Jul 01, 2022

How to Better Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones in the Wake of Mass Shootings

How to Better Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones in the Wake of Mass Shootings

Mass shootings have unfortunately become a growing concern across the country, leaving many families searching for realistic ways to increase personal safety. While policy discussions continue, everyday people still want to know: What can I do right now to help protect myself and the people I love?

The good news is that there are practical steps anyone can take to be more prepared without living in fear or drastically changing their lifestyle.

1. Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

Most safety experts agree that awareness is the first line of defense.

• Know where exits are when entering any building

• Avoid walking while distracted by your phone

• Notice unusual behavior or objects

• Trust your instincts — if something feels off, leave

Situational awareness doesn’t require paranoia. It simply means staying present and alert.

2. Have a Personal Safety Plan

Families should have basic discussions about:

• Where to meet if separated

• Who to call in an emergency

• How to communicate if cell networks go down

• How children should respond in public places

Talking through a plan helps reduce panic and increases clarity during real emergencies.

3. Consider Practical Protective Gear

Modern body armor has evolved far beyond bulky police vests. Everyday civilians now have access to discreet, lightweight, NIJ-certified protection that blends seamlessly into daily clothing.

Examples include:

• Bulletproof jackets that look like ordinary outerwear

• Soft armor vests worn under everyday clothing

• Armored performance shirts that provide lightweight protection

• Bulletproof backpacks for students, travelers, and commuters

These options don’t change your lifestyle — they simply add a layer of life-saving protection if the unexpected happens.

4. Teach Your Family Simple Safety Rules

Children and teens can benefit from age-appropriate safety habits, such as:

• Not opening doors for strangers

• Moving away from loud conflicts

• Paying attention in public places

• Knowing how to contact a trusted adult quickly

Small habits can make a big impact during emergencies.

5. Empower, Don’t Scare

The goal isn’t to instill fear — it’s to build confidence. Preparedness is empowering. By taking proactive steps, people can live freely while still being ready for the unexpected.

A Final Thought

We can’t predict when or where violence will happen, but we can choose to be prepared. Modern, discreet body armor and smart safety habits give everyday individuals the chance to protect themselves and their loved ones without compromising comfort, style, or daily routines.

Safety shouldn’t be complicated — and today, it doesn’t have to be.

Nice Bullet Resistant Jacket

PROS: The design of this bullet resistant (BR) jacket is as depicted on the website. It is stylish without conveying a "tactical" look, making it more inconspicuous, which lends itself to increasing your personal security, which is the whole point of using a jacket like this in the first place. The quality of the jacket is good. It appears well made, and it seems durable, but durability will be better determined over time. Also, I believe that the jacket is true to size, but as an online purchase I was unable to try on a large and extra large size for comparison. I'm a large, but I ordered the extra large, and I believe that I made the right choice as the extra room allows for a sweatshirt to be worn underneath the jacket. At the same time this size still allows a larger jacket to be work over this BR jacket, thus completely concealing the BR nature of this jacket. The panels do "print" slightly, but I didn't list this under cons because this is probably unavoidable simply due to the presence of the jacket's three BR panels, which consist of one Level IIIa 19x16" rear panel, as well as pair of smaller BR front panels -- an 18x10" on one side and an 18x13.5" "overlap" panel that partially resides under the front zipper (when the jacket is zipped up). Also unknown as of yet is whether this very slight panel printing (barely noticeable, IMO) may lessen over time as the jacket conforms to my body. Another Pro: the flexibility of the sleeves is quite good, preserving the wearer's full range of arm movement (for me anyway).

CONS: One of the front panels, the larger 18x13.5" "over lap" panels that provides the frontal protection under the zipper, came with the label affixed to the wrong side, requiring the reinstallation of this panel with the label facing away from the wearer's body (opposite of the label's instruction) so that it fit inside the pouch properly. Also, the zipper is "left-side" or female oriented instead of right side for a male wearer/user. This is a nit-picky "con" complaint, but on the other hand, zipping up or unzipping the jacket is counter-intuitive -- it goes against muscle memory of decades of operating jacket/coat zippers.

The jacket's pros far outweigh the cons. I'm happy with the purchase. If I wasn't, I would have returned it. Overall it's a keeper. I recommend this product, and rated it five stars as this is a new product so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and know they will probably address the few "wrinkles" in this jacket design, the most irksome to me being the zipper issue.

4.5 Stars

Items came in excellent condition. Satisfied with the our order.

Michael, huge thanks for the 2nd purchase and the awesome review! The Indigo Denim Jacket looks 🔥 and we’re glad it delivers. Tag us @innocentarmor if you post—would love to share. Need anything at all, we’re here for you. —Team IA

Very pleased!

This is my first time getting a product like this. I’m very pleased. It fits well and seems quite discreet and trim for what it is.

(I had to return the L which was a bit too big for me But the IA team was super helpful and smooth with that process.)

Hi there,

Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you are pleased with your first experience with our Bulletproof Men's Down Vest. We take pride in providing a discreet and well-fitting product for our customers.

We apologize for the inconvenience with the size, but we're glad our customer service team was able to assist you with the return process. We always strive to make sure our customers are satisfied.

Thank you for choosing our brand and for your kind words. We truly appreciate it.

Best,
Customer Service Team at IA

Awesome Fathers Day Gift

I got this for my dad because the vest is suited to his style of clothing and we both share of love of really cool tactical stuff. I ordered the vest, and it came within like 2 days so I was able to give it to my dad before he went out of town. Thank you Innocent Armor for making this Father’s Day a really cool one!

Thank you so much for your review! We're thrilled to hear that our Bulletproof Men's Down Vest was the perfect Father's Day gift for your dad. We take pride in creating products that are both stylish and functional for our customers. We're glad to have made your Father's Day a memorable one. Thank you for choosing Innocent Armor!

Aloha

From beginning to receiving the jacket, the service, communication / updates and item itself was awesome and terrific!!! Will be purchasing again!!! Thank you from Hawaii - Roy

Hi Roy,

Thank you so much for your kind words and for choosing our Bulletproof Men's Polo Jacket. We are thrilled to hear that you had an awesome and terrific experience with our service and product. We can't wait to have you as a returning customer. Mahalo from all of us here in CA!

Best,
IA Team

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