Parents are investing in bulletproof backpacks for their school-aged children in the wake of Wednesday’s deadly school shooting that claimed 17 lives at a Florida high school.
Within 36 hours of Wednesday’s massacre in Parkland, Florida, GuardDog Security’s most popular bulletproof backpack temporarily sold out on Amazon. GuardDog has lowered its prices on the remaining backpacks to help make the product more accessible.
GuardDog began selling the backpacks five years ago after 26 people died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut and has seen consistent sales since, and has seen spikes after mass shootings occur.
The bulletproof backpacks typically start at around $190, which is significantly pricier than a typical backpack due to the price of Kevlar, the bulletproof material made by DuPont and is allegedly five times stronger than steel.
“It’s extremely strong thread they weave extremely tight, so it doesn’t allow the penetration of a bullet,” Joe Curran, president of Bullet Blocker backpacks, explained to The Cut.
The backpacks are built to withstand a .44 magnum and 9 millimeter impact and weigh just over three pounds and come in a variation of colors and styles.
While many parents acknowledge that shielding their children with backpacks isn’t a perfect solution, they considering taking the step as lawmakers look to find a solution to this growing phenomenon.
