LUBBOCK, Texas — Stores like Office Depot and Office Max now carry bulletproof backpacks.

Owner of Lone Star Shooting Sports, Thomas Larson, said the backpacks have a level three rating, meaning they can stop most hand guns.

“It’s rated for five rounds,” Larson said. “From a nine millimeter up to a 44 from up to sixteen feet away , so it’s really a pretty effective item against a hand gun.”

Larson said the backpacks have Kevlar inside, a strong and flexible material made to absorb some of the energy from a bullet.

“It’s pretty sad as a society that people think we have to have these for our kids,” Larson said. “But there seems to be more and more school shootings going on.”

Aaron Lopez, a father of two, said he would buy the backpacks for his children, because it could be the difference between life or death.

“When I was growing up it was all about who had the coolest backpack and five star binder” Lopez said. “And now you’re having to consider having a bullet resistant backpack.”