Texas shootout: "Two men were injured in Duncanville early Friday after a home invasion shootout. Duncanville police were called to the 200 block of Martin Luther Circle around 5 a.m. after resident Derrick Johnson, 35, told authorities he woke up to find someone ransacking his home. Mr. Jackson said he shot at the burglar and the suspect fired back. Mr. Jackson was struck in the lower abdomen and transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center for surgery. A man was found about an hour later in a field at the 300 block of South Cockrell Hill Road with a gunshot to his pelvic area, police said. He was transported to Methodist in unknown condition. Police did not release the man's name, but said he was a possible suspect."


Alabama stepdad kills son in self-defense: "Athens police responded Friday night to a shooting at an Athens home and found one man dead in an apparent act of self-defense. Athens Police Chief Wayne Harper said Jason Bickerstaff, 38, of Athens came to the home of his mother and stepfather at 301 Gale Lane demanding a shotgun and threatening them with a double-bladed ax. The incident occurred at about 8 p.m., when a neighbor reported hearing Bickerstaff drive up and later heard Bickerstaff's mother, Linda Curtis, screaming. The neighbor said she did not hear any gunfire. Bickerstaff's stepfather, Dave Curtis, went into the bedroom to get the shotgun, Harper said. Bickerstaff followed and again threatened his stepfather with the ax and knocked him down. At that point, Dave Curtis retrieved a pistol he had in the bedroom and shot Bickerstaff, Harper said. Limestone County Coroner Mike West said Bickerstaff had two gunshot wounds in his chest, both from a .38-caliber pistol. After the shooting, Dave Curtis went outside to wait for Athens police to arrive, Harper said. Harper said police are not yet sure why Bickerstaff was demanding the shotgun, but he said police had received a report earlier Friday that Bickerstaff had been involved in an altercation with someone over money. Police were still investigating the case late Friday. Harper said there were no plans to charge Dave Curtis in the shooting.


NY: Court restricts gun sentences: "A federal appellate court just made it more difficult for federal judges in New York to impose stricter sentences for gun-related crimes. Recently at least one federal judge here has been citing the danger that guns pose to cities as a reason to impose lengthier prison terms on federal defendants who commit gun crimes. That practice will stop, following a 3-0 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday that instructs judges to not consider the level of local gun violence in handing down sentences. The court explained its decision as an effort to impose greater uniformity in federal sentencing across the country. Otherwise, the court said, it would 'open the door' to unequal penalties for similar crimes in rural and urban areas."


The history of gun control, part 1: "Over 200 years ago, when the Founding Fathers drafted the Second Amendment, no one questioned the need for private gun ownership. The Framers considered private firearms to be essential to protecting personal liberty, both as a means of opposing foreign threats and also as a check against excessive government power. The Framers were passionately devoted to the idea that a self-sufficient armed citizenry is the best means of preserving liberty. But many on the left do not want you to know this."