In October 2025, a 16-year-old student at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, was handcuffed at gunpoint after an mistakenly identified a crumpled bag of Doritos in his pocket as a firearm.
The student, Taki Allen, had just finished football practice and was waiting for a ride home when the school's surveillance software, Omnilert, flagged him. Despite the company claiming the system "functioned as intended" to prioritize safety, the incident resulted in approximately eight police cars swarming the teen. handcuffed teen
The AI system mistook the shape and posture of the student holding the snack bag for someone carrying a weapon. In October 2025, a 16-year-old student at Kenwood
While Omnilert reviewers reportedly found no threat, a school official allegedly missed that update and called for a police response. In October 2025