris Smith, Plaintiff’s Attorney.

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The lawsuit, filed in Davidson County court in June 2026, seeks damages for alleged misrepresentation of the system’s capabilities. It is the first known suit against Omnilert or a comparable AI gun detection provider and may affect future school security procurement.

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