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Sales of 'bulletproof backpack...

WTF?

Sales of 'bulletproof backpacks' have exploded in the US

Jonathan Duane
Jonathan Duane

02:26 7 Aug 2019


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“Saw this at Office Maxx today and my heart literally broke into pieces”.

As schools around the US prepare to return after their summer break, students and parents are stocking up on the necessary supplies.

As per usual, standard things such as pens, notebooks and laptops, will be in hot demand.

However another product that anywhere else in the world would look quite alarming is proving very popular — bulletproof backpacks.

Several pictures have gone viral on social media this week showing a range of the mind-boggling bags in a range of colours on sale at US supermarkets.

“Saw this at Office Maxx today and my heart literally broke into pieces,” a stunned parent wrote alongside a picture of the bags, which cost around $US120 have a marketing tagline that bleakly reads: “Protection is in Session”.

The post has been shared hundreds and thousands of times, with parents around the world expressing shock and questioning whether the product was a joke.

Not only are they real, but the Guard Dog Security’s ProShield Scout backpacks are selling fast.

Yasir Sheikh, president and founder of Skyline USA, the company that makes the Guard Dog bags, told MSNBC “we have sold out a few times this year” and sales spiked after the weekend that saw two mass shootings in the space of 24 hours.

According to the product description on the Guard Dog website, the ProShield Scout backpack is “designed for student’s everyday carry”.

“The Guard Dog ProShield Scout looks like a regular backpack yet boasts LEVEL IIIA protection,” it reads.

“With a laptop sleeve and organisational pockets, the Scout is just ounces more than a non-armoured backpack.”

Other manufacturers like ArmorMe go even further, asking parents to practice mass shooting scenarios at home with their kids — using a bulletproof bag as a shield.

“We never know when or where violent attacks may happen,” its website reads.

“Designed for everyday use, our stylish, eco-friendly bags hide a solid wall of bullet-resistant material to provide instant protection from handgun attacks.”

“There isn’t a parent in this country that isn’t terrified. These companies are capitalising on that.”

However, gun-control advocates say there is no evidence that armoured backpacks, no matter carefully tested, would keep children safe during a shooting.

“We’re asking children to stand up to gunmen because politicians are too afraid to stand up to the gun lobby,” said Shannon Watts, the founder of a grassroots gun-control organisation told the New York Times. “There isn’t a parent in this country that isn’t terrified. These companies are capitalising on that.”

However, Gabi Siboni — who runs ArmorMe — said the criticism was unfair.

“Whatever you do, you’re capitalising on something,” he told the Times.

“We are just responding to a need.”


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