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30 April, 2009

Texas: Midlothian man's fatally shot at Arlington house: :A 42-year-old Midlothian man was fatally shot in Friday night by his former father-in-law, Arlington police said. Police said the shooting appeared to be in self-defense, and that they would turn over evidence to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office for a determination. No one has been arrested. Rodney Kennedy was at a home in the 1400 block of Pecan Street when he was shot by his former father-in-law, 67, police said. The shooting happened at 10 p.m. during an altercation, according to reports. The house is near the University of Texas at Arlington."



Florida: Robbery Suspect Dies After Being Shot By Property Owner : "A Polk County man shot at two robbery suspects Tuesday morning when he thought they were going to run him down. One of the suspects was hit in the head and died, and the other is still at large. The incident happened near a citrus grove on Rifle Range Road in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven. Property owner Jamie Jones heard a commotion outside while working inside his shed just before dawn. Jones told detectives a man and woman were driving away in his Land Rover. He said after they saw him, they tried to run him over. Fearing for his life, Jones pulled the trigger. One of the bullets hit 21-year-old Nikki McCormick in the head. While she lay bleeding in the passenger seat, the male suspect fled on foot. McCormick was rushed to the hospital where she later died. Detectives aren't sure if the male suspect was hit. The property owner last saw him limping down a nearby street. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says Jones likely won't face charges, and he offers a warning to other would-be robbers."



Guns are better than restraining orders: “Debi Olson had three restraining orders taken out against her. But that didn’t stop the woman from ambushing ex-husband Mauricio Droguett in an Iowa shopping mall last July, fatally stabbing him in front of shocked mall-goers. Toni Brown of Washington, DC was shot by former girlfriend Raina Johnson on August 12, 2008, leaving the woman paralyzed from her neck down. Johnson is currently serving a 28-year sentence for a crime the judge termed ‘extraordinarily brutal.’ A restraining order had been previously issued against the assailant. Karen Allende of New York City was walking to work on a September day in 2006 when she was attacked suddenly by her husband. She died that morning on the sidewalk, a restraining order folded neatly in her purse. Each year 2-3 million domestic restraining orders are issued for the purpose of curbing domestic violence. Simply put, these orders of “protection” are a hoax foisted on unsuspecting victims, all at taxpayer expense. Restraining orders are a travesty for the simple reason that they don’t work.”



“Speaking truth to empower”: “You really don’t understand, do you? You really don’t know that the states that wanted blacks to be counted as ‘1? instead of ‘3/5? were the SLAVEHOLDING STATES. That’s because, with apportionment, it would give them more representation in Congress — more power — all the while holding this NONVOTING population hostage. Those opposed to slavery didn’t want them counted at all for that reason. But then, you don’t understand ‘gun control’ had its roots in racism, either, do you? I notice you never talk about the slave codes that could punish a black man for having a dog because it might attack a white man — or the post-Civil War black codes designed to put firearms beyond the economic means of freed blacks — or a key observation in Dredd Scott, that a black man simply CAN’T be a ‘citizen’ because then he’d have the same rights as whites, including the right to keep and bear arms. Yeah, Chief Justice Taney actually wrote that. You’d know if you took the time to do a little learning before presuming yourself authoritative enough to teach.”



29 April, 2009

AL: Shooting Under Investigation: "Morgan and Limestone County officials continue to investigate a weekend shooting in Morgan County. It happened at 8:45 Saturday night on Garrett Road in Priceville. According to the Limestone County Sheriff's Department, Tim Garth of Belle Mina shot brothers Ricky and Sam Brown. Ricky Brown was taken to Huntsville Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His brother Sam was shot in the leg. Authorities say the two brothers initially assaulted Garth at his home. Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely says the case has not been ruled as a murder yet, and there may be indication the incident was self-defense. No charges are filed yet. Authorities also say this isn't the first fight between the three. About nine years ago, Ricky Brown was accused of shooting the suspect and his sister."



A rush to bear arms even in Taxachusetts: “In the words of one Berkshire County gun shop owner, ‘gun sales have been through the roof’ in recent months. Indeed, sales of firearms in the United States began to rise in the lead-up to the November 2008 presidential election, including here in Democratic Massachusetts — long viewed as a bastion for liberal [sic], anti-gun politics. And they continued to soar for the first three months of 2009, according to the FBI’s National Criminal Investigative Service, which performs background checks on people seeking to carry firearms.”



Obama pushing treaty to ban reloading : “Even BB guns could be on the chopping block! Remember CANDIDATE Barack Obama? The guy who ‘wasn’t going to take away our guns?’ Well, guess what? Less than 100 days into his administration, he’s never met a gun he didn’t hate. A week ago, Obama went to Mexico, whined about the United States, and bemoaned (before the whole world) the fact that he didn’t have the political power to take away our semi-automatics.”



Guns make colleges safer: “Mass public shootings are a horrific feature of modern life. Many of the bloodiest examples of this scourge have occurred on college campuses. As professors, we are particularly sensitive to this danger. Despite this — no, because of this — we support a bill currently pending in the Texas Legislature that would permit the concealed carrying of firearms on college and university campuses in the state by holders of concealed-handgun permits.”



28 April, 2009

CA: Weekend shooting may have been self-defense: "Oakland police say a 16-year-old boy arrested after a fatal shooting over the weekend may have been acting in self-defense. The teen was arrested on a transit bus after police say he shot and killed a 20-year-old Oakland man and wounded a second man Saturday evening. Investigators have since determined that the man fatally shot by the teen was armed with a shotgun. They believe the youth thought he himself was going to be shot. The teen has not been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of the man armed with a shotgun, but he was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for wounding the second man. Investigators say the second man shot by the teen was not armed. The name of the teen has not been released."



TN: Man shot in self-defense, police say: "The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was called to 1211 Lakeside Drive at about 9 p.m. Saturday on reports of a shooting, spokeswoman Janice Atkinson said. On arrival deputies found the victim, Kevin Bailiff, 22, lying on the ground at the edge of the driveway to the residence, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left lower leg, Ms. Atkinson said. Deputies secured the scene and detained the father of the victim, Richard Bailiff, 66, Ms. Atkinson said. Detective Ed Merritt advised that father and son became involved in a verbal argument that escalated to the shooting and at this time appears to be self-defense, Ms. Atkinson said. The victim was transported to Erlanger hospital by Hamilton County EMS".



Ban gun free zones now: "Gun control policies wrought by the likes of liberal Sens. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Schumer (D-N.Y.) amount to "cruel indecency and forced victimization" argues rocker Ted Nugent in an April 20, 2009 column in U.S. News & World Report. With the election of Barack Obama, the 10th anniversary of Columbine, the second anniversary of Virginia Tech, and the media's ongoing fixation on a faulty "90 percent" statistic of U.S. guns seized in Mexican drug crimes, the MSM has found a second wind for the gun control after it was virtually moribund post-9/11. It is indeed Ted Kennedy's gun ban dream of GunFreeZones that have proven to be the guaranteed slaughter zones where the most innocent lives are lost. Think Columbine, VA Tech, Lane Bryant, NW IL University, Luby's Cafeteria, NJ, Salt Lake City, and Omaha malls, Calgary University, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, Flight 93, the mayor's office in San Francisco, ad nauseam. Peace and love will get you killed, and unarmed helplessness is bad. Unless of course your anthem goes baaa..... baaa...... baaa. So why in God's good name would any human being wish to force unarmed helplessness on another? That level of cruel indecency and forced victimization is incomprehensible to me and about 100,000,000 Americans who own guns. Self-defense is the most powerful, driving instinct of good people everywhere. To deny this is evil personified. Write this down—GunFreeZones are a felon's playgrounds. Ban GunFreeZones now".



Oklahoma gun ownership becoming more widespread: "Tina Pierce, community corrections officer at the Payne County Sheriff’s Office, said applications for concealed carry licenses have tripled since January. “I did 66 of them last month, opposed to that 20 I used to do, max,” Pierce said. “That (20) used to be a big month.” Pierce said elderly women, students, nurses and teachers have been applying for concealed weapons licenses at an increasing rate, she said. Ginger, an administrative programs officer for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Self Defense Act licensing unit, said OSBI officials expected an increase in renewals this year but were surprised at the number of initial applicants. “We’ve had a drastic increase in initial applicants that we can’t explain,” she said. “We don’t know what’s causing it — and it’s not just any one particular group — it’s just across the board.”



27 April, 2009

Idaho: Man shot and killed during alleged break-in: "The FBI and Nez Perce Tribal Police are investigating a fatal shooting at that took place at a grocery store in Stites early Thursday morning. It happened during an apparent attempted break-in. The Idaho County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a 21-year-old Kamiah man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was being withheld until family was notified. He was one of two men who were reportedly trying to break into the Stites Grocery Store. He was shot and killed during the alleged break-in. The Sheriff's Office says the other suspect ran from the scene. Witnesses say the pair came in through a fan vent in the back of the store. The grocery store owner, who asked to not be identified, said a man was working on an upstairs computer at the store when he heard a noise. She said that's when one of the alleged would-be burglars "came at" the man who then shot the alleged burglar in the leg. She says when the alleged burglar didn't stop, the man fired a second shot into his chest. The Idaho County Sheriff's Dispatch Center said the call came in at 3:24 a.m. from the man who had done the shooting, saying he had shot an intruder in the store. It was unknown if either alleged intruder was armed.



Pennsylvania: Man wrestles gun from intruder in Pittsburg home invasion: "A Pittsburg man fought off two men who broke into his home early Friday morning, wrestled away a shotgun and shot one of the suspects with it as he fled, according to the victim and police. The wounded suspect left the scene but was arrested after being treated at a hospital, said Sgt. Steve Albanese. Police also arrested a second suspect and are still searching for more people connected with the home invasion. The incident happened just after midnight when two men with guns broke down the front door and entered the home on Calistoga Drive. The male homeowner, who declined to be named, said he was awakened and came out of his bedroom to investigate the noise. He said he was confronted by one man with a sawed-off shotgun and a second man with a handgun. He wrestled the shotgun out of the suspect's hand, and the man fell on him, he said. The second suspect then reportedly shot at the victim's wife but did not hit her. The victim, whose stepson was also in the home, said he got up, recovered the shotgun and began shooting in the direction of the suspects. The suspects fled, and the victim fired one round as they ran across a neighbor's driveway, hitting one man in the upper torso, Albanese said."





Mississippi: Son’s 2nd shot kills intruder: "A woman, awakened by the sound of someone removing the screen from her bedroom window, got out of her bed at 1 a.m. Friday, walked to her son’s room and quietly woke him. “She said, ‘Snigg get up,’” the son said in an interview later Friday morning. “I got up, grabbed my gun and went to the corner there by her room,” he said, standing at the door of the apartment, on the bottom floor of the last in a row of Spanish-style buildings in the Granada Apartments on Chicot Road. It was dark in the apartment, but the window was backlit, Snigg said. He heard the window go up and saw a man coming in. “He stuck his hand under and pulled the blinds back, the blinds and the curtain,” he said. “And he eased in like he was attempting to come in. “I fired two shots, then he ran off,” Snigg said. Police say they won’t identify the woman or her son, who offered the nickname Snigg, for fear of retribution. Javorous Darnell Tims [above], 20, ran about 80 feet from the window, fell to the sidewalk and died of a single gunshot wound, police said Friday. Pascagoula police said Snigg and his mother acted appropriately, “taking the actions they felt necessary to protect themselves.” However, because a man died, the case will be presented to a grand jury for review."





Soldiers Forced to Disclose Personal Fireams Data: "In a post yesterday, Mitchell Langbert offers an insightful look at how U.S. Army soldiers are being required to disclose to their superiors all information about their firearms — personally-owned firearms. Best of all, the look comes straight from an infantryman at Fort Campbell, Ky., and even includes a copy of a memo outlining what soldiers at that post must do. Yes, it seems Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s beliefs about military folks being prone to right-wing extremism have spread to the Pentagon and beyond. This news makes me wonder what other information service members soon might be forced to reveal. Perhaps they’ll be required to answer this yes-or-no question: “Are you loyal to Dear Leader Obama?”



26 April, 2009

TX: Robbery suspect shot by victim : "Buster Mumphrey Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday and a second suspect who sustained a gunshot wound during the crime remains hospitalized in critical condition. Thursday. The victim said he went outside to get in his vehicle and was attacked by two black men dressed in dark clothing. The two stole his wallet but the resident was able to fire one shot as they ran away and he believed he had possibly struck one of the suspects. About 15 minutes later, officials at Good Shepherd Medical Center called the sheriff 's office regarding a patient with a gunshot wound who had just arrived at the emergency room by private vehicle. Deputies were interviewing the wounded man and the man who drove him to the hospital, and during that time Willeford said the investigators were advised of the Kilgore robbery. Mumphrey was taken to the sheriff 's office and after an interview was charged with the crime. He was arraigned by B.H. Jameson, Gregg County Precinct 1 justice of the peace, and his bond was set at $50,000, Willeford said. The other suspect, whose name had not been released at press time, remains in the hospital in critical condition, though Willeford said he is expected to live. The chief deputy said the Gregg County district attorney's office prepared an affidavit for a search warrant for the suspects' vehicle that was driven to the hospital and deputies recovered the victim's wallet during that search. The victim was roughed up by his attackers but his injuries did not require medical treatment, Willeford said."



Arizona: Female carjacker shot: "A woman who tried to carjack a man at gunpoint outside a North Side Walgreens early Thursday was shot and wounded by the man, police said. The man called police around 12:30 a.m. to report he had just shot one of two women who tried to take his car as he waited in the pharmacy drive-through near East Grant and North Swan roads, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman. The 26-year-old man, whose name was not released, had just left Tucson Medical Center and went to fill a prescription. When he drove back to the drugstore to check on his prescription, two women came up to his car. One was armed with a gun. The woman tried to shoot the man, but he pulled his own gun while she was trying to pull the trigger. Her gun didn't fire for an unknown reason. The man fired his gun twice. One shot grazed her head, and the other struck her in the shoulder. The woman fell to the ground, and the man took her gun away."



Florida Man: I Tasered My Wife in Self Defense: "A Florida man says he Tasered his estranged wife during a fight in what he claims was an act of self defense, MyFOXOrlando.com reported. John Palmore, 49, told FOX Orlando affiliate WOFL that he was forced to shoot his wife, 48-year-old Khadeja Palmore, with a stun gun after she became violent and punched him in the nose during an argument about their pending divorce. He said he realized his soon-to-be ex was upset about the split and bought the gun to protect himself against her, according to MyFOXOrlando.com. "If someone's coming at you, you don't want to put your hands on them, but you do want to protect yourself and not hurt them," he said. Khadeja Palmore was arrested and charged with battery in the case, according to the station."



Milwaukee police chief setting stage for confrontation: "Milwaukee, WI Police Chief Ed Flynn is playing with political nitro glycerin, and he doesn’t seem to realize it, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care. Quoted by the La Crosse Tribune, Chief Flynn says he will ignore a finding by State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that peaceable open carry of firearms is legal. Flynn’s directive to officers in his department is “if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” The chief displayed a rather cavalier, if not outright arrogant, attitude when he added, “Maybe I’ll end up with a protest of cowboys. In the meantime, I’ve got serious offenders with access to handguns. It’s irresponsible to send a message to them that if they just carry it openly no one can bother them.” Perhaps some higher legal authority might explain to the chief that it is also irresponsible to send a message to the public that a police chief can literally tell the state attorney general to pound sand, he’s going to do it “his way,” and too bad if that violates someone’s civil rights. Already, some people have been arrested for carrying openly, according to my colleague Candace Dainty. Note to Chief Flynn: Wisconsin is still part of the United States, not a police state. This is the kind of attitude that gets people grumbling about “jack-booted thugs.”



25 April, 2009

Tennessee Man Shoots 2 Dogs Attacking Neighbor's Dogs: "A Brainerd man shot and killed two pit bull dogs attacking a neighbor's pit bull in an incident on Sunday. The case was turned over by Chattanooga Police to the McKamey Animal Trust. McKamey officials have charged the owner of the two dogs, Walter Pitmon, for letting his dogs run at large. Police Officer Brian Blumenberg said he responded to 108 S. Howell Ave. and spoke with Stephen Hooper, who said two pit bulls attacked his pit bull who was chained in the back yard. He said while the attack was going on, his neighbor, James Klassen, came out of his house at 106 S. Howell Ave. with his pistol and shot the attacking dogs an unknown amount of times. Mr. Hooper said after the dogs were shot, they ran off. The dogs were later taken by McKamey officers to an animal clinic on Amnicola Highway. They were later put down. Officer Blumenberg said Mr. Pitmon arrived at the scene and identified himself as the owner of the two dogs. He said he was trying to feed the dogs at his residence at 113 Spring Creek Road when they got out. He said that was about an hour before the attack. He said he went looking for them, then saw a number of officers at the house on South Howell and suspected that it involved the two dogs. A neighbor, Matthew Overby, said he was playing with his four-year-old cousin less than 100 feet from where he heard six or seven shots."





Florida: Homeowner Cleared in Shooting: "Prosecutors have concluded a Lake Wales security guard who shot a man who was breaking into his home was justified in using deadly force. Assistant State Attorney Robert Antonello wrote a letter with his findings about the March 18, nonfatal shooting to the Lake Wales Police Department. In the letter released Thursday, Antonello said William Cornwell, a hospital security guard, was protecting himself and his young children. Cornwell arrived at his Grove Avenue home just before 7 a.m. His wife left for work, and he was alone with his 3 1/2-month-old son and 3 1/2-year-old daughter. A noise awoke him from his sleep and, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, he went to find out what was happening, Antonello wrote. Cornwell came "face-to-face" in the hallway of his home with Michael Collins [above] who swung a crowbar at Cornwell's head. Cornwell chased Collins out the back door and fired two shots, Antonello wrote. Collins ran to his vehicle parked in the house's driveway, Antonello wrote. Cornwell ran back through his house, out the front door, and "instinctively opened fire on the vehicle (at the tires and body) in an attempt to disable it and prevent the intruder from leaving." Collins drove about 200 feet up the road to an orange grove where his vehicle overturned, and he was captured. Lake Wales police say Collins, 45, was struck in the head and left arm by the gunfire, but survived. Collins was flown to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment. He is charged with armed burglary and possession of burglary tools. He remains in the Polk County Jail and is being held without bail on the burglary charge.



GA: More Augustans carrying guns: “Recently two people robbed at gunpoint in Augusta fought back. They both fired shots at the robbers. Both had something else in common, a concealed weapons permit. Court clerks tell NBC Augusta 26 News the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit has nearly tripled this year. ‘It’s scary to know how many people actually have a concealed weapons permit and the places that they can carry them now,’ said Angela Rice, Director of Richmond County Probate Court. Rice says there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit. … From January of this year to April the court has already issued almost 1,200 requests, and the year isn’t half way over.”



TX: Bandera commissioners uphold right to bear arms: “Historically, Texans hold dear the tenets of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Right to Bear Arms – and Bandera County Commissioners recently proved no exception. On Thursday, April 9, they unanimously approved a resolution opposing the passage of the Firearm Licensing and Record Sale Act of 2009, as well as any similar legislation. As Precinct 1 Commissioner Bruce Eliker noted succinctly, ‘They’re trying to take our guns away.’ According to the resolution, the United States Supreme Court in a landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller, recently struck down a firearms ban in DC. Prior to the court’s decision, District residents were prohibited from possessing firearms.”



24 April, 2009

Ohio: Clerk Opens Fire On Would-Be Robber: "Two men were hospitalized on Wednesday after they were shot during a hold up at a drive-thru on the city's northeast side, 10TV News reported. The shooting occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at Dani's Drive-Thru, located near the corner of Westerville and Agler roads. Investigators said a man walked inside and tried to rob the clerk, but the clerk produced a gun and opened fire, wounding the man in the legs, 10TV News reported. The man was apprehended about a block away near a home on Cleveland Avenue. The other person wounded in the shooting may have been an innocent bystander, police said. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. No other injuries were reported."



Oregon: Springfield police say fatal shooting was self-defense: "Police say a fatal shooting in Springfield was an act of self-defense. The shooting happened Monday night at a home on the 2300 block of E Street. Investigators say Rodolfo Baldenegro, 47, went to the home looking for his estranged girlfriend. Investigators say the woman had filed a restraining order against him. Police say Baldenegro forced his way into the residence and got into a fight with the woman and another man. Police say the other man shot Baldenegro in self-defense. Baldenegro died at the hospital".



South Carolina: Shootings found to be self-defense: "Spartanburg County deputies determined that a man who shot two people Monday night outside his residence was acting in self-defense and charged the two men on Tuesday. Daniel Scott Byrd, 22, of 115 Keith Street, Greer and Josh Duncan, 24, of 207 Church St., Wellford were each charged with one count of assault and battery. Byrd's stomach was grazed by a bullet and Duncan was struck in the buttocks during a fight Monday night outside a Keith Street residence. Larry James Pruitt Jr., 41, told deputies that a group of people were causing "a bad ruckus" outside his home and he asked them to keep it down. Pruitt said Byrd and Duncan then came into his yard and began choking and assaulting him. Pruitt said he pulled a revolver from his pocket and fired several times, then ran into his home, reloaded his gun and waited for deputies. Multiple people who said they witnessed the incident told deputies Pruitt was truthful about what happened. When the deputy arrived, Duncan and Byrd were still on the ground outside of Pruitt's home."



Guns and the barometer of discontent : “You see it when tens of thousands of citizens turn out to protest in ‘Tea Parties’ across the U.S.; you see it in military personnel compelled to form ‘Oath Keepers,’ outlining orders they will not obey; you see it in a number of states debating sovereignty resolutions, in some cases even calling for secession; you see it in the number of people joining gun rights organizations; and yes, you see it in the number of people buying guns. Simultaneously, just as during the Clinton administration, malcontents have increasingly inflicted mass homicides on the American people. Is it part of the same unrest? If so, what causes it? The economy? Hatred for the Obama administration? … Or something more fundamental and pervasive?”



23 April, 2009

DC's Gun Right Now Apply To Western States

The landmark Heller decision that permitted DC residents to have guns in limited capacities inside their own homes has now been extended to the Ninth Circuit, which covers most western states. The court found that the Fourteenth Amendment -- which extends most of the protections in the Bill of Rights from the federal to the state level -- also applies to the second Amendment. From Ilya Shapiro on the Cato Institute's blog:

In short, residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington now join D.C. residents in having their Second Amendment rights protected. And courts covering other parts of the country — most immediately the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago — will have their chance to make the same interpretation in due course.

Shapiro highlights a footnote by Ninth Circuit Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, which could have significant implications for the way the Second Amendment it viewed in future rulings.

Some may disagree with the decision of the Founders to enshrine a given right in the Constitution. If so, then the people can amend the document. But such amendments are not for the courts to ordain.

Source




Georgia: Pizza robber shot: "An 18-year-old was shot after investigators say he tried to rob a pizza deliveryman at an empty house. A delivery in Augusta turned into a crime scene Sunday for Papa Johns Driver Tavarius Lewis. When he tried to deliver a pizza to this house on Dent Street Sunday night, investigators say Kevin Martin pulled a BB gun and tried to rob Lewis. "[Lewis] started backing up, reached in his pocket and pulled out a .40 caliber handgun and shot the suspect," said Sgt. Blaise Dresser, of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. Dresser says Lewis shot in self-defense, not realizing Martin's weapon was only a BB gun. Investigators believe this was not Martin's first robbery. The suspect, Martin, is expected to make a full recovery. He is facing charges of armed robbery. The driver, Lewis, is on paid leave from Papa Johns while the sheriff's office investigates. Papa Johns has a policy that says no workers can carry concealed weapons, either on them or in their car."



PA: Gun rights proponents hold rally at Capitol: “Hundreds of gun rights supporters assembled in the state Capitol for a noisy Second Amendment rally that’s become an annual tradition. The Tuesday rally focused on constitutional protections for gun ownership in the state and national constitutions and what several speakers described as threats to those rights. The crowd booed heartily at the mention of a proposal backed by Gov. Ed Rendell to limit handgun purchases to one per month. National Rifle Association president John Sigler is warning that ‘the enemies of freedom are not giving up’ and that too few gun owners understand that their rights are at risk.”



WI: Carrying firearm not grounds for disorderly conduct: “Wisconsin citizens are legally allowed to carry firearms openly, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a memo to the state’s district attorneys Monday… according to Van Hollen, there is nothing in state law regarding citizens who openly carry weapons.’The Department (of Justice) believes that mere open carry of a firearm — absent additional facts and circumstances — should not result in a disorderly conduct charge,’ Van Hollen wrote. …Van Hollen did say, however, that the police may stop and question citizens who openly carry weapons if the officer has ‘reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts of criminal activity,’ based on the individual circumstance.”



22 April, 2009

Tennessee man uses gun to end road rage incident: "A Kingsport man used his concealed handgun to protect himself during an alleged road rage incident on Sunday. According to Kingsport Police, the incident occurred about 1:58 a.m. on Harris Avenue. Michael Salyer told police he was headed home when a yellow Ford Probe in front of him started weaving from left to right. The driver, later identified as Jonathan Lee Adams, 28, 1630 Spruce St., stopped in the middle of the road, jumped out and started screaming at him, Salyer said. When Adams tried to get in his car, Salyer said, that's when he pulled out his handgun and ordered him to stop. Adams' passenger, later identified by police as his girlfriend Laura Kathleen Cain, 42, same address, then yelled at Adams, and he ran back toward the Probe and the pair drove off, Salyer said. Police later found the Probe at the couple's home. The pair initially denied having the car out, saying they'd been home since 7 p.m. Adams eventually admitted being involved in an argument with Salyer on Harris Avenue. Adams and Cain were both arrested and charged with false report."



SC: Armed hero saves 4 lives during home invasion robbery: “There’s nothing like a justifiable homicide to bring out the bigotry resting in the heart of Old Media reporters. Last week, Demario Brown, on the run from police, held up two women at gunpoint and forced them into the house they were visiting, and then held two additional victims at gunpoint while demanding money he claimed was stolen from him. … one of the victims … fought back with his own gun. In the exchange of fire, Mr. Brown was fatally wounded, ran out of the house and collapsed a short distance away. Even though one article’s title was accurately stated as ‘Robbery suspect shot dead by intended victim,’ North Charleston’s Live 5 News still chose the ‘concerned neighbor’ gambit to condemn the shooting.”



CA: Victim disarmament laws could get tighter: “On the tenth anniversary of the deadly high school shootings in Columbine, Colo., California lawmakers announced new efforts to keep guns and ammunition away from people who are barred from possessing those items. Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, is backing a bill to require people who sell handgun ammunition to be licensed. It would also require sellers to conduct business face-to-face, bar Internet or mail order sales and require a thumbprint and other identifying information of people who buy ammunition.”



The lesson of Columbine examined: “On another anniversary of Columbine, we might look at various other experiences for perspective and see whether anything was learned at all. In this Examiner’s surmise, the deaths of students are unnecessary, avoidable, and politically motivated. Politically motivated? How? By indolence and by stubbornness, pure stubbornness. Perhaps tortious interference. Perhaps worse.”



21 April, 2009

Louisiana: Fatal shooting was self defense: "Authorities say they believe a 49-year-old woman shot and killed her 26-year-old boyfriend in self defense Sunday morning in Denham Springs. Mark Lockwood was dead at his girlfriend's home when deputies arrived and a spokesman for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office says Suzanne White told them Lockwood had put a knife to her throat and demanded that she tell him the location of the gun used in the shooting. She told authorities she convinced him to remove the knife from her throat, but he was still holding it when she reached the gun and shot him. Investigators believe White shot Lockwood in self defense and Jason Ard, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said no charges have been filed."



Georgia: Restaurant Manager Shoots at Would-Be Robber: "The manager of a popular restaurant exchanged gun fire with a man trying to rob his store, Atlanta police said. Authorities said a masked gunman grabbed an employee taking out the trash at the Taco Mac at 1006 North Highland Ave. around 3 a.m Sunday. The gunman was planning on robbing the place when the store's manager grabbed a gun and starting shooting at the robber. He fired back and managed to escape. Police don't know if the suspect was shot. They are looking at surveillance tape to determine his identity. No injuries were reported inside the restaurant."



Gun show loophole: “I have mentioned before that I believe that the front on which the gun prohibitionists have the greatest chance of success (at the federal level) is closure of the mythical ‘gun show loophole.’Such a measure is not their first choice–they have made very clear that banning so-called ‘assault weapons’ is what they really want (the ‘jewel in the Obama crown,’ as my colleague David Codrea called it). The gun haters seem to be coming to grips, though, with the realization that for the time being, at least, support for such a radical measure just isn’t there.”



A peek into a liberal’s strange mind: “My sister, who lives in a large east coast city, is a dyed in the wool liberal … What makes her wonderful is that she is very intelligent and widely read, and is willing to hold forth on long conversations regarding difficult topics. … I put a question to her that I thought would crystallize our differences and it did. My question: Would you kill to avoid being killed? That is the acid test. If you answer no, then all that you profess makes sense for you. … Her answer: ‘I think that most any creature, if faced with a life and death situation, would instinctively try to save itself. This is instinct, not reason. That is why I would never carry a gun. This way I don’t have to make horrible choices.’”



20 April, 2009

Georgia: Robber gets surprise when pharmacist opens fire: "It was a robbery with a big surprise for the robber. A gunman walked into a CVS drugstore expecting to hold up the place. What he didn't expect was to find a pharmacist who had a gun and was not afraid to use it. The shooting happened just after midnight at the CVS on Walton Way and 15th Street. Investigators say this isn't the first time CVS has been robbed, but this time was different. A pharmacist fired at the suspect, protecting himself and the store. The surveillance pictures tell the story. In a matter of seconds a masked robber wearing black enters this CVS Pharmacy and starts demanding money. Clenching a pistol, the robber gives the cashier a bag to fill and then heads towards the back. "The suspect then asked about the register in the pharmacy and began heading back to the pharmacy," says Richmond County Sheriff's Sergeant Ken Rogers. But Investigators say the overnight pharmacist, Michael Swindle, heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and made his way out into the store. "The pharmacist overheard the conversation and realized the store was being robbed and he then grabbed his own 9mm weapon from his bag as he stated and confronted the suspect in one of the aisles," says Sgt. Rogers. "When he confronted the suspect the suspect raised his weapon at the pharmacist at which time the pharmacist fired at least three shots at the suspect which caused him to then flee the scene," says Sgt. Rogers. The robber runs out of the store and Swindle follows after him, still carrying his gun. No one was hit or injured but Investigators say the gunfire was perfectly legal."



Colorado Homeowner Fends off Alleged Armed Burglar With Gun Shot: "A suspected burglar is under arrest Saturday morning after police say the homeowner took security into their own hands. Colorado Springs police say they were called to 3295 West Woodmen Road on a report that a person armed with a knife had just broken into the caller's home. The caller told police they had used their gun to fire a shot at the armed suspect and the suspect had run away. Police and K-9 units found the suspect in the woods with non-life threatening wound to his lower leg. He was transported to Memorial Hospital and arrested after he was released. The suspect, Ricky Hatcher, was booked into the Criminal Justice Center for Felony Menacing. Police say the homeowner and Hatcher may have known each other. Police say the homeowner is not facing charges pending further review by the District Attorneys office".



OR: Lawmakers back closing of handgun records: “A bill to limit public release of information about concealed handgun permit holders is headed for a vote in the Oregon House. The measure endorsed Wednesday by a House committee was sought by Oregon sheriffs who want to prevent newspapers and others from getting lists of people with concealed handgun permits. The sheriffs and gun rights groups say that releasing the information would jeopardize permit holders’ personal security. Open government advocates have argued that the concealed handgun permits have always been an open record and that there’s no compelling reason to make them off limits to the public.”



TN: Senate OKs bill to allow guns where alcohol served : “People with handgun carry permits would be able to bring their weapons into Tennessee establishments that serve alcohol under a proposal that passed the Senate on Thursday despite oppositon from those who called the proposal unsafe. The measure sponsored by Sen. Doug Jackson, a Dickson Democrat, was approved 26-7. However, it doesn’t contain two amendments that were included in the companion bill that passed the House earlier this month. One provision would create a curfew for handguns being carried between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the other would ban handguns at any establishment that enforces age restrictions. However, the Senate bill allows establishment owners to post signs prohibiting handguns, and it also maintains current rules that prohibit alcohol consumption by anyone carrying a firearm. The two chambers must now work out their differences before the legislation heads to the governor for his consideration.”



19 April, 2009

Nebraska: 80 Year Old Store Owner Takes Gun From Would Be Robber: "Talk about turning the tables. A robber walked into Sugar Hill Package Liquor near 56th and Ames Wednesday morning, probably thinking Floyd Westbrook was an easy target. He's an elderly man working in the store by himself at one in the morning. But the robber was wrong. He's the one who ran away... afraid. At closing time Wednesday, Floyd wasn't tired for his one last customer. He recalls, "The guy comes in and says 'this is stick up, gimme your money'." A man wearing a ski mask and black gloves pulled out a gun. He wanted Floyd's hard earned cash. Floyd wanted the gun out of the robber's hands. "He had that gun sticking out right on me when I handed him the ones, I grabbed the gun. He got too close to me, " Floyd says. You don't want to mess with Floyd. First of all, he doesn't look 80. This man stands 6'4" and weighs 230 and his own weapon.. large, strong hands. Floyd says, "When I was a young man, I could break any man's hands. I was strong in my hand." The fast, handy move surprised and scared the robber. Floyd says, "He run yelling, 'don't shoot! Don't shoot!' and flew out that door". The robber still ran off with $19. Floyd got the gun off the streets and wasn't hurt. He says when police arrived, they checked the chamber, the gun was loaded."



New Hampshire woman chases off druggie: "When Christopher Duhan kicked open the back door of a Seabrook residence to commit a Monday afternoon burglary, he was met by the lady of the house who chased him off with her handgun, according to police. Duhan, 28, of 147 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, was arraigned Tuesday in Portsmouth District Court on a felony count of burglary. According to an affidavit by officer Scott Mendes, Seabrook patrol officers were dispatched to a B Street residence at 12:30 p.m. Monday, for an "active" daytime burglary. The homeowner told police she was about to take a shower when she heard "loud crashing," so she grabbed her pistol and came face-to-face with the intruder, who she recognized as Duhan, a drug-dependent friend of a family member, according to court documents. Gun in hand, the homeowner told Duhan she was calling the police before he fled across Route 1, police allege. Based on a clothing and vehicle description, Seabrook police arrested Duhan at a Hampton hotel where he has been residing, according to the affidavit."



California: Homeowner Opens Fire On Thieves: "Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies said they responded to the scene of a home invasion where the home owner opened fire on the thieves. Deputies said a man reported four men kicked in the door at an apartment on Ethan Way near Arden Fair Mall. The homeowner grabbed a shotgun and fired at them. All four men fled the scene. Deputies said they blocked off one section of that neighborhood while they searched for the burglars."



Strange logic: blaming drug violence on guns: Obama indicated that while he favors reinstating the U.S. ban on assault weapons, which Congress allowed to expire five years ago, the move would face too much political opposition to happen soon. He said better enforcing existing laws to prevent arms smuggling would have a more immediate effect on keeping U.S. weapons from Mexican cartels.”



18 April, 2009

Florida: Woman Shot In Home Shoots Suspect: "A Palm City woman was shot Thursday morning during a home invasion, but she was also able to shoot the suspect, who fled and was apprehended a short time later, neighbors and authorities said. The incident occurred at a home in the 1500 block of Southwest Crossings Circle shortly before 9 a.m. Neighbors said they heard a loud noise and came outside to find Linda Schultz, who turned 47 earlier this month, bleeding from a gunshot wound. She was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center, but her condition was not immediately available. According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Christopher Reber was arrested in connection with the crime. Deputies located him in a room at the Suburban Lodge in Stuart after one of his family members told them where he was shortly after 10 a.m. Reber, 23, suffered a gunshot wound and was also airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center. Neighbors said Schultz came running out of her home carrying the suspect's gun. "She was trying to describe to the police what had happened and what the gentleman looked like, what he was driving and that she had shot him," neighbor Linda Smyth told WPBF News 25. "She knew she shot him."





Florida: Wife shoots garbage husband: "According to the report, Winter Haven police responded around 4 a.m. Tuesday to a reported shooting at 1121 Seventh St., S.W., the home of Troy and Dawn Christoff. When they arrived, police discovered that Troy Christoff [pic above] had been shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun. The shooter was identified as his wife, 35-year-old Dawn Christoff. Witness statements and an examination of physical evidence indicate that Troy Christoff intended to shoot several members of his family who lived with him, according to the police report. Prior to the shooting, he had armed himself with a handgun and begun to load the weapon, stating which member of his family each bullet was intended for. When the handgun was loaded, Troy Christoff raised the weapon and pointed it at his wife, according to the report. The wife, who had armed herself with another handgun to protect herself and other family members, fired multiple shots at her husband, striking him several times...According to Polk County Jail records, Troy Christoff has been arrested on four previous occasions going back to July 2004. Past charges included battery, disorderly intoxication, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, driving under the influence and violation of parole."





Oklahoma: Tulsa Homeowner Shoots At Burglary Suspect: "In broad daylight, two men parked their car and knocked on the door to make sure no one was home. They peered around into the backyard and watched for neighbors. But the homeowner was home, watching through the windows. And when his door was kicked in, he did what he is trained to do as a reserve officer. "He was about halfway through the part he had kicked in, crawling," John said. "And I was on the phone with dispatch. I was talking to 911 until he began crawling into my home. Then I just dropped the phone, and that's when I started shooting." John fired six shots. His bullets made contact with the getaway car, smashing the window. Police later found and arrested 20-year-old Justin Boyd [pic above]on complaints of first-degree burglary, false impersonation and hit and run, all after a previous felony conviction, in addition to two previous charges. After police arrived on scene, they used a search dog and a helicopter to try to find the second suspect, but he got away.



Texas: Young woman shoots, kills ambitious oldster: "A 26-year-old woman fatally shot a man who lived in her Red Bird apartment complex and broke into her unit Tuesday night, Dallas police said. Two women were inside their apartment in the 8000 block of Leigh Ann Drive, which is just north of Danieldale Park and Interstate 20, when the 55-year-old man knocked on the door about 11 p.m, police said. One of the women called police as the man tried to get inside, and the other woman shot him as he entered, causing him to stumble out the door and collapse in the grass, police said."



17 April, 2009

MD: Family nabs gunman in home invasion: "Jacqueline Frisby was hanging out at her neighbor's home last week when two masked men charged into the living room, guns drawn and demanding "the money and the drugs." "We kept saying there's no money, nobody here does drugs," a still shaken Frisby said. "I thought they were playing a joke until the guy with the (handgun) stuck the gun to our heads and threatened to kill us right there." Risking their lives, the two men living in the home wrestled with the gunmen and won a brawl that eventually included a baseball bat and shots fired. One robber fled but the other was pinned to the floor until police arrived. "All I have to say is thank you Glen Burnie (High School) wrestling. It saved me for real," said the younger man, who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation. The home invasion was the second in Glen Burnie on April 8, and the 14th time in the last seven months that county police have said robbers burst into homes and apartments across Glen Burnie and Severn".



MO House clears students' right to carry on campus: "A move to allow concealed weapons on college campuses is dividing administrators and their students. The State House is on its way to approving an amendment to allow college students to carry guns, with a conceal and carry permit. But school administrators say it would make their campuses less safe. If a deranged shooter was able to make way into a campus building, the idea is that students themselves -- and not campus police -- could be the first line of defense. "It can make those campuses safer because there's a possibility that a student can help assist in taking care of the issue before more people are killed or hurt," said student Nathan Starmer, a college Republican who supports the change. Starmer said the ban ignores reality, because anyone who wants a weapon, will carry one. "I think campus officials would be surprised at the amount of students who have weapons and who keep them, don't show them," Starmer said."



Armed America: Behind a broadening run on guns: “What do an elderly Oklahoma homeowner, a Virginia Citizen Militia member, and a Texas airline pilot all have in common these days? They’re all part of America’s massive gun-and-ammunition buying spree — a national arming-up effort that began before last year’s election of President Obama and continues unabated … it has led to shortages of assault-style weapons, rising prices, and a broadening of gun culture to increasingly include older Americans, women and — gasp — liberals …The causes are varied — from fears over crime, both rational and irrational, to the concern that 2nd Amendment rights will be curtailed … it presents a snapshot of a country that has historically turned to powder and balls in times of turmoil.”



ABC’s anti-gun bias revealed in 20/20 anti-gun hit piece: “New information has surfaced about the depth of bias that surfaced on ABC’s 20/20 hit piece that aired Friday, April 10 with Diane Sawyer as the host.The [NSSF] revealed Monday that it had been ‘asked numerous times by 20/20 Senior Producer Muriel Pearson to participate in the story, but understanding the piece was a set-up, we refused.’ NSSF is a firearms industry umbrella group that offers education about firearms safety and programs including ‘Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,’ aimed at helping the industry deter illegal straw purchases. Its biggest annual effort is the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, a huge exhibition of new products in the shooting, hunting and law enforcement fields.”



16 April, 2009

Canada: Shot prompts thieves to make their exit: "A jewellery store robbery in downtown Vancouver went wrong for the thieves yesterday when a store employee pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot. The three men ran outside and sped away in a silver car. They left behind some smashed cases at the store on Robson Street but it's not clear if any jewellery was taken. No one was hurt."



CA: Two shot in struggle for gun: "Deputies responding to the 10:30 a.m. shooting call found a male with a gunshot wound lying in the front yard, just a few feet from the weapon that deputies believe was used against him. The man, shooting victim Ben Daisy, was airlifted at 10:55 a.m. to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment. Suspect Justin King also was transported to the Palm Springs hospital. According to Porter, King went to Daisy’s house with a 9 mm handgun and the intent of robbing him. Porter said King let himself into Daisy’s house, where a struggle ensued. The gun fired once, injuring King in the right leg and Daisy in the upper abdomen/lower chest area. At this point a third person, known only as Josh, joined the struggle. The gun was dropped inside the house, picked up and then dropped outside the house. King ran south from the house, chased by Josh with a shovel. Josh caught up with King on Lupine Road just south of Siesta, where he struck the young man in the upper body and head with the shovel, subduing the man until deputies arrived on the scene. King had not been arrested by Tuesday afternoon because he was still being treated at Desert Regional, the sergeant said. Porter does expect deputies to arrest the man, who could be facing charges of residential robbery and attempted murder."



The university of the totally disarmed: “Many universities ban firearms, but some research I’ve been doing reveals that some universities ban firearms and stun guns and chemical defensive sprays, either in dorm rooms or in the university as a whole. This basically leaves students entirely without any defensive weapons, and also has the effect of disarming dorm residents when they go off campus property, since they have no place to store the defensive weapons when they’re back on campus.”



Breaking down 60 Minutes’ anti-gun bias: “ABC’s 20/20 did a hit piece on the Second Amendment and armed citizens on Friday night. The show responded to the growing sentiment that ‘if I only had a gun,’ maybe an armed citizen could make a difference in a spree shooting such as the incidents at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. In reality, it ought to be called ‘if I had ONLY a gun.’ Picking people without concealed carry permits to represent the armed citizen and rigging the scenario to ensure that they don’t defeat your narrative is propaganda, not journalism.”



15 April, 2009

Virginia: Intruder shot: "Armed with a double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun, the resident of a Botetourt County home fatally shot an intruder Friday night, authorities said. A family living in the home heard someone yelling, cursing and pounding on their house about 10:40 p.m., according to a release Saturday from Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle. A man living there called 911 and secured his family members in a locked bedroom, then loaded the shotgun. The intruder used a wrought iron patio chair to break a glass sliding door and come into the house, and the male resident shot him. "From what I'm told, he showed some restraint," Botetourt County Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom said about the shooter. "But it got to the point where he didn't have much of a choice." The house is in a heavily wooded neighborhood at Houston Mines Road and Salt Pond Road in the Nace area of the county. The home is owned by Jody and Gina Hoover, according to county records. The sheriff's office, however, is not identifying the resident because the incident still is being investigated. Branscom said he believed five people were in the home at the time of the shooting, including two children.... Deputies arrived as the shots were fired, Sprinkle said. The wounded man was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been clearly established, Sprinkle said."



Louisiana man shoots Pit Bulls: "A 26-year-old man shot three Pit Bulls who were allegedly attacking his dog, killing two, Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of Pritchard Drive. According to Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Fortunato, the man said that his girlfriend alerted him to the fact that their dog was being attacked by other dogs and he went into his rear yard and found three Pit Bulls mauling his pet. Fortunato said the suspect told officers that he tried to chase the dogs away, but when that didn’t work, he shot his gun at them, killing two of the dogs and causing the other one to flee. The resident retrieved his injured Terrier and transported it to a local veterinarian for treatment. No charges were filed against the resident involved."



Obama gets gun-shy : “Running for president in last year’s Democratic primaries, Barack Obama promised to restore a federal ban on certain semiautomatic assault guns — a position that’s still on the White House Web site. … But Obama and top White House aides have all but abandoned the issue. Emanuel helped orchestrate passage of the original assault-weapons ban when he worked in the Clinton White House. Now he and other White House strategists have decided they can’t afford to tangle with the National Rifle Association at a time when they’re pushing other priorities, like economic renewal and health-care reform, say congressional officials who have raised the matter. (According to his office, Emanuel couldn’t be reached for comment because he was observing the Passover holiday.) A White House official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal strategy, says, ‘There isn’t support in Congress for such a ban at this time.’”



Damned if you do: “From time to time, various publications and organizations offer online opinion surveys concerning the Second Amendment and the unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right of every man, woman, and responsible child to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon — rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything — any time, any place, without asking anyone’s permission. Usually, these polls take the form of a heavily-loaded question like: ‘Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to bear arms?’ Herein lies a trap … If you answer ‘yes,’ as might be expected of a supporter of the Second Amendment, then you’ve agreed that the right to own and carry weapons derives from the Constitution. You have converted a right into a government-granted privilege, which can be taken away from you any time the enemies of liberty wish to to so and have the power to get it done, if only by repealing the amendment in question. All of your rights are inherent in your existence as a human being. Never forget that.”



14 April, 2009

The gun scene in Germany today

In a low-ceilinged room in west Berlin, a gunman steadies himself, aims and fires. The noise is startling even through sizeable ear protectors, but he doesn’t flinch before pulling the trigger again. Despite the Magnum revolver he looks like an off-duty lawyer, which he is, down to his shiny brown brogues.

Next to him, firing a similar weapon at the cardboard targets 25 metres away, is a ginger-bearded mechanic in a baseball cap. It is practice night at Kleinkaliberschützen Berlin (Small Calibre Shooting Club Berlin, or KKS), and an eclectic handful of men — the one woman present doesn’t appear to move out of the common room — have come to take part in one their country’s favourite pursuits. To British ears, guns plus Germany means wartime armies or dramatic shooting sprees, particularly in the wake of last month’s school massacre and this week’s bloody gun attack in a Bavarian courthouse. But guns are part of the national culture, and their appeal stems from the centuries-old hunting, sporting and back-to-nature traditions of German life rather than the more recent penchant for militarism.

There are more than 15,000 gun clubs in Germany with around 1.5 million members, not to mention the legions of hobby hunters. There are roughly 10 million legally-held guns and perhaps double that in unregistered weapons, making it the fourth-largest civilian firearm-holding nation in the world behind the US, India and China, according to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey. Every summer Schuetzenfest, or shooting festivals, take place in towns and villages across the country and in some places are the centrepiece of the civic calendar. But guns are now, in the wake of recent events, under scrutiny.

The lawyer, who requested that only his first name Roman is used, gives a thumbs-down to indicate that he is not happy with his performance.

Others have been similarly displeased about the backlash that gun clubs have faced since Tim Kretschmer, who learned to shoot with his father at such an institution, opened fire at his former school in Winnenden in March and claimed 16 lives including his own. An open letter from the victims’ parents helped reopen an emotional national debate about gun laws. After a registered gun club member killed his sister-in-law and himself during a row in a courthouse in Bavaria on Tuesday, the state premier offered his own pledge to re-examine the rules. A day later, another 59-year-old Bavarian man shot his ex-wife dead before turning the gun on himself.

Members of KKS do not think that the gun ownership laws, which they argue are very strict already, are to blame. Thomas, a ponytailed bank worker who started shooting with his policeman father at the age of eight, said: "You cannot stop this by forbidding legal weapons. It’s the same when young men die in cars at fast speeds. It’s not the car, it’s the person who can’t drive it."

Here they do everything by the book. Roman has his own air pistol, which he brought to the club in a padlocked case, but having joined in summer 2007 he has not yet fulfilled the stipulated 18 visits to the club that form one of several preconditions to buying his own Magnum, and so he must use one held at the clubhouse.

However, Wolfgang Nietsch, the club’s 74-year-old chairman, is sceptical that the rules are always adequately enforced by the state authorities.

"It is the law that you have to keep your guns in a locked cabinet but the police don’t have enough time or manpower to make sure," the retired pipe-layer and owner of 15 guns said. "One policeman said to me that they know 90 per cent of the cabinets are not adequate." Mr Nietsch has been attending gun clubs since 1968, when a damaged ear drum put an end to his competitive swimming. His daughter, now middle-aged, was a champion shooter as a teenager, and he is worried that not enough young people are taking up the hobby. The minimum age for membership of KKS is 12 — Mr Nietsch thinks that children should begin shooting even younger than that with the right supervision and training — but there are no juveniles among the club’s 80 members and relatively few young adults.

Roman, who at 36 is one of them, thinks that the more traditional aspects of some clubs are putting younger people off. "I like this club because you can concentrate on shooting," he said. "It is a sport. People train regularly and the club’s teams do well in competitions." The costumes, bands and marching associated with Schuetzenfest life "are not attractive to younger people," he said.

Nevertheless, gun clubs and shooting remain immensely popular. The Marksmen’s Association is the fourth biggest sporting organisation in Germany and, particularly in a general election year, few politicians are likely to risk alienating its members.

After a school shooting in Erfurt in 2002 left 17 dead, Germany tightened its laws and raised the minimum age for gun ownership to 21. In the wake of Winnenden, Angela Merkel called for a relatively modest change — spot checks to make sure weapons were being stored correctly — but a month later things have already gone quiet. Mr Nietsch has his own thought on what the reason for that is: "The law won’t change because 60 per cent of MPs are hunters." Thomas, the bank worker, seems confident that the gun club’s place in German life will long outlive the turbulent aftermath of the recent shootings. Such tragedies are "not good for the discussion," he said, "but the next issue will come along soon."

Source




CA: Man shot, in custody after robbery: "One man was shot and three others remain on the run after a victim in a home invasion robbery fired a gun at their fleeing car. According to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a residence on the 1400 block of Harden Drive in McKinleyville early Sunday afternoon after receiving a report of a home invasion robbery. At about 12:25 p.m., sheriff's deputies responded after residents of the home called 911. The three occupants reported they heard a knock at the door, and upon answering the door, three black males, all adults, shoved their way into the house, the sheriff's office reported. The three suspects allegedly stole marijuana from the victims and fled the house, authorities said. As they attempted to drive away, one of the victims fired a weapon toward the vehicle. An additional witness reported seeing a total of four suspects in the fleeing vehicle. A short time later, a local hospital reported they were treating a man for gunshot wounds. Witnesses at the hospital reported seeing three men flee from the car after dropping off the injured man at the hospital, the sheriff's office reported. The men were seen running into a field near Pacific Union Elementary School."



SC: Robbery suspect killed at AA meeting place: "A robber who walked into the Columbia downtown Alcoholics Anonymous center, pulled out a gun and demanded money was killed in a burst of gunfire from an AA visitor’s gun, police said. “Gimme what you got,” witnesses quoted the robber as saying when he entered the AA building at 2015 College St. in Five Points about 10:48 p.m. Saturday. They said he brandished a .25-caliber handgun. At that point, as one AA visitor dropped something on the floor — possibly his wallet — another AA visitor pulled out his own pistol and shot the robber “multiple times,” police said. Kayson Helms, 18, of Edison, N.J., was pronounced dead at Palmetto Health Richland at 11:24 p.m. Saturday. The AA visitor who fired his weapon and killed the suspect had a concealed weapons permit, police said."



Piracy: The Free Market Solutions: "What did the captain and crew of the Maersk Alabama have in common with the victims of the Binghamton murders? Both were unarmed and defenseless against evil. In the Binghamton case, this probably had to do with the fact that government offices, such as immigration services centers, tend to be no-gun zones. In the case of the commercial ship, the reasons are more complex... If the Maersk Alabama had been armed, there are ports in the world that would not have allowed it to dock. Its mere presence would constitute a security risk.... For a fee, private firms who specialize in protective services, will protect your ship. Depending on the policy you purchase, they may put armed guards on your ship or, if for any number of reasons you don't want to do that, you can take out a fancier and more expensive policy and they will escort you with a convoy of armed boats through pirate infested waters. The latter sort of policy would solve the unable-to-dock problem. You can rendezvous with your guard boats at a pre-arranged point and part with them after passing through the dangerous waters, at which point their check will presumably be in the mail."



13 April, 2009

Colorado intruder shot: "A man armed with a box cutter pushed his way into an Aurora home early Friday morning and attacked a male guest who was sleeping on the couch before the intruder was shot to death by the man who lived there, police said. The alleged attacker, who has not been identified, knocked on the back door of a single-family house at 1672 Jamaica St. around 3 a.m. The man who lived in the house went to the door but was pushed aside by the intruder, police said. After a brief scuffle, the intruder went into the living room where Frank J. Sanchez, 18, was sleeping. The intruder began attacking Sanchez, who woke up and started fighting back, Detective Shannon Lucy said. Meanwhile, the resident went into his bedroom, pulled out a pistol and shot the intruder dead, according to police. "We don't consider this a random burglary or robbery," Lucy said Friday afternoon. She didn't identify the resident of the house, who is not considered a suspect in a crime and was not taken into custody, she said. Sanchez, wanted on an outstanding burglary warrant in Kansas City, Kan., was arrested."



FL: State won't charge man who shot, killed crazy wife: "The State Attorney's Office won't charge a Pensacola man who shot and killed his estranged wife at his home. Rick Crider, 52, killed Reba Crider, 49, on Jan. 25 inside the home in the 10300 block of Aileron Avenue, off West U.S. 98. "My wife just took a shot at me," Crider told a 911 dispatcher. "I killed her." In a report released Thursday, Assistant State Attorney David Rimmer concluded that Reba Crider, who was outside, fired a single shot through a kitchen window in her husband's direction. He returned five shots in self-defense, using a gun he kept atop his refrigerator, according to Rimmer. She was struck in her chest, right hand and right arm. The report describes a couple whose tumultuous marriage was near an end. It said Rick Crider had invited his wife to his home the night of her death to divide their belongings. Rimmer said there was no evidence Rick Crider invited his wife to his home with the intent to harm her. Reba Crider's daughter, Tamara Andrews, 28, said Rick was her mother's fifth husband, and she had been married to him for about seven years. A week before the shooting, Rick Crider went to Thompson's house, said his wife was bipolar and described "how horrible she was," according to the report.



MD: Family thwarts armed robbery attempt: "A Glen Burnie family tackled an armed man who broke into their apartment, grabbed his handgun and held him down until officers arrived late Wednesday, Anne Arundel County police said. Shortly before midnight, two men burst into an apartment in the first block of Normandy Drive, brandished a shotgun, fired a handgun and tried to take property from one of the residents of the apartment, police said. The residents, described as a couple in their 40s and their 20-year-old son, fought one of the suspects to the ground and took his weapon away while the other man ran away, police said. When police arrived, they arrested Joshua Edward Frazier, 26, of the 300 block of Melvin Ave. in Grasonville and charged him with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, armed robbery and related offenses. Police were unable to find the second assailant, who was described as a light-skinned black man between the ages of 20 and 27 with acne, wearing a faded red hoodie, black jeans, a red bandanna on his face and a black winter vest."



SD: Man Shot while breaking in: "Police say a man was shot and killed Thursday morning in Brookings when he tried to break into a home. According to police, 23-year-old Bradley Joe Odens died at the Brookings hospital after being shot inside the home of a 28-year-old man shortly before 2 a.m. Police Captain Jeff Miller says Odens may have been confused as to where he was and continued to force his way into the home after being warned by the resident. Miller says Odens broke a window in a door as he was trying to get in. He says one shot was fired, hitting Odens in the chest. Miller says the two men lived two houses apart but did not know each other. No arrests have been made, and an investigation continues. Miller says it's too soon to determine if it was a justifiable shooting but that it doesn't appear that foul play was involved."



12 April, 2009

Washington man kills fake cop: "Josh Ray always sleeps with a gun next to him. Early Monday morning, he felt he had to use it to defend himself. The 25-year-old Wenatchee man says he was just falling asleep on his living room couch when "my door flew open and there was a man standing there in the doorway and he said, 'Freeze, police.' " Ray, who says he is an avid viewer of the television reality show "Cops," was not buying it. "I kind of got real scared and I jumped in the air and put my hands up but it took me only a couple of seconds to know that this guy's not a cop," Ray said. "I know from watching that show that if police are coming to someone's house, they announce themselves before they boot the door open, not afterwards." The next few seconds would culminate in the wounding of Ray, the death of the man at the door, Scott D. Bates, and possibly the solving of three armed robberies at Wenatchee area pharmacies. Wenatchee police say they suspect that Bates was involved with those robberies, one of which was committed with an accomplice. Wenatchee police cannot confirm what happened inside the residence before they were called. Ray said he had a pistol on the coffee table next to the couch, but when he jumped up, the movement put him closer to a semi-automatic rifle, which he grabbed. At that point, he said, Bates shouted, " 'Freeze' at least two more times and I pretty much said BS. Those were the only words I ever said to that man." Ray said Bates then shot him in the thigh and "it hurt really bad and I immediately returned fire. I shot him eight to 10 times. I wanted to make sure I didn't get shot again because he still had the gun in his hand when he was on the ground." Police have said they think Bates came to the Ray home at 616 Fourth St. to steal drugs



South Carolina: Intruder killed during shootout in North Charleston home: "North Charleston police said that an armed man who tried to rob a home on Ranger Drive on Thursday was killed during a shootout with the tenant. The coroner says the suspect was 25-year-old Demario Brown from Johns Island. Police said officers responded to the scene after a call about shots being fired. Police say Brown, who was armed, forced two women into the home to rob them. Police say a tenant who was already inside the house, had a gun and shot Brown. Brown also fired back hitting Timothy King. King was transported to MUSC. Police say he had non-life threatening injuries. Brown died at the scene."



Preamble and gun control: "Currently being considered by the Judiciary Committee is an unconstitutional piece of legislation known as HR 45: Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. It is solely sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL] and would require a license for handguns and semiautomatic firearms, including those already in citizens’ possession. Applicants would be thumb-printed and required to sign a certification that their gun would NOT be kept in a place where it could be used for self-defense. It would be compulsory for the applicant to provide ALL psychiatric records, pass an exam, and pay a $25 fee for a license that would have to be renewed after five years, at which time the government could revoke it.”



Support for gun restrictions slowly declining: "In Gallup polling conducted prior to last week's gun massacre at an immigrant center in Binghamton, N.Y., only 29% of Americans said the possession of handguns by private citizens should be banned in the United States. While similar to the 30% recorded in 2007, the latest reading is the smallest percentage favoring a handgun ban since Gallup first polled on this nearly 50 years ago. Public support for restricting the sale and possession of handguns to "police and other authorized persons" was relatively high in the early 1990s, with 41% to 43% in favor, but has since edged lower. At the same time, opposition to a ban has increased from 53% in 1991 to 69% in the most recent survey."



11 April, 2009

Florida: Gunfight breaks out during attempted robbery: "A gunfight broke out in a Palm Coast neighborhood early today during an attempted robbery. Gunfire erupted when a man armed with a silver handgun attempted to rob a man who had just returned home on Folcroft Lane after purchasing a prescription at a local pharmacy, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigators said. They are still looking for the gunman. The resident had just returned from a Walgreens store on Palm Coast Parkway at 1:11 a.m. with his medications. As he was getting out of his car, deputies said the gunman rushed into the garage and demanded the drugs. In an attempt to scare off the intruder, the man said he yelled as loud as he could. Instead of fleeing, the intruder took a shot at him., deputies said. The resident wasn’t hit but quickly retrieved his own handgun and began shooting back at his assailant. Nobody was hurt, although a car parked in the neighbor’s driveway was hit with one of the rounds, according to a news release. "We need to identify this individual and get him off the streets," said Sheriff Donald Fleming. The intruder is described as a black male, 5-foot-7, wearing a white shirt and dark pants. He fled the area in a green Dodge Caravan, deputies said."



Texas: Boat thieves shot: "One person was killed when a group of men tried to steal a boat while driving down a freeway, KPRC Local 2 reported. Houston police said three men in a car tried to steal a boat that a man was hauling with his pickup truck on Interstate 45 at about 1 a.m. Investigators said the men in the car opened fire on the man in the pickup truck. The man in the pickup truck returned fire, officials said. One of the men inside the car was killed. The driver of the car stopped at a gas station on North Shepherd Drive for help. The driver of the pickup truck lost control and ended up a field. There were fish in the boat because the man was returning from a fishing trip at Lake Conroe."



NY: Proposed victim disarmament measure still in holster: “A proposed Albany County law that would require gun shops to register ammunition sales — a measure that has created a firestorm — is being reviewed for its constitutionality. … the measure would regulate the storage, possession and sale of ammunition in the county. It would also require dealers to record each ammo sale and the caliber, make, model, manufacturer’s name and serial number of the firearm for which the purchase was made. Introduced at the March meeting of the County Legislature, the proposal, called Local Law A, was sent to the Law Committee for review. Two weeks later, committee Chairman Bryan Clenahan sent the proposed local law to County Attorney Craig Denning for a ruling on its constitutionality.”



Where officers fear to tread: “When arguing against citizen’s rights to be able to bear arms for self-defense, anti-gunners always propagate the myth that citizens do not need this right because the police will protect you. However, if you think about it logically, this is an extremely naive position to take.Look around you right now. Is there a police officer visible? Unless you work in a police station or courthouse, the answer is probably ‘No.’ As I pointed out in a previous week’s article, the police, as much as they might wish otherwise, will almost never be there when someone is attacked. But sometimes, a victim will get lucky and an officer, investigating an unrelated crime, will happen upon the scene while an attack is in progress.”



10 April, 2009

MI: Fatal shooting ruled self defense: "A fatal shooting in Kalamazoo has been ruled self defense. Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Fink has ruled that the March 6th shooting death of Bernell Gordon was self defense. The alleged shooter, Frank Pierce, will face two felony firearms charges, but will not be charged in Gordon's death. Authorities say Pierce did shoot and kill the 20-year-old Gordon, but Gordon was assaulting Pierce and trying to rob him at the time of the shooting. Pierce will be charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He could face up to five years in prison."



CA: Homeowner punches, tackles armed robbery suspect: "A Pinole homeowner, seizing on a suspected robber's moment of distraction, disarmed him, chased him and struggled with him as officers arrived early Monday. The incident occurred at a house on Hazel Street near Pinon Avenue moments after midnight Monday. A tenant who rents the upstairs of the house called police to report hearing suspicious noises downstairs. When officers arrived, they heard arguing in the home's yard. A woman — one of the three victims — said one intruder had held a shotgun on them while the second intruder searched the home. The shotgun was loaded. She told police that the suspects had ordered the victims to lie face down in the house. Later, she said, the suspects ordered them outside where one of the intruders watched over them with a shotgun. Then the robbery went awry. "The suspect was distracted for a moment, and lowered his shotgun," Rogers said. "I believe (the homeowner) punched him. He (the suspect) dropped the shotgun and took off running, and the homeowner chased him and tackled him. They were fighting when police arrived." The other suspect was still in the house when officers arrived. "We caught him ... red-handed, with a box full of property and a mask over his face," Rogers said. Police arrested the pair, whom they identified as Steve Bearce, 30, and Blake Anderson, 31, both of Vallejo, on suspicion of robbery, possession of a firearm and kidnapping. The two were booked into Contra Costa County jail. No charges had been filed Monday afternoon, Rogers said."



KS: Robbery Suspect Dies from Gunshot: "A robbery suspect has died, and two others have been arrested. The incident happened late Friday night, when three suspects tried to commit a robbery in the 2000 block of W. 2nd Street. The intended victims, a man and a woman, locked themselves inside their car. One of the supsects began banging on the car window with a long-barrelled gun; he had his finger on the trigger, the gun went off, and the bullet accidentally hit the gunman in the head. The other two suspects put the wounded man in the back of a station wagon, then led police on a chase through the streets of north-central Wichita, with speeds at times reaching 70 miles per hour on 13th Street north of downtown. Police arrested two suspects; the man who accidentally shot himself, 25-year-old Paul Broyer, died from his injuries. All three robbery suspects were out of jail on parole."



Gun control restricts those least likely to commit violent crimes: "The March 21 murder of four Oakland police officers by Lovelle Mixon, a convicted felon wanted for a recent parole violation, epitomizes the futility of “gun control,” or the banning and restricting of gun ownership for law-abiding adults. Using the officers’ tragic deaths to further an unrelated agenda — stripping away the Second Amendment rights of honorable citizens — is both harmful and distracting. Mixon was not an anomaly. Felons commit over 90 percent of murders, with the remainder carried out primarily by juveniles and the mentally unbalanced. The United States already has laws forbidding all three groups from owning guns, which, by definition, are ineffective against the lawless. “Gun control,” therefore, only “controls” those who have done nothing to merit such regulations. Arguments for gun control rest on deceptive claims such as National Coalition to Ban Handguns’ allegation that “most murders are committed by previously law-abiding citizens.” Americans are deluged by literally dozens of supposedly scholarly articles asserting such falsehoods — but with no supporting references. For there are none."



9 April, 2009

KY: Louisville Man Shoots Suspect After Robbery: "A Louisville man said he chased down a robber and shot him after a home invasion and armed robbery Monday night. James Monroe said he was defending himself and his family when he shot 19-year-old Michael Strong. According to Monroe and the police report, two men forced him into his home at gunpoint Monday night and robbed him while his wife and three young sons were inside. Monroe said Strong and the other man robbed him while his 8-month-old son was right next to the robbers and his two four-year-old sons and wife were in another area of the home. After the robbers left, Monroe said he got his gun and chased after Strong. "I seen him, he must have heard my gate. When I came out, I fired, he fired, he fired back and I kind of ducked behind the wall right here," said Monroe. Monroe said he shot about seven times and Strong shot just once before his gun jammed. Police later found Strong, who was suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Investigators said Monroe has a permit for the weapon, but it wasn't advisable for him to chase an armed gunman. Police said it is not legal to shoot a man to recover property, but it is legal to defend yourself, which is what Monroe said he was doing. "He did raise his weapon and got off one round and that justified me right there," said Monroe. According to court records, Strong pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery two years ago and was given five years probation on a 10-year sentence. Those records indicate Strong began serving that probation less than 16 months ago."



Germany: New shooting shows futility of anti-gun laws: “The killing Tuesday of at least two people in a courthouse shootout in Bavaria, Germany — which comes less than a month after a teenager killed 15 people in a school shooting — is expected to fuel debate about tightening Germany’s gun laws, already among the most restrictive in the world. The court was hearing a case regarding a dispute over inheritance. During a break, an argument broke out outside the courtroom, according to reports. The shooter, an older man, pulled a gun and shot a female relative, who later died. Shortly thereafter, he killed himself. Other people were injured in the attack, which occurred in Landshut, 45 miles northeast of Munich. Reports indicated that security checks are not routine at the Landshut courthouse. Tuesday’s shooting comes less than a month after the school shooting in Winnenden, in southwestern Germany. After that incident, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for tougher gun laws in Germany. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, however, said that better enforcement and a change in values were needed. The Christian Science Monitor noted at the time that another school shooting, in 2002, had already spurred stricter regulation of guns"



Gun control humiliated again: “With every single criminal shooting, gun control is shown to have been a failure; an absolutely, abject, humiliating failure. I could begin by showing how every nation banning guns also saw its own share of increasing violence first, then the call for banning guns. Where there is violence, only the gun crimes are covered by the media, only the gun crimes are the most spectacular, one might think, but dying is dying; not all crimes of violence are guns — many are knifings, rapes, robberies, chokings, beatings, poisonings, abductions — each of which can be stopped by a the lethal force of a loaded gun in the hands of a citizen. This makes the anti-crime argument for taking guns a outright fraud.”



NH: Panic buying yields ammo shortage: “Panic buying of ammunition has created shortages for bullets and is slowly pushing up wholesale prices for ammo, according to New Hampshire gun dealers. …The dealers report that ammunition makers are producing as many bullets as they can — but that hasn’t yet translated to having plenty of stock in stores. It’s also caused wholesale prices to go up a bit, even though the cost of the raw materials going into the bullets has dropped sharply over the past few months. The root cause of the problem is based on the same panic buying that has sent firearms sales skyrocketing over the past few months. … Since President Barack Obama was elected in November, many people have gone on a buying spree, fearful the government would impose new restrictions and new taxes on guns and ammunition. But as demand has shot through the roof, issues on the supply side have also come to the forefront. For instance, cheap imported ammo from countries such as Russia has dried up. In Russia’s case, that came after the U.S. government slapped its state arms exporter with sanctions over ties to Iran, according to press reports. That was last fall. Ammo producers also aren’t just producing for the commercial market. They also have to fill military and police contracts.”



8 April, 2009

Texas: Pawn shop manager shoots would-be robber: "A robbery attempt in southwest Houston ended with gunshots and a suspect being taken to the hospital. Saturday evening, investigators say that two men walked into the Bayou pawn shop off Fondren near Clarewood with guns drawn. The manager reportedly grabbed a gun and fired at the men. One of the suspects was hit and the other surrendered. The condition of the suspect, who was hit by a bullet, hasn't been released. Police took three people in for questioning."



Russia: Hit Man Misses, Shot Dead by Target: "A hit man sent to kill a businessman in the Moscow region missed his target Tuesday night, giving the would-be victim enough time to return fire and shoot his attacker dead, regional investigators said Wednesday. At around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, the businessman showed up at the police precinct in the Moscow region town of Shyolkovo and told the duty officers that half an hour earlier a gunman had ambushed him outside the home he is building in the village of Potapovo, firing at him with a gun equipped with a silencer but somehow managing to miss, Interfax cited a law enforcement source as saying. The man had just driven up to the gates of the house when the hit man ran up to the car and squeezed off two unsuccessful shots, according to Itar-Tass, Vesti Moskva reported. But the target kept a cool head and grabbed a Saiga 12-gauge rifle he happened to have in the car (take note, potential contract-hit victims reading this!) and shot the attacker dead. "My husband was born under a lucky star," Alexei's wife, Natalya, told Life.ru "There were five bullet holes in the car, but he didn't have a scratch. . . . What saved him is that he is a professional hunter. He is a dead-eye." In a surprising twist, Life.ru also informs us that police believe the attack may have been connected to Alexei's "professional activities."



TN: House passes guns-in-restaurants bill : "The House passed HB0962, the guns-in-restaurants bill that would allow handgun carry permit holders to take weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol. The bill, as amended, would ban those weapons from restaurants from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it currently sits in committee. The House vote, 70-26, would be enough to override a potential veto by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who has said he'll make his decision when, and if, a bill comes to his desk."



TX: A shot at campus safety? ""Holders of concealed handgun licenses could bring their weapons to college campuses if Rio Grande Valley lawmakers have their way. A proposal working its way through the state Legislature would lift a ban on handguns on campuses of both private and public institutions. Proponents of the bill view it as a way to preserve gun owners' rights while promoting safety on campus, arguing that if students or staff on campus had weapons, they would have a better chance defending themselves against a Virginia Tech-style shooting. Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, one of the bill's co-authors, said he views the measure as a `defensive mechanism' at universities."



7 April, 2009

SC: Two would-be robbers killed at poker hangout: "Two men who tried to rob several card players were killed in Denmark. The Bamberg County coroner's office says the home was known to host parties where people played poker and partied, and last night two men showed up with guns to try to rob the place. One of the men being robbed pulled out a gun and shot and killed the two would-be robbers. There's no word yet if the shooter will be charged".



PA: Idiot judge upholds irrational ban on firing guns: “A Lancaster ordinance barring people from firing guns has passed its first court test. Lancaster resident Curtis Swinton, who has a permit to legally carry a concealed weapon, was charged after he fired a gun in a restaurant parking lot in December 2007. He told police his cousin was being beaten up and he fired a warning shot to disperse the assailants. No one was injured. Swinton says only the state can make such gun laws and the ordinance bars people from defending themselves. But Lancaster County Judge Joseph Madenspacher this week upheld the ordinance, saying it has enough exceptions to allow people to defend themselves in court."



DC: AG decries pro-gun amendment to representation bill : “The nation’s capital would be more vulnerable to a terrorist attack if the District of Columbia’s gun laws were weakened, the city’s attorney general said Friday. Peter Nickles testified before a House subcommittee examining the potential effect of a gun amendment attached to legislation that would give D.C. its first full vote in Congress.”



Health care records leading to a gun database : “GOA has to inform you of yet ANOTHER threat to your privacy, the Second Amendment, and even your wallet. It is called an “individual mandate” or, alternatively, the “Massachusetts plan.” And over the weekend, both the Washington Post and the New York Times worked hard to build momentum for it. We alerted you a few weeks ago to the gun control provisions in the stimulus bill that President Obama signed in February. Our government will now spend between $12 and $20 BILLION to require the medical community to retroactively put our most confidential medical records into a government database — a database that could easily be used to deny veterans (and other law-abiding Americans) who have sought psychiatric treatment for things such as PTSD. Currently, gun owners can avoid getting caught in this database by refusing to purchase health insurance or by purchasing insurance with a carrier that has not signed an agreement with the government to place your records in a national database. But that’s all about to change. A budget resolution — to be voted on this Friday in the Senate — will be the first domino in a process that could FORCE you to buy government-approved insurance, thus making it impossible to avoid the medical database. What would all this cost? Based on comparable insurance currently on the market, it could cost $10,000 a year — or more."



6 April, 2009

NY prosecutes good neighbor: Chris Cervini, 17, a junior at Hilton High School, was fatally shot about 3:30 a.m. on Baneberry Way, just off Manitou Road. Roderick Scott, 41, of Baneberry Way was charged with second-degree murder. Police said they responded to a call about 3:30 a.m. of people possibly breaking into cars on Baneberry Way. They found Cervini shot dead in a driveway and located two other teens involved in the incident.... Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn told media members near the scene that a man who lived on Baneberry Way had heard noises outside his house and had confronted the group. Rahn said that the man told officers that during the confrontation, one of the teens charged him, and he fired a handgun twice, striking one of the teens. Police allege Scott shot the teen with a legally registered .40-caliber handgun. Wise would not say how many times Scott may have fired the weapon. Whether the teens were breaking into cars is part of the investigation, Wise said. But, he said, Scott cannot claim his property was the target of a crime. "It wasn't his vehicle (at risk)," Wise said. "It wasn't his property." [Hopefully, the Grand Jury will toss the charge out]



Tennessee: Police Say Dad Shot Son in Fight: "Metro Police believe a father shot his 32-year old son, but he may not face charges. Investigators think the gunshots were the result of a fight. Investigators said, late Saturday afternoon in North Nashville, a father and son were fighting when the shooting happened. Police do not anticipate charges against the father because they say he was acting in self defense. The son is in critical, but stable condition."



Texas: Suspect shot by security guard: "A suspected car burglar is recovering from a gunshot wound after being confronted by a security guard. It happened in the parking lot of the Kings Best market on Martin Luther King near Old Spanish Trail. We're told the security guard spotted someone breaking into vehicles. In the end, the suspect was shot in the leg. That man was taken to a hospital, and the security guard was questioned."



FL: Attempted robbery turns into shooting: "People living in the Silver Pines Apartments stood by watching as Orange County deputies put out crime scene tape Saturday afternoon. A man was shot in the middle of the community during an attempted robbery. According to Orange County Public Information Officer Jeff Williamson, the man was trying to get drugs from a drug dealer. Williamson says the man then tried to rob the dealer. The dealer drew his gun and shot the man. Williamson says the dealer ran away from the scene. The shooting victim was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he was treated for the non-life threatening injury. The shooter is still at large. No names have been released".



5 April, 2009

Another triumph for New York gun restrictions: "A gunman has killed 13 people after taking dozens hostage in the US state of New York. The suspected gunman was later found dead inside the immigration centre in Binghamton, police officials said. Nearly 40 people escaped from the building but four were critically injured in the shooting, north-west of New York City, police said. The town's police chief, Joseph Zikuski, told a news conference that 14 people had been found dead in the American Civic Association (ACA) buildings. The man believed to have carried out the attack was found dead with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, he said. Ammunition, two more hand guns and a hunting knife were recovered from the scene. Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey told AP the gunman had entered a room where people were sitting exams for US citizenship. It was in the middle of a test. He just went in and opened fire," said Mr Hinchey, whose congressional district includes Binghamton. Witnesses reported seeing a man entering the ACA building during the morning. He was described as being of Asian appearance, in his 20s, and wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses. The gunman, believed to have been a Vietnamese-American, used his car to barricade the building's back door before bursting in the front door, firing his weapon, said officials. He shot two receptionists, one of whom managed to call the police, before walking down a corridor towards classrooms."



NC Man acquitted in '07 shooting: "A Rowland man was acquitted Friday in the shooting death of his neighbor in October 2007. The jury saw the shooting as a case of self-defense, according to lawyers handling the case. Strickland was accused of shooting Hedrick Dial on Oct. 23, 2007. According to investigators, Dial and his brother, Timothy Blue, went to talk to Strickland about an altercation involving Strickland’s son and Dial’s nephew. The boys had fought earlier that day about sand being dumped in Strickland’s mailbox. The fight began after the boys got off their school bus on Countrywood Drive. Dial, who was 38 at the time, was struck once in the back and once in the side, according to authorities. Blue was shot in the leg while trying to help Dial. After the trial, Assistant District Attorney Danny Britt said jurors looked at the fact that Blue and Dial were on Strickland’s property at the time of the shooting. “The only consideration they took into account was where it took place, not anything that happened beforehand,’’ Britt said. “Not the threats that occurred beforehand or the use of force or the different types of wounds... Public Defender Angus Thompson said it was a clear case of self-defense. “I expressed during the trial that I understand the hurt of the Blue family of losing a loved one. It is a shame that neighbors can’t get along. But this was a self-defense case, and it was a defense of habitation of one’s residence,’’ Thompson said. “Regardless if you have a trailer, brick house or one made of stone, it is your castle. In light of what took place prior to this incident, a man has the right to defend his castle.’’



The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.: "The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the U.S. What's true, an ATF spokeswoman told FOXNews.com, in a clarification of the statistic used by her own agency's assistant director, "is that over 90 percent of the TRACED firearms originate from the U.S." But a large percentage of the guns recovered in Mexico do not get sent back to the U.S. for tracing, because it is obvious from their markings that they do not come from the U.S. "Not every weapon seized in Mexico has a serial number on it that would make it traceable, and the U.S. effort to trace weapons really only extends to weapons that have been in the U.S. market," Matt Allen, special agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), told FOX News. In 2007-2008, according to ATF Special Agent William Newell, Mexico submitted 11,000 guns to the ATF for tracing. Close to 6,000 were successfully traced -- and of those, 90 percent -- 5,114 to be exact, according to testimony in Congress by William Hoover -- were found to have come from the U.S. But in those same two years, according to the Mexican government, 29,000 guns were recovered at crime scenes. In other words, 68 percent of the guns that were recovered were never submitted for tracing. And when you weed out the roughly 6,000 guns that could not be traced from the remaining 32 percent, it means 83 percent of the guns found at crime scenes in Mexico could not be traced to the U.S."



Gun Owners and Corporate Social Responsibility: “Corporate Social Responsibility around the globe has been a resentful intrusion. It is a device to coerce Business into leftist thought. It uses issues such as Green or accountability or other issues to compel Business to alter their entire corporate outlook and philosophy, and even turns the concept of corporate giving on its head. … I’ve been following CSR for a decade, and there are tons of ways American Business can learn how to live in a hostile political environment, and may even combat effectively some of the unrealistic and dangerous political traps now set out just for them. … One thing Business is doing as a genuine act of concern for community is in lifting bans on handguns. Where the concern for safety had been to ban all evil, it has amounted yet again to the feel-good, do-exactly-the-wrong-thing approach in lumping customers and employees in with the evil that Business would like to stop at the door.”



4 April, 2009

TX: Shotgun-toting robbery suspect shot and killed by business owner: "A business owner shot and killed a suspected robber near Poteet according to deputies. The Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s investigators say around midnight two robbers burst into Larry's Game Room on Hwy 16. That’s about seven miles north of Poteet. The robbers, who had a shotgun and pistol, fired one shot in the ceiling and began demanding money. They forced a female worker to ground and pointed shotgun at her. The business owner came out of the backroom with a 40-caliber handgun and shot one of the robbers in the head. Carlos Valero, 25, died at the scene. The other would-be robber ran off. Both are believed to be from the Atascosa area. Right now, investigators are working on an arrest warrant for the other alleged hijacker. Both the Atascosa Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers are handling the investigation. Deputies say the shooting happened at a place that had eight-liner machines. These machines can sometimes be used for gambling and investigators are looking to see if these were legit."



OH: Suspect Shot During Gas Station Robbery: "Police said a man was shot during a robbery at a northeast side gas station early Thursday. Two men went into Sam's Gas and Food, located at 1773 Fifth Ave., shortly after midnight as it was closing, 10TV's Tino Ramos reported. Police said the men had guns and attempted to rob the store. One of the clerks grabbed a gun and shots were exchanged between the worker and the robbers. One of the suspects was shot in the back. The victim was dropped off at The Ohio State University Medical Center East. He was transported to OSU Medical Center where he was treated and arrested in connection with the robbery, Ramos reported. Police continued to search for the second suspect. The employees at the gas station were not injured.



Canadian police say this guy is a lawbreaker: "According to a police report, Knight saw three people trying to take his ATV in the early hours of March 26, chased them in his car and ran the ATV off the road, crashing his car in process. Police say Knight fired his shotgun at one of the suspects trying to get away. "We believe the farmer exited his car and discharged two rounds to the suspect with a shotgun," said acting Sgt. Jim Lank of the RCMP. The suspected thief was treated in Edmonton for non-life threatening injuries and is still recovering. He has been charged with stealing a quad and a truck. Charges against the other two involved are still pending.



TX: Jury Finds Man Not Guilty Of Murder: "A Smith County jury found David Allen McBride not guilty of murder, believing his claim that he shot a man nine times in self defense. McBride, 36, was acquitted of murdering George "Rusty" Edward Hill, 40, just before midnight on May 25, 2007. McBride said that for months Hill had been calling Shannon Hill, his ex-wife, who was living with McBride. He said Hill also threatened him, saying he was going to “beat you till you couldn’t breathe.” McBride said he awoke that night to banging and found Hill in his living room demanding to know where Shannon Hill was. McBride told him to get out. On the porch, the two exchanged words and Hill threw a wrench at him, he said. When Hill pushed the door open, McBride said he retrieved his .22-caliber rifle from his bedroom and turned to see Hill holding a wrench “like he was about to hit me.” McBride said he pointed the gun at Hill and that Hill walked out to the porch and flung a wrench toward him. McBride fired a “warning shot” to get Hill to leave, he said. McBride said he then set the gun down and then Hill picked up a large grass-cutting tool and swung it at him. As McBride picked up his gun again, he said he saw something flash over his head and heard a bang. He said he later learned Hill threw the tool at him and it had lodged in the house. McBride then began firing at Hill, he said."



3 April, 2009

SAF SUES ERIC HOLDER OVER GUN RIGHTS OF NON-RESIDENT AMERICAN CITIZENS

Odd case

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Attorney General Eric Holder, seeking an injunction against enforcement of a federal law that makes it impossible for American citizens who reside outside the United States to purchase firearms while they are in this country.

SAF is joined by two natural-born citizens, Maxwell Hodgkins and Stephen Dearth, who have been denied the opportunity to buy firearms because they do not currently reside in the United States. Hodgkins currently lives in the United Kingdom, and Dearth is a resident of Canada.

The lawsuit alleges that Holder, as attorney general, is enforcing unconstitutional laws that prevent citizens like Hodgkins and Dearth from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The complaint also asserts that enforcement of the federal gun laws that prevent such citizens from purchasing firearms when they visit the U.S. violates their right of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. The plaintiffs are represented by Virginia attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the Heller case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"This is what happens when anti-gunners rush to pass a restrictive gun law that ignores the constitutional rights of law-abiding American citizens who happen to be living abroad," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "Honest Americans who live in other countries for a variety of reasons should not be denied their Second or Fifth Amendment rights when they return to American soil. Hodgkins and Dearth, and many others just like them, are victims of anti-gun rights zeal.

"Such citizens have every right to obtain and own firearms for a variety of reasons, whether to hunt, or for personal protection, target shooting or competition," he continued. "Hodgkins, Dearth and other non-resident citizens want to keep their firearms here for use when the come home. However, current federal law makes it impossible for them to exercise their rights like any other citizen. It is fundamentally wrong to penalize American citizens for living overseas."

Source




New York man jailed with a gunshot wound after harassing ex-wife: "A 47-year-old man is in the Greene County jail with a gunshot wound after State Police say he showed up drunk at his estranged wife's home and harassed her and her sister. Troopers got a call around 5:30 Monday evening from a 49-year-old woman who said she had just shot her sister's ex-husband. Police say Geraldine Finelli armed herself with a 20-gauge shotgun after Donald Case Jr. showed up making threats. When Case refused to leave, she fired one round toward the ground, striking Case in the lower leg. He took off, but was stopped by Catskill village police and taken to the hospital for treatment of the wound. When he was released, State Police charged him with second-degree burglary. He was arraigned and jailed on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.



Ohio: Pizza shop owner describes robbery, shooting: "Hayes, 37, was behind the counter Tuesday night when 20-year-old Patrick Finney, wearing an orange ski mask, walked in and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at his head just before 8 p.m. A customer, an older woman from the neighborhood, was seated at the counter watching the Cavaliers game while waiting for a stromboli. ''He said, 'Give me the [expletive] money. This is an [expletive] robbery,'' Hayes said. Hayes cooperated, giving the robber a stack of $10 bills. The robber wanted more and pointed the shotgun within inches of Hayes' head, he said. ''As soon as I gave him the money, I pulled my gun out from my hip, pointed it and fired four shots,'' Hayes said. Finney fell to the floor, then stood back up. Hayes fired three more shots from his Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Finney staggered outside and collapsed across the street. The cash he sought was dropped outside. Hayes then called 911. Finney was taken to Akron General Medical Center. He died within the hour. An autopsy on Wednesday showed he was shot multiple times in the torso. The death has been ruled a homicide. Akron police are investigating the shooting, but there is no indication that Hayes, who has been questioned by investigators, acted unlawfully."



South Carolina: Occupant shoots back at invaders: "Deon Shippy and his girlfriend, Casey McKinney, decided to take full advantage of their day off by catching a few extra winks Monday morning. But their peaceful slumber was shattered shortly after 10 a.m. when an armed gunman forced his way into their duplex at 4 Twin Woods Drive near Converse and opened fire. "We were still asleep and I heard a loud bang," Shippy said. "I thought my punching bag had fallen off the porch. Casey said someone was breaking through the door, and I got up and bullets started flying past my head. One hit her in the arm. I told her to hide under the bed and I grabbed my gun and started shooting back." Police responded to the home invasion call at 10:15 a.m. They arrived on the scene and found McKinney bleeding from a bullet wound on her left forearm. She was taken to Spartanburg Regional Hospital for treatment and was later released. Witnesses said the gunman and an accomplice fled the scene in a black 1980s Ford Crown Victoria with dual exhaust. They described the suspects as two black males. Authorities said Shippy and the intruder exchanged more than a dozen shots through a bedroom door before the suspect retreated. Bullet holes were visible on the exterior of the home near Shippy's bedroom window. Shippy said he might have wounded one of the suspects during the melee, but investigators were unable to confirm that Monday."



2 April, 2009

FL: pharmacist kills armed robber: "A pharmacist shot an armed robber dead Tuesday at a drugstore off South Orange Blossom Trail, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting happened about 5:15 p.m. at JR Pharmacy, 2160 Whispering Lakes Blvd. The man came into the shop with a handgun and, after a brief confrontation, was shot to death, sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said. Investigators would not release names, where the body was found or what the man tried to steal. The drugstore caters to the heavily Hispanic clientele in the neighborhood, customer Evette Luciano said. Evette Luciano said she spoke to one of the partner's wives and was told that the shooting happened in the front of the store while two owners were in the back. The worker who did the shooting formerly worked across the street at Walgreens, customers said. There was another armed robbery at JR Pharmacy in April 2007, Solomons said. There are no laws preventing people from defending themselves with guns at home or at work. "The Legislature has empowered people to protect themselves," said sheriff's Cmdr. Paul "Spike" Hopkins. "People are tired of being victims."



Michigan store owner chases robber with gun: "When Amos Bell spotted the owner of the Leonard Short Stop chasing a masked gunman Tuesday morning, he didn't hesitate to help. He got out of the car he was riding in, and gave chase. "(The owner) was running up the street with a gun," said Bell, 18. "I knew it wasn't going to be nothing good." Bell and the owner, who had been shot in the leg in the 10:40 a.m. holdup, lost sight of the robber, but police caught the suspect a half-hour later hiding in some bushes. Police brought Bell and the hobbled owner, whose name wasn't released, to the scene of the capture to identify the robber. Police caught up to the suspect just after 11 a.m., and found a handgun, too. Officers were responding to a call that a store owner, armed with a long gun, was chasing a man who had just shot him. The owner told Bell that he was shot in the leg when he refused the robber's demand for cash. Police recovered the $800 reported stolen. The owner returned to his store after Tuesday's shooting, walking with a limp and the sides of his denims slit for examination by paramedics. Awaiting ambulances soon left after the man said he didn't need to go to the hospital, Bell said."



TX: Shotgun blast deters robbers: "Authorities arrested Jose Manuel Salas, 33, and Javier Harvey Ortiz, 44, Saturday in connection with an early morning robbery along Azle Highway. Reports indicate a homeowner operating a business from the same location called for help at approximately 1:30 a.m. after he found two men stealing cash and rolls of quarters from his business. The homeowner told the men to stop before firing a shotgun once at one of the suspects who then fled with another man in a car, according to an affidavit detailing the incident. A short time later, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies detained a vehicle matching the homeowner’s description. Salas was driving and Ortiz was a passenger, the Sheriff’s Office said. A statement claims deputies found stolen property matching a description given by the homeowner inside the vehicle, and the homeowner arrived to identify the suspects and vehicle. Salas was charged with burglary of a habitation, failure to maintain financial responsibility and for no driver’s license. Ortiz was arrested in accordance with a Tarrant County warrant and was also charged with burglary of habitation."



“One gun a month” — rationing Constitutional rights: “I have recently been discussing, one at a time, the various approaches the forcible citizen disarmament lobby takes in pursuing its agenda. Today, we’ll look at ‘one gun a month’ laws. The idea behind such legislation is that if limited to buying only one gun per month, an aspiring gun trafficker will be unable to efficiently ply his illicit trade …. Of the three states that do have a ‘one handgun a month’ law on the books, one is Virginia — commonly singled out as being at fault for violent crime in New York, because of its ‘weak gun laws.’ My guess is that if the ‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ had their way, Virginia (and every other state) would have a ‘no guns per month’ law.”



1 April, 2009

Scare tactics: the mainstream media's war on guns

When you have an agenda, you can spin nearly anything to fit it. The mainstream media, for reasons that are all their own, are by and large anti-gun. That bias is readily evident in their stories about anything involving guns. Take, for instance, an article in the Nashua Telegraph which begins, "like it or not, gun sales are, well, booming."

We deal with tragedy every day. Whether terrorist attacks, natural disasters, car accidents, etc., people lose their lives every day. In a free nation with 300 million people, sadly some will choose to commit violence with firearms. Unfortunately, there was just such an episode of violence over the weekend when a man killed eight people at a nursing home in North Carolina.

One article couldn't help but note that "the shooting will inevitably be seized upon by proponents of greater gun control who have already highlighted a spate of recent attacks." They also attempt to sway public opinion by noting that "the shooting appeared to be the latest massacre to scar American society, where firearms-related deaths total about 30,000 each year." Sounds scary until you note that the flu kills 63,000 and even Septicemia (infection) kills 34,000 each year. Of course, that figure also includes suicides, which account for approximately half the figure, as well as gang killings and criminals killed by police officers in the line of duty.

The media wants the "Assault Weapons Ban" reinstated, even though it was proven to be ineffective, and they will seize on any opportunity to push that agenda through journalistic activism.

Another example would be a recent story regarding singer Rihanna, who recently got a tattoo of a gun on her ribcage, remarking on her choice, "I’m a big advocate of guns. So I said, ‘How about a gun?'" Had it been any other social issue she supported, it would likely have gotten little mention. But since she was opposing the media's gun control agenda, the website perezhilton.com editorialized, "Considering everything that's come to light recently, this is totally creepy/sad! We sure hope RiRi is getting the counseling that she obviously needs." Apparently, an abuse victim who cowers in a corner is having a healthy response, but if she's a strong woman who supports firearms ownership for self defense then she needs counseling. I'd argue that Rihanna isn't the one with the problem.

Yet another example is the story out of Texas regarding that state's bill to deny an employer the ability to disarm employees to and from work. The headline laments, Guns could be legal in workplace, making people think that gun owners will be able to stick guns in their desk or lunchbox when the truth is only that employees with concealed carry licenses would be permitted to have guns locked up in their vehicles. Ohioans For Concealed Carry has asked the Ohio legislature to adopt a similar measure.

Much to the chagrin of the media, not all legislators and public officials support their agenda. We hear daily the hand wringing and rending of clothes as the media notes every pro-gun vote as the result of the "powerful gun lobby." They like it even less when a public official like Colorado's Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland supports the idea that "county employees might carry concealed handguns to improve security at the old county courthouse." Rather than treat it like an innovative solution to dwindling resources and increasing crime by relying on law abiding citizens to increase safety, papers like the Daily Sentinel call it a "shoot-from-the-hip solution" and imply she has lost her mind.

Gun control has proven time and time again to be ineffective. The general public seems to be less and less willing to be lied to and mislead, but that doesn't stop the gun grabbers and their puppets in the media from trying.

More here




Washington: Invader shot: "A resident trying to protect himself during a home invasion shot and seriously wounded one of two invaders early Monday. Spokane police said the man underwent surgery at a Spokane hospital for two handgun wounds to his abdomen, and the other suspect ran and remained at large Monday afternoon. A woman living at the home in the 4100 block of East 16th Avenue called 911 about 2 a.m., reporting that two men had entered the house and that her male roommate was confronting them in another room. The call came in about the same time the roommate fired shots in the other room, said Officer Tim Moses, police spokesman. Both of the suspects were armed, police said. Moses said police detectives plan to interview the injured man to learn more about the other suspect and the reason for the confrontation."



Illinois: Pizza delivery man scares off would-be robbers: "Calumet City Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery in the 100 block of Webb Street at 11:24 p.m. on Sunday. Three men attempted to rob a pizza delivery man at gunpoint, Calumet City Police Commander Dan Zorzi said. "(The victim) saw these guys approaching and got nervous," he said. "When they came up and pulled a gun, he pretended he had a gun, and they took off." The suspects fled on foot and the victim drove off in his truck and flagged down Hammond Police at 157th Street and State Line Road, Zorzi said."



KS: Kansans to vote on gun ownership amendment: “Next year, Kansans will vote whether to change the state constitution to guarantee individual gun rights.“It is the law of the land today in every state. They (supporters) would like to make sure it stays that way in Kansas,” said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, an Independence Republican.Supporters of a resolution that passed the House and Senate say the move is needed in case the U.S. Supreme Court ever decides that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun ownership. In 2008, the court ruled that the Bill of Rights covers an individual’s right to own firearms."