Concealed carry expo in Milwaukee; organizers urge education, choice
U.S. Concealed Carry Association Expo
MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Concealed Carry Association is hosting its 20th annual expo in Milwaukee this weekend with a focus on gun ownership education.
"I have a family and everything, and I want to protect each and every one who’s in my household as well as myself," said concealed carry gun owner Larry Harris.
Harris made the drive from Chicago to be a part of the USCCA Expo at the Wisconsin Center. He said proper gun ownership starts with education.
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"It’s like driving a car. If you get behind the wheel without any experience, you’re going to cause accidents. You’re going to hurt yourself or hurt somebody else," Harris said. "Same thing with guns. You should always be trained."
That’s what the expo is all about. From safety seminars to hands-on training, the point is to give everyone a chance to learn.
U.S. Concealed Carry Association Expo
"What we want to do is provide training and information with no bias whatsoever, so they can make an informed decision on how to protect themselves," said Rob Chadwick, USCCA director of education and training.
Gun owner Julie Willis said the thought of owning a weapon initially intimidated her.
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"I went and did the training, and I learned," she said. "Now I train, and I train, and I train because I respect that it’s a very powerful thing.
"I want to make sure it's more powerful in my hands than in someone else’s."
Organizers said it’s about making your own decision.
"There’s several other non-gun options here to defend yourself. It's not all about the gun, it’s about being able to defend yourself," Chadwick said.
The expo will continue Sunday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information on how to get involved can be found on USCCA's website.
Gun violence drum circle
A new youth organization gathered Saturday for a drum circle in honor of someone who died from gun violence.
Drums Up, Guns Down 414, which formed this summer, supports those with trauma from gun violence or who have lost loved ones because of it.
FOX6 News asked an organizer, Ojumire Charleston, how she felt about concealed carry education. She said it's not a bad thing but caution around legal gun ownership is important.
"You don’t want to have people with a concealed carry license who does not have the right mentality on how to solve problems," said Charleston. "You don’t want them to be able to have a concealed carry license."