Kentucky: Thieves impersonating evangelicals prompt woman, 70, to teach gun safety

The Louisville, KY Courier-Journal reported recently that an elderly woman who was able to defend herself with a firearm during an attempted home invasion two years ago is now certified as an NRA-certified instructor, teaching others the same life-saving skills.

From the article:

Sylvia Hall had never used her handgun for protection until the morning four strange men appeared at her doorstep impersonating evangelicals.

"We want to read the Bible to you," they said when she answered the door.

Hall said no. They insisted, and one of them began to push on the screen door and force himself in.

That's when Hall pulled out her Smith & Wesson, which scared them off.

That day two years ago was when Hall, who lives in Centerfield, began a mission to teach women in Oldham and surrounding counties to protect themselves using handguns.

"Women shouldn't be afraid in their own homes," Hall told the newspaper. "They ought to be able to protect themselves."

Again, from the article:

A 70-year-old retired employee of a company that sold forklifts and other equipment, Hall never imagined she'd use a gun for more than hunting. She and her husband, Tom, a former Marine, always enjoyed target practice at shooting ranges, and she kept a gun in her glove compartment for a while when she was traveling for work — just in case.

Still, "it is a terrible feeling" to use it, she said.

After the incident at her home off Ky. 22, Hall signed up for 45 hours of training to get a National Rifle Association certification — making her one of 21 NRA certified female instructors in in Kentucky. It also makes her eligible to teach gun-safety classes. She also took a Kentucky concealed-carry course.

In July, she started teaching a series of classes at Kentucky Gunrunners, at 1000 Cherrywood Place in La Grange. One is a basic handgun class for women and men, and another is a concealed-carry class. She also teaches "Women on Target," an NRA class that she plans to teach to women in the area twice a year.

Most classes are on Saturdays and last six to eight hours, depending on class size and the experience of the students.

"A lot of times, they have not handled a gun before," Hall is quoted as saying.

In her classes, Hall told The Courier-Journal she teaches everything from gun parts to the basics of a bullet. Students also learn the types of grips and safe ways to carry the gun. At the end of class, they go to the range in the building and shoot targets.

Hall said classes tend to have around 10 people, and she prefers to keep the classes small. Students come from as far as Ohio and Indiana, she said, and include a mix of men and women.

Barbara Brooks, 75, of Crestwood said she took the concealed carry and basic handgun classes over the summer because "the times, the way they are now, made me want to know how to handle a weapon safely."

Brooks, who said she knows Hall from church, said she doesn't know if she'll ever carry a gun, though she's discovered a love for target shooting.

Hall told the newspaper she'd like to expand her teaching to younger people, like Cub Scout troops.

"If a young person learns the correct way to shoot a gun, you're less likely to have accidents," she said.