GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Public Schools has finished installing Evolv weapons detectors in every middle and high school in the district, and officials are now exploring whether elementary schools could be next.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
At McConnell Middle School in Loganville, 2,100 students walk through three detector stations every morning, processed in about 20 minutes.
Principal Derico White says the morning line has become more than a security checkpoint.
“If we see kids coming in kind of with their heads down, we do an automatic check-in with them,” White said.
The district reports finding two handguns and 57 knives on campuses so far this school year. Both guns belonged to parents who accidentally brought them to school, according to GCPS.
Last year, the numbers were higher: five guns and 97 knives.
PE teacher Hannah Reppert, who arrives at 7 a.m. to calibrate the machines, says the school has worked to keep the atmosphere welcoming.
“We’ve got music playing, trying to make it welcoming and less nerve-racking,” Reppert said.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Man finds group of children abandoned at metro Atlanta mall
- ‘Full of energy and kindness:’ North Georgia community mourns loss of sixth-grader
- ‘Testament to his character:’ Cobb County educator continues teaching while battling stage 4 cancer
Parents say the routine has settled in quickly.
“You just feel more safe,” said McConnell parent, Kevin McCoy.
A Georgia bill that would require detectors in every public school passed the House and is now before the Senate.
Gwinnett County School Police Chief Tony Lockard says his department is already looking ahead.
“The next step is to determine the feasibility with installing at elementary schools,” Lockard said.
Parent Kristine Perrine says the conversation has already moved past whether the machines belong in schools.
“I’m sure at one point we didn’t have these in every airport or every college football stadium or every concert venue, but we do, and we don’t think twice about it,” Perrine said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
