A tragic shooting at a Minnesota church over a month ago left two children dead and 18 others injured. The incident continues to resonate, prompting communities to consider their own safety measures, including in Florida where open carry is now legal.
The U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) held a class in Naples to teach locals how to protect their places of worship.
"We know the threats are out there, and you know, we want to be prepared," said Chris Hansen, a training attendee.
The concept of guns in churches raises questions about how best to protect one's faith. It's a conversation gaining traction among many.
"The Charlie Kirk thing was a big one. We saw with a huge spike in people attending classes because they want to be more aware of the situation, aware of what their rights are," said Dwayne Peterson, a USCCA executive. "Churches across the country have what they call a safety team as well, the volunteers that come together to be able to protect their churches."
Chris Hansen and his friend Joe, along with nearly 40 other local parishioners, attended the training at the South Regional Library in Naples. They were focused on church safety.
"My friend Joe and I are working with our church to help improve security and improve safety, especially with everything that's going on that we see around America," said Hansen.
The training covered more than just the use of guns. It included self-defense, crisis reaction, and protecting family members first to then safeguarding fellow parishioners.
"If it is gunshots in my church, how bad is this gonna be?" a participant pondered during the class.
"There are a lot of people that are retired military, law enforcement, first responders, that also help contribute to their churches," said Peterson. "In the end, it's everyday people that are usually the ones that are going to be first to the scene."
Hansen emphasized the importance of mental preparedness. "You know, the best weapon God ever gave us is between our ears, and it's our mind, and it's, put your phone down, be situationally aware, see what's going on, and then you can respond instead of react," he said.
The training aimed to create everyday heroes, like Hansen and Joe, ready to protect their communities. Peterson led the session as both a USCCA member and a volunteer for his church's safety team in Port Charlotte.