The heartbreaking reason why some mothers send their kids to school with doorstops

Some mothers have started sending their children to school with doorstops in their schoolbags.

A selection of parents have decided to include the item in an attempt to protect against school shootings in the US. The theory is that the doorstop would slow down a shooter from entering a room, giving a child more time to flee or hide. Connecticut woman, Katie Cornelis, said that she first started sending her nieces to school with doorstops after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. The shooter opened fire on the school and left 20 children between the ages of six and seven-years-old dead. Cornelis said that she didn't want to scare her nieces, but that she knew the doorstop would give them a chance at safety. On a Facebook post shared earlier this year, she said:

"After the Sandy Hook shooting, I gave both my nieces this little door stop to always keep in their backpacks. It truly pained me when I handed it to them, and I didn’t want to scare them, but it was out of love and they understood. "II wanted to share this with all parents... and ANYONE else for that matter... to get themselves one (I always carry mine in my purse). Sure it’s small, but it can be powerful in keeping you safe if you ever have to barricade yourself in a room. "If a gunman shoots out the door lock it will still keep the door from opening and may just buy you some time. I’m really sad posting this but a security expert shared this tip with me so I wanted to pass it on. I pray no one ever has to use it."

It wasn't long before Cornelis's post went viral, with almost 1.5 million users sharing her message. Although a doorstop is not guaranteed to protect a child against a shooter, it could potentially give them a greater chance of survival if their school came under attack.