BOISE, Idaho — Bullet resistant backpacks are now on shelves at three Boise area Office Depot/Office Max stores.
Office Max on Franklin, Office Depot on Fairview & Eagle Roads and Office Depot in Nampa all carry the "Guard Dog Security" brand bulletproof backpacks.
In November, KTVB’s Minneapolis sister station KARE looked into whether or not the bags can keep kids safer. A member of law enforcement reminded people that nothing is bulletproof – instead, the bags are bullet-resistant.
According to the label from the manufacturer, the bags are Level IIIA protection, which means they will stop a .44 magnum handgun but not a high-velocity rifle.
Until now, most bullet-resistant bags had to be ordered online directly from the specialty companies that manufactured them – but their popularity quickly skyrocketed.
Since the Parkland shooting, there has been an estimated 200 to 300% increase in sales. Now they are rolling out in-store aisles.
Yashi Sheikh, the founder of Guard Dog Security, says he wants parents or students to be prepared rather than afraid.
“We’re not saying, ‘Buy a backpack, it’ll solve everything,’” he said. “We’re saying this will put you in a better position in the case of a school shooting than someone who doesn’t have a bulletproof backpack.”
Nampa School District spokeswomen Kathleen Tuck says they do not have a policy against bulletproof backpacks.
We have reached out to other school districts in the Treasure Valley regarding their backpack policies, but have yet to receive a response.
Ballistic backpacks are also sold online through major retailers such as Macy’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kmart.
Savannah Levins with WCNC contributed to this report.