GUN WATCH

Arkansas: Worker Shoots Burglary Suspect During Break-In: "A worker at a Little Rock motorcycle dealership shot a burglary suspect early Tuesday morning. Around 5:00 a.m., police responded to a burglar alarm at BMW Motorcycles of Little Rock on Jones Street. An employee, Julius Ceasaer, told officers that he was sleeping in the business when he heard a loud noise. He then saw a dark colored Dodge pick up backing into the business. Ceasaer said that he grabbed his shotgun, approached the front door and saw a man looking around at some of the motorcycles that were on display. When the suspect, 43-year-old Haywood Patterson, saw Ceasaer, he ran out of the business. Two other suspects inside the pick up then drove away. Ceasaer saw Patterson crouching down outside. Ceasaer told police he feared Patterson may have had a weapon, so he fired shots at him. Patterson was wounded in the upper body and face. He attempted to flee the area, but was caught shortly after. He was transported to UAMS where his injuries are life threatening. No charges have been filed at this time and detectives are working to identify the other two suspects in the truck"


Louisiana: Attempted robbery leads to deadly shooting: "Police say a deadly shooting on Alliquippa Street in Baton Rouge was apparently the result of an attempted robbery gone bad. They say around 2:00 Wednesday morning two men rushed into a home attempting to rob the people inside. Police say an 18-year-old inside the home grabbed his gun and started shooting, but so did a 38-year-old robber. The robber died at the scene, while the 18-year-old remains hospitalized fighting for his life."


Louisiana: Business owner foils robbery try: "A business owner who fought back foiled a robbery try early today and may have wounded one of the men who tried to rob him, Shreveport police say. At around 12:15 a.m., Shreveport police patrol officers were sent to Mitchell’s Transmission in the 3100 block of Morningside Drive after getting reports of an attempted robbery there. Officers learned that three men wearing ski masks, one armed with a sawed-off shotgun, had tried to rob the owner as he closed the business. The business owner said he pulled out his handgun and fired two shots at the robbers, who ran off. The business owner was not injured. About 10 minutes later, officers got a call from Willis-Knighton Medical center on Greenwood Road where a man had shown up at the emergency room with a gunshot wound. At the hospital, officers contacted one Derrick Glover, 20, who had a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Glover told officers he had been shot by an unknown man somewhere on Kent Street. Kent intersects with Morningside in the Caddo Heights neighborhood in central Shreveport. Detectives are trying to determine whether the robbery try and the shooting are related."


Louisiana: Clerk shoots suspect during armed robbery: "A suspected robber is being treated at a local hospital after being shot by a store clerk, and his accomplice is in police custody. It happened about 7:25 a.m. at Cherokee Park Grocery store in the 300 block of North Thomas Street, north of downtown Shreveport, said Cpl. Bill Goodin, police spokesman. Police say a clerk fired shots at two black males who entered the store with handguns and took some merchandise. One of the men was shot in the hip, Goodin said. He is being treated at LSU Hospital in Shreveport with non-life threatening injuries. The other is being questioned by detectives."

Texas: Intruder Shot: "An apparent ongoing dispute led to an intruder being shot after he forced his way into a Whitney area home late Saturday, July 4. Hill County Sheriff’s Office deputies had been to a residence in the 300 block of Timberline Street off Farm Road 1713 earlier in the evening. The shooting was called into authorities at 11:53 p.m. after the victim forced open a door at the home to gain entry. The 46-year-old Whitney man struggled with the 43-year-old homeowner before he armed himself with a .22 caliber pistol. One shot was apparently fired, striking the older man in the abdomen. The victim fled and was taken to Lake Whitney Medical Center in Whitney by private vehicle. He was later flown by Air Evac to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco. According to sheriff’s office reports, he was listed in stable condition the following day. Sheriff Jeffrey T. Lyon said that a charge of burglary of a habitation is expected to be filed on the man after he is released from the hospital."


Georgia: Homeowner Exchanges Gunfire With Would-Be Robber: "A quiet night in front of the television ended with a shoot-out in southwest Atlanta. A homeowner was in the hospital Thursday morning as police searched for the would-be robber. Officials said a homeowner will recover after suffering a gunshot wound to the ear during a gun battle when someone tried to break into his home. A shoot-out on Westmont Road between a homeowner and a would-be robber woke up several people in the neighborhood. "I guess I would say about 15 to 20 rounds was exchanged," said neighbor Otis Holliman. The homeowner told Channel 2 Action News her husband was in the living room watching television when he heard a noise outside the house. He grabbed his gun to check it out and that's when the gun battle erupted. The husband was shot once in the right ear and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. "The guy dropped the gun that was shooting at her husband," said Holliman. The suspect got away. Holliman said criminals have been targeting his neighbors since they moved in. Doctors said the victim is in stable condition. The victim's wife said once her husband gets out of the hospital, they plan to move."


Tennessee: 2 Criminals Shot During Jewelry Robbery: "Two people have been shot during an attempted robbery of a jewelry vender in East Memphis. It happened around 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 8, 2009, in the 5300 block of Poplar Avenue, outside of the Hopson Building. myEyewitnessNews.com was first on the scene, just seconds after the call went out to Memphis Police. Police say a jewelry vender was doing business inside the building just before the shooting happened. The man told police that he had been followed by four men, but didn’t know how long they were watching him. Investigators say when the man left the building, the four suspects tried to rob him. The vendor then pulled his gun and shot two of the would be robbers, police said. Police say the two who were shot are in critical condition. Investigators also tell myEyewitnessNews.com the jeweler, 62 year-old Stephen Fleischman was targeted by the four men. It's believed the would be robbers were following Fleischman for quite some time. Authorities say they are searching for two Latino men in a white Ford Fusion. Surveillance cameras captured the car leaving the parking garage seconds after the shooting."


Colorado store owner shoots, kills robbery suspect: "The owner of a check-cashing and cigarette store shot and killed an armed robber in his store early Monday afternoon, according to eyewitnesses and a vague police account. Aurora police said they received a 911 call shortly after 1 p.m. about a gunman who attempted to rob the check-cashing store on the northwest corner of Clinton Street and East Colfax Avenue. After investigating, police said a "possible suspect" had been shot by a person in the store. The wounded person was driven by an unknown person to a Denver-area hospital where he died of a single gunshot wound, police said, refusing to identify the victim or the hospital where he was treated. However, Ryan Moench, 17, a mechanic at Muffler Pros, which his family has owned for 15 years directly across Colfax from the check-cashing store, said he heard a single gunshot, then saw two men dressed in blue running from the store, out of his view. "I heard a shot and saw two guys running out of the store and around to the back," Moench said. He couldn't recall if one was bleeding and could give no other description. "I could see the owner of the store in the door on the telephone. Five minutes later, the police arrived," he said. The owner of the check-cashing business is a 56-year-old man named Tom, who has owned the business for 22 years, according to his landlord, Jim Rellos. Rellos said he couldn't remember his tenant's last name and couldn't find the lease."

Florida Man Shoots Intruder In Self-Defense: "William West was asleep in his bed when he got an unusual call from his neighbor at 4:30 in the morning. "I called him back, and he was like, 'Somebody in your house right now. How asleep is you? They in your house right now," West's neighbor said. That's when West said he got up and armed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun, taking matters into his own hands. "I didn't really have time to think, you know what I'm saying," West said. "Didn't have time to think to be scared or not. I just know I had to try to protect myself. That's it." West said he shot the intruder who was later identified as 25-year-old Gerald Wright. According to the arrest report, Wright came in through West's window armed with a silver handgun and was standing in his living room. "I couldn't really see because I wear glasses, so I just shot because I had buck shots, and I know they would spread," West said. According to the report, Wright was able to climb back out and run a couple blocks away, where he was found lying on the ground near the dorms at Edward Waters College. Five days later, you can still see a trail of blood from the suspect leading from the window down the stairwell."


SC: Resident interrupts burglary, shots fired: “A late night burglary on Billy Road off Highway 19 near the Aiken and Edgefield County line ended in gunfire and the suspect fleeing the residence armed with a stolen .38 caliber handgun around midnight …. the homeowner walked in on the suspect during the burglary and the confrontation ended with shots being fired at the suspect inside the home. … As more information on the suspect became available, it was learned he was a known gang member and is known for resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, and failure to stop for blue lights. Deputies were warned that the suspect is armed and extreme caution should be used in approaching the suspect.”


NM: Shooting raises question of self-defense: “A bizarre shooting in Belen leaves a former corrections officer dead, and a former Marine in jail charged with his murder. … Deputies say 38-year-old Luke Sanchez, a former Marine who served as a military policeman, was driving back to his farm in Belen when he spotted Gabaldon and another suspect stealing supplies from Enchantment Propane. They say Sanchez called police, but also drove closer to the suspects to try to get their license plate number. Deputies say he got too close — Gabaldon spotted him, ran over to his car and broke the driver’s side window. David Dawson is close friends with Sanchez, and says he was just defending himself. ‘They were bashing his windows in and he was screaming for them to leave him alone,’ Dawson said. After a short fight, deputies say Sanchez pulled out his gun and shot Gabaldon in the head, killing him.”


Mexican Standoff On Second Amendment: "Big lies die slowly. After a claim by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that 90% of Mexican drug dealers' military weapons (machine guns, hand grenades and missiles) come from American gun stores was exposed as a lie several months ago, it's back — this time with the imprimatur of the Government Accountability Office. A June 21 CBS "60 Minutes" report by Anderson Cooper was clearly coordinated to coincide with release of the GAO report and a similar one by "activist" Josh Sugarmann."

North Carolina: No charges filed against man who shot intruder: "A Sneads Ferry man who shot a teenager charged with trying to break into the man's home Monday will not be charged, authorities said. Landon Crews, of Crows Nest Lane, shot 18-year-old Cyle Norris early Monday morning. Detectives with the Onslow County Sheriff's Department said Norris was trying to crawl through a broken window when Crews shot him in the right forearm with No. 7 shot from a 12-gauge shotgun. Norris and three other local men were charged with first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and conspiracy. North Carolina state law says that Crews was within his rights to shoot an intruder breaking into his home. "The long and the short of it is he didn't break the law," Sheriff Ed Brown said. Authorities said Norris, Trevor Sturgis, 21, and David Sonye, 21, tried to break into Crews' house after Joseph Michael Greene III, 16, who is also accused of attempting to break in, was forcefully put out of the home 20 minutes prior. The four men tried to break down the front door, break out windows and climb through, authorities said. Crews - who was at home with his mother - told investigators that he warned them several times before shooting."


Missouri: Two injured in early-morning shootings in KC: "A homeowner shot a man outside his home with a shotgun early today. Police were investigating whether the gunman was responsible for a shooting that occurred one block away moments earlier. The incident began about 4:30 a.m. when a caller told police someone was firing a shotgun into an apartment in the 500 block of Gillis Street. The apartment was occupied, but no one was hit. Officers responding to the call encountered a man in a truck who had suffered a minor wound, possibly from a shotgun pellet. Moments later, police received another call from a man who heard a commotion outside his home in the 500 block of Troost Avenue. The homeowner saw a man running with a shotgun and told him to drop the weapon. The man with the shotgun allegedly threatened the homeowner and the homeowner shot him. The shotgun-wielding man suffered serious injuries, police said."


Maryland home invasion by relative: "The Frederick Police Department is looking for a man who invaded a home at 207 S. Jefferson St. early this morning, according to police. Officers went to the scene about 2:49 a.m. after shots were reportedly fired, police stated. A white man with dark hair, believed to be named Kevin, had forced his way into the home, police said. The man allegedly took money from a resident, who fired two shots at the man, Lt. Clark Pennington, police spokesman, said. Police do not believe the man was injured. According to Robbie Snyder who lives in another building on the property, a white man of medium build, between 25 and 30 years old, broke into his mother and his uncle’s home between 2:30 a.m. and 2:45 a.m. by breaking a lock and window in the back door. Snyder said both residents are in their 80s and his uncle is wheelchair bound. His uncle fired two shots from a 38-caliber revolver at the intruder who then fled the scene, Snyder said. This is the third time the man has broken into the home and the fifth time he has been there, Snyder said. The first two times Snyder said his uncle gave the man named Kevin money after hearing a "sob story."


Heller ain’t no bad place to be : “Last week was the first anniversary of the District of Columbia v. Heller, where the Supreme Court for the first time declared that the Second Amendment indeed protects an individual right to own guns in the home for self-defense. It was a great victory for individual rights, but by no means a final one. The lawyer who successfully argued that case, Alan Gura, has remained a dedicated opponent of all sorts of gun regulations that still stand post-Heller. Senior Editor Brian Doherty talked to Gura by phone earlier this week about the various legal challenges Gura is fighting against state and local gun laws.”

Teen shot during attempted robbery of TSU student: "A Texas Southern University student wrested a gun away from a teenage robber and shot the boy in the neck at a bus stop just off the college campus before noon Tuesday, police said. The accused robber, a Yates High School summer student, was shot in the neck. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital, where his condition was not immediately known. According to Houston police homicide detectives, the 19-year-old TSU student was sitting at a Metro bus stop at Tierwester and Cleburne just after 11 a.m. when three teenagers approached, flashed a handgun and made demands. A struggle ensued and the TSU student managed to get the gun away from one of the robbers, police said. During the struggle, the gun discharged, striking one of the teens in the neck, but investigators said it was not clear whether the shooting was intentional or accidental... A passing motorist stopped and administered CPR to the wounded teen. The other two alleged robbers, including a current and former Yates student, were taken into police custody at the scene and could face charges of aggravated assault, Gonzales said. Police said the wounded teen was 15. A Houston Independent School District spokesman said he was a 17-year-old student."


GA: Man charged in Gwinnett murder was shot first: "The man charged with murder in a Saturday night shootout in Stone Mountain was shot first, police said Monday as they revealed more details about the case. Elliot Ford, 25, arrived at his house in the 2400 block of Rockwood Way to find his ex-girlfriend moving out. She was being helped by four men. An argument ensued, Gwinnett police Cpl. David Schiralli said, and one of the men pulled a gun and shot Ford. The wounded man went inside, retrieved a gun and came back out to the driveway firing, Schiralli said. He shot 19-year-old Deontae Kimber multiple times as Kimber fired back, police said. Kimber was pronounced dead at the scene. Ford was treated at a hospital for his gunshot wound, released, and taken into custody. He is being held without bond on a murder charge at the Gwinnett County Detention Center."


Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence presumes to tell people how to worship : “Last night, the Northwest Baptist Church, in Toledo, OH, held a rally celebrating the right to keep and bear arms, and spreading the message that the exercise of that right is in no way incompatible with Christian values. … As one might have guessed, there were some with whom this rally did not sit well. The [OCAGV] was particularly apoplectic. … What struck me about that press release was not the over-the-top emotionalism of the rhetoric … No, what floored me was the arrogance inherent to telling people that they’re worshipping ‘wrongly,’ and that their church service is ‘immoral.’ It seems that along with the right to keep and bear arms, even freedom of religion offends OCAGV.”


AZ: Harold Fish gets new trial in self-defense case: “A state appeals court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for a 62-year-old retired teacher convicted of murder in the shooting death of a hiker in northern Arizona five years ago. Harold Fish claimed he shot Grant Kuenzli in self-defense during their encounter in the Coconino National Forest, but a jury convicted him and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The case galvanized gun-rights supporters, who said Fish’s conviction represented a threat to their right to protect themselves, and prompted the Arizona Legislature to change the law to shift the burden of proof in self-defense claim cases from the defendant to the prosecutor.”

TX: Clerk Fights Back After Robbery: "Gunfire broke out Friday afternoon outside a Southwest Houston mini-mart. It happened when a store clerk went after two suspects who just finished robbing him. Borhani said the suspects took the money in the register and ran. He grabbed his own gun and went after them - fueled in part by pure rage. "We're a little business and we try hard to make money I am hearing about people getting robbed around here and I'm tired of it," said Borhani. He also said he shot at the suspects twice then ran after the suspect holding the money. "I grabbed him, held his collar, put the gun to his head and said, don't move or I'm going to shot you. At that time he starts pleading please don't shoot me. I don't," said Borhani. He got his money back, but the suspect wasn't going down so easily. Borhani said, "He grabs my hand, knocks the gun out of my hand we both dive to the floor." The two struggled for the gun, but Borhani managed to grab it and throw it out of reach. The suspect fought off Borhani and ran."


MI: Shotgun-wielding suspect died behind chip counter at Poker Room: "Adam Crossnoe says the life cut short by shots in the Palace Poker Room early Wednesday morning didn't have to end that way. "Had he not come in shooting, it wouldn't have happened like that," said Crossnoe, the 32-year-old owner of the business on East Bristol near Fenton Road. "The money can go ... I just feel bad for the family." The suspect, who was masked and not carrying identification, shot his way into the poker room with a shotgun about 1 a.m. Wednesday morning -- one hour before closing time -- in an apparent robbery attempt. Crossnoe said the unarmed security guard at the main entrance alerted patrons of the suspect before the glass was shot out and the suspect entered the hall. The suspect then ordered patrons -- including a retired and an off-duty police officer -- to the floor. One of the officers pulled a gun and shot the suspect. On Wednesday morning, the man's blood still stained the floor behind the chip counter where he died."


FL: 3 Sought After Alleged Robber Shot: "Police are searching for three men -- one of them likely suffering from a gunshot wound -- after an attempted robbery at an Arlington used car lot. Channel 4 was told that the three men came into the office of Nino Auto Sales on Atlantic Boulevard about noon Monday and demanded the wallet from a mechanic. Instead of handing over his money, the employee wrestled a gun away from one of the robbers and fired a shot, police said. The employee told his boss, Carlos Antezana, he thinks the bullet hit one of the robbers in the side, but police aren't sure. Police said the three attempted robbers took off. Police said a man who showed up with a gunshot wound at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center Monday afternoon is considered a person of interest, but the search for the robbers is ongoing."


Guns are not just for sport or home defense: "The Second Amendment is not about sport shooting or hunting. It is about maintaining the possibility of an armed revolt or other armed action as a powerful deterrent against oppression. I was recently reminded how rare this understanding is even among active and aware believers in freedom. A long-time correspondent cut off contact with me seemingly over an off-hand observation that the sort of petty oppressions we read about in the news every day are exactly the sort of thing to drive a free people to that ultimate resort. I believe quite firmly in both the theory of deterrence and the perilous risk of triggering that awful necessity risked by government’s increasing tyrannies. I suspect I am not alone in being more than a bit tired of regularly being accused of being a militia nut for holding these opinions and speaking out about them. Quite often the critiques come from people who should know better.”

FL: Road rage suspect released from jail after being shot by victim: "An elderly man on his way to visit his wife at a Pinellas County hospital ended up shooting a man in self-defense in the hospital's parking lot, according to the Pinellas Sheriff's Office. Detectives say 83-year-old Nathan Snyder was driving to Palms of Pasadena Hospital when he reportedly cut off a motorcycle as he was driving along Pasadena Avenue, about 1/2 mile north of the hospital, just before 3pm Friday afternoon. The motorcycle driver, 64-year-old George Hall, followed Snyder into the hospital's parking lot and confronted him, investigators said. When Snyder opened his car door, detectives say Hall began punching him in the head as Snyder was sitting in his front seat. Snyder, who told detectives he feared for his life, pulled out a handgun and shot Hall in self-defense, according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to the scene after witnesses called 911. Hall was treated at Palms of Pasadena Hospital for his gunshot wound and later arrested for burglary-battery. He was released on bond just before 9 am Saturday morning. Snyder was transported to Bayfront Medical Center for the injuries he sustained after being punched by Hall. He's currently listed in good condition".


TX: Jury acquits soldier in home shooting: "A jury agreed a soldier acted in self-defense when he shot another man who entered his home. Corporal Timothy Ryan shot his girlfriend's brother in February of 2007. Thursday a Jefferson County jury found him not guility of aggravated assault. Jessica Holloway reports, prosecutors believe the Texas Castle Doctrine will play an increasing role in cases like this one. Ryan and his girlfriend broke up in 2007. She and a group of family members went to gather her belongings from his house at 11 p.m. "These people came uninvited into his home," said Defense Attorney Langston Adams. His girlfriend told jurors when Ryan began throwing pots and pans out of the cabinets, her brother came inside to help. Ryan said it was dark and he thought her brother had a gun. "I was real scared. I was in my own home. I was real scared," said Ryan. Ryan says he fired his weapon out of self-defense. Prosecutors say apparently the jury thought the same thing. "Granted he was in his home and with changes in the Texas law I think verdicts like this will become more common, no matter what the facts are," said Rodriguez."


Woman shoots at Arizona intruders: "A 911 recording released by a southern Arizona sheriff's department captures a woman pleading for help after assailants broke into her home and fatally shot her husband and 9-year-old daughter. The mother can be heard crying out in pain from a gunshot wound she received in the May 30 attack at her home in rural Arivaca. As she politely begs a dispatcher to send help quickly, 31-year-old Gina Marie Gonzalez becomes frantic as the attackers return. They're coming back in! They're coming back in!" she yells to a 911 operator. The sound of at least nine gunshots is heard as Gonzalez engages in a gunbattle with intruders in her home south of Tucson and about 10 miles from border with Mexico. Police say Gonzalez shot and wounded one of her alleged attackers, 34-year-old Jason Eugene Bush of Meadview in northwestern Arizona. Officers believe Bush was the gunman, working with 41-year-old Shawna Forde of Everett, Wash., the alleged ringleader, and 42-year-old Albert Robert Gaxiola of Arivaca, who allegedly provided information about the local area. Forde denied involvement on Friday as she was led from sheriff's headquarters."


Montana jury acquits teen on deliberate homicide charge: "Stephen Thomas was justified for shooting Larry Kingsley to death last July, a jury concluded Wednesday after less than two hours of deliberation. Thomas, 18, was acquitted of deliberate homicide and felony theft, but convicted of tampering with evidence, a felony.... Thomas and Henson were arrested July 13 for killing 67-year-old Kingsley at a Sylvan Lake campground. The two claimed that they shot Kingsley multiple times in the head because they had feared for their lives in the remote area with a mentally unstable Kingsley. Witnesses confirmed Kingsley’s threatening behavior in the days leading to the murder, but in question was the immediacy of the threat to Henson and Thomas, and why the two chose to go back to the camp that night if they were afraid of him. Thomas and Henson testified that Thomas did not want to go back to Kingsley’s campsite, but that Henson, who moved all of her belongings there, insisted they get her things back. Henson admitted to police and testified in both trials that she waited to shoot Kingsley until his eyes were closed as he was sitting in a camp chair drunk. When Thomas realized what was happening, he began to shoot as well, according to their testimony. Thomas’s seven-day trial mirrored Henson’s December trial in length and testimony, but Henson was found guilty of attempted mitigated deliberate homicide. She was later sentenced to five years in prison. Defense attorney John Putikka said that though Kingsley did not have a knife to Thomas’s throat at the time of the shooting – as he did earlier in the night – the threat was immediate according to Thomas’s perception. “He stopped what he perceived to be a threat to Heather,” Putikka said"

Rhode Island liquor store owner outwits armed robber: "The quick-thinking owner of a Social District package store turned the tables on a man who had a knife to his throat and threatened to kill him for money Tuesday, police said. After a violent struggle with the robber, the owner of U-Save Liquors at 399 Clinton St. convinced him that he was too tired to fight anymore and he was giving up. In an attempt to put the robber at ease, John Quinn then offered him the keys to the store and invited him to lock the front doors before he looted the store. As 20-year-old Kevin Mortimer was busy fumbling with the keys, however, Quinn, 56, slipped into his office and emerged with a Walther PPK 9mm handgun, the police said. With the firearm trained on Mortimer, Quinn reached for a phone with his free hand to call the police, at which point Mortimer ran from the store. Moments later, Patrolmen Michael Flood and Sean Carpenter captured Mortimer on a footpath that hugs the Blackstone River, just behind the store. Mortimer was arrested after a wrestling match with his arresting officers that ended only after he was in handcuffs and leg irons, said Detective Lt. Eugene Jalette. “They put shackles on him, and that’s not something that normally happens unless a person is really kicking,” said Jalette. “He was quite combative.” Mortimer, of 59 Salisbury St., was charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of assaulting the police and resisting arrest. Mortimer was also booked for obstructing because he allegedly refused to identify himself after he was taken into custody. This may be Mortimer’s first arrest in Rhode Island, but Jalette said he has a lengthy criminal record in Massachusetts, where he used to live."


A closer look at the Second Amendment : “In the traditional American view of the relationship between citizens and government, all power ultimately derives from The People. The phrase ‘Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,’ from the preamble to the Declaration states unequivocally the view of the Founders on the proper role of government in society. A view the same men later enshrined in the constitutional federal republic created by the ratification of the United States Constitution. As quite carefully explained in that remarkable document, many basic ‘natural’ rights were placed FOREVER beyond the purview of the federal government. Immutable rights such as freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of association, protection from arbitrary and capricious acts of government, AND the right to keep and bear arms were explicitly placed off limits in the Bill of Rights, which should more properly be called the Bill of Restrictions on Government.”


Watch lists, guns and government: “The secret government ‘Terrorist Watch List,’ reportedly already swelled to more than 1.1 million names, will have an addendum, if gun control advocates in Congress have their way. This new addendum — also to be cloaked in secrecy — would empower the U.S. Attorney General to deny a person the ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights to purchase a firearm. While it is not surprising that some members of Congress are again using fear of terrorism to implement a gun-control agenda, the openly unconstitutional legislative language proponents are employing is troubling.”


AZ: Bill would allow guns in bars: “The Arizona Senate has given final approval to a bill that would allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry a gun into a business that serves alcohol. The 19-to-8 vote completes legislative action on the bill and sends it to Governor Jan Brewer, a Republican. She has not said whether she will sign it, but she has long been a supporter of gun rights. The measure has pitted powerful groups representing gun and bar owners against each other, sparking a debate about whether guns and alcohol can coexist without bloodshed. Critics of the measure say guns and alcohol are a dangerous combination. … Supporters say they should be able to protect themselves even if they happen to be inside a business serving alcohol.”

Texas Man Shoots Intruder: "Residents are on alert tonight after a man tries to break into a Sugar Land home. The man was shot after trying to break into an apartment on Long Reach Drive near Lexington in Sugar Land. Going by his first name only, James, a computer technician, who works the graveyard shift was sleeping in his apartment when he was awaken by his barking dog around noon. "That alarmed me so I picked up my gun just to have it with me in case someone was there," said James. And there was; an unidentified intruder who apparently entered through a kitchen window. "I opened my bedroom door and saw the guy," said James. "It looked like he was running towards me with a weapon like a screwdriver and I was scared." The 33 year-old pulled the trigger striking the suspect in the upper body. James was dialing 911, when he says the suspect ran out through the front door. Police say the suspect walked to a nearby clinic, and was eventually taken to Ben Taub hospital. Police say when the suspect took himself to a clinic he actually claimed a robber had shot him. It's unclear his exact condition at this time, and whether charges have been filed against him."


Kentucky man shoots, kills intruder during home invasion, intruder turns out to be man's grandson: "Police say a grandfather shot and killed his own grandson, after the 20-year-old broke into his grandparents' house. But WHAS11 News has learned the grandfather didn't realize who he was shooting until it was too late. Metro Police say the grandson came in through a back window wearing a ski mask around 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday. His grandfather woke up and saw the figure with a mask and opened fire. The shots killed his grandson, James Michael Keen, 20, who has a record of repeated drug charges. We're also told had stolen from his grandfather in the past. Investigators say keen also fired at his grandfather, but they're not sure who shot first. We're told the gun keen had on him at the time was his grandfather's gun, previously stolen from his grandfather's car. It appears the motive of this morning's break-in was theft, but since it ended with Keen dead, WHAS11 asked police if his grandfather might face any charges. "The facts we have don't lead to that as far as I’m concerned-- for an arrest to be made. It seems to me to be a justified homicide, as far as self-defense, but that determination will come from the Commonwealth Attorney's Office,” said Lieutenant Barry Wilkerson, LMPD. However, Nicholas Joseph Spencer, 20, is under arrest. Police say he was waiting outside in the getaway car for Keen at the time of the shooting."


Texas Burglar Shot by Owner of Truck He Was Breaking Into: "A burglar is in jail tonight after he was shot by the owner of the truck he was breaking into and apprehended by police. After a series of attempted car break-ins management here at the woodlands apartment complex told residents to contact police if anything else was going on. The other night one resident did just that but not before shooting and detaining a would-be burglar. "Pow pow pow... just like that". Police say a resident fired two rounds at two would-be burglars... hitting one in the ankle... "They kind of deserve it for breaking into a car", said Ryan Dominey. "Would you just let them break in? I would end up shooting them too" added Ryan Dodd. Either way... it's legal under Texas Penal Code 9.42. "It authorizes a person to use deadly force to protect land or tangible, movable property during the night-time", says Cpl. Sherrie Carruth of the Odessa Police Dept.'


Packing and the friendly skies : “In 2002, privacy activist John Gilmore gained national press attention when he attempted to fly to Washington, DC without showing identification in the airport. It didn’t go well. He was prevented from boarding his aircraft, denied passage to our nation’s capital, and ultimately prevented from having a meeting with one of his Congressional representatives. Thus, in one instance, this successful businessman and noted critic of bureaucratic interference was denied the full extent of protections afforded to him under the 1st and 4th Amendments to our Constitution. In 2007, I began attempting to fly to various destinations while in possession of firearms. I have faired [sic] rather better than Mr. Gilmore in terms of my encounters with government functionaries and am pleased to say that while many of our freedoms have suffered unconscionable assaults in recent history, the right to keep and bear arms has proven rather resilient … even when exercised in an environment that most people incorrectly consider to be the pinnacle of a ‘gun free’ zone.”

South Carolina Homeowner shot intruder: "A security alarm went off at a Holly Hill accountant’s residence in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, rousing the sleeping homeowner who grabbed his gun, confronted an intruder standing in his doorway and shot the burglar in the shoulder. L. Glenn Littlejohn, 71, of 1244 Peake St. interrupted the suspect, Roosevelt Elmore Jr. [above], at around 4:55 a.m. as Elmore stood in the doorway of Littlejohn’s home, according to police. Holly Hill Police Chief Robert Wunderlich said an unarmed Elmore allegedly forced his way though a doorway into the kitchen of the victim’s home. Littlejohn, after being awakened by the alarm, “grabbed his shotgun, went out the back door and went around to the side of the house where the suspect made entrance and confronted the suspect in the doorway,” Wunderlich said. He said Littlejohn shot Elmore in his right shoulder with a 12-gauge shotgun. The wounded Elmore fled the scene, and Littlejohn called 911, the chief said. Moments later, Wunderlich said, a 30-year-old male resident of Gilmore Avenue called law enforcement after observing a man with a gunshot wound standing on his front porch. Wunderlich said the suspect ran nearly 300 yards from Littlejohn’s house before arriving at the Gilmore Avenue residence. Holly Hill officers were able to follow a trail of blood in tracing Elmore’s escape route from Peake Street to Gilmore Avenue, he said. “He (Elmore) had several pellet punctures in the upper shoulder area,” Wunderlich said. Elmore was charged with felony first degree burglary, Wunderlich said."


Do minors have a constitutional right to possess guns?: "A fascinating gun rights case was argued today before the Supreme Court of Washington involving a tangle of state and federal issues. In 2007, Christopher Sieyes, a 17 year old, was charged and convicted with unlawful possession of a firearm. State law (RCW 9.41.040(2)(a)(iii)) prohibits minors from possessing firearms (with certain exceptions). While the case was on appeal to the Court of Appeals (Div. II), the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, striking down D.C.’s handgun prohibition. The Court of Appeals asked the litigants in Sieyes to supply additional briefing to address Heller, and then the court transferred the case to the state Supreme Court. One of the major unanswered questions in Heller is relevant here—whether the Second Amendment applies to states. Since Heller, several federal circuits have ruled on this issue. The Second and Seventh Circuits have said the Second Amendment does not apply against individual states, while the Ninth Circuit says it does. This circuit split (plus the specific issue involved) all but guarantees that the U.S. Supreme Court will address this issue its next term."


CA: Victim disarmament bills have stores up in arms: “Two new pieces of legislation related to guns are making their way through Sacramento — and making gun store owners in the Mid-Valley frustrated at what they call political myopia. … AB 962 would compel those who sell ammunition to be licensed the same as gun dealers, and mandate a face-to-face transaction when someone buys ammunition. … SB 697, would mandate safety measures be included in every gun sold in California. That technology would be used to tell how many unfired cartridges remain in a gun, to avoid accidental shootings when thought to be empty. Guns would also have to have biometric technology to prevent them from being fired if someone other than the registered owner tried to do so.”


TN: Cities rush to ban guns in local parks: "The handgun battle is heading from Capitol Hill to City Hall. Local governments and advocates for firearms owners are gearing up for a summer face-off over how far to take a new state law that lets people with carry permits bring handguns into parks. City councils across Tennessee, including Nashville and Hendersonville, are moving to reaffirm their bans on handguns in parks following passage of a new state law. But people opposed to handgun restrictions are mobilizing to block their efforts. … A state law signed earlier this month by Gov. Phil Bredesen has touched off the debate. The law is meant to let handgun permit holders carry their weapons into every park in the state, wiping out local policies governing handguns.”

Maryland: Guard shoots man during attempted grocery store robbery: "An exchange of gunfire between a security guard and an alleged robber at the Mars Super Market on Maiden Choice Lane and Westland Boulevard, in Arbutus, Sunday evening left the alleged robber with several gunshot wounds, according to Baltimore County police. It also left the store, at the Maiden Choice Shopping Center in the 1000 block of Maiden Choice Lane, without some of its front windows — which were boarded up Monday morning. Neither the guard nor any customers in the store were injured, police said. At 6:52 p.m. June 21, Jamison Harvey Johnson, 40, entered the store and “announced the robbery,” said Bill Toohey, a police spokesman. Johnson then walked to the store’s customer service office, where he demanded and was given an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. An armed security guard employed by Mars who was inside the store followed Johnson to the store’s entrance and confronted him, police said. Johnson, whose address is listed as “unknown” in court records, then shot at the guard, Toohey said. The guard returned fire and Johnson then ran into the parking lot and got into a green Honda Accord, Toohey said. As the gunman drove away, he again fired on the security guard, who again shot back, Toohey said. Police began searching the area, using a helicopter and a K-9 unit. A man fitting Johnson’s description was spotted walking along Kenwood Avenue, in Catonsville, with several gunshot wounds by an officer involved in the search at about midnight, almost five hours after the gunfire occurred, Toohey said. The man was caught after a brief foot chase, police said, and taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he received treatment for gunshot wounds. Johnson was later charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and two handgun violations — one for the possession of a firearm with a felony conviction."


Mississippi Store Owner Kills Robber: "A Clarksdale, Miss. convenience store owner shot and killed an armed robber Wednesday evening. According to Captain Robbie Linley with Clarksdale Police, 31-year old Joey Barron held up a store with a handgun on the 1600-block of N. State Street. Barron took cash and some prescription drugs, and was then shot once by the store's owner. Barron was transported to the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center where he later died. The store owner will not face any charges."


VA: Gun rights advocates say Coliseum staff challenged free speech rights : “The Virginia Citizens Defense League is used to fighting for the right to carry guns. But now it’s having to defend the right to wear stickers about carrying guns. The group says officials at the Richmond Coliseum recently attempted to stop members from handing out blaze-orange ‘Guns Save Lives’ stickers before an appearance by radio and television talk-show host Glenn Beck. ‘It’s bad enough they’re trying to trample the Second Amendment. Then you come and attack the First,’ President Philip Van Cleave said, referring to the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of the right to bear arms and to free speech.”


AZ: Guns on campus OK’d by state Senate: “Saying it will make people safer, state senators voted Friday to let people with concealed weapons permits carry them onto college and university campuses where they are now forbidden. The 15-6 vote on the provision in HB 2439 came after backers said they believe that having people who are licensed by the state to have weapons should cut down on the number of massacres that occur on campuses. … He did not refer by name to the 2002 incident at the University of Arizona where three instructors at the College of Nursing were slain by student Robert S. Flores Jr. who then turned the gun on himself. But Huppenthal said the evidence shows that it makes sense, from a safety standpoint, to let people carry guns.”


KY: Guns at church draws big crowd : “A southwest Jefferson County church opened its doors to guns as the pastor makes a point about the Second Amendment to the Constitution. At the New Bethel Church, Reverend Ken Pagano said the church is celebrating the independence and freedom provided by the constitution by raising awareness about being a safe and responsible gun owner. Pagano said he felt he had a duty to teach that to his community and congregation. He decided to do so by allowing everyone to carry guns into the church.”

Kansas: Clerk kills would-be robber and critically wounds another: "A Kansas City, Kan., corner-store clerk fought back when two men tried to rob him tonight, shooting and killing one suspect and critically injuring the other, police said. Officers were called to the 5th Avenue Convenience Mart at Fifth Street and Quindaro Boulevard shortly before 7 p.m., Officer Mike Golden said. The clerk told them two men with long guns entered the store and demanded money, Golden said. When one of the suspects fired a shot, the clerk grabbed a handgun from behind the counter and shot both suspects. One ran halfway up the block before collapsing, dropping a gun in the middle of Quindaro. An ambulance took him to a hospital, but he died before arriving, Golden said. The second suspect made it slightly farther and went to the hospital in a private vehicle. The clerk, mildly injured in the scuffle, was checked by paramedics at the scene."


North Carolina: Business owner shoots intruder: "A store owner shot and wounded a man who broke into his business on West Fifth Street Monday morning, police said. The names of the men involved were not available. The shooting was reported between 3 and 4 a.m. at The Auction House, said Lt. Johnny Barnes of the Lumberton Police Department. The man who broke in threatened the store owner with a tire iron, Barnes said. The owner then shot the man in the leg, Barnes said. The wounded man was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Barnes said. The wounded man will be charged with breaking and entering, Barnes said. The district attorney will decide if any charges should be filed against the business owner, Barnes said."


North Carolina: Homeowner wounds would-be burglar: "A homeowner fired a shotgun after two people broke into his home on N.C. 54 early Monday and hit one of the suspects in the arm. The gun scared the two men away, and one of them, 36-year-old Randy Stewart, of Morningside Drive, Burlington, showed up at Alamance Regional Medical later, according to an Alamance County Sheriff's Department news release. The incident happened at about 12:30 a.m. Monday at a home on N.C. 54. The home owner, John Davis, told authorities that sometime after midnight he and his girlfriend were awakened by the dog barking. They heard noises outside the door of the home. When Davis got out of bed to investigate, the two suspects allegedly shattered the door and entered the house. "The victim was then confronted by the suspects as they proceeded through the kitchen of the residence," the release states. "At that point, Mr. Davis had armed himself with a shotgun. As the suspects advanced toward him, he fired the weapon." Both suspects left the home. The investigation is ongoing. The sheriff's department plans to confer with the District Attorney's office, but it is unlikely that Davis will be charged."


Oklahoma: Shop Owner Shoots Would-Be Robber: "A jewelry store owner in Oklahoma City opened fire on a would-be robber on Thursday, sending him to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Police said they were called to the scene of a shooting at Northwest 23rd Street and Villa Avenue. “When officers arrived at this location, they did find evidence that there was some type of shooting inside this door,” said Oklahoma City police Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow. “Shots were fired.” Police said they believe the clerk pulled out a gun from behind the counter just after the robbery began. They said the clerk told them they thought he hit the would-be robber at least once. No one else in the store was hurt. Officers said the would-be robber ran out of the store and got into a vehicle that was waiting for him. The driver of that car took the man to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition late Thursday. Police said they were looking for a maroon or dark red Chevrolet HHR with Oklahoma license plate number 762XNR. They said the driver was a black female wearing glasses and a pink shirt who had her hair pulled back. Police urged anyone who saw this woman not to approach her and to call police instead."

SC: Man killed in club shooting: "Colleton County recorded its seventh homicide early Saturday when a man was shot inside a rural night spot. Lamont Truesdale, 31, of Jacksonboro, was shot with a handgun at a place known as "Leon's" in the Round-O area. The call came in around 3:30 a.m. "When we got there, a male subject had been shot by another male subject, and he was still on the scene," said Sheriff George Malone. Elijah Martin, 58, of Cottageville was charged with murder and was being held in the county jail, Malone said. While the case is being investigated as a homicide, Martin has made a claim of self-defense, the sheriff reported. At least two guns were recovered. The shooting is not being investigated as gang-related or in connection to the other string of shootings in the county this year. Malone said he did not know if Leon's is a licensed club, but that several people were inside at the time of the shooting. [Another report says that the dead man had just robbed the club, so the self-defense claim could well have substance]


CA: Home invasion robber fatally shot: "A homeowner fatally shot a home invasion robber Sunday morning. Riverside County Sheriff's deputies responded at 8:11 a.m. to a shots fired call in the 3100 block of Chardoney Way, according to a sheriff's news release. When they arrived, they found a dead man lying in the street. Homicide investigators learned that the deceased and a female suspect attempted a home invasion robbery at the house. The suspect struggled with the homeowners and dropped his gun during the fight, authorities said. One of the homeowners picked it up and shot him. The suspect attempted to run away but collapsed and died outside the house. The suspect's identity has not yet been released. He has been described by the Riverside County Coroner's office as a 24-year-old Costa Mesa man. The female suspect fled before deputies arrived, authorities said. Sheriff's officials did not have a description of her. No one has been arrested and the incident is under investigation."


OR: Victims, bystanders wrestle suspect to the ground: "Police arrested a second gunman and a getaway driver suspected of being accomplices to a man already in custody after an alleged attempted robbery Tuesday, June 23, of La Tapatia Market, at 18330 S.E. Stark St. Employees and patrons of the Hispanic grocery nabbed one of the gunman, a 17-year-old male, and held him until police arrived. The second alleged gunman, Lindsen L. Charles, 36, of Gresham ran to a vehicle allegedly driven by Erica C. Perez, 32, of Portland, and fled east on Stark Street. Following accurate descriptions by witnesses and several leads, Charles and Perez were arrested at 3:47 p.m. Tuesday afternoon as they attempted to drive away from a residence in Fairview. Both of the suspects are being charged with robbery in the first degree with a firearm. The 17-year-old is facing alleged charges of robbery in the first degree with a firearm and attempted murder. The two men entered the market at 10:53 a.m. and demanded cash, said Sgt. Mike LeDuc, Gresham police spokesman. Employees handed over an undisclosed amount of money and the gunmen fled out the rear service entrance. Several patrons and employees chased after the robber and the 17-year-old fired a shotgun at an employee. The employee was not injured. In fact, he and several others wrestled the shotgun from the young man. Nobody was injured in the robbery.


Gun control: What is the agenda?: "Some years or decades ago, I researched and reported on the Sullivan Act, one of America’s first gun control laws. New York State Senator Timothy Sullivan, a corrupt Tammany Hall politician, controlled New York’s Lower East Side. Commercial travelers passing through the district would be relieved of their valuables by armed robbers. In order to protect themselves and their property, travelers armed themselves. This raised the risk of, and reduced the profit from, robbery. Sullivan’s outlaw constituents demanded that Sullivan introduce a law that would prohibit concealed carry of pistols, blackjacks, and daggers, thus reducing the risk to robbers from armed victims. The criminals, of course, were already breaking the law and had no intention of being deterred by the Sullivan Act from their business activity of armed robbery. Thus, the effect of the Sullivan Act was precisely what the criminals intended. It made their life of crime easier. As the first successful gun control advocates were criminals, I have often wondered what agenda lies behind the well-organized and propagandistic gun control organizations and their donors and sponsors in the US today. The propaganda issued by these organizations consists of transparent lies".

SC: Icecream robber caught: "A man from Bath was arrested for robbing Twisters Ice Cream Shop on 421 in Bath just after 6:45 Saturday night. Witnesses said the suspect walked into the store armed with a gun and demanded money from the employee. He was given an undisclosed amount before being confronted by the owner's son Shannon Labord. The suspect shot at Labord hitting the counter. Labord fired back and chased the suspect while firing several more shots to a near by trailer. 23 year old Joey Taylor was arrested. He is charged with armed robbery, assault and battery with intent to kill and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. No one was injured during the incident.


Would-be robber severely beaten after choosing wrong victims: "A burglar who broke into a Lehigh Acres, Florida home wound up bloodied and bruised. The homeowners say he picked the wrong couple to mess with. Deputies say two men broke into the home around 1 a.m. Monday. One of them pointed a gun right at the resident's face while he was still in bed. "He screamed at me, 'Don't move! Don't move!' with vulgarities involved - that wasn't happening in my house. He came to the wrong party," said the victim, who wished to remain unidentified. The victim is a retired special operations officer for the Coast Guard. His fiancé, who was also in bed, is a former maximum security corrections officer. The male victim and one of the suspects got in a fight as they were both trying to get control of the gun. When the victim and the suspect were fighting in the corner of the bedroom, a shot fired from the gun went through the wall, through the medicine cabinet, and right into the bathroom mirror. When that shot was fired, the other suspect ran out of the house. Meanwhile, the victim's fiancé grabbed their own rifle and turned toward the other burglar. She beat him so hard with the gun that the rifle broke in two. Then the male victim got a hold of the suspect's gun. "At that point I was going to take his life and he begged for his life, 'I don't want to die, I don't want to die, please don't kill me. Let me go,'" said the victim. That's when he took the suspect outside and bashed his head into a truck before he ran away."


Ejected shotgun round lets victim get away: "Iowa City police say an accidental ejection of a shotgun round may have allowed a potential shooting victim to get away unharmed. Officers responded to the 900 block of Cross Park Avenue at 3:18 a.m. Thursday after receiving a 911 call that five males jumped out of a van armed with a shotgun, according to a criminal complaint. The victim said William T. Wright, 18, of 2218 Davis St. in Iowa City, brandished the shotgun and pointed it at the victim, according to police. Wright, who also goes by Rudy, then racked the shotgun and was prepared to fire when a round ejected, causing a temporary distraction that allowed the victim to run away, according to police. An independent witness corroborated the victim’s statements, police say. The victim said he believed he would have been shot had the round not accidentally ejected, according to police. Wright was in Johnson County Jail Friday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond. He faces charges of intimidation with dangerous weapon, a Class C felony, and going armed with intent, a Class D felony.


Gun Control: Sotomayor and citizen authority: “Let me emphasize again as I have over the last several years, that what it is about guns isn’t even about guns. It is about carrying our own burdens in independence from our own public servants. … Senators who intend to grill Sotomayor when the nominee hearings begin in July should be contacted with specific issues to be brought up. This is because gun owners understand that the Second Amendment is a reflection of the overall health of our nation; it is a reflection of whether officials (such as Justices) respect liberty and our little need for the State and how we prefer it that way.”

MA: One-Gun-A-Month Law

Here's a ridiculous gun control plan out of Massachusetts that appears to be based on the unsupported belief that licensed gun owners in the state are regularly selling their weapons to street criminals.

"An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence," (H4102), an insulting, anti-gun bill filed by Governor Deval Patrick, will do nothing of the sort. The bill is just another smokescreen by the governor to divert attention away from failed social programs and a failed criminal justice system, which refuses to keep hardened, gun-wielding criminals behind bars, where they belong. The bill only infringes upon our constitutional rights and will cause increased hardship for law-abiding citizens who own guns for hunting, the shooting sports and home protection.

A section of the bill is the "One-gun-a-month" clause that would imprison lawful citizens for purchasing — or for a licensed firearm retailer for selling to a licensed citizen — more than one rifle, shotgun or handgun in a 30-day period.

Sniveling gun-grabbers, with nothing but empty space between their ears, say that limiting law-abiding gun owners to buying only one gun per month will put an end to gun-trafficking — and it lights a fire in my belly. So, us law-abiding gun owners who go through the expensive and unconstitutional licensing process and endure the lengthy procedure and paperwork to buy our guns at licensed gun dealers — are turning around and selling those guns to gang-bangers to commit murder with?

Patrick says we are risking our lives, families, jobs, reputations, our passion for hunting and the shooting sports and taking a chance on spending years in jail (please send soap on a rope) — by selling our souls for a few hundred bucks to some street punk? It's one of the worst insults Patrick has hurled at us law-abiding citizens yet and I think he should offer us a public and written apology.

And, there's more. The bill would make it illegal for legal gun owners to sell guns to other legal gun owners. Instead, all transactions will have to be performed through a licensed gun dealer with, of course, payment of a government fee. More at the link.

Michigan: Neighborhood watch president shoots, kills dog; its owner disputes the need: "Tensions are high on a Saginaw street where the neighborhood watch president shot and killed his neighbor's dog. Jose Barajas, Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association president, told police he shot Onyx, a 50-plus-pound pit bull and shar-pei mix, with a 40-caliber Glock after the dog broke its chain and charged him at 1223 Maple on June 18. Barajas said he was working outside the house next door when he heard a resident crying for help. Diana M. Fick, 52, said she was mowing her backyard about 7:30 p.m. when neighbor Samantha A. Griffus' dog lunged at her. Fick said Onyx perched atop the tailgate shell and jumped off toward her, breaking his chain. She said she screamed for the owner and used the lawnmower as a buffer to keep the dog at bay. Griffus didn't hear her, but Barajas did. When the dog turned on him, he said he shot it two times. Barajas "didn't have an option," Fick said "He popped him." Griffus, 19, said the dog was on a 10-foot chain attached to a tailgate shell on the lawn. She said Barajas had no right to shoot her dog because it hadn't left her property. Saginaw police investigated and cleared Barajas".


FL: More practice needed: "After her father's store, Bob's Coins & Jewelry, was burglarized twice, and after hearing about jewelry stores being robbed recently in Ocala, Vickie Buxton decided to take precautions. Buxton, general manager at the store, took concealed weapons classes and armed herself with guns she keeps at the business in case she encounters an intruder. She did not have to wait long. While working at the store, at 17860 S.E. 109th Ave., Suite 621, on Thursday, Buxton shot at a thief after the man entered the building with a hammer, broke a glass case and escaped with an official Vatican Treasury gold medallion worth $20,000. She said before the robber entered the store, "The vehicle sat in front for several minutes, and then it drove around the parking lot some more." Then, she said, the suspect approached the business and pulled a bandana up to his face. "I yell, 'Gun!,' meaning my employees know I'm going for the gun," she said. As the robber entered the store, Buxton said she told him, "I'm going to shoot." The man ignored her and smashed a display glass that contained coins. Buxton tried to fire a .380-caliber handgun, but the weapon misfired. The robber grabbed the medallion and as he was heading out the door, Buxton again tried to fire the gun, but it misfired a second time. Buxton successfully fired a third shot, which struck the back of the SUV."


Crooked Australian police lose 'gun fight' with collector: "A South Grafton man who successfully sued the NSW Police for destroying seven of his firearms is at least $10,000 out of pocket and angry at the waste of public money spent to thwart his quest for compensation. Kevin Hebron was awarded $12,500 compensation for the lost guns, which included an almost irreplaceable antique double-barrelled Italian shotgun, during a civil hearing at Maclean Court on Wednesday. The trouble for Mr Hebron, a keen target shooter and hunter, began in 2006 when he attended a pistol shooting event in Byron Bay. Prior to the event Mr Hebron's four-wheel-drive was parked in a private, locked carpark when police were called. They noticed a Glock pistol in the rear of his vehicle and believed he was in breach of firearm safety rules. They seized the pistol and contacted Grafton police, who confiscated the firearms stored at his home. Ironically for Mr Hebron, police returned the Glock pistol, which was in minor breach of firearms safety rules, but destroyed the other guns which had been legally stored at his home.... Despite agreeing to a sum that puts him out of pocket, Mr Hebron is delighted to put the battle behind him. “This is the end of the matter. I've had more than enough of the legal system,” Mr Hebron said yesterday of his court experiences. The absence of a paper trail for the destroyed weapons also dismayed Mr Hebron. “After the firearms breach matter was settled at Byron Bay, police told me I could go to Grafton and get my guns back,” he said. But when he arrived and presented the property receipt for the guns, he was told they had been destroyed. He said he couldn't get paperwork from either the police or the Firearms Registry about the destruction of the guns." [Some cop probably still has them]


CA: Hunter spearheads amendment to reopen MCAS shotgun range: "The lead issue shut down the public shotgun range at Miramar's Marine Corps Air Station, but good old politics might soon reopen it. As reported here a few weeks ago, the San Diego Shotgun Sports Association at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar could be reopening soon. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Lakeside, is “offering an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization Act that attempts to restart recreational shooting activities at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar,” according to a release from the congressman's office. “The gun range at MCAS Miramar, previously operated by the San Diego Shotgun Sports Association, was closed last year when lead shot was discovered beyond range boundaries." According to the release, “the Hunter amendment specifically encourages the Marine Corps to expedite its Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation and also submit a report to Congress that includes a plan and timeline to reopen the range.” “For more than 50 years, San Diego families have enjoyed recreational shooting and received quality firearm instruction at the Miramar Gun Range,” Hunter said in the release. “Indefinitely closing the range would deny these families and our Marines one of the few locations available for trap and skeet shooting, as well as recreational marksmanship. I look forward to working with the Marine Corps to ensure the continuation of a shooting range at Miramar that accommodates anyone interested in these activities.” The Miramar Gun Range also provided free recreational shooting to Marines and their families when it was open, and Olympic hopefuls such as Susan Sledge of El Cajon and Brian Burrows of Fallbrook practiced at the only gun range in San Diego with international trap. It was a favorite shooting range for local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, too.

Iowa: Clerk's gun scares off would-be robber: "Dominic Mathew had always felt it was better to give an armed robber what they asked for. His philosophy changed after his Food Pantry store on Lower Beaver Road was held up several times, one time with a thief behind the counter and holding a gun to his neck. He got a handgun. On Tuesday, the third time the store was held up, he and a robber were in a face-off with their weapons. “The guy came in from the side (of the store)” and walked in the front door, Mathew said. “That’s where they usually come from. The guy came in with a hoodie on. It was awfully warm on Tuesday, too warm for a hoodie.” Mathew, 30, already had his gun drawn when the robber walked in, he said. The suspect lowered his gun immediately upon seeing the handgun. The would-be robber ran out the door. “I didn’t want to get to this point,” said Mathew. “But there have been a lot of robberies. Times are tough. A lot of people are out of work.” The armed robber who tried to steal from Mathew has not been caught".


North Carolina: One dead after botched home invasion: "Deputies say at least one gunman was killed in an early-morning home invasion near Wagram. Anthony Martin, of Kale Street in Wagram, was shot to death in the failed robbery attempt while two others masked men fled, according to Shep Jones. The sheriff's department did not have Martin's age. Investigators say one of the robbers was 40-year old William Anthony Strickland, according to Jones. The last-known address for Strickland is 9539 Springview Road in Charlotte. Jones would not say how Strickland was identified as a suspect. Jones said the trio entered the home of 62-year Edmond Cooper at 23296 Wagram Street at about 12:30 a.m. through the back door, which had been left unlocked. Debbie Cooper, Edmond's wife, was still up and a suspect knocked her out by striking her over the head. The men then entered the room of the Coopers' 15-year old son. The suspects used ziploc ties to restrain the juvenile. The three men then entered the hallway of the residence, according to Jones. "Edmond Cooper came out of the bedroom with a gun," Jones said. "He fired several shots, hitting one of the suspects." He said the two suspects left standing returned fire, while fleeing from the residence. "Mr. Cooper was shot in the hand," Jones said. Martin was dead when emergency personnel arrived on the scene, according to Jones. Edmond Cooper was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released."


Tennessee: Gunman Shot to Death During Home Invasion: "Dennis Nicholson told detectives that he was confronted by 22 year old Elijah Minnard at the home. Nicholson says Minnard had a shotgun, and 17 year old Jeremie Thomas, had a pistol. Police say the men forced Nicholson inside, and Minnard held Nicholson and 25 year old Lincoya Stephens at gunpoint upstairs while Thomas searched the downstairs area of the home. Police say Stephens grabbed the shotgun to try and disarm Minnard, but Stephens was hit in the leg by a shotgun blast. Police say Stephens and Nicholson still managed to get the gun away from Minnard. Officers say Stephens then pulled a pistol that was concealed in his waistband and shot and killed Minnard. Thomas, hearing the gunfire, went to check on Minnard. Stephens opened fire on Thomas, and he fled the house. Thomas was caught by officers a short time later. Detectives say Thomas told them he and Minnard went to the home to commit a drug-related robbery. No drugs were found in the residence. Stephens is hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg and has not yet been interviewed by detectives. Thomas is charged at Juvenile Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of unlawful weapon possession, attempted criminal homicide, four counts of aggravated assault, and attempted aggravated robbery.


Kennedy bill could send your gun info into a massive federal database: "At long last, Teddy Kennedy has partially revealed the health care system he wants to foist on the whole country — and it isn’t pretty. It won’t be pretty for your pocket book … OR FOR YOUR GUN RIGHTS! But first, let us explain what TeddyCare is all about. At the center of the plan is what’s called a ‘universal mandate.’”

ND man shoots intruder: "Here’s the scenario: A man named Vernon Allen is sitting in his apartment late one night watching television. Shortly after midnight, a seventeen-year-old kid named Joel LaFromboise opened his door and walked in. Allen stood and asked the kid what he was doing. Asked him if he needed help. LaFromboise advanced on Allen in a manner Allen took to be combative. Allen grabbed his shotgun and pointed it at LaFromboise and again demanded that he leave. LaFromboise attempted to grab the gun from Allen. A struggled ensued, and LaFromboise ended up getting shot in the chest. At which point he staggered to his parents’ apartment, fell on the floor and died. Now the family of LaFromboise is calling Allen a murderer.... The family isn't sure why Joel LaFromboise wandered into at least three strangers apartments before his death. He does have friends in the area of Romkey Park, just down the street from the apartment complex at 1107 19th St. S. where he died. ... Police have said Allen will not face criminal charges at this time in connection with the shooting, which angers Joel LaFromboise's family."


GA: Aggressive trailer landlord shot: "Police say a tenant and her landlord got into an argument over water service being cut off.... The tenant, Shanon Eulo, says her landlord, Jesse Willis, turned off the water to her mobile home and demanded she get out. With the heat index way over 100º, heated words between Eulo's boyfriend and Willis escalated to gunfire. The shootout over the water to Shannon Eulo's mobile home happened on Homestead Avenue around 7:00PM Monday. Eulo said her landlord and next door neighbor, 46-year-old Jesse Willis, scared her when he confronted her, demanding that she move out. "He cut the water lines, so we have no water," Eulo said. Eulo's boyfriend, 36-year-old John King, repaired the broken pipes, and Willis broke them again. That started an angry argument. "My boyfriend finally hit him," Eulo said. Police say Willis went back to his house, got a .410 shotgun, and shot King's car three times, in the windshield, and the headlight. King came out of the mobile home with a pistol. "Jesse started lifting his gun up and my boyfriend shot him twice," Eulo said. Police agree John King shot in self defense, but arrested him because he is a convicted felon, and should not have a gun. John King is in jail. The landlord, Jesse Willis had surgery and is in good condition. He is charged with aggravated assault."


Guns, grades and government: "Texas is a gun-loving state. You don’t have to look too far for the proof. In 2009, a host of bills concerning gun rights made it to the floor of the Texas Legislature, and while other commentators have covered them thoroughly, it should give us a starting point to consider gun rights as a whole. Notable among this year’s legislative discussion was the passage of a measure okaying 21 year-old gun owners to carry concealed weapons onto state college campuses. The measure came two years after the Virginia Tech massacre, forty-three years after the infamous Charles Whitman shooting spree at the University of Texas, and a year after a UT student was arrested for carrying a handgun to campus."


The next generation of gun rights activists: "Now, more than ever, children are bombarded at school with anti-gun messages. Gun owners are ridiculed in the media and portrayed as either criminals or low IQ rednecks in television and the movies (except the ‘heroes,’ who are always affiliated with law enforcement or the military). Children are not taught the merits of self-defense, only to call the police and huddle under a desk until help arrives.These frequent messages attempt to mold young minds to oppose civilian gun ownership through indoctrination. If this is not countered by a pro-gun message at home, the future of gun rights will be lost.”

CA: Man wounded but fights off attacker: "An early morning shoot-out between two men in Orleans on Sunday resulted in one man shot several times in the legs and the other arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.... The deputy then went to Piola's neighbor's house to find 63-year-old Douglass James Tilden shot several times in the legs. The deputy retrieved a loaded handgun from the man's lap. A helicopter took Tilden to a hospital for treatment, and he is reportedly in stable condition. Sheriff's Office alleges that earlier, Piola went to Tilden's house and began firing at the residence. Tilden then reportedly went outside, armed with a handgun, and the two exchanged a total of 17 rounds. Piola was booked into Humboldt County jail on suspicion of attempted murder and for allegedly shooting at an inhabited dwelling. His bail is set at $500,000."


Australia: Man kills Lebanese Muslim attacker: "A 30-year-old Brooklyn man has admitted killing Mohammed Haddara on Saturday night but claims it was in self-defence. He told police in an interview and signed statement on Sunday night that he was abducted by Mr Haddara and another man and had his life threatened. He told investigators it was arranged that he would meet two men, including Mr Haddara, outside his home on Saturday night. But he claims that he was then forced into a car and threatened before he managed to escape the vehicle and was chased by Mr Haddara. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the Brooklyn man had been interviewed by detectives in relation to the shooting. "The man was not charged and was released pending further inquiries," she said... The spokesman said Mr Haddara and another man had tried to abduct the Brooklyn man but he wrestled the gun from Mr Haddara and shot him."


MD: Guard shoots man during attempted robbery of grocery store: "An exchange of gunfire between a security guard and an alleged robber at the Mars Super Market on Maiden Choice Lane and Westland Boulevard, in Arbutus, Sunday evening left the alleged robber with several gunshot wounds, according to Baltimore County police. Neither the guard nor any customers in the store were injured, police said. At 6:52 p.m. June 21, Jamison Harvey Johnson, 40, entered the store and “announced the robbery,” said Bill Toohey, a police spokesman. Johnson then walked to the store’s customer service office, where he demanded and was given an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. An armed security guard employed by Mars who was inside the store followed Johnson to the store’s entrance and confronted him, police said. Johnson, whose address is listed as “unknown” in court records, then shot at the guard, Toohey said. The guard returned fire and Johnson then ran into the parking lot and got into a green Honda Accord, Toohey said. As the gunman drove away, he again fired on the security guard, who again shot back, Toohey said. A man fitting Johnson’s description was spotted walking along Kenwood Avenue, in Catonsville, with several gunshot wounds by an officer involved in the search at about midnight, almost five hours after the gunfire occurred, Toohey said. The man was caught after a brief foot chase, police said.... Johnson was later charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and two handgun violations — one for the possession of a firearm with a felony conviction."


Canadian gun registry hasn’t “saved a single life”: “As Parliament breaks for summer, the opposition is mobilizing to stop a private member’s bill to scrap the long gun registry. Yet there is no convincing research showing that the gun registry has saved a single life. The homicide rate had fallen impressively before 2001, when the long gun registry started, but has remained relatively stable since. In 1991, the homicide rate was 2.7 per 100,000, in 1996, the homicide rate was down to 2.1 and by 2000, it had slid to 1.8. By 2005, the homicide rate had risen to 2.0. The gun registry had no impact on suicide rates either.”