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The Investigator | Pencils, paper and bulletproof backpacks

Demand for bulletproof backpacks has skyrocketed following a number of deadly school shootings across the country.

NORTHEAST OHIO — Demand for bulletproof backpacks has skyrocketed following a number of deadly school shootings across the country.

The company, Shot Stop in Stowe, has been manufacturing ballistic boards for the military and law enforcement long before it started offering the product to school-aged kids.

The boards run between $150 and $340 depending on the size and weight. The heavier four pound boards protect against assault rifles which have been commonly used in school shootings. The lighter, one pound boards are said to stop bullets from high-powered handguns.

Some parents think the boards are worth every penny. "I definitely would buy one, anything that would protect my child. It would definitely be an important investment in my child's school life," said Sommer Shaw.

But not everyone is sold on the idea of equipping a child's backpack with a bulletproof insert. Ken Trump is a national school safety consultant based in Cleveland who believes the bulletproof products create unnecessary anxiety among students and do more than than good.

"I would say if you need a bulletproof backpack, wouldn't your child also need a front pack, a Captain America shield and helmet to go with it. It's unrealisitic," Trump said.

Shot Stop doesn't view the boards as the only solution to school violence but the company says it could provide a partial answer to the question 'how do we keep our students safe and alive.'?

"We like to look at it as a fire extinguisher. We hope we never have to use it, but if something unfortunate happens and there's a fire, we want to make sure we have it," said Shot Stop Marketing Director Matt White.

At our request, we asked White if we could have a sharpshooter test their products. Mark DePhillips, a Cleveland police officer and retired marine, agreed to fire away at two ballistic boards at his Select Fire shooting range in Berea.

DePhillips, using a Glock 19, fired multiple rounds into the one pound ballistic board. None of the bullets penetrated the board from point blank range. DePhillips then used an assault rifle and fired just as many shots into the heavier four pound board. Again, not a single bullet pierced the bulletproof material.

"Front side we have seven founds that entered but there's zero penetration in the back. Not a single round penetrated," Phillips said.

"You may get some bruises, but you're going to be alive," White said.

Some critics including Trump believe money can be better spent on school security than on bulletproof backpacks. But with nearly 200 thousand students exposed to gun violence since Columbine, ,many parents believe bulletproof backpacks could be one way to keeping our children safe.

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