Founder of Moms Demand slams bulletproof hoodies: 'We don't have to live like this'
A San Francisco startup created a bulletproof hoodie in the hopes of making body armor more accessible to the general public. But the fact that everyday bulletproof gear is in high demand in America doesn't sit well with Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Watts took to Twitter on Monday to voice her concern over the necessity of such a product, writing “We don’t have to live like this.”
We don’t have to live like this: “Tran says one man bought a hoodie for his wife, who is a teacher. Another customer bought one to feel safe to go to the movies.”
https://t.co/45PKHDF74v— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 20, 2019
Vy Tran, the 25-year-old founder of the company Wonder Hoodie, was inspired to create more affordable, and wearable, body armor when her next door neighbor in Seattle was fatally shot in front of her home.
Tran was unable to find anything that fit her needs, including price-range and size, so she set out to create her own product.
"This is just me doing my part to make sure that if someone like me or my mom or my little brother was looking for a product like this, it was made available to them," she told FOX13.
In her tweet, Watts shared an article in which Tran says a man bought a hoodie for his wife, who is a teacher, and another customer purchased the bulletproof item to feel safe going to the movies.
Many on social media echoed her concerns over the apparel.
This makes me ill. What have we become, that our schools now hold ANY similarity to a war zone?
— Carol GB (@abstractpatina) May 20, 2019
This is horrifying. Only in America would we create the demand for things like bulletproof hoodies and backpacks instead of taking a critical look at ourselves and working on #gunreform laws. This solves nothing, only perpetuates violence, fear, and paranoia. #GunReformNow
— k͓̽.͓̽m͓̽.͓̽ (@RainWalkWithMe) May 20, 2019
Our world is so fracked up. SMH
Sad thing is I will scrimp & save and I will buy one for my daughter, who will be a freshman in college next year. 😔— Tracy (@waterislifeaz) May 19, 2019
Tran herself, speaking with San Francisco news station KGO, said that she wishes she didn't have to sell her products at all.
The Wonder Hoodie meets NIJ IIIA body armor standards and can defend its wearer against 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 9mm, .45, and hollow point ammunition, according to the company's website, it also defends against IIIA threats.
The hoodie comes in sizes for men, women, and children, and for every 10 Wonder Hoodies sold, one is donated to a public school teacher. Kid's bulletproof hoodies cost $450, while adult-sized hoodies start at $595.
"I want people to feel safe walking around their own neighborhoods," Tran said. "I want there to be an option for the people looking for physical safety."
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