Teen invents bag that doubles as body armor

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BOULDER, Colo. — A teenager from Boulder has created an invention that he wishes he didn't have to – a grocery bag that doubles as a bulletproof vest.

Eighteen-year-old Trent Bush was in his senior year of high school when 10 people were shot and killed inside the Boulder Table Mesa King Soopers. A month after that tragedy, Bush came up with the idea for a tote bag that could turn into body armor.

In order to execute the idea, he taught himself to sew during the midst of the pandemic. He created a prototype that would later turn into "LifeTote."

"I never thought I would design something like this, and it is super unfortunate that tragedy had to happen for me to think of this idea," said Bush.

The tote was created with a breakaway zipper, so in the case of an emergency, you can easily dismantle it. Once it's no longer in bag form, it slips over your head and is secured into place around the chest and back.

"It does make me feel more comfortable in the grocery store. That's kind of why I designed it in the first place. After the King Soopers shooting, it felt off going anywhere public or with a lot of people, especially the grocery store," said Bush.

LifeTote is one-size-fits-all and allows you to adjust it when worn. The inside of the tote has flaps with layers of Kevlar, a type of fabric that catches and stops a deployed bullet.

"I think it could do a lot of good in this world, but it is a shame that we have to create something like this to solve a problem that is really hard to solve," said Bush.

He is working with Axxes Industries, a sewing company in Lafayette, to manufacture the product. It took Bush a little while to find a company that would manufacture the tote because of the difficulty of design and the fabric requirements.

Right now, it is available for pre-order. If you would like to purchase, you can check out their products here. Bush expects to start manufacturing on a larger scale in the summertime.

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