Smith said he'll never carry a gun that he has not fired between 50 and 100 rounds through. This is important, he said, to be able to know the weapon and how best to fire it. Still, the last thing Smith said he wants to do is to fire his weapon outside the range, but he maintains a philosophy that always having his gun is important.

"Its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it," he said. But he advocates concealed carry not just for the training and responsibility it includes, but because he believes open carry can invite confrontation.

"I think with open carry, you could end up with someone picking a fight just to see if you're a badass," he said.

Smith also spoke about VanGelder, who suffers from mental illness, according to his family.

"The state needs a way to better take care of people with mental issues," Smith said. "So the two things I take away from the situation are these: The Second Amendment and concealed carry are a good thing, and mental instability is something that needs to be addressed."