On October 20, 2025, a false gun alert at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, caused panic among students and staff, prompting an immediate lockdown. According to the Baltimore Police Department, the alert was triggered by a student’s bag of chips, which was mistakenly detected by the school’s security system. While the situation was quickly resolved, the incident has raised concerns about the reliability of current safety measures and the need for better training for school personnel.
Following the incident, school administrators and law enforcement have expressed a commitment to reviewing and improving the school’s emergency response protocols. Officials emphasized that the priority is ensuring the safety of students and staff, while also addressing the root causes of such errors. The case has also sparked broader conversations about the potential for everyday items to be mistaken for security threats, highlighting the importance of advanced technology and human oversight in school safety systems.