One company is looking to get its non-lethal self-defense device, the “Byrna,” into schools and house of worship as a means of increasing safety and deterring potential shootings.

“In most cases, if somebody pulls out a Byrna to stop an assailant, they don't even need to fire a projectile,” Bryan Ganz, CEO of Indiana-based Byrna Technologies, told Newsweek in an interview. “Just indicating that they're prepared to defend themselves is generally sufficient.”

Why It Matters

School shootings have risen virtually year-over-year, hitting a peak of around 351 shootings in 2023, and around 336 in 2024, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database . This year, so far, has seen 208 incidents, including the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church school in Minnesota in August where t

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