MACON, Ga. — If you're a gun owner, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office wants to keep you and others safe.
Handling a firearm takes lots of practice, and if it gets into the hands of someone inexperienced, it can be deadly.
According to the CDC, over 48,000 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States in 2021.
Next week, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office will be holding two free firearm safety classes on Monday, Feb. 19 and Tuesday, Feb. 20.
They hold firearm safety classes three times a year for residents to learn about gun safety, gun laws, and the right way to fire and store a gun.
Tim James is a lieutenant for the Bibb County Sheriff's Office and says the lessons people learn in these safety classes are valuable.
"Our biggest thing is to stress to the public safety, safety, safety," James said. "We just don't want them to leave those guns lying around. It's an eye-opener because people don't need to let their guard down. You let your guard down, that's when accidents happen. It's just too many instances out there, not just in Macon-Bibb but in the whole entire nation."
Lieutenant James says the classes teach responsible gun owners everything they need to know.
"We stress a lot about the parts of the gun and shooting styles and breathing and all the techniques that go into shooting properly and knowing your target and not just what the target is but what's beyond the target," James said.
Hamp Dowling is the owner of Macon's Eagle Gun Range.
He said he and his wife both took the classes years ago, and he was even an instructor for some time.
"Gun safety is important because these are dangerous machines here," Dowling said. "When we sell a gun to someone if they haven't shot a lot before, we put them in a class. We teach them safety first of course, how to handle the gun safely, and how to store it safely."
Dowling teaches safety classes to his customers and stresses that training before doing anything is the best way to learn.
"If you purchase a firearm, get some training," Dowling said. "Don't just assume you know how it works because you saw Billy Bob shooting one or you saw it on TV or something. Get some proper training from someone who knows what they're talking about."
If you want to attend next week's session, you must be 21 years old or older.
You don't need a firearms license to participate, but you must have your own firearm and ammunition.
For ways to register, you can contact the Bibb County Sheriff's Outreach Section at (478) 803-2710.
