New Urban U.S. News- New Realities: In the Wake of Parkland, Florida School Massacre, Consumer Demand for Bullet-Proof Backpacks Soars in the U.S.

Feminine design backpacks like this one from the official Guard Dog Security company currently retail on Amazon for $155 USD, or $189.99 on the company website 

In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were murdered two weeks ago,  outside of school drills to prepare students for the horrific trend of school shootings that have become a normalized part of national American conversation, parents are now taking additional measures to keep their children safe.

One of these safety measures, which reflect a new reality in America, are bulletproof backpacks created for children, which can hold school supplies as well as stop a bullet. According to Guard Dog Security,  a company positioned in the market as “the leading manufacturer of security, self-defense, and tactical products,”  their bulletproof backpacks are all officially tested and certified by the National Institute of Justice for bulletproof protection. Guard Dog backpacks are offered in a range of sizes and colors and retail for $189.99 USD.

Bullet Blocker, another website that sells bulletproof backpacks, “Proudly manufactured in the United States of America,” offers the backpacks at a heftier price, with backpacks starting at $225 and going up to $490.   Joe Curran, a former Army Ranger, law-enforcement officer, and father of two created Bullet Blocker in 2007, after “witnessing the horror of the Virginia Tech massacre,” according to their website.  In that attack, 32 people were killed and 17 were wounded on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Curran has stated that the cost of his company's backpacks is due to the price of Kevlar, a bulletproof material made of synthetic fiber.

And according to the Bullet Blocker website, the children's’ backpacks are capable of stopping a “357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 9mm, .45 caliber hollow point ammunition and more,” in addition to featuring “Large zippered exterior pockets to hold essentials like your phone or snack.”

Recently, CBS news put bulletproof backpacks to the test to determine their effectiveness, and while they can provide a measure of protection against handguns, the.packs are obviously no match for semi-automatic weaponry. Many parents, however, have expressed a measure of comfort in at being able to provide their children with something as opposed to nothing at all for emergencies, and sales of bulletproof backpacks continue to rise.