Residents buying guns in record numbers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- You’ve seen them march to City Hall and heard the cries for justice.

But just how serious are Charlotteans' threats to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves?

We found out they do mean business.

It's unlike anything the Queen City has ever seen -- everyday citizens arming themselves with firearms in record numbers.

Local gun stores are swamped with people desperate to defend their homes and property. Many are frustrated their neighborhoods are being taken over by thugs.

"If you would have asked me last year if I thought I would have ever carried one, I probably would have said no," Michelle Barr told WCNC.

We met Barr, a mother of a 4-year-old who also works the nightshift, as she was purchasing her first gun from Hyatt Gun Shop.

"I’ve got a child and I think I just feel safer with having the extra protection," she added.

"It's absolutely driven by crime and it's been building up for over a year," gun shop owner Larry Hyatt explained.

"They just want something in their home. They want something to use just in case," continued firearms instructor Roger Ayscue.

And it's not just talk. People really are taking action. Local firearms classes are packed with many who've never before even fired a weapon.

"We're seeing grandmothers, mothers, girlfriends, accountants, bankers, cooks, waitresses and waiters," Charlotte Rifle and Pistol Club spokesman Glen Moody said.

People like Beverly Downey of Huntersville, who lives alone and cares for her 8-month-old granddaughter.

"I never ever thought in my lifetime I'd have to have a weapon to protect myself,” Downey said. "I'm not going looking for trouble, but if it happens to come through my door, I'm going to be prepared."

But knowing when you're justified to shoot or not to shoot can be confusing.

WCNC reviewed the North Carolina Justice Academy Handgun Training Handbook and found it depends heavily on individual circumstances.

Your first duty is to retreat if at all possible -- not to use deadly force to defend property. Instead, it is used as a last resort for defense of your life.

It's a tremendous responsibility countless Charlotteans are now choosing to accept. All feeling pushed to the point of arming themselves for protection.

Young mom Michelle Barr says she believes it makes her less likely to become a victim. Her warning to criminals out there:

"You can't assume just because someone looks professional and educated that they're not going to commit a crime," she said. "Just like you can't assume that somebody that looks professional and educated isn't going to be one that's carrying a gun under their jacket.”