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PHOTOS: Bulletproof Fashion — for Kids

March 21, 20130
RICK WILKING / REUTERS

Paul Dickerson and Kami Mahoney pose in bulletproof jackets designed to look like everyday clothes at the offices of Elite Sterling Security, LLC in Aurora, Colo., March 8, 2013.

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  • Sarah, Tala, Hamzah, Lana, Yasmine and Bilal, model bullet proof backpacks and backpack/vest combinations sold by Elite Sterling Security LLC in Aurora
  • Timothy Hogan, COO of Elite Sterling Security, LLC shows the bullet proof plate inside the company's children's backpack product in Aurora
  • Timothy Hogan, COO of Elite Sterling Security, LLC shows a chart of the various calibers of bullets the company's "medium" level protection bullet proof products will stop in Aurora
  • Timothy Hogan, COO of Elite Sterling Security, LLC shows the results of bullet strikes of various calibers on the company's ballistic material in Aurora
  • Sheirn Adi helps her son Bilal put on a bullet proof vest backpack combination called the V-Bag sold by Elite Sterling Security LLC in Aurora
  • Walid Zabadne poses in a bullet proof motorcycle jacket at the offices of Elite Sterling Security, LLC in Aurora
  • Kami Mahoney poses in an armored tank top shirt at the offices of Elite Sterling Security, LLC in Aurora
  • Paul Dickerson and Kami Mahoney pose in bulletproof jackets designed to look like everyday clothes at the offices of Elite Sterling Security in Aurora
  • Miguel Caballero, CEO of the Miguel Caballero Company holds an armored tank top as he poses with Lana wearing a MC Kids Ballistic Puffer Vest both sold by Elite Sterling Security LLC in Aurora
  • Children demonstrate how they might take shelter in a school under a bullet proof blanket sold by Elite Sterling Security LLC in Aurora
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Less than a month after 20 children and six adults were killed in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Miguel Caballero, designer of bullet-resistant fashion, announced a new line of clothing for children. And now, the grade school body armor has arrived. This week, as a company called Elite Sterling Security LLC launched as the exclusive U.S. distributor for Cabellero’s Colombian-made personal ballistic protection products, Reuters photographed adult and child models showing off the company’s bulletproof backpacks, blankets, tank tops, and tees in Aurora, Colorado — the city where 12 people were shot in a movie theater during a midnight screening of Dark Knight Rises last July. The backpacks sell for $246 each; and backpack-and-vest combination sells for $1,085.

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24 comments
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NickQuirkish
NickQuirkish

Some of you US Americans are so sick & f@cked up. It's just so unbelievable that, in the face of all the staristics describing how violent your society is, that you consider defensive protection for innocent children to be a better solution than restricting the procurement of weapons of war to yourselves. Sick. Just plain sick.

AlyshiaSilva
AlyshiaSilva

Why is it that I felt like crying when I saw this?

HenrySanders
HenrySanders

Extaordinary! These parents obviously don't quite understand that this isn't the pony club. Terrorists and murderers don't introduce themselves first and sit down for microwave pizza, chocolate milk and some mystery meat before they go about munching on your little ones. They will be about as put off by these vests as they are by anti nail biting cream or Billy's green belt in Tai Kwan Do.

Waterstar
Waterstar

Children have always been killed by morons from the beginning of time. Yes yes it's absolutely terrible and we really should do something about these criminals as we have the ability to stop most of them now, but bulletproof shirts? That seems a little overk- oh... a bit much.

JoseTheDonkey
JoseTheDonkey

Lol! Look at picture 10 with all the kids lined up (6 of them)! HEADSHOT, HEADSHOT, HEADSHOT, HEADSHOT, HEADSHOT, HEADSHOT! 6-Child Kill feed! Got my preditor missle! I am aiming down on the school! WAHOOOOOO Look at that killfeed!

JenLeMaster
JenLeMaster

Just a way for them to make a TON of money. KIDS are not allowed to take there back packs and jackets with them once they get to there lockers for the day.

JoseTheDonkey
JoseTheDonkey

@JenLeMaster Exactly! Besides, the "protection" really only works to a limited amount. To be honest, a shooter has the entire body to shoot at, not just a torso.

chinchilla
chinchilla

And they think this is going to help.

I wish people would stop taking the easy way out.

cocobinay
cocobinay

So, what is the difference between USA in 2013 and Mogadishu in 1993??? 

Terribly sad! 

Lorr_54
Lorr_54 like.author.displayName 1 Like

A sad day when our children need to have as much physical protection as (armed) police officers.  Law enforcement professional knowingly put themselves in harms way as they make a living.  The fact that children are more and more in danger so that the mentally unstable and criminals can have whatever guns and ammunition they desire is a terrible indictment upon our society.

When will the child-sized bulletproof helmets be on sale?  If we are truly going to protect children, they will need helmets, too.

naidoshlock
naidoshlock

@Lorr_54 Sad day? No I think the sad day was the day the actual tragedies happened. 

However, I think it's important to take lessons from what happened.

The first lesson that I take is that there are very bad people out there who will go to extreme measures to cause pain in others.

The second lesson is that you can never be too safe, because there is no such thing as complete safety.

It's obvious that any place of gathering will be a target, but the schools are especially vulnerable. Parents put their most valuable  resource, their children, in schools without adequate security and the children are certainly not capable or equipped to defend themselves.

I don't know what a real solution to the problem is, but I know it hasn't been proposed. Body armor isn't a bad idea, but I think it would give a false sense of security.

cocobinay
cocobinay

@naidoshlock 
The whole situation is rotten. I also agree with your point about false sense of security; because it's not just the schools we have to worry about; it's the playgrounds, Chuck-e-cheese, Sunday School, no place is safe! But until we regain some sense and have a cool-headed debate about all this -which is looking more and more unlikely :(- I'm sure parents will take their chances with Kevlar! But I wonder how many parent would feel secure seeing their child off to school, with Dora the Explorer lunch bag and a bulletproof vest and backpack!! Some security!!!!

cocobinay
cocobinay

@Lorr_54 

And their parents may be needing armored cars too! So, this is what we call progress!! 

Scr1vello
Scr1vello

Absolutely sad.  The day we seriously consider bulletproofing our kids so they can go outside, is the day we need to seriously consider whether we want to bring any more kids into this world.

digijedi569
digijedi569 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Another way a company has taken advantage by exploiting a tragedy.

Neuropol
Neuropol like.author.displayName 1 Like

This is ridiculous. Fix the problem instead of slapping another profit band-aid on it.

nickygrangery
nickygrangery

I said this in a jokey comment a while back....Now its happening! What absurdity! Just control the guns people. Who on earth would want to live in a society where kids would need bulletproof clothing. its even worse than the pistol packing teachers and gun toting janitors for absurd and utterly sad. Stop the insanity before you make your lives unbearable.

digijedi569
digijedi569

@nickygrangery Do you really want our government "controlling" our guns any more than they're doing now? Stop and really think about how much power that would hand an already corrupt system. No, you don't want that to happen. 

Scr1vello
Scr1vello

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we soon stop calling them "massacres" and instead refer to them as "anti-soclal pre-emptive strikes", just to tone it down.

Scr1vello
Scr1vello

Yes @digijedi569, that's what we're saying. Control the guns!  Just like controlling what side of the road people drive on.  Playing chicken on the road is not exercising liberty. It's plain stupid, as is carrying a loaded weapon out of paranoia of corrupt governments and distrust of society.  It's a psychological illness that manifests its own worst fears.  That's why massacres happen in peaceful societies: Extremely anti-social people make pre-emptive strikes.

cocobinay
cocobinay

@digijedi569 

Isn't that the reason for government in the first place; to manage instances where my exercising my rights could or does put your well being in jeopardy??