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Bullet-proof backpack sales on the rise

Online bullet-proof backpack companies are reporting dramatic increases in sales after the Parkland shooting.
Credit: Thinkstock
Backpack and school supplies: books, notepad, felt-tip pens, scissors on brown wooden table

WASHINGTON -- The first day of school is right around the corner and for some families, there's a new item on their back-to-school shopping list: bulletproof backpacks.

They are becoming more popular as the number of school shootings in America increases.

Some moms are investing in bulletproof backpacks as a way to protect their children.

You can buy them online right now for anywhere between $100 and $500.

One online company called Bullet Blocker said the backpack is quite popular.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in sales, I'd probably say three or four hundred percent over the year, due to the Parkland shooting mostly," said Joe Curran of Bullet Blocker.

Some gun shops in different parts of the country are stocking the backpacks and they are flying off the shelves.

RELATED: Sales of bulletproof backpacks surge after Florida shooting, but how effective are they?

In the D.C. area, we called about a dozen shops and none are selling them.

Major retailers like Target, and Dicks aren't either, so online is your best bet.

So how does it work?

The backpacks are made with the same material used in police body armor.

It's designed to protect against bullets from handguns and shotguns.

There is also another option. A company called Safe Life Defense is selling removable bulletproof panels that you can put in any backpack.

"The vast majority of people who purchase backpack panels are families purchasing them for their children. They'll typically buy three or four at a time," said Nicholas Groat of Safe Life Defense.

So can these products actually save lives?

Both manufacturers said it will protect students against against handguns and shotguns but likely not rifles, like an AR15, that was used in the Parkland shooting and many of our country's deadliest mass shootings.

For more information on the bullet-proof backpacks click here.

For more information on bullet-proof panels click here.

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