The Changing Face of the Second Amendment: Why Women and Liberals are Flocking to Gun Ranges

By Derrick Stallings – HuntingOfficer.com

​For decades, the cultural image of the American gun owner was monolithic: typically male, rural, and conservative. But in early 2026, walk into a firearm safety course in Minneapolis, Seattle, or Atlanta, and you’ll find a demographic shift that is rewriting the script of American gun culture.

​The catalyst for this latest surge isn’t a new law or a hunting season. It’s the fallout from a January afternoon on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, where a 37-year-old ICU nurse named Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents.

​Across the country, gun trainers are reporting a “deluge” of interest from groups previously skeptical of, or even hostile toward, firearm ownership: women, liberals, and the LGBTQ+ community.

​The Context: The Shooting of Alex Pretti

​To understand the current surge, one must understand the specific trauma of the Alex Pretti incident.

​On January 24, 2026, Pretti—a nurse at a Veterans Affairs medical center known for his “kindhearted soul”—was observing a federal immigration enforcement operation. According to bystander video and eyewitness accounts, Pretti was recording the scene and helping a fellow bystander who had been knocked down by agents.

​Despite initial federal claims that Pretti “brandished” a weapon, video footage appeared to show him face-down on the ground after being pepper-sprayed when he was shot. Pretti was a legal concealed-carry permit holder. His death, coming just weeks after the similar shooting of Renee Good, sent a shockwave through progressive circles.

​The Shift: For many on the left, the Pretti shooting wasn’t just a tragedy; it was a realization. It signaled that even “following the rules”—having a permit and a registered firearm—did not guarantee safety in a climate of heightened federal enforcement.

​By the Numbers: A Growing Trend

​The interest isn’t just anecdotal. While 2020 saw a record-breaking surge in gun sales due to the pandemic and civil unrest, the “Pretti Surge” of 2026 is uniquely ideological.

• ​Gender Gap Closing: As of 2024, nearly 25% of American women owned firearms, a massive jump from just 10% in 1980. Trainers now report that in some urban centers, women make up over 50% of new class enrollees.
• ​Political Realignment: Data from early 2026 shows that Democratic-leaning individuals are increasing their firearm storage accessibility at twice the rate of previous years.
• ​Capacity Peaks: Organizations like the Pink Pistols (an LGBTQ+ gun rights group) and the Liberal Gun Club report that class sizes have quintupled, moving from an average of five students to 25 or more per session.

​Why Now? Three Driving Forces

​1. Personal Safety as a Progressive Value

​Historically, many liberals viewed guns as the problem. Today, a growing segment views them as a necessary, if regrettable, tool for personal protection. “People are realizing that those who are supposed to protect us often don’t,” said one new permit holder in a recent interview. For women and minority groups, the motivation is rarely “recreational”—it is almost entirely about self-defense in a perceived climate of rising political violence.

​2. The “Act of Protest”

​Interestingly, some new owners view gun ownership as a symbolic gesture. By exercising their Second Amendment rights, they are forcing a conversation about who these rights actually apply to. If the “typical” gun owner is uncomfortable with a liberal, queer, or person of color being armed, it exposes a hypocrisy that many progressives are now willing to challenge at the range.

​3. Fear of Institutional Failure

​The Pretti shooting highlighted a deep-seated distrust in federal institutions. When the FBI recently refused to share evidence with Minnesota state investigators regarding Pretti’s death, it reinforced the idea that individuals may need to be their own “first responders.”

​The New “Safe Spaces”

​Because traditional gun ranges can often feel like conservative “clubhouses”—complete with political targets and partisan literature—a new infrastructure is rising to meet this demand.

• ​A Better Way 2A: An inclusive community resource that helps new owners find non-partisan or progressive-friendly instructors.
• ​Women-Only Clinics: Trainers are finding that women-only environments reduce the “intimidation factor” and focus on practical scenarios like car-jackings or home defense rather than tactical “larping.”
• ​The Liberal Gun Club: Providing a space where “you can talk about healthcare and high-capacity magazines in the same breath.”

​Looking Ahead

​The “Pretti Surge” marks a pivot point. If the Second Amendment becomes a bipartisan tool of self-preservation rather than a partisan wedge issue, the entire landscape of American gun politics will change. For the trainers on the ground, the goal remains the same: safety, education, and proficiency. But the faces staring back at them through the safety goggles have never looked more like the rest of America.