A small device developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland could be the difference between life and death if a shooter opens fire in a public place.

Chief engineer Jim Skorpik says the idea came up after the Sandy Hook school shootings in 2012 that left 20 children and six adults dead.

The Tri-City Herald reports Skorpik worked with PNNL to adapt a small battery operated military sensor system to help notify authorities within seconds of an active shooter situation.

The software can detect gunshots room-by-room and assess whether a loud sound is actually a gunshot.

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