About US
Hi, I’m Clara Elliott, Founder and Lead Instructor of ATW Firearms Instruction. During the summer of 2020 people were scared and with a global pandemic, civil unrest, and a tumultuous political environment. People had good reason to be concerned for their own safety as well as that of their loved ones. As a result, millions of people were purchasing firearms for the first time. It was in this setting that I saw a growing problem - many of the people who were buying their first gun did not have a place where they could receive training in an environment where they felt safe. As a transgender woman and survivor of domestic violence, I know the importance of having a having a training space where you feel accepted and respected as a person. I realized that I had firearms experience that I could share and the ability to create such a space in which to share it. It was with this in mind that the idea for ATW Firearms Instruction was formed.
ATW strives to provide a safe, open, and accepting space where transgender folks, members of the LGBTQ+ community, People of Color, women, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, sex workers, and all other marginalized communities can gather to learn how to be able to defend themselves, their families, and their communities. From sliding scale payment options, to free classes for transgender and non-binary people; from assisting at community events, to providing free self defense kits to those at the greatest risk of being targeted for violence - engaging in community support and community defense are at the heart of what we at ATW strive to do every day.
If you have wanted to learn how to shoot for fun or for self defense, get your state’s concealed weapons permit, or maybe just sharpen some skills that you haven’t used in a while but didn’t feel that there was a place for you, ATW Firearms Instruction is here to help.
ATW has been featured in the following news publications:
Our Team
Clara Elliott
With over 30 years shooting experience, Clara Elliott began shooting when she was 10 years old. She grew up learning to shoot on flintlock long rifles which remains a passion of hers. Clara is a certified Range Safety Officer, Basics of Pistol Shooting instructor, and a Conceal Carry Instructor and is certified to teach CCW permit classes in Virginia and Connecticut, as well as being a Qualified Handgun Instructor for the state of Maryland. In addition she is a volunteer instructor with Project Appleseed, and is Stop the Bleed and First Aid certified. Clara firmly believes that you must always be a student and when she is not teaching, she is taking additional courses to help sharpen her skills. When not on the range, Clara can be found watching bad horror movies with her wife, working as a professional Risk Manager, or engaging in her other hobbies - archery and sword fighting.
Layla Picard
Layla Picard is a grad student and teacher at the University of Virginia where she studies radical queer militancy. She started shooting in 2020 and has built her pistol skills through both group and one-on-one instruction from ATW. Layla recently earned her certification as a Basic Handgun Shooting Instructor and is excited to be part of ATW. She brings with her an enthusiasm for shooting, an almost obsessive commitment to firearm safety, a passion for teaching and learning, and a fierce dedication to the mission of helping trans women and all marginalized people defend themselves, their families, and their communities.
