Legally Armed: 900 Women to Enjoy Free Firearms Training in Detroit

By Ready to Fire News Last updated May 20, 2019

We hear a lot about gun rights restrictions and organizations who are speaking up against firearms, but this story is a little different.

Legally Armed, a Detroit-based gun rights advocacy group, is providing completely free firearms safety training courses to women in the city. The group trains nearly 900 women in Detroit, and all in the same day. This inspiring move allows women in one of the most crime-filled cities in the country to safely protect themselves against whatever comes their way — a move that should make other cities sit up and take notice.

No Experience Required

What’s truly beautiful about this training is that there is no experience required, and everything is completely free to the ladies. What’s even better is that these 900 women are far from the first to go through this impressive experience. This is the eighth consecutive year for the training, which trained only 50 women in the first year.

Last year’s event grew to 700 individuals who received training, while this year’s record-setting attendance will help provide the students with the training that they need to stay safe and protect themselves and their children in the home and beyond.

Finding Resources is Tough

Unsurprisingly, cobbling together enough instructors, range time, weapons and ammunition for 900 individuals to receive training can be a massive challenge.

Founder Rick Ector explained in a recent interview that he started this initiative after a young woman was killed in an incident of senseless violence. He wanted to provide other women with the tools and information that they needed to protect themselves in a similar situation. He works tirelessly throughout the year to gather the supplies because he believes so strongly that women should be equipped for protection — and this is the best way he knows how to do it.

Fortunately, Ector is often supported by local gun manufacturers and others who provide time, weapons and ammunition to the event.

Creating Community

Perhaps the biggest takeaway that these women have is a sense of community of shared spirit and purpose. Many of the women go on to form gun groups in their various areas, and get together in the future to shoot and share camaraderie around a positive gun culture. This type of community is not something that would happen without a catalyst such as the annual training to bring like-minded individuals together from all ages and all walks of life.

While there are not yet any other groups taking a stand in their cities or states to create this type of firearm training in their areas, the founder of Legally Armed hopes that others will see the value of what he’s created and take up the mantle. The entire country could benefit from a virtual army of intelligent, trained and proactive women.

~ Ready to Fire News