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A 16-year-old student at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, experienced a harrowing incident last week when a high-tech security system incorrectly identified his snack as a weapon, prompting a swift and intense police response.
The student, Taki Allen, was waiting for his ride home on Monday when he casually slipped an empty bag of chips into his pocket, as reported by WMAR-2 News. Unbeknownst to him, this innocent act would soon lead to a misunderstanding with serious implications. Suddenly, Allen found himself surrounded by police officers who ordered him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs, the local news station detailed.
The Baltimore Police Department released footage from body cameras worn by officers on the scene, which revealed that the school’s AI-powered surveillance system had erroneously identified the chip bag as a firearm. This error prompted the rapid police action, as the system is designed to monitor live video feeds for potential threats.
“There were about eight police cars, and the officers came out with their guns drawn, telling me to get on the ground,” Allen recounted to WMAR-2. “I was raising my hands, confused, asking, ‘What’s happening?'”
The incident at Kenwood High School on October 20, 2025, left both students and staff shaken, highlighting potential flaws in AI security systems designed to detect weapons. The Baltimore Police Department has since reviewed the incident, emphasizing the need for precise and reliable technology in school safety protocols.
According to the video, police officers then reviewed the video flagged by the AI system, traced the item to a nearby trash can and discovered that the supposed weapon was just a bag of chips.
“I guess just the way you guys were eating chips… It picked it up as a gun,” a police officer told the students in the video. “AI’s not the best.”
The Oct. 20 incident has left students, city officials and school administrators asking who was responsible for the traumatic incident.
During a conference call, Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said the alert had initially been canceled, but the school principal had already begun coordinating a police response.
“The alert was cancelled by the BCPS (Baltimore County Public Schools) Safety Team. The principal, who did not see the cancellation, contacted our School Resource Officer,” Baltimore County told Fox News Digital on Sunday, referring to a BCPS statement.
A bag of chips reportedly triggered a false gun alert, prompting police to respond to Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, on Oct. 20, 2025. (Baltimore Police Department)
Ultimately, the system functioned as intended, Rogers told WMAR-2.
“The program is based on human verification and in this case the program did what it was supposed to do, which was to signal an alert and for humans to take a look to find out if there was cause for concern in that moment,” Rogers said.
Omnilert told Fox News Digital their system combines both artificial intelligence with human verification before any escalation.
Police detain multiple students waiting to be picked up at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland, on Oct. 20, 2025, after a school AI security system mistook a snack bag for a gun. (Baltimore Police Department)
“Our system operated as designed — it identified a possible threat, elevated it for human review, and relied on authorized safety personnel for final determination,” the company told Fox News Digital, adding that the object was later confirmed not to be a firearm and the alert was marked as resolved.
“From that point forward, Omnilert had no further involvement in any subsequent actions or decisions related to this event.”
Allen, shaken by the incident, said he no longer feels safe going outside after football practice and that the incident should never have happened.
“I don’t think no chip bag should be mistaken for a gun at all,” Allen told WMAR-2.
“I don’t want – don’t think I’m safe enough to go outside, especially eating a bag of chips or drinking something. I just stay inside until my ride comes,” Allen added.