Parents who are worried about the safety of their children while at school now have a new line of defense easily available at their local stores.
OfficeDepot is now carrying Guard Dog Security backpacks that are called bullet-resistant in the company's bricks-and-mortar stores, as well as online, CBS reported.
The backpacks retail for almost $175 and are made with "nylon fabric and soft tactical armor," according to the backpack's online description.
The company said the backpacks were tested by a third-party laboratory and the lab's report is included with the backpack.
The bag will stop a bullet from a .44 magnum handgun, but it won't stop a round from a high-velocity rifle, CBS News reported.
While OfficeDepot is offering the extra layer of protection, other online companies are offering similar products.
ReadyToGoSurvival.com, based in Austin, Texas, sees an increase as back-to-school shopping begins, The Houston Chronicle reported.
Roman Zrazhevskiy says he is getting orders mostly from Florida, California and New York from normal upper-middle-class customers, the Chronicle reported.
Not everyone is convinced that bulletproof backpacks are the answer.
Law enforcement told KREM that the bags are not fully bulletproof, but rather bullet-resistant, CBS News reported.
The Chronicle reported that they only give about 25% protection when used as a shield.
Zrazhevskiy counters those arguments saying that "25% protection is better than no protection at all," the Chronicle reported.
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