At the Strong Arms Gun Club in Virginia recently, WTKR news was on hand as approximately 20 women gathered to learn firearm handling and safety from Joel Jones, a local firearms instructor. Amidst rising concerns about public safety, these women, ranging in profession from real estate agents to mothers, are part of a growing demographic turning to firearms for protection.

Even as mainstream media tries to play to the negatives of shooting, when it comes to female empowerment and safety, it’s hard to put a negative spin on learning how to safely shoot a gun. And to the paper’s credit, they looked at the movement from a positive view.

“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,” explained Raleesha Hinton, a Virginia Beach resident.

Pamela Maldonado, also from Virginia Beach and a real estate agent, shared her reasons, noting the risks of meeting clients alone and traveling at night. Adrienne Thoroughgood emphasized the importance of understanding the laws and being properly trained in firearm use.