Some GA parents add bulletproof backpacks to their kid’s back-to-school lists

MARIETTA, Ga. (CBS46) - The response to unfathomable violence at Uvalde or Parkland has Georgia parents doing whatever they can to shield their children from violence. For some, that means sending their kids to school with bulletproof backpacks.

Some parents are making the heartbreaking decision to add bulletproof backpacks to their kid’s back-to-school lists.

”We do all kinds of emergency preparedness, I mean, we do everything. We have parents coming in to protect their kiddos, not just with backpacks and things, but for social unrest or natural disasters,” said Amy Evans with TruPrep Emergency Preparedness.

TruPrep Emergency Preparedness is in Marietta.

”We are the largest emergency preparedness store in the southeast,” said Evans.

They sell a little bit of everything here, from emergency outdoor gear to guns to long-term food storage. They had about 20-30 bullet poof shields to slide into the backs of backpacks and sold out.

”Some were parents, others were just concerned citizens. It was just a wide mix of people,” said Alex Walters TruPrep Emergency Preparedness employee, “Just the individual panels we don’t have anymore, I have backpacks and everything.”

Amy says they have been selling backpacks like these since they opened their doors, 10 years ago.

”On the inside of this backpack is soft armor. This is going to be a soft armor plate. They have different ratings as well so this is going to be a 3A. It is basically going to stop small pistol round or something like that...It is not going to protect from a large rifle,” said Evans.

How do you protect your kids from violence you are not there to stop?

Do you hope for the best and continue on?

Do you buy your child, armor?

”I think it is up to the individual parent,” said Evans.

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