Companies that make bulletproof backpacks for kids are seeing a spike in sales after the Texas school shooting that left at least 19 children dead
- Companies that make bulletproof products are seeing sales spike following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting.
- National retailers are purchasing bulletproof backpacks from Guard Dog Security.
Demand for bulletproof kids' gear is spiking following the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, manufacturers told Insider.
Four companies that manufacture bulletproof gear said they've already seen more customers searching for and purchasing bulletproof backpacks since a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School. Police have confirmed that at least 19 children and two adults are dead.
Yasir Sheikh with Guard Dog Security, a company that manufactures and distributes various self-defense products like stun guns, alarms, and pepper sprays, said they're "seeing an increase" in customers interested in bulletproof backpacks, which the company says can act as a shield in the event of a shooting.
Sheikh, Guard Dog's president, said there's also been "an increase from our national retailers who carry our bags." Guard Dog sells backpacks to national retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods, Home Depot, and Lowe's, he said.
A person standing in the line of fire can hold the backpack up to their head or chest to deflect the bullets, product illustrations on the website show. The backpacks come in different colors and patterns, and weigh less than four pounds, according to product descriptions.
Guard Dog, Sheikh said, has donated a portion of the proceeds received from bulletproof backpack sales to Make Our Schools Safe, a nonprofit started by the parents of one of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.
Other companies like Wonder Hoodie have also seen an uptick in sales in the last couple days.
And MC Armor Company, which makes "ballistic-proof personal protective gear and accessories" for both everyday civilians and prominent figures, has witnessed a spike in interest for bulletproof kids' gear.
Carolina Ballesteros, MC Armor's marketing manager, told Insider customers from all over the country have been looking at and purchasing a bulletproof backpack insert.
MC Armor products for kids are "approved and designed with pediatricians," Ballesteros said.
Since the shooting, customers have been ordering inserts and shipping them to various states, like New Jersey, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, and Florida, according to Ballesteros.
"Normally our regular customers don't look for the inserts for backpacks if it's not back to school, but since yesterday 20% of our website visits and calls are for this product," Ballesteros said. "We are always making awareness of the training and security for schools but sadly it is just at a moment of a tragedy that they look for it."
MC Armor has also developed products like bulletproof whiteboards and doors for classrooms. But the challenge with bulletproof gear for kids and in the classroom is its presence makes parents fear for the safety of their children, Ballesteros said.
But school shootings have been a reality in US schools for decades. So far in 2022, there have been 27 school shootings, according to Education Week's tracker. In 2021, there were 34 school shootings. And this year, the number of school shootings is rapidly creeping up and could easily surpass last year's figure.
Julie McCuen, chief operating officer at Leatherback Gear, said a spike in sales after a tragic event like a school shooting is typical.
"People react and seek out something to make them feel safer after the fact," McCuen told Insider.
"While we wish that this wasn't something we as parents needed to think about, recent history reveals that it is very much a threat to our children that we need to take seriously and make every attempt to be proactive about," McCuen added. "Just as we educate and prepare our children in school for what to do in the event of a fire, we now must do the same for an active shooter."