Putting bulletproof backpacks to the test - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. (WESH/NBC) – Bulletproof backpacks are just one safety device being promoted in the wake of the Parkland school massacre, but how well do they work?

Yasir Sheikh is the president of Guard Dog Security, a company that created so-called bulletproof backpacks aimed at protecting children.

A father of two, Sheikh came up with the idea shortly after the Sandy Hook school shooting, feeling like there was going to be a continuous need for the product.

“They’re protected against 9 mm and .44 Magnum,” Sheikh said. “If you have your back against the shooter, pull it over your head. Cover your back and vital organs. If you’re up against a shooter, put in front of your head, and protect those vital organs.”

While the backpacks do protect against some lower-caliber weapons, they won’t hold up against a high-velocity rife, such as the AR-15 used by the Parkland school shooter.