DeadStopEvery school is looking for affordable ways to lock their classroom doors in an intruder situation.  A group of students at Benjamin Banneker High School in Washington, D.C. have designed the “DeadStop”, a device that clamps onto the door closer arm to prevent the door from being opened.

I don’t like to rain on anyone’s parade, but not only does the device inhibit egress, it only works if the door has a closer.  According to NBC News, “Harvey, Antrom and their teammates were awarded up to $10,000 in grant funding from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Program earlier this month to help develop the locks. A law firm from Denver has already offered the team pro bono services to patent the invention. When completed, individual units should sell for between $10 and $15, cheap enough for wide adoption.”

Several high-level news outlets have picked up the story…

Students Invent Lock to Stop School Shooters – Mashable (check out the photo used with this article)

Students, prompted by massacre, design emergency lock to thwart shooters – NBC News

Students Invent Lock to Stop School Shooters – Discovery News

Students Invent Simple But Brilliant Way to Thwart School Shootings – Time

DC students create special lock to thwart possible shooter – WTOP

This Student-Invented Lock Could Keep School Shootings from Ever Happening Again – Elite Daily

Thank you to Lee Francisco of DH Pace for sending one of these articles my way.  Even though it made me depressed.

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