Missouri: Shooting ruled 'justified': "The shooting death of a Reeds Spring man by his niece was determined to be justified by the Stone County prosecuting attorney's office this week.Prosecutor Matt Selby announced he would not file charges against Peggy Marxen, 43, who shot Icie Edward Endsley, 68, three times May 28 after he'd shot and wounded two other people. 'I determined the evidence would show that she was justified in believing he was a danger to her and to others,' Selby said. 'Obviously, he'd already shot two people and he still had the gun. The force she used was reasonable under the circumstances.' According to police reports, Marxen shot Endsley in the left wrist, left arm and upper back with a .44-caliber handgun after Endsley shot Eddie Lee Pipes, 48, of Reeds Spring, in the left forearm and Tracie Elaine Bewley, 43, also of Reeds Spring, in the leg, with a .22-caliber rifle."


Gun rights for ex-cops: "Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. yesterday initiated a state program to license retired police officers to carry concealed handguns, making Maryland one of the first states to implement new federal laws expanding gun rights for retired and off-duty officers. "This is good public policy that will make a safer state, which is why I am very proud Maryland has led," said Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican. Surrounded by officers from various local and state law-enforcement agencies, Mr. Ehrlich made the announcement at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 in Baltimore. The setting underscored Baltimore's high murder rate despite crime-fighting pledges by Mayor Martin O'Malley, a likely Democratic rival to Mr. Ehrlich in next year's governor's race. Last week, the FBI reported that violent crime in Baltimore increased 4.2 percent to 11,667 incidents in 2004, while the numbers declined in most other cities. Mr. O'Malley, who took office five years ago promising to lower the homicide rate, but instead watched the city become one of America's deadliest, was not invited to yesterday's announcement... Mr. Ehrlich's initiative buttressed the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, which President Bush signed into law last year. The act allows retired and off-duty officers who meet certain standards to carry a concealed handgun in any jurisdiction. The weapons are barred from airplanes and in other restricted places... Arizona and Idaho also have implemented the federal law.


South Africa: 17,000 appeal rejection of gun licences: "The police have received more than 17 000 appeals so far against their rejection of applications for firearm licences. ... [Director of the communication division of the police, Phuti Setati] gave the lack of sufficient motivation and criminal offences as the main reasons for turning down applications for firearm licences. Applicants did not submit adequate motivation and supporting documentation to justify their need for a particular firearm, he said. But a frustrated member of the police thinks the decision to turn down his application for a hunting gun is absurd. ... 'The licence for the gun I want to use for hunting was rejected because there was not sufficient motivation,' said the policeman.'I want to hunt. What kind of motivation do they still want?' he asked."