Daily weapons screenings expanding to more Manatee County schools. Here's what to know

Name: Weapons screenings expanding to more Manatee Co. schools
Uploaded: 2025-04-09T09:00:13-04:00
Description: Manatee County will soon begin high-tech daily weapons screenings at middle schools, in addition to high schools. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports.

Weapons screenings expanding to more Manatee Co. schools

Manatee County will soon begin high-tech daily weapons screenings at middle schools, in addition to high schools. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports.

BRADENTON, Fla. - With daily weapons screenings set to expand to middle schools in Manatee County, the school board unanimously signed off on creating a new position to handle those checks at each campus.

Improving school safety

The backstory:

At the start of the current school year in August 2024, Manatee County implemented daily high-tech screenings for weapons on high school campuses, while middle schools began random screenings.

Courtesy: School District of Manatee County.

In January, the school board approved expanding the daily screenings to all middle school campuses.

How does the system work?

Dig deeper:

The weapons detection system is called Evolv Express. It can quickly scan anyone entering the school using advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence.

When a person with a "specific object of concern" is identified, that person is sent to a nearby area for additional screening, according to district leaders.

Officials also say the system screens people at a rate 10 times faster than traditional metal detectors, and it's portable so it can be moved around for various events if needed.

"Screening is fast, automatic, and requires no removal of backpacks and bags or purses, although laptops must be removed. This technology is designed for easy walking flow without stopping," Braden River High School Principal Wendell Butler said in a demonstration video posted to the district's website.