An Oklahoma mom has gone viral on TikTok after sharing a video that shows her practicing an active shooter drill with her young son. The video racked up more than seven million views after Cassie Walton, 23, posted the video on the app last week, according to the New York Post. In the video, Walton can be seen preparing her 5-year-old son Weston, who is holding a Spider-Man-themed bulletproof backpack. Walton asks her child what he would do if “a call over the intercom says ‘This is not a drill, everybody go in the corner and be really quiet and still.‘ Weston responds by running to a nook at the side of the room. She then asks her son to demonstrate how he would use the bulletproof backpack and he responded by hiding his face and torso behind the bag.
Weston is set to start elementary school this month and has been alarmed by news of the school shooting in Uvalde, Tx. “He could see what was going on in Texas and, as kids do, he had questions,” the mom said. “I wanted him to be prepared and have somewhat of an idea of what to do if the situation should ever arise.” In the two-minute video, Walton continues to ask her son questions and quizzing him about possible scenarios. A majority of viewers commended Walton for preparing her son about school shooters, but was saddened that it has become a reality for families. On the other hand, TikTokkers critiqued Walton‘s directions, informing her that most times young children are required to leave backpacks outside the classroom, ultimately defeating the purpose of using them as protection. There appear to be no sanctioned Spider-Man bulletproof backpacks for sale online — but there are plenty of companies touting “inserts” that “make any bag bulletproof.”