Target Masters offers concealed carry classes after Texas shooting

In the wake of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, personal safety is on the mind of Mid-Missourians.

ABC 17 News spoke to Target Masters manager, Joe Gilbert, who said he will be offering a class this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those interested in gaining knowledge on how to properly conceal and carry a weapon.

The class is being offered after the weekend shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that killed 26 people, including children.

“We teach people to de-escalate and avoid, and deselect themselves as a target and then, if (the) worse case happens, then how to properly defend themselves without putting other people in danger or the least amount of danger as possible,” Gilbert said.

ABC 17 News also spoke to Adam Duncan, a law enforcement training officer who highlights the importance of not getting involved, Duncan said, that if you do find yourself in a situation similar to what happened over the weekend, safety should be your top priority.

Duncan said it would be a good idea to keep this in mind:

“Where is the greatest harm? One of the questions to ask, whether it be a police officer or a private citizen is, ‘What’s going to happen if I don’t? If I don’t intervene, what’s going to happen?’ If there is not an active threat to someone’s safety, not an active threat to someone’s life, then not getting involved would be really the right answer.”

For more information on Target Masters’ classes and their location, click here.