MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - Most of the students in Tobias Leonard’s conceal and carry gun permit class are like Minnesota State University students Samantha Roehl and Allyson Hlavka.
They are women and have little to no experience with guns but are thinking about carrying one for protection.
An Army veteran turned college instructor, Leonard has found a niche teaching conceal and carry classes that he says are unlike others. His classes are non-chauvinistic, apolitical, comprehensible even for people who have never touched a gun and focus on personal safety, he says.
The Mankato man has been shooting for sport since he was in Boy Scouts and was the top shooter on his high school rifle team.
When one of his teenage daughters decided she wanted to try dad’s hobby, Leonard sampled a few gun safety training courses searching for the best one for his daughter and wasn’t impressed. The classes tended to be condescending toward women and beginners, filled with jargon and were part political rally for gun rights, he said.
“I realized a lot of people know a lot about guns but not a lot of people can teach,” he told the Mankato Free Press (https://bit.ly/2bwRt6g ).
He realized he’s one of the few with both competencies. His teaching experience started as a trainer of operating room assistants in the Army. He later worked as a student adviser and adjunct instructor at Minnesota State University. These days he teaches on and off at South Central College.
Leonard became a student again himself and earned firearm safety and conceal and carry instructor credentials a little more than a year ago. He now teaches occasional firearm safety courses for the Department of Natural Resources and has made a small business out of offering conceal and carry classes, which are required to apply for a permit, a few Saturdays a month.
Roehl and Hlavka were among the class-takers this past Saturday. Neither of the roommates own a gun but both are considering purchasing and carrying one. Hlavka is the most interested and Roehl is more uncertain but decided she wanted to at least have some knowledge about guns if her roommate brings one into their residence.
After learning about the class offering online, the pair said they were worried Leonard would use jargon they wouldn’t comprehend. That worry did not come to fruition, they said after the class. They found Leonard to be knowledgeable but understandable and engaging.
Theresa Cunningham of North Mankato said Leonard’s pulled-from-the-headlines stories warning the consequences of not understanding conceal and carry and use of force laws kept her engaged as well.
She bought her first gun for protection because she felt unsafe while previously living alone in a rural area. It prompted a hobby of shooting at ranges, which she said is “such a good stress reliever.” Now she’s planning to apply for a conceal and carry permit because she said she’ll feel safer bringing a gun when she takes road trips by herself.
For the first hour or more of Leonard’s conceal and carry class there is surprisingly little talk about guns. The discussion concentrates on strategies for staying safe without using a gun.
“Your pistol is just a tool. Your thoughts and actions are what keep you safe,” he tells his students.
Stories and quips are woven through the remainder of the lecture portion of the class, which includes a lesson on the physiology of flight or fight, guidance on use of force law, where conceal and carry permit holders can and cannot carry their guns, advice on what to do if the pupils ever have to use their gun to protect themselves, and more.
Class participants get some hands-on experiences as well, first with unloaded guns and concluding at a shooting range.
Pupils test out types of guns, ammunition and holsters while learning about the advantages and disadvantages of each. They also practice how to safely unjam a gun.
At the range they shoot targets at varied distances and try shooting one-handed with both hands in case they ever find themselves with an incapacitated hand during an encounter in which they need to defend themselves. Trainees do jumping jacks before taking a shot to experience how a rapid heart rate impacts their shooting ability.
Revolving throughout Leonard’s class are reminders of the legal consequences of using deadly force and suggestions for tactics to avoid needing to ever use their weapon.
“A firearm should be the absolute last line of defense,” he says.
Some of is pupils decide after the class they don’t want to apply for a conceal and carry permit after all. Leonard said he respects that decision.
“Carrying a gun is a lot of responsibility,” he said. “Some people realize that it’s too much responsibility. And that’s OK with me.”
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Information from: The Free Press, https://www.mankatofreepress.com
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