Rochester man who claimed self-defense cleared in shooting death: "A grand jury has cleared a Rochester man who claimed self-defense in the shooting death of a friend last month. Monroe County grand jurors on Tuesday refused to indict Edel Gonzalez, 24, who had been charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Omar Luna, 30, on July 27. Luna was shot outside his apartment at 448 N. Clinton Ave. Gonzalez has been released from County Jail, where he had been held since he turned himself in to police three days after the shooting. His lawyer, Thomas J. Cocuzzi, said Gonzalez shot Luna in self-defense. Luna was arguing and fighting with another friend, who dropped a gun, Cocuzzi said. When Gonzalez picked up the gun and Luna lunged at him with a knife, Gonzalez shot Luna in the head. "It was a very thorough and exhausting examination by the grand jury," he said. "Mr. Gonzalez's claim of self-defense was verified by an independent police investigation."


Georgia shooting death justified: "On Tuesday, August 12, the Morgan County Grand Jury ruled not to indict Stan Schroeder, 33, of Buckhead, on charges of voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter (both felony and misdemeanor grade). By voting "no bill," the jury indicated they believed the March 6, 2008 shooting death of 37-year-old Greensboro resident Eloy Escobido to be self-defense. Bright said the shooting death of Escobido occurred on March 6 at Schroeder's Blue Springs Court residence. Schroeder's home is also the headquarters of his home-based concrete business, Concrete Constructors, Incorporated. Escobido was a subcontracted laborer who had worked with Schroeder for seven years and was paid by the job. According to Bright, Schroeder alleged that on the day of the incident, Escobido called him at his home at 6:20 a.m. asking to be paid for a job he had recently completed on a concrete wall. Schroeder was not satisfied by the job and requested that Escobido go back and finish the wall before he would be paid. According to Schroeder, Escobido then threatened him saying, "You gonna pay me or I'm gonna do something I don't wanna do." Schroeder then alleged that when he went outside to put his lunch in his truck before leaving for a job site, Escobido drove up. Once Escobido got out of his truck, he and Schroeder began to argue more about their business dealings. Schroeder then alleged that Escobido shouted "Pay me, yes or no" and pulled out a gray and black silver-handled folding pocket knife and began slashing at him with his right hand while holding onto his turtleneck shirt at his throat. At some point during the altercation, Audrey, who was watching through a window, came out into the yard with the gun, a black and silver Taurus 45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Schroeder alleged that he kicked Escobido in the groin and retrieved the gun from his wife. At that time, Escobido turned to run and Schroeder shot once, hitting Escobido in the back and killing him. Schroeder alleged in court that he had aimed for Escobido's legs."


Media bias: "On Thursday's "Good Morning America," the ABC morning show provided a detailed account of an 85-year old great grandmother who thwarted a burglar by pulling a gun on him and then kept the criminal at bay while waiting for police. CBS's "Early Show," however, has thus far ignored the story. On NBC, "Today" provided a scant 15 second news brief on Wednesday. GMA co-host Robin Roberts appeared impressed with Pennsylvania resident Leda Smith. She interviewed the grandmother and listened as the senior citizen recounted arriving home to find someone inside her house: "...I had my gun under a cushion on a chair. I picked up the gun. I turned around and I snapped it shut and I cocked it and when I did that, he turned around and his eyes were kind of big and he said, 'I didn't do it! I didn't do it!'" Generally, the three network morning shows have shown an aversion to positive gun news. In late June, when the Supreme Court historically declared that the Second Amendment is an individual right, "Good Morning America," "Today" and "The Early Show" devoted a combined three minutes and 33 seconds of coverage. Back on June 27, the day after the decision came down, "Early Show," which skipped any reporting of the armed grandmother, featured a mere 30 seconds on the Supreme Court's ruling, a total that came nowhere near the four minutes they used to discuss how to Feng Shui your house for pets."


There is an argument here that revolvers have some advantages over pistols.