Katie Cornelis, a woman from Southbury, CT, shared the reason she gave her nieces doorstops to take to school: to protect them against potential school shooters. In a now-viral Facebook post, Katie explained that although it was a difficult decision, she feels that she was left with no choice.
"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," she wrote. "In light of the recent shooting, I wanted to share this with all parents, and ANYONE else for that matter, to get themselves one (I always carry mine in my purse)."
Her important — and albeit terrifying — hack has racked up 1,376,184 shares and 602,000 reactions since she posted it on Feb. 15. Katie went on to say how much of a lifesaver this little plastic triangle can be if, God forbid, a gunman enters their schools one day:
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.