SPOKANE, Wash. — Bullet-resistant backpacks are now on shelves at three Office Depot stores in Spokane and one Office Max store in Coeur d’Alene.
The retailer has stocked shelves with the Guard Dog Security brand bulletproof backpacks.
In November, KREM’s Minneapolis sister station KARE looked into whether or not the bags can keep kids safer. A member of law enforcement reminded people that nothing is bulletproof – instead, the bags are bullet-resistant.
According to the label from the manufacturer, the bags are Level IIIA protection, which means they will stop a .44 magnum handgun but not a high-velocity rifle.
The backpacks are now available at all three Office Depot locations in Spokane and the Office Max in Coeur d’Alene, retailing between $150 to $200.
Until now, most bullet-resistant bags had to be ordered online directly from the specialty companies that manufactured them – but their popularity quickly skyrocketed.
Since the Parkland shooting, there has been an estimated 200 to 300% increase in sales. Now they are rolling out in store aisles.
Yashi Sheikh, founder of Guard Dog Security, says he wants parents or students to be prepared rather than afraid.
“We’re not saying, ‘Buy a backpack, it’ll solve everything,’” he said. “We’re saying this will put you in a better position in the case of a school shooting than someone who doesn’t have a bulletproof backpack.”
Ballistic backpacks are also sold online through major retailers such as Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kmart.
Some school districts throughout the country have banned the bullet resistant backpacks.
Spokane Public Schools spokesperson Brian Coddington said the school district does not have a policy related to bullet-resistant backpacks.
Savannah Levins with WCNC contributed to this report.
