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Schools turn to technology to reduce toll during shootings

In this Monday May 13, 2019 photo Julian Richner, 9, leaves school for the day to meet his mother as he passes behind a security guard at Beverly Hills Unified School District's K-8 Horace Mann School in Beverly Hills, Calif. Districts nationwide are employing a multi-layered approach that combines mental health programs, bullying prevention initiatives with hardware and software technology, as well as armed and unarmed security officers. Beverly Hills Unified School District is one such district. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

LOS ANGELES — Efforts to combat school shootings are shifting toward software and other technology to reduce the number of victims.

Security experts say gunshot detection systems, apps and artificial intelligence are becoming more common because school attacks, while relatively rare, have been among the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.

The technology is often used in combination with mental health and anti-bullying programs.

Schools in Beverly Hills and others nationwide are adopting a strategy that aims to speed up the law enforcement response to shootings.

Beverly Hills officials have added armed security guards, surveillance cameras and an app to report attacks and connect with police.

The latest school shooting occurred at a suburban Denver high school last week that killed one student who charged the gunman and likely saved lives.

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press