SPARTANBURG, SC (FOX Carolina) -
Hundreds of people packed a meeting room Monday night to listen to Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, teachers and officials discuss protection tips, including everything from cutting back bushes around homes to carrying guns.
When Brenda Thornton walked up to a meeting room at the Spartanburg County government office building Monday night, she had to stand outside of the door.
"When I got in here, we couldn't get in," she said.
She and others stood outside, but they listened closely to tips about protecting themselves.
"I have always really wanted to have a gun in my car because I travel a lot by myself," she said.
And when Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright walked in, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
"I still believe women get your CWP, if that's what you choose to do, but train yourselves with it," Wright said.
A CWP is a concealed weapons permit. Wright began encouraging women to start packing after a reported attempted rape at a park last week.
The incident, along with Wright's words, inspired Brenda Thornton to attend the meeting.
"I just think it really woke you up," she said.
David Blanton, a concealed weapons permit trainer, told the crowd before they apply for a gun should know this one important thing.
"If you have to pull that gun out you will use it, because someone will grab it and take it away from you if you don't. Most crimes happen within seven yards of a victim. That's 21 feet," he said.
He then gave tips on how to stay safe inside a house while an intruder is there.
"You shouldn't be up moving around in your home if you think somebody's there. The only time you should move around is if you have children inside the home and need to check on them," he said.
A deputy also shared ideas on making the outside of the home safe too.
"I want you to stand to and look at the front of your house and I want you to see how dark it is," Craig Bradley said. He's a master deputy with the sheriff's office.
And Thornton said because of what she heard, she would leave the meeting armed with some much needed knowledge.
"I just want to make sure I'm protected," she said.
Those who attended the forum also received a safety manual that gives tips on how to identify gangs in neighborhoods and how to protect oneself against identity theft.
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Women practice at a gun range for a concealed weapons permit. (File/FOX Carolina)
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