Paul Duke STEM students Autumn Carey, Carlos Contreras, Natalie Diaz, Ryann Coyne, and Toma Landgrebe examine the rollout of Evolv weapon detection systems, exploring how new safety measures shape daily school experiences and spark conversation among students and faculty. 

In the last two decades, school shootings have increased drastically in the United States. School districts around the country worry about their students' safety. 

On July 17, 2025, Gwinnett County’s School Board decided to implement Evolv Weapon Detection Systems in all Gwinnett County Middle and High schools and provide full-time security guards at all elementary schools. The county spent about $20 million to install these new safety features in all its schools, implementing the systems in a few schools at a time starting August 25th.

Paul Duke STEM’s faculty and students shared quite a few opinions and pieces of information with us about the system.

Paul Duke STEM’s principal, Dr. Jonathon Wetherington, explains how the system works in a one-on-one interview, saying, “The weapon detection system works through x-rays.”

Gwinnett County implemented these systems as a way to ward off students and guests from bringing weapons to school, even items they didn’t know counted, such as scissors. 

While the county doesn’t believe these systems are the perfect or only solution, we wanted to gather the opinions of students and faculty at Paul Duke STEM about the systems. 

We interviewed two teachers, Charlene Jackson and Payton Hirschmann, who both work directly with the systems. Both teachers agreed that the Evolv systems are “a positive step in the direction of school safety,”  as Charlene Jackson said.

Teacher interviews may help some parents feel more at ease with these systems, but student interviews help those who have experienced or will experience the system in the future. Students had a variety of opinions about the systems, and those who got their chance to speak had a lot to say. 

“The systems themselves, they’re quick, they’re easy, they’re safe; but I feel like it’s also a constant reminder of the dangerous world that we live in nowadays,” said Carlos Contreras.

Quite a few other students reciprocated these feelings. 

One student says they didn’t feel the need for the systems to be installed at Paul Duke STEM, since they think the school was safe enough before they were put in.

Paul Duke STEM’s faculty wants students to know that the Evolv systems are meant to serve as a security barrier between students and outside threats.

Principal Wetherington discusses how the Evolv systems add a layer of security to the school on top of the security that is already in place, such as the vestibule system, limited-entry doors, and security cameras. 

“The whole goal is to keep weapons out of the building,” Wetherington said.

Paul Duke’s faculty wants to make sure students know that these systems aren’t meant to target any specific students, but rather to protect students' privacy and provide safety.

These Evolv systems mark another chapter in the ongoing conversation about safety in American schools. These systems serve as a reminder that progress often comes one careful step at a time. Whether these systems become a lasting solution to gun and weapon violence in schools or just a step along the path of school safety, the hope is that each new layer brings schools and the people inside them a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning.