HANCOCK COUNTY — Sitting inside a classroom at Highsmith Guns in Greenfield, Jason Ware was surrounded by a handgun and several bullets. He was learning how to properly handle the weapon, including how to load and unload the bullets from a trained firearms specialist, Dave Robertson.
“I’m a first-time handgun owner,” Ware said. “I got the gun for self defense, plus we have a baby on the way and there are just so many crazy things going on in the world, I don’t want to be a victim.”
The increase in mass shootings and the passage of the new “constitutional carry” gun law on July 1 has led to an increase in firearms sales in the county, business owners and officials said.
Hancock County Sheriff, Brad Burkhart said, “I think we’re living in some scary times right now.”
Burkhart is an advocate of law abiding citizens carrying “concealed” guns because those who carry can become first responders when needed. Burkhart cited Eli Dicken, the young man who shot the Greenwood Park Mall shooter, as the perfect example.
“The proficiency of that kid was just remarkable,” Burkhart said. “Most law enforcement officials are not going to be as proficient as he was and he became the first responder there.”
While gun shop owners say they’re busier than ever, law enforcement officials too note, they are seeing more and more people carry firearms in the county than ever before.
“Our officers have noticed an increase in the number of citizens open-carrying firearms in public,” Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Division Commander Capt. Robert Harris said.
Harris personally has observed more “open carry” at gas stations, grocery stores and even restaurants. While he said it’s great to see people exercising their 2nd amendment rights, law enforcement officials say gun owners need to make sure they are responsible.
“Firearms lessons are not required in Indiana as they are in some other states,” Harris said. “However, we encourage citizens to take some kind of gun safety lessons and practice proficiency with their firearms.”
In Ware’s case, he’s doing what law enforcement officials want every new gun owner to do, take lessons from a trained professional to make sure the gun owner understands the proper way to store, handle, load and shoot a weapon.
“It’s just like giving a 16-year old who has not driven yet the keys to your car and saying ‘here go drive,’ well guess what, he’s not gonna make it,” Robertson said.
Robertson, who trains gun owners individually or in a classroom setting with several gun owners, noted taking a gun lesson is one of the smartest things a gun owner can do for their safety as well as the safety of others.
“I’m big on training, but at the same time, you do not want to infringe on people’s rights,” Robertson said. “But, I always say, it’s kind of like surgery. Do you want a guy to operate on you without proper training? No.”
Ware signed up for the gun safety lesson because he felt it was the right thing to do in order to keep himself and those around him safe.
“You can have a gun on your hip and not know how to use it and end up dead if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Ware said.
Harris said there are many options for lessons in central Indiana and most gun stores offer a wealth of knowledge on training and can even provide private lessons.
Shane Highsmith, the owner of Highsmith Guns, said his business is literally booming since the new gun law went into effect earlier this summer, allowing law-abiding residents to carry a handgun without a permit.
“Oh yes, it’s been nuts,” Highsmith said. “We hate that because of mass shootings and people being scared that business is better than ever, but it is.”
Highsmith said the timing of the new law coupled with mass shootings is making more and more people want to be able to protect themselves from potential danger.
“We have a woman customer who had gone to the Greenwood Park Mall the day of the shooting but left because the parking lot was too full,” Highsmith said. “She has since come to the store, bought a gun and took a class because of all of that.”
Burkhart, who originally had some reservations and was against constitutional carry due to the concerns he felt it could present to law enforcement, doesn’t have issues with law-abiding citizens purchasing guns. He does, however, ask new gun owners take the time to get trained.
“To me, getting trained shows people are willing to be more responsible in carrying,” Burkhart said. “Just because there is the constitutional carry law doesn’t qualify an individual to carry a weapon unless you are proficient in what you’re doing.”
Burkhart noted it’s been different seeing more and more people who are not in law enforcement with a gun and noted just the sight of a firearm can be scary to some people, which is why he recommends concealed carry over open carry.
“I’m not an advocate of open carry because it makes you the first target,” Burkhart said. “If a person is going to do something bad, the first person they’re going to take out is the person with the gun, and I tell people that.”
Burkhart noted if a person does decide to carry in an open manner rather than concealed carry, the gun owner needs to have the gun secured in a proper holster, which many don’t.
“I’ve seen holsters that don’t have good retention to them and people aren’t paying attention, leaving the gun out there just kind of hanging, and that’s really dangerous,” Burkhart said.
Locally, Harris noted, Highsmith Guns offers basic firearms training, women’s only training, concealed carry tactics, and advanced firearms training classes. Additionally, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has training information on their website, https://firearmtraining.nra.org. The Well-Armed Woman, https://thewellarmedwoman.com/, also has a local chapter that specializes in women learning to enhance their skills while also building camaraderie.
