Broward Schools Testing ‘Guardian Angel’ Drones To Stop Active Shooters

August 10, 2026

In a move that sounds like something straight out of a futuristic action movie, Broward County is officially preparing to test high-tech, tactical drones designed to hunt down and neutralize active school shooters.

The initiative is part of Florida’s new “Campus Guardian Angel” pilot program, backed by over $1.1 million in state funding.

The testing ground? Boyd H. Anderson High School right here in Lauderdale Lakes.

Officials chose the campus specifically for its complex layout. The goal is to see if an army of automated aircraft can close the critical 120-second gap before police officers can arrive on the scene during a crisis.

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How the “Guardian Angel” System Works

Engineered by Texas-based defense tech company Mithril Defense, the system turns the high school into a high-security drone zone.

The campus is slated to host 42 specialized drones housed across 14 strategic docking stations. If a threat is detected, teachers and school staff don’t have to wait for dispatch—they can instantly launch the fleet using a classroom panic button or a smartphone app.

Once triggered, the drones can deploy and locate a target anywhere on campus within 15 seconds.

These aren’t your average camera drones from the local electronics store. They are military-grade, non-lethal defense weapons engineered to:

- Fly through narrow indoor school hallways and smash right through windows.
- Stream live video and audio directly to first responders.
- Distract, disorient, and disarm attackers by blasting deafening sirens, flashing blinding strobe lights, and spraying pepper gel.
- Act as a last-resort physical deterrent by ramming into a shooter at speeds up to 60 mph.