RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)–This week, 8News is going ‘Beyond The Bullets,’ taking an in-depth look at the gun violence in Richmond, the emotional toll it leaves behind and how police are targeting the problem.

We also thought it was important to show how responsible gun owners handle their weapons.

“My name is Sunny McGann. I’m a mom to a 16-year-old and I love to shoot.”

Sunny McGann is a well-armed woman. In fact, she’s the leader of the local chapter of that organization which touts the slogan ‘where the feminine and firearms meet.

But just a few years ago, McGann had no idea how to hold a handgun, much less fire one.

When her job in real estate put her in situations where she didn’t feel safe, she got a gun and learned to use it.

“I found myself in empty homes, by myself and I just felt like I needed something and pepper spray wasn’t going to do it,” explains McGann. “The first couple of times I came, I was really excited and really loved it. Just fell in love and decided that I wanted to do more.”

“I found myself in empty homes, by myself and I just felt like I needed something and pepper spray wasn’t going to do it.”

McGann took instructor courses and now shares her enthusiasm for firearms with hundreds of women who come to Colonial Shooting Academy. She says the number of women who want to learn how to handle a gun is definitely on the rise.

“I’ve heard everything from I’ve been assaulted, I’ve been raped, I’ve been somehow bothered by someone and I want to feel safer,” she said.

Now a full-time firearms instructor, McGann insists any responsible gun owner needs to be trained to handle it.

“They go about it by taking classes and just really going through all the steps. That’s mainly why people come in, is self-defense. They want to feel safer. That’s the number one thing I hear almost every day,” says McGann.

A Columbia University study last year pointed out that one in three Americans owns a gun.

Advocates insist if every one of those people were properly trained, our country would be a safer place.Click here to check on crime in your area.Find 8News on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; send your news tips to iReport8@wric.com.