On a wooded land near Richmond, in the American state of Virginia, gunshots ring out. Collin is learning to shoot under a blazing sun, a semi-automatic pistol in hand. It’s his first gun, recently acquired, like other left-leaning Americans who say they fear the administration of Donald Trump. For this 38-year-old Democrat, the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti – two American citizens killed in January by immigration agents in Minneapolis – have been a turning point. “There are people today who form a kind of private army with powers given by the state, who walk around, attack, and shoot people. That scares me a lot more than ordinary crimes,” he explains, saying he feels “threatened” by his own government. Like most of the people interviewed, Collin wished to remain unidentified by fear of retaliation. After taking the plunge and buying a gun, he decided to enroll, with his wife Danni, in this training provided by Clara Elliott. Since Donald Trump’s re-election for a second term in the White House in November 2024, all the courses of this instructor, which mainly target LGBT people and minorities, have been fully booked. “It has been extremely intense,” assures the trainer, who sports a large Snow White tattoo brandishing a submachine gun on the inside of her arm. – Ice Cubes – A dozen people attend the session that day, first devoted to theory, and then to practice with shooting exercises. Most had never touched a weapon before. Like Danni and Collin, many participants explain their interest in firearms due to the political climate, with aggressive operations against illegal migrants, dismantling of policies promoting minorities, and extreme polarization. “Many worrying things are happening in the United States,” points out Cassandra, 28, referring to the actions of ICE, the immigration police. “I thought it was important to be informed and prepared,” declares the young woman, “nervous” about firearms. Akemi, 30, on the other hand, says she fears “far-right violence.” “I think (members of the far right) feel more entitled to be openly dangerous since Trump came to power,” says the young woman, of Latin American origin, stating she does not trust the police to protect her. “The less I have to do with the police, the better,” she adds, with noise-canceling headphones on, while other trainees practice shooting at targets representing ice cubes – a reference to ICE (ice means “ice” in English). – Spike in Demand – After the death of the two Minneapolis protesters, requests for shooting training submitted to progressive structures like Clara Elliott’s have skyrocketed. Although firearms remain associated with the right in the United States, they now attract a broader audience. The Liberal Gun Club, a national organization, says it received nearly 3,000 requests in the first two months of the year, more than in the entire year 2025. Its director, Ed Gardner, explains that such increases are not uncommon after major or violent political events, such as shootings. But, unlike previous peaks, where interest came mainly “from women and minorities,” the new applicants cover “the whole spectrum.” “Everyone is concerned: elderly people, young people, rural residents… People more on the left, but from all categories,” he elaborates. According to sociologist David Yamane, an expert in gun culture in the United States, the novelty lies in the motivations expressed by these people. Many mention concern related to the possibility of “a tyrannical or authoritarian government, capable of restricting rights or encouraging its supporters to do so,” a “specific” sentiment specific to this recent dynamic, according to him. “There is a new kind of political threat posed by the Trump administration that makes people much more motivated,” agrees Audie Murphy, a pseudonym, secretary of the John Brown Club of Virginia, a pro-gun activist group. “They want to act by preparing in a way they find more useful than protesting with a sign by the roadside,” he asserts.
