Pepper-spraying drones aimed at tackling active school shooters are being rolled out at campuses across three states.

The drones, part of the Campus Guardian Angel program, can ram into targets at speeds of up to 70 mph and are capable of weaving through the air to avoid gunfire. ​ Three schools in Florida, five in Georgia and one in Colorado are part of pilot schemes using the aerial technology.​

More than 398,000 students have experienced gun violence on campuses around the U.S. since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School, according to The Washington Post, with schemes involving Campus Guardian Angel being just the latest example of increased spending on school security.​

Justin Marston, the founder and CEO of Mithril Defense, told The Post that a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 inspired him to push ahead with the project.

​“The first 120 seconds are incredibly critical, because that’s when most of the shooting happens,” he said.​

According to Campus Guardian Angels’ website, the drones can engage a shooter within 15 seconds and are capable of distracting them until authorities arrive.​

The Campus Guardian Angel devices are also fitted with speakers, the website says, allowing them to speak to shooters or communicate with students and staff. ​

The drones are designed to escalate their response to shooters based on the situation, with the devices deploying air poppers and telling the target to surrender. Then, the devices unload pepper rounds and are capable of hitting the shooter at a speed of up to 70 mph.

The drones, which can be summoned by teachers, are piloted by what Mithril describes as “elite human pilots.”​

Last year, the Florida Department of Education confirmed that the Broward, Leon, and Volusia school districts would participate in a Campus Guardian Angel pilot program.​

The devices were installed at Deltona High School in Volusia County earlier this year, with two other schools being linked with the $557,000 scheme. ​

Campus Guardian Angel confirmed that five Georgia school districts had agreed to participate in a pilot program at five campuses, with $550,000 being allocated to the program.

The firm has also revealed that the technology will be rolled out at John Adams Academy in Colorado.

However, the drones have divided the opinions of school officials and families.​

Speaking to WPTV, Deputy Trevor Autrey, the resource officer at Deltona High School, praised the program and said that it would give him “another set of eyes and ears of the campus that I can’t see all the time.”​

Conversely, Curtis Lavarello, the CEO of the School Safety Advocacy Council, told The Post that he was concerned about the drones targeting a fleeing student or a law enforcement officer.

​“It’s almost like where gaming and school safety collide,” he warned. “I have some really serious reservations about the deployment of these drones in schools.”

Marston told The Independent that Campus Guardian Angel’s operators are all trained in “real-world scenarios.”

“Campus Guardian Angel’s drones are equipped with non-lethal effects, flown by several of the top drone pilots in the world, and are supported by an elite team of former military operators, law enforcement, and first responders, all of whom are extensively trained in real-world scenarios to intervene when seconds matter and save lives during an active shooter situation,” he said.