With Washington unable to agree on new gun-control measures following the December 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, some parents and teachers are armoring up children with bullet-proof backpacks and special shields in the event of another school shooting.

Children as young as five are being given backpacks lined with ballistic material that can stop a 9mm bullet. In the event of a gunman on campus, kids have been instructed to hold their packs in front of them to use as shields.

Similarly, some classrooms now have ballistic shields—some disguised as a whiteboard teaching tool—that children can utilize to protect themselves from gunfire. There are also shields that look like rainbow-colored posters, which can be attached to the backs of doors, designed to prevent an intruder from shooting his way into the classroom.

Elite Sterling Security, based in Denver, has sold more than 300 backpacks in the last two months at $295.95 each. At least 2,000 families have inquired about them so far. The company also provides ballistic safety vests for $1,040.95. The company’s website gushes: “It's an insulated vest!  It's the latest in ballistic protection for kids!”

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

US Schools Weigh Bulletproof Uniforms: 'It's No Different Than a Seatbelt in a Car' (by Dan Roberts, The Guardian)

Fontana School Police Buy Assault Weapons, but Don’t Tell District Board (by Ken Broder, AllGov California)    

Average of 2 Children Shot to Death in U.S. Every Week (not including Accidents) (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)