# Studying the Effects of Robot Intervention on School Shooters in Virtual Reality

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.17948 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.17948/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 3 of its 67 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 20 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Multi-Robot Adversarial Patrolling: Facing a Full-Knowledge Opponent](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1401.3903/) (2014)
- [Modeling Evacuee Behavior for Robot-Guided Emergency Evacuation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.15045/) (2023)
- [Near Real-Time Position Tracking for Robot-Guided Evacuation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.15054/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Developing a Discrete-Event Simulator of School Shooter Behavior from VR Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.06023/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We advance the understanding of robotic intervention in high-risk scenarios by examining their potential to distract and impede a school shooter. To evaluate this concept, we conducted a virtual reality study with 150 university participants role-playing as a school shooter. Within the simulation, an autonomous robot predicted the shooter's movements and positioned itself strategically to interfere and distract. The strategy the robot used to approach the shooter was manipulated -- either moving directly in front of the shooter (aggressive) or maintaining distance (passive) -- and the distraction method, ranging from no additional cues (low), to siren and lights (medium), to siren, lights, and smoke to impair visibility (high). An aggressive, high-distraction robot reduced the number of victims by 46.6% relative to a no-robot control. This outcome underscores both the potential of robotic intervention to enhance safety and the pressing ethical questions surrounding their use in school environments.