Companies that manufacture bulletproof backpacks say they’ve seen a spike in sales following three recent mass shootings around the country.
The sales come as parents, riddled with anxiety about the possibility that their own children will find their school under attack, and with little hope for meaningful gun control from politicians, are looking for anything they can do to increase their chances of surviving.
Three such companies, Bullet Blocker, TuffyPacks, and Guard Dog Security all said “they saw a significant uptick in the aftermath of mass shootings” according to CNN.
Similar increases followed shootings in previous years like the one in Parkland, Florida, last year. Guard Dog Security began sales of their product after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2013.
“We always see spikes in sales in the days or weeks after shootings,” Steve Naremore, the CEO of TuffyPacks told CNN. His company saw an increase of 300% alone over the past week. Recently the Houston-based company removed Disney-themed products for sale, including ones covered in popular princess characters, because they were not authorized to do so by the company.
2019 in America. Disney-themed bullet-proof armour to put in your child's backpack. "This insert provides ballistic protection from handgun fire and can stop multiple rounds."
— Mark Graham (@geoplace) August 6, 2019
When it comes to gun control, the country has collectively lost its mind. pic.twitter.com/7fmEtC7RJ2
A fourth company, ArmorMe, began selling similar products this year.
“The backpack is designed first of all to be a very stylish and nice-looking backpack,” ArmorMe’s Gabi Siboni told the New York Times. “And it has panels that protect you against bullets. It will increase your survival chances.”
There is little concrete evidence that such backpacks, which range in price from around $100 – $500, will actually be effective in the event of a shooting, and some of the companies who sell them have been criticized for claims about the advertised certified safety levels of the materials in question.
Yasir Sheikh of Guard Dog told the Times that his product would be less effective against a powerful semi-automatic rifle like those increasingly used in such shootings.
Grasping some of the absurdity of the gun epidemic in America that has lead to such a point, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris summarized the feelings of many last week. “Your back-to-school shopping list shouldn’t have to include a bulletproof backpack,” she said.
