SELF-DEFENCE A TOUGH SELL IN PENNSYLVANIA

When a Somerset County man opened fire on two intruders at his apartment last month, killing one, he insisted he was protecting himself. Whether Matthew Eperjesi was justified remains a question for the courts at a time of nationwide debate over extending legal protection for gun owners to shoot intruders in their homes and even people threatening them on the streets. Gun rights advocates are applauding so-called "stand your ground" laws that have left anti-violence groups nervous. This year, nine states have enacted such laws, following Florida, which led the way with legislation passed in 2005.

Pennsylvania is among more than a dozen other states considering joining the trend. "People are more fearful today for their well-being than they ever have been," said state Rep. Steven W. Cappelli, R-Williamsport, who spearheaded a bill under review by the House Judiciary Committee. "I believe we should follow the lead of other states and strengthen the rights of law-abiding citizens." Cappelli's bill would allow Pennsylvanians to shoot before shooting becomes a last resort. Under current law, residents can protect themselves with firearms if placed in danger of death or serious injury, but the proposed law would relax what's commonly called a "duty to retreat."

In other words, that an intruder is breaking and entering would be proof enough that he means harm. Perhaps more controversial, though, shooters also would be exempt from facing criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits if they shoot and kill someone who is attacking them outside of the home. "We believe it is fundamental to the American way of life and everybody's right to protection," said Ashley Varner, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association. Varner said the NRA has made the "stand your ground" changes a top legislative priority.

Opponents are calling the laws "shoot first" legislation. Some even call the laws "a license to murder." "There are a lot of untrained people out there with guns and a lot of innocent bystanders that can get clipped," said Chad Ramsey, Pennsylvania field director for the Washington, D.C.-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Cappelli said great care has been taken that his bill would not backfire if signed into law. Lethal force would not be justified against law enforcement, parents or other guardians removing a child or other residents from a home or vehicle. Police and prosecutors would make the final determination on whether a shooting was criminal. "Shoot first and ask questions later? I'd say this is not the case," Cappelli said. "This isn't an 'OK Corral'-type bill. This is a bill that we think more clearly defines self-defense and the use of self-defense." Cappelli said he'd like to have hearings on the bill and get it to a full House vote soon.

State Rep. John Pallone, D-New Kensington, a member of the judiciary committee, said he supports the idea of giving homeowners more freedom to protect themselves, but he thinks the bill may be a tough sell statewide, especially in urban areas with gun problems. "I imagine that bill will be very seriously debated," he said. "At opposite ends of the state, we have very different views on how guns should be treated."

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Alabama oldster gets revenge: "A 40-year-old Lauderdale County man was shot to death late Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses told sheriff's investigators the shooting stemmed from an ongoing feud over custody of the victim's ten-year-old boy. Sheriff Ronnie Willis said Anthony Eugene Hunt was hit with several shotgun blasts as he tried to drive away from his former father-in-law's house. The shooting happened about 5 p-m at a residence in the Zip City community off Alabama 17. Willis said it appeared that 75-year-old Neler Keeton fired the shots, killing Hunt. Investigators are trying to determine whether Hunt struck Keeton in the head with a metal object. No charges were immediately filed after the shooting, but Keeton, who was treated for a head wound, was questioned."

States signing on to deadly force law

A campaign by gun rights advocates to make it easier to use deadly force in self-defense is rapidly winning support across the country, as state after state makes it legal for people who feel their lives are in danger to shoot down an attacker � whether in a car-jacking or just on the street. Ten states so far this year have passed a version of the law, after Florida was the first last year. It�s already being considered in Arizona in the case of a deadly shooting on a hiking trail.

At its core, they broaden self-defense by removing the requirement in most states that a person who is attacked has a "duty to retreat" before turning to deadly force. Many of the laws specify that people can use deadly force if they believe they are in danger in any place they have a legal right to be � a parking lot, a street, a bar, a church. They also give immunity from criminal charges and civil liability. "It�s going to give the crooks second thoughts about carjackings and things like that. They�re going to get a face full of lead," Calvey said. He introduced the bill at the request of the local National Rifle Association, and it passed with overwhelmingly support: The House agreed 83-4, the Senate 39-5.

Besides Oklahoma, the nine other states to sign on are Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and South Dakota, according to the NRA.

And there have been a few high-profile defeats, too. Police Chief Nathaniel H. Sawyer Jr. of New Hampton, N.H., said the legislation addressed a problem that does not exist. In 26 years in law enforcement, he has never seen anyone wrongfully charged with a crime for self-defense, he said. The bill would have allowed a person "to use deadly force in response to non-deadly force, even in public places such as shopping malls, public streets, restaurants and churches," Lynch said when he vetoed the legislation. Existing law already gives citizens the right to protect themselves, he said. "The only people that have anything to fear from this type of law is someone who plans on robbing, shooting or raping someone," LaPierre said.

But like Sawyer in New Hampshire, he does not see any instances now or in the past of a victim being prosecuted for failing to retreat. He sees the Florida law, and the national campaign, as an effort by the NRA to build support and keep its members riled up. "The NRA is a victim of its own successes. No political party in Florida today is going to advance any serious gun-control agenda," said Gelber, a Democrat. "What�s left is these little things which have no impact on every day life, but inspire and activate the base."

And, he argued, it gives defense attorneys a potential avenue to seek acquittal for crimes. In effect, criminals will benefit much more often than any innocent victim. "It�s going to give the guy who�s really looking for a fight, or does something totally irresponsible or venal, a defense he would not otherwise have."

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OK: Deputy gets gunman: "A young man [probable code for "black"] shot and wounded a 15-year-old boy inside a south Oklahoma City mall Saturday, then was shot and killed by an off-duty sheriff's deputy, authorities said. The gunfire erupted at Crossroads Mall shortly after 6:30 p.m. local time. The wounded boy was taken to a nearby hospital in fair condition, according to ambulance company spokeswoman Lara O'Leary. The names of the alleged gunman and the victim were not immediately released. The age of the dead youth was not immediately known, but paramedics said he appeared to be about the same age as the wounded teen.... "We had a deputy who was here who was on his lunch break and he heard a commotion downstairs, kind of like a couple of guys fighting, then he heard a gunshot," Myers said. The deputy went to a railing and looked down to the first floor of the mall where he saw a young man with a gun. "He turned around with the gun, our deputy shot him, killed the person with the gun," Myers said."

Shelton's gun grab mentality: "Oklahoma State Rep. Mike Shelton's attitude about the rights of private citizens in an emergency reflects a mentality that might better serve a police state than one of the United States, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said today. Shelton, a Democrat, was quoted by KOCO News in Oklahoma City this week arguing against legislation that would make it illegal for authorities to confiscate privately-owned firearms during emergency situations, as happened in New Orleans last year. The Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association sued in federal court to stop that gun grab."


FL: Teen shoots when intruder breaks down door: "With a man breaking through the front door, a Hollywood 15-year-old loaded his father's gun, waited for the intruder to come in and shot him, police said. Keil Jumper, 22, who police said has a long rap sheet, was later found bleeding in an area between two houses. Police said Jumper was seriously injured but his injuries didn't appear life threatening. The incident happened about 3:30 a.m. Saturday, when Jumper attempted to break down the front door, then picked up a bicycle to smash the window, police said. The sounds terrified a family of eight to 10 people who were asleep in the home, which is on South 61st Avenue in Hollywood, police said. Police said the teenager is unlikely to be charged in the case."

IL: No firearms charges against woman, 87: "An 87-year-old woman who fatally shot a would-be intruder will not be charged with a crime, even though she did not legally own the gun, authorities said Monday. On Feb. 7, Jacksie Mae King fired several shots through the front door of her house after she woke up about 2 a.m. to the sounds of someone trying to break in. One bullet hit Larry Tillman, 49, who was on the other side of the door, standing on King's enclosed porch. He lay dead on the porch in the 2100 block of Gaty Avenue for four hours before he was found by King's daughter, who came to bring breakfast about 6 a.m. Meanwhile, King stayed inside clutching the pistol. 'She was justified in using deadly force to defend herself against the threat of deadly force,' said Robert B. Haida, the St. Clair County state's attorney. King's daughter gave her the .32-caliber Colt revolver two months earlier after a man broke into King's house in December. That intruder beat her and stole some of her things. In both incidents, the telephone lines to King's house were cut, and security bars were removed from a side window. Tillman's criminal record is extensive and goes back to 1979. It includes at least two convictions for residential burglary and a robbery conviction."


A salute to guns and rights: "She's a nurse who likes target shooting and teaches gun safety classes. He's an engineer and deer hunter. When in Michigan, she'll pack a .357 Smith & Wesson for personal protection, while he sees no need to carry a concealed weapon. 'I'm usually with her,' Don Burns said, pointing to his wife, Christine. 'And she's a better shot.' The Burnses, from the Upper Peninsula town of Channing, are your quiet, ordinary, card-carrying members of the National Rifle Association -- and proud of it. Friday, the Burnses, and thousands of others like them, trooped through the Midwest Airlines Center as the NRA convention opened its three-day stand in Milwaukee."

NRA asks chiefs, mayors to sign gun seizure pledge: "Alarmed by the way authorities confiscated guns in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the National Rifle Association called on all police chiefs and mayors Thursday to sign a pledge they will never forcibly disarm law-abiding citizens. 'Mayors and police chiefs have already sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States in their oaths of office. So signing this pledge should be just as effortless,' NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said a day before the 4 million-member group opens its annual convention in Milwaukee. The nation's most powerful gun lobbying group also said it would support state and federal legislation making it a crime to forcibly disarm law-abiding citizens."


Scotland: Guns banned so knives are next: "Any person accused of carrying or using a knife who has a similar previous conviction will face prosecution before a judge and jury instead of a sheriff alone, meaning tougher sentences will be handed down. Police have also been instructed to arrest anyone caught carrying a knife and police will no longer be able to grant bail to someone arrested for such an offence - instead they will be kept in custody before their first appearance in court. Prosecutors will also routinely oppose bail in the courts if an accused has one or more previous convictions for knife-related crime. And the maximum sentence available for people caught carrying knives in public is set to increase from two to four years for cases prosecuted on an indictment - that is, before a jury. But police criticised the tougher sentences because only a tiny fraction of such cases are tried in front of a jury under "solemn" procedures. They called for a mandatory 18-month prison sentence for all those caught carrying knives, which ministers rejected."

Belgium adopts new arms law: "The Lower House of the Federal Parliament has passed new legislation to tighten controls on the sale and ownership of firearms. Some 133 Belgian MPs voted for the new rules with only two MPs from the Francophone liberal party MR abstaining. New arms legislation has been on the cards for sometime, but the legislative process has been speeded up after a teenage gunman killed two people and seriously injured a third in a racially motivated attack... The new law will forbid the sale of firearms to anyone without a gun licence. A screening process will have to be carried out before the issuing of a licence, which would only be valid for five years. Weapons will also be stamped with a serial number. This will, in turn, be registered on a central database. Applicants for a licence to hold firearms will also be required to provide a valid reason for owning such a weapon".



Waking up in Missouri: "The National Rifle Association's just-concluded convention in Milwaukee has sparked outrage in some quarters of New York, but jealousy might be a more appropriate response. The outrage seems to be directed toward members of the NRA who live outside the New York City metropolitan area and dare to like guns. Consider a recent column by Michael Daly of the Daily News. He reports on a 'jarring' encounter with one Peggy Irving of Missouri, who brought her 16-month-old daughter Katie to the convention and says she 'loves' her Smith & Wesson 9-mm lady's. He seems astonished that a mother who comes across 'as decent and amiable a person as you could ever meet' would like guns, and might even joke about how her infant daughter will one day own a firearm."


Guns of New York: A modest proposal: "It appears that Michael Daly, a writer at the New York Daily News, has a problem with guns. He writes articles decrying the '500,000 illegal handguns' that apparently flood this city. He writes with approval of Mayor Bloomberg's recent lawsuit against out-of-state gun dealers, whose legally purchased products end up involved in violent crimes in New York. In his thinking, it's clearly the gun's fault these heinous crimes were committed, not the gun user's. ... So I will offer here a modest solution to the problem of a half-million illegal handguns in New York. ... We'll offer a 'path to legalization' for these weapons. (Please don't call it 'amnesty.') Those who own these guns will be asked to simply register them. After standing in line, filling out forms, paying some fines ... these gun-owners will be henceforth 'legalized,' with full conceal-carry permits."

New Law Results in California Judge Dismissing Lawsuit Against Firearm Manufacturers: "Citing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that blocks unwarranted lawsuits against firearms manufacturers, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charles W. Stoll today ruled from the bench ordering complete dismissal of all causes of action against defendants Beretta, Smith & Wesson, Colt and Turners Outdoor Sports, a California firearms dealer, in a case involving the gang murder of a Burbank police officer."


DC: Judge throws out frivolous gun suit: "A lawsuit in the District against gun makers was dismissed today by a D.C. Superior Court judge who ruled that the suit was precisely the sort of claim that a new federal law was intended to block.In a 37-page opinion, Judge Brook Hedge wrote that the city and the federal government had two competing policies, and only one could prevail. The D.C. Council, she wrote, had determined that assault weapons have 'little or no social benefit but at the same time pernicious consequences for the health and safety of District residents and visitors.' But Congress, she wrote, 'has trumped local law by passing legislation to protect the profits of such manufacturers.'"



CA: Some great police-work: "A carload of armed robbery suspects plowed into a Sacramento police officer Monday in a crowded Natomas shopping center, injuring the officer, who managed to cling to the hood while firing shots at the windshield that killed the driver, police said. Moments later, the car crashed into a palm tree outside In-N-Out Burger, near the exit of Natomas Marketplace shortly after 1 p.m., in a surreal scene witnessed by dozens of shoppers and diners. Three dazed suspects were taken into custody as the driver's body remained in the car.

As good as their word: "The line in the sand has been drawn. Either you stand with the 2nd amendment or against it. And this time, there'll be penalties for infringing on the rights of law abiding Americans.The National Rifle Association is issuing a challenge to our nation's mayors and police chiefs: sign a pledge that you will never take the guns from those you serve. The impetus for this is obviously the confiscation of firearms from residents of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But there is a growing concern that mayors across the country are becoming the frontline soldiers in the latest fight for more gun control laws."


SC: Charges dropped against son in slaying: "The physically abusive history between Howard and Teresa Ayers was a factor in their son Shawn Ayers' fate and led South Carolina prosecutors to drop the murder charge against the Springfield teen Wednesday. The charge was filed against Shawn Ayers after he fatally stabbed and shot his father, retired Lt. Howard Wayne Ayers, on Aug. 9 on a family vacation to Myrtle Beach State Park. 'This is a classic case of not only a battered spouse, but the defense of another, and in this case, a tragic defense by a child of his mother,' Shawn Ayers' Attorney Morgan Martin said."


WV: Homeowner shoots, kills intruder: "One man is dead and another critically wounded after an alleged break-in and altercation at a Ritter Hollow residence in McDowell County. ... The 911 report 'is that two men broke into the house and started fighting with the homeowner, and the homeowner had shot and had killed one man and the other had been shot and left the scene,' McDowell County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Mark Shelton said. Thornton Toby Jones, 43, the homeowner of the house shot the alleged intruders with a 9 mm handgun."

MI: One suspect hit, two sought in store shoot-out: "With any luck, the two men who were thwarted when trying to rob a Southfield convenience store might be easy to find. They might have been wounded, according to Detective John Harris, spokesman for the Southfield police. 'And all hospitals and doctors are required to notify authorities when they treat a gunshot wound,' he said. On the other hand, the two men may have been lucky and escaped without any bullet wounds -- even though a dozen or more shots were exchanged just before 1 a.m. Sunday, when they tried to rob the Franklin Liquor and Deli in the 28500 block of Franklin. ... The marksmanship of the owner, 29, and his 23-year-old clerk from West Bloomfield, was, however, good enough that a third would-be robber was hit three times, including once in the buttocks. He was identified as Jason Scott Klemas, 24, of Romulus who stood mute when arraigned Monday at a hospital bed in Providence Hospital."


Chicago led New York on frivolous gun suits: "Mayor Bloomberg isn't the first big-city boss to pull a sting operation on gun dealers. In a 1998 probe dubbed Operation Gunsmoke, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley had undercover cops posing as gang members go into area gun stores. Grainy video shot by investigators seemed to show gun merchants gladly allowing straw purchases -- the practice of legally authorized citizens buying guns for others. The sting was a public relations success, with footage shown on '60 Minutes' and elsewhere. But the operation had less success in court, where it was used in a civil case and several criminal prosecutions. ... The sting was initially to be the centerpiece of Chicago's landmark $433 million civil suit blaming the gun industry for urban violence. The suit was dismissed by the Illinois Supreme Court last year."


Australia: Do or die couple beat invaders: "A retired Sydney baker has described how he turned the tables on armed robbers during a violent home invasion last night. He tricked the attackers into thinking they had bound him tight, then slipped free and grabbed the sawn-off shotgun they had left on a bench. The Vietnamese-Australian man, a retired baker, who does not wish to be named for fear of reprisal, told smh.com.au of the half-hour of hell he and his wife endured as the attackers beat them and ransacked their home. He also described why he felt compelled to risk his life by grabbing the loaded shotgun. "I know the reason they not cover their face,'' he said of the two robbers, whose identities were not obscured during the incident. "After they finish they will kill us.''.... One of the thieves fled out the back door immediately upon realising his victim had the gun. "The other one was in the lounge room, so I chased him. "He was hiding behind a wall and I said, 'I've got the gun! Come here! I've got the gun!' and he came out and put two hands on the back of his head'.'' He then hit the robber three times with the barrel of the gun.... The robber, bleeding from the wounds on his head, turned tail and ran through the back door and out into the rear yard, where he left a trail of blood drops on a concrete path. Police discovered a gardening glove worn by one of the offenders at the base of the rear fence, along with a large amount of blood. A dog unit was called to the scene to try to track the offenders but the trail was already cold."

CA: Man shot, killed: "Tracy Allen Norton heard noises outside his home about noon and observed a man hiding near the residence, Rabalais said. The suspect, later determined to be Scarabello, chased Norton into the residence where gunshots were exchanged between the two men, Rabalais said. Norton then went to a neighbor's home and called 9-1-1.Scarabello was one of the suspects in the home invasion robbery in April, Rabalais said. Detectives were seeking Scarabello and held a warrant for his arrest."



GA: Gun store owners deny "illegal" sales: "The owners of two Georgia gun stores accused in a lawsuit by New York City officials of selling firearms illegally denied Monday that they did anything wrong. A-1 Jewelry and Pawn Inc. in Augusta and AAA Pawnbrokers in Hephizbah are among five gun shops in Georgia that are named in the lawsuit, which also targets shops in Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. New York officials claim the shops supply guns that flow into the city, including some that end up in the hands of criminals. The suit being filed Monday asks the federal court to order supervision and extra training for the dealers. It also seeks some damages and compensation. According to authorities, A-1 Jewelry and Pawn supplied 42 guns used in New York City crimes from 1994 to 2001, including the killing of a Bronx man and a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn. Earl Driggers, the owner of A-1 Jewelry and Pawn, said his store has cooperated with authorities in a sting operation in the past, but was not a target of the probe. He believes he has always complied with the law. He said that once someone passes a background check and is sold a gun, it's impossible for gun stores to control who the buyer gives that gun to."


Gun rights advancing across the country: "Well, it's been a pretty good year so far. GOA-supported legislation has passed in several state legislatures, and in many cases, the final vote tallies have been overwhelmingly pro-gun. Good bills that have now become law would allow gun owners to 'Stand their Ground' when attacked, to carry concealed firearms in their home state, and to be free from the fear of gun confiscation during a state of emergency. The last of these the 'emergency powers' reform bills -- have been introduced at both the federal and state levels."

NC: Man shot as robbers try to loot poker game: "A Hickory man was in stable condition Monday after an early-morning poker game over the weekend ended with an exchange of gunfire, police said. Carl Edward Merritt, 66, told police the shooting happened while he was playing cards with several other men around 3 a.m. Saturday in a storage shed behind a house in the 600 block of Ninth Avenue Drive S.E. Three or four masked men, at least one of them armed, burst into the shed and attempted to rob them, police Lt. Thurman Whisnant said. Merritt pulled out his own handgun and fired but was shot twice in the abdomen, police said. The robbers ran, and Merritt went to a nearby emergency medical services building."


TX: Home invader shot four times: "A 20-year-old man was shot four times Monday while forcing his way into an apartment in southwest Fort Worth, police said. On Tuesday, he was recovering but facing assault charges. ... According to a police report, Eric Johnson, 24, answered a knock at the door of his apartment and was confronted by two men. A man later identified as Kirby pushed the door open and entered the apartment, the report said. 'That suspect pointed a revolver at the complainant and said 'you know what this is,''according to the report. Johnson grabbed the revolver and began wrestling with Kirby; he then pulled a revolver from his own waistband and fired four rounds into Kirby's body, the report said."

AZ: New self-defense law won't apply in Fish trial: "A county judge has ruled a new law that makes it easier for people to claim self defense will not be applied in the case of Harold Fish, accused of shooting Grant Kuenzli at a trailhead in Pine on May 11, 2004. In response, the defense has requested Fish's trial be put on hold until the matter can be appealed to a higher court. The judge denied that request. Coconino County Superior Court Judge Mark Moran ruled Tuesday that the new law, which changes the burden of proof from the defense to the prosecution, does not apply in Fish's case, currently in trial. The defense argued the law applies to the Fish case because the change is a procedural one, which state law allows to be applied to cases filed before the law went into effect. The prosecution argued that the law does not apply because the change is a substantive one, and therefore, because Fish was charged under the old law, the old law still applies."


Guns, gun laws, and liberty: "The heart of virtually every citizen of America went out to the family of little Kayla Rolland after a classmate took her life with a .32 caliber revolver on February 29 in Mt. Morris, Michigan. As with the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado last year, we all feel pained and distraught about such senseless violence, and we wonder what has gone wrong and what can be done to prevent any recurrences. In the wake of these tragedies, legislators in every state are taking up the issue of gun control. The challenge is to express appropriate grief and concern about these things without allowing hyped emotions, rhetorical window-dressing, or futile 'quick fixes' to rule the day. Political jockeying to prove who is most outraged by violence must not overwhelm facts, logic, and experience."

CHP buys Smith & Wessons again: "The California Highway Patrol is buying 9,700 semi-automatic pistols from gun maker Smith & Wesson Corp. in a deal the CHP says is worth $6.6 million. Delivery of the .40-caliber firearms will start in June and be completed over the next 18 months, Smith & Wesson Vice President Liz Sharp said. The new firearms will replace older Smith & Wesson pistols that CHP officers have carried as their primary service weapon since the 1990s, Sharp said. Leland Nichols, Smith & Wesson�s chief operating officer, said the Springfield, Mass.-based company was �honored� that California�s premier law enforcement agency had decided to stick with his company�s guns. �They are happy with the brand and happy with the reliability and durability,� Nichols said. �They have some units that have fired over 100,000 rounds.� The 4006TSW pistols, which weigh 37.8 ounces each, are made in Springfield and sell in stores for between $850 and $996 each, the latter the suggested retail price on the company�s Web site".


National Rifle Association convention begins Friday: "The 135th annual meeting of the National Rifle Association is expected to attract 60,000 gun advocates to downtown Milwaukee this weekend in celebration and defense of the 2nd Amendment, organizers say. Those convention-goers will come more than anything else for the "acres of guns and gear" in the exhibit halls, said Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president. Others will come to see flamboyant NRA board member Ted Nugent; still others to hear retired Gen. Tommy Franks - an architect of the 2003 Iraq invasion - deliver a keynote address Saturday night. Some will come to place an order for guns that will be shipped to their homes after they clear background checks. Many more will buy non-weapon gear that will be sold at more than 300 booths. "The convention is a celebration of the American freedom we have to own firearms," LaPierre said. "It will be an uplifting event on firearms, hunting, recreation shooting, collecting, self-defense, crime protection and defending our 2nd Amendment rights to own and bear arms. "We view ourselves as the second line of defense in defending the Bill of Rights.""


Progress in Michigan: "Michigan is closer to having more forgiving self defense laws. Lawmakers in Lansing discussed deadly force legislation Tuesday. Some groups, like the National Rifle Association, say the laws will make Michigan a safer place. Others, like Million Mom March members, worry they're a license to kill. Inside the State Senate's law committee some strong emotions provoked a little disorder. Darin Goens of the National Rifle Association said, �There is a need for this bill. People are under attack every day in this country.� Shikha Hamilton of Million Moms March said, �We have a right to self defense, but these bills do not deter crime, but invite unsavory behavior.� The sponsor of the bills supporting someone's right to use deadly force - even outside their home - is the former Eaton County Sheriff. Rep. Rick Jones of Grand ledge said, �If you actually believe you are feeling great imminent threat of death, or imminent rape� Representative Jones' proposal would also give immunity to people who kill in self defense... After today's action there were 5 affirmatives and 2 no votes. The laws will soon go to the full senate".

Air Canada alienates customers over guns: "Air Canada recently announced a new policy effective June 1, 2006: unloaded firearms will be subject to a $65 one-way handling fee because the airline views them as 'dangerous goods.' An interesting claim, given the guidelines from Transport Canada, which regulates air travel safety among other things, states in its Dangerous Goods Standard Notice No. 17 Item No. 4: 'The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR) does not regulate the transport of unloaded firearms as there are no dangerous goods present.' When questioned on the new policy, Air Canada Customer Solutions Representative Ryan Dickson stated 'The new firearms handling charge per one-way journey brings firearms handling in line with other special baggage that requires incremental manual handling.'"


The latest potshot at guns is getting me all riled up: "The New York Times, always keeping a weather eye for new evidence that guns are dangerous, reported last week that men who handle guns get more stirred up than men who handle children's board games. ... But all of this misses the point. A more insidious danger than guns is the rush to medicalize behavior. Let's stipulate that handling a gun causes testosterone levels to rise. Let's also concede that elevated testosterone levels are associated with aggression. So what? Does this tell us anything important or new? ... The important question is, 'So what?' Prohibitionists were correct that alcohol affects the brain a heck of a lot more than handling a gun does. Do we need a new study to tell us that? And when it does, should we bring back Prohibition?"

Antigun indoctrination fails: "Hans Van Themsche, an 18 year old high-school student who had just been expelled from boarding school for smoking in the dormitories, went berserk and set out on a bloody rampage in Antwerp. In the morning he shaved his head down to the neck. He put on combat boots and a black leather outfit and went to a store of sporting and hunting gear to buy a rifle. Dressed as a �Goth� he walked through town and shot at three people who crossed his path: a veiled Turkish woman, a two year old Flemish toddler on a tricycle and her black nanny, killing the latter two and seriously wounding the first. A policeman was able to neutralise the student by shooting him in the stomach. He is currently in hospital, recovering from the wound..... Luc Deprez, the schoolmaster, said that Hans Van Themsche, who turned 18 last February, was an intelligent and courteous boy. According to the judicial authorities, who questioned his parents, there are no indications that the murderer was raised �in a racist or violent environment.� The murderer�s aunt, Frieda Van Themsche, confirmed that the boy has been raised in a family where he and his brothers were even forbidden to play with toy guns."


New York looks for someone else to blame for its failed gun policies: "New York City Monday opened another avenue of attack in its fight against illegal guns, announcing a federal lawsuit against 15 out-of-state stores the city claims have sold dozens of weapons that were later used in crimes. The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the dealers knowingly or negligently sold firearms to "straw" buyers who acted at the behest of others who would have been barred by federal law from buying handguns, such as convicted felons. Their acts, the suit says, have contributed to a public nuisance that endangers New Yorkers. The dealers -- located in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia -- were singled out based on data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that the city received in 2001 and before. In recent weeks, the city hired private investigators to travel to about 45 stores and simulate straw purchases, capturing them on videotape. The 15 defendants all allowed the allegedly illegal purchases, the city said.

SAF: Junk science is bad ammo: "A study limited to 30 male students at a small Illinois college that claims handling firearms 'primes men for aggression' by raising their testosterone levels is being dismissed as junk science by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). According to the Associated Press, psychologists at Knox College put test subjects in a bare room in which they found, on a table, either a board game called Mouse Trap or a large handgun. They were instructed to disassemble either the gun or the game and write directions for the disassembly and reassembly. Researchers measured testosterone levels through saliva samplings before and after the test, and found that levels rose sharply in the men who handled the gun, but not the game. ... 'Based on this,' marveled SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, 'these people are claiming that merely handling firearms makes men more aggressive, because they want to play what amounts to a practical joke on the next guy. We're not certain what this questionable research indicates, other than the strong possibility that researchers at Knox College have far too much time on their hands, and maybe ought to think about getting real jobs.'"


India: Man fires at burglars, injures one: "An advocate in Bharuch thwarted a burglary attempt in his house early on Tuesday morning by firing at the four robbers with his licensed weapon, injuring one of them. The three others managed to escape on a motorcycle before the police arrived at the spot. According to the complainant, senior advocate Bhadrasinh Raj, the burglars had already broken into the ground-floor drawing room of his two-storey house. 'After locking myself and my wife in the bedroom I warned the robbers from inside that I will fire at them if they did not leave. When they attempted to break open my bedroom door, I fired one round,' said Raj in his complaint to Bharuch Town police. The pistol shot penetrated through his bedroom door and caught Supansingh Sikligar on his waist. As an injured Supansingh fell to the ground, his other three aides fled in their motorcycle before the police arrived."

Firearms, liberty and regulation: "Few issues in America are more controversial than guns. Yet even among hot-button topics in American public life, there is something perverse about the dynamics of the debate over guns.. Polling data for decades have shown that most Americans favor stronger gun laws. Indeed, surveys demonstrate that such policies are even supported by most gun owners. Yet pundits and political soothsayers have written off this issue because it is perceived to be a loser at the polls. Gun rights and gun control have long histories. Although both sides in the great American gun debate have claimed to have history on their side, each has presented a version of the past that is highly selective."


Female burglar cops it in Sacramento: "Mike Smith was asleep Thursday afternoon, in the bedroom of his La Riviera Drive home, when the sound of metal grating on wood entered his dream. The sound jarred him awake. Fear jabbed at him: Someone had broken into his house. He grabbed a .38-caliber Walther and his cell phone. He dialed 911 and stepped into a hallway. He saw the silhouette of a man through the blinds of his bedroom window. Then a woman walked into his foyer and looked at him with shock. Before him was a heavyset woman with brown hair pulled into a ponytail. He'd never seen her before. Smith locked eyes with her. As she stepped toward him, he cradled the phone against his shoulder, knelt on one knee, gripped the handgun with both hands and fired several times. The woman ran outdoors. The man seen at the window fled.... Smith, 37, a security consultant for a private investigator, said he was ill Thursday and sleeping with a fan cooling him and drowning out street noise. He believes the woman slipped under the garage door of the home in the 8400 block of La Riviera Drive. She apparently then entered the home through a door that was chipped away near the deadbolt. Because he believed he would be harmed, Smith said, he fired the handgun for the first time outside of a shooting range. Sacramento police dispatchers had broadcast the woman's description to officers who rushed to the scene and detained her as she ran from Smith's house. Marshall said she was treated for nonfatal injuries and was in stable condition. She has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, although her identity had not been confirmed. The male burglary suspect remains at large, Marshall said.

Stand Your Ground Movement: "Citizens For A Safer Minnesota have a most mistaken notion of that state's adoption of the Stand Your Ground movement. In their April 4th, 2006 press release, Citizens For A Safer Minnesota referred to the Florida birthplace of that movement and cited three incidents where people died in the commission of a crime. The thrust of the position is that the law promotes murder as the recent experience with its new legislation. ... Mistaken again, Mrs. Brady announces that the people of Florida are somehow identical to the criminal shooters, the hot-heads, the aggressive who shouldn't even be in possession of any weapon, madam. The acts Brady cites are likely criminal in nature, and not at all likely to meet a standard of self-defense. Her angle is that the Stand Your Ground doctrine is applied as a legal defense in indictment for criminal acts. Mrs. Brady conveniently -- intentionally, I believe -- ignores the facts that the law does not shield individuals who are part of a crime, or an ongoing altercation or shouldn't even have a weapon -- any weapon, Mrs. Brady -- to begin with. The law is much more sensible than Mrs. Brady will admit."


PA: 19-year-old shot by resident: "A 19-year-old man was shot in the chest yesterday when he allegedly broke into an apartment and got into a dispute with the resident about money, Carnegie police said. ... Around noon yesterday, a man living in the 900 block of Charles Street called Carnegie police to tell them that someone had broken into his apartment and they fought about money. He fired a shot, but didn't know if he'd hit the intruder. When police arrived at the residence, they found a .22-caliber rifle, but no gunshot victim. Then, officers learned that someone who'd been shot had just been found in front of the fire station in nearby Scott."


WA: Armed clerk saves city councilman: "Tacoma police were looking Wednesday for the driver of a late-model black Jaguar who attacked Tacoma City Councilman Rick Talbert in the parking lot of a downtown dry cleaner. Talbert, 40, said he was hit in the face and back and pushed into his pickup during the altercation shortly before noon Tuesday. The attacker threatened to kill Talbert and was reaching behind his back as if for a gun when an armed clerk came out of the cleaners and ordered the man to back off, Talbert said."

Canada: Tory crime bill prefers stabbings to shootings: "Would you rather be shot or stabbed? It's the kind of morbid hypothetical you might hear kids discussing in the bunkhouse after lights out at summer camp. Now our federal government has weighed in. For reasons not entirely clear, the people in charge in Ottawa would rather you were stabbed than shot. The federal preference for stabbing is reflected in proposed changes to the Criminal Code. The governing Conservatives want a minimum, five-year sentence imposed on criminals who use guns. Criminals who use knives, however, would face no such minimum. It figures that criminals' choice of weaponry will come to reflect this federal preference for stabbing. It figures, too, that this will tilt the odds more in favour of Canadians being stabbed than shot."


Second Amendment foes will happily twist, and shout: "Anyone who wishes to debate how our basic rights should be limited or otherwise controlled should first read the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights ['Register that computer, you subversive!' April 24]. From there, read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers.Only then will you begin to be able to rationally debate the rights, without doing so from a position of historical ignorance. The debates before the ratification of the Constitution and the many other writings of the Founders further clarify the thoughts and intents of those learned visionaries and will make critics' arguments issue from knowledge instead of inept conjecture and misinformed opinion. The best of arguments against the Second Amendment involve exaggerated statistics and illiberal interpretations made from positions of willful ignorance by those opposed to armed self-defense."

Restrictive gun laws pushing people out of big cities: "The Census Bureau has reported what amounts to a 'domestic migration' from three large cities in three key states, and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) blames much of this population flight on repressive gun laws. The Associated Press reported Thursday that, according to the Census Bureau, states losing the most people are New York, California and Illinois. 'This is no mystery,' said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. 'Those states are infamous for their anti-gun attitudes. Countless times have we heard from people who have moved from those states because they wanted to escape the Draconian gun laws.'"


OH: CHL holder shoots and kills robber: "Thursday evening Mike Dayem was in a battle for his life. A masked man entered Mike's Food Market on Cleveland's east-side with a gun and demanded money. When Mike's 19 year-old son, Abe, who also works at the store, gave the robber everything in the cash register, the robber said it wasn't enough and demanded more. Then the robber shot Abe in the head. That is when Mike grabbed his own gun and returned fire, striking the robber in the neck and chest. The robber fled from the store, leaving the money. Cleveland Police found the robber on the sidewalk about a block away. He was declared dead about 30 minutes later."

Gun bans: The Hamas/Fatah solution: "The Palestinian Hamas-led Government and President Mahmud Abbas's Fatah faction have outlawed the carrying of arms by militants. The decision has been taken at an emergency meeting in Gaza City aimed at ending a spate of armed clashes between Fatah and Hamas militants. "Anyone who carries arms will be considered an outlaw," Fatah spokesman Ahmed Hilles told a joint press conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. A total of 14 Palestinians were injured in armed factional fighting yesterday, the day after similar Fatah-Hamas clashes left three people dead in the southern Gaza Strip. "We are giving clear instructions to all the militants to end their armed initiatives and to prevent the use of arms," Mr Haniya said. He says "the Government will use all its powers to impose the law [and] justice," stressing that the meeting had "broken the ground for positive relations" between the two parties."


VA: Gunman kills one police officer, wounds two: "The fatal shooting of a detective at a suburban police station appeared to be the work of a lone, troubled 18-year-old who was targeting officers, officials said. Two other officers were wounded when the teenager opened fire in the parking lot of the suburban Washington, D.C., police station Monday. The assailant was also killed during the gunfight."

NC woman shoots and kills attacker: "A woman who shot a man dead Sunday night inside an apartment on Beamon Street did so because she feared for her life, Durham police investigators have determined. It is the second Durham shooting in less than a month to be ruled as self-defense. Officers responded to a shooting call at 6:26 p.m. at 14-C Beamon St. and discovered that the 31-year-old resident of the apartment had been shot, according to police spokeswoman Kammie Michael. Nakia Harper of Beamon Street was pronounced dead at the scene, Michael said. Investigators took a woman to Durham Police Headquarters for questioning Sunday night, and released her after determining that she believed her life was at risk when she shot Harper. The woman, whose name will be released later this week, had visible injuries, Michael said. Michael added that more details could not be released because the shooting is still under investigation"


Bounty hunters get their man -- sort of: "An attempt by a bounty hunter to apprehend a wanted fugitive went awry Monday, leading to a shooting involving Tennessee State University police that left the suspect and another man wounded, Metro police said. The shooting broke out around lunchtime at Swetts Plaza in Nashville as a bounty hunter and two siblings closed in on fugitive Juan Wilson, who was wanted on charges of domestic and aggravated assaults, probation violation and failure to appear in court, police said. Wilson, 25, had just left D Nails, a nail salon at the plaza, when he was confronted by bounty hunter Ron Moseley, his brother Stephen Moseley and half-brother Steven Hicks. Wilson exchanged shots with Ron Moseley, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said. The gunfire drew the attention of three TSU police officers who were lunching nearby at Best Wok Chinese Restaurant. "One of the officers yelled for everyone to freeze," Aaron said. "Ron Moseley turned toward the TSU officer with his gun drawn, and the TSU officer said he fired in self-defense." The officer who fired at Ron Moseley was Frank White, a field-training officer at TSU. His gunfire did not injure Ron Moseley, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, Aaron said. But in the cross-fire, Stephen Moseley was hit in the back by a bullet and Wilson was shot in the arm. It is unclear whose gunfire caused which injuries, Aaron said. After the gunfire ended, Wilson fled the scene in a car, was picked up by a relative and taken to a hospital. He will be arrested upon his release, Aaron said."

OK: Pol wants "emergency" victim disarmament: "An Oklahoma legislator said he hopes to make some changes to a new law that makes it illegal for authorities to confiscate weapons during a state of emergency. State Rep. Mike Shelton said House Bill 2696 has placed the power of the law into the wrong hands. 'During states of emergency, I think police need total control. They don't need to worry who has guns and who doesn't. If the governor calls for Oklahomans to relinquish their guns, the public needs to do so,' Shelton said. ... Shelton said his battle is not over, and he intends not only to ask the governor to veto HB2696 but also to overturn the stand-your-ground bill."


Gunshots end fight in Nevada: "Police say a man and woman got into a fight. The woman then fired shots in self-defense -- but the man was not hit. This all started just after 8:00 Saturday at a trailer park off Surge Street in Lemmon Valley. After interviewing witnesses, detectives found this was not the first time an argument ensued between these two neighbors. After the shots were fired the woman barricaded herself inside her home. Police eventually coaxed the woman out of the home after negotiating with her over the phone. Police are still looking for the male involved in the dispute for questioning. So far, no arrests have been made".


Minnesota lawmakers seek to expand self-defense rights: "Several Republican lawmakers are introducing legislation to expand the right of citizens to use deadly force against attackers. Court rulings in Minnesota have already recognized what's known as the Castle Doctrine, which is the notion that a person's home is their castle and they have a right to defend it against an imminent threat. But Representative Tony Cornish and Sen. Pat Pariseau want to enshrine that right in state law. They also want a broader definition of castle that includes personal vehicles, businesses and even public places. The lawmakers say they don't expect legislative action on the bill until next year but introduced it today to get a debate started."

FL: Teen suspects take off when homeowner gets his gun: "Police are searching for two teenagers who got a surprise when they tried to attack a man in his own home. Police said the teenagers forced their way into Bob Martin's apartment on Adriel Lane on Sunday and pointed a gun at him. But when the retired Air Force sergeant noticed it was a BB or pellet gun, he got his own real gun out and the teenagers took off. 'They come darn close to getting shot real quick. I don't like anyone putting even a toy gun in my face. Whether it's a pellet gun or toy gun I don't know,' Martin said. When the teenagers fled, they left behind the BB gun. Police were checking it for fingerprints."



TX: Homeowner fires back, kills 2 in home invasion: "A homeowner fired back, killing two suspects, when his house was the target of two home invasions in as many days, officials told KPRC Local 2 Monday.Fort Bend County sheriff's deputies said several armed suspects broke into a home in the 5500 block of Maybrook Park Lane shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday and tied up a teenage girl and her boyfriend. As the robbers were stealing a safe, the homeowners arrived, officials said. One of the gunmen opened fire, grazing the head of one of the homeowners. The crooks fled the scene. On Sunday, shortly before 10 p.m., the crooks returned for a second home invasion at the same house in the Grand Lakes Subdivision, according to deputies. The homeowner and robbery suspects exchanged gunfire, officials said. A female suspect was killed. The other suspects fled the scene. The body of a man was found dumped on the side of the road in the 20700 block of Cranfield about 30 minutes after the home invasion."

NY: Students may form campus militia: "A group of students, including Senators Brian Gold and Dan Curtis, Executive Secretary of the Senate Michael Peters, Senate Chair Justin Holmes and Student Association President R.J. Partington III, is in the process of forming a potential student militia. ... The main purpose of the militia is 'to provide a defense organization for the student body of SUNY New Paltz,' according to wikipaltz.com. 'Composed of students, it will exist to protect the rights and interests of students against all enemies, internal and external.' According to the Web site, the militia will also be established as a protection of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, ensuring the necessity of the right to bear arms."


IL: Self-defense law would trump gun bans: "Last December, Morio Billings, a 31-year-old career criminal from Chicago, broke into Wilmette resident's Hale DeMar's home and stole some house keys and a car. Less than 24 hours later, Billings was inside DeMar's house again, trying to see what else he could find. What he found was DeMar holding a handgun. DeMar, who shot Billings in the shoulder and calf, has not been charged for the shooting (Cook County prosecutors have determined it was justified), but he has been charged with violating the village of Wilmette's ban on handguns, as well as for failing to renew his Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification card. He could serve up to a year in jail. Now, a Downstate Democrat, 117th District State Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion), who called DeMar a 'law-abiding citizen,' has introduced HB 4075, which would override local handgun bans when the handguns are used in self-defense."


Gun-grabbing mayors don't want facts: "The trade association representing the firearms industry yesterday asked to be included in the 'gun summit' being held today at Gracie Mansion for more than a dozen mayors from around the nation. 'Our industry has developed programs that are working to reduce criminal misuse of firearms,' Lawrence Keane, senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, wrote the mayor. 'We would welcome the opportunity to educate mayors about these programs.' He didn't get very far. 'Are they mayors?' asked Stu Loeser, Bloomberg's press secretary, dismissing the request out of hand."

Who, me? "'Lady Liberty doesn't support the Second Amendment!' I've received emails on this topic ever since I started commenting on stories about Concealed Carry Weapons legislation in the various states. The problem? I'm not a fan of such laws. Saying so has apparently upset some gun rights advocates enough that they don't go on to see what I say with the very next breath, and that is this: We already have a CCW law in every state, and it's called 'the Second Amendment.' My point is a relatively simple one. States that pass CCW laws require that applicants jump through a variety of hoops. ... Please don't think that this means I consider training a bad idea. It's the licensing itself I consider wrong at best, and a real danger to freedom."


SC: Man charged with shooting dogs: "A Savannah man shot a pit bull ... Friday morning after he feared he was going to be attacked, according to Beaufort County Sheriff's Office reports.The man told police he was standing in his brother's garden ... when two of his nephew's pit bulls started growling at him near the entrance. The man said he was sneaking to his truck near the garden fence when the animals charged. He grabbed his semi-automatic pistol out of his truck and began walking toward the dogs, which still were growling. He then shot one of them. ... The man was charged with ill treatment of animals and discharge of a firearm within town limits. The owner of the dogs was charged with permitting domestic animals to run at large."


IL: Fatal shooting was self-defense: "Police believe a 32-year-old male resident of an apartment in the 700 block of East Golf Road, found holding an AK-47 rifle, may have been trying to protect himself after being threatened by three men. 'After that, there was a struggle over the gun and we don't believe [the resident] intentionally shot anyone,' Police Capt. Jerry Lambert said. ... Damion arrived at the home with two friends and began quarreling with the 32-year-old about money Damion thought the man owed an acquaintance, Lambert said. 'The resident was attacked ... and got out the weapon to hold off the attackers,' Lambert said. 'We're confident it was self-defense.' The man was a registered gun owner and the AK-47 was a legal weapon, Lambert said."

TN: Shooting victim faces charges: "A man who shot another man over the weekend acted in self-defense when he pulled the trigger, according to a Kingsport police detective. ... Renfro told police that he was standing in the driveway eating a hamburger on the hood of his truck when Jeffrey Scott Bishop 43, of Kingsport, approached and stood on the opposite side of the vehicle. 'He advised that Bishop was angry about not being properly compensated for work that he had done at the residence,' Kingsport Police Department Detective Chris Tincher said. Renfro told police that he was at Davis' house when Bishop had been fired from the job because she was not satisfied with the work. 'Mr. Bishop said that we are going to take care of this now and pulled a pistol from his waist,' Tincher said. Renfro also told police that he heard Bishop say he was going to kill Renfro and then began firing his weapon. Renfro, who has a valid Tennessee handgun carry permit, retrieved his own gun from his truck and fired back."


TX: Man acquitted for fatally shooting acquaintance: "A 39-year-old Fort Worth man accused of fatally shooting an acquaintance during a fight over a borrowed car was acquitted of murder Tuesday after jurors found that he acted in self-defense. ... Harris said the evidence showed that Fredrick was a violent drug dealer who had been looking for Sample for about 24 hours, trying to retrieve a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis that he had lent him. Harris maintained that Sample, who sometimes did mechanic work for Fredrick, didn't return the car because it broke down and later, after it was repaired, ran out of gas. ... Fredrick, who had been threatening to kill Sample, eventually found him in the 3300 block of Strong Avenue. Harris said Sample testified that Fredrick punched him three times and then reached into the car. As he did so, a gun fell to the ground, Harris said. At that point, Sample, believing that Frederick had a second gun, grabbed the weapon and fired twice, killing Fredrick."


Attacking gun rights does not save lives: "Much ink has been spent lately in an ongoing debate about gun rights versus gun control in the wake of the tragic shootings on Seattle's Capitol Hill a few weeks ago. While the gun-control crowd has, by its own admission, tried to capitalize on the incident for its own purposes, the gun-rights community has been digging in and defending an individual civil right that is part of both our federal and state constitutions. Lest anyone be misled, both the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 24 of the Washington Constitution protect and affirm an individual right to keep and bear arms."

CT: Gun regulators bust dealer on record-keeping : "One of the state's biggest gun dealers was arrested after federal agents say they uncovered numerous record-keeping violations at his shop, including the sale of three guns to a person charged with a felony. ... D'Andrea, a lifelong area resident who graduated from Harding High School and is a Marine Corps veteran, has operated a gun store for about 30 years at various sites. While D'Andrea has cooperated with the federal government in several cases over the years, authorities said, he also has been an outspoken critic of restrictive gun laws."


TX: Woman shoots ex-boyfriend: "A woman was accused Monday of shooting her ex-boyfriend in self-defense, KPRC Local 2 reported. Officers said the man showed up at the woman's home in the 2300 block of West Tidwell at Rosslyn at about 10:30 p.m. A fight ensued and the woman said the man went to the kitchen, got a knife and threw it at her, according to authorities. She then picked up a gun and shot him in the abdomen, police said. He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital in stable condition. Police said the shooting appeared to be self-defense."


IN: Security guard shoots would-be mugger: "A man was seriously wounded in a shooting at a Marsh Supermarket Saturday night on the city's west side. Police said a security guard shot the man as the man tried to rob a woman in the restroom of the Marsh at Lynhurst Drive and Rockville Road. Officials said the security guard ordered the gunman to stop, but the man didn't comply. That's when the guard shot the man."


Guns at work? Only the bad guys have them: "People often wonder why anyone would want to have a gun in their car at work. The answer can be found in The Daily News Journal: Shots ring out in parking lot. SMYRNA -- Gunfire split the Wednesday morning air as employees prepared to start the work day at Cumberland Swan. An employee lay shot, and the ex-husband she recently divorced is now charged with attempted murder. ... How much are you willing to bet that employees of this company are disarmed by company policy? How clear is it that said policy did nothing to stop this tragedy, and probably aided it? How clear is it that any policy of the company had no chance of keeping guns off the property? The guy was barred from having guns by law but that didn't stop him."

AZ: Senators fail to override gun seizure veto: "State senators failed by one vote Wednesday to override Gov. Janet Napolitano's veto of legislation to trim gubernatorial powers to seize weapons. The 19-10 vote -- one vote short of the necessary two-thirds margin -- came even after Sen. Dean Martin, R-Phoenix, speculated that Napolitano vetoed the measure so she could use her emergency powers to take weapons away from members of the Minuteman Project patrolling the Mexican border. Sen. Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, bolted party loyalty and agreed to override the Democratic governor. Another Democrat whose district includes a large stretch of rural Arizona, Rebecca Rios of Apache Junction, left the floor before the vote was cast. But enough other Democrats who voted for the bill last month, when there were sufficient votes in both the House and Senate to override a veto, switched their position Wednesday to narrowly keep from handing Napolitano her first override defeat."


FL: Self-defense claimed in shooting: "A Dixie County woman told investigators she fatally shot her boyfriend Tuesday night to protect herself and her children. Deputies were called to a home in the Forest Hills neighborhood, north of Old Town off State Road 349, shortly before 11 p.m. and found the body of Craig Wells, 45, according to the Dixie County Sheriff's Office. Wells appeared to have two gunshot wounds in his chest. Wells' girlfriend, Tonda Burdette, 30, apparently fired the shots, said Dixie County Sheriff Dewey Hatcher. Officers had not made an arrest in the case Wednesday, saying that Burdette and witnesses, including two children who live at the home and a relative of Wells who was visiting, claim the shooting was in self-defense."


TX: Homeowner shoots intruder: "A man being pursued by Houston police officers Wednesday afternoon was shot by a homeowner in the 9800 block of Benning. He was wounded in the leg, said Sgt. M. Peters of the HPD Homicide Division. 'He had forced entry into a house in the 9400 block of Spellman, which is the adjoining street, and they chased him out of their house into the the neighbor's backyard,' Peters said. 'The suspect then made an overt move toward his pocket, and fearing for his own safety,' the homeowner shot him, Peters said."

Concealed carry, an issue of liberty: "The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that the people have the right to keep and bear arms and that this right is not to be infringed upon by the state. The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the federal government belong to the States and the people. The Constitution places priority on personal responsibility over federal bureaucracy. Citizens are given [sic] the right to defend themselves. When there is a question of interpretation, we should err on the side of more liberty, not more legislation. ... So the debate over concealed carry is really a debate over liberty. Will the state become more powerful, or will the people become more responsible?"


South Africa: Dad screamed like never before: "More than 30 shells and the shattered windows of two cars bore testimony on Tuesday to the raging gun battle between three robbers and a young man trying to save his father. When all the shooting was over, the three intruders lay dead at the Bertrams' house they had been trying to rob in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The 23-year-old, who does not want to be identified for fear of revenge attacks, described the gunfight between him and the band of robbers to Beeld on Tuesday, just a few hours after police officers removed the bodies of the three men. ... 'The police don't protect us and the new firearms act empowers only the criminals,' said the young man. People here are tired of crime and eventually you reach a point where you realise enough is enough -- you must look after your people yourself.''

OR: Salem police say shooting death likely self-defense: "What started as an argument involving a woman, her estranged boyfriend and her current boyfriend ended with the former boyfriend shot dead Monday night, Salem police said. Jason Benjamin Scott, 31, the former boyfriend of Diana Carol Rennels, 26, was found dead by police about 9:35 p.m. at 2375 Coral Ave. NE.Police said Sean C. Dougherty, 38, Rennels' current boyfriend, who lives with her at the northeast Salem apartment, shot Scott after the 6-foot-4, 300-pound man broke through the front door of Rennels' apartment. Three children were in the apartment at the time."