Sales of bulletproof shelters skyrocket after the Florida high school shooting

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Sales for bulletproof shelters, bulletproof backpacks, and wearable armor have skyrocketed dramatically in the US after the Florida high school shooting which killed 17 students and staffs on Valentine’s Day.

Growing numbers of parents purchase bulletproof backpacks and wearable armors after the shootings. In the picture, the bag is under test. /Photo via VCG.

James Haslem, the creator of a glass bulletproof barricade which can be installed in the classroom, told the Independent that since the shooting, he has talked to over 100 school districts about his product.

After the shooting, everyone in the US, from the president down to the janitor at the school, is looking for an easy solution to protect themselves from shootings, he told the British paper.

On average, the bulletproof shelters can hold up to around 40 students and two teachers. Video monitoring systems inside the shelter can display what's going inside the classroom.

Screenshot from the interview video of The Oklahoma City News

In case of an emergency, students can rush into the shelters and teachers would slam the doors shut during a lockdown. Instead, terrified students have had to huddle in supply cabinets as the case in the Florida shooting.

According to the ABC News, Healdton Public Schools, in Healdton, Oklahoma, installed seven bulletproof shelters inside classrooms in the town's elementary schools and two larger ones in their middle school.

Initially, these secure spaces were installed as tornado shelters in 2014.

Melissa Hudson, a mom and head of the parent-teacher organization said that people never think those things can happen in schools. However, the possibility is always there.

“When tornadoes strike, and Lord help us. When you have an intruder on campus, to know that you have somewhere to go quickly for the safety of your students,” Terry Shaw, superintendent of Healdton Public Schools, told The Oklahoma City News.

Politicians, educators and students have debated over how to protect children in the US after the Florida shooting. Besides advocating for stricter gun control laws, other people, like President Donald Trump, have reiterated an idea to arm teachers in self-defense.

The city residents in Healdton said that it is a sad reality that these shelters are needed, according to the New York Post.