MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — The number of women issued handgun carry permits in Tennessee is on the rise.
According to the Daily News Journal, the number of permits issued to women by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security more than doubled between 2011 and 2013.
Rutherford County firearm safety instructor Amy Davis says she has noticed an increase in women interested in learning about guns. Local resident Kelli Beam received her handgun carry permit last year. She says she decided to obtain it for protection.
Records show Rutherford County has the fifth-highest number of total handgun permits issued in the state, following Shelby, Knox, Davidson and Hamilton counties.