In situations that involve active shooters or domestic violence, police sharpshooters are the first to respond. For the first time, the Durham Police Department has two sharpshooters who are women.
Three years after becoming a police officer, Officer Lauren McFaul made history in 2018 as the department's first female sharpshooter.
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At 35 years old, McFaul, who had stayed at home to raise her daughters, made the bold, late-career change to join the police force.
To the surprise of many, she had no previous experience with rifles.
"I literally never touched a gun," McFaul said. "It's a little shocking that it's happening in 2018. But it's nice to be a first."
The sharpshooter team is an elite group and is the first to respond to the most dangerous calls.
"If we encounter a situation in which there is a heavily armed suspect or a particularly dangerous subject or someone that needs to be approached from a further distance," McFaul explained, her team gets the call.
She said it's an honor to be the first female to reach such an prestigious level within the force.
Jolanda Clayton was the first female member of DPD's Selective Enforcement Team, a unit of officer equipped to handle hostage, barricaded subject and terrorist situations.
She retired a few years ago and was honored as a female trailblazer.
McFaul said she hopes to inspire more women to reach elite levels or leadership positions.
To become a sharpshooter, an officer spends hours in training and practicing at the range.
They must hit a target 45 out of 50 times, and earn a 90 percent success rate with both a handgun and rifle.
She shoots from a variety of distances, including from farther than 100 yards.
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While her dedication, perseverance and skill allowed her to become a sharpshooter, McFaul's personality and demeanor makes her a great police officer.
"I'm 38 years old, so I know how to talk to people. (It's) easier to do this job if you know how to talk to people," she said.
Officer Nicholas Lynde has been McFaul's instructor since the beginning of her training.
He said he's proud of her dedication, which has resulted in her fast trajectory.
"I've been involved in her training process since she was in the academy," he said. "She's come a long way since the first time she ever touched a gun during our basic class."
McFaul said her dedication and drive stems from wanting to be an example for her two daughters.
"Just because something makes you uncomfortable doesn't mean you shouldn't do it," she said. "Some women may be intimidated, but I hope that they step outside and do what they want to do."
She never wants them to regret not taking an opportunity.
"I think regret is really unfortunate, and I hope that my kids don't have to feel that over not trying something just because it was scary or intimidating or uncomfortable."
She hopes her success can be an example that dreams are not out of reach due to age, gender or even skill.
She joked that the message is paying off for her youngest.
"She said ‘Finally, I have proof.’ And I said, ‘Of what?’ And she said, ‘That you're cooler than the other moms,’" McFaul said. " And I said, 'Thanks' but did we not know that before?"
McFaul hopes to instill confidence in her girls and all women.
"I don't feel like I'm anybody special because anybody could do it," McFaul said. "It's just that I did."