Bulletproof backpack sales surge 300% this week: 'It's a sad

(KMOX/AP) - The two recent mass shooting incidents here in the U.S. seem to be impacting the sales of bulletproof backpacks as well as the tools for bulletproofing them.

The CEO of Austin, Texas-based TuffyPacks, they saw more than a 300% increase in sales of bulletproof backpack inserts this week alone, according to a report from The Guardian. Another company, Ready To Go Survival, has seen significant uptick in the aftermath of mass shootings" according to CNN.

Steve Naremore founded Houston-based TuffyPacks in late 2015 after his daughter, a fourth-grade teacher, told him about the frequency of active shooting drills for her students. The company has reportedly received hundreds of phone calls from parents asking which product would offer the most protection.

Bulletproof backpacks & inserts have made it onto back to school lists. One #Houston company says they've seen a 300% increase in orders since El Paso and Dayton mass shootings. Do these products work? We put them to the test. #KHOU11 #bulletproof #MassShootings #Tuffypacks pic.twitter.com/NphKK1P4wd
— Lauren Talarico (@KHOULauren) August 13, 2019

Some also cast doubt on the backpacks' safety and how much they can really protect children.

Both Guard Dog Security and TuffyPacks claim their products are tested in independent labs in line with the standards for the National Institute of Justice and meet the requirements for a Level IIIA rating. That means the shields can thwart a 9-millimeter handgun and a .44 magnum. Naremour says it's like wearing a police vest.

But the National Institute of Justice — the research, development and evaluation arm of the Department of Justice that comes up with the rating — has itself never conducted tests on these products or certified them and therefore cannot vouch for them.

"Times have changed," said Yasir Sheikh, founder and president of Skyline USA, which makes Guard Dog Security products like pepper spray and stun guns and started offering bullet-resistant backpacks called ProShield Scout for children last year. "Our product is in response to that. It's a sad reality."

The backpacks also don't protect against military-style weapons, which were used in several mass shootings including Parkland as well as Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, in which a gunman killed 20 children and six educators in 2012. Sandy Hook remains the deadliest mass shooting at either a high school or grade school in U.S. history.

Greg Shaffer, a former FBI agent and an expert in domestic terrorism, notes that the majority of active shooters use handguns. Nonetheless, bullet-resistant backpacks may not be effective because children often have to leave their backpacks in cubbies in homeroom so they wouldn't have them with them if there were an active shooter. Not many children are shot and killed going and coming to school, he added.

Earlier this week, Walt Disney Co. demanded TuffyPacks to stop selling bullet-resistant inserts featuring Disney princesses, Harry Potter and Avengers characters from its line.

"None of these products were authorized by Disney, and we are demanding that those behind this stop using our characters or our other intellectual property to promote sales of their merchandise," said a Disney spokesperson in an emailed statement to The Associated Press.