TN’s Alyssa’s Law devices credited with saving lives in Georgia school shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new panic alarm system is credited with saving lives during a school shooting at Apalachee High School, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Alyssa’s Law calls for the installation of silent panic alarms that are directly linked to law enforcement, alerting authorities to get on scene as quickly as possible.

Teachers at Apalachee High School reportedly only had the panic alarms for one week before they were used.

The devices are worn as a lanyard. The sequence of button presses alerts school administration and school resource officers and, or the local sheriff’s department to a life-threatening situation.

The button was pressed during the active shooting situation on Wednesday and the school resource officers began “actively looking,” he said.

“These panic buttons saved a lot of time, and, in my view, probably saved a lot of lives,” said Former FBI Agent & ABC News contributor Brad Garrett.

Tennessee passed Alyssa’s Law in 2023 and is one of seven states where it has passed. Nine other states, including Georgia, have it up for consideration.

The law was created in honor of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Alyssa’s mother, Lori, is working to pass the legislation nationwide.

“I definitely think the panic button helped to save lives yesterday,” said Lori Alhadeff. “It is so horrific that anybody is being killed in a school shooting, but knowing that this panic button is in place, and that every time that panic button is pushed, I feel that Alyssa is saving lives.”