LA inventor creates 'Bullet Proof Blinds'

LOS ANGELES -- Recent gun violence has raised fears about attacks and now a Los Angeles-area inventor said he developed a special shield suitable for use at home or at the workplace.

The product is called Bullet Proof Blinds, which is actually more like a ballistic curtain. The product, also called the Bullet Barrier, is designed to withstand gunfire at close range.

"If you look at a lot the shootings, usually they will have a handgun," John Adrain, head of Heracles Research said.

ABC7 checked out the damage and saw a series of bullets fired at the hanging curtain. A layer of the fabric was shredded, but the bullet did not go through.

We called on Joe Petrillo, a 37-year-veteran in security systems to observe the test.

"It looks like it will stop the round, no doubt about that," Petrillo, head of Security Design Systems said.

Yet Petrillo had some questions: Would the shield still work with more rapid fire shots as the curtain jumps and moves?

Also, even if the blinds were motorized to drop quickly, could they come down fast enough?

Adrain said the blinds could be activated by noise or a motion sensor.

To maximize protection, Petrillo said the curtains need to be down before a gunman comes calling.

"I question what kind of client is going to use it," Petrillo said.

Adrain said the Bullet Barriers are not for the average homeowner, but could provide a strategic layer of security at government buildings or school entry ways. He said at $80 per square foot, they are cheaper than bullet-proof glass.

Petrillo meantime urged consumers to base security purchases on their specific needs, not by what's on the market.