Guardian

Every parent and educator wants schools to be places where learning thrives and students feel safe. Yet across the U.S., that vision is challenged by a persistent and deeply unsettling reality: school shootings. Communities recognize the urgency, and parents demand stronger safeguards, but decision-making inside schools often oscillates between bureaucracy and budgets. The result is a gap between intent and action, leaving students vulnerable and trust frayed.

Guardian bridges that gap through solutions built on decades of defense and aerospace innovation, adapted with the mission of protecting students before danger reaches the classroom. For Founder and CTO, Dr. Timothy Childs, that mission is deeply personal. As a parent of a college student who survived a school shooting, he knows firsthand the profound and lasting impact such events have on families, friends and communities.

He says, “School violence demands urgent action, and we are committed to preventing tragedies to keep children safe and secure with our technology.” This personal conviction fuels Guardian’s use of over 25 years of military-grade security expertise to create an advanced threat detection and alert system designed to prevent school shootings. Guardian School Security Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of MWave Security Inc, applies decades of defense and aerospace expertise to the commercial and educational security markets.

A Silent Sentinel at the Threshold

The system operates discreetly to protect student and community privacy. Using radar and vision, it identifies both visible and concealed weapons and can recognize known perpetrators through a secure database. It can also scan up to 400 feet away, stream live images or video of threats and operate without the perpetrator realizing they have been identified.

By providing real-time alerts to authorized personnel, Guardian ensures that schools can respond instantly. Notifications can be sent to cell phones, computers, smartwatches and other communication channels. In addition, doors can be automatically secured, buses alerted, and emergency protocols activated, all within seconds of detection.

Guardian has successfully demonstrated its system in multiple settings. In one case, the system detected a threat within ten feet of a school’s front door by triggering alerts and securing the building before an armed individual could enter. Also, it protected sensitive areas at a state capitol, which contributed to the passage of legislation and secured additional funding for school security.

Schools that actively work with the company benefit the most. Feedback from administrators, superintendents and regional education officials has been instrumental in refining the system. Feedback from national conferences, including the Association of Education Service Agencies, which represents over 500 agencies servicing 80 percent of U.S. schools, has guided the development of features like one-way notifications, friend-versus-foe identification, and—where permitted—non-intrusive facial recognition. These features ensure effective security while fully protecting student privacy and sensitive data.

Guardian pairs top-tier technology with a deep commitment to collaboration. Its premier go-to-market partners and former top military contractors have contributed technical expertise to develop a commercial system that fits school budgets and offers quick, plug-and-play installation and operation. Dr. Childs also credits his tech team, supporters, and shareholders, acknowledging their sacrifices and patience, which have been critical in refining the system and bringing it to schools nationwide.

Momentum is building at the state level in Minnesota. In the upcoming State legislative session, starting in February 2026, Minnesota legislators will be considering legislation to fund effective school security systems in each Minnesota Congressional District. The company sees this as an encouraging blueprint for other states to follow, ultimately creating a safer environment for students nationwide.

For Guardian, this technology-led effort is more than innovation—it is a race against time. Each day without action carries the risk of another senseless tragedy. With every detection and protective response, Guardian works tirelessly to prevent such losses and build a future in which every school becomes a secure and nurturing haven for students.