SAINT JOHNS, Fla. — It's a scary thought -- losing your child in a school shooting.
But, it's a reality families have faced for years, including the 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
That shooting prompted St. Johns County mother Carrie Gaines to create a bullet-proof plate that slips into a backpack, a layer of protection during a shooting.
"I feel nuts having to do this," she said. "I am doing everything and anything I can to keep my children safe."
A tweet by California Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris last week, in reference to a story from First Coast News about bulletproof backpacks being sold locally, makes Gaines want to caution everyone: the safety of children should not be a political issue.
Instead, Gaines says, the conversations should start at home and not the campaign trail.
"Kamala Harris isn't saving any children," Gaines told First Coast News.
Gaines is putting her focus on making sure her two sons are safe at school, regardless of the opinions of others.
"I say to all of these people that say to me that I am nuts, what are you doing?" she said.
For more information about Gaines' project, you can visit A Safe Pack.