VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., (WAVY) — A pop-up Halloween store chain has been accused of being tone deaf to headlines of school shootings across the U.S. after showcasing a bullet belt and marketing it to teens.
Spirit Halloween, where people can find different types of Halloween costumes, sells a bullet belt in its prep school costume displays, and 10 On Your Side found it at two of its Virginia Beach stores it visited Tuesday. On its website, a gold bullet belt sells for $9.99, while a punk rock bullet belt sells for $14.99.
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Some shoppers are concerned with how the message of having the product in its stores comes across to younger children, and one called it unacceptable.
“I don’t like it,” said one shopper. “I have three children that go to school, and I just heard about the shooting that just happened. And it’s scary, even though it’s a costume. Regardless, that’s just not [it]. They shouldn’t be making fun of these shootings and guns and stuff. It is a big deal.”