In the wake of the 2012 school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and the 2013 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, the dire need for a solution arose. And Steve Walker decided to provide one with bulletproof blankets. However, is this kind of solution really promising?

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Walker came up with a bodyguard blanket which could provide protection from shootings or falling debris. And in no time, newspaper and news channels were replete with news covering the same, hailing it as an amazing lifesaving product.

However, in reality, the kids in Moore could not have been saved even by such a high-caliber blanket. The tornado was measured as an EF-5, with winds as fast as 200 mph.

In the case of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the blanket would have provided only partial aid. This is because the design of the blanket makes it resemble a shield more than a blanket itself. The blanket is worn like a backpack, thereby shielding the body from the back only, and the material used for it is also light, the kind used by cops and soldiers.

"If it [a bullet] hits you anywhere on the body, it'll hurt you. But it's not going to kill you," managing partner Stan Schone wrote in a press release. "As the students put them on and line up in the hallway, they develop a shield like the Romans and Greeks used to lock together, so it gives them added protection."

Still, even if all the drawbacks of these blankets are overcome,  the huge price tag associated with each piece ($1,000) makes it impractical for an organization to afford its distribution.

It's not a surprise that these blankets have not been picked up by any school or organization so far.

TagsBulletproof blankets, school shootings, tornados