Cincinnati-area father, retired federal agent invents device that turns classrooms into safe rooms in seconds
By Karin Johnson
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CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Not only is Michael Rush a local father, he’s also a retired federal law enforcement officer.
After the Parkland shooting in Florida in February 2018, he decided more needed to be done to protect our kids.
Seventeen people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School died that day.
At the time, Rush was working as a federal agent, but his role as a father was at the forefront of his mind.
“I had to come up with something. As a dad first, losing a child, I couldn’t fathom that,” Rush said.
Rush began reading after action reports on active shooter incidents around the country.
“The national average of response time for police response is eight minutes on average. Most active shootings are over within the first two to three minutes,” Rush said.
Now, five years later, he’s ready to introduce his invention. It’s called Wingshield.
“My main inspiration was Parkland, where they never entered a classroom but shot through the doors,” Rush said.
Wingshield is a whiteboard that can be used daily in classrooms. In the event of an active shooter, it can turn a classroom into a safe room in five to seven seconds.
“Put it right up against the door frame, and that’s it,” Rush said. “Once it’s in place, it’s not attached to anything, but you can’t move it.”
Rebecca Rush is Michael Rush’s wife. She’s also the president and CEO of Wingshield.
“You would think something 568 pounds is impossible to move, but even a little kid can move it,” Rebecca Rush said.
The Rush family said it has been scientifically tested and provided video to WLWT to show how Wingshield stopped every handgun, shotgun and rifle round that was fired at it.
“Not a single one penetrated the Wingshield,” Michael Rush said.
It’s also designed to encapsulate the bullets.
“I didn’t want any shrapnel into the room,” Michael Rush said. “Active shooting is about buying time, and if we could focus from the inside out with security, it buys time for the first responders to show up.”
Former Cincinnati Reds great George Foster now works with school-aged kids and said he sees the anxiety associated with school safety.
“The anxiety is there not only for the kids but the parents,” Foster said.
Foster heard Michael Rush talk about Wingshield.
Now, after seeing it for himself, Foster said, “I look at it as the first line of protection as far as security.”
The Rushes hope it could bring peace of mind to parents like them.
“If I ever got the call that, God forbid, there’s an active shooter at our school, they’re going to make it. They’re coming home,” Rebecca Rush said.
The Rushes said they’ve heard from many special needs teachers who said this could be beneficial in their classrooms as well as from churches, municipalities and health care companies that have expressed interest.
The cost starts at several thousand dollars but varies depending on the order. Wingshield can be customized to fit any door.
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