NY Times: “Newest gun owners upending preconceptions as to who buys a gun and why”

Full Disclosure: I don't own a gun.

Five different people with different backgrounds – you should be able to access the whole story. It is mentioned that 70% of gun owners by a gun for self-defense.

In hours of conversations with New York Times journalists, these five Americans shared deeply individual reasons for their leaps into gun ownership. But there were also common threads: new fears about political violence and hate crimes, and a diminished trust in law enforcement. Most said they had been surprised by how much they enjoyed learning to shoot, and improving their skills.