Shiloh Shooting owner Jeff Sanford decided to offer free concealed carry classes to the LGBT community in the Houston area in the wake of the recent massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, and the response has been overwhelming.

More than 300 people called in to inquire about the offer, and they’re showing up in droves to learn more about their Second Amendment rights, gun safety, and responsible gun ownership, KPRC reports.

“We learned gun safety,” Jared Anthony told the news site. “We learned … it’s a big responsibility. If you do carry, it’s something that you do need to take seriously. You are providing … a service to the community really.”

Sanford said all but two of the 62 people who signed up for the free offer showed up for first class, which is unusual. The experience has brought together two local communities – LGBT individuals and Second Amendment advocates – for the common cause of personal protection.

“Everybody had been so excited about being able to come out and do this. And it’s been a great learning experience for not only my community but for their community as well,” Sanford told KPRC. “They’re learning about their rights and learning about the license to carry class and they’re absolutely thrilled to take it.”

“They’re not necessarily what we’ve been told and we’re not necessarily what they’ve been told,” Sanford said.

The day after the June 12 shooting at The Pulse nightclub that killed 49 people and injured dozens of others, the LGBT group Pink Pistols spoke out about gays with guns.

“This is exactly the kind of heinous act that justifies our existence,” Gwendolyn Patton, spokeswoman for the gun rights group, said in a statement.

“Allowing the people who are potential victims of this to also engage in defending themselves – people who have been trained, people who are responsible for their weapon – to help out with the defense, this could be a positive factor in protecting the community,” she said.

James Holcomb, a 30-year-old gay man from Washington, told The Blaze the Orlando attack, and another on two men at Seattle’s gay pride parade motivated him to take action.

“I just recently became a gun owner because I see what’s going on in the world, especially with the recent tragedy, and I want to be able to protect my friends and family,” he said. “It makes me sad when they call for more gun control because people are just sitting ducks without any means to protect themselves.”

NPR noted that Pick Pistols’ Facebook page has exploded from 1,500 members to more than 7,000 after the Orlando shooting, and Patton told the radio station that shooting instructors from across the country are now working with the LGBT community.

The group’s website, PinkPistols.org, provides an interactive map with more than 500 LGBT friendly firearms instructors across the country.

Sanford said he plans to continue to offer the free concealed carry class for LGBT folks for as long as there’s interest.