Second annual Texas Firearms Festival

LIBERTY HILL, Texas--The sound of gunshots echoed across the open fields during day one of the Texas Firearms Festival. A sound that an increasing number of people are curious in.

"We find that people are a lot more interested in these days than they have in the past about purchasing a firearm, about getting the proper training to handle a firearm," Lee Johnson, the chief operating officer of the Texas Firearms Festival said.

Johnson said the growing interest is not only something he is hearing but also something he is seeing firsthand.

"Ticket sales to express that have increased. Last year we sold about 2,300 tickets, this year we are expecting around 3,000 tickets."

Sarah Guerrero is one of those ticket holders. Guerrero said that she never grew up with guns but her fear of them went away after meeting her husband and receiving the proper training.

"I think environments like this help out a lot," Guerrero said. "I think the best thing I've done is to familiarize myself with guns, learn as much as I can, and it has made me a lot more comfortable with guns in general."

With open carry set to take effect in January of next year, the need for proper training and education appears to be higher now than before.
 
"We are really hoping to get everybody trained up to protect themselves, defend themselves, and express their constitutional right to carry a firearm," Johnson said.