Chicago City Wire

Lynn Dunagan’s passion for firearms and shooting at gun ranges didn’t happen overnight.  

In fact, she only decided to learn how to shoot after her divorce, when she found herself scared in her own home.

Dunagan, the founder of the Ladies of Steel gun club and owner of JMD Defense and Investigations, said there weren’t many women, especially black women, learning how to handle and shoot firearms   

Ladies of Steel, JMD Defense and Investigations | http://www.jmddefense.com/about.html

“I think it’s a lack of education and not knowing,” Dunagan told Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson of "Chicago’s Morning Answer" radio show.

Proft is a principal of Local Government Information Services, which owns this publication.

Dunagan started her gun club for women in April and has seen attendance go from eight to 29. She said its purpose is to teach women about guns and firearm training.

“Just last month, we had a gentleman come in, a law enforcement officer, to teach us about cleaning and maintaining our firearms,” Dunagan said.  “We meet up at a gun range, and we go and we practice our shooting and our skills.”

Ladies of Steel is on Chicago’s South Side, but since there are no gun ranges in that area, Dunagan takes members to gun ranges in the suburbs. She said she likes to keep her classes under 12 people. Classes are available for all ages.

“For teens, I have a self-defense class for young ladies that are going away to college,” Dunagan said. “We have the mommy and me class for the moms and the young daughters to be in the class together, and we have an adult self-defense class as well.”

Dunagan believes putting guns in the right hands will change society in a positive way.

“My prayer is that as the bad guys see that more good people are arming themselves and trying to defend themselves, they will stand down,” Dunagan said.

Dunagan can be reached on her website at www.jmddefense.com or by calling JMD Defense and Investigations at 773-614-8747.