WORTH
WORTH IT?
WORTH IT? KING 5'S ERIC WILKINSON PUTS
THEM TO THE TEST.
[ SOUND OF GUNFIRE ]
>> Reporter: IT IS THE ONE
FEAR THAT LINGERS IN THE MIND
OF EVERY PARENT WHEN THEY SEND
THEIR KIDS OFF TO SCHOOL.
BUT WHAT IF YOU COULD SHIELD
YOUR CHILD WITH SOMETHING AS
SIMPLE AS A BACKPACK?
SO CALLED BULLET PROOF
BACKPACKS ARE SELLING OUT
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE PACKS RUN ABOUT $200.
THEY HAVE A KEVLAR PANEL SEWN
IN THE BACK SO IT CAN BE USED
AS A SHIELD OR THROWN OVER
YOUR BACK.
YOUR BACK. THEY MEET FEDERAL BALLISTIC
STANDARDS BUT HOW WELL DO THEY
HOLD UP UNDER FIRE?
WE DECIDED TO ASK AN AUTHORITY
LYNN WESTOVER WAS A SPECIAL
SNIPER IN THE MARINE CORP.
HE IS A FIREARMS EXPERT.
WE LET HIM PUT THE PACK TO THE
TEST.
TEST.
TEST. FIRST, A CIGSAUER380.
WESTOVER FIRES DIRECTLY INTO
THE PACK FROM 21 FEET AWAY.
>> IF YOU REACH YOUR HAND IN
THERE, YOU CAN FEEL THE ROUNDS
ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE KEVLAR.
>> Reporter: IT STOPS ALL
THREE SHOTS.
THREE SHOTS. >> SO, THE 380 PASSED.
>> Reporter: NEXT, A 445.
A SEMIAUTOMATIC.
A SEMIAUTOMATIC. THERE IS ANOTHER POPULAR
HANDGUN IN AMERICAN
HOUSEHOLDS.
HOUSEHOLDS. >> HOT, HOT, HOT.
>> Reporter: ONCE AGAIN, THE
BACKPACK PERFORMS WELL.
STOPPING THE BULLETS BUT THE
SHEER FORCE OF THE 45 CALIBER
ROUND COULD STILL DO SOME
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE.
DAMAGE. >> YOU COULD SEE POSSIBLE
SPINAL TRAUMA.
SPINAL TRAUMA. >> Reporter: FINALLY, A SMITH
AND WESSON.
AND WESSON. WHILE HANDGUNS ACCOUNT FOR THE
MAJORITY OF SHOOTINGS, ASSAULT
STYLE WEAPONS HAVE BECOME THE
WEAPON OF CHOICE FOR MANY
SHOOTERS.
SHOOTERS.
SHOOTERS. WE TESTED ONE, THE SAME SETUP
IN NEWTOWN, LAS VEGAS, AURORA,
COLORADO, SAN BERNARDINO, AND
PARKLAND, FLORIDA.
PARKLAND, FLORIDA. [ SOUND OF GUNFIRE ]
>> Reporter: THREE DIRECT HIT
TO THE BACKPACK FROM 60 FEET
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. THE
AWAY. THE RESULT?
THE RESULT? >> I'M SEEING THREE HOLES.
>> Reporter: EACH SHOT GOES
RIGHT THROUGH THE KEVLAR.
>> THERE IS ONE THERE, AND
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> Reporter: AND PRESUMABLY,
RIGHT INTO THE BODY OF WHOEVER
IS WEARING IT.
THE WEAPON OF CHOICE APPEARS
TO BE AN AR-15 STYLE RIFLE AND
THIS DID NOT STOP THAT.
>> NO, IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THIS IS NOT GOING TO STOP ANY
RIFLE.
RIFLE.
RIFLE. >>
RIFLE. >> Reporter: TO BE FAIR, THE
MANUFACTURERS DON'T CLAIM THE
BACKPACK WILL STOP A RIFLE
ROUND.
ROUND.
ROUND. ONLY HANDGUNS LIKE THE ONES WE
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. >> IT IS EFFECTIVE EXACTLY AS
ADVERTISED.
ADVERTISED. >> AND, THERE ARE SOME
INTERESTING STATISTICS.
INTERESTING STATISTICS. >> Reporter: MARY SHOENFELD
LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOK ON
WHAT TO DO.
SHE WAS THERE IN THE AFTERMATH
OF MARYSVILLE WHEN A SCHOOL
SHOOTER KILLED FOUR CLASSMATES
IN 2014.
IN 2014.
IN 2014. EVEN WITH THOSE KILLINGS SO
CLOSE TO HOME AND
GRANDCHILDREN IN SCHOOL, SHE
IS CONFLICTED ABOUT BULLET
PROOF BACKPACKS.
PROOF BACKPACKS. >> I THINK IT IS A VERY
SIMILAR REACTION TO THE
CONVERSATION ABOUT ARMING
TEACHERS.
TEACHERS.
TEACHERS. >> Reporter: THEY WOULD DO
MORE TO SOOTHE PARENTS' FEARS
THAN PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN.
SHE WORRIES THEY COULD DO MORE
HARM THAN GOOD.
>> WHAT COULD IT HURT?
>> IT COULD GIVE A FALSE SENSE
OF SECURITY.
OF SECURITY. AND PARENTS CAN BUY IT.
KIDS CAN WEAR IT AND THEY CAN
SAY WE HAVE THIS ONE.
WE DON'T HAVE THIS DO ANYMORE.
IN ORDER TO CREATE A SAFER
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. >>
WORLD. >> Reporter: SHE FAVORS A
COMPREHENSIVE TACTIC.
COMPREHENSIVE TACTIC. TRAINING STUDENTS TO LISTEN TO
THEIR TEACHERS, TRAINING
TEACHERS IN EMERGENCY FIRST
AID LIKE SCHOOLS IN NEW MEXICO
ARE DOING WITH THESE KIDS.
>> BUT IN ADDITION TO MARCHING
ON WASHINGTON, DC, LET'S ADD
SOME OTHER ACTIONS.
AND LET'S DO SOME SKILL
BUILDING.
BUILDING.
BUILDING. I JUST CANNOT IMAGINE PACKING
MY GRANDSON'S BACKPACK FOR THE
DAY AND SAYING HERE IS YOUR
SANDWICH, HERE IS YOUR CARROT
STICKS AND YOUR KEVLAR.
I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.
>> Reporter: BOTTOM LINE, WHEN
IT COMES TO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS,
NO SINGLE SOLUTION IS BULLET
PROOF.
PROOF.
PROOF. ERIC WILKINSON, KING 5 NEWS.
>> ONE DISCLOSURE HERE, MR.
WESTOVER, THE SNIPER WHO
HELPED WITH THE