VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — We've brought you stories about those in our community as they built up skills of situational awareness and self-defense. This week we're meeting one group of women who've turned to the gun range in the name of safety.
Virginia Beach firearms instructor Joel Jones showed a group of roughly 20 women how to use guns Saturday at Strong Arms Gun Club.
Everyone had a different reason for wanting to learn.
"Especially with things going on like shootings in stores. You can be grocery shopping and anything can happen, so I just want to be safe and protect my children as well," said Raleesha Hinton, of Virginia Beach.
"I'm also a real estate agent so kind of the same thing, we go out meeting clients, or sometimes late nights driving around on my own," said Pamela Maldonado of Virginia Beach.
"I want to legally carry and know the laws to carry and just be safe about it," said Adrienne Thoroughgood of Virginia Beach.
And they're not alone. In 2013 only 13 percent of gun owners were women. That's now grown to 22 percent, according to Pew researchers. That same study says women are most likely to cite protection, rather than recreation, as the reason they own a gun.
That's what instructor Jones says he's seeing in Virginia Beach too.
"You see a class full of women right," Joel Jones, director/chief instructor Strong Arms Gun Club laughed. "And I love it."
The class got the rundown on proper handling and storage.
"I think it's important for anybody that's going to be dealing with a firearm to know exactly what they're dealing with and how to keep themselves safe and others safe in a case of self-defense or just in general," said Bria Pollock of Virginia Beach.
Instructor Jones says that applies to everyone.
"Not only lock [guns] up but teach your children about the safety fundamentals when it comes to firearms," said Jones.
This group said the lesson boosted their confidence.
Of course, firearms have been the topic of legislation in Virginia and beyond.Last month Governor Glenn Youngkin signed two gun proposals into law, but vetoed 30 other bills.
