Coweta Schools to Test Weapons Screening at Football Game
Portable detection gates and bag restrictions will supplement existing security at an East Coweta and Northgate matchup.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- November 02, 2026
Georgia’s Coweta County School System plans to test weapons screening equipment and bag restrictions at a football game as it evaluates additional security for large extracurricular gatherings.
Athena screening gates will be positioned at both spectator entrances to Shoemake Stadium for the East Coweta-Northgate game on Nov. 6, 2026. The pilot will supplement existing security staffing and law enforcement coverage, The Citizen reported.
Superintendent Evan Horton said firearms had been discovered at two district athletic events during the preceding year and a half. In both cases, visitors brought the weapons, rather than students from participating schools.
The screening measures are intended for large events outside school hours, rather than daily campus entry.
Spectators will generally need clear bags, although small clutches will be permitted. Backpacks will be prohibited, with medical exceptions subject to inspection.
The district advised spectators to arrive early. Officials plan to evaluate the pilot and may deploy the equipment at other extracurricular events.