Last July, the McConaugheys co-founded the Greenlights Grant Initiative in a bid to improve school safety by providing school districts with free grant writing services and information on grants, aimed at boosting mental health and security resources in schools.

It was about 2 p.m. on a Thursday in May when Mitch Carroll pulled up to an apartment building with teal trim in Madison County, Ind. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and pristine white sneakers. But to the middle-aged woman who opened the door, it was obvious he was in law enforcement. He had a badge and a Glock 9 mm pistol at his waist.

Vigilance Safety, a system designed by Wayzata High School students to detect guns, has receive praise from police, educators and even a gun dealer.