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30 September, 2010

Chicago home invaders shot. One dies: "On Monday, Martinelli and Obrachta allegedly went to the home on Huron and were yelling and pounding on the door to be let in. After the elderly man opened the door, Martinelli wrapped his arm around the man's neck as Obrachta dosed his eyes with pepper spray while Martinelli began hitting the man in the stomach, Conklin said. As he was being pummeled, the man reached into a pocket of a coat hanging in the vestibule of the home and pulled out a gun, Conklin said. After shooting the men one time each, the men fled out of the building, Conklin said. The men tried to flag down motorists and then collapsed on the street, Conklin said. After police and paramedics arrived, the men were taken to Stroger Hospital where Martinelli was pronounced dead at 11:23 p.m. Monday."



OH: Man acquitted in '08 shooting. Unwelcome visitor died in apartment: "Adel Zayat pulled a handgun from beneath his mattress when an estranged friend pounded on the door of his North Side apartment two years ago. He said he opened the door and pointed the gun at Conde to make him leave, but Conde pulled him from the apartment and began punching him. He fired the gun as Conde tried to toss him over the balcony's railing, he said. The men, both natives of western Africa, had met only a few weeks before the shooting. Zayat testified that Conde took his car without permission two days before the shooting and shattered the windshield a day later when Zayat took the car back and told Conde to stay away from him. Defense attorney Joseph Landusky said Zayat was a meek, law-abiding, honor student who lawfully purchased a gun for protection after being the victim in a series of crimes."



Texans debate allowing concealed weapons on campus: "Texas already lets lawmakers bring guns into the Capitol. And the governor sometimes jogs with a loaded pistol. But should people be allowed to carry concealed weapons onto college campuses? Gun advocates argue that doing so could help put a quick end to threats like the one posed by a University of Texas student who fired several rounds from an assault rifle Tuesday before killing himself. Under current law, college buildings in Texas are gun-free zones. "There are already guns on campus. All too often they are illegal," Republican Gov. Rick Perry said. "I want there to be legal guns on campus. I think it makes sense — and all of the data supports — that if law abiding, well-trained, backgrounded individuals have a weapon, then there will be less crime."



Pennsylvania Self Defense Rights Are On The Line: "For nearly 6 years we have ‘all’ been working to improve the use of force laws (known as Castle Doctrine) here in Pennsylvania so that gun owners would feel that they would be treated fairly ‘if’ they have to use force to defend their families with lethal force. Unfortunately we have been frustrated by the idiosyncrasies of Pennsylvania politics. Again, we want ‘nothing more’ than what other states have: reasonable legislation that will provide important protections for ‘law-abiding’ citizens who must use protective force when confronting criminals. Sadly, this legislation has been held hostage by a shrill minority in the legislature consisting of the Philadelphia Legislative caucus and certain agencies."



29 September, 2010

CA: Medical Marijuana Grower Fires a Shotgun at Home Invader: "He said someone, first kicked his door, then kicked it in. The intruder fired two shots from a 9mm gun and Pendarvis fired four shots back. It doesn't appear he hit the intruder who took off running. Inside Pendarvis' home, a bullet blasted through a mirror and a couch. Shards of glass flew across his living room like bullets themselves, piercing his television. He had just borrowed a shotgun from a friend last week, knowing that marijuana is a hot commodity among crooks."



NY : Store employee shot would-be armed robber: "A store employee shot a would-be armed robber Monday night, Syracuse Police said. Police said an armed man entered Los Amigos grocery store at 204 West Brighton Ave. about 8:45 p.m. in an attempt to rob it. But he was shot in the torso by a store employee. Sgt. Gary Bulinski said the incident remained under investigation and he could not release the names of the two men involved. Bulinski said the would-be robber was taken to Upstate University Hospital where he was treated for the gunshot wound and released to police. The man, facing charges of first-degree attempted robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, was at the Justice Center early Tuesday morning, Bulinski said." [More details here]



Gun-Toting Chicago Senior Shoots Brick-Throwing Kid: "A 12-year-old boy who neighbors describe as a "little monster" was shot by a woman apparently upset at the boy and others for throwing bricks at her Southeast Side home Tuesday evening. The shooting happened about 5:25 p.m. near East 76th Street and South Coles Avenue and sent a juvenile to University of Comer Children's Hospital in serious to critical condition, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado said. A woman believed to be in her late 60s or early 70s fired the shot. She remained in police custody Tuesday night but police said she may not be charged because she may have fired shots in self-defense."



NC: Pizza worker kills two robbers: "Inside a cooler at an east Charlotte Pizza Hut, two would-be robbers were hitting and pistol-whipping a delivery driver. All the while, the driver said, he kept his right elbow pinned tightly against his body - holding a Glock 22 under his shirt and out of view. He didn't want to use the gun unless he was forced to, he recalled Tuesday. But as he felt one of the men lifting his shirt, nearly exposing the gun, the deliveryman opened fire. The two men killed - Gregory James Hardy and Dauntrae Wallace - were both 21-year-old convicted felons, one on probation and one awaiting trial on unrelated charges. No charges have been filed against the deliveryman."



28 September, 2010

TN: Robber brandishes gun, gets shot: "A man was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in LaVergne late Sunday. Police said the man was wounded during a shootout on Stone Ridge Parkway. Police stopped an SUV that had been damaged by bullets. Six people inside the vehicle were taken in for questioning. Police said one of them admitted to shooting the man who was allegedly threatening a friend with a gun. Officers found a large amount of money inside the home, leading them to believe that robbery was a possible motive for the apparent attack. Early Monday morning, it was not clear if the shooter would face any criminal charges."





NB: Gang banger shot: "A prosecutor said an Omaha gang member, just released from the hospital Friday, entered a home earlier this month and shot one of the residents before he was shot during a struggle. Prosecutor Jeff Lux said Jones [above] and another man walked to a house near 38th Avenue and Grant Street and that Jones said “get on the ground and give it up.” Jones entered the home with a man one of the residents is believed to know, Lux said. Jones then shot one of the men in the house, 19-year-old Devonte Abram, in the forearm Lux said. After Abram was shot, Jones and Abram’s brother, who also lives in the house, got into a physical struggle. Abram then got a gun and shot Jones, Lux. Police reports indicate Jones was shot in the lower back. Jones, a 37th Street Crip member, was shot two other times this year, on May 26 and July 11, and injured in a drive-by shooting in July 2008."



MS: Store owner, robber shot in gun battle: "An East Columbus convenience store owner was in critical but stable condition late Sunday after he exchanged bullets with two robbers Saturday. The masked robbers entered the A&A Deli Food Mart at 227 N. McCrary Drive and demanded money at about 11 p.m. Saturday, said police Public Information Officer Terrie Songer. Songer said police are unsure what led to the shooting, but have determined that one man shot the store owner, whose identity has not been released, in the side. As the robbers ran from the store, the victim grabbed a handgun and returned fire, hitting one man in the face. The men, who fled the scene in a vehicle, were arrested in West Point by city police soon after the shooting. Quinton Latrance Erby, 20, of 29 Christopher Drive, was charged with armed robbery. The injured suspect was taken to the Jackson Medical Center in critical condition."



PA: Old man shoots at would-be robbers: "A 74-year-old man who was ambushed when he opened his business ... State police said Stanley Tabaj of Connellsville was jumped at Toby Recycling on Elm Grove Road in Dunbar. Troopers said Sean Henry Garland, 20, of Ruffsdale, and Nathan Scott Smith, 18, of Scottdale, lay in wait for Mr. Tabaj, and when he opened the door to the business, they attacked him. But Mr. Tabaj grabbed a shotgun he keeps at the business and fired at Mr. Smith, who was struck in the head. The two attackers then jumped in their car and sped off, but Mr. Smith was arrested after an ambulance was dispatched to a house in Dawson for a shooting victim. State police arrested Mr. Garland later. Both are charged with robbery, aggravated assault and other charges."



27 September, 2010

Conn.: Deadly shooting during robbery attempt: "Investigators are on the case of a deadly shooting in Bridgeport that happened during an attempted robbery at a restaurant. Police say two men tried to rob the Peking Restaurant on Wade Street around 9:00 p.m. But a worker there was armed with a gun shot one of the robbers. The two robbers took off but crashed their getaway car nearby on Wood Street. The driver was found dead inside. We're told the worker was licensed to carry the gun."



Detroit jury convicts man on weapons charges only: "Harvey Malone's house was burglarized and his SUV was firebombed. He lived in fear and worried the man who had terrorized him for years would return. One night in January 2008, the man he feared did return to slash the tires of Malone's new vehicle with a knife. The elderly man stepped out on his porch, followed the younger man, then lifted the gun and fired as the two men faced each other. "I didn't have a choice," Malone said. "He would have killed me." Jurors in the 2008 trial acquitted him of attempting to murder Edward Coleman, 42, but convicted him of two weapons charges. Malone is free on bond pending his appeal. Rendered a quadriplegic, Coleman died from his injuries six months after Malone's trial concluded."



Gun-haters whine: Ten states sell half of “imported crime guns”: "Nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states, according to a report being released Monday by a mayors’ group. Those states accounted for nearly 21,000 guns connected to crimes in other states, said the survey by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an association of more than 500 mayors led by New York’s Michael Bloomberg and Boston’s Thomas Menino.” [So what?]



Home is where the gun is: "I had a phone call with a member of our armed intelligentsia. Turns out he’s more intelligent than armed, and maybe not so intelligent either. The TTAG reader has a pocket-carry Smith & Wesson revolver for home defense and … that’s it. He keeps the Smith in a bedroom safe. I told him flat out: if you’re attacked in your home, you’re dead. Not only are you bullet deficient, but you’ll never get to that safe in time. And if you do, you’ll never be able to open it. And if you do, you’ll have spent too much time with your back to the bad guy. It’s home carry or nothing. Literally.”



26 September, 2010

FL: 83-year-old pulls semiautomatic handgun on would-be robber: "Knocked to the ground by a would-be robber, 83-year-old Charles Place defended himself — by pulling a gun. Clearwater Police said Place was in a restaurant parking lot Wednesday when a man grabbed him from behind and tried to take his wallet. Place resisted and was knocked to the ground. Police said that's when Place pulled out a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Authorities said Place pointed it at the man and ordered him to leave him alone. The assailant, Bryan Treloar, ran and was followed by a witness. Police caught up with him and charged him with attempted strong arm robbery. He was being held on $10,000 bail. Place, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, wound up with small cuts on his hand."



Letting the fox design the henhouse: "To allow politicians, bureaucrats, and enforcement thugs (whether in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or Washington DC) to control the ownership and features of guns makes as much sense as allowing mosquitoes to control the deployment and voltage of bug zappers.”



Deja vu, all over again: “More guns, less crime”: "Paul Helmke and Dennis Henigan — spokesmen for the beleaguered Brady Campaign these days — are old enough to know what a phonograph record is, so for their benefit we’ll put it this way: At the risk of sounding like a ‘broken record,’ gun ownership has risen to an all-time high, and violent crime has fallen to a 35-year low. Coinciding with a surge in gun purchases that began shortly before the 2008 elections, violent crime decreased six percent between 2008 and 2009, according to the FBI. This included an eight percent decrease in murder and a nine percent decrease in robbery. Since 1991, when total violent crime peaked, it has decreased 43 percent to a 35-year low.”



25 September, 2010

CA: Man not guilty in motel shootings: "Fresno man used a gun in self-defense when he shot and killed one man and wounded that man's brother at a motel near Roeding Park in August 2009, a jury has ruled. A Fresno County Superior Court jury Tuesday found Thomas Farias, 24, not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Christopher Lee McMillan, 31. Police said the shooting happened about 6:45 p.m. Aug. 30, 2009, at the Relax Inn near Motel Drive and Pine Avenue. The area is in a part of the city where drug dealing and prostitution occur, Alvarez said. At the motel, Farias testified, the McMillan brothers attacked him. He said Christopher McMillan had a gun, but he was able to wrest the weapon away from him. Fearing for his life, he testified, he fired the weapon several times. Both brothers were shot in the back." [Hmmmm.... ]



TX: More Texans carry guns: "Armed criminals should take notice. Next time they try to mug someone, rob a convenience store or take a person’s car at gunpoint, the would-be victim or victims also could be carrying a weapon. A growing number of Texans have applied and are authorized to carry concealed guns, show Texas Department of Public Safety records. Figures for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, which ended Aug. 31, have yet to be compiled, but at the end of calendar year 2009 the number of concealed handgun licenses increased 61.4 percent compared to the previous year, DPS reported.”



Students for Concealed Carry on Campus break cover: "‘The bustling hive of activity on campus is great, but it’s also scary business,’ Students for Concealed Carry on Campus write. ‘The ‘gun-free zones’ are back in session; an open invitation for a psychotic killer or rapist. Of course, no one thinks your school will be targeted. But then, that’s what they thought about Virginia Tech, NIU or University of Alabama (Huntsville) too. It’s time to take the next first step. It’s time to get people talking, get their attention and remind them that feeling safe is a feeling, not reality.’ To that end, the gun rights group are asking members to confront their classmates …”



Magazine spotlights UK shootings: "It illustrates a larger theme that, in spite of bowing to just about every infringement the gun control crowd can think up, their hypothesis fails in every laboratory where the experiment has been conducted. Guns exist. To try to limit their possession to government is not only an impossible dream, but where it’s been tried it invariably produces nightmares.”



24 September, 2010

TX: Resident shoots home invasion suspect: "An Alief resident shot a home invasion suspect in self defense at the Paradise Apartments on Moonmist Drive near Fondren Road, on Thursday morning, My Fox Houston has reported. According to reports, when the resident saw two suspects walking around his apartment unit he retreated into a rear bedroom with his gun. When the suspects entered the unit and pointed a gun at the resident, investigators say he fired his weapon toward one of the intruders. The suspect who was shot in the chest died, while the other suspect ran. Houston police do not expect to charge the resident in the shooting." FL: Polk County resident shoots two teenage intruders: "Officials with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office say a resident in Davenport shot two teenage intruders after he awoke to find them in his bedroom. … Cintron-Rivera awoke to the sound of a window being broken, and saw a masked suspect coming through the window into the bedroom. A second suspect was coming in immediately behind the first. As the suspects were crawling through, Cintron-Rivera woke her husband, who armed himself and walked toward the window. He observed the curtain being pushed open and fired his handgun, striking both suspects.” OH: Gun-toting couple stops beating: "Wadsworth police say a gun-carrying couple helped them catch a man who was allegedly beating his girlfriend in a parking lot in front of her two small children. Officers said the couple pulled into the Wadsworth McDonald’s on High Street Sunday and saw a man hitting a woman in another vehicle. Police said the couple, who each have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, called 911 then pulled out their guns and ordered the man to the ground.” CA: Security guard shoots, kills bar patron: "Shortly before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Fresno security guard shot and killed Andrew Herbert, 24, following a physical confrontation outside a northeast Fresno bar. Fresno police believe the shooting was an act of self defense and that Herbert was under the influence of alcohol. Police also say that the guard will probably not face criminal charges. The unidentified guard was patrolling the strip mall when Fresno police said a fight broke out involving Herbert. Police say the guard was attacked by Herbert while trying to break up the fight. Witnesses say that Herbert and a friend were about to drive off, but they saw the security guard talking on his cell phone, trying to notify the police of the fight that took place. That’s when Herbert got out of the car and began attacked the guard a second time. The guard pulled out his gun and shot Herbert. The 24-year-old was pronounced dead a short time later at an area hospital."



23 September, 2010

NC: Would-be robber held: "A Pinnacle man, shot by a customer during the attempted robbery Tuesday night of a convenience store on U.S. 52 near Mount Airy, has been charged with armed robbery and other offenses, the Surry County Sheriff’s office said. Anthony Eric Hill, 26, also was charged with misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun and felony possession of firearm by a felon, Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said. Hill is accused of pointing a handgun at a clerk at the Neighbors Fuel Center shortly before 9 p.m. and pulling the trigger, Atkinson said. When the gun didn’t fire, the customer fired three times at Hill."



PA: Man Shoots home invader: "A man suspected of breaking into an Aliquippa residence early Wednesday morning was shot by the homeowner, police said. Police said the incident started as an attempted robbery. Three men knocked on a door to a Wade Street home at 2 a.m. and when a 24-year-old girl answered, they pushed their way inside, police said. The girl’s brother heard the noise, grabbed his gun and started down the stairs, police said. Police said one of the suspects fired a shot up the stairs, so the brother returned fire, hitting Jason Lee Hall three times. Police said Hall fled in car and drove eight blocks to a Circle K store, where an employee called for help. Police said they pulled over another car that was speeding past, which resulted in the apprehension of a second suspect, Robert Jefferson, 21, of Penn Hills."



Supreme Court of Georgia reverses a conviction: "Following a jury trial, Steven Anthony Donald appeals his convictions for felony murder and possession of a firearm .... on the evening of October 21, 1998, the victim, John Mullinax, came to the trailer home that Donald shared with his fiancé, who was the victim's sister. Once there, Mullinax started arguing with Donald regarding an unpaid debt while standing outside of the trailer Donald and his fiancé inhabited. At one point, Mullinax followed Donald into the trailer, and, after Donald's fiancé told Mullinax that she did not wish to speak to him, Donald retrieved a gun and ordered Mullinax to leave. Mullinax did not do so, and Donald opened fire. Donald ultimately shot Mullinax four times, killing him." ... At trial, self-defense was Donald's sole basis for fighting the charges against him. He testified that he was afraid of Mullinax based on prior encounters, that Mullinax was enraged and intoxicated"



KS: Initiative would reaffirm Right to Bear Arms: "On a recent morning, Patricia Stoneking aimed her Glock model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun at a paper target inside the Bullet Hole shooting range in Overland Park, Kansas. … To Stoneking, who runs the Bullet Hole, owning firearms is not just a right but an obligation. ‘People need to arm themselves,’ she told a reporter, and not just for protection against criminals. Stoneking, who also heads the Kansas State Rifle Association (KSRA), believes Americans must bear arms for protections against the government. … Stoneking and the KSRA are now supporting a ballot initiative that would give state residents a perpetual right to bear arms in the Kansas Constitution.”



22 September, 2010

SC: One robber killed, another injured: " A Rock Hill man died and two others were injured in a shooting early this morning outside The Money, a nightclub on Cherry Road across from Winthrop University. Demorrio Demarcus Burris, 22, of Rock Hill died of gunshot wounds, York County Coroner Sabrina Gast said. Members of a band called Parmalee, a Southern Rock/Country band based in Greenville, N.C., were inside a recreational vehicle in the parking lot celebrating after their performance around 1 a.m., according to a Rock Hill police report. That's when they saw two men force their way into the RV, the report states. One of the men had a gun and demanded money. The band's drummer, Scott Thomas, 37, drew a weapon and demanded the robbery suspects leave, the report states. Both sides started shooting and three people -- Thomas, Burris and Dytavis Hinton, 22, of Rock Hill were struck"



NC: Customer shoots at robbery suspect: "A customer inside a Neighbors convenience store near U.S. 52 just south of Mount Airy shot at a man trying to rob the store when the man threatened a clerk with a handgun, authorities said. The incident began shortly before 9 p.m. when a man wearing a bandana over his face entered the store at 115 Wisconsin Lane, Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said. A male customer inside the store was armed with a gun and fired at the suspect when he realized what was happening, Atkinson said. Because of blood found at the scene the suspect apparently was hit by the shots, Atkinson said. The suspect, who fled in a car without taking any money, is described as a white male, wearing a red ball cap, red T-shirt and blue jeans."



Philadelphia: Carjack try turns deadly: "Kyree Bennett, who police said tried to carjack an acquaintance Saturday night in West Oak Lane, but was shot in the head when he and the victim struggled over the gun, was pronounced dead Sunday at Albert Einstein Medical Center. The other man was wounded in the leg and stomach, police said. Police said Bennett, 21, of Greeby Street near Charles, had attempted the robbery about 10:45 p.m., on Homer Street near Rodney, when the struggle ensued."



Bungling BATF: "A major Justice Department program aimed at intercepting the flow of U.S. weapons to Mexico’s drug cartels is misfiring due to bureaucratic turf battles and a failure to share critical intelligence about illegal firearms purchases, according to an internal department report. The draft report by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General, obtained by NBC News, is a scathing indictment of Project Gunrunner, a law enforcement initiative run by the department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”



21 September, 2010

WV: Alleged intruder shot by victim: "A Huntington man died late Sunday night, apparently shot and killed by a resident of the Lavalette home who caught him and an accomplice in the act of burglarizing it. Criminal complaints charge the masked intruders entered the house with a .38 caliber handgun, duct tape, zip ties and rope. They already had bagged several items to steal, but Wayne County Sheriff Greg Farley said they remained at the house determined to find and steal an $8,000 insurance settlement stemming from the recent theft of a vehicle. Criminal complaints charge one of the intruders, Jason Matthew Hall, 28, popped up from behind a counter wearing a blue ski mask as the male resident, Casey Bartram, entered the house. The two men faced off with separate handguns -- Hall holding a .38 caliber and Bartram with a 9 mm. Bartram was ordered to the ground and then both men, still armed, entangled themselves in an altercation. Bartram then fired one shot, striking Hall just above the left eye.... investigators found no wrongdoing on the part of Bartram."



VA: Pizza Delivery Driver Shoots Alleged Robber: "Investigators in Hanover County say it appears that a robber targeted the wrong pizza delivery driver. Just before 11:00pm Sunday night, police say a man in a mask pulled what appeared to be a shotgun on a pizza delivery man who had just finished delivering people in a neighborhood on Possum Trail. That's when police say the pizza man pulled his own gun. Brandon Floyd, 26, is recovering from his injuries at VCU Medical Center and he'll be arrested when he's released. Three other suspects, all from Mechanicsville, are also in police custody. Police are telling CBS 6 that the delivery driver is a concealed weapons permit holder, and police say the investigation is ongoing."



Can companies require employees to disarm on “company business?”: "What is with these control freak martinets who think a paycheck gives them authority to dictate the life choices and freedoms their employees may exercise? ‘Company business’ my … oot. It’s none of the company’s damn business. It’s past time we as citizens adopted zero tolerance policies of our own, for any who would infringe on our unalienable rights.”



GA: Woman fired for having gun in car while at work: "A metro Atlanta woman is asking a judge to strike down a Gwinnett County company’s gun policy. Jamie Lunsford said the company violated her rights by firing her after they discovered she had a gun in her car while on business. Lunsford said the company violated her right to carry a permitted, concealed weapon in her car. … Lunsford said it was during a trip to the Federal Reserve Bank on business that she disclosed to security guards she had the weapon in her car. She said they had no problem with it, but when she returned to work, she was suspended, then fired, she said. Her attorney said that should have never happened under Georgia law, which allows employees to securely keep permitted weapons in their cars.”



20 September, 2010

TX: Homeowner shoots man who breaks in after car towed: "A homeowner shot a man who Houston police said was breaking into his house because a car was towed. Houston police said a man parked in front of a driveway to a home on Fargo Street near Stanford Street before going to a club. … ‘I don’t mind them parking here, just don’t block the driveway,’ Johnson said. Johnson had the car towed, police said. At about 3 a.m. Friday, the man returned to the place he had parked his car and discovered it was gone. Investigators said the man broke into the house to confront Johnson. ‘The whole front of my house is all busted open,’ homeowner Frank Johnson said. ‘The door’s all smashed in. What am I supposed to do?’ Johnson shot the man.”




Covington .... ............................ Howes

KY: Road rager killed: "Around 2:30 Thursday morning, 23-year-old Daniel Covington, a former U of L Football player was shot and killed at 2nd and Liberty Streets. WAVE 3 Sources said Isaiah Howes, a former U of L baseball player, was the shooter. LMPD officers have told WAVE 3, they do not expect to charge the shooter. Under Kentucky law, officers say the shooters' use of deadly force against Covington appears justified. The day of the shooting, September 16th, Lt. Barry Wilkerson said Covington stepped out of his car, reached into another car. Wilkerson said Covington assaulted the people inside that car. He said something may have been said to Covington, which prompted him to approach a car, which he believed was involved."



Another triumph for gun control: "A toddler was among four people killed when a woman armed with a shotgun went on a rampage before being shot dead by police in Germany. "Towards 1600 GMT, firefighters were called out to an explosion followed by a fire in an apartment situated in a street near the hospital,'' Eugen Wissler, a spokesman for the Loerrach police told AFP. "As they arrived, they heard gunfire coming from the building. They then saw an armed woman come out and cross the road heading towards the hospital, he added. Once inside, the woman was confronted by the police and opened fire on them with a shotgun. After firing several warning shots, police finally shot her dead, he said. The other person who died in the hospital was a member of staff there." [Germany has very strict gun control laws]



MA: Man challenges constitutionality of gun permit revocation: "Citing a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, a Shrewsbury man is challenging the constitutionality of a state law under which his license to carry a firearm was revoked five years ago …. Lawyer Mel L. Greenberg, who represents Raymond J. Holden, filed an amended petition in Central District Court Sept. 10 appealing Chief Gemme’s 2005 revocation of Mr. Holden’s firearm’s license based on a determination that Mr. Holden was not a ’suitable person’ to carry a gun. In a memorandum of law accompanying his amended petition, Mr. Greenberg said the term ’suitable person,’ as it appears in the law, is unconstitutionally vague given the Supreme Court’s June 28 ruling in the case of McDonald v. Chicago.”



19 September, 2010

Has the NRA lost its mojo?

In a ritual as predictable as hunting season, it's another election year and people are once again gunning for the National Rifle Association. Only this time the powerful gun-rights group and bête noire of the left is taking friendly fire -- from activists on the right who are growing increasingly impatient with the NRA for taking stands at odds with the rest of the conservative movement.

"I'm beside myself," veteran conservative leader Richard Viguerie told TAS. "It's really sad. The NRA's leadership has become part of the problem in Washington." While Viguerie's tone is more in sorrow than in anger, Erick Erickson of the popular conservative blog RedState has emerged as scathing critic of the NRA, calling it "a weak little girl of an organization."

"There are few organizations purportedly on the side of freedom that aggravate me more than the National Rifle Association," Erickson wrote in June. "In fact, these days I cringe when I see good conservatives with their lifetime member sticker from the NRA on the back of their cars." During the confirmation process for Elena Kagan, Curt Levey of the Committee for Justice complained to the Washington Times, "The NRA has misunderstood what the fight is about."

What irks these conservatives is the sense that the mighty NRA -- a 4 million-member, $307 million organization -- has become too pragmatic in the use of its power: too willing to compromise with Democrats, too cautious in its approach to Second Amendment litigation, too slow to oppose liberal judicial nominees, and too willing to settle for a place at the table in liberal-occupied Washington.

AT FIRST THE GRUMBLING was muted. Why didn't the NRA oppose Eric Holder for attorney general? Why did it take so long to come out against President Obama's Supreme Court nominees? Then an issue not directly related to guns brought conservative discontent out into the open. In June, Congress was debating a campaign-finance reform bill called the Disclose Act, which imposed disclosure requirements so onerous that many nonprofits and activist groups felt it would prevent them from engaging in any effective campaign season political activity whatsoever.

House Democratic leaders granted the NRA and a handful of other groups a carefully crafted exemption from the Disclose Act's requirements, causing the gun-rights group to drop its opposition to the bill entirely. This freed up additional Blue Dog Democrats, fearful of alienating the NRA so close to an election, to vote for it. The bill ultimately passed the House, though at this writing it remains stalled in the Senate.

Conservative reaction to the carve-out was fast and furious. Spokesmen for economic, social, and national-security groups still battered by the Disclose Act complained they were being "thrown under the bus." The Wall Street Journal blasted the NRA for being "arrogant and hypocritical" in an editorial headlined, "The NRA sells out to Democrats on the First Amendment." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups tried to dissuade the NRA from accepting the Democrats' offer, which Chamber spokesmen Bruce Josten told Politico "undercut not only our [position] but another 100,000 other nonprofits."

NRA board member Cleta Mitchell took the unprecedented step of penning an op-ed for the Washington Post dissenting from this decision, though her most direct criticisms were of the House Democrats. "This is not just 'disclosure.' It is a scheme hatched by political insiders to eradicate disfavored speech," Mitchell wrote. "There is no room under the First Amendment for Congress to make deals on political speech, whether with the NRA or anyone else."

Alan Gura, a Second Amendment lawyer with a history of clashes with the NRA, asked TAS, "Would they trade a hereditary monarchy with the Obama administration in exchange for better gun laws?" Says Viguerie, "This is not 'all for one.' This is 'all for ourselves.'" Erickson mocked the Disclose deal by reproducing an NRA press release in which Wayne LaPierre called the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision "a defeat for arrogant elitists who wanted to carve out free speech as a privilege for themselves and deny it to the rest of us."

CRITICISM OF THE NRA from other, smaller gun-rights groups is nothing new. These organizations have long felt more combative tactics were needed to protect the Second Amendment. Larry Pratt, the longtime executive director of Gun Owners of America, told TAS that the NRA "is resigned to working within the system as it is when instead it needs to be restored to what it should be." Aaron Zelman of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership agreed. "Our members, many of whom are former NRA members, believe the NRA doesn't want the problem of gun control to go away," Zelman says. "If the problem goes away, then so do their six-figure salaries."

What is new is public criticism of the NRA from other organizations in the conservative movement. "We've talked a lot about what the NRA is doing," says one conservative activist. "But not a lot of us have wanted to come out and attack them." That changed when conservatives ranging from the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins to climate change skeptic Myron Ebell expressed their unhappiness with the NRA's behavior concerning the Disclose Act. House Minority Leader John Boehner was particularly blunt.

"Now the NRA are the big defenders of the Second Amendment of the Constitution, the right to bear arms," the Ohio Republican said in a House floor speech after the gun lobby backed the Disclose Act. "But yet they think it's all right to throw everybody else under the table so they can get a special deal, while requiring everyone else to comply with all the rules outlined in this bill, and frankly, I think it's disappointing."

Endorsements have also become a point of contention. Last year, liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava-the liberal Republican who eventually dropped out and endorsed the Democratic candidate-was the NRA endorsee in the special election for New York's 23rd Congressional District. This year, in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races in the country, the NRA endorsed Ohio's Democratic governor Ted Strickland over Republican former congressman John Kasich. A Republican pickup in the Buckeye State would greatly help the GOP's national fortunes and would be an important bellwether for 2012.

The NRA also threw its support behind Sen. John McCain in Arizona as he was trying to fend off a conservative primary challenge from former Congressman J. D. Hayworth. Both Republicans had generally pro-gun voting records, but there were glaring blemishes on McCain's. McCain led the charge to close the so-called "gun show loophole," touting legislation that would have effectively banned private sales at gun shows and licensed promoters.

In 2004, McCain voted for a bill that contained both his gun show measure and an amendment by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would have extended the federal assault weapons bans. McCain had initially voted against Feinstein but continued to support the whole legislative package after her amendment passed. Finally, McCain-Feingold was bitterly opposed by the NRA and almost every other conservative group for more than a decade. Hayworth won the Gun Owners of America endorsement.

More here




NV: Liquor store clerk shoots juvenile during attempted robbery: "A liquor store clerk shot and wounded a juvenile Saturday night during an attempted robbery in the east central valley, Metro Police said. The shooting occurred sometime about 10 p.m. at the JB Liquor store at 5225 East Tropicana Ave., between Nellis Boulevard and Boulder Highway, police said. "A juvenile came into the store and attempted to conduct a robbery and he ended up being the victim, because the store clerk ended up shooting him," Metro Lt. W. Graham said. The juvenile, who was shot twice, was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Graham said he believes the juvenile was armed with a gun. No further details were immediately available about the status of the store clerk."


OK: Young robber shot and killed by store clerk: "Tulsa Police Capt. Dave Roberts said two masked robbers walked into Zeba Food Mart No. 2, at 506 E. 56th St. North, with a rifle around 10:45 p.m. and started shooting. Zahid Khan, an employee at the store, returned fire with a handgun, shooting one of the intruders. Qualynn Dabney, 14, was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot to the upper torso, police said Friday. The other robber fled, Roberts said. Detectives recovered a .22-caliber rifle next to Dabney's body. Dabney was in the eighth grade at Phoenix Rising, an alternative education program operated through a partnership between the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau and Tulsa Public Schools, said Mary Kevin McNamara, director of Phoenix Rising."


Knesset Committee Demands Gun Rights for Jews of Judea/Samaria: "Following the drive-by terrorist murder two weeks ago of Yitchak Imas, whose gun was confiscated by police several weeks ago, and three other people, the Knesset Interior Committee held a stormy session today in which MKs demanded that Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria be allowed to defend themselves. The committee, by majority vote, resolved to recommend to Interior Minister Eli Yishai and to Public Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovitch, who oversees the police force, to ease the regulations on bearing weapons for the Jews of Judea and Samaria. The committee asked that Aharonovitch report back on the steps being taken to this end, and to investigate why the weapon of Yitzchak Imas was not returned to him in time for him to possibly use it to save his life. Some committee members suggested that any resident whose weapon is taken from him be entitled to a hearing."



18 September, 2010

GA woman cleared after shooting husband six times: "A Dunwoody woman who fired six shots into her naked and unarmed husband was acquitted on all charges Friday by a DeKalb County jury. Lona Scott, a graduate of Parkview High School, testified that on the morning of the killing, her husband had put her in a chokehold. She said she got him to release her when she cried out the name of their daughter, who was sleeping in a room next door. She said she tumbled out of bed, grabbed her .22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic target pistol from a drawer. She went across the room to get her purse and keys so she could get her daughter and leave, she testified. But Cliff Scott cornered her, she said. When she said she had a gun, he said that gave him permission to kill her. Cliff Scott, a muscular workaholic, then charged at her, she testified. “I never wanted to shoot my husband,” she told the jury. “But I knew he was going to kill me.” [SIX shots were self defense?]



CA: Man acquitted in '09 party shooting: "A jury has acquitted a 22-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in a 2009 shooting at a San Dimas pool party. Lorenz, formerly of La Verne, claimed he fired a gun in the air as he fled the party in fear for his life, Flier said. During the shooting, two men were seriously injured by bullets. One was struck in the chest and the other had a bullet lodged in his spine, Flier said. Lorenz sustained contusions to his head and a possible bullet wound on his ankle during the altercation, Flier said. "He balled up (in a fetal position) when he was being beaten," Flier said."



TX: Korean shop clerk guns down fleeing robber: " A convenience store robbery ended Friday with the clerk pulling out a gun, chasing down the thief and allegedly shooting him dead. Now, police are looking evidence from the Kwik Stop, located in the 1900 block of Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, down the block to South Harwood Street. Police say they have not decided whether to charge the clerk in the Kwik Stop shooting. When a man stole the store's cash register and ran out, the clerk followed with a gun and shot. "It's unknown at this time whether the suspect had a weapon," said Lt. David Pughes, Dallas police. "The suspect was still in possession of the register outside the store." The investigation has been delayed because the clerk speaks Korean"



2nd amendment does not protect druggies, says court: " The Second Amendment won’t protect marijuana or other drug users from incurring a felony charge if they are caught possessing a gun, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently held. Matthew Yancey was caught carrying 0.7 grams of marijuana and a loaded gun and pled guilty to a felony charge under 18 U.S.C. section 922(g)(3), which prohibits unlawful users of controlled substances from possessing a firearm. He admitted to being a habitual pot smoker. Yancey challenged the constitutionality of section 922(g)(3) under District of Columbia v. Heller, 128 S. Ct. 2783 (2008), which holds that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to carry handguns for self-defense."



17 September, 2010

Florida law backs shooter in road rage case: "When an angry motorist came rushing up to the window of his pickup truck Wednesday, Cleveland Murdock had a gun and Florida law to back him. The Broward Sheriff's Office said Thursday their case is closed in the road rage incident that left Patrick Lavoie, 33, dead in the middle of a residential street. Murdock acted in self-defense by shooting in the heart the man who approached him, investigators determined. Witnesses told investigators Lavoie jumped out of the Honda Civic his girlfriend was driving, upset that Murdock seemed to be tailgating the couple. Lavoie angrily charged toward Murdock's Toyota Tacoma and tried to open the door to grab him, witnesses told police. Murdock, 38, fatally shot the glass worker, who was holding only a cigarette lighter in his hand. Investigators detained Murdock for hours, while they compared his story about fearing for his life to eyewitness accounts. Then they told him he was free to go."



Pa.: 2 Md. men held for trial in fatal home ambush: "Two Maryland men have been ordered to stand trial for a home-invasion that sparked a gun battle that left a homeowner wounded and an intruder dead. Magisterial District Judge John Murray ordered 23-year-old Niochie Lawson, of Laurel, Md. and 20-year-old Jakal Stone, of Price George’s County, to stand trial on charges including robbery and conspiracy. Prosecutors say Lawson and Stone sought treatment for gunshot wounds following the June 9 ambush, in which one gunman was killed. Police say a bullet taken from Lawson’s leg at a hospital matched those fired by Upper Gwynedd homeowner Jermaine Edwards. Investigators say the slain gunman’s identification was in the getaway vehicle. Edwards was shot in the chest and both legs in the attack. Prosecutors say he fired in self-defense and won’t face charges. Lawson and Stone are being held without bail." [See also here]



W.Va.: Jury acquits man of 2008 slaying: "A Lincoln County jury decided Wednesday that a Sias man charged with shooting and killing his nephew and attempting to kill another man is not guilty. A grand jury indicted Stephen Willis, 59, in January 2009, charging him with shooting his nephew, Stephen Linville, 35, twice in the back with a .38-caliber revolver the year before, according to court documents. According to Willis' Lawyer, Danny Corey, Willis was exercising on the road next to his home when Linville and Wade pulled up next to him in a truck. Linville got out of the truck and started choking his uncle from behind. Willis was still being choked when he managed to turn around and face Linville, pull out the gun from the pocket of his jeans, and fire twice in Linville's lower back, eventually killing him"



AL: Case dismissed against son in father's death: "A Jefferson County Criminal Court judge dismissed a case Wednesday against a man accused of murdering his father. Funderburg said his client told authorities his father tried to run him over in a Kubota all-terrain vehicle as he stood behind his truck on an access road to the family’s estate. Funderburg also said Carleton told authorities his father threatened to kill him. The suspect told authorities he only shot his father after he started to reach for a .22 caliber rifle hanging on a back gun rack of the ATV.



16 September, 2010

TX: Man, 91, Claims Self-Defense in Fatal Shooting: "A 91-year-old man is claiming self-defense after he shot and killed a man inside his home, officials said. The shooting happened just before midnight Tuesday at a home on Antha near Bertwood in North Houston. ... "He's a local crackhead. I'll call it like it is," Hands' family friend Cynthia Jackson said. Hands, who has a neighborhood reputation for being generous, helped the man many times by giving him food and money. .... When Hands hid not hand over the cash, he said the man picked up a loaded gun in the home and threatened to use it. "You're going to die tonight. You're going to die tonight," Hands recalled the man saying. Hands told police he had another gun stashed under the couch he was sitting on. "I took the gun out. Boom, and I tore his head all out to pieces," said Hands. Hands considers himself a good shot and he practices at the gun range."





La.: Man flees gun-toting wife: "An East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputy [above] was arrested Tuesday after allegedly handcuffing his wife to the headboard of a bed inside the couple’s home during an argument, a Baton Rouge police spokesman said. Brison Gremillion, 30, told authorities he handcuffed his 33-year-old wife to the headboard because she was being overly aggressive, Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said. Gremillion kept her handcuffed to the headboard for 30 to 45 minutes, McKneely said.... Once inside, the woman told authorities, she grabbed a handgun and pointed it at Gremillion in self-defense, McKneely said. The woman said Gremillion fled, McKneely added. Gremillion told authorities his wife pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger, but that the gun didn’t fire, McKneely said. Gremillion, 2144 Hiawatha St., was booked into Parish Prison on one count each of false imprisonment and domestic abuse battery."



NY: Brooklyn Man Shoots Home Invader: "Two brazen burglars in Brooklyn apparently picked the wrong house to break into – on the other side of the door, they found a retired schoolteacher with a licensed, and loaded, gun. Police say it was just before 2 a.m. Wednesday when Goldstein and his wife heard a noise downstairs in the home on 64th Street. The 62-year-old confronted two suspects in his kitchen after they apparently slipped in through a basement window. The suspect who was shot, police say, had a starter’s pistol in his hand. He was shot three times as his accomplice fled, reports CBS 2?s Magee Hickey. Goldstein was eventually brought to the 63rd Precinct stationhouse for questioning, but was released without being charged with any crime."



TX: Senior fires gun to scare off attacker: "A Kerr County man has been arrested in connection with an attack on a senior citizen that investigators said was prompted by his desire for prescription drugs. Capt. Scott Prout, with the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, said deputies were called to the home in the 300 block of Westway Drive around 8 p.m. Sunday for a report of an assault with shots fired. Prout said the 79-year-old victim told deputies Curtis had hit him in the face after he refused to share his pain pills …. when Curtis returned to his home, Close pulled out a handgun and fired one shot, missing him on purpose. ‘I just wanted to scare him. I didn’t want to wound him,’ Close said. … Sheriff’s investigators agreed that Close fired in self-defense.”



15 September, 2010

WV: Man arrested after being shot in alleged robbery: "The Charleston man who was shot at an Elkview video lottery parlor he allegedly attempted to rob at gunpoint was arrested after being released from a local hospital. Lt. Bryan Stover said Chad Wehrle, 29, of Charleston was released from Charleston Area Medical Center’s General Hospital on Saturday after receiving treatment for gunshot wounds received in an alleged attempted armed robbery.”



AZ: Grandfather shoots two burglary suspects in self-defense: "An Arizona City man will not be charged after shooting two intruders in his home on Sunday. Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputies say 58-year old John Miller was babysitting his two grandchildren, both under the age of two, at his son’s residence in the 9800 block of West Century Drive, Arizona City. Shortly after 1 a.m. he was awakened by a noise inside the home. Miller went to investigate and was confronted by two unknown individuals inside the garage. The individuals got into the garage by forcing open a side door. There was a confrontation between Miller and the two suspects. Miller told deputies he feared for his safety and shot both intruders.”



AL: A Colbert County homeowner shot a trespasser 3 times Tuesday: "The shooter says over the weekend someone stole $10,000 worth of copper from inside his chicken house. So he was checking his property Tuesday when he found a trespasser. The owner says he held him at gun point waiting for authorities, until White charged at him. That's when the owner says he fired 3 shots hitting White twice in the torso and once in the foot. White was able to run away. "We had officers come to the scene to search for him. When I arrived here, I came out on Ricks Cemetery Road and as I approached this gravel road drive, he stepped out in the road in front of me and I took him into custody and laid him down," said Sheriff Ronnie May. Sheriff May says the information about Tuesday's shooting will be presented to the DA, who will decide if this case should go to the grand jury."



The "mystery" of falling crime rates: "For the third straight year, violent crime has declined in all categories while gun sales climbed, gun ownership expanded and more citizens are carrying firearms for personal protection; proof positive that gun prohibitionists have been consistently and undeniably wrong, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. "What the data tells us is exactly the opposite of what the gun ban lobby has predicted for several years," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "Their dire predictions that America's streets would run red have been shown up as a fraudulent sales pitch for public disarmament... even property crimes are down, according to this year's report."



14 September, 2010

WA: Off-duty State Patrol trooper killed an intruder: "The Kitsap County Sheriff’s office is investigating an incident Saturday night where an off-duty Washing State Patrol trooper shot and killed a man he said was an intruder on his property. The trooper reportedly caught the man prowling on his property just before midnight Saturday after his dogs began to bark. The trooper says he identified himself as law enforcement officer and the 30-year old man then swung a steel rod and hit the trooper in the head knocking the trooper to the ground. The trooper was able to get back on his feet and issued verbal commands for the man to drop the steel bar but he reportedly refused so the trooper used lethal force in self-defense. The intruder, who received medic treatment at the scene, was later pronounced dead at Tacoma General Hospital".



MO: Charges dropped against former deputy: "Larry Uhlmeyer won’t face a third trial. Marion County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Redington dropped charges Monday against the 54-year-old former sheriff’s deputy. Uhlmeyer was charged with one count of felony first-degree assault and three counts of felony second-degree assault in the Sept. 30, 2007, shooting of James Rudd, who was 26 at the time. The incident took place during a confrontation in the garage of Uhlmeyer's home along Highway 6 near the 18-Wheeler truck stop at Taylor. Rudd’s injuries left him paralyzed from the neck down. Rudd had claimed in an earlier deposition that he had tried to walk away from the encounter with Uhlmeyer. Rudd had been sleeping in a car inside the Uhlmeyer garage after walking to the property from the truck stop, where he had been with friends. Uhlmeyer claimed Rudd came at him threateningly. He told investigators he fired the first shot inside the structure and at least two more rounds as Rudd was backing out of the building." [I am not at all sure that justice was done here]



British homeowner who fired shotgun to warn off trespassing trailer children will not face charges: "A carer who was arrested for firing a warning shot with his shotgun to scare off trespassing travellers' children has been told he will not face charges. Christopher Bayfield, 40, is understood to have reacted after a series of petty thefts at the home he shares with his parents following the arrival of travellers in a neighbouring field for a Christian festival. He is said to have shouted at the children and fired his shotgun vertically into the air after hearing noises in a copse outside the £1million five-bedroom house in Swavesey, Cambridgeshire. Mr Bayfield, who looks after his seriously ill father, retired businessman Leslie, 85, was later arrested by armed officers on suspicion of firearm offences and questioned at a police station."



You’ve come a long way, baby: "The invalidation of handgun bans throughout the country, accomplished in the space of two years, was sudden and surprising even to those who have spent decades laying the groundwork. Take Alan Gottlieb, founder and president of the Second Amendment Foundation, which began backing Gura’s various gun lawsuits after Heller. Since founding the SAF in 1974, Gottlieb has been hosting academic conferences, supporting legal scholars and historians, and filing carefully targeted lawsuits in defense of gun rights. Still, he says, ’six years ago if you had said [the gun rights community would] see two cases get to the Supreme Court and two victories, I would have said, ‘Not in my lifetime. Maybe in someone else’s.””



13 September, 2010

MO: Dead burglar had been on crime spree, police say: "The burglar who was shot and killed by a shop owner likely sneaked onto the property through a hole in a chain link fence that is topped by barbed wire, authorities said Friday. Frank Justice, the 72-year-old owner of Justice Auto Sales, was sleeping inside his business and heard the prowler, said Sgt. Perry Tindall of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Justice grabbed his revolver when he heard the door rattle and glass break about 2:15 a.m. Friday at the used car lot at 5821 U.S. Highway 61/67, Tindall said. The owner confronted the burglar at the door, then fired two shots. The burglar staggered back and fell in the parking area outside, Tindall said. He died at the scene. Tindall said the shop owner called police and was cooperating with investigators. He was not in custody."



GA: Armed cabbie stops robber: "‘I picked him up and he said, ‘take me to the ATM first,” Mehdi told 11 Alive News. ‘However when he got out of the cab, he went directly inside the bank,’ said APD Sgt. Tommie Collins. ‘He went inside with a paper bag. So that tipped me off,’ said Mehdi. The cab driver says his passenger went into the bank and returned within seconds. Brandishing a pistol, the cabdriver says the passenger forced his way back into the cab. But the cabdriver had a weapon of his own. Imran Mehdi says the passenger-turned-bank robber pointed a gun at him and told him to drive. But Mehdi pulled his Ruger P-89 semi-automatic pistol, and the passenger made an abrupt exit from the cab. "So I shot one in the air, then I looked at him and I started shooting at him, a few more shots," said Mehdi. The robber ran off. A motorcycle cop showed up, and Mehdi pointed out the suspect. Police say they relieved him of a paper bag full of stolen money and locked him into the back of an Atlanta police car. "And later, I found out it was a damned plastic gun," said Mehdi ruefully."



Australia: Intruder shot in neck as he attempted to break into house: "Police are investigating a possible case of vigilante justice after a man was shot in the neck while trying to break into a house at Rockhampton in central Queensland. Just after 7pm yesterday, police were called to the house in Bolsover Street where they found a 39-year-old man in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to the neck. Police said there were residents in the house at the time of the alleged break-in but they disappeared a short time later. They are now being sought by detectives to assist with their inquiries."



TX: Gun dealer imprisoned for selling to an illegal with a valid license: “Gun rights advocates are up in arms that a Texas gun dealer was sentenced to six months in prison for selling a firearm to an illegal immigrant, but a ‘middle-man’ who bought the gun for the immigrant — and who was in the U.S. illegally himself, but had a valid driver’s license — was never arrested, charged or deported in the case.”



12 September, 2010

NY Self defense shooter not charged after all: "A father-of-two was arrested by police for firing an AK47 rifle into the ground outside his New York house in a bid to scare off gang members. The 30-year-old, who has no criminal record, claimed he was forced into the action when he saw five men arguing outside who were then joined by many more. He told CBS New York: 'He starts threatening my family, my life. (He said) "Oh you’re dead. I’m gonna kill your family and your babies. You’re dead." 'So when he says that, 20 others guys come rushing around the corner. And so I fired four warning shots into the grass.' Police were at the scene within minutes and arrested Grier who was later released on a $10,000 bond. However, police determined the AK47 rifle - capable of firing at a rate of 600 rounds-a-minute - was legally held. Grier was not charged over the alleged offence."



SC invader shot: "Investigators said two men that live with the home owner either stole the gun or it was given to them at the club. Investigators said some guys came to the house trying to get the gun back and a fight broke out. After the shots were fired, investigators said two men ran back out of the house and got into a car driven by a third man. Investigators say one of the men who got in the car had been shot. Police said the car drove down Augusta Road toward Downtown Greenville. Officers said a police car spotted them along the way, and eventually stopped them about a mile away from the shooting at Lanneau Drive. The gunshot victim was taken to the hospital, and the driver was taken to the Greenville Law Enforcement Center for questioning."



Legal self-defense in Chicago: The poor need not apply: "The gun rights advocacy community’s celebration over the Supreme Court’s McDonald decision early this summer is starting to appear (as I worried at the time) to have been premature, at least in terms of the ability of Chicago residents to legally defend their families, lives, and homes. If Mayor Daley is to be forced to allow legal guns in Chicago, he’ll at least impose a de facto ban on their ownership by the poor.”



Daley, council’s childish arrogance at root of follow-up lawsuits: "Whatever spin Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and the city council wish to offer, it is their stubborn arrogance that has resulted in more gun rights lawsuits filed against the city following the Supreme Court’s June 28 ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago that essentially nullified the city’s 28-year handgun ban. … The city’s childish stubbornness is going to cost taxpayers a small fortune. Mayor Daley and his anti-gun city council adopted what amounts to a ‘tantrum ordinance’ that essentially spits in the high court’s face.”



11 September, 2010

PA: No charges in fatal shooting of bully: "An off-duty SEPTA police officer who fatally shot his unarmed Perkiomen neighbor during a heated dispute in 2008 will not face any criminal charges, prosecutors have determined. Simmons allegedly told investigators that McNair had previously threatened to kill him, his wife and his children. McNair was involved in a verbal argument with another unidentified neighbor that ended with McNair, “in an enraged state,” threatening that man and his family. “McNair sped away from this verbal assault and, within minutes, had forced Darryl Simmons’ car to stop and instigated a violent confrontation, for no reason, with the innocent Simmons,” said Ferman. Simmons, authorities said, was aware that McNair had a lengthy criminal history for violent crimes and firearms offenses."



WA: Man arrested after shooting robber: "Donta Patterson, 29, of Vancouver was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and is being held in the Clark County Jail on $200,000 bail. He is accused of shooting Nathan Rivers once in the face after discovering him in his garage, allegedly stealing a power drill. A 19-year-old Battle Ground woman, Camille M. Langdon, was jailed on suspicion of second-degree burglary. She is believed to have accompanied Rivers to Patterson’s home. Langdon and Rivers dropped the drill when confronted, but Rivers then allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Patterson’s head. In an interview that afternoon, Langdon told detectives that she and Rivers went to visit Patterson, but after having trouble contacting him, went inside his garage. That’s when she said Rivers took a power drill"



A perfect storm … of madness: "A few days ago, the weather forecasters said the eastern side of Connecticut was gonna get hit today by Hurricane Earl, shortly after it wiped out the Carolinas at Category Five horsepower, and mere minutes after it had devastated New York City. … The Governor of North Carolina activated their proprietary and incredibly stupid law which forbids citizens with permits to carry their guns off their own property during time of declared emergencies. In short, NC criminalized an entire class of citizens. Including me and my companion.”



Hurricane Earl: NC Residents lose Second Amendment Rights: "The government of North Carolina strips Second Amendment rights from its citizens during time of an emergency? Are you kidding me? When the government is least able to defend its citizens, it wants to ensure that they can no longer defend themselves? What kind of mentality is at play here?”



10 September, 2010

The inimitable Mike Adams on guns

(Mike Adams is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington)

There’s nothing more annoying than getting a complaint about my gun collection from a feminist with a tattoo on her lower back. I don’t let anyone irresponsible get near my guns so that no one gets killed. When the feminist lets irresponsible men near her tattoos there’s a better chance that someone’s getting aborted.

All kidding aside (was I kidding?), in recent months I have been hearing more and more complaints about my gun collection from people who read my columns – this despite the fact that the columns make them angry. (I’m glad these folks don’t own guns!) Some of those complaints have come to me directly. Some have been directed towards the authorities and my employers at UNCW.

So I have decided to write a column explaining my policies on gun ownership and, more specifically, how these complaints affect those policies. The following points fully summarize my position:

1. I accept guns as gifts from gun manufacturers and gun enthusiasts who wish to express their appreciation for my support of the Second Amendment. This has happened on numerous occasions. When it does, I do not report the gifts to the IRS. It is not the business of the federal government to know how many guns I own – any more than it is their business to know how many sex partners a feminist has accumulated. Most government employees can’t count that high anyway.

2. Whenever I am given a gun as a gift from a gun manufacturer or gun enthusiast I express my gratitude by giving a gun to someone who does not own one. I do this not just because of the Golden Rule. I also do it because I am convinced that the percentage of the gun owning population is directly correlated with the percentage of the population pulling the trigger, I mean lever, for Republicans. I just don’t think someone who gets his first gun will remain in the Democratic Party much longer.

3. Whenever I give away a gun, I buy another one to replace it. Technically, this is not necessary since I only give guns away after receiving a new one. But I do not base my volume of gun purchases on need. I never said I needed more guns. I said I wanted more guns. If this is a problem for the aforementioned feminist then I must remind her that she doesn’t really need a tattoo on her lower back. Lobbying Congress for a limit on the number of guns I can own will cause me to retaliate by a) Lobbying Congress for a limit on the number of abortions a woman can have, and b) Lobbying Congress for a limit on the number of tattoos a person can have.

If you want a war, I’ll give you a war.

4. For every speech I give on a college campus, I promise (henceforth onward) to add at least one firearm to my collection. So far this semester I have received two speaking invitations. I plan to celebrate the first speech with a Stoeger 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun. I plan to celebrate the second speech with a Remington 1187 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun. But I always need more guns so, please, contact me at adams_mike@hotmail.com or contact the Young America’s Foundation (www.YAF.org) to bring me to your campus soon. That way, I can keep shooting off my mouth towards the end of shooting off more firearms. It may also cause distress to the people at PETA because I always send them pictures of my new guns along with pictures of the animals I kill with them.

As a matter of full disclosure, I receive copies of all e-mails sent to UNCW in response to my columns. So, if you write them, I will get a copy from my lawyers at the Alliance Defense Fund (please take the time to visit www.TellADF.org). I will respond by buying two boxes of ammo for every e-mail calling for my firing. I won’t get fired but the ammunition sure will. Thank you in advance for supporting my habit.

Whatever you do dear (not deer) anti-gun nuts, please don’t pay attention to that terrorist professor who built pipe bombs before he wrote Barack Obama’s fake biography. And keep ignoring that terrorist professor who works at Kent State University. They are not a threat to you. They aren’t conservative Christians.

Just keep tattooing your lower back, sleeping around, and aborting innocent babies. Someday the world will conform to your enlightened tolerance and your self-proclaimed moral superiority.

Source





WV: Would-be robber gets surprise: "The suspect had his face covered with a bandana and was armed with a shotgun when he burst into Theresa’s Cafe in Pinch, ordering everyone to the floor and demanding money. As soon as the patrons hit the floor, one employee retrieved a .44 caliber and quickly stood up firing a shot striking the subject in the arm and torso area,’ said Kanawha County Chief Deputy Johnny Rutherford. ‘The suspect then immediately fled the store, apparently quite surprised.’”


New York cops don't like self-defense: "A Long Island man was arrested yesterday after firing an AK-47-style rifle in the air in an attempt to get a group of men off of his damn lawn. George Grier, 31, fired the shots on Sunday night while arguing with a group of Hispanic men on the lawn of his Uniondale home. No one was injured, but Grier was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. Grier says the group of men gathered on his lawn and approached him after two of them began fighting. He claims he was attempting to protect his family from the group of about 20 who were "swarming" the property, and had purchased the gun previously for self-defense" [Also see here]


TX: Lubbock man files federal gun suit: "A Lubbock man is the plaintiff in a National Rifle Association lawsuit claiming the federal ban on 18-to-20 year-olds buying handguns is unconstitutional. The suit claims the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms, doesn’t specify that it only applies to those age 21 and over. James D’Cruz of Lubbock claims in his suit that he is trained in the proper use of handguns and believes that if 18 year olds can vote and serve in the military, they should be able to buy a handgun from a registered dealer.”



9 September, 2010

Even TOY guns may have to be licensed in one Australian State

The Christopher Ray quoted in the report below is my brother. The government concerned is Leftist, of course -- JR

ANY ITEM that looks like a gun will have to be licensed under several changes to the Weapons Act being considered by the Queensland State Government. Even guns made out of materials as unlikely as soap or plastic may have to be kept under lock and key if they could "reasonably be taken to be a weapon".

The draft act says an imitation is a "reasonable copy" of a weapon that is not capable of causing death or injury. "If it looks like a gun and feels like a gun, it will have to be licensed," said a government source. "We just want to know where they are." It is unclear how the draft affects toy guns.

Failure to license an imitation weapon will carry a maximum $4500 fine under the proposals and incorrect storage carries a penalty of $750.

The proposed changes will also impose restrictions on the ownership of laser pointers, tougher penalties for selling items such as crossbows, bullet proof vests and knuckledusters without the appropriate licence, and stricter rules on firearm storage. In certain circumstances, religion will be a lawful excuse for carrying a knife and police who take their service-issue firearms home will be exempted.

A discussion draft of the Act will be available on the Queensland Police website today and Police Minister Neil Roberts encouraged responses.

But firearm owners' groups have condemned the measures as cumbersome and misguided. Christopher Ray from the Law Abiding Firearms Owners said legitimate owners were being "regulated out of existence". "We just wanted some of the burden, some of the bureaucracy and some of the paperwork taken off our backs," Mr Ray said. "Instead, they're complicating it further for law-abiding people. If we make a single minor mistake we can lose our (gun) licence for five years."

He said LAFO was also opposed to police being given "free rein" to take their guns home and leave them on the bedside table.

Geoff Jones, state president of the Sporting Shooters Association, said the crackdown on imitation weapons risked making "otherwise law-abiding people into criminals".

Mr Roberts said a requirement for permanently deactivated public monuments such as weapons on display in RSL buildings to be registered or licensed had been removed from the draft act.

SOURCE






KY: Man shot to death. Shooter says he acted in self-defense: "A man was shot to death at the waterfront in the early morning hours Wednesday and the man who pulled the trigger says he acted in self-defense. Police say a boyfriend and girlfriend were at the waterfront near 8th Street at 1am when they say a man they didn't know approached them. The man got into a fight or argument with the other man and the boyfriend ended up shooting the unknown man with his gun. The victim was taken to University Hospital where he later died. The gunman and his girlfriend were questioned at police headquarters and released. Police say the Commonwealth's Attorney’s office will decide if any charges will be filed in the case."


MA: Man wounded but takes out two robbers: "Jerry Bourque, 25, was on his porch at about 12:55 a.m. Tuesday with a friend when they were approached by two Boston men, Lakeem Tombs and Virgilio Dipre, both 18, authorities said.... they said, ‘Empty your pockets.’ The friend told the Herald Tuesday that Bourque struggled to pull his gun from his waistband but ended up firing through his clothes. Police initially called it an apparent robbery. A spokeswoman for the Middlesex District Attorney’s office said the circumstances remain under investigation. Police found all three men lying outside the house; Tombs and Dipre died later. Bourque is hospitalized with wounds to his groin, wrist and chest."


MI: Intruder shot in abdomen by Detroit homeowner: A 25-year-old man is recovering from a gun shot wound after police say he was shot while breaking into a home. Officers say the man had gotten into the home on Winthrop near Fenkell and Greenfield when he was confronted by the 59-year-old property owner. Investigators say that during that confrontation the intruder lunged at the property owner, who shot him in the abdomen. The property owner is a licensed gun owner. The 25-year-old was taken to the hospital to be treated. He is in temporary serious condition. The property owner is not expected to face charges.



8 September, 2010

MA: One man dead, 2 hurt in apparent robbery attempt: "A Malden man and two apparent robbers traded fire in a pitched close-quarters gunfight just after midnight Tuesday at the man’s home that left one of the suspected stick-up artists dead and the other two men wounded, police and a witness said. The resident has a license to carry firearms, according to police. The incident was an apparent robbery attempt, police said. A spokeswoman for Middlesex District Attorney Gerard Leone declined to name any of the men. She said no charges have been filed in the wake of the gun battle. A witness said the resident was on a side porch shortly after midnight at his Salem Street home with a .38 caliber, long-barrel revolver in his waistband when the shooting happened."



PA: Assault stopped with a shotgun: "A Schuylkill County man who was attacked on his porch escaped by punching through a window, diving through the opening, grabbing a shotgun and firing three times into the floor to scare off his attackers early Monday morning, said state police at Frackville. When Furedi opened the front door of his enclosed porch, Richards and Johnson "forced their way in attacked him for no reason," police said. Furedi was punched 10 times or more until he broke free, shattered the window and jumped into his house, where he grabbed the shotgun and fired, according to police. Police said Richards was arrested and sent to Schuylkill County Prison under aggravated assault charges. An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson, police said.



FL: Homeowner Shoots Intruder: "Police in Boynton Beach investigated an early morning shooting on Saturday after a homeowner said he found a man hiding in his house. The incident happened on Northwest First Street at about 12:30 p.m. Police said 27-year-old Anthony Cole shot a man multiple times, and it appears he used deadly force because he felt his life was in danger. Eddie Weal, 20, was taken to Delray Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. They said he will be charged upon his release."



AZ: Man shoots, kills 2 suspected gang members: "The intruder who punched out a Chandler man while stealing beer at a keg party picked the wrong victim. The man, who had been attempting to defend his wife during the beer theft, had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Fearing for his life and under attack, he pulled out a gun and fatally shot two men believed by police to be gang members early Sunday morning. Ramer said police have concluded the shooter, who fears reprisals and whose name is not being released, acted in self-defense and have cleared him of any potential wrongdoing in the shooting deaths. When one of the intruders threatened the man with a gun, he pulled out his own gun and shot the two men to death, Ramer said. Police said they have documents confirming that the men are gang members."



7 September, 2010

Maybe the NRA’s right to be paranoid

I did not believe the National Rifle Association and all its Second Amendment hype until now.

My daughter gave her daddy a gun for his birthday. As a law-abiding citizen he went to transfer ownership. Ten days later a letter arrived from the Department of Justice — transfer denied, stated my husband is a felon and he can’t have fire arms. Shock: He knew he was not a felon, had bought and registered guns for years, and now that department states that he is a felon since 1972 and can’t have any guns.

My husband called the Department of Justice. No, they could not tell him what his crime was or anything about it. They could only talk to him about it if he brought up what the crime was first. As he did not know what his crime was, he could not tell them and they refused to give him any information. Their answer was he would have to go to the police department and pay to have a Live Scan or copy of his record done. He did that. Three week later, still no answers.

He started calling the Department of Justice over and over. No, they did not have the Live Scan request. No, they did not know what the problem was. No, they still could not give him information about the alleged crime. Over and over, still no answers, and sorry we now have lost your file. I will have to give my husband credit: He did not yell, swear or threaten these jerks that we are paying to so-called protect us from registered gun owners.

One month later panic is about to set in, as hunting season is getting close. Another interesting piece of information: He bought his hunting license and deer tag before he tried to transfer that gift from our daughter. No problem, it was issued without the slightest objection.

One more final phone call to the Department of Justice stating we were going to hire an attorney. So, interesting, they now said, “Oh sorry. Someone made a mistake. You are not a felon. No we have not sent you a copy of your record (that we paid for). No, we won’t send you a letter saying you’re not a felon but we have flagged your file and you should not have any further problems.”

What is going on when a government agency can write a letter stating, “You are a felon, you may not have guns, no we won’t tell you what you did, but you’re guilty until you prove different?” Then, when we did not back off, “Gee, sorry. Guess you are not a felon, but we won’t put it in writing.”

Now I am scared. The NRA may be right. We have heard from several hunter friends they have had the same experience. Either the Department of Justice is a total joke or the government is building a database so they know where to go and pick up private citizens’ guns.

My husband is a Native American. His family has already had to endure being destroyed by our government once. My family came to this country in 1641. They have fought in every war and conflict our government has asked them to fight in. We believe in our flag, our freedom, and we fought and spilled blood to keep our rights intact.

I believe our government is supposed to be “we the people.” “We the people” are supposed to be running things, not the government. So pay attention, vote and force the government to be the servant of “we the people.”

Source





TX: Authorities say man shot, killed in self-defense: "A Pansey man shot and killed his son-in-law in self-defense early Sunday after an ongoing domestic dispute, according to Houston County Sheriff’s authorities. … A statement from Houston County Sheriff’s Capt. Antonio Gonzalez said a preliminary investigation showed Hobbs killed Ingram when he came onto Hobbs’ property and advanced toward Hobbs with a knife after being told to leave.”


MO: Police cite evidence of self-defense in homicide: "A 21-year-old man was shot and killed in an eastern Columbia apartment on Monday morning, but police said there is evidence the shooting happened in self-defense. The 22-year-old female resident of the apartment also suffered a gunshot wound to the lower leg during the episode. Police identified the deceased as Crestful J. Williams... he is the former boyfriend of the woman who lives in the apartment. He instigated the incident, she said Monday afternoon. “The (victim) went in brandishing a gun. From the information investigators got at the scene, he was shot in self-defense,” Haden said."


AR: Man shot Police Officer in Self-Defense: "Fox 16 in Little Rock is reporting there will be no charges in the July, 2010 Diamondhead shooting, when a police officer was wounded. The Garland County prosecuting attorney’s office says charges will not be filed against homeowner Jerry Chambliss, who says an off-duty police officer attempted to run him over with a car and shot at him. More importantly, no charges will be filed against police officer Fred Ensminger, according to Prosecuting Attorney Steve Oliver. Even though strong evidence exists officer Ensminger used excessive force (at the worst running over Chambliss and then shooting at him as he retreated to his garage), the prosecuting attorney has decided not to bring charges."



6 September, 2010

Gun dealer sells gun to illegal. Guess who gets arrested?

We read:

One of the gun dealers of Austin's Gun Show is sentenced to 6-months at a federal work camp for selling a weapon to an undocumented immigrant. Independent firearms dealer-Paul Copeland says for years he has commonly sold handguns and antique weapons with no problems and prior to his arrest the illegal immigrant showed him what appeared to be a valid Texas driver’s license.

In January 2009, the ATF along with the Austin police department set up a sting operation targeting independent firearms dealers that were selling weapons to illegal immigrants, both inside the show and outside the Austin’s Gun Show’s parking lot.

Got that? The illegal had valid ID, yet, Copeland was the one arrested and sentenced. If Copeland had asked for more, he would have been in violation of federal "supremacy" laws, ya know. Perhaps the ATF could have arrested the illegals?

Investigators with the Austin police department believed many of the guns sold to the undocumented immigrants at the show were headed back across the Texas-Mexico border. “I guess you need ask them for their documentation too; if the police aren’t going to profile why should the common citizen have to” says Copeland. He says none of the undocumented immigrants that were asked to testify against him were arrested by federal agents.

The police are probably afraid to ask for ID and arrest the illegals, otherwise, the Obama administration will sue them.

Austin's Federal Judge Sam Sparks sentenced Copeland to spend the next 6-months at a federal work camp followed by 2-years of probation.

And what of the illegal who purchased the gun with valid ID? No one seems to know.

SOURCE



GA: Man Shoots, Kills Car Robber: "Three people were being treated at an Atlanta hospital Sunday after a robbery attempt turned into a fatal shootout. The would-be robber pulled out a gun and approached three people in a car at the Forest Cove Apartments on Saturday night, police said. A man inside the vehicle then pulled his own gun and the two exchanged gunfire, police said. Officers wouldn’t say how many shots were fired, but everyone involved was hit. The robber collapsed after one shot and two women inside the vehicle were shot in the back, police said. The man who pulled out the gun in self-defense was treated for a leg injury, hospital officials said. The robber died at Grady Memorial Hospital, authorities said."


GA: Homeowner Shot, Killed Intruder: "Detectives in Atlanta said the victim of a home invasion turned the tables on his intruder. Police said the homeowner shot and killed a man who was inside his home on Abner Place in northwest Atlanta just before midnight Thursday. Police said they got a call about a shooting at the home and arrived to find one man shot in the chest. “Most likely the individual that was that was shot and killed was the person committing the home invasion,” said Lt. Paul Guerrecci of the Atlanta Police Department. Detectives searched around the home looking for evidence and making sure the homeowner’s version of what happened is legitimate."


IN: Pawn shop employee fends off robbery: "Two suspects were taken into custody for a robbery-related shooting Friday at Jack's pawn shop. According to Gary police, a Jack's employee told officers that four males entered the shop and displayed a handgun, demanding money and guns. A struggle ensued between an employee and one of the would-be robbers with a gun. The employee was able to disarm the person and handcuff him inside the store. The other robbers ran out of the shop, shooting at employees, said police, who also stated one of the employees shot back and struck one of the robbers. The suspects fled in a black Oldsmobile. With accomplice help, the person who was shot was dropped off at Methodist Hospitals Northlake campus in Gary. He and the person who was handcuffed were taken into police custody"





5 September, 2010

TX: Hispanic thugs shot at and arrested: " Three men have been arrested in connection with a northeast El Paso shooting. Police say these three, along with a man who has not been identified were threatening people at a restaurant on Dyer. That's when one of the men they allegedly threatened pulled a gun and shot the unidentified man in the face. The shooter has not been arrested, police won't say if that's because he acted in self defense. No word on the man's condition."



Gun Review: Mosin-Nagant: "With our editor’s continued blessing, I’ll be presenting reviews and profiles of exceptionally affordable yet dependable firearms. Aesthetically-challenged guns that will never command a collector’s premium. Guns that were often made by the tens of millions, in countries that either no longer exist or whose names cannot be pronounced by Western tongues. Guns that attract sneers and looking-down-the-nose condescension from the bespoke shotgun crowd at your shooting range. Guns, in other words, for Cheap Bastards. Or, in this case, paranoid cheap bastards.”



Chicago’s restrictive gun laws rarely enforced: "Mayor Richard M. Daley has long insisted that the city’s restrictive gun laws — including the handgun ban that was essentially nullified recently by the United States Supreme Court — have been a key crime-fighting tool. But court records show that relatively few people were convicted of violating the laws, and even top city officials have questioned how useful they are in deterring crime.”



TX: Rangers to investigate whether man shot deputy in self-defense: "Saturday night, Bandera County sheriff deputies shot and killed 57-year-old William Caviness in his home just moments after he shot at one of their fellow deputies. The deputy’s bullet-proof vest saved his life. Texas Rangers will have to figure out whether these deputies identified themselves when they went to Caviness’ home to serve a search warrant. His wife, who was inside the home at the time, said the deputies did not. ‘Let it be known that my husband was defending our home against what we thought were intruders, and that’s the truth,’ said Pamela Caviness, William Caviness’ widow.”



4 September, 2010

CA: Store owner fatally shoots burglary suspect: "A suspected burglar was fatally shot early Wednesday after a confrontation with a Lancaster store owner, officials said. The suspected burglar, identified as Robert Summers, 28, of Lancaster, was mortally wounded about 3:30 a.m. by the unidentified owner of a store in the 200 block of East Avenue K-8, officials said. Another suspect with Summers managed to escape. "The owner fired a handgun at the suspects, hitting one and possibly wounding the second," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement."



MN: Innocent verdict for brandisher: "It was a long wait, but it had a good outcome for a Marshall man accused of assault and terroristic threat charges. After more than five hours of deliberation, a jury found Berlon Curry of Marshall innocent of charges of second degree assault-liability for crimes of another and second degree terroristic threats-liability for crimes of another. Curry was found guilty of possession of a handgun without a permit, a misdemeanor charge. Curry had pleaded innocent to all three of the charges, which came as the result of a shooting incident in the parking lot of a Marshall apartment complex in March 2009. During Friday's portion of the trial, Curry's defense had argued that Curry did show a gun to another person in an attempt to scare him, but in self-defense after being assaulted."



La.: Teen robber shot: "The man told detectives that he was attempting to buy marijuana when Robertson flagged him down, got into the car and pointed his gun. The driver grabbed the gun and in the struggle, he was shot in the calf and Robertson was hit in the calf and thigh, authorities said. Robertson exited the vehicle and fled. The driver left the scene and initially didn't seek treatment for his wound. Robertson was arrested Thursday and booked with attempted first degree murder and attempted armed robbery. He is being held in the Sherman Walker Correctional Center on a $350,000 bond."



MO: Crazy guy fatally shot at convenience store: "A man was fatally shot Friday night after he allegedly started a disturbance at a south Kansas City convenience store. It was the second incident of violence this week at the Shell station at 5501 Bannister Road. Officers found the victim, thought to be in his 20s, lying in the parking lot with a gunshot wound, Graves said. His name was not released. Brennan Hudlemeyer said she had just stopped in the store to buy cigarettes and tea when the victim came in and started “acting crazy.” He said he was trying to get some change, started throwing things and demanded to know why he wasn’t allowed in the store, Hudlemeyer said."



3 September, 2010

AZ: Man justified in shooting thief: "?Gilbert resident Stefan Selvy was justified in shooting a man who had tried to rob him of some beer, police said on Thursday. Selvy, 21, spent a tense week on the legal hot seat after the August 26 shooting behind a Circle K that left 36-year-old Bobby Baughman, also of Gilbert, dead. Police arrested Selvy at the scene, booked him into jail and said -- initially -- that it might be 2nd-degree murder. After a "thorough review of all evidence," Gilbert police have exonerated Selvy, saying he was justified under Arizona law in plugging Baughman. The Maricopa County Attorney's office will have the final say, but a prosecution seems very unlikely if the police won't back up the case." [This updates an earlier post on this blog of Aug. 28]



TX: Woman fires at robbers in Walmart parking lot: "The woman had been shopping at Walmart and was getting back into her car when a man pushed a pistol to her stomach and took her purse. The Santa Fe-area resident, who has a concealed handgun license, reached into the center console of her car and pulled out a revolver, police said. The armed robber backed away and jumped into a waiting SUV that sped off. La Marque police Detective Danielle Herman said the woman managed to fire five shots, hitting the SUV’s tailgate at least once. At least one other person was in the SUV, but police did not have a description of the getaway driver, Herman said. The armed man was described as Hispanic, 25 to 35 years old"



CA: Shootout in drugstore: "The victims were behind the pharmacy counter about 12:30 p.m. when two individuals came in, one of them armed, and demanded drugs, said Sgt. Tim Curran with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. At that point, a male employee pulled out a semi-automatic handgun. It was unclear who fired first, but there were multiple shots as the would-be robbers fled, returning fire at the store's employees, said Curran. "After the gunfire, the suspects ran from the store, they were chased by the store employee," Curran said. "They ran off in opposite directions and it's unknown what happened to them." Employee Tania Guskaya, 27, was shot in the chest and was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later."





PA: Bouncer, 2 Women shot after bouncers attack bar patron: "A man accused of opening fire and hitting a bouncer and two women outside The Town Tavern on the South Side last weekend was ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing Thursday. Defense attorney Bill Bishop said Morgan [above] is licensed to carry a gun and only fired it in self-defense at closing time early Sunday morning on East Carson Street. "Had a drink and didn't finish the drink when the bouncers accosted them, used a lot of vulgar language and shoved them out the front door, then came out of the bar, punched Mr. Morgan in the face, causing his tooth to bleed -- actually, his tooth to go through his front lip," Bishop said. The bouncer who was shot -- Mark Ferguson -- walked with a cane as he arrived at Morgan's hearing at Municipal Court downtown. He declined to comment" [More here]



2 September, 2010

AL: Pistol-packing grandmother shoots intruder in bedroom: "A pistol-packing grandmother in Decatur hopes intruders will think twice before messing with her again. Police say 69-year-old Ethel Jones shot 18-year-old Michael O’Neal Bynum in the abdomen when she said she found him inside her bedroom. Bynum lived less than 200 yards from Jones, but she said she didn’t know him. … Jones said she sleeps with her gun under a pillow next to her. She said she was going to the bathroom shortly before 3 a.m. Monday when she thought she heard someone at her back door and then her front door. She grabbed her gun as a precaution and came out of the bathroom to find someone in her bedroom with a pen light. ‘I shot three times, and he ran away bleeding,’ she said.”



MO: Clerk Pulls Gun, Scares Off Would-Be Robbers: "A gas station clerk scared off two would-be robbers early Wednesday morning when he pulled a gun of his own, police said. Police said two men walked into the Shell gas station on Bannister Road near Interstate 435 about 6 a.m., pulled guns on the clerk and demanded money. Authorities said the clerk turned the tables on the robbers and pulled his own gun. The clerk then chased the two out of the store and fired at them as they drove away. The clerk told police that he shot out a window of the car as the men drove off. The clerk was not hurt and neither were any of the customers. Police said one or both of the suspects could have been shot. Authorities said the clerk likely will not face charges, saying he acted in self defense."



FL: Lawyer challenges “no guns in parks” ordinance: "There is a growing debate over your second amendment right — your right to bear arms — and whether you should be allowed to carry a gun in a county park. According to the county’s ordinance books, the answer is no. But a local attorney says the books are wrong. … Signs posted at some Lee County parks say ‘no guns inside the park’ and there’s an ordinance to back it up. Lee County Commissioners passed the ordinance in 2006. Even if you have a permit for the gun, the ordinance says that they are prohibited in all county parks. Fort Myers attorney Patrick Buckley says not only is the ordinance against your constitutional right, but he says it’s also against state law.”



SAF files amicus brief in Nordyke case arguing for strict scrutiny: "The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an amicus curiae brief in the long-running Nordyke v. King case in California, arguing that Second Amendment issues must be decided on a ’strict scrutiny’ basis, and that an ordinance in Alameda County banning gun shows at the county fairgrounds is unconstitutional because it would not withstand that standard of review.”



1 September, 2010

AR: Pharmacist Says He Shot Suspect In Self-Defense: "Fenwick says he feared not only for his life but for the employees he cares about. "He told us he was just here to check the store out and this is him here pulling the gun out of his pocket," Fenwick said pointing to his computer monitor. "He's going to wave it at Michelle, Trey and Judy right here and tells them to go to the back." Police say the man in the video is 50-year-old Timothy Friedman--a parolee from Minnesota who now faces charges in LeFlore and Latimer counties in Oklahoma. The suspect demands narcotics from the employees. Owner Jeff Fenwick is in the back on the phone when an employee comes back to tell him what is going on. The man heads for the door and Fenwick draws his gun. "As soon as he slowed down and made a turn?I don't know what he saw," Fenwick questioned. "I thought, 'I got to take care of myself and the people that work here at National Pharmacy'. So I shot him."



PA: Armed Businessman Fires at Would-Be Robbers: "Joel Salame, 30, and Dionicio Torres, 24, were arrested after allegedly fleeing Abreu’s notary shop Monday. Though Salame and Torres are only charged with one robbery, police expect to charge the two men with at least eight robberies. Abreu was tipped off that the men were surveying his business in order to rob it when they walked in Friday wearing glasses with no lenses, wigs and matching uniforms, he told the Reading Eagle. On Monday the two men came back to the shop. One stayed outside while the other entered the store through two unlocked doors and pointed a handgun at Abreu. Abreu fired his .38-caliber revolver at the man but missed, shooting the wall. Witnesses pointed to where the men ran and police arrested Salame and Torres soon after."



CA: Senate rejects open-carry gun ban: "The California Senate rejected a bill Monday that would have made it illegal to carry unloaded guns in public, but lawmakers will give the vote one more try. Monday’s 20-16 vote fell one short of the majority needed, but the Senate will reconsider the measure Tuesday. The bill, AB1934, was introduced after a series of demonstrations by gun-rights organizations during which they encouraged participants to openly carry unloaded weapons. California law lets gun owners carry a rifle or handgun in a holster if it is not loaded.”



War against ammunition heats up: "The movement against lead in ammunition has progressed much farther in Europe than here. For one thing, the culture prevalent in Europe (Switzerland being a notable exception) considers firearms ownership a privilege rather than a right; subject to easy and frequent government control. The environmental and animal rights movement is also well-entrenched throughout Europe and within the European Union bureaucracy.”






Note for non-American readers: Crime reports from America which describe an offender just as a "teen" or "teenager" almost invariably mean a BLACK teenager.


Postings from Brisbane, Australia by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.) -- former member of the Australia-Soviet Friendship Society, former anarcho-capitalist and former member of the British Conservative party.


I am an army man and I am pleased and proud to say that I have worn my country's uniform. Although my service in the Australian army was chiefly noted for its un-notability, I DID join voluntarily in the Vietnam era, I DID reach the rank of Sergeant, and I DID volunteer for a posting in Vietnam. So I think I may be forgiven for saying something that most army men think but which most don't say because they think it is too obvious: The profession of arms is the noblest profession of all because it is the only profession where you offer to lay down your life in performing your duties. Our men fought so that people could say and think what they like but I myself always treat military men with great respect -- respect which in my view is simply their due.


Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)

First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean

It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.


The kneejerk response of the Green/Left to people who challenge them is to say that the challenger is in the pay of "Big Oil", "Big Business", "Big Pharma", "Exxon-Mobil", "The Pioneer Fund" or some other entity that they see, in their childish way, as a boogeyman. So I think it might be useful for me to point out that I have NEVER received one cent from anybody by way of support for what I write. As a retired person, I live entirely on my own investments. I do not work for anybody and I am not beholden to anybody. And I have NO investments in oil companies, mining companies or "Big Pharma"

UPDATE: Despite my (statistical) aversion to mining stocks, I have recently bought a few shares in BHP -- the world's biggest miner, I gather. I run the grave risk of becoming a speaker of famous last words for saying this but I suspect that BHP is now so big as to be largely immune from the risks that plague most mining companies. I also know of no issue affecting BHP where my writings would have any relevance. The Left seem to have a visceral hatred of miners. I have never quite figured out why.


Australia does have considerable restrictions on gun ownership (mostly put in place by a conservative administration as a kneejerk reaction to a mass killing) but the restrictions are not too onerous. My brother is a gun collector and has an impressive collection quite legally. And guess who is the patron of his gun club? It is Kevin Rudd, a former center-Leftist Prime Minister of Australia!


The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."