On Mar. 27, Audrey Hale shot the entry glass door of a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee 11 times and gained entry into the building, killing three children and three adults.
“The entrance doors are always gonna be the first place that they attack.” Director of Security, Ian Bannister, said.
Faculty from school districts all over the county joined members of local law enforcement on Thursday morning to shoot out windows; to test which glass can withstand a bullet.
Ray Dunn, CEO of Guardian Security, says they created these designs to slow down the entry of an intruder or keep them out completely.
“What were trying to do is to stop the threat outside of the school, and show how window protection can keep the bad guy out.” Dunn said.
The first glass pane tested would delay entry for up to two minutes, but after that, the glass will shatter and the film will rip apart.
“The 16ml film is designed to delay entry into a building. It will not stop ballistic attacks and it will slow down a perpetrator trying to enter the building.” Bannister said.
The next system tested was the Defense Lite Pro, designed to keep intruders out, but bullets can still come in. The glass will shatter, but the film will never rip and allow the intruder a way in.
“It will stop any manner of weapons. It can be attacked ballistically and still survive and perform as intended, but the rounds will still pass through.” Bannister said.
The final system tested was called Bullet Shield. Made of layers of polycarbonate, this pane can stop all handgun bullets from passing through, although it is not made to withstand an assault rifle.
Handgun bullets will stop upon hitting the first layer. The glass will shatter eventually, but the film will not fail.
Guns were fired at the standard testing range of 16.4 feet.