(Image source from: Officials Give Citizens Gun Safety Training to citizens })

On a Sunday afternoon, students gather in a classroom in west suburban Glen Ellyn, skipping the misery of a Chicago bears heartbreaker at the hands of San Francisco. They are learning to protect their loved ones, and themselves, with guns

The classes are conducting in the Homeland Security Training Center at College of DuPage. Criminal justice students, police, firefighters, and other first responders are being trained with the high tech facility.  Heavy doses of reality and responsibility are the key components of the DuPage training course.

“I have to be certain that (an offender’s) intentions are to harm me or my family, before I can respond with deadly force,” instructor Michelle Quesada warns her students. “Just being in my house is not enough!”

According to authorities, there are 141,027 residents in the state own concealed carry licenses. And demand is getting high. Over 5,000 background check requests were made from gun stores statewide on the big black Friday shopping holiday. It shows, over a thousand requests have been increased since from the last year.

Tom Brady, associate dean said “We want to teach people the right way to carry a concealed weapon, we talk about—why did you make that decision? Is there something else you could have done? Would you have been better off just running away, calling the police?”

 “We don’t want somebody to make a life changing decision in an emotional state when their adrenaline is pumping, I always say if there’s an opportunity to retreat, take it. The consequences we express so much—that if you can avoid a situation at all, that is always your best option.” Said Quesada.

All Students who have paid their fee and given up a weekend for the DuPage training, are seems most concerned with any time they might have to draw a gun and use it. They are put on the shooting range and need to qualify from 5, 7, and 10 yards.

Instructor Keith Aller “We try to let the students know that you need to defend yourself not only with a firearm, but you have to be able to articulate why it is you did what you did, and make sure that you are well within the law.”

-Nandini