New database shows hundreds of weapons seized at Louisville schools in the last year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Real guns, fake guns and knives have all been confiscated at Jefferson County Public Schools this year, raising concerns among parents about student safety.

District records show nearly 60 incidents involving weapons in the first two months of the 2025–26 school year. Of those, five were detected by the Evolv weapons detection system, and one was caught by a metal detector. The confiscated items included a gun, two knives, a replica or toy gun and two electric water guns.

Ashley Green-Winters, a JCPS parent, said she worries about what these numbers mean for students.

"Is there something that they can assist them with at school, because why is weapons even being brought up in ninth or 10th grade or eighth grade?" Green-Winters said.

The Evolv system was installed in all JCPS middle and high schools but not elementary schools. But Green-Winters said the problem goes beyond detection systems.

"It's concerning," she said. "Why would a child need to bring a gun to the school in the first place? Are they the one that's bullied? Are they getting bullied?"

Below is a list of all the incidents. You can search the data set to quickly location incidents by school:

One recent incident occurred at Valley High School. JCPS records show along with the gun, school officials found a magazine full of ammunition. This is the text of a letter sent to parents on Sept. 12, 2025:

"Dear Valley High School families,

I want to inform you about an incident that occurred at our school this morning. During our regular arrival procedures, a student's backpack triggered our weapons detection system. Upon further inspection, a gun was found inside the backpack.

The student immediately cooperated with staff, and all safety protocols were followed without incident. The student never used the gun in a threatening manner. The situation was handled quickly and safely, thanks to the procedures we have in place.

The student will be disciplined in accordance with the Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook (SSBIH). Please review this handbook with your student.

We are grateful for the effectiveness of our safety systems and the diligence of our staff. Please know that we take these matters very seriously and are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

Sincerely,
Jennie Currin
Principal"

Records also indicate four additional incidents at Valley High School involving students seen on camera pointing what appeared to be weapons in hallways. Each time, school officials determined the items were replica guns.

At Male High School, JCPS data shows two incidents of fake guns used after a volleyball game and two more at football games, where the fake guns were used "to taunt, bait and incite fighting."

The Evolv system differs from traditional metal detectors, using artificial intelligence to scan bags and pockets for weapons as students enter school buildings.

"It's definitely something all parents should be on the lookout for," Green-Winters said.

JCPS spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said the system is doing what it was designed to do.

"As we have said from the beginning, we installed weapons detection systems to find guns and deter students from bringing guns to school," she said. "That's exactly what's happening."

She added JCPS continuously reviews data and adjusts training and procedures as needed.

"We also frequently remind our guardians to review the Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook with their student(s) to go over what is and is not acceptable to bring to school and the consequences of certain actions," Callahan said.

According to JCPS, every middle and high school has an assigned school resource officer, while elementary schools are patrolled based on geographic clusters. In total, the district employs 72 officers.

When WDRB requested video of the Evolv system in use, JCPS declined.

"We provided weapons detection b-roll to all media outlets at the end of the 2024–25 school year and will not have media outlets inside to get video of the systems," Callahan said.

Despite Evolv not being installed in elementary schools, some dangerous items have still been found. A letter sent to Rangeland Elementary families on Sept. 17, 2025, detailed one such incident:

"Dear Rangeland Elementary School families,

I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred at our school this morning, which briefly impacted the school day.

A first-grade student had bullets in their possession during class today. As soon as our staff found these items, they quickly removed them from the student's possession. Out of an abundance of caution, we contacted JCPS police officers and requested that they sweep the school with their detection dogs. These dogs supported JCPS officers in determining there was no additional risk of harm to our learners.

While the student did not use the bullets in a threatening way, they will be disciplined in accordance with the Student Support and Behavior Intervention Handbook (SSBIH).

Please remind your student that if they ever see or hear something concerning, they should report it to a trusted adult or administrator right away.

Thank you for continuing to support a safe, respectful, and responsible school community.

Sincerely,
Amanda Petters
Principal"

JCPS said the Evolv system costs the district about $17 million for a five-year lease. Despite a $188 million budget shortfall, there are no plans to expand the system to elementary schools.

Weapon detection system used in JCPS schools has found guns, knives on students this year