Mandalay Bay / Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting
(October 1, 2017 – Las Vegas, NV)
The deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history killed 60 people and wounded more than 860 at an outdoor concert. The shooter fired from his 32nd-floor suite in the Mandalay Bay Resort for over ten minutes. SAFETY Act-certified indoor gunshot-detection systems (e.g., Databuoy Corporation or Shooter Detection Systems) placed in the hotel could have detected the first rounds in approximately one second, automatically transmitted the exact room number to 911, and potentially cut several minutes off the police response. Additionally, outdoor gunshot-detection sensors with SAFETY Act-certified vertical shot detection (e.g., Databuoy Corporation) could have identified the trajectory of the elevated shooter in seconds and also confirmed the number of shooters and location. Both the hotel and the technology provider would have been protected by the Act’s liability cap or Government Contractor Defense.
Walmart Cielo Vista Shooting
(August 3, 2019 – El Paso, TX)
A lone gunman entered the Walmart store and murdered 23 people while wounding 23 others in roughly six minutes. SAFETY Act-approved outdoor gunshot-detection systems (e.g., Databuoy Corporation, Sound Thinking, EAGL Technology) along with SAFETY Act-approved indoor gunshot-detection systems (e.g., Shooter Detection Systems, EAGL Technology, or Databuoy Corporation); SAFETY Act-approved AI-based weapon-detection video analytics (e.g., ZeroEyes, Athena Security), and automated door-lockdown platforms could have located the shooter within seconds, locked perimeter doors, and sent precise aisle coordinates to responding officers. Walmart and its technology vendors would have enjoyed capped or eliminated liability for any claims that the systems “should have stopped the attack sooner.”
Pulse Nightclub Shooting
(June 12, 2016 – Orlando, FL)
Forty-nine people were killed inside the nightclub during a three-hour standoff. SAFETY Act-approved indoor gunshot-detection systems (e.g., Shooter Detection Systems, Databuoy Corporation, EAGL Technology) with live audio feed and panic-alarm integration could have given dispatchers real-time location and audio from inside the building, dramatically accelerating tactical entry. The venue and the technology provider would have been shielded from lawsuits alleging inadequate security measures. Additionally, response times would have significantly increased, mitigating loss of life due to the victim bleeding or a lack of medical attention.
Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting
(October 27, 2018 – Pittsburgh, PA)
Eleven worshippers were murdered when a gunman gained entry during Shabbat services. SAFETY Act-designated access-control systems, man-trap entrances, and integrated duress alarms could have delayed or denied entry and instantly notified law enforcement. The congregation and any security vendor would have operated under the Act’s liability protections. SAFETY Act-approved indoor gunshot-detection systems (e.g., Databuoy Corporation, Shooter Detection Systems, EAGL Technology) would have also made a major difference.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
(February 14, 2018 – Parkland, FL)
Seventeen students and staff were killed on campus. Certified campus-wide outdoor gunshot detection (e.g., Databuoy Corporation, Sound Thinking) combined with automated classroom lockdowns (e.g., Centegix CrisisAlert, ballistic safe-room products) could have reduced accessible targets and response time. Additionally, SAFETY Act-approved AI-based weapon-detection video analytics (e.g., ZeroEyes, Omnilert) could have identified the shooter before a shot was taken, to alert school administration and give them advance notice and improve response times. The school district and its vendors would have been protected from the thousands of subsequent lawsuits.
Virginia Beach Municipal Center Shooting
(May 31, 2019 – Virginia Beach, VA)
A disgruntled employee used building access to kill 12 people inside government offices. SAFETY Act-certified weapon-screening portals (e.g., Evolv, CEIA OPENGATE) at employee entrances or insider-threat behavioral analytics could have flagged the firearm on entry. Additionally, indoor gunshot detection systems used in courthouses, such as Databuoy Corporation’s SHOTPOINT, would have notified law enforcement and on-site security within seconds and provided 1-meter accuracy on the active assailant’s location. The city and technology providers would have had strong liability limitations.
Dayton Entertainment District Shooting
(August 4, 2019 – Dayton, OH)
Nine people were killed in 32 seconds outside a bar. The city already had SAFETY Act-covered outdoor gunshot detection (ShotSpotter Flex) deployed, which located the shooter in seconds and enabled police to neutralize him in under a minute. ShotSpotter’s SAFETY Act coverage protected the company from any claims that the system should have performed even faster.
Virtually every major active-shooter incident since 2015 shows that one or more currently SAFETY Act-approved technologies could have mitigated loss of life—and that the property owners, school districts, retailers, and technology providers would have operated under the Act’s powerful liability shield.