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31 January, 2009

Alabama man shoots druggie son: "An Oak Grove man shot his son late Wednesday after authorities say the son attacked his mother with a broomstick and then stabbed his girlfriend. Colter Roberts, 21, was in stable condition at UAB Hospital with two wounds from his father's 12-gauge shotgun, said Jefferson County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Randy Christian. Deputies received a 911 hang-up call from a home on Camp Oliver Road just before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. The dispatcher tried to call the number but got no answer. While deputies were en route, someone called back, screaming that a father had to shoot his son who was attacking the family, Christian said. Investigators say Colter Roberts had first attacked his 48-year-old mother with his fists and then beat her with the broomstick. He then went after his 30-year-old girlfriend with a knife. Colter Roberts then ran from the kitchen into a hallway with a knife, screaming that he was going to kill everyone in the house. He also used the knife to slash the walls of the hallway and headed into the bedroom where his father was sleeping. Van Roberts, 48, tried to talk to his son, but told police his efforts were unsuccessful. He described his son as "a madman running at him with a knife, screaming," Christian said. Van Roberts grabbed his shotgun and warned his son, but the son failed to drop the knife. Van Roberts fired one shot, striking his son in the arm. Colter Roberts continued with the attack, and his father fired another shot, striking him in the torso, Christian said. Colter Roberts has a history of drug abuse and violence, Christian said."



California: Resident Spots Intruder, Fires Shot: "A Sacramento resident confronted an alleged burglar in a back yard and fired a gunshot, but the intruder fled and it was not clear if anyone was hurt, police said. A police report said a resident of 2600 block of Ensenada Way saw someone with a flashlight in the home's yard shortly after 1 a.m. Friday. The resident told police he believed someone was trying to break into a shed behind the residence. Authorities said the resident grabbed a handgun and went outside to confront the intruder. The intruder cut the resident in the face with an unknown weapon and the resident responded by firing one shot in self-defense. The intruder left. Police said it was not known if the intruder was injured, adding that no blood trail was found."



Ohio: Homeowner Strangles gunman: "Police are investigating a case involving a homeowner strangling a man to death on the city's southeast side. Officials said Johnathan Parson, 22, died while struggling with a homeowner of a residence on East 127th Street. Police said Parsons and another man entered the duplex at about 2 a.m. One of them had a gun. It's unclear which one, however. The homeowner who lived in the residence with his girlfriend and young child managed to get the shotgun and fight off one of the intruders. The homeowner said he found Parsons in a room assaulting his girlfriend. No charges have been filed.



Indiana: Robber dies in liquor store shooting: "Fort Wayne police are investigating a shooting at a liquor store that left a suspected robber dead and a store clerk wounded. The shooting occurred Wednesday afternoon at Belmont Beverage on the city's south side. Police spokesman Mike Joyner says the store employee was shot in the leg and was hospitalized in fair condition Wednesday night. Police say the robbery suspect entered the store and demanded money. When police arrived, they found him lying in the middle of the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Joyner says the shots were fired inside the building. He says the suspect was armed with a handgun, which was found at the scene."



30 January, 2009

North Carolina: Store clerk pistol whips would-be robber: "A 51-year-old man who police say was pistol-whipped by a convenience store owner Monday night is in the New Hanover County jail, officials said Tuesday. Donald Leroy Frazier of Wilmington is charged with assault with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from Officer Crystal Williamson of the Wilmington Police Department. Officers responded to the Chestnut Food Market at 10:50 p.m. and found Frazier lying on his back in front of the business, bleeding from his face. The store clerk told officers Frazier pulled a knife and pointed it close to the clerk's chest, according to the police statement. The clerk pulled a pistol and fired a shot but missed. When Frazier refused to leave, the clerk hit him in the face with the handgun, according to the police statement. After the incident, Monday night, Shadie Abdallah, part-owner of the store, said when he was closing for the night, a man who he recognized came in and tried to stab him. The man did not demand money. At the time, police said the suspect was taken to an area hospital."



Chicago: Man shot during West Side home invasion: "A man was shot by a resident of a home he was allegedly invading on the West Side late Sunday. About 10 p.m., a man in his 20s was allegedly committing a home invasion and a resident inside the home at 4453 W. Cortez St. shot him, according to a Harrison District police lieutenant. Charges were pending Monday morning against the man shot, who was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in an unidentified condition. Police have not ruled out the possibility that the shooter would face charges also. Harrison Area detectives are investigating."



Kentucky: Break-in at bait shop: :A Hillview man been charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into a Louisville bait-and-tackle business and being shot at by the owner Saturday. Eric Lee Wade, 24, is accused of breaking a window and entering Pepper Tackle Shop on Dixie Highway in Valley Station about 11:30 p.m., said Lt. Jim Mueller with the Louisville Metro Police robbery unit. Norman Pepper, the owner of the store and an unsuccessful candidate for the Metro Council District 14 seat, said in an interview yesterday that when two people entered his business after hours, he fired a shot at one of the men and a second shot to scare them off. The two crawled back out the window and got into a car, said Pepper, who is 67. He managed to fire three shots into the car before the occupants fled. The vehicle was later found abandoned on the Gene Snyder Freeway near Dixie Highway. Both Wade and the juvenile have been charged with robbery in three other cases -- hold-ups earlier Saturday at Circle K, 9111 Blue Lick Road; on Jan. 13 at First America Cash Advance, 6661 Dixie Highway; and on Jan. 10 at Cash Tyme, 11340 Preston Highway, Mueller said. Two people would enter the businesses wearing masks, brandish a sawed-off shotgun or a pistol and demand money, Mueller said. No one was injured in any of the robberies. Wade was arrested Monday, and the juvenile was arrested Tuesday, he said."



Pennsylvania: Elderly Man Fires Shots At Robbers As They Flee Home: "For the second time in a month, 82-year-old Kenneth Plummer Jr. was the victim of a home invasion, by robbers at his Fayette County home Monday night. "They got my wallet and ran through the house and got away with $350," Plummer said. The robbers pried upen a locked door, assaulted Plummer and removed cash from his pocket and another part of the Kaider Road house. State police said that as they left, Plummer went for his gun and fired three rounds at them. "Very unusual, yes. I can't recall seeing anything like this in my 15 years here," said trooper Thomas Broadwater. "He's obviously very shaken. He just has no idea why they're doing this," Broadwater said."



29 January, 2009

AZ: Injured clerk kills robber: When a South Side convenience store came under siege by an armed robber Monday, the store clerk took action, fatally wounding the suspect. It wasn't the first time that a Grand Market employee opened fire on a robber in self-defense. But Raymond Martinez, 18, wasn't as fortunate Monday evening. He managed to make it out of the store - after shooting the store clerk - but collapsed and died there, police said. His accomplice, who went into the store with him, ran off. A suspect, Steven Flores, has since been caught. He was not injured. The store clerk's injuries were described as not life-threatening. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. Tucson police gave the following account: Martinez and his accomplice went into Grand Market with bandannas on their faces. When the employee saw Martinez wielding a gun, he went to arm himself and was shot. The employee returned fire and struck Martinez in the chest. Police recovered a stolen 9 mm handgun that they believe was used to shoot the clerk. They also found a substance believed to be cocaine on Martinez, according to search warrant documents filed in court. Martinez is from Tucson. He lived about a block away from the market with his parents, police said."



GA: Gun scares off robbers : "But after recent break-ins and vandalism near his home on a dead-end street in Ormewood Park, he says, he's changed again. One recent night, he heard a car creep down the street, squeaking brakes, four doors slamming. He called 911, grabbed his gun and went outside. Men with a police-style battering ram approached the home of a neighbor who was out of town. "They knocked the door completely, shattered the door frame, knocked it off its hinges, knocked it almost off the frame," said Hatcher, 38. "It happened so quickly." The men spotted Hatcher - and his gun. They held up their own weapons, while he dropped to the floor and slammed the door. No shots were fired and the men fled. Police arrived about 90 seconds later, Hatcher said. Now residents on his street are forming a neighborhood watch with patrols. He's got an alarm system and two large dogs. An Atlanta police detective visited this week and said patrols in the area would increase, he said. Still, Hatcher plans to reapply for a gun permit, and to carry his weapon wherever it's legal."



IL: Proposed bill would "allow" concealed handguns: "Illinois law enforcement officials are divided over a new attempt to permit the state's residents to carry concealed handguns. Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, has proposed a `Family and Personal Protection Act' that would set statewide standards for issuing concealed-carry permits and would exempt permit holders from various unlawful use of weapons laws. The bill, HB0245, was referred to the rules committee after first reading last week .. This year, though, the idea could get a boost from the Illinois Sheriff's Association .. He said statistics show crime goes down in states with concealed-carry laws. Not everyone in law enforcement feels that way, however."



"For the children": "My bottom line? If Obama wants `childproof guns,' let's see him mandate them for his Secret Service protection detail first. I'll still be against the idea, but at least we'll see he actually believes in a technology he would impose on you and me."



28 January, 2009

IN: Man shot after breaking into ex-girlfriend's home: "A restraining order didn't keep a woman's ex-boyfriend from breaking into her home this morning, where she shot him. Wounded and in handcuffs, 32-year-old Jeffery Seats was taken first to Wishard Hospital, then to jail. "She's got a right to protect herself and her children and he forced his way in there, so she shot him," said IMPD Lt. Jeff Duhammel. Around 11:30 Sunday morning, police say Seats kicked in his ex-girlfriend's door at the Cold Springs Manor apartment complex. He grabbed her and hit her with a chair, all in the presence of their two young children. "She gets away from him, goes upstairs, grabs a gun and then, either he was pursuing her upstairs but she fired a shot, just graze wounds on his head. That's when he takes off," Lt. Duhammel said. Police found Seats' pick-up truck at an apartment complex at 59th and Georgetown Road. They found Seats upstairs in one of the apartments at a friend's home. "They observe the truck here, they see blood inside the truck, he comes to the door and he is wounded to the head," Lt. Duhammel said. Police say the couple has a history of domestic violence and that the woman had a restraining order against Seats. While it may not have kept Seats away from the woman, the order made it clear to police who was the victim and who was the suspect. They say he's going to jail because she acted in self-defense."



VA: After hearing 911 call, Judge tosses murder charge: "In a recorded 911 call played in court yesterday, a shaken 35-year-old Arlington County man said he had just killed a man. What he said next persuaded the judge to dismiss the murder charge against him: `He was going to kill me.' . Police had charged Willie Donaldson . in the Dec. 8 shooting death of Matthew Hicks, 32, of Loudoun County. Hicks was found dead of gunshot wounds in Donaldson's home. About 4 a.m., Donaldson called 911, saying he killed a man who had beat him and was trying to rob him. In court yesterday, prosecutors played a recording of the call, in which Donaldson could be heard saying, `I just shot and killed someone in my house.' . At one point, his voice shaking, Donaldson said: `He's dead. He's dead.' But immediately after General District Court Judge Thomas J. Kelley Jr. issued his ruling during a preliminary hearing, prosecutors said there was no evidence that the killing was done in self-defense and that they would seek an indictment from the grand jury when it meets Monday." [This case previously mentioned on Dec. 17, 2008]



Women arming themselves in India: "Neglected and exploited by patriarchal society for centuries, the long-suffering women here seem to have wised up to the fact that virtue may not be its own reward, but gun ownership certainly is. So, in both the urban and rural areas, they are fast arming themselves. A rise in women's applications for gun licences at the offices of district magistrates confirms this fact. In rural Meerut, of 9,000 registered arms, 1,000 are owned by women. In Meerut city, out of 11,000 gun owners, at least 900 are women, and according to police sources, some 7,000 applications for gun licences from women are pending approval. The numbers have shown a 20% increase per year since 2006, with at least 700 women applying for licences in 2008 alone. Out of every 10 applications for purchasing firearms in Meerut district today, at least three are filed by women."



More gun control is looming . a call to action : ""More Gun Control is Looming . you can bet your last bullet on it. This new leadership in the House, Senate and White House led by President Obama and his Attorney General, Eric Holder will go the `extra mile' in doing what they've been delayed in doing for the last few years - control as many guns in as many ways as they can - it's coming."



27 January, 2009

OH: Homeowner shoots burglar: "Authorities said a Springfield man came face to face with a burglar and ended up shooting him. Alvin Cobb said his wife noticed that their garage door was open, and when he went investigate, the burglar charged toward him. Cobb said, `Whoever he was he was right on top of me. He was at me attacking me and had his hand drawn back. I don't want to kill anybody, but I don't want anybody to hurt me either.' According to Cobb, everything happened quickly. He said he did not have enough time to think. He was able to lift his arms to try to and defend himself and that is when a handgun he was carrying fired. `When he hit me the gun went off,' Cobb said. `I know I shot him because he bled on me.' The intruder took off, leaving a trail of blood around the block."



CA: Sheriff goes off half-cocked: "I've been appalled at Sheriff Sandra Hutchens' hostility to the Second Amendment, as she has tried to revoke the concealed-carry permits of law-abiding Orange County gun owners. But nothing prepared me for what happened at the Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday, when the sheriff displayed not only her hostility to gun rights, but her deep disdain for gun owners themselves and a clear disregard for open government and the First Amendment. Based on a rumor that gun-rights activists would show up to protest her policies by carrying unloaded guns in holsters, the sheriff sent more than 20 deputies to the public board meeting, where they searched, watched, followed and questioned those residents who showed up to speak out against the sheriff's new-and-not-so-improved plan to move up the expiration date of gun permits."



WI: AG won't say whether open carry is legal : "As conflicts over of the open carry of firearms mushroom in the state, Wisconsin attorney general J.B. Van Hollen is declining to issue a legal opinion about whether the practice is legal. In a Nov. 6, 2008, letter to then state Rep. Terry Musser . deputy attorney general Raymond Taffora acknowledged a number of requests for just such an opinion, as well as a growing number of arrests for carrying firearms in plain view, mostly on the charge of disorderly conduct. On behalf of an unnamed constituent, Musser had specifically asked for an opinion about the open carrying of firearms for personal defense, but Taffora told him there were prudent legal reasons for the attorney general not to get involved."



Russia: Paper wants journalists armed : "Because law enforcement agencies in Russia increasingly have not been able to guarantee the security of journalists there, Aleksandr Lebedev, the co-owner of `Novaya gazeta' has asked the FSB to allow his journalists to carry weapons to protect themselves as they go about their entirely legitimate business. Lebedev's request came only two days after someone shot down in cold blood on the streets of Moscow `Novaya gazeta' journalist Anatasiya Baburova together with attorney Stanislav Markelov .. And while at one level, this request seems an entirely reasonable response to the rising tide of violence in the Russian Federation, at another, it is an extremely disturbing sign of the decay of any semblance of public order."



26 January, 2009

California: Sight of gun scares off intruder: "Sheriff's deputies are looking for a man who attempted to rob a Cambria home Sunday night. A couple was in their home on Lone Palm Drive around 7:45 p.m. when they heard a pounding on a rear sliding glass door, according to sheriff's officials. When the husband shined a flashlight toward the noise, he saw a person wearing a ski mask kicking at the glass. The husband told his wife to call 911, and he got a loaded rifle from a nearby closet. When the homeowner returned to the sliding glass door, the masked man apparently looked at the rifle and ran away. Deputies and state parks rangers searched the area on foot and with a K9, but could not find the man.



Texas robber shot with own gun: "Homicide detectives are still investigating an overnight shooting in which a resident of a north Houston apartment said he disarmed a burglar and killed him with his own gun. The shooting occurred about 10 p.m. Thursday at the Worthington Apartments at 1350 Greens Parkway, KHOU Channel 11 reported. Police said two residents reported that they came home and found that two men had broken into their apartment. One of the intruders had a gun, which was wrestled away from him during a struggle with the residents, police said. The resident fired, killing one of the burglars, while the other ran away, police were told."



Arkansas intruder shot: "Little Rock - Two people are in custody following a west Little Rock home intrusion during which one suspect was shot. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. Thursday at 31 Marcella Drive. Authorities say a resident inside the home exchanged gunfire with one of the intruders, shooting him in the hip before the trio fled. As police officers were en route to the scene, they noticed a suspicious vehicle, and a chase began.... Keaton suffered a gunshot wound to his left hip, and was transported to a local hospital. Davis was taken into custody and charged with attempted capital murder, obstruction of justice, and numerous robbery charges. Charges are still pending against Keaton. A third suspect remains on the loose. No one in the home was injured."



MI: Can self defense be provoked? "The question surrounded what is called "imperfect self-defense," which is when self-defense becomes imperfect when the defendant escalates a situation to a point where self-defense could be used as a defense in court. Although Macomb Assistant Prosecutor William Cataldo said he was "satisfied" with the decision, he argued in court that "self defense is a question of fact for a jury. "When he fired the gun, death was a likely result. The defendant had created the situation in his own home." Police say Eplett was "angry" when his mother, Mary Denice Harder, brought Gorinski home on Nov. 1 and repeatedly left his room to ask them to be quiet. Eplett told them to leave his 11 Mile apartment because they were too loud, which allegedly caused Gorinski to confront and punch Eplett in the face. Police say Eplett told them he walked back to his bedroom, grabbed a gun and racked it in the hallway, hoping to "intimidate" Gorinski. Eplett told police Gorinski charged him in the hallway and repeatedly hit him in the face and back, and that he only fired the gun when Gorinski tried to take it. However, Cataldo said Eplett escalated the situation because every time he went to his bedroom, the situation was diffused." [So the guy stands charged with manslaughter!]



25 January, 2009

Pa.: Shooting of 2 in Fayette ruled self-defense: "A Fayette County man will not be prosecuted for shooting two men who banged on his door in the middle of the night last week because his actions were determined to be self-defense. Ronald Kollar, 60, shot the men at his North Union residence when he said he heard one of them say, "If you don't open the door I'll shoot you," state police said. According to a police news release, at 1:45 a.m. Thursday Samuel Kiss and Raymond Foster allegedly entered Mr. Kollar's enclosed porch and banged on his door and rang the doorbell. Upon hearing the threat of a gun, Mr. Kollar said he took a gun from his bedroom and opened the kitchen door that led to the porch area. He said the two men reached into their hooded sweatshirts, and, fearing for his safety, he fired his gun. Mr. Kiss, 21, of Uniontown, suffered three gunshot wounds, two to the abdomen and one to the left arm. Mr. Foster, 25, also of Uniontown, was shot once in his right side. Police said the injured men fled from the scene and were driven to Uniontown Hospital by a juvenile female who was waiting in a car outside. Mr. Kiss had surgery there and then was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. Mr. Foster was transported to UPMC Presbyterian for surgery. They are both expected to recover."



Jury finds NY man not guilty of murder, manslaughter: "Pierre Townsend was found not guilty of both murder and a secondary count of manslaughter Thursday as the trial for the murder of Dustin Smith came to a close in Rensselaer County Court. Townsend, 20, was convicted on a third count of unlawful weapons possession, however. Both attorneys said that issue, which Townsend presented during his testimony Tuesday - testifying that Smith pulled a gun on him and fired, and Townsend fired behind him without looking as he ran away to aid his escape - weighed heavily in jurors' minds as they deliberated. Townsend was the only witness who testified Smith had a gun at the scene. No gun, not even Townsend's, was found by police. "There was no way for us to disprove it because there was simply no evidence it ever existed," Glass said of the second gun. Roberts said that, in addition to his client's testimony, it was a lack of evidence in the case that swayed the jury. He repeatedly hammered the investigation of the case by police and the prosecution during the trial, emphasizing a lack of scientific testing."



MI: Judge sentences dumb kid for robbing store where owner shot him: "Edward B. Allen Jr., an 18-year-old Saginaw man who robbed a convenience store near his home only to have the owner shoot him in the arm, will spend the next four years and seven months to 15 years in prison. Allen, 18, received his penalty Thursday on charges of armed robbery with a gun, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, possessing a short-barreled shotgun and two counts of possessing a firearm while committing a felony at the Fast Lane Party Store, 1200 State. Allen, who lived at 2525 Benjamin, pleaded guilty to the April 2 crimes. He has recovered from the gunshot wound. The judge told Allen he put people in fear when he went to the store with a gun demanding money. Police said the owner recognized Allen from the neighborhood and as a store customer."



Guns don't kill people, governments do: "First, one of the adages I'm fond of quoting is: `To the person who has only a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.' Politicians, bureaucrats, and other government thugs and con-artists fall into this category pretty consistently. Because the one real tool government types have is the government's claimed monopoly on initiatory force - that is, the `Government Guns' - they tend to resort to violence or threat of violence in almost every situation, no matter how inappropriate. Oh, they try to cloak the iron fist in velvet gloves, but they never do forget about that iron fist - even though they want you to pretend it's not there."



24 January, 2009

TX: Resident kills burglar: "One man was killed and another ran for his life early today after they broke into a northwest Houston apartment and were met with gunfire from one of the residents, police said. . The two men who live in the ground-floor apartment told officers they were preparing to watch a movie when they heard a loud noise. Their front door was suddenly kicked open and two men burst into the apartment, one of them holding a revolver, police were told. Both residents grabbed shotguns and one of them fired, killing one of the intruders while the other ran away. Police said the residents did not know the attackers."



Mi: Robber's shot alerts police: "A Kalamazoo man was shot by police officers after an attempted armed robbery in Grand Rapids over the weekend. Investigators say he used a sawed-off shotgun to try to rob a man of his expensive Cartier gold rim glasses. The man allegedly opened fire, grazing the victim's cousin when they did not cooperate. Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk says two police officers nearby heard the blast and chased the robber. "[He] pointed a shotgun at the officers, the officers fired upon him, struck him," Belk said. The shotgun was a single shot and had not been reloaded but Belk says the officers did not know that. Belk said he thinks the shooting was justified. The name of the 34-year-old robber has not been released.



Gun control: An economic analysis: "In Economics 101 we teach students about several fundamental concepts, including the relationship between means and ends, forward-looking behavior, the use of substitutes, opportunity cost, and the role of moral hazard. Further, we insist that these concepts can be used to help understand the world around us and have applicability far beyond the classroom. Yet, all too often, students fail to apply these lessons to serious policy issues. Instead of applying economics, they get blinded by knee-jerk reactions, hysteria, or ideology, reducing serious issues to bumper-sticker slogans. Gun control is one such issue in which a serious economic analysis can provide an important perspective."



Day 1: President Obama officially declares war on your guns!: "Within minutes of being sworn in yesterday, Obama posted a new White House website announcing the administration's declaration of war on American gun owners. . the new administration plans to: * reinstate and expand the federal Assault Weapons Ban * repeal the Tiahrt Amendment and allow anti-gun activists to sue gun dealers and manufacturers out of existence * mandate criminal background checks for ALL firearm transfers, including private transactions * force gun manufacturers to include unproven and astronomically expensive `child-safe' features on newly-manufactured firearms."



23 January, 2009

TX: Man fatally shoots teenage burglary suspect : "A teenage burglary suspect was fatally shot in an east Oak Cliff home this morning by the homeowner's son. Around 11 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Hobson Street left her home, shortly before her adult son came by to drop off a newspaper, Dallas police say. As he pulled up, he saw the front door had been kicked in. Police say 17-year-old Gabriel Flores, who was inside the home, pulled out a handgun and fired it at the resident's son. The son, who has a concealed-weapons permit, shot back and hit the teenager. A short time later, Flores died at a local hospital."



MO: Homeowner shoots intruder: "Clay County authorities said a homeowner took matters into his own hands early Wednesday morning when someone tried to break into his home. Deputies said a man was standing outside of the family's home in the 12000 block of Missouri State Route 92, just west of Kearney, screaming. The homeowner told police the man forced open the door and started to walk in the house. The homeowner said he shot the intruder, critically wounding him. He was taken to Liberty Hospital. Police said the homeowner's wife and two children were there when the incident happened. They are all OK. A Clay County Sheriff's investigator said the alleged intruder appeared to be `highly intoxicated.'"



MA: Police say worker shot with arrow : "Authorities say that a 30-year-old woman entered a Houston office and fired an arrow into a worker's chest, and that police later shot and wounded her. Police say Julie Parker entered the Texas Components Corp. office Monday afternoon armed with a bow, arrows and a toy gun, and fired an arrow into 55-year-old Armando Silva's chest. Houston police spokesman John Cannon says two office workers then drew their own weapons and confronted Parker. Police say officers shot Parker several times after she turned on them with the bow. Investigators have not determined a motive."



Unarmed and unsafe: "In the 11 years since England enacted some of the world's strictest gun-control laws, gun crime there has doubled. No surprise. Wherever they're tried, such laws only disarm ordinary citizens, making them easier prey for criminals. England's laws also produced a spike in violent crime and contributed to the proliferation of teen gangs. This in turn has led to a nationwide decline in the average age, from 24 to 19, of violent criminals and their victims. Some adults fail or refuse to connect the gun-control dots, but young thugs aren't so obtuse. They know gun restrictions make crime, by gun, blade or other weapon, easier. This lesson hasn't been lost on the potential targets, either."



22 January, 2009

IL: Man shot during West Side home invasion : "A man was shot by a resident of a home he was allegedly invading on the West Side late Sunday. About 10 p.m., a man in his 20s was allegedly committing a home invasion and a resident inside the home at 4453 W. Cortez St. shot him, according to a Harrison District police lieutenant. Charges were pending Monday morning against the man shot, who was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in an unidentified condition. Police have not ruled out the possibility that the shooter would face charges also."



TX: Dumb Hispanic muggers: "Three Grand Prairie men have been arrested in the mugging of a pair of tourists earlier this month. About 11 p.m. Jan. 9, a man and woman from Virginia were robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Hilton hotel at 2401 E. Lamar Blvd. in north Arlington. The pair were walking from the hotel to a nearby restaurant to get dinner, the woman told the Star-Telegram. She asked that her name not be used for fear of reprisal. The robbers pulled up to the victims in a sport utility vehicle, she said. Two men got out, and one pointed a shotgun at the man's stomach, cocking it as they demanded the woman's Coach purse and the man's wallet. The victims turned over the items, which contained cash, personal identification, gift cards and a cellphone. The victims were able take down the vehicle's license plate number, which led police to Moises Lopez Moreno, 19, Arlington police spokeswoman Tiara Ellis said. He is cooperating with police and remained in the Arlington Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $15,000. Joe Phillip Garcia, 20, and Victor Hugo Torres, 20, were also arrested and remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $15,000, a spokesman said."



AR: Ad promotes Tuesday as "National Buy A Gun Day" : "On the eve of the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, an ad has appeared in local newspapers promoting Tuesday as `National Buy A Gun Day.' That message is being echoed in online postings as well. The ad also claims the Obama administration could be the most anti-gun rights team ever elected to the White House. Those behind the ad have been visiting local gun shops to trumpet that message as well. `He said he was going to place an ad to make a statement about the Second Amendment and people's right to keep and bear arms,' said Dan Mumaugh, who works at Ozark Armory, a gun shop in Springdale."



Remember MLK? Better yet, remember the Deacons: "In November 1964, a group of black American citizens in Jonesboro, Louisiana led by Earnest `Chilly Willy' Thomas and Frederick Douglas Kirkpatrick founded a militia to protect civil rights workers against the violence of the Ku Klux Klan. They called it the Deacons for Defense and Justice. Most of them were war veterans with combat experience from the Korean War and World War II, and they armed themselves with military pattern semi-automatic rifles, carbines and pistols. Ironically, these are the same types of firearms that liberal politicians are seeking to ban today as so-called `assault weapons.'"



21 January, 2009

MLK Day and guns : "This is the first piece I have ever written on Martin Luther King Day, but I am convinced that this year more than ever a clear, concise statement is needed about its significance, within the context of gun rights. The very first gun control enacted in this country was initiated by the Ku Klux Klan in order to keep firearms out of the hands of blacks. Even today, the race-baiters, whether they be white, black, yellow, red, or whatever, continue their quest to disarm groups of people for the purpose of keeping them subservient in one form or another."



VA: On MLK Day, group to lobby for concealed weapons: "Members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) will be meeting at the State Capitol in Richmond on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to rally for the elimination of existing gun regulations and the repeal of laws that have prohibited concealed carry permit holders from bringing handguns into schools, churches, government buildings, restaurants and other places of public gathering in the Commonwealth. The holiday commemorates the birthdate of the great civil rights leader and proponent of nonviolence. During his life, King spoke out forcefully against the necessity of carrying weapons for self-protection."



Guns restrain attacks on liberty: "Several things are ignored by the activists who want you to disarm. The armed citizen serves to impeach the so-called need for a variety of programs based on crime and violence, and these programs endure largely because of what is hidden from the citizen. Let's look at these in this week's series. Americans considering joining the 80 million gun owners have to make a powerful commitment to the nation herself. Many already feel such and act on that gladly. This commitment is not to the gun's safety, but a commitment to the safety of the nation, as I have said. This kind of commitment will play a very important part in recapturing our Independence from our servants not by force, but by deterrence -- a political deterrence -- in a new resolve spreading into all things, a greater citizen oversight in all official matters. When new gun owners make the connection of the armed citizen to how many unneeded programs are impeached, Independence from servants is on the way back home again. In obtaining our independence from our servants, the armed citizen must be the very first objective. Once Independence is better secured, as more programs are discredited by an armed citizenry, it will reach into all corners of our lives as a staple value of insistence on being left alone"



Gun Owners of America opposes Attorney General nominee : "Barack Obama is wasting no time poking a sharp stick in the eyes of gun owners. The incoming President's choice for U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, is an anti-gun extremist who has assailed gun owners since his days in the Bill Clinton administration. Holder, who served as Deputy Attorney General from 1997-2001, supports a 3-day waiting period for handgun purchases, one-gun-a-month rationing, licensing and registration of all gun owners, mandatory so-called smart gun technology, a lifetime gun ban for certain juvenile offenses and regulating gun shows out of existence."



20 January, 2009

North Carolina: Intruder fatally shot during struggle with resident: "A Tokay Drive resident fatally shot a man who broke into his house Saturday night, police said Sunday. The names of the resident and the victim were not immediately available. The incident happened about 8:30 p.m. at 593 Tokay Drive, according to a Fayetteville police news release. The resident entered his house and found the intruder inside, the release said. The resident pulled out a pistol he was carrying and began struggling with the intruder, the release said. The gun fired during the struggle, and the intruder ran out of the house, the release said. It was not known how many shots were fired, a police spokesman said Sunday. A short time later, a man with a gunshot wound was brought to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The man, believed to be the intruder, apparently called friends for help instead of dialing 911, the police spokesman said. "His friends determined that he needed medical assistance and transported him to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center," the spokesman said.



Colo. D.A. says wife acted in self defense: "16th Judicial District Attorney Rodney Fouracre declined to file charges against Ann Tatum, who in November 2007 shot and killed her husband, Jim Tatum, in their Weston ranch house, following what would be the final bout of domestic violence in a marriage that covered 24 tempestuous years. "Given the knowledge of Mrs. Tatum as to Mr. Tatum's prior violence and the violence he inflicted upon her on Nov. 29, 2007 ... it would not be proper to charge her for killing Mr. Tatum," Fouracre wrote in his final report. According to Fouracre's report, the fight began in the kitchen when Ann Tatum accused Jim of sleeping with Ales Martinez, the estranged wife of John Martinez, a Las Animas County sheriff's deputy who was a houseguest of the Tatums at the time. The yelling escalated to violence. Jim Tatum attacked his wife with his "huge hands," slapping her, grabbing her by the hair, tearing her sweater. Martinez, who was present, testified that he tried to intercede but was pushed aside and hit his head. As he lay dazed, he heard gunfire. One of those guns found its way into Ann's hands. She emptied its bullets into her spouse. Despite being shot multiple times, Jim struggled to his feet and moved toward his gun, which was in a holster. He and Ann Tatum fought for the weapon. More gunfire. The autopsy showed Tatum was shot seven times. It was not the first time he had been shot by his spouse. His first wife, Elizabeth, shot him in 1981 during an altercation in which she claimed he attacked her. A Texas grand jury declined to bring charges against her."



Montana lawmakers mull self-defense bills: "A pair of Democratic lawmakers unveiled identical bills Thursday that aim to clarify what many Montanans may already believe to be the law: that residents don't have to cede an inch before shooting at someone breaking into their homes. The two bills, Senate Bill 92, by Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman, and House Bill 36, sponsored by Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings, enshrine what is known as the "castle doctrine." "A man's home is his castle," Jent told lawmakers at Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where his bill got its first public airing. Van Dyk's bill was also the subject of a hearing in the House Judiciary committee. A contingent of county attorneys, sheriffs, representatives for Montana police chiefs and the Montana attorney generals office and Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office spoke at both hearings, with many saying that Montana law already implies that homeowners needn't retreat before firing shots. No one spoke against the bills."



SAN FRANCISCO Housing Authority settles gun lawsuit: "The San Francisco Housing Authority has agreed to allow its residents to own guns in a settlement of a National Rifle Association lawsuit that followed last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the right to bear arms. In papers filed Monday with a federal judge, the Housing Authority agreed not to enforce a provision it added to tenant leases in 2005 prohibiting the possession of guns and ammunition. The ban will now apply only to illegal gun ownership, like possession of a machine gun or possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The National Rifle Association filed the suit on behalf of an unidentified San Francisco tenant a day after the Supreme Court's June 2008 ruling that declared the Constitution's Second Amendment gave Americans the right to possess guns for self-defense. It was one of a number of suits filed by gun advocates against local firearms restrictions around the nation after the court struck down a Washington, D.C., handgun ban. Tim Larsen, a lawyer for the Housing Authority, said Tuesday that the agency never intended to enforce its 2005 ban against law-abiding gun owners and has never done so, even though the lease provision covered legal as well as illegal weapons."



19 January, 2009

NE: Store owner kills two: It all happened at Midwest Grillz and Jewelry, a store that sells things like removable gold teeth at 6209 Ames Avenue. Bullet holes can still be seen in the windows after Tuesday night's shootout around 10:30 p.m. Police aren't giving out many details of what happened, but do confirm that 16 year old Marcel Davis and 29 year old Willie Wakefield were both killed inside the store. The family of the store's owner shared details of what they say happened. They say the two men walked in to pick up an item they had ordered. There was an argument about the item, and at that point the family says one of the men pulled out a gun and shot at the owner, who quickly pulled out his own gun and fired back, hitting and killing both of them. The owner's family says it was simply self-defense. Police are not commenting on any of this, but say they have not made any arrests and are not looking for any suspects. Davis and Wakefield have both had previous run-ins with the law. Davis was sent to the Douglas County Youth Center after he aimed a gun at an Omaha police officer during a chase in November of 2007. That officer ended up shooting Davis in the leg. Wakefield served time for assault and weapons charges. He was released last March."



Kansas: Armed resident defends home against burglars: "A home intruder got more than he bargained for Thursday morning at a residence in rural Wellsville. Miami County Sheriff's deputies responded to 37895 W. 239th St. after a resident reported hearing a break-in at his home, according to a sheriff's office news release. The lone resident hid in the closet on the second floor until he heard the suspect enter the room and open the closet door. The resident then declared he had a firearm, and the suspect fled the house, according to the release. The suspect is described as a white male, 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing about 215 pounds. He was wearing a blue jacket, blue jeans and a ski mask. The armed homeowner watched the suspect flee in a newer blue Chevrolet extended cab S-10 pickup truck, according to the release. Deputies searched the area but could not locate the vehicle. A short time later, another resident in the area reported suspicious people at her home fitting the same appearance and vehicle description. According to the release, the homeowner met them at her door and was asked if an unknown person lived there. When she told them "no," they left. Sheriff's officers warn that this type of activity can also be a ploy of residential burglars. They knock on the door, and when nobody answers, they break in. If contacted at the door, they ask for a fictitious person."



MI: Unlucky crook: "Grand Rapids Police officers shot a robbery suspect on Franklin Street after he pointed his weapon at them. It all began around 10:17 Saturday night at the Miss Tracy Liquor Store in the 1000 block of Franklin. Two officers in the area on a separate call heard a gun shot come from the liquor store. Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk says when the officers got to the scene, they saw a man with a short barrel shotgun run behind the building. The two officers followed. When they got behind the building, the suspect came out from behind a dumpster and pointed his gun at the officers. Chief Belk says one of the officers fired at the suspect, hitting him once in the stomach. The suspect, believed to be a 34-year-old Kalamazoo man, is currently in stable condition at St. Mary's hospital. After the incident, officers found that prior to their confrontation, the suspect had tried to rob a man in front of the liquor store. "He had pulled a gun on a person getting out of a vehicle and that person ended up reaching up or something, but the gun was discharged and actually struck the individual with a grazing wound in his head," said Chief Belk. Belk says that person went to the hospital in good condition."



Pakistanis stock up on guns: "When Abid Noor bids farewell to his wife before leaving for work each morning, he runs a mental check to see whether he has remembered everything - his briefcase, his watch, the lunch his wife has packed and a loaded AK-47. The AK-47, or Kalashnikov as it is commonly called in Pakistan, is a recent addition. `I only began carrying it two to three months ago and now I don't leave home without it,' said Mr. Noor, 40, who works at the government's planning and development department in the northwest city of Peshawar. Mr. Noor said he decided to travel armed after a friend, Muhammed Javed Afridi, was kidnapped by five masked men carrying AK-47s, while driving home."



18 January, 2009

SC: Convenience store owner pulls weapon on gunman : "A masked bandit tried to rob the wrong store Thursday night. A police report said about 11:19 p.m. a black man in his mid to late 20s brandished a shotgun at a 73-year-old store owner, demanded money and fired once, hitting the wall behind the owner. The store owner pulled out his own gun and returned fire and called 911 as the man fled the store on foot. Smoking a cigarette not long after lunch time Friday, Milton McCarty leaned on the counter behind the cashier's area, a half cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup resting near his elbow. He said he's owned McCarty's Super Convenience Store at 3909 Camden Highway for 40 years and when he works at night, he always carries his weapon, declining to say exactly what kind. "He fired at me and I fired back at him and it was over with," he said matter of factly, "and he took to running." He quickly dialed 911, he said, and officers were on the scene in minutes. "I think I got him in the face a little bit, and that was it," he said. The suspect is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 165 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket, black shoes, blue jeans and a mask McCarty said was navy blue. Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said investigators were working to enhance the video images of the man and said they were unsure if the man left in a car after running out of the store."



NY: Police seek 4 men who tried to rob home near Monticello: "Police say four men tried to rob a home at gunpoint at about 5:20 p.m. Friday. According to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, the four men knocked on the door of a house near the Car Corner on East Broadway, just outside the Village of Monticello. Police said the men asked for a person who was not there and then pulled a shotgun. Police said the man who answered the door grabbed the shotgun and wrested it away from the would-be robbers, who fled in a small maroon 4-door sedan."



CA: SWAT goons seach gun rights supporters: "At the board meeting today, Orange County deputies searched gun-rights supporters, especially those wearing CCW buttons, according to those who attended the meeting. Although Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said she would let the permits expire rather than revoke them, her real disdain for freedom is shown by the presence of the SWAT team and the heavyhanded searches of law-abiding residents who wanted to attend the board meeting."



PA: Bill would pull plug on reloading: "Reloading ammunition in Pennsylvania may become a thing of the past if a bill currently in state legislature is passed. According to the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), `in the last year, so-called `encoded' or 'serialized' ammunition bills have been introduced in 13 states - Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Washington. `The bills, if passed, would require all bullets and cartridge cases to be marked with a code and registered to the owners in a computerized database, therefore, reloading would be outlawed."



17 January, 2009

Georgia: Robbery suspect shot, killed: "Atlanta police identified the slain man as Jamarcus Usher, 29, of the Decatur area. Willis declined to name the man and woman police said were the intended robbery victims. The man who opened fire in self defense is a 28-year-old who works in the airline industry and lives in a northern suburb of Atlanta, possibly Cobb County, Willis said. Wednesday night, the couple made their way to the popular East Atlanta Village, known for its trendy bars and eateries, because they have been taking swing-dancing lessons, Willis said. When they left the bar around 11:15 p.m., the man gave his date the keys to his Ford Ranger pickup truck so she could drive. They walked to the truck, parked in an Ace Hardware lot across a side street on the same side of Glenwood Avenue. Inside the vehicle, the woman was adjusting the driver's seat and mirrors when the man looked over his shoulder and saw Usher standing at his passenger window, Willis said. Believing the man was going to beg for money, the passenger rolled down his window a few inches, Willis said. But he had a strange feeling about the man, so he grabbed his gun from the glove box and put it on his lap, Willis said. He asked the stranger what he wanted, and noticed the man was reaching for his waistband or pockets, the detective said. Instinctively, the passenger shoved open his door, knocking the suspected robber back a few feet, Willis said. The woman started screaming. The man got out of the truck and the suspected robber raised a weapon at him, Willis said. "When he saw that, he just started shooting," the detective said. The man shot the suspected robber five or six times, in the stomach and chest, Willis said. The robber did not fire any shots. "He just got the jump on him," Willis said of the victim. "He told me he fired until the guy was no longer a threat to him."



Virginia: Clerk shoots would-be robber: "A store clerk shoots a would-be robber. According to the Halifax County Sheriff's Office, the clerk called 911 to report an armed robbery at Max's Grocery in Scottsburg. The clerk told the sheriff's office a man entered the store around 6:30 p.m. armed with a handgun and demanded money. The sheriff's office said the clerk shot the suspect who then left on foot. Deputies found the suspect around 8:20 p.m. in some woods near the store. He was taken to Halifax Regional Hospital with an apparent gun shot wound to the chest. The suspect, Richard Anthony Snead, has been charged with attempted armed robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a felony."



Virginia: Sick woman shoots robber: "An armed woman who stayed home sick from work Wednesday turned out to be a would-be robber's worst nightmare. Police say an alarm went off Wednesday in broad daylight in the 3300 block of Dondis Creek Drive in Dumfries, prompting the home's owner to her basement door where she found three men trying to get inside. "When she confronts them, the men take off and one of them returned," said Officer Erika Hernandez, Prince William County. That is when the woman opened fire, striking the would-be robber in the upper body. Police caught him and he was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police later caught the second suspect, but are still looking for the third. "That was an experience with the cop cars and the helicopters, I was wondering what was going on," said Joshua Washington, a neighbor. Police say it appears the homeowner was within her rights to shoot the suspect, however, police are still investigating".



Arming against the thugs : "In 2002, when Shelley Parker discovered the Capitol Hill home she had recently bought was located on a block where men gathered to drink beer and possibly sell drugs, she got a dog for protection, installed a security camera and joined an anti-crime patrol. These actions earned her taunts and death threats from the men and vandalism to her home and car. Seeking advice on protecting herself, a police officer told Parker to get a gun. This was unhelpful, since most gun ownership in Washington was illegal. Guns are often used to commit violent crimes, but might they also be an answer for cities suffering from crime?"



16 January, 2009

NY: Off-duty cop kills robber: "According to police reports one of the robbery victims is Officer Perrone's girlfriend, and he was there to pick her up from work. Police say Christopher Williams and Shundell Hall are accused of robbing the women. Williams was shot and killed. Hall was arrested and is charged with attempted robbery, assault and grand larceny. Police said Hall and Williams attacked the two women as they were leaving work at the Elite Body Spa. Sarah Rote was one of the women. Rote told police, "I saw a black male... running towards me. He grabbed me... had a dark colored gun and started yelling at me to give it up." Police said that person was Christopher Williams. Rote told police she called for her boyfriend, Officer Perrone, who was off-duty, and there to pick her up. "Joe got out of the car and pulled his gun out and told (Williams) 'Police don't move!' (Williams)... turned his hand with the gun towards Joe and pointed it at him. I then heard two shots and (Williams) fell to the ground," Rote said. According to police statements Hall had the other woman, Marcella Montanus, pinned up against the door of the Elite Body Spa. He had his gun out and started beating her on the head, and that's when two gun shots rang out. When Hall heard the gun shots he took off from the front door ran across the parking lot and hid behind a fire hydrant. Both men ran. Shundell was caught in the parking lot at the Greece Ridge Mall. Williams was dropped off at St. Mary's Hospital and later died at Strong Hospital."



Qualifying firearms : "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you H.R.45, Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, introduced in the House one week ago today by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL). . `If passed, this bill would require that anyone wishing to purchase, own, or possess a `qualifying firearm' - that's any handgun, and any long gun capable of accepting a detachable magazine - would have to be licensed by the state or the federal government in a licensing program managed by the Attorney General. This is what the gunhaters mean by `common sense gun control' and `reasonable restrictions.' So much for 'shall not be infringed.' This is nothing less than a declaration of war on American gun owners."



IA: Second Amendment attorney discusses rolling back gun laws: "The attorney who successfully persuaded the Supreme Court to overturn Washington, D.C.'s gun ban last year said the case is just the first step in a process to limit governments from restricting a person's right to own a gun. `No single case will ever tell us for all times when it's OK to bear arms and when it's not,' Alan Gura said in a presentation at the University of Iowa College of Law on Monday. `This decision is just the first step. The constitution is forever, and interpreting it will never end.'"



Obama and the Second Amendment : "Holder's nomination raises other questions about what President-elect Barack Obama claimed he believed during the campaign. Numerous times he promised that he supported an individual's right to own guns and that he wouldn't do anything to take away people's guns. Just last year in a brief to the Supreme Court, Holder argued that `the Second Amendment did not protect an individual right to keep and bear arms,' that it only protected government militias' rights to guns. He claimed that the Second Amendment posed no obstacle to implementing gun bans. I can't find even one gun control law that Holder has opposed. On every gun control regulation he has discussed, he has been supportive, including: bans, raising the age that someone can possess a gun, registration and licensing, one-gun-a-month limit on purchases, and mandatory waiting periods."



15 January, 2009

Indiana man shoots, kills robber: "An attempted robbery early Sunday morning turned fatal for one of the suspects, police said. A 38-year-old man and his girlfriend were exiting their sport-utility vehicle in the parking lot of McTavern's bar in the 7400 block of Indianapolis Boulevard when two people attempted to rob the couple, according to a Hammond police news release. The owner of the vehicle took a handgun from the SUV and shot one of the suspects in the chest, the release states. The shooting victim died at the scene before Hammond Fire Department personnel could provide further treatment and he could get to a hospital. Kenneth Denson, 17, of the 600 block of East 131st Street in Chicago, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest about 1:30 a.m., a Lake County coroner's office spokeswoman said Sunday. The second robbery suspect and an accomplice fled from the scene in a vehicle and traveled north on Indianapolis Boulevard into East Chicago, where they crashed and police apprehended them. Miller said an illegal narcotic drug was found in the vehicle. Police said the investigation continues. The man who shot Denson has cooperated with police and has turned over his handgun. Charges could be filed today against the other two suspects in custody, Miller said."



Arkansas: Old lady with gun scares off robber: "Altha Rider usually keeps a .38 pistol by her bedside. Thursday night, the 87-year-old woman was ready to use it. It wasn’t long after Rider went to bed Thursday night that someone tried to kick in the front door of her home at 65 Brushy Road, she told an officer, whom she met at the carport door with pistol in hand. Rider said she had gone to bed around 9 p.m. with a light on in her den, and was awakened by the sound of her front door being kicked in around 10. “When I heard the racket I screamed and then got up to see what happened,” Rider said. “I couldn’t see anyone, so I got up and went lookin’.” Rider went looking with the .38 pistol that she keeps by her bedside for protection. She said she also has a .410 shotgun, but realized that would only give her one shot before she would have to reload. According to Rider, the intruder had tried unsuccessfully to gain entry through a back door before going to the front of her home. The bottom half of the door was broken and splintered from the dead bolt down. “He unlocked my storm door to get to the wood door,” Rider said. “But he didn’t get the door open — the door lock held.” After not seeing anyone around her house, Rider said she called a family member, who then called police. “They (police) were here right away and looked around, but they couldn’t find anybody,” Rider said"



PA: Clergy target gun dealers for intimidation campaign: "Citing frustration with the legislature's reluctance to pass tough laws against 'straw' handgun purchases, a coalition of religious leaders stood outside a gun store yesterday and announced a plan to pressure retailers directly. . Dealers who take the pledge agree to: Videotape all their firearms transactions. Participate in a computerized gun-trace log that will identify buyers whose previous purchases were used in crimes. Interviewed later at his shop, Colosimo, 77, said he had not signed because his lawyers advised him that the computerized tracing system was illegal and that other requirements in the code could be unconstitutional."



Gun banners' strategy outlined : "The powerful gun-ban lobby has developed its own language to color and disguise its true agenda - the disarming of law-abiding Americans in every way possible, and the end of effective self defense. Their latest set of plans - used as a fund raiser (outlined below) - is filled with nice sounding terms that put a deceptive spin on their goals. Respect for the Bill of Rights is nowhere to be found, only clever end runs and literal destruction of rights Americans have always had. Starkly missing from these plans is any direct attack on criminals - the whole game plan is aimed at firearms the public holds. It is a product of abject gun fear - hoplophobia - that afflicts the people behind the plan."



14 January, 2009

Feisty Indiana oldster: "Sandra Hochstedler, the 70-year-old woman who held an intruder at gunpoint earlier this week, is out of the hospital and making the media rounds. On Sunday evening, as Hochstedler was hauling firewood from her garage into her home, a man reportedly came running at her from the street and chased her inside. She grabbed her gun and dialed 911, she said, and after the man burst through her living room window she held him at gunpoint until police arrived, threatening to shoot him dead if he moved. The story was immediately picked up by local media outlets, and soon, the national media came calling as well. Hochstedler said she has been slow in responding to some requests for interviews because she was only released from the hospital on Thursday. She was taken there Sunday evening after complaining of chest pains. "By the time I was done being a tough woman and yelling at (the intruder) like I wasn't afraid, I sat down at the dining room table and it just all came out of me," she recalled. At the hospital, Hochstedler said, doctors informed her she had actually suffered a heart attack and needed to have a cardiac catheter inserted to check for arterial blockage."



FL: Off-duty black officer shoots crazy white in self defense: "Maurice Wiley had just arrived to meet a friend at the Boomerzzz bar in Pensacola at approximately 2:30 am. Within about 15 minutes of his arrival, some white males started using racial slurs. Officer Wiley asked them to stop using those words and he was then threatened by Mr Cloud. Mr Cloud continued to use racial slurs toward Officer Wiley. Mr Cloud called him the "n" word and threatened to go get a gun from his vehicle. At that point Officer Wiley tried to leave the establishment. Johnny Cloud then confronted him in the parking lot and attacked Officer Wiley with a knife. Several witnesses gave statements that Officer Wiley continued backing away from Mr Cloud while telling him to drop the knife. Mr Cloud continued to come at him thrashing with the knife then Officer Wiley drew a 22 pocket pistol and identified himself as a police officer and ordered him to drop the knife while continuing to back up. This did not stop Mr Cloud who continued to come at Officer Wiley with the Knife. Officer Wiley used self defense when he then shot Mr Cloud in the upper body to stop the knife attack."



Utah's concealed weapon applications break records : "Gun owners are flooding the state with applications for concealed weapons permits, with almost 45,000 applications filed in 2008, easily a record number, quadrupling the figure from just four years ago.With the surge, about one in every 25 Utahns over age 21 could be carrying a licensed concealed weapon, according to a Tribune analysis of numbers from the Bureau of Criminal Identification.The increase worries Steve Gunn,member of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah."People who carry guns or who even own guns should understand that a gun is far more likely to be misused than be for the protection of the individual," Gunn said in a recent interview. "People ought not to be buying or carrying guns."



Ammunition Accountability Act : "It's called the "Ammunition Accountability Act." It is model legislation designed to force ammunition manufacturers to identify every bullet with a serial number, that is then registered to a purchaser, and recorded in a federal database. Theoretically, if a shell-casing is found at a crime scene, law enforcement officers could trace the purchaser of the bullet.The model legislation also calls for a five-cent-per-bullet tax to cover the cost of the system. The system would provide the government with the name and location of gun owners and an inventory of the ammunition held. The model legislation would outlaw any and all unregistered ammunition within a year after the legislation is adopted."



13 January, 2009

Courage and guns : "From past experience I know I am going to catch a lot of flak for my opinion of concealed carry laws, because I believe them to be another form of registration. Gun owners who claim they are totally against `registration' of firearms have no problem in registering themselves as gun owners. Most egregious is their paying the state to bestow on them the rights they already possess as free men. If the true purpose of the Second Amendment is to provide the means to resist a tyrannical government, where is the logic in begging and paying that same government to allow us to possess the weapons to protect ourselves from their tyrannical pursuits? Groveling at the feet of tyrants is no reflection of courage."



"The weapons ban has worked well all these years" : "Goodness; where to begin? Surely the top priority of the federal government (the reason `governments are instituted among men') is to protect and defend our liberties, among which one of the foremost is our right to keep and bear arms. (Even the current `rules change' restores this right only in part. Since most national park visitors come from far away, what are the chances most will have the slightest idea how to obtain the required 'state permit?') . But what really puzzles me is what on earth these minions of Washington City mean when they say, `The weapons ban has worked well all these years. It has . kept the level of violence between people to a minimum.' Did going unarmed `work well' for unarmed hikers Mary Cooper, 56, and her daughter, Susanna Stodden, 27, whose bodies were found, shot in the head, alongside the Pinnacle Lake Trail in the Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, east of Everett, Wash., by a hiker on July 11, 2006?"



More gun control not a viable answer to crime : "They're sneaking up on us again, and gun owners and hunters need to be forwarned of another plot to take away our Second Amendment rights. `Ammunition Accountability,' a newly formed group of ammunition coding supporters, is working to pass legislation to make ammo-coding a reality. Using laser etching, the group wants to place an alpha-numeric serial number on the back of each bullet, round or cartridge manufactured in the U.S. The idea is that it will control criminals by identifying brass or empty shells left at a crime scene and then following up the number on the back to find out who purchased the offending bullet. Gee . it almost makes sense, doesn't it? That's exactly what they want you to think, but don't fall for this newest attack on our heritage."



WY: Lawmakers: Inform accused of potential loss of gun rights : "Some Wyoming lawmakers want to make certain that people accused of misdemeanor domestic violence realize that pleading guilty would cost them their federal gun rights. A bill drafted for the upcoming legislative session would require judges to inform defendants that a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction would cost them their gun rights. The bill would also classify misdemeanor domestic violence as a serious offense requiring defendants to have lawyers. Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, is the bill's main sponsor. He was also the author of a 2004 state law that sought to establish a procedure for misdemeanor domestic violence convicts to expunge their first conviction and regain their firearms rights."



12 January, 2009

Fla.: Man Shoots, Kills Armed Robber At Car Wash: " A car wash customer in Orange County shot and killed a man he said was trying to rob him on Friday. The shooting happened at Mr. Big's Super Car Wash off Orange Blossom Trail. "During this attempted robbery, the victim, who holds a concealed weapons permit, pulled out his weapon and fired shots into the bad guy," said Orange County Sheriff's Office Commander Paul Hopkins. The alleged robber was shot in a car wash stall. He ran about 50 feet and fell near some orange cones. Hopkins said the shooter was washing his car when two men approached him. He said one had a sawed-off shotgun. Investigators said there were two suspects. One died in the parking lot and the other is still on the run."



Shot Pittsburgh Bank Robbery Suspect Still On Loose: "A Pittsburgh police officer shot a would-be robber at a National City Bank near Walnut and Ivy streets in Shadyside on Thursday and the suspect is still on the loose. Channel 4 Action News' Sheldon Ingram spoke with Police Chief Nate Harper, who said the officer was working security at the bank when he saw a man wearing a mask walk inside. Harper said the masked man turned and left the bank after seeing the officer, who followed the man down the sidewalk outside the bank. The man and the officer turned a corner and ended up behind the bank, where the man with the mask pulled a gun and exchanged gunfire with the officer, Harper said. "The officer did fire at the suspect. The suspect was running and firing at the officer -- possibly with his left hand -- and the officer does not know where he possibly struck the subject," said Harper. The man, who was wounded and bleeding, drove off in a silver Toyota, police said. "There is a blood trail leading to the car where the suspect drove off," said Harper. The man is described as black and between 5 feet 10 inches and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He was wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and cargo pants and was carrying a red and black duffle bag."



Illinois: Attempted theft fails: "Oak Park police said a would-be armed robber got more than he bargained for when he attempted to steal a leather jacket from another man in the near-west suburb Sunday night. The owner of the leather jacket, after being approached, shot the 25-year-old in the face, the arm and the pelvis near North Lombard and North Avenues, police said. The man underwent surgery for his wounds Sunday night at Stroger Hospital in Chicago and is expected to survive, Cmdr. Clement Harbour said. Police are seeking the gunman, and no charges have been filed in the case as of Monday, Harbour said. "If we could find the victim they were trying to stick up we could probably get charges," Harbour said. Harbour said two men who had been in a car with the shooting victim but did not participate in the attempted robbery and would not be charged."



Oklahoma wife shoots estranged husband in the head: "A Westville man remained in critical condition in a Tulsa hospital Thursday from a gunshot wound to the head, Adair County Sheriff's Investigator Jack Smithson said. Darrel Fouse, 39, was shot after he violated a protective order and entered his rural home and allegedly began assaulting his wife, Smithson said. Fouse's wife, Marilyn Fouse, 39, told law enforcement her estranged husband entered the home about 2 p.m. Tuesday, hit her in the head, grabbed her arm and was assaulting her when a gun fell out of his fanny pack. "She grabbed it and shot him," Smithson said. "She put a blanket over him, got her two girls (ages 11 and 14) out of their bedroom, and they ran across a field to a great-grandmother's house." No charges have been filed. The shooting remains under investigation, Smithson said. An employee in the Adair County District Court Clerk's Office said a protective order was filed Oct. 10 and that records show it was served on Darrel Fouse."



11 January, 2009

Another "gun-free zone" in action: "Five people have been sent to hospitals after a reported shooting at a high school on Chicago's South Side, US authorities say. Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez says three people were in serious condition and two were in critical condition. She says the five male victims had been inside Paul Laurence Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. She declined to comment further. The Chicago Tribune and WBBM-AM reports the victims had been shot."



OH: Intruder Killed In Apartment Shootout: "One man was killed after breaking into an apartment in Colerain Township. According to Hamilton County sheriff's deputies, two men broke into the Burgundy Court Apartments on Rocker Drive just before 11 p.m. Tuesday. The homeowner exchanged gunfire with the two men, shooting one of them multiple times, deputies said. He was taken to University Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. The other man fled on foot. Deputies said they believe he was also shot and may seek medical attention. The homeowner was not injured in the shooting."



South Carolina intruder shot: "The Oconee County Sheriff's Department incident report lists Donnie Murphy as the victim, but it appears the suspect arrested for the burglary of Murphy's house might have gotten the worst end of the deal. Sheriff's deputies responded Sunday afternoon to a burglary call at 163 Murphy Drive in Walhalla and learned that Murphy had shot a burglar in the buttocks. Kirby Alan Ridley was later brought into custody on burglary charges at a Ranger Road home in Walhalla and sent to Oconee Medical Center for treatment of his wound. The report summary states Murphy told officers he was in the bathroom when he heard a noise near his kitchen. He then walked out of the bathroom, retrieved his .22 pistol from his closet, and discovered a man standing in front of his fireplace. After telling the burglar to stop, the subject allegedly reached into his pocket as if to get a gun or weapon and began walking back towards the kitchen, at which point Murphy shot him. Deputies located Kirby, called an ambulance and followed him to Oconee Medical Center.



Florida robbers crash in panic: "Bullets went flying in Deltona early Sunday morning, after the victim of a chaotic home invasion fought back, apparently shooting one of the suspect's in his groin as he fled the crime scene. It started just before 1:00am, when three men burst into Julio Blanco's home on Lackland Drive and forced him, his mother and girlfriend to the ground and robbed them. Volusia County sheriff's deputies said the suspects pistol-whipped Blanco and grabbed a safe, loaded it into their dark Ford Explorer and took off. During the escape, the suspects and Blanco started firing shots back and forth in the middle of the neighborhood. The other victims and neighbors called 911 and Sgt. Thomas Dane quickly spotted the vehicle and initiated a pursuit. Deputies said the suspects crashed within two minutes and the vehicle rolled over and came to rest at Ft. Smith Boluevard and Outrigger Drive. Deputies found four people in the vehicle. Suspected driver, 17-year-old Brandon Prather, was transported by ambulance to Orange City's Florida Hospital Fish Memorial and released. The passengers, 30-year-old Adam Salgado, and two teen girls were taken into custody for questioning. A third scene emerged at 1:30am, when deputies received a 911 call reporting a man suffering from a gunshot in a front yard on the 2100 block of Puerto Rico Drive. Deputies identified him as Patrick Lauby, 33, and determined he suffered the gunshot wound during the course of the robbery he was involved in. Deputies weren't sure if Lauby accidently shot himself during his escape or if Blanco hit him during the gun fight. Lauby was airlifted by Sheriff's helicopter to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. Deputies questioned all five suspects before determining what charges to file. So far, they've charged Prather with home invasion with a firearm, aggravated battery and fleeing and eluding. They believe Prather is the suspect who pistol-whipped Blanco."



10 January, 2009

South Carolina: 3 arrested in Florence County home invasion: "The sheriff's office is still investigating a second home invasion case that happened a week ago and left one man dead. The shooting happened about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at a 317 Plantation Drive residence outside Lake City, Boone said. Four men walked up to the door and fired shots into the residence. A man who was inside fired shots back, hitting and killing one of the intruders, Boone said. The dead man was identified as 23-year-old Shawn Singletary of 532 Shantay Lane in Lake City, Florence County Coroner M.G. "Bubba" Matthews said. Investigators still are looking for the three other suspects, Boone said. It's not clear whether the man inside the home will face any criminal charges in connection with the shooting, Boone said.



Texas homeowner Fatally Shoots Robber: "Police say two men attempted to break into a home on the 4100 block of South Hughes in Amarillo this morning. The homeowner, police say, used a long gun to shoot one of the suspects. The other alleged robber managed to run away. When police arrived at the home, 4117 S. Hughes, they found one of the suspected robbers lying on the ground with several gun shot wounds. They attempted to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful. Police are now searching for the second man involved in the invasion. Police have a vague description of him. He is a black male and was last seen wearing black clothing. Witnesses say both suspected robbers have broken into the home up to four times in the past. The owner of the home went to the police station, as part of the investigation. But police have not made any arrests.



SC liquor thief shot: "The Richland County Sheriff's Department is investigating a shooting on Shakespeare Road Wednesday in Columbia.... Banks' wife, too shaken to talk on camera, said she was knitting a blanket when a young man walked into the S&H ABC Package Store on Shakespeare Road. She says the man asked the price of a bottle of liquor. When she told him, he backed away from the counter and started to look around. She says the man then crossed the employees-only chain, grabbed two bottles and headed toward her. That's when she grabbed her .38 and fired two shots. Deputies say 28-year-old Oxvaria Ingram will be charged with strong-arm robbery. As for the store owner, investigators haven't determined if she will face any charges."



Ohio man, 93, shoots alleged intruder: "Mark Leon Applin, 32, address unknown, was taken by helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital with life-threatening injuries from the shooting that occurred about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, according to police reports. The hospital was unable to release information on Applin's condition Monday. .... The man told officers that Applin, whom he did not know, kept knocking on his door and he told him to leave several times. Applin then allegedly entered through an unlocked back door and walked to the front door and ripped down the curtains. The homeowner said he then retrieved a gun from a box in the living room. He warned Applin he would shoot him if he didn't leave. Applin reportedly kept walking toward the homeowner, who said he fired one shot. Applin fell on the floor, then got up and ran out the front door, ending up on the sidewalk, the man said. No charges have been filed, pending an investigation.



9 January, 2009

Missouri uncle killing OK: "The Ozark County prosecuting attorney says the shooting death of a man from Dora was a case of justifiable homicide. He dropped murder charges against Floyd Russell, 24, who was charged with killing his uncle, Terry Russell, in October. A coroner's jury found the death was the result of an ongoing family feud that turned violent with another relative.



Florida: Convenience Store Clerk Shoots Would-Be Robber: "A convenience store clerk in Pembroke Pines gunned down a pair of would-be robbers inside his own store. According to detectives, four men rushed into the store on the 7700 block of Johnson Street Monday night and one of the men pointed a gun at the clerk demanding cash. That's when authorities said the clerk ducked for cover under the counter, and unleashed a hail of bullets. Officers were able to arrest one of the men who was struck in the leg by the clerk's bullet. He is expected to make a full recovery. Witnesses said the other men were able to get away in what appeared to be a black 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix."



Arizona man arrested in double murder : "The Glendale Police Department has made its first homicide arrest of 2009, thanks to help from Phoenix police. Jesus Adan Nevarez-Cota is suspected of being one of four men involved in a home-invasion robbery in June that left the homeowner and an intruder dead. Police say Nevarez-Cota, 20, of Phoenix, and the three other men were armed with assault rifles when they kicked in the back door of a Glendale residence in the 7000 block of West Cavalier Drive. Police say the homeowner, who also was armed, confronted the men and a gunbattle ensued. Police said Nevarez-Cota is the registered owner of a vehicle that the men used to leave the scene. Phoenix police talked to Nevarez-Cota on Dec. 31, during a traffic stop, and called Glendale authorities. He now faces two counts of first-degree murder."



Ohio shooter shot: "Ludwig Leonard Grudisher, the Columbus man fatally shot Saturday night at a Reese Road home, had been arrested two weeks earlier for firing a gun at the same house. Columbus police said Grudisher, 52, was hit by a shotgun blast fired by his stepson around 9:45 p.m. Saturday night. He was accused of burglarizing the stepson's home and then trying to run him down with his truck when he was shot. Two weeks earlier, police say Grudisher was at the house. An arrest report from Dec. 7 states Grudisher, who lived less than 150 feet from his stepson's home, fired several shots at the home and then fled in his vehicle. The stepson saw Grudisher fire at his home, police said. Grudisher was arrested at 6:30 p.m. that day outside Grace Baptist Church. He appeared in Columbus Recorders Court the next day and was given a $10,000 bond. Grudisher was out on a property bond at the time of his death, court records show. Police have not filed any charges in the Saturday case, though it will be forwarded to the district attorney's office."



8 January, 2009

Tennessee: Serial robber finally shot: "A 22-year-old uniformed security guard who was buying gasoline at a Murfreesboro Pike station on Sunday shot and killed a robbery suspect carrying an air gun. Metro detectives are ruling the death of Jamie L. Sullivan, 37, a justifiable homicide. Wearing a mask and carrying what appeared to be a pistol, Sullivan entered the Mapco market at 2101 Murfreesboro Pike at 1:45 a.m. Eric Gordon, 22, was also in the market. Sullivan pointed his pistol at Gordon's head and threatened to kill him. Sullivan told Gordon to surrender his holstered gun and a struggle ensued. Gordon drew his 9-millimeter weapon and shot Sullivan once in the face. Sullivan died at the scene. Shortly after, detectives discovered that Sullivan's gun was a BB pistol that looked like a real gun. Metro police had charged Sullivan with 146 offenses since June 1989. His last arrest was for trespassing Nov. 20."



Florida: Customer kills robber: "An eyewitness saw a robber brutally beating a store clerk in Ocoee, so he pulled a gun out of his car at the Kangaroo gas station on Franklin Street and fatally shot the robber. He's a regular at the store and said he was coming to buy some cigarettes when he heard the clerk screaming. He told Eyewitness News he not only grabbed his cell phone to call 911, but also pulled a loaded handgun out of his car. "I pull up like this and said, 'Stop,' and, as he came up, I came straight up, fired, 'Pop, pop,' two shots," Chris said. Those shots hit and killed 40-year-old Freddie Carson. Public records show he has a rap sheet going back to 1987, including charges like battery and burglary. This time, the 26-year-old says he was within his rights when he took his gun out of his car to stop a robbery in progress. "I was not going to sit there and watch a friend get beat to death. Would I do it again? I'm upset, but, yes, I would do it again," he said. The store clerk was transported to Health Central Hospital with head injuries, but details on her condition were not released. Chris did not have a concealed weapons permit, but he was protected by two other laws that allow drivers to carry guns in their cars and allow gun owners to start shooting if they witness a violent felony."



Oklahoma: Prowlers trigger a firm response from homeowners: "Two men accused in a Thursday night burglary were stopped by two homeowners with guns, sheriff's officials said. Jason Dean Cornett, 30, and Joshua Starkey, 28, were arrested after a homeowner near NE 63 and Choctaw Road found two men rifling through his garage. The homeowner confronted one man and went back into the house to get a gun, but the burglar was gone when he returned, sheriff's spokesman Mark Myers said. A deputy found Cornett under a nearby vehicle and arrested him, Myers said. Starkey escaped from the first homeowner and the deputies, but was arrested later after a homeowner near McLoud shot him in the shoulder with a shotgun and held him at bay until Lincoln County sheriff's officers arrived, Myers said."



Oklahoma thief caught: "A man who was shot is in jail himself. The incident happened Thursday night in Lincoln County. Officials say Joshua Starkey broke into the man's house last week. The homeowner spotted him Thursday night while driving and followed him. Starkey eventually stopped, got out of the car and started to run. That's when the homeowner fired the shot at Starkey's vehicle. Starkey was hit in the shoulder by a fragment. Starkey was arrested shortly after. The homeowner was not arrested. Officials say Starkey is responsible for other burglaries in the area and he also had $3,600 in warrants out against him. A second suspect, Jason Cornett, was arrested last week for allegedly breaking into the home along with Starkey.



7 January, 2009

AZ: Jewelry store owner shoots would-be thieves: "The owner of a Phoenix jewelry store shot two men who had used pepper spray on him during an attempted robbery. The suspects, identified as 24-year-old Gregory Mills and 27-year-old Jason Buckingham, were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to be charged Tuesday. Phoenix police say Mills and Buckingham went to the jewelry store of a 61-year-old man around 2 p.m. Monday and tried to sell a watch, but were denied because it was missing parts. About 10 minutes later, they returned, pepper sprayed the store owner in the face and smashed the glass of a display cabinet. That's when the owner pulled a gun from his pocket, shot each suspect and held them at gunpoint until officers arrived. Investigators say the owner acted in self defense and won't be charged."



AL: Man shoots alleged attacker: "A Pell City man is in the hospital with a gunshot wound after he allegedly broke into a Hanceville residence and attacked the owner Saturday. According to Hanceville police reports, the gunshot victim was 32-year-old Charles Kendrick. "He was shot once in the stomach with a 25-caliber automatic," said Lt. Jimmy Rodgers of the Hanceville Police Department. "Further investigation has ruled it was a self-defense shooting." "The owner of the residence was at home when this guy (Kendrick) jumped on him and began to fight him," Rodgers said. "The owner went inside and locked the door and retrieved a handgun." Rodgers said Kendrick allegedly then began smashing the back windows of the residence and tried to enter. "The owner pointed the gun at him to prevent him from entering," Rodgers said. "The gun was unloaded at this point." Undeterred, Kendrick allegedly continued to break the window and then entered the home, Rodgers said. The homeowner then went into his bedroom and locked the door. "The perpetrator kicked in the door, at which point he was shot by the resident," Rodgers said. An investigation revealed the attack was a type of domestic violence situation, Rodgers said. "The homeowner's girlfriend has kids by the perpetrator, and apparently he was upset about the kids and took it out on the boyfriend," Rodgers said. Rodgers noted Kendrick could face criminal charges once he is released from the hospital, including a charge of burglary.



DC: District targets spots for gun stores: "The District will allow gun stores along major commercial corridors in every corner of the city, under new rules recently adopted by the D.C. Zoning Commission. Emergency regulations issued by the commission allow gun stores to open along most commercial corridors not zoned for neighborhood retail, throughout much of downtown and in a handful of industrial zones. But because each store must be at least 300 feet away from the nearest school, library, home, playground and church, the number of specific possible locations is very limited. The rules are far less restrictive than those adopted in July - a month after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the District's 32-year-old handgun ban."



Another reason to arm up? "While we stumble along economically with bailouts, buyouts, and poor sales in almost all sectors, two products in America are seeing dramatic increases in sales: guns and ammo. People who never owned a gun before are buying; people are buying multiples of military style weapons and ammo is being bought by the case instead of by the box. Many explain this away as folks simply worried that Obama will move to ban certain firearms, especially those referred to by the ignorant as `assault weapons,' I believe the motivation to buy firearms and ammunition goes much deeper. More and more Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the storm that is brewing on the horizon, a storm driven by the possibility of a complete economic collapse. The more astute are reading the handwriting on the wall: military combat units being assigned for stateside duty to quell domestic disturbances, a militarization of law enforcement, and the fear of what will happen when the state is no longer able to provide monthly checks to the millions currently living on government handouts labeled as `entitlements.'"



6 January, 2009

CA: Woman Fires Gun At Intruders: "A homeowner in Santa Paula fended off two intruders early Tuesday morning when she fired a shot at the men. It happened at 1:30 a.m. on the 13000 block of Telegraph Road. Police say the family's dog woke them, growling and barking inside the house. The homeowner walked down a hallway, armed with a handgun and confronted one suspect, who then challenged the homeowner. Police say the homeowner shot in self defense and the suspects ran. For several hours Ventura County Sheriff's Department and Santa Paula Police searched by air and ground for the suspects but were unable to locate them."



LA: Police say victim shot robbery suspect: "Police said a city man was shot and wounded Thursday night while trying to rob another at gunpoint near a Canal Boulevard convenience store. Police responding to a report of a man shot just after 8 p.m. found 34-year-old Lee Diggs of 534 St. Charles St. lying on the ground near the Turner Motel with gunshot wounds to the hip and stomach areas, Thibodaux Police Chief Craig Melancon said. Just after officers arrived, Melancon said, they were approached by Terrence Triggs of Schriever, who told them he believed he had shot a man who was trying to rob him through his truck's driver-side window. "He stated he had been robbed and in self-defense shot the individual who robbed him," Melancon said this morning. Triggs had called 911 to report the shooting. Diggs was taken to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center where he is under police guard, and will be booked at a later time for armed robbery, Melancon said. Melancon said officers are looking for an alleged accomplice to the robbery. A warrant has been issued for 33-year-old Antoine Baptiste of Thibodaux. Melancon said Baptiste approached Triggs, the robbery victim, inside the convenience store. Triggs, who had been celebrating his birthday, was wearing a large gold chain. Relatives and friends had pinned several $100 bills to it, and during the robbery, the money was taken, police said. After the shooting, Melancon said, Baptiste ran from the truck and went to the wounded Diggs' side, taking his pistol - described as a small-calibre weapon - and hiding it. The pistol was later found by police."



TX: Road rage killing: "One hour after revelers welcomed the new year in 2008, a motorist at a Northwest Side intersection fired three shots into 24-year-old Tomas Garza, moments after authorities said Garza threatened the motorist with a baseball bat in an apparent road-rage incident. The killing, the first of 137 recorded in San Antonio last year, was an act of self-defense, police later determined, and was classified by department officials as a justified homicide.



TX: Dog basher shot: "Among the justified homicides last year in San Antonio was the May killing of 50-year-old Jesse Carrion. It was just before 11:30 p.m. on a weekday when the owner of a home and small carpentry business on Roland Avenue heard someone in his backyard. He went outside and saw a man with a pipe beating his dog, according to a police report. The home and the back building with the tools had been burglarized in the past. The man with the pipe, identified as Carrion, advanced into the yard, where he was shot and killed by the homeowner, an act that authorities determined fell within the parameters of the castle doctrine".



5 January, 2009

CA: Burglar flees after woman fires: "The homeowner was alerted by a barking, growling family dog about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Sheriff's Department reported. The homeowner, armed with a handgun, walked down her hallway and found a man who had apparently forced his way into the house, deputies said. Deputies said the burglar "brazenly and antagonistically challenged the homeowner." "Threatened by the aggressive behavior and fearing for her life," the homeowner "fired in self-defense at the confrontational suspect," the sheriff's report said.The burglar fled without taking any property. "



TN:Robbery suspect tangles with Elvis: ""The lesson here is, don't mess with The King.Or at least don't mess with Elvis Smith. Around 5:30 p.m. today, Smith, 49, and his two brothers were cleaning up a lot in North Memphis when a man approached them with a gun."He tried to rob them and one of the gentlemen had a handgun on him," Memphis police Lt. Jerry Gwyn said. "He exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect lost the gun battle."The suspect was hit in the chest and leg but is expected to live."



GA: Man shoots burglar: "According to the incident report, the victim was asleep when he heard someone kick open his front door and enter his home. He said the grabbed his handgun from under his pillow, loaded the weapon and ran into the living room, where he saw the burglar standing in the foyer. The victim said he fired four shots and the intruder ran. The victim then grabbed his high-powered rifle and stood guard outside his home, where officers found him when they arrived at the home. Officers were able to track down the suspect, German Brown, in the emergency room at Newton Medical Center, where he sought treatment for a wound to his middle and ring fingers on this right hand. Brown’s shoes matched a shoe print left on the door at the home."



MN: Greenfield tries to keep guns out of city meetings : "The Greenfield City Council is proposing an ordinance that would ban city employees from bringing guns to work. The move comes after council member-elect Howard Veldhuizen brought an unloaded gun to a city council meeting.Some residents believes it sends the wrong message and said they do not feel safe going to city council meetings anymore.The city council wanted to ban guns from the premise all together but doesn't have the authority under state law to prohibit weapons on city property.Other cities like Minneapolis have found a way around the law by enacting a similar ordinace prohibiting city employees from bringing guns to work."



4 January, 2009

Indiana drunk shot: "The victim, Jeremy V. Hauger, 25, of Bloomington, was initially transported to Greene County General Hospital in Linton and then later to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where he received medical treatment for a gunshot wound to the face. On Nov. 19, Greene County Prosecutor Holtsclaw announced that no criminal charges would be filed in connection with the July 6 shooting of Hauger. Holtsclaw said the investigation by Indiana State Police detectives and the Greene County Sheriff's Department revealed that Craig Wade acted in "self-defense" when he shot Hauger inside his own home at 410 East Locust Street in Jasonville. Holtsclaw explained by saying, "The evidence showed that Hauger had been present at a party hosted by Wade earlier in the evening. During the evening, Hauger drank to the point of extreme intoxication. Wade eventually asked Hauger to leave his property early in the morning and Hauger refused. Hauger shortly thereafter entered Wade's home armed with a knife and began threatening Wade and his female friend. Hauger was again ordered to leave, but instead confronted Wade with a knife. Wade then shot Hauger one time with a bolt action .22 caliber rifle." The prosecutor said the case falls under Indiana Code 35-41-3-2, which states a person is justified in using deadly force and does not have duty to retreat if the person reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury or death or the commission of a forcible felony".



Colorado drunk shot: "Sean Kennedy was shot earlier this week when he had been drinking, and mistakenly tried to enter what he believed to be his own house, breaking a window on the bottom floor to climb inside. The owners, fearing a break in, called the police, and then headed downstairs with a gun to confront the suspected-robber. It is unclear how long after the call Kennedy was shot, or if he had been warned prior. The case has left prosecutors wondering if the "Make My Day" law actually applies, as the house Kennedy had broken into had been a block away from his own, of a similar design, and containing the same house number in the address. "The time frame will be key," David Webster, a defense attorney for the homeowners said Wednesday. "It sounds like they were trying to do the right thing and get law enforcement there."



AL: Wounded wife grabbed gun, killed husband: "Neighbors on a rural road in Baldwin County didn't pay much attention to the Cowan residence until gunfire erupted there two days before Christmas, revealing a deadly case of domestic violence. Investigators said an enraged James Cowan Jr., 39, shot 42-year-old Pamela Cowan in the chest about 5:30 a.m., following a stretch of abuse that started the night before. He had poured gasoline throughout their small home, dousing his wife and the bed in which she lay. Then he stacked cushions from furniture on and near his wife and blocked the door with furniture as officers arrived. But his wife managed to pick up the .357-caliber handgun he had put down briefly and shot him in the head, sheriff's spokesman Maj. Anthony Lowery said. James Cowan was airlifted to a Mobile hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pamela Cowan was treated at a Pensacola, Fla., hospital and was expected to recover. A county grand jury later will review the evidence, but Lowery said no charges were filed."



CA: She should have pulled the trigger: "Her name suggests a sense of peace, but Harmony Bates definitely knows how to defend herself. She tells police a man walked up to her vehicle outside a grocery store and told her had a gun. When she yelled for help, Harmony says he punched her, and that's when Harmony's sense of peace turned into self-defense. She tells police she grabbed the gun and turned it on the man, then she remembered she had a pair of scissors in her pocket. "I grabbed them and I just started stabbing him in the shoulder and I started stabbing him in the neck," she said. "We don't encourage it, however, in this case it appears as though it probably did the trick," said Officer Andrew Frankel of the Berkeley Police Department. The suspect ran away, and police say he even tried to carjack two more people. One attempt was successful, the other wasn't. The suspect remains at large, and his injuries are unknown.



3 January, 2009

Ireland: Burglar greeted with retiree's shotgun: "An attempted robbery at a house on Broguemakers' Hill, Kilkenny City at 4.30am on Christmas morning was foiled by the sprightly 68-year-old home owner. The quick-thinking resident awoke to the sound of a ladder being placed against the back wall of his home. Slipping out of bed, he grabbed his legally-held shotgun and tip-toed downstairs in his bare feet, dressed only in a pyjamas. He silently opened the back door and found the burglar wearing a balaclava standing on the ladder. Using rough language in an attempt to impress the intruder, the old-age pensioner pointed the gun and told the intruder to get down and f... off or he would have his head blown off. The burglar, whose speech was slurred due to drink or drugs, held his hands in front of him and said "take it easy with that gun, I'm only looking for a few dollars". He was put off the property at gunpoint and the gardai [police] were contacted. They responded immediately and a half hour later rang the occupants of the house to say they could sleep safely now as the gardai had found a fellow matching the description, who was helping them with their enquiries."



CA: Killing ruled self-defense: "A 27-year-old man wounded in a Dec. 22 exchange of gunfire with a man police said he was trying to rob has died, authorities said Wednesday. He was identified as Dahyn Walker of Oakland and died Dec. 27 at a hospital. The district attorney's office decided Wednesday the 33-year-old man who shot Walker had acted in self-defense. Although he was not charged in Walker's killing, the man was charged with possession of a concealed firearm and possession of a loaded firearm in a car. His name was not released pending his appearance in court on the gun charges. The shooting happened about 9 p.m. Dec. 22 in the 3200 block of Champion Street in the Dimond district. Police said the 33-year-old man and the 36-year-old man came to the site expecting to sell some marijuana to Walker. The deal was not completed, and the two older men started driving away. Police said Walker came up to the car with a gun drawn and tried to rob the men. Police said Walker fired some shots at the men before the 33-year-old was able to pull his gun and return fire, hitting Walker once. The two older men drove to one hospital and Walker to another before police were contacted. A second man with Walker is still being sought."



NC: Female accomplice caught: "A Western Harnett High School student has been charged with taking part in a robbery earlier this month that left three people shot in western Harnett County. Katherine Danielle Stroud, 16, of Quiet Country Lane, Sanford, is charged with felony counts of robbery, burglary, conspiracy and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure in the event at the home of Derrick Womack on Tacia Drive off N.C. 27 Three people tried to rob Mr. Womack, who owns Tingen Store on N.C. 27, Dec. 19. The robbers attacked and shot Mr. Womack in the hand. He took a gun from one of the attackers and shot back, injuring two of the intruders. Ms. Stroud's bond was set at $100,000. The sheriff's office has already charged Maurice Purcell, 18, of Sanford in the case. He is charged with attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, first-degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure."



MD: Weaving car trick stymies gunman: "According to police, on the morning of Dec. 27, the men ordered the man and woman, and their two boys, ages 8 and 11, into the family's Mitsubishi Gallant, and told the father to drive to the Silver Spring bank where his wife works. The men planned for the woman to assist them in robbing the bank, which was scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Surafel got into the vehicle with the family, and the other man stayed at the family's home and was later picked up by Tadele, police said. Trooper Barrington Cameron, assigned to road patrol duties at the College Park Barracks, saw the Gallant weaving on the outer loop of I-495 near College Park and pulled the vehicle over. The father, who had been driving, told Cameron that Surafel, who was sitting in the backseat, had a gun. Surafel was taken into custody without incident. Police recovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol and a knife."



2 January, 2009

Omaha robber Shot: " Investigators say an 19-year-old Omaha man found shot to death in a funeral home parking lot was killed with his own gun by a man he was trying to rob. D'Vontae Hutchinson was found in the parking lot around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. He was rushed to an Omaha hospital, where he later died. Police say 19-year-old Shannon Watt called police after Hutchinson pulled a gun on him and tried to rob him in his car. After a brief struggle, Watt managed to get control of Hutchinson's gun and shot him. Police say witness statements and evidence from the scene confirms this. The Douglas County Attorney's Office and the Omaha Police Department have reviewed the case and have decided Watt's actions were justified. The investigation continues, but Watt is not being charged at this time. It was the second time the 19-year-old Hutchinson had been shot this year. Last month, his 25-year-old brother was shot and killed."



IN: man arrested in attempted armed robbery: "A man is under arrest and facing multiple charges in an attempted armed robbery. It happened at 116th Street and Brooks School Road early Wednesday morning. A woman called police saying that her boyfriend was in the Marsh Supermarket parking lot fighting with a man who was trying to rob them. When police arrived, the woman's boyfriend told officers he'd found a man hiding in the back of his SUV. According to the witness, the suspect ordered him at gunpoint to get into the SUV. As the man did so, he yelled at his girlfriend to run. Police say the victim then got in the SUV and struggled with the suspect. During the struggle the suspect's gun went off and shot out the back window of the SUV. The suspect fled in a black Yukon. Police tried to stop him, but he led officers on a chase that ended with the suspect ramming a police car near Holland Park. The suspect fled on foot and forced his way into a nearby apartment. Officers followed the suspect inside and he was finally apprehended with the help of a police canine. The suspect, Robert Harris, was taken into custody and treated at a nearby hospital for a dog bite. His gun was recovered at the scene. Harris, 32, is being held at the Hamilton County Jail."



NC man shot in foot while attempting robbery: "A clerk shot a man attempting to rob the 2Fifth Clothing and Accessories store in the foot Tuesday. Police caught up with Shamel McCallum on Tuesday night at New Hanover Regional Medical Center about an hour after police allege he tried to rob a clothing store on 17th Street. Trouble began at 6:50 p.m. when police say a store clerk shot a man in the foot who tried to rob 2Fifth Clothing and Accessories at 708 S. 17th St. Soon after, Wilmington police officers taped off the scene and interviewed employees. A helicopter flew overhead and a K-9 officer searched nearby neighborhoods. Detective M.A. Overton said the suspect left a blood trail. The K-9 lost the trail. Within 90 minutes of the robbery attempt, police said a man entered the emergency room, put his hand in his pocket to look like he had a gun and demanded treatment for his injured foot. WPD Sgt. J.R. Tyson said hospital police chased the man into a bathroom, then talked him out after he locked the door. Soon after 8 p.m., Tyson said McCallum was receiving treatment and also said he was the suspect in the robbery attempt. Though police say McCallum acted as if he had a weapon, they did not find one. Tyson also said McCallum told officers he'd been released from prison two days earlier after serving time for common law robbery."



Water gun does the trick: "A robbery suspect got a wet surprise when he tried to rob a Portland car wash on Dec. 13. The robbery attempt took place at the Washman car wash on Northeast 81st and Glisan Street in Portland. The robbery suspect, who was wearing a skeleton-style Halloween mask, tired to force a Santa hat-wearing employee to hand over the cash out of a register by threatening him with a fake hand gun. That's when Chris Truax, the car wash worker, brandished his own weapon: a high-pressure water gun used to clean cars as they moved through the automated facility. He reportedly got off a shot of water to the suspect's face during the scuffle, and the suspect dropped the plastic gun."



1 January, 2009

FL: store manager shoots armed robbers: "A store manager behind the counter of a Pembroke Pines convenience store turned the tables on a pair of armed robbers Monday night when he pulled out a gun and shot them, police said. . Hammond, 20, jumped over the counter and demanded money from the register while Sims, 18, stood by with a revolver in his hand. Hammond stuffed cash from the register into his pockets and then told Shedahe Abdel, the store manager, to open the safe. When Sims walked up to Abdel and pointed his handgun at him, Abdel grabbed his own handgun from his waistband and shot Hammond in the leg. Abdel then fired several rounds at Sims, striking him once in the arm. Abdel was not injured."



Mexico: More legal guns would help : "He also points out that many of the guns used by these Mexican criminals come from the U.S., since their neighbor to the north allows private firearms purchasing and ownership. Last I checked, private ownership of firearms was severely restricted in Mexico.Given the level of corrupt police involvement in the drug trade, innocent citizens cannot even count on their various law enforcement entities to protect them.Perhaps Mr. Calder›n should consider the potential value to his war on drugs of giving innocent Mexicans greater right to defend themselves and their communities by liberalizing gun ownership.Knowing their victims might defend themselves might make the criminals refocus on merely killing one another."



Gun haters sue to reinstate firearms ban in national parks : "The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence sued the Bush administration Tuesday in hopes of stopping a new policy that would allow people to carry concealed, loaded guns in most national parks and wildlife refuges. . The Brady Campaign sued the Interior Department and its secretary, Dirk Kempthorne . in U.S. District Court. They want a federal judge to issue an immediate injunction .. The lawsuit said members of the Brady Campaign will no longer visit national parks and refuges `out of fear for their personal safety from those who will now be permitted to carry loaded and concealed weapons in such areas.'" [No legal arguments, just a threat of a boycott]



California's Bad Santa exposes complete & utter failure of gun control laws : "News of a man dressing up in a Santa suit and murdering nine people in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve dominated cable news headlines for days after the event. News reports suggest Bruce Pardo took as many as four handguns and a homemade flame-thrower to the home of his ex-wife's parents, where at least 25 people were enjoying a Christmas Eve party. Pardo shot at partygoers and burned down the house, murdering at least nine people before committing suicide hours later. Damage from the flames has thus far prevented officials from determining how many of the victims were shot to death, but hasn't stopped the gun ban lobby from attempting to capitalize on the tragedy. . Indeed, there is much to be learned from this tragedy, which occurred in a state that has passed every conceivable form of gun control the gun grabbers have promoted, all in the name of reducing the violence."