US Schools Grapple with Measures Amid Repeated Shootings... Including 'Bulletproof Backpacks'

Conducted Mock Training and Installed Bulletproof Rooms and Films
Gun Advocates Demand "Arming Teachers"

In recent years, a series of mass shootings have occurred in American schools, prompting schools and parents to seek self-help measures. Some schools have created 'bulletproof rooms' or installed bulletproof film on windows.

On the 22nd (local time), CNN in the US reported in a recent special feature that "gun violence has changed daily life inside and outside the classroom," and "more time and resources are being invested to prepare for the worst-case scenarios."

After the mass shooting at Rob Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last May, which claimed the lives of 21 people including 19 students, American elementary schools inspected their security systems and conducted drills to prepare for emergencies.

Melissa Parrish, a first-grade teacher at an elementary school in Los Angeles (LA), said about the drill, "We were instructed to cover all windows that could be exposed in the classroom, then turn off the lights and sit quietly."

Students are being inspected for belongings as they arrive at an elementary school in Texas.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

She recalled that she reassured the frightened 7-year-old students by saying, "'Nothing like this will ever happen here,'" but even as she said that, she did not feel at ease.

Additionally, schools have recently strengthened door locking devices and tightened visitor identification procedures, including for parents. Some schools are even conducting inspections of students' belongings.

West Liberty-Salem High School in Ohio, where a shooting occurred in January 2017, has since made significant facility improvements. Based on the experience of about 400 students escaping through classroom windows during the incident, the school removed all window screens and remodeled them into emergency exits that can be opened from the inside.

The school district authorities to which this school belongs also installed bulletproof film on all classroom windows in the district's schools. Superintendent Craig Hissong explained, "Even if someone shoots from outside the classroom, the windows will not break," adding, "While it cannot be prevented forever, it can hold for about two minutes until the police arrive."

A school in Alabama has pilot-installed 'bulletproof whiteboards' in two classrooms that transform into 'bulletproof rooms' in the event of a shooting on campus. These whiteboards consist of two panels connected together, and when the attached ring is pulled, a square space with a locking mechanism inside is created, allowing teachers and students to hide inside.

The company that developed this device, KT Security Solution, stated, "We hope this product will never have to be used."

A whiteboard designed to transform into a bulletproof space in the event of a mass shooting incident
[Image source: Provided by KT Security Solutions]

Bulletproof backpacks made of polyethylene fibers are also gaining popularity among parents. A representative from the bulletproof backpack manufacturer Guard Dog Security said, "Inquiries about the product began to increase after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, where 26 students and teachers lost their lives."

Kevin Lim, founder of the bulletproof product specialty store Bulletproof Zone, recalled the aftermath of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, where 17 people were killed, saying, "Orders for bulletproof backpacks surged overnight."

Despite these measures, anxiety about gun crimes has not been completely alleviated, and gun rights advocates have proposed arming teachers. However, opposition is strong among teachers.

According to a survey conducted by the US think tank RAND Corporation from October to November last year of 973 public school teachers in regular education programs, more than half (54%) responded negatively to the question, "Does allowing teachers to carry guns on campus contribute to safety?"

CNN reported, "As of the 19th, at least 37 shootings have been reported in American elementary, middle, and high schools." Adding at least 16 shootings that occurred on college campuses brings the total to 53 incidents.