TX: Teen shoots, kills 2 would-be robbers: "An overnight home invasion robbery attempt in northeast Harris County ended in a hail of gunfire that left two suspects dead. Investigators said a 17-year-old was home with his cousin when four armed men kicked in the door and started shooting. The teen pulled out a shotgun of his own and fired back at the suspects, killing two of them. Two other suspects were later caught. The 17-year-old asked to not be identified. 'Truthfully, it was either them or me, regardless of who was on the other side of that door or whoever kicked my door down, it was either him or me,' he said. 'I'm thankful to be standing here today. I thank god.'"


CA: Would-be robbers chased by shotgun-wielding victim: "Three would-be robbers apparently chose the wrong Bellflower house Wednesday. The three suspects were chased down by their intended victim, who was armed with a loaded shotgun, then caught by sheriff's deputies. The robberies entered a home in the 17300 block of Artesia Court just after 1 p.m. and tried to rob the occupants, sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Berg said. At some point, a female resident brought the shotgun to the male resident, and he chased the suspects out of the house, Berg said. There was some kind of exchange of gunfire, but no one was hit. Two suspects were quickly taken into custody a short distance away by deputies when they tried to flee, and left their vehicle behind."


VA: League to boycott gun shop: "At a time of unprecedented scrutiny, Virginia gun dealers look to at least one group for support: gun buyers. But now that a South Boston dealer has signed a settlement agreement in a New York City lawsuit, he might find his customers in the parking lot instead of at the counter. The Virginia Citizens Defense League is gearing up to boycott and perhaps picket Cole's Gun Shop, saying owner Mark Cole put their privacy in jeopardy when he agreed to let a court-appointed officer scrutinize his gun sales for the next three years."

3 home intruders shot dead in Albuquerque: "Three men who broke into homes in the Albuquerque, N.M., area in the last month were shot dead by homeowners, and police say they hope would-be robbers take the hint. The latest incident involved Raymond Gabaldon, 40, a repeat offender, who, police say, stole a car and then tried to break into a home in southwest Albuquerque. "Hopefully this is going to send a message to people who are breaking into homes," Albuquerque police spokeswoman Trish Hoffman told the Albuquerque Tribune. "They're engaging in very dangerous behavior, not only to the people they're robbing, but to themselves." None of the three homeowners involved in the shootings have been charged, though the cases are still under review by law enforcement".


Blood on Doyle's hands: "This week's report in TIME magazine offering reasons for the sharp rise in violent crime in Milwaukee, Wisconsin overlooks one significant factor, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. 'Twice in the past three years,' said CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron, 'anti-gun Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle has vetoed the single piece of legislation that would put victims on equal footing with criminals, and instead he has left citizens at their mercy.'"


Mexico: Gun-toting priest ministers to all: "This jolly 240-pound man isn't dressed in red, and he doesn't rely on reindeer to pull a sled. Instead he drives a pickup and packs a .38 pistol as he delivers toys. And though he looks like a cowboy, he's a man of the cloth. Meet Alfredo Gallegos Lara, the parish priest of tiny Chucandiro, in the central state of Michoacan, 200 miles west of Mexico City. Dubbed 'Padre Pistolas' (Father Guns), the towering, singing priest will deliver toys to the neediest children this holiday season and bring smiles in a region torn apart by heavy migration to the U.S. and a violent turf war between drug traffickers."

IL: Residents defend themselves against robbers: "Police said two men were attempting to rob a home in the 5200 block of Ohio Avenue when they exchanged gunfire with other men inside the house. Police said one of the two was Richard R. Cosey III, 28, of the 7000 block of West A Street in Belleville. Cosey died of multiple gunshot wounds. A large caliber weapon was found on the porch from where his body was removed. A second man, 25, of East St. Louis, believed to have been involved in the robbery hobbled from the scene and flagged down a passing motorist, police said. He was driven to an area hospital with gunshot wounds to his chest and leg. East St. Louis Police Captain Lenzie Stewart said that three men were inside the home on Ohio Avenue when they exchanged gunfire with the two men who were on the front porch. 'We received information that the occupants of the residence were attempting to defend themselves in what is believed to have been a robbery attempt,' Stewart said. Two of the three men were being interviewed by police."


NC: Clerk foils robbery: "Three teenagers are charged with trying to rob a Clinton Road food store Saturday afternoon. One of the teens was wounded when a clerk at Draughon Food Store shot him. ... Clerk Tony Draughon and two other men were in the store when Tarver and Carmichael, wearing red bandanas over their faces, walked in. Tarver walked to the register, pointed a silver handgun at Draughon and demanded money. Carmichael stood by the door and acted as a lookout. While Draughon was opening the cash register, he reached for a gun under the counter and began shooting. Tarver and Carmichael ran but not before Tarver was shot in the hip. ... The two ran back to a car parked on Cardinal Circle, where Campbell was waiting for them, and they drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Police arrested them at the hospital."

Ninth, 10th amendments important too: "The Ninth and 10th amendments to the U.S. Constitution don't receive as much attention as their siblings in the Bill of Rights, but they are no less important in the day-to-day lives of citizens in our community. The two amendments are similar in that they don't specifically spell out rights available to Americans. Rather they address rights and powers that had not been previously addressed by the Constitution or the earlier amendments. ... Another example of how the Ninth Amendment affects daily life is in the right to bear arms. Peter Goudinoff, a former UA political-science professor and former state legislator, said most people cite the Second Amendment, which specifically grants the right to bear arms, as the reason gun ownership is legal. But Goudinoff said the right of self-defense, which is protected by the Ninth Amendment, is what actually gives people the right to have a means of self-defense, meaning they can possess a gun."


TX: Resident shoots man on his property: "The two warning signs at Abel Sisneros home should be enough for trespassers. The sign of the front door says: 'Warning. Nothing inside is worth risking your life for. Owners of this property are armed and highly skilled to protect life, liberty and property from criminal attacks.'And consider the sign on the front window: 'No trespassing. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.'But Sisneros, 25, said Thursday he still had to shoot a man in his home early Thursday after the man broke down the front door and entered the home. 'With all those signs, he still tried to get in,' said Sisneros, an AutoZone sales manager who goes to the firing range at least once a month. 'I can't believe it.'"

OK: Man shoots, kills intruder: "Norman police said a man was shot and killed Thursday after breaking into a northeast Norman home. Responding to a 911 call from the resident, police said they found the body of Keith Dewayne Robinson, 23, in the home about 11:45 p.m. Capt. J.D. Younger said the resident told officers he returned home from work about 11:30 p.m. and found Robinson inside. The man told detectives he fought with Robinson and then shot him."


AZ: Car burglar shot at outside bar: "Police are searching for a burglary suspect who prompted a shooting outside a Scottsdale bar. A security guard at the Club Tropicana, 7043 E. McDowell Road, fired at least one round at the man after spotting him breaking into a black Chevy Suburban at 2:20 a.m. Sunday, police said.It was unclear if the man or the stolen vehicle were struck by the guard's gunshot. The vehicle has not been located."

CA: Woman holds burglars, police confiscate her gun: "Sheriff's deputies went to a home in the 300 block of Beardsley Avenue at about 12:30 p.m. Monday, according to Sgt. Richard Wood. Resident Jessie Bower, 68, had seen two males on her back lot and confronted them with a pistol. Bower, who is not in good health, held the two intruders at gunpoint until deputies arrived, Wood said. Joshua Holman, 23, and an unidentified 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy. Deputies seized Bower's gun, which was not properly registered, but did not cite her, Wood said."


SC: Murder charges dropped: "A man won’t be tried on murder charges after he shot and killed a young father late Tuesday night, according to the Rock Hill Solicitor’s Office. Family members say 21-year-old Lionel Chiles went to confront Rick Hall outside a house on Calhoun Street, and then attacked him. Hall fired a shot, hitting Chiles in the neck. Chiles’ 2-year-old son, who was sitting in a car nearby, witnessed the shooting. “This is something that this child is going to have to live with, because regardless of age, they do remember,” said Chiles’ mother, Alberta Barnette. Hall’s father says his son was only defending himself. “He’s innocent. It was self defense,” he said. “It was self defense; he was just protecting himself." The solicitor’s office agreed on Wednesday afternoon, and police dropped murder charges against Hall. Officers say Chiles was unarmed, but because the attack happened on Hall’s property, he was allowed to defend himself.... A law recently passed in South Carolina now makes it easier to prove self defense when it involves the defendant’s property."

AL: Four arrested in home invasion: "Police arrested two men and two women in connection with a home invasion Monday at 2416 Springhill Road after the homeowner exchanged gunfire with intruders. It was the second home invasion in the city within 12 hours. ... Lorenza Elliott Sr., 66, said he and his son, Lorenza Elliott Jr., 28, were at home shortly before 11 a.m. Monday when his son saw four people -- two men and two women -- brandishing guns on his front porch. ... Elliott Sr., a former Decatur police officer, said he was retrieving his .357 Magnum pistol out of the bedroom when the intruders kicked in his door and accused his son of breaking into their home across the street on Eastland Drive. ... 'The door just flew open.' Elliott Sr. said he told the intruders that his son was not involved in any burglary, then one of the men fired a shot, hitting the doorframe. Elliott Sr. said he then fired back, and the intruders retreated to their home on Eastland."


A triumph for San Francisco gun control: "A police officer died early Saturday after he was shot during a gunfight that also left a suspected fugitive dead in the city's Sunset District, police said. Bryan Tuvera, a 4 1/2-year department veteran, was rushed to the emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital Friday night and pronounced dead just after midnight. "Tragically, he died from his injuries," said San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong. The incident began around 8:15 p.m. as Tuvera, 28, and his partner tried to serve a felony warrant on a suspect described as armed and dangerous. The two officers chased the suspect on foot to a garage, where the suspect fired at them, shooting Tuvera in the head, police said. The second officer returned fire. The suspect, wanted for escaping from a correctional facility, died at the scene."

OH: CCRKBA applauds veto override: "The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today offered its congratulations to the Ohio State Senate for overriding anti-gun Gov. Bob Taft's veto of concealed carry reform legislation, by a vote of 21-12. In overriding Taft's veto, Ohio has effectively become a state in which residents will enjoy the benefits of preemption, meaning that local governments can no longer adopt differing, and often contradictory, firearms regulations. CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb called the vote 'a common sense move that will eliminate confusion among private citizens and peace officers.'"


Britain. The middle classes are tooling up: "Owning a weapon is becoming a habit for rural homeowners who feel unprotected now that so many police stations have closed. I have never seen a police car in my village and violent crime in the county, of course, is up. Baseball bats, swords, machetes, Mace and firearms are kept beneath the bed or close to hand by many people. In spite of Tony Blair's legislation against handguns, lethal weapons are easy to acquire in the countryside. They aren't perceived as a problem because they are kept secretly for emergencies, rather than to show off to rival drug-dealers. ... Could we be seeing the first signs of a militant middle class which has had enough and is beginning to arm itself? Perhaps."


Indonesia bans guns: "National Police chief Gen. Sutanto has issued orders for police officers to withdraw some 4,000 firearms from civilians and revoke their permits in order to prevent the weapons being used in crimes. 'We used to give permission to civilians to possess firearms for self-defense. But as of now civilians can no longer carry firearms,' Sutanto said after welcoming new graduates at the Bhayangkara Police Academy in Semarang, Central Java."

An old-fashioned gal: "Liz Hurley turned down jewellery in favour of a pair of shotguns for her birthday. The actress-and-fashion designer rarely graces a red carpet unless she is dripping in expensive jewels, however, when she turned 41 in June she had an unusual present request. She told Ultra magazine: "For my last birthday I was offered jewellery or shotguns. I chose the guns." Liz was reportedly given a pair of Spanish 12 bores."


GOA's Gun Rights Report for 2006: "There's a lot of danger looming on the horizon. When the next Congress is sworn in January, a committed gun hater and supporter of gun confiscation, Nancy Pelosi, will take the reins in the House. The democratic congresswoman from California is rabidly anti-gun. She holds an F- rating from Gun Owners of America and has consistently championed socialist 'values.' The new Majority Leader in the Senate, Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, also holds an F- rating from GOA."


If women have the right to an abortion, I have the right to a firearm: "The attempts by liberals to twist and shape the Constitution to fit their political ideology never ceases to amaze me. During a recent discussion that touched on several topics, several very liberal women claimed they have a 'constitutional right' to an abortion, even though the right is not enumerated in the Constitution, but individuals do not have the right to own a firearm because the right enumerated in the Second Amendment pertains to the militias of the several States. In other words, the unenumerated right to an abortion is constitutionally protected from government intrusion but the individual right to own a firearm is not constitutionally protected because it is not enumerated."


OK: Gun-toting Tulsan nabs burglary suspect: "A Tulsan captured a man inside his garage Monday and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Police were called to the 1100 block of South Atlanta Place to investigate a report of gunshots about 7:45 a.m. Monday, an arrest report shows. When they arrived, they found a man holding a burglary suspect at gunpoint. The man told police that he saw someone in his garage stealing tools and toys, so he got a gun and confronted the intruder. Later, police found that the burglary suspect's vehicle had been reported stolen. Police arrested Anthony Shelton, 46, on two complaints of second-degree burglary after a former felony conviction, and one count each of possession of stolen property and possession of a stolen vehicle."

Celebrating guns: "Although Mike Adams is not really a libertarian (but he gets closer with each month), his recent column is worth sharing with Libertarians and those you want to see move in the direction of liberty, as we near Bill of Rights Day and Christmas. He does indeed point out one of the best ways to convert someone from liberalism (that is, the modern poor excuse or liberalism that is really authoritarian but claims to be politically correct) to at least middle-of-the-road (Nolan Chart) if not much closer to the top: give them a gift of love and life – a gift that may indeed save their life or that of a friend or loved one, and that will show them that the hoploclasts and hoplophobes are wrong in every way. And your gift will be a gift that produces not just a better person, but a better society, one person at a time. To that end, I give you “The Christmas Gun Song” – inspired by the Christmas classic and Professor Mike Adams, champion of our right to defend ourselves. Feel free to include it on a card with the gift-certificate telling them that you’ll go downtown with them and plunk down some money so that they can get a gun to protect themselves and others. I know that might be a lot of money, but just how much is a friend worth, anyhow?"


TX: Resident says he shot man during break-in: "A man was in surgery Tuesday after he was blasted with a shotgun during what the shooter described as a break-in at an east-side residence, police said. ... A resident told police that he was in the process of moving out of the home, Sullivan said. He said he was concerned about his property because he had heard of recent burglaries in the neighborhood and went to the house with a friend to check on things, Sullivan said. The man told police he heard a noise coming from inside a detached garage, Sullivan said. He said he grabbed a shotgun, went inside and found a burglar, Sullivan said. 'It appears the property owner shot the suspect who, he said, was in the process of stealing from him,' Sullivan said."

South Africa: Cheers for instant justice: ""This is what it has come to - while two would-be robbers lay dying in the street outside a Joburg restaurant this week, their potential victims looked on and laughed.The instant justice dealt out to the gangsters, and another of their comrades also shot dead inside the restaurant, was greeted by cheers not only in crime-ridden Gauteng but all over the country, as citizens cried "Enough!" and got ready to take on their tormentors.... A police reservist who was a patron at the Buck & Hog pub in Emmarentia on Thursday night pulled out a gun and opened fire as a gang of three armed robbers were robbing and pistol-whipping customers. One robber died instantly inside the restaurant and the other two collapsed in the street outside. Beeld newspaper quoted one of the patrons as saying: "They died slowly. We all stood and laughed at the f**kers."


South Dakotans No. 1 in permits to conceal guns: "More than 41,000 South Dakotans have permits to carry handguns or conceal them in their cars - the highest rate per capita in the nation, an Argus Leader analysis shows. Records compiled from the state - and now barred from public view, under a law passed this year by the Legislature - show that 7.4 percent of South Dakota adults had such a permit as of June 30. Next closest are Indiana and Pennsylvania, with 6.4 percent of adults licensed to carry a handgun."

SC: Summerville man dies after being shot: ""About 3 a.m. Sunday, Gadsden broke down the front door at a home on Rocky Mount Road where his former girlfriend, Fareeda Sims, and her current boyfriend, Jason L. Washington, were asleep, said Lt. Chris Cowan, Richland County Sheriff's Department spokesman. Washington, of Columbia, woke up and argued with Gadsden, Cowan said. Washington then took out a handgun and fired several shots, striking Gadsden, who died inside the house, Cowan said. No charges have been filed, but Cowan said the case is under investigation. In May, the Richland County Sheriff's Department charged Gadsden with criminal domestic violence in an incident involving Sims, Cowan said."


TX: Would be robber fatally shot: ""Police said that two armed people who had their faces covered walked into Evans Ice House at 2908 Mission Road and demanded money from a clerk.The clerk, though, didn't comply with the would-be robbers' demands and instead opened fire on them, police said. A little later, a man showed up at Southeast Baptist Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest.He was then transferred to Wilford Hall Medical Center, where he died."

Antigun NY newspaper: "Dozens of readers have taken issue with The Journal News over its decision to run a list of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties as part of a wider investigative article. The names of more than 30,000 licensed handgun owners were posted online as part of "Falling Through the Cracks," the paper's Dec. 10 report that found that thousands of registered handguns were unaccounted for because there is no system to secure the weapons of permit holders who die. The articles can be found by clicking the "Gun Control" icon at www.lohud.com. Some readers, particularly those on the list of licensed pistol owners, suggested that the newspaper erred in publishing the names. They said it may target their homes for theft, although the paper did not publish their home addresses. The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association reacted by posting what it thought were home addresses and telephone numbers of newspaper staff members. The list inadvertently included addresses of people not associated with the newspaper or the articles."


FL: Suspects pose as police in invasion: "Four men broke into a home in the 5500 block of 47th Court East Saturday morning. One of the suspects was shot by the homeowner, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "Four guys busted into a house on the east side of town screaming they were the police," said Lt. John Baroncelli of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. The incident happened at about 4 a.m., Baroncelli said. The suspect shot by the homeowner was apprehended when he was dropped off at Manatee Memorial Hospital for treatment.The sheriff's office will not release information on how many times the suspect was shot, only that he was in stable condition."

CA: Aggressive intruder shot and killed: "A Sonoma County man shot an intruder who smashed a window and entered his house early this morning in unincorporated Sonoma County near Cloverdale, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department reported today. The victims, 53-year-old Gerald Steckmyer and 48-year-old Carla Steckmyer, told deputies that they were awakened by a man jumping up and down on the hood of their car shortly before 3 a.m. Gerald Steckmyer opened a window and told the man to stop jumping on the car. The suspect then got off the car and walked toward the house. The Steckmyers called 911 and remained on the phone as the suspect tried to open the front door. When he failed to open the door, the suspect broke out a front window of the home with a five-gallon water bottle and entered the home carrying the bottle, the sheriff's department reported. The suspect was walking through the house toward the Steckmyers, who were in the master bedroom, when Gerald Steckmyer grabbed a handgun and fired at the suspect, stopping him just outside the bedroom door, the sheriff's department reported. The suspect, whose name is being withheld pending identification and notification of his family, was described as a man in his 20s. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Sonoma County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Satterwhite said the shooting appears to be a ``justifiable homicide.''


TX: Store clerk fights back: "The clerk was undeterred by the masked assailant he spotted in his store's surveillance camera. Grabbing his own gun, the 37-year-old met him outside, and the two fired shots at each other."It's like the old West again," a detective said.Police made the shooting on the 1000 block of Culebra Road minutes later, at around 10 p.m.The clerk was shot in the leg and taken to an unknown hospital in good condition.The assailant, however, fled. Police don't have a good description of his get-away car. But some vindication remained from the ordeal: He also left penniless."

Indiana homeowner a better shot than invader: "A homeowner who police say shot and killed an intruder on the Westside early Monday was the victim of a home invasion robbery six weeks ago. In October, Eric Williams, 36, was robbed by two armed intruders. On Monday, police say, Williams fired a .40-caliber handgun and killed an intruder who busted through his door. "Right now, it's going to be treated as a home invasion, a property owner defending himself and his property," Indianapolis Police Department spokesman Sgt. Matthew Mount said. "Every homeowner has the right to protect himself in his home." ... Williams told police he heard someone breaking into the home he shares with his sister in the 200 block of Tremont Street about 2 a.m. Williams grabbed his handgun, which police say he legally owns, and confronted the invader. Williams fired several shots, police said, and the intruder returned fire from a 9 mm handgun. Williams hit the suspect while the suspect's shot hit a door casing, police said. The suspect fled. Police found him in an alley about a half-block north of the home. Mark D. Yant, 22, 600 block of North Exeter Avenue, was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Marion County coroner's office. Police records show Yant was arrested in September for disorderly conduct and impersonating a public servant."


NM: Nutcase home invader shot dead: "A La Madera man may not face charges after deputies say he shot and killed a man who was invading his home in the East Mountains. Christopher Mack, 23, was killed Thursday night. Deputies say Mack broke into a La Madera home around 8 p.m. Thursday. The homeowner called deputies, but by the time they got there, Mack was dead. Deputies say the homeowner shot the man in self-defense, so the homeowner may not face charges. Mack’s mother, Patti Scherer, told Eyewitness News 4 he was diagnosed with schizophrenia three years ago. She says she’s been trying to get him help ever since. “He may have been confused, trying to find his way home,” she said. “Maybe he assumed he was in his house, and this man was a stranger in his house.”

Conclusions of Australian Gun Law Report disputed

Below is a press release from CLASS -- the Coalition of Law Abiding Sporting Shooters (Australia) -- dated December 14, 2006. It refers to a research report that was also criticized on this blog on 15th.

The results of a recently released report into Gun Law Reform in Australia since 1996, prepared by Philip Alpers and Simon Chapman and published in Journal of Injury Prevention, have been vigorously disputed by a pro-gun activist group, whose membership includes Doctors, academics and researchers. President of CLASS Action, Peter Whelan summarised the complaints:

"When Prime Minister John Howard forced through his Gun Control Laws, he admitted, "I can't guarantee that these laws will prevent another mass murder." For the Prime Minister and others, to now claim otherwise in retrospect is the height of audacity and arrogance", commented Whelan.

Since 1996, there have been several mass murders, such as the Childers backpackers' fire, the Snow Town murders and several cases where parents killed their children and themselves, by car exhaust." "The fact that those mass murders were not carried out with a firearm, makes them no less a tragedy, but this report ignores such events", explained Whelan. "To credit the 1996 Gun Laws with a drop in death by firearm is to blatantly ignore all the other influencing factors, which have occurred in Australia, during the past ten years!"

Whelan referred to a report issued by the Australian Institute of Criminology, (Facts and Figures 2005) which highlighted that Serious Assaults have been increasing at 6% per year, since 1995, which was FIVE TIMES the population increase! A.I.C report no. 46, Homicide Monitoring, stressed that advances in emergency medical care had helped serious assault victims who would otherwise have died. Whelan explained that, "To claim that the gun laws saved those lives, is an insult to those in the Medical Profession, who work so hard to efficiently save the lives of victims of crime." "Furthermore, the OECD report 2005, found that Australia ranked number one among developed countries, in crime victimisation.

Australia now has an estimated 200,000 private security guards, most armed with handguns, on patrol at our railway stations, clubs and shopping centres. The report makes no reference to the effectiveness of those armed guards, on having reduced the likelihood of mass murders."

Other conclusions referred to in the report are also in error, claimed Whelan. "To say that taking a semi-automatic (multiple shot) firearm from someone intent on suicide, will somehow stop that person committing suicide, is bordering on stupidity! Firstly, suicide with a firearm involves a single shot! Secondly, a depressed, suicidal person will find another method, be it rope or car exhaust, if a firearm isn't available.

The many reports of suicides, following the 1996/97 buy back, as gun owners witnessed their family heirlooms, or favourite shotgun crushed, are confirmed in the figures contained in the Alpers and Chapman report. Whelan explained, "Non-firearm suicide rates increased dramatically, in the years 1997 and 1998. The rate per 100,000 pop. had been around 10.00, but in those two years it increased to 12.91 and 13.09! We would expect that those who supported the gun crushing program would spare a thought for the families of those who died so needlessly after having been accused of being criminals." "If the $One Billion wasted on gun crushing had been spent on improvements in Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs, the Australian Community would have been a lot better off", claimed Whelan.

CLASS Action, along with other shooting groups, also disagree with the reference contained in the report to "removal of 700,000 guns", which were destroyed during the buy back. "Most gun owners who had to hand in an old banned, semi-automatic rabbit rifle, or fox gun, received over-valued amounts in payment. They simply used that money to buy a new gun and in many cases bought two or three new guns, so they could continue to enjoy their sport." explained Whelan.




Update:

On 7th I posted the following report:

Bullets stop drunken attack: "Police said that the fatal shooting of an Indiana County, Pa., man early Sunday in Accident apparently was the result of self-defense. Lt. J.D. Murphy of the Garrett Bureau of Investigation said that 29-year-old David Wayne Lancaster of Saltsburg died at Garrett Memorial Hospital in Oakland after he was shot three times with a .22-caliber handgun fired by Norris Rush, 52. The shooting occurred at 4:31 a.m. in the kitchen of the Rush residence on Friendsville Road after Lancaster grabbed a butcher knife and inflicted a deep wound to Rush's hand. Rush then discharged the handgun at close range, striking the victim in the stomach and chest. Rush reportedly declined medical treatment at the scene. Police said Billie Jo Zimmerman was also present at the time of the shooting and that all three people appeared to be "extremely intoxicated." Lancaster, Rush and Zimmerman were said to be friends. Zimmerman was not injured. Police said there was no record of prior domestic complaints at the Rush residence. Maryland State Police responded to the scene and following preliminary investigation, the case was forwarded to GBI.

A new report on the same matter is as follows:

"The recent shooting death of David Wayne Lancaster, 29, Saltsburg, Pa., is still under investigation, and has not been ruled self-defense as previously reported. Police responded to a residence on Accident Friendsville Road Dec. 3 for a domestic-related shooting. Further investigation revealed that Lancaster had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. He was transported by Northern Rescue Squad to Garrett County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:31 a.m. His body was transported to the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore for an autopsy. According to police, witnesses have been interviewed, and the investigation is continuing. "I am satisfied this investigation is being handled by trained, experienced police officers," said Lisa Thayer Welch, state's attorney for Garrett County. "When all evidence has been collected and reviewed, appropriate action will be taken. The analysis of forensic evidence can take weeks so it is premature for any conclusions to be made."




Arizona man shot after entering wrong house: "A Mesa man is recovering this morning after he entered the wrong house while drunk and was shot by an Ahwatukee homeowner, police said. The 34-year-old man, whose name was not released by police, began pounding on the homeowner's door at 3:15 a.m. in the 4100 block of East La Puente Avenue near 48th Street and Elliot Road, causing the homeowner to wake up, police said. The homeowner, armed with a handgun, opened his front door and two men, who had been drinking heavily, pushed their way into the house, police said. The homeowner ordered them out, but they refused and began to physically fight, police said. During the fight the gun accidentally [Well ....] went off and shot the man in the abdomen and arm, police said. The man and his 38-year-old friend were looking for his wife's house, police said. After police arrived one of the men told them it "was a big misunderstanding," police said. No charges have been filed against the homeowner, but police are submitting a report for possible trespassing charges against the victim, police said. The victim is in stable condition, police said."

The great equalizer

A good editorial below:

Unless you get upstate New York television stations on your satellite dish or surf TV stations' Web sites, you probably haven't heard about what happened to Raymond and Joyce Papin.

On Dec. 4, the couple had retired for the evening when they heard a noise in their house on the outskirts of Alexandria, a town of about 4,000 on the St. Lawrence River. Mr. Papin, 82, got up and found two masked men in camouflage clothing poking around his kitchen, according to WWTI-TV Channel 50. When the robbers demanded money, Mr. Papin smashed the smaller of the two in the face with a sugar bowl, and a struggle ensued.

Seconds later, Mrs. Papin, 74, entered the kitchen packing a shotgun and told the intruders to beat it. They obliged. The Papins were shaken by the incident, but uninjured. The criminals likewise were unharmed, but also went away empty-handed. The thugs figured the Papins would be easy marks because they are elderly and live on a farm a good distance from the village. What they didn't figure on was the shotgun.

Criminologists estimate at least 2 million crimes a year in America are thwarted in just this manner: armed citizens use guns to defend themselves and their property without ever firing a shot. Unfortunately, most media outlets don't consider this news, so almost all the incidents go unreported. But think how many more crimes could be averted if anti-gun politicians weren't so obsessed with making the job of criminals easier by disarming upright citizens.





Minnesota: Crazy ex-boyfriend shot: "A Wright County man broke into his ex-girlfriend's home in Rockford before dawn Wednesday and was shot to death by her new boyfriend, authorities said. The couple called Wright County deputies and reported the shooting about 3:30 a.m. When deputies arrived, Erik A. Richter, 35, of Watertown was dead in the home, according to a news release. He had been charged in November with making terroristic threats against the new boyfriend. Samantha E. Simons, 21, told police that she and her 30-year-old boyfriend were awakened when Richter forced his way into her home, said Lt. Todd Hoffman of the Wright County Sheriff's Office. The couple told authorities that Richter was shot in self-defense, Hoffman said. Deputies questioned the Rockford couple Wednesday but made no arrests. Hoffman said there was no struggle before the shooting in the 8800 block of Walnut Place, but he wouldn't say if Richter was armed. He said more details will be released Thursday when County Attorney Tom Kelly is expected to announce whether charges will be filed in the shooting. The young child of Richter and Simons was in the house when Richter broke in Wednesday, Hoffman said. The break-in violated conditions of Richter's release from jail on the terroristic threats charge."

CONTRADICTORY RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM AUSTRALIA: With comments at the foot of the post

First one recent research summary:

Half a billion dollars spent buying back hundreds of thousands of guns after the Port Arthur massacre had no effect on the homicide rate, says a study published in an influential British journal. The report by two Australian academics, published in the British Journal of Criminology, said statistics gathered in the decade since Port Arthur showed gun deaths had been declining well before 1996 and the buyback of more than 600,000 mainly semi-automatic rifles and pump-action shotguns had made no difference in the rate of decline.

The only area where the package of Commonwealth and State laws, known as the National Firearms Agreement (NFA) may have had some impact was on the rate of suicide, but the study said the evidence was not clear and any reductions attributable to the new gun rules were slight. "Homicide patterns (firearm and non-firearm) were not influenced by the NFA, the conclusion being that the gun buyback and restrictive legislative changes had no influence on firearm homicide in Australia," the study says.

In his first year in office, the Prime Minister, John Howard, forced through some of the world's toughest gun laws, including the national buyback scheme, after Martin Bryant used semi-automatic rifles to shoot dead 35 people at Port Arthur. Although furious licensed gun-owners said the laws would have no impact because criminals would not hand in their guns, Mr Howard and others predicted the removal of so many guns from the community, and new laws making it harder to buy and keep guns, would lead to a reduction in all types of gun-related deaths.

One of the authors of the study, Jeanine Baker, said she knew in 1996 it would be impossible for years to know whether the Prime Minister or the shooters were right. "I have been collecting data since 1996 . The decision was we would wait for a decade and then evaluate," she said. The findings were clear, she said: "The policy has made no difference. There was a trend of declining deaths that has continued." Dr Baker and her co-author, Samara McPhedran, declared their membership of gun groups in the article, something Dr Baker said they had done deliberately to make clear "who we are" and head off any possible criticism that they had hidden relevant details. The significance of the article was not who had written it but the fact it had been published in a respected journal after the regular rigorous process of being peer reviewed, she said.

Politicians had assumed tighter gun laws would cut off the supply of guns to would-be criminals and that homicide rates would fall as a result, the study said. But more than 90 per cent of firearms used to commit homicide were not registered, their users were not licensed and they had been unaffected by the firearms agreement. Dr Baker said many more lives would have been saved had the Government spent the $500 million on mental health or other programs rather than on destroying semi-automatic weapons. She believed semi-automatic rifles should be available to shooters, although with tight restrictions such as those in place in New Zealand.

The director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, Dr Don Weatherburn, said he was not surprised by the study. He said it showed "politicians would be well advised to claim success of their policies after they were evaluated, not before".

Source

And now a second recent research summary

The risk of dying by gunshot has dropped dramatically since the gun buyback scheme was introduced after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, a new report says. Dr Philip Alpers, a University of Sydney academic who helped write the report, said the buyback saw the number of gun deaths a year fall from an average of 521 to 289, "suggesting that the removal of more than 700,000 guns was associated with a faster declining rate of gun suicide and gun homicide".



The Prime Minister, John Howard, introduced some of the world's toughest gun laws after the massacre, forcing people to surrender semi-automatic rifles, which reload each time the trigger is pulled, and pump-action shotguns.

The new report, titled Australia's 1996 Gun Law Reforms: Faster Falls in Firearm Deaths, Firearm Suicides and a Decade without Mass Shootings, finds that in the 18 years before the gun buyback there were an average of 492 firearm suicides a year. After the introduction of the buyback scheme, that figure dropped to 247 in the seven years for which reliable figures are available. The report also found the rate of gun homicides fell from an annual average of 93 in the 18 years before 1996 to an annual average of 56.

The latter finding contrasts with a report published in October which found that half a billion dollars spent removing guns had virtually no effect on homicide rates. That report - by two Australian academics, Jeanine Baker and Samara McPhedran, and published in the British Journal of Criminology - said gun homicide deaths were falling well before the buyback and the rate of decline hardly changed with the new laws.

Dr Simon Chapman, another author of the latest study, agreed that the rate of gun homicide was falling before the buyback. He said that while the rate had risen since then, the numbers involved were so small they were not statistically significant. The most important impact of the buyback was that there had been no mass shootings. He said 112 people had been killed in 11 mass shootings in the 10 years up to Port Arthur, and removing the semi-automatic weapons used in those shootings was a principal aim of the policy. It was "bordering on academic dishonesty" for Dr Baker and Ms McPhedran not to have included that fact in their paper, he said.

The director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, Dr Don Weatherburn, said that while the two papers might seem to be in conflict, they were not. "Both found that the rate of gun suicide declined faster after the gun buyback and neither found any significant difference in the rate of decline in gun homicide before and after the gun buyback," he said. "The Chapman paper points out that there has been no mass shooting since the gun buyback. The earlier paper should have mentioned this, but didn't. "The results on gun suicide and mass shootings are enough reason to be very cautious about reducing the restrictions on gun ownership."

Source

One look at the graph reproduced above tells you all you need to know. Despite clever use of colours, it is clear that the red line (gun deaths) could best be summarized by a straight line -- in other words no effect of the new gun restrictions. So the major conclusion of the research summarized immediately above is simply a statistical fiddle.

The secondary conclusions -- that gun suicides have declined -- tells us nothing useful unless suicides overall have declined -- and that is carefully not mentioned. If people now are more likely to suicide by jumping in front of trains, is that an improvement?

The third point about mass murders is based on a very small sample size and such samples very often produce unreplicable results. In my own research, I have seen hugely high (and statistically significant) effects drop to negligibility by moving from a small sample to a large one.

I might add that this study adds further to the reputation for medical journals in general and British medical journals in particular to publish results on the basis of their political correctness rather than for their statistical rigor. My Food & Health Skeptic blog repeatedly draws attention to dodgy medical statistics and it was another British medical journal that published the scientifically ludicrous estimates of Iraqi civilian deaths.

It might be noted that generalizations about guns from the USA to Australia and vice versa are risky. Unlike the USA, Australia does not have a large violence-prone black population so few Australians feel the need to own a gun for personal protection. Gun ownership or not does therefore not prove much in Australia. It might also be noted that the Australian gun laws have large loopholes so that anyone who really wants to own a gun can in fact do so legally. A certain Australian person I know owns three Browning machine-guns legally! Beat that!

Battle with invaders in Cape Coral, Florida: "Two men were arrested after an apparent shoot-out early Wednesday morning in a Southeast Cape neighborhood. Arthur Starling Horton, 20, and Corrye A. Powell, 19, are suspected of attempting to get inside a residence where a man was babysitting his 18-month-old niece. The victim, who is not named in the arrest reports, reported hearing blinds moving around 5:45 a.m. and thought the dog was trying to come in. That's when he told police he saw a man trying to get in the door, pointing a gun at him and demanding to be let in. The victim began yelling for his girlfriend to come and get his niece and wake up others that were in the house. The girlfriend woke up and saw two men with guns standing in the driveway. Another person at the house handed the victim a gun for protection, and the victim took off running, apparently to get the men with guns away from his house and his young niece. "The victim states he ran from his residence into a house under construction across the street and he saw the two... men chasing after him," the report states. "He states that he hid in a closet in the dark until he saw a handgun from around the corner." The victim told police that's when he shot the gun out of one of the intruder's hands - and they fired back. Then the two intruders fled through the woods... No one was injured, because when police caught up with suspects Horton and Powell, they were taken to jail in apparent good health.... Witnesses later identified Horton and Powell, who were each charged with assault with intent to commit a felony."


Determined Texas burglar loses: "A would-be burglar who failed to break into a North Side home Tuesday morning returned to the same house that afternoon, only to be shot in the legs by the homeowner, police said. A suspect was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in undetermined condition, Sgt. Pat Michalec said. The homeowner returned from work early Tuesday and found a man trying to break into his house in the 4100 block of Hunters Glen. The man left, and the homeowner filed a police report, Michalec said. Waking up from a nap later that day, the homeowner noticed the same man trying to break into his garage. He retrieved a shotgun and shot him in the legs, Michalec said, adding it was unlikely that charges would be filed against the homeowner."

Feisty Texas sisters defend store, ward off robber: "Forty years worth of drive-up service at the Douglas Grocery Store in north Fort Worth came to a screeching halt on Saturday afternoon. A man with a gun rushed inside. 53-year-old Irene Vargas was sitting in her familiar chair just inside the door. "He said, 'Give me your money or I'm going to shoot you. I'm going to kill you.' He put the gun here and hit me in the head twice," she said. Irene's sister, 50-year-old Christine Vargas, was standing behind the counter. "When I saw the pistol hit her head," she said, "I knew it wasn't a joke." Christine wanted to protect her sister. "I pulled the tray out, which made a noise to attract his attention. Then I pulled the pistol, and knew I had to shoot because it was either him or us." Vargas fired two shots from her 38-Special. She missed the gunman, but did get his attention. "I told him, 'If you can run, you'd better run fast, because if I get a chance I'm going to kill you,'" Vargas said. "He ran and that was it."


Mugger fatally shot outside NC motel: "Police are investigating a shooting at a north Charlotte motel. Officers said they went searching for the victim early Thursday, but they believe he's the man who showed up at Presbyterian Hospital with a gunshot wound and later died. Authorities originally headed to the InTown Suites on North Tryon Street just before 5:30 a.m. in response to a call about an attempted robbery by three men where shots were fired. When they arrived, they couldn't find anyone injured. Then about 5:40 a.m., officials in the Presbyterian Hospital Emergency Room called police and reported a man who had been shot had just died. Witnesses said they heard shots fired into a motel room, then saw the man inside come out and fire back at three men, hitting one of them. Police said after investigating, they believe the three men tried to rob a woman in the parking lot when her boyfriend came out of his room and fired shots. Investigators said when they discovered a man had died after being dropped off at the hospital, they connected the information and they believe he's the man who was shot. That man was identified as 22-year-old Anthony Davis. Officers have questioned several people who were involved. They said they've turned their evidence over to the district attorney's office to determine if charges will be filed. They said the case may be deemed a justifiable homicide."

Kentucky oldster ousts intruders: "It all came down to survival for Holton Smith on Saturday, Dec. 2 as he faced an intruder in his bedroom. Two men in their mid-20s broke into Smith's home on Baton Rouge Road in Williamstown around 4 p.m. One came into the bedroom while the other stayed at the front door.... Smith grabbed a .38-special from a nearby chest of drawers. "I couldn't get the gun out of the holster but I pointed it right at the man's face while we looked at each other," said Smith. "I knew I had to hold the gun steady." Smith, 85, said he was surprisingly calm during the incident; a calm he credits learning at Pearl Harbor and in Europe during World War II. "I knew that I had to get more space between me and that fellow," said Smith. "We were too close."... Then the man turned and ran toward the front door with Smith on his heels. "The one almost ran over the other as they tried to get out," said Smith.


One invader down in Columbus, Ohio: "Investigators said three men with a gun forced their way inside a home on Lockbourne Road Friday night, NBC 4's Ana Jackson reported. Resident Elaine Solomon said she was baking cookies when she heard a knock on the door... That's when Solomon said three men with at least one gun forced their way inside, Jackson reported. "All I remember is an arm coming over and seeing the gun," she said. "I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I thought he was going to shoot us." But Solomon's boyfriend heard the intrusion from a back bedroom and fought back. "I just got my pistol and came around the corner," said Red Evans. "That's where they were pushing her through and I just started shooting." Evans said he shot one of the intruders and chased them from the house, Jackson reported. Minutes later, police said they received a report from a house on nearby Ohio Avenue. A man there had been shot, but people who lived at the home didn't know who he was, police said. Investigators said the same man may have been one of the suspects in the home invasion, Jackson reported."

IN: Woman fears for life after son kills intruder: "One day after an her son killed one of two intruders who forced his way into her house, a Gary mother says she fears for her life. 'I'm fearful because I don't know who that guy was and I don't know who his people are,' she said. ... The homeowner, a truck driver for the city of Gary, was eating pizza with her 21-year-old son and his friend about 5:40 p.m. Friday when someone knocked on the door. When her son's friend opened the door to see who it was, two men forced their way and put a gun to his head. Immediately, her son ran downstairs to grab a gun while she took refuge in a first-floor bedroom. Scott asked where everyone was and then said he was going to kill everyone there. That's when her 21-year-old son emerged from the basement and started firing his weapon, striking Scott. The second intruder fled."


SAF lawsuit defends rights of citizens living abroad : "The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Ohio, challenging the 'sporting purpose' limitation for firearms sales in this country, and supporting the constitutional right of American citizens living abroad to legally purchase firearms while in this country. SAF and co-plaintiff Stephen Dearth of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, a native citizen of the United States, are represented by the law firms of Gura & Possessky (Virginia) and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (Ohio)."

UT: U redirects victim disarmament fight: "University of Utah leaders are taking their gun fight to the Legislature, hoping to keep at least part of the school's controversial gun ban intact. After losing a lengthy and costly court battle, U. President Michael Young is working with legislators to find if the no-guns rule could work in limited circumstances such as in residence halls and athletic venues."


Thailand: Schools reopen with armed teachers: "Schools in parts of Thailand's violence-plagued southern province Pattani reopened Monday. Teachers were allowed to take weapons to protect their own safety. ... Education Minister Wijit Srisaarn said he believed self-defense measures, including allowing teachers to carry guns, will be effective in protecting the teachers. The educators themselves will also help security officials look after their colleagues, according to Wijit."


Update:

On August 27, I posted the following story:

GA: Self-defense law may aid accused shooter: "A former Gainesville businessman could fend off aggravated assault charges with the help of a self-defense bill signed into law earlier this year, the man's attorney said. Troy Millikan, who represents 47-year-old Anderson Bobo Briscoe, said his client's actions on Mother's Day 2005 are now protected by a statute known as the 'Stand Your Ground' bill, which was signed into law in April. Hall County authorities arrested Briscoe on May 8, 2005, after they say he shot Raymond F. Richardson, 65, of Gainesville following a domestic dispute on River Road Circle. Richardson was shot twice in the chest with a 9 mm, but survived. Briscoe later turned himself in and was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a gun during the commission of a felony. Briscoe, former owner of Briscoe's Boot Country, was indicted late last year before Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the 'Stand Your Ground' bill. But Millikan, who has filed a motion in Superior Court, said he will argue that Briscoe is 'immune' from prosecution because of the statute."

Bo has now written to me to advise that he was acquitted of all charges recently. See here. Excerpt: "It took less than an hour Thursday for a jury to find a former Gainesville business owner not guilty of aggravated assault in the shooting of his ex-wife's boyfriend... Briscoe testified that Richardson, who was unarmed, punched him twice as he sat strapped into the driver's seat of his Dodge Caravan. Briscoe said he grabbed his 9 mm Taurus handgun from a computer bag in the van to defend himself from the blows. Richardson was shot twice in the hands, according to medical testimony. One of the shots passed through Richardson's hand and entered his chest, leaving separate entrance and exit wounds, according to medical testimony. He survived the shooting but spent six days in a hospital... Quoting from the law in his closing argument, Millikan said his client was justified in the "use of force in the defense of habitation." Under Georgia law, a car can be considered habitation the same as a home, he said"

Police state mentality breeds poor judgment: "While citizens in New York search for answers in the horrendous shooting death of an unarmed man hours before he would have married his high school sweetheart, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says a factor nobody wants to discuss could be the anti-gun mentality fostered in that city for generations. 'The mere thought that a citizen may have had a firearm seems to have contributed to the terrible shooting death of Sean Bell,' said CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb."


Black French cop shoots antisemitic thugs: "French prosecutors opened an investigation Saturday into a shooting death by a police officer after a horde of Paris Saint-Germain fans attacked a supporter of an Israeli club two days before. The plainclothes police officer, Antoine Granomort, remained in custody after he killed one man and wounded another following Thursday's UEFA Cup match between PSG and Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv. A group of PSG fans shouted anti-Semitic and racial epithets, and Granomort, originally from the Caribbean, said he was trying to protect himself and a Hapoel fan described by officials as a French Jew. Paris prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin, who said it's likely Granomort acted in self-defence, opened the judicial inquiry."

PA: Homeowner opens fire on intruders: "A homeowner opened fire after intruders entered his home on Monday, police said. ... The man and his 1-year-old baby were home at the time of the invasion. Police said several people kicked in the front windows of the home. According to officials, the homeowner then shot one person with a high caliber weapon, injuring that person severely. The intruder fled in a vehicle. Police are now searching for the intruders."


Compulsory gun ownership? "A tiny town in western Pennsylvania could ask all of its residents to own guns, if a proposal under consideration on Wednesday wins approval from local officials. Under the proposed law, residents of Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania, would be asked to own guns and know how to use them. Cherry Tree, some 70 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, has about 400 residents. The town council was scheduled to vote on the proposed "Civil Protection Ordinance" on Wednesday evening. Introduced last month by resident Henry Statkowski, the measure recommends that "all heads of households maintain a firearm along with ammunition." In written comments, Statkowski said homeowners have a right and a responsibility to defend against intruders rather than calling police and waiting for help to arrive. The measure would send a message to "burglars, ne'er-do-wells and other criminal elements," Statkowski wrote."

Wyoming intruder chased off by .45: "Investigators still don't know who tried to break into an American Ranch Road home Monday morning, but they're sure he wasn't hit by the homeowner who shot at him, Sheriff Bill Pownall said. The 37-year-old homeowner woke up at about 2 a.m. when he heard dogs barking, Pownall said. He went to his bedroom doorway, saw a man trying to enter through a kitchen door and fired a round from a .45-caliber handgun. The owner told investigators he was certain he hadn't hit the man, which was confirmed when they found the handgun round lodged in a kitchen cabinet, Pownall said. Deputies haven't received any further information since the incidents. Pownall said the case is still open".


Bullets stop drunken attack: "Police said that the fatal shooting of an Indiana County, Pa., man early Sunday in Accident apparently was the result of self-defense. Lt. J.D. Murphy of the Garrett Bureau of Investigation said that 29-year-old David Wayne Lancaster of Saltsburg died at Garrett Memorial Hospital in Oakland after he was shot three times with a .22-caliber handgun fired by Norris Rush, 52. The shooting occurred at 4:31 a.m. in the kitchen of the Rush residence on Friendsville Road after Lancaster grabbed a butcher knife and inflicted a deep wound to Rush's hand. Rush then discharged the handgun at close range, striking the victim in the stomach and chest. Rush reportedly declined medical treatment at the scene. Police said Billie Jo Zimmerman was also present at the time of the shooting and that all three people appeared to be "extremely intoxicated." Lancaster, Rush and Zimmerman were said to be friends. Zimmerman was not injured. Police said there was no record of prior domestic complaints at the Rush residence. Maryland State Police responded to the scene and following preliminary investigation, the case was forwarded to GBI.

TN: Brutal abuse stopped with a bullet: "Greene County investigators are working another fatal shooting tonight, the second in two days. The Greene County coroner tells News Channel 11 that Jeffery Underwood was shot to death early Saturday morning at a home on Fox Ford Road. Investigators say a man shot Underwood in self defense after Underwood dragged his stepfather with a truck. Some neighbors say they knew something was wrong. "My husband thought he heard two gun shots.We heard some one screaming yelling," Alice Lowe said." After a while we saw emergency equipment was coming we really have no idea what happened.It just gave us a sick feeling down inside." The stepfather was flown to a local hospital and is in stable condition. No charges will be filed in the incident."


FL: Real gun trumps fake: "A robber used a lighter resembling a pistol to steal a man's wallet -- only to be shot by his victim, who was armed with a gun that was real. Delbert Leroy Wells, 40, the would-be robber, lingered for two weeks at Jackson Memorial Hospital before succumbing to his wounds on Thanksgiving Day. On Nov. 8, Miami police say, Wells was driving a white Dodge when he pulled up to the car of Patrick Laguerre on Northwest 75th Street and North Miami Avenue at about 12:20 a.m. He asked for directions. As Laguerre was responding, Wells pulled out a nickel-plated lighter made to look like a gun. Laguerre gave him some loose dollars, 'but [Wells] wanted more,' according to a police report. Wells searched his pockets, fished through his wallet and got back into his own car. But the wallet was empty. Wells 'became irate, aiming the handgun at the victim, stated he was going to shoot,' the police report said. Laguerre took cover back in his own car, grabbed his own handgun and squeezed off three to four rounds."

Seek facts in debate over gun rights: "The New York Times editorial titled 'Confusion on Guns,' reprinted by the Enquirer (Nov. 23), is an example of arrogance or ignorance, neither of which stands that shrinking media behemoth in good stead. The paper asserts that 'America's confusion about the Second Amendment is now nearly total. An amendment that ensures a collective right to bear arms has been misread in one legislature after another.' While there is an ongoing debate about the Second Amendment, and volumes written on the subject, it is disingenuous in the extreme to make this assertion as if the New York Times were the final arbiter on the matter, or that this opinion represented settled law and fact."


Disappearing hunters: "Hunting in America has entered a long twilight. The number of license holders-roughly 15 million through 2004-has actually shrunk by about 2 million people since 1982, when the population was 230 million (versus 300 million today). Since 1990, the number of license holders in Massachusetts has dropped by 50,000, or 40 percent; in California since 1980 the number has fallen by almost half, from 540,000 to 300,000. In Michigan, there were 1.2 million licensed hunters in 1992-but fewer than 850,000 in 2004."

Book review: Teaching Women to Shoot: "As gun owners, we have a responsibility not only to learn the proper use of our firearms, but also to ensure that adequate training is available to people who need it. If you go to any gun store, gun show, or shooting range, you'll find that there are far more men than women. The firearms industry is very much male-dominated. And that's okay.But, when it comes to training, it becomes obvious that women may be receiving training programs designed for men. Since women process information differently than men, they might not realize as much success as men do in such a program. This can create a variety of problems. .... TEACHING WOMEN TO SHOOT: A LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTRUCTOR'S GUIDE and WOMEN LEARNING TO SHOOT: A GUIDE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS were both written by Diane Nicholl and Vicki Farnam."


NC: Cabbie shoots robber: "Homicide detectives are combing the scene of a deadly overnight shooting in west Charlotte.Police say a cab driver shot and killed a man who robbed him around 3 a.m. Wednesday on Columbus Circle.Investigators say the driver called for help over his radio, but before help arrived, the two men started fighting and the cab driver fired a shot.The robber was pronounced dead at the scene."

OH: Clerk, robber have shootout: "A store clerk involved in a gunfight Monday night fired straighter than a would-be robber, leaving the man wounded and fleeing into the night. Police said a man entered the Express Mart, 3999 Necco Ave., about 9 p.m. armed with a handgun. The clerk behind the counter pulled out a handgun of his own and both men discharged their weapons, Dayton police Sgt. Scott Lawson said. The clerk wasn't hit, but the robber was shot in his shoulder and ran. He turned up a little while later at the residence of an acquaintance near Kings Mill Court, a few blocks east of the mart, and called an ambulance to treat his wound. Police also responded to the call and quickly realized the wounded man was their suspect because he matched the description of the robber - right down to his choice of clothing. After treatment for the non life-threatening injury at a hospital, the suspect was taken to the Montgomery County Jail, Lawson said."


Another triumph for strict antigun laws: "A man was arrested after he stabbed and killed an eight-year-old boy at an elementary school in the Netherlands overnight, police said. Police were investigating the 22-year-old suspect's relationship with the victim. "As far as we know now the suspect and the boy were not relatives," a police spokesman said. The boy died at an elementary school in the southern Dutch town of Hoogerheide after teachers found him with severe wounds to his neck. "A man wearing a hooded top and a long coat was seen leaving the school and a man wearing a hooded top and a long coat was arrested later," the spokesman said, declining to comment on a possible motive for the attack. School killings are rare in the Netherlands, which has strict laws on possession of weapons. In January 2004, a Dutch teacher was shot dead by a student in The Hague, and in the same month a teacher at a school in Amsterdam was seriously wounded in a stabbing."

One ring to ruin them all: "A Jersey City ordinance that takes effect on December 11 bars sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school, day care center, park, playground, sports facility, library, theater, or convenience store. These zones cover the entire city. As a result of the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, you can't legally transport a firearm in Phoenix unless you have a carry permit or keep it locked and unloaded. In New Haven the only substantial piece of land not covered by a drug-free zone is the Yale University golf course. Across the country, politicians are eager to draw magical circles of protection they claim will banish evil and keep children safe. It's an easy, cheap way of opposing what everyone opposes and supporting what everyone supports. But the resulting crazy quilt of drug-free, gun-free, and molester-free zones is ineffective, sometimes counterproductive, and frequently unjust.... The victims of such laws also include innocent gun owners who are transformed into felons when they unwittingly traverse a school zone on the way to target practice or hunting grounds. The gun control analyst Alan Korwin warns that the 1,000-foot limit set by federal law subjects millions of Americans to a five-year prison term simply for venturing out of their homes with their guns"


NM: Suspected home invader shot, killed : "A late-night shooting in the Four Hills area of Albuquerque left one person dead and a homeowner shaken. Police say the homeowner called 911 about 11:30 Saturday night. Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Trish Hoffman says the homeowner woke up to sounds inside his house, discovered a burglar and shot the intruder. The intruder died at the scene. Detectives haven't released whether the intruder was armed. Detectives are investigating the scene as a homicide, but say it's possible the homeowner won't be charged because it may be a justifiable homicide."

PA: Facing gun, merchant shoots 3: "It was clear to John Lee that the four guys who came into his East Germantown deli Saturday night would not be paying customers. 'They all had their hoodies pulled tight, and it wasn't a cold night,' said Lee, 48, owner of the Chelten Market at Chelten Avenue and Musgrave Street. 'I said, 'You need to take off your hoodies,' then one of them came around the counter with his gun drawn, so I shot them.' Lee fired five rounds from his .38-caliber revolver, striking three of the bandits and rupturing a water line, police said. The gunman dropped his loaded 9mm pistol as he and his wounded partners fled the store. Lee found a fourth would-be robber -- who had not been shot -- hiding in the rear of the store. 'He had a BB gun on him, so I took it,' Lee said. 'Then I beat him up and took his boots and called police.'"


The 2nd Amendment: The original homeland security: "A few weeks ago in an article titled, 'Conscription, Standing Armies, and Love of Country' I wrote that the Federal Government had outlawed the state militias mentioned in the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This was incorrect. The state militias have been 'nationalized' into the 'National Guard' and are now being used unconstitutionally for foreign occupations. Governors across the country are complaining to the Bush administration that their National Guard units are being depleted for the War in Iraq, and that they do not have enough manpower to handle emergencies in their home states."

Vancouver, Washington. Home Invasion, Shooting: "Police are searching for two men they said were involved in a shootout with a Vancouver homeowner Monday night. Officers said the homeowner surprised two burglars inside his home on Northeast Benton Drive around 7 p.m. The homeowner told authorities that he confronted the burglars and he exchanged gunfire with the two men. There were no injuries reported. The men fled the scene and left in a newer model gray SUV-type vehicle, according to police. Police said it is unknown how many shots were fired, if the two men were hit or who shot first. Authorities are investigating a possible connection to the shooting. They said a man walked into a Portland emergency room last night with a gunshot wound.


Minnesota: Oldster kills home invader: "A 73-year-old Coon Rapids man who shot and killed an apparent intruder Monday night "appears unlikely" to face charges, a top Anoka County investigator said today. The resident told police he was awakened to sounds of what he thought was someone breaking into his house on Bittersweet Street in Coon Rapids, sheriff's Capt. Bob Aldrich said. He grabbed a rifle that he kept in his bedroom around the time a man in his late teens or early 20s entered the room. "(The resident) fired a single shot, and the suspect was struck in the torso," Aldrich said. "The suspect was able to stumble or stagger down the stairs and then collapsed near a door. And died." Authorities this afternoon were still trying to identify the suspected intruder, described as a man in his late teens or early 20s, Aldrich said. The resident declined to speak with reporters when he returned home early this afternoon. County prosecutors will make the final call on whether or not charges will be filed, but Aldrich said police released the resident without booking him."

Virginia home invasion fails: "Virginia Beach Police are currently investigating a home invasion case which led to a man being shot, and a suspect in custody. He's been identified as 19 year-old Terrel Anthony Bell. According to a police spokesperson, one of the residents was returning home this morning, and as he was entering his residence, a [black] man armed with a shotgun came up from behind and forced him inside. The suspect then tried to take control of everyone in the residence, but the men inside the home fought back and tried to take the shotgun from the would-be robber. Police said that during the struggle, a shot was fired, hitting the leg of one of the residents. The man who was shot has been identified as 29 year-old Darryl Chrismore. The remainder of the residents wrestled the man to the floor and called police. Chrismore was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery. He's expected to be okay.


Kansas City, Missouri. Intruder killed: "A man was shot to death Monday evening in south Kansas City, officials said. At about 5 p.m., police responded to a shooting call at a home in the 7500 block of East 118th Place. When officers arrived, the homeowner told police he had shot and killed an intruder. The homeowner said he didn't know the man. A relative of the homeowner told KMBC that he had every right to defend himself. The homeowner wasn't injured. He was taken in for questioning, which is routine in a shooting investigation. No names were released."

NYTimes: Money Makes us Safe, Not Guns?: "In yet another anti-gun rant, the Times has once again sounded the good liberal mantra: Got a problem? Throw money at it. Apparently, outgoing Senator George Allen (R, Vir.) has introduced one of his last bills in the waning days of the 109th sitting of the Senate, a bill allowing concealed carry of firearms inside our National Parks. Naturally, the New York Times is not amused. After informing us that the bill has passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, they emotionally proclaim that they "hope it will die the miserable death it deserves".... But the howler of the piece is the claim that throwing money at crime, as opposed to allowing citizens to protect themselves, would make us all safer in our National Parks. "If Americans want to feel safer in their national parks, the proper solution is to increase park funding. "


Women take up hunting: "It's deer season in Maine and although the hunting department of outdoor retail specialist L.L. Bean is packed, this is no old-boy's club. Among the aisles of aerosol deer urine and digital duck calls, there are racks of women's clothing in mossy-oak camouflage, as well as plenty of fluorescent hunter orange. Lined up behind the counter are dozens of guns, many available with a "short-stock" designed to fit more comfortably into women's shorter arms. That's because an increasing number of women are heading into the woods, becoming one of the most enthusiastic segments of the hunting world. Take Laura Beth Fowler, an 18-year-old from McKenzie, Tennessee, who took up shooting three years ago and is now a member of one of the few all-girl trap-shooting teams in the country. With her coach and girls from the team, Fowler loves heading into the wild to shoot birds -- right down to getting out of bed at 4 a.m. and huddling in chilly duck-blinds. "It's a bunch of fun. And it's just so beautiful, being in the woods," she said. Fowler is not alone. The number of women hunters in the United States is on the rise."

AK: School fits gun education into curriculum: "Tom Milliron figures Juneau school children are going to encounter guns one way or another, whether venturing armed into nearby wilderness or visiting the home of a friend. 'Better they learn how to handle a firearm safely than to hurt themselves through ignorance, he says.' Milliron is principal of one of Juneau's two middle schools. Sixth-graders under his care last month completed an outdoor education course that included instruction in safe handling of guns and firing rounds from .22-caliber rifles. For some children, it was the first time they'd touched a gun. 'In gun-happy Alaska, teaching children how to safely handle firearms is just common sense,' Milliron said."


OR: Camper cleared in shooting of ATV driver: "An Idaho man acted in self-defense when he shot a man who was headed toward him in an all-terrain vehicle, a Baker County grand jury decided. Marvin Sauer, 52, of Boise shot Everett Durst, 38, of Vancouver, Wash., in the left leg following a Labor Day dispute near Phillips Reservoir. The incident started when Sauer and his wife arrived to camp in an area where Durst and his party were riding. The sides had a disagreement and Durst later drove a quad runner to Sauer's campsite. Durst began spinning the vehicle in circles, stirring up dust and throwing rocks on Sauer's wife, said Matt Shirtcliff, the Baker County district attorney. Shirtcliff said Sauer fired a warning a shot into the air. Durst stopped spinning the vehicle in circles and started driving in Sauer's direction. 'Once Mr. Durst drove the quad runner straight at Mr. Sauer, Sauer was entitled at that point to fire his gun at Mr. Durst to defend himself,' Shirtcliff said."


Update

I posted the following on 4 December, 2004:

Pennsylvania: Gun suspect uses "tight jeans" defense: "Sean Eldon Duvall, 36, was arrested Tuesday on charges including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for the June 18 incident. Southwest Regional Police Detective Sgt. James Rega said in court papers that Duvall left his car with the .38-caliber revolver hidden under papers and aimed it at him when he stopped to see if Duvall needed help. Duvall told The Associated Press that he didn't need help; he said he was just stepping out of his car to go to a friend's house to play chess. Duvall acknowledged he had his gun with him, but said he has a permit to carry it, which he tried to show Rega. By law, the gun must be concealed, but Duvall said he couldn't conceal it under his pants while sitting in his car because his jeans were too tight." [Could be true]

Sean has now emailed me to say: "About a week ago, I was found "not guilty" of all charges, by a JURY"

WA: SAF sues library system over Net censorship: "The Second Amendment Foundation and three Washington State residents have filed a federal lawsuit against a north-central Washington regional library system for denying them access to websites that include information on firearms and publications dealing with guns. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington in Spokane. Joining SAF in the lawsuit are Sarah Bradburn of Republic, Ferry County; Pearl Cherrington of Twisp and Charles Heinlen of Okanogan, both towns in Okanogan County."


FL: Motorist with gun holds down tip thief: "A would-be robber found out the hard way Friday afternoon that restaurant workers aren't easily parted from their tips. The unidentified man grabbed about $20 from the countertop tip jar at the Chinese restaurant Chung Shing without saying a word, employees said. 'I said, 'Hey, that's my money,'' said restaurant manager Diane Lin. 'He didn't care.' He also didn't have a chance. Employees chased him outside into the parking lot of the strip mall on U.S. 301 and behind the stores. A passerby with a concealed weapons permit stopped and pulled his gun on the man, witnesses said. Minutes later, a Manatee County Sheriff's Office patrol car drove by and a deputy arrested the tip thief."

PA: Robber shot and killed by victim: "A 19-year-old Philadelphia man was shot and killed after he tried to rob another man early yesterday in the 1600 block of West Susquehanna Street, police said. The robber approached from behind as the man left a bar near 15th Street, police said. The robber stuck a gun in the man's back, and demanded money. The man began to comply, then shot the robber in the head, shoulder, chest and right arm with a registered handgun, police said."


Useless 911 calls: "But many crime emergencies are blocked by an armed citizen, and they often go unreported according to the FBI and diligent scholars. This is an invisible solution often ignored by officials, even thwarted by them. Throughout the history of 911, problems with 911 have been belligerence of operators, operator skepticism of reporting parties and repeat pranksters, unclear calls without precise locations, various policies on 911 hang-ups, an over-burdening and overwhelming of the system, and general burn-out of operators remaining on the job. As I mentioned in my last piece, some 911 operators have even been found asleep at the console. For many citizens, a placed 911 call simply goes unanswered or is met with a busy signal."

CA: Idiot hoplophobes go after toys: "Ice-cream vendors in San Diego who sell toy guns out of their trucks should probably think about getting rid of their nondairy inventory. A City Council committee, at the behest of law enforcement, wants to make it illegal for them to sell anything but food. It seems the number of children taking the weapon look-alikes to school has been increasing over the past several years. San Diego City Schools police Chief Don Braun said many of the replicas were bought from ice-cream vendors who congregate near schools. 'Student access to these weapons must be limited by reducing availability from mobile ice cream vendors,' he said."


Armed 92-year-old shot dead in raid: "Police who shot and killed a 92-year-old woman in Atlanta after she wounded three officers were looking for a man who sold drugs to undercover agents at her home earlier that day, authorities said today. The agents got a search warrant after buying drugs yesterday from a man in Kathryn Johnston's home, Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher said. Johnston's niece, Sarah Dozier, said her aunt likely had reason to shoot the three investigators as they stormed her house. "My aunt was in good health. I'm sure she panicked when they kicked that door down," Dozier told WAGA-TV, adding that there were no drugs in the house. "There was no reason they had to go in there and shoot her down like a dog." Police insisted the officers did everything right before entering the home, despite suggestions from the woman's neighbours and relatives that it was a case of mistaken identity. Kathryn Johnston was the only resident in the house at the time and had lived there for about 17 years, Assistant Chief Alan Dreher said. The officers had a legal warrant, "knocked and announced" before they forced open the door and were justified in shooting once fired upon, he said."

A prize piece of nuttiness: "The FBI recently reported that the United States is facing a wave of murders and gun violence. Cities across the country are seeing significant increases in violent crime. In Boston, the number of homicides is threatening to eclipse last year's numbers, which were already the worst in a decade. These statistics prove that the current approach to reducing violence isn't working. ... A bill before Congress would establish a US Department of Peace. This measure would provide practical, nonviolent solutions for the problems of domestic and international conflict. It would apply the institutional heft of the US government to a serious effort not merely at avoiding war or waging war more effectively. It would take America to the next evolutionary step: It would proactively wage peace."


Ted Nugent's signature guitar doubles as gun: "Ed Roman's Quicksilver Guitars, the world's largest guitar store & builder of custom guitars, today announced that the company has completed the custom design, development and construction of a new custom guitar for world famous rocker, hunter and statesman Ted Nugent. Nugent, known for his hard hitting rock 'n' roll, as well as his strong support for the right to bear arms, his conservative lifestyle and love of his country, is one of Ed Roman's primary influences. 'We are proud to have had the opportunity to work with Ted again and to produce this truly unique instrument and piece of rock 'n' roll history,' said Ed Roman, founder of Ed Roman Guitars. 'Not only is this a top-of-the-line guitar, it is a precision firearm."

PA: Man shoots intruder, jailed on drug charges: "A homeowner shot a person apparently trying to break into his house overnight in Knoxville. ... Homicide detectives interviewed a 20-year-old male and, a 17-year-old female who were inside the residence with their two-month-old son when two black males entered the apartment. The intruder showed a handgun and demanded money from the 20-year-old man. The man retrieved a handgun and shot the intruder. The 20-year-old male was interviewed and has been charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possessing an illegal firearm. He is currently in the Allegheny County Jail."


UCLA: Iranian student resists police, gets Tasered: "Mostafa Tabatabainejad, a UCLA student, was repeatedly stunned with a Taser and then taken into custody when he did not exit the CLICC Lab in Powell Library in a timely manner. Community Service Officers had asked Tabatabainejad to leave after he failed to produce his BruinCard during a random check at around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. UCPD Assistant Chief of Police Jeff Young said the checks are a standard procedure in the library after 11 p.m. "Because of the safety of the students we limit the use after 11 to just students, staff and faculty," Young said. Young said the CSOs on duty in the library at the time went to get UCPD officers when Tabatabainejad did not immediately leave, and UCPD officers resorted to use of the Taser when Tabatabainejad did not do as he was told."

Americans want to have security at home: "For most Americans, guns are not a political issue. People buy and own guns to protect their families, not to commit crimes. The truth is that even millions of Americans who support and vote for gun control own guns themselves, because deep down they share the basic human need to feel secure in their homes. The gun control movement has lost momentum in recent years. The Democratic Party has been conspicuously silent on the issue in recent elections because they know it's a political loser. In the midst of declining public support for new gun laws, more and more states have adopted concealed-carry programs. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and last year's hurricanes only made matters worse for gun control proponents, as millions of Americans were starkly reminded that we cannot rely on government to protect us from criminals."


TN: Pol foils robbery, holds suspects: "Over the weekend county commissioner Greg Lambert foiled a robbery by drawing his gun on a suspect and Wednesday that scenario happened again to a state lawmaker. Volunteer TV has just learned that State Senator Tim Burchett had to draw his gun on four people as they were leaving his warehouse on Ball Camp Pike Wednesday morning. Senator Burchett had three motorcycles stolen out of the warehouse in recent weeks and had been staking it out. He called 911 after catching the burglars in the act, but told us he had to draw his gun to prevent them from escaping. Knox County deputies took three juveniles and one adult into custody. And the suspects led deputies to his stolen motorcycles."

TX: No charges filed in shooting of woman: "Preliminary findings indicate Tuesday's shooting death of Stacey Condit, a Texarkana attorney's ex-wife, was self-defense, and no charges have been filed. ... Condit, 39, was the ex-wife of attorney Bruce Condit. The shooting happened about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at Bruce Condit's Wake Village home. Bruce Condit, his two grown children and two of their friends were at the house at the time of the incident. ... Schutte said Stacey Condit went to the home with a rifle, apparently intending to hurt her ex-husband, and entered the house. She was shot with a shotgun that belonged to someone in the house, he said. She was pronounced dead at the scene."


OR: Gunfire follows house blaze: "A two-alarm fire damaged a Salem home Tuesday night, displacing the family of a National Guard sergeant who told police that he exchanged gunshots with an intruder inside his house the morning after the blaze. Brian Mumey, who was not home when the fire broke out, told police that he returned to his house at 225 Stark St. N after the blaze to check his damaged possessions and saw an unidentified man inside his bedroom Wednesday morning. Mumey, 43, said the intruder, described as a white male in his 50s, fired a shot at him, prompting him to fire five to six rounds back. After another exchange of gunfire, the unidentified man reportedly fled."