Protect Your Kid With a Bulletproof Backpack

If I didn't see the video I wouldn't have believed it, but an enterprising pair of Boston fathers have crafted a backpack lined with bulletproof material. Inspired by the 1999 Columbine shootings, the $175 pack can stop most types of bullets, including, they say, 9mm hollow points.

The idea is not just to protect junior from getting shot in the back. Rather, he can pick up the backpack in an emergency and use it as a shield or a chestplate of sorts, too. (The pack is said to weigh a tenth of what police body armor weighs but offers the same level of protection.) I'm not entirely sure how well it would work just hanging loose in front of your body, but it's certainly going to be better at stopping bullets than a Trapper Keeper.

Paranoid? The company says 328 school shootings have occurred since 1999, leaving 229 dead and 422 injured. It doesn't sound so crazy with that in mind.

As a side note, be aware that it is illegal in the U.S. to own body armor if you are convicted, violent felon. State laws also vary on the subject, so be sure to check your local statutes before you buy. 

The backpacks are indeed on sale. I dug around and found their web store for you; the company is called MJ Safety Solutions, and it offers the pack in two sizes. (Strangely, neither mentions that they are "bulletproof," though the company tagline makes it clear. An alternate site offers more info here.) One even has a computer sleeve, so you can spare your laptop along with your life. Double win!

LINK: Fathers Create Bulletproof Backpacks