Murder charge dismissed in 2007 Fort Worth shooting: "A Fort Worth man accused of killing his former brother-in-law during an argument last year will not be tried for murder. Prosecutors dismissed the murder charge against Brandon T. Conn on Monday, the day his trial in the Aug. 12, 2007, shooting death of Jeffrey Fincher was scheduled to begin. Assistant District Attorney Samuel Williams said he dismissed the case because a key witness changed her story about whether she had warned Conn that Fincher had a gun. Without the witness's testimony, it would have been difficult to counter Conn's self-defense claim, Williams said. "He had a very meritorious case of self- defense," he said. Witnesses told police that Fincher was upset from a previous argument with his ex-wife, Conn's sister, when he came to the home she shared with her new husband and Conn. After the argument escalated, Conn told police that he got a handgun and shot Fincher once in the head because he felt threatened. Police reports showed a history of disputes between Fincher, his ex-wife and her new husband. "We were prepared to present a classic defense - that Mr. Conn acted in self-defense against threats, both verbal and physical, by Mr. Fincher against my client," Heiskell said."


NY gun database has yet to lead to prosecutions : "New York's 7-year-old database of handgun `fingerprints' has yet to lead to a criminal prosecution, and questions linger about its effectiveness. Still, state police remain committed to the database, saying more time and a long-awaited link to a federal ballistics database could bring success. Since March 2001, identifying information about more than 200,000 new pistols and revolvers sold in New York have been entered into the Combined Ballistic Identification System database maintained by state police."


NY: Police checkpoint seeks illegal guns: "Drivers entering the city from the Bronx via First Avenue last night encountered the first police checkpoint searching for illegal guns.Amid flashing lights and flares in the roadway, more than a dozen officers were pulling over every third car to ask for permission to search for guns and check for other crimes such as drunken driving.But the goal for the night was to find guns and stop them from coming into Mount Vernon, a city that's already had seven homicides this year.Mayor Clinton Young said the "bold initiative" sends a strong message to the public that something is being done to stop gun violence." [Nothing useful, though]


SAF applauds Ohio Supreme Court ruling on CCW: "Today's ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court that strikes down a ban on legal concealed carry in public parks was `a proper decision that upholds the state's concealed carry preemption statute,' the Second Amendment Foundation said. Ohio's current concealed carry statute, adopted by the State Legislature in 2006, prohibits local governments from adopting more stringent gun control regulations than the state."

Arizona: Man killed after armed woman with restraining order opens fire: "A man is dead after trying to break into a woman's home and she opened fire on him. According to police the woman had a restraining order against the man although their exact relationship is unclear. Investigators say around 2:30 Sunday morning that man forced his way into the woman's house near 40th Avenue and Thunderbird and she was prepared. A police spokesperson tells 3TV, "The victim basically armed herself and when the suspect broke into the house the victim fired several rounds." Police said the woman will most likely not face any charges. The suspect's identity has not been released.


Texas invaders shot: "One suspect is dead and two others are on the run after a deadly home invasion on Friday night. Houston police report that the armed group pushed their way through the front door of the home on Wycliffe. According to witnessed, the group got into a scuffle with the homeowner's boyfriend, who had a gun. The boyfriend fired shots, killing one of the suspects. Police said robbery was the motive. The authorities do not plan to charge the boyfriend."


Washington State anti-gun fanatics: "When the House of Representatives adopted legislation Wednesday to force the District of Columbia to abide by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment earlier this year, five Washington State Democrats turned their backs on their colleagues who supported this important civil rights measure. The Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said Evergreen State voters deserve to know why."


PA: Court throws out lawsuit over Philly gun laws : "Philadelphia officials cannot enact gun laws tougher than Pennsylvania's law, a state appeals court ruled Friday in throwing out city ordinances that included limiting gun purchases to one a month and banning assault weapons. Commonwealth Court dismissed a lawsuit against the Legislature filed by two members of Philadelphia's City Council, Darrell L. Clarke and Donna Reed Miller.The court cited language in several gun ordinances the council passed last year that the measures cannot take effect unless the Legislature were to let municipalities enact stricter laws. That has not happened."

Florida shooting justified : "A Putnam County man walked free Saturday after a jury believed he shot six people in a two-family feud to protect his home from an armed mob. The jury of six women deliberated for one hour before deciding that Baldemar Riojas, 49, was not guilty of the six counts of attempted second-degree murder for which prosecutors wanted him to serve 25 years to life in prison. Riojas fired a .22 caliber rifle at the people on April 10, 2005 when a long-simmering feud erupted at 3:58 a.m., Putnam County sheriff investigators said. Defense attorney Robert Fields of Palatka said the Riojases were awakened that April morning by gunfire and rocks striking their mobile home. A man with a shotgun fired at Riojas as he was trying to reason with him. Then he had to fight off a man with a 9mm handgun who jumped over his fence because the gate was chained and locked. When he realized the mob would not stop at rock throwing, Riojas grabbed his weapon and defended his home, Fields said. "Mr. Riojas knew that he and his family were going to be killed that night and he did take a stand in and around his house," Fields told the jury. "A reasonable man was doing what a reasonable man would do when attacked by unreasonable people."


SCOTUS decision not good for Obama: "Last spring, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to arms, Democrats hoped the decision would neutralize the gun issue. Instead the ruling, by inviting debate over which kinds of gun control are constitutional, has made the issue more salient. That's bad news for Barack Obama, whom the National Rifle Association says "would be the most anti-gun president in American history." The Democratic nominee pays lip service to Second Amendment rights while calling for "commonsense," "reasonable" restrictions. But Mr. Obama's sense of what is reasonable, while common among the left-liberal politicians and activists inside his comfort zone, may seem decidedly unreasonable to the pro-gun voters the NRA is trying to mobilize against him. Since these voters made a decisive difference in the 2000 presidential election and arguably in 2004 as well, this is a threat Mr. Obama ignores at his peril. The NRA plans to spend $15 million urging voters in battleground states of the Midwest and Mountain West to "Defend Freedom" and "Defeat Obama."


Fact-Checkers Fall Short in Criticizing NRA's Anti-Obama Ads: "This past weekend, Joe Biden, campaigning in southwest Virginia, called any notion that Obama wanted to take away people’s guns “malarkey.” Montana's Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, previously told reporters that Obama "Ain't ever going to take your gun away." Obama regularly makes similar statements -- at least about rifles and shotguns.... The Washington Post describes its own Fact Checker report as giving the NRA “spot three out of four Pinocchios for its claims that Obama would take away guns and ammunition used by hunters.” But what are the facts? Were the NRA ads this bad? How accurate are the fact checkers? .... Obama has come out for handgun bans as recently as this past February. ABC News’ local Washington, D.C., anchor, Leon Harris, asked Obama: "One other issue that's of great importance here in the district as well is gun control ... but you support the D.C. handgun ban." Obama's simple response: "Right." When Harris said "And you've said that it's constitutional," Obama again says "right" and is clearly seen on tape nodding his head "yes."


Gun laws eased in the Australian State of NSW: "Changes to gun laws will make it easier for people to gain access to firearms from October 1. But while shooting clubs expect more people to be attracted to the sport, critics say the amendments will lead to more high-powered weapons and gun crime. The Shooters Party-initiated bill allows more exemptions for people, including minors, without a licence to participate at shooting clubs. The law, passed with the support of the Government and Coalition, also removes the 28-day waiting period for licence-holders buying additional guns and renewing permits. Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) executive officer Richard Gawned said the changes simply removed the bureaucracy involved in buying more firearms. Amendments also made it easier for people to take up the sport, with those who were unlicensed to be supervised by licence-holders at all times.

Facts and figures about guns in Finland

In the light of the recent mass-murder in Finland, the following facts and figures about Finland's gun laws and gun ownership may be of interest. Despite recent events, Finland is a heavily-armed society with a low rate of gun crime

HIGHLY ARMED: Finland has roughly 1.6 million firearms in private hands. The country's 650,000 licensed gun owners - about 13 percent of the population of 5.2 million - include hunters, practice shooters and gun collectors. In Europe, only Switzerland comes close to Finland in gun ownership: each member of Switzerland's militia army is allowed to keep his gun after completing military service.

RELAXED GUN LAWS: Finland has some of Europe's most relaxed gun laws. The minimum legal age for buying a gun is 15. After a deadly school shooting at Jokela high school last November, the Finnish government vowed to raise the minimum level to 18, but lawmakers and government are still debating legislation. Hunting - a deep-rooted tradition in the sub-Arctic wilderness - and practice shooting are valid reasons to acquire a firearm, but self-defense is not.

REQUIREMENTS: First-time gun owners, members of a shooting club in most cases, are usually granted a license to a .22-caliber pistol. The man responsible for a high school shooting last November had sought to acquire a 9 mm gun, but the application was rejected because the gun was considered too powerful for target practice shooting. A 15-year-old can acquire a shot gun or a rifle for hunting purposes with the consent of an adult.

WEAK OPPOSITION: Calls for tighter gun laws grew after last year's school shooting, but the anti-gun lobby in Finland is still weak. Especially in rural areas, Finns say their hunting traditions justify widespread gun ownership and claim that gun violence is still relatively rare. A government study in 2002 found 14 percent of homicides in Finland are gun-related. In the United States, nearly 67 percent of murders reported to police in the same year were committed with a firearm, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Source

Arizona: Sheriff's deputies say shooting death the result of self-defense: "A 49-year old man was shot to death outside of a residence in the 4100 block of North Soldier Trail in what apparently was a case of self-defense. According to witnesses, the shooting victim entered the home of another man at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, and made threats against the man. The victim was shot when he grabbed the other man and began to drag him out of the residence, according to Pima County Sheriff’s investigators. The name of the shooting victim has not been released, pending notification of next of kin"


Missouri: Would-Be Robber Shot: "A clerk at a 7-Eleven stood up to a robber, police said, and shot him dead. An 18-year-old man was attempting to rob the convenience store near East 27th Street and Van Brunt Boulevard at gunpoint when one of the two clerks in the store pulled out his own gun and shot the man, police said. When officers arrived at the store, which is across the street from a police station, they found the teen dead behind the counter, shot once in the neck. "It is fairly unusual for us to have problems here, but convenience stores are one of those targets of opportunity, especially late at night. There were two clerks working at the time. One had on a uniform, one did not. The one that actually ended up doing the shooting was the one who was not in a uniform, but it is rather ironic to have something like this happen in such proximity to a police station," said Capt. Rich Lockhart of the Kansas City Police Department. The man who was shot was carrying a gun, police said. And they said the clerk who had a gun had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.


Missouri: Security Guard Shoots Man At Liquor Store: "A man was shot by a liquor store security guard on Tuesday night, police said. Officers said the guard told them a man, who he thought had a gun, was causing problems at the Royal Liquor Store on Southwest Boulevard about 9 p.m. After telling the man to leave, the guard said the man became violent and during a struggle, the security guard shot him. The man ran off, and police later found him in an alley about a block away. They did not find a gun. The man's injuries are considered life-threatening, police said."

Fact-Checking FactCheck.Org on Obama and Guns

FactCheck.org doesn't think much of the NRA's ads criticizing Obama. They are, sadly, way off base. This is, presumably,one of the reasons why Stuart Taylor Jr. of the National Journal declared he "no longer trust the major newspapers or television networks to provide consistently accurate and fair reporting and analysis of all the charges and countercharges." He's got good reason.

For starters, FactCheck.org takes Obama at his word that he "believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms." Many gun owners are not so willing to give the benefit of the doubt, as Obama spent most of his adult life in a city with some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, and, according to every record of the past 20 years, never uttered a word of objection. If a candidate claimed that he strongly opposed legal gambling, and yet lived in Las Vegas for 20 years, voters would be understandably skeptical.

Obama voted against a bill that declared that "in any Illinois municipality where gun registration is required it shall be an "affirmative defense" if the person accused of violating the registration requirement can show that the weapon was used "in an act of self-defense or defense of another ... when on his or her land or in his or her abode or fixed place of business." FactCheck says, "Letting the owner of an unregistered firearm escape the penalty for failing to register is one thing, but it's another thing entirely to make it a crime to use any firearm - registered or not - in self-defense."

No, that's precisely it - local law had already made it illegal for Hale DeMar to own and use the handgun that he used to protect himself from a burglar. State lawmakers sought to change that; Obama opposed them. If you see that vote as supporting "a right to own a handgun in self-defense", then you can see any position in any vote.

FactCheck is particularly sloppy by taking Kennedy at his word that an amendment offered in 2005 that would ban "armor piercing" bullets, but was not meant to ban hunting ammunition. As Dave Kopel laid out in detail, the amendment changed an existing ban on "armor piercing bullets" measured by the content of the bullet to a penetration standard.

Instead of a penetration standard (which would ban most rifle ammunition), a content standard was adopted. The sale or import of handgun ammunition with a significant amount of steel, titanium, or other metal core was outlawed. The Kennedy amendment refers to rifle ammunition that has more penetrating capability than "standard" ammunition of the same caliber. In other words, a bureaucrat could decide that "standard" ammunition in a certain caliber has a certain weight and velocity, and any round with a greater weight or velocity could be administratively prohibited.

Existing law is designed to ban armor-piercing bullets while ensuring that hunting ammunition was kept legal; Kennedy's amendment, despite his claims of what he meant to do, would have opened the door, and perhaps even required banning most rifle ammunition.

On the third charge, that Obama supports a ban on handguns, FactCheck writes:

The NRA bases its claim on a disputed 1996 questionnaire that Obama's Illinois state Senate campaign filled out for the nonprofit voting group, Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization. On it, somebody filled in the word "yes" in response to the question, "Do you support legislation to ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns?" But the Obama campaign said that the survey was actually filled out by his then-campaign manager who "unintentionally mischaracterized his position," adding that Obama never saw the survey.

As we wrote previously, an amended version of the questionnaire was later submitted to the group, with Obama's handwritten notes on it providing more detail on some of the answers. Obama clearly saw and handled this version personally and did not alter the question about banning the sale and manufacturing of guns. Nevertheless, his aides maintain that the gun-ban answer was a mistake and didn't reflect Obama's true position.

Nonetheless, FactCheck.org deems the charge that Obama supports a ban on handguns false. Apparently like the Boston Globe and the Washington Post in their fact-checking features, FactCheck.org has decided that their own previous research is no longer reliable.

FactCheck says that the NRA is "misleading" when they state that Obama would "mandate a government-issued license to purchase a firearm." They say that he has only called for licensing handguns, and because he said a national gun registration law isn't politically possible: "I just don't think we can get that done." That's a thin reed to argue that Obama opposes the idea, or wouldn't push for it if it were politically possible (in a Congress that is likely to be significantly more Democratic next year). Finally, FactCheck.org concludes:

At a campaign stop in Duryea, Pa., in early September, Obama again attempted to reassure gun owners that he doesn't intend to take away their guns, and couldn't even if he wanted to:

Obama (Sept. 5): The bottom line is this. If you've got a rifle, you've got a shotgun, you've got a gun in your house, I'm not taking it away. Alright? So they can keep on talking about it but this is just not true. And by the way, here's another thing you've got to understand. Even if I wanted to take it away, I couldn't get it done. I don't have the votes in Congress.

The fact that FactCheck thinks this reinforces the argument that Obama respects the Second Amendment speak volumes. Pro-Second Amendment lawmakers just don't talk this way.

By the way, since 1980, the ratio of NRA endorsed-Republican presidential candidates to winning Republican presidential candidates has been 1:1 - Reagan twice, Bush in 1988 but not 1992, Bush twice. So far, they have not officially endorsed a candidate, even though. I know the NRA is generally positive on McCain, but had some major beefs with him in the past (campaign finance reform and restrictions on sales at gun shows). Will the addition of lifetime NRA member Sarah Palin be enough to get the organization to make an official endorsement?

UPDATE: Bob Owens is similarly unimpressed with FactCheck. And the Washington Post looks at the NRA ad and, to the surprise of no one, makes all of the same errors as FactCheck - i.e., because Obama hasn't said since 1999 that he supports increasing taxes on guns and ammunition by 500 percent, he must not support it now. One of the really surprising developments in this election has been how the "fact-checking" features of major news organizations have been sloppy and vague with large omissions... just about always to the benefit of of Obama.

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Why Obama is evasive about his anti-gun attitudes

Our Monday item on the so-called Bradley effect prompted an email from reader Bill Saracino, who fills in some of the details lost in the standard liberal narrative of the 1982 California governor's campaign:

In 1982, I was executive director of Gun Owners of California, which at the time was one of the five largest non-party-controlled political action committees in California.

The gun-phobics qualified an initiative for the '82 fall ballot that would have essentially banned all handguns. It became Proposition 15. Gun Owners of California, in partnership with the National Rifle Association, assembled a broad coalition of gun, hunting and outdoor sport groups to oppose Proposition 15. I was chosen to be the chairman of the official No on 15 committee. After being far ahead in surveys in the spring and early summer, Proposition 15 failed in November by about 65% to 35%. George Deukmejian opposed Proposition 15; Tom Bradley supported it. With that background, I make the following points:

* Proposition 15 was enormously unpopular with Reagan Democrats and rural voters of all stripes.

* We tried to include Bradley vs. Deukmejian comparisons in as much of our anti-15 advertising as possible, and we outspent Yes on 15 by about 5 to 1 in the fall campaign (largely on the NRA's money).

* Because of Proposition 15, turnout in our rural areas was unprecedented, reaching 85% to 90% in some Central Valley and Sierra foothill counties.

* Deukmejian ran ahead of even Reagan (and usually even or just slightly behind "No on 15") in some rural, usually Democratic counties. The one county I remember off the top of my head is Modoc, a small county in the northeast corner of the state, bordering Nevada and Oregon. "No on 15" got 88%, Deukmejian in the low 70s. This trend was repeated--basically without exception--in large and small rural counties throughout the state.

* At a think-tank sponsored event a month or so after the election, Bradley's manager stated he thought that the presence of Proposition 15 on the ballot had cost his guy the election.

* The absentee-ballot factor is totally overlooked by folks trying to ascribe a racial component to Bradley's defeat and the surveys missing the final outcome. The final pre-election surveys weren't all that far off the mark. They showed a small to middling Bradley lead--which in fact materialized at the polls on election day. Bradley won the vote cast at the ballot boxes, but because of an aggressive absentee-ballot effort by the Deukmejian campaign (and our separate effort for No on 15), an unprecedented percentage of total turnout was represented by absentees. Deukmajian won a large majority of the absentee ballots

The pollsters totally missed this factor leading up to election day, as did the exit polls. In a still-memorable tableau Mervin Field, director of the almost-always-liberal-slanted Field poll, was on television at midnight insisting that Bradley was going to win as the tote boards showed a 50,000 vote Deukmejian lead with 99% of the vote counted.

That's a long way of saying what I wanted to, which is not that there wasn't anybody in California in 1982 who lied to pollsters about voting for Bradley and then voted against him because he was black. I suspect there were. But my firsthand experience tells me that the "No on 15"-driven turnout among pro-gun conservative Democrats, combined with the very wily absentee ballot campaigns conducted by Deukmejian and No on 15, had much more to do with Bradley losing than did any hidden racial factor.

To confirm this, we went in search of contemporaneous press accounts. We found a February 1983 column by Tom Wicker, a liberal New York Times columnist. Wicker's column--based on an analysis by Mervin Field, the pollster Saracino cites in his email to us--acknowledges the role of absentee ballots (California had just passed a law allowing anyone to vote absentee) and of Proposition 15:

Another major factor was the overwhelming defeat of Proposition 15, a strong handgun-control initiative. A $6 million opposition campaign reversed a majority originally favoring the initiative, to a 63-to-37-percent defeat. Mr. Field measured a 32-point turnaround in the last month alone. Since Mr. Bradley favored Proposition 15, the late tide against it obviously hurt him, too; 60 percent of ''no'' voters said in exit polls that they voted for Mr. Deukmejian.

But it wasn't just that $6 million campaign that defeated Proposition 15 and maybe Tom Bradley too. Mervin Field's exit polls showed that 48 percent of all voters said they kept a gun in their households; factoring in the absentees, that means that more than half of California's voters had a gun in their households on Election Day.

It should be noted that none of this implicates the Bradley effect, which posits a discrepancy between what people tell pollsters and how they actually vote. Field's analysis deals entirely with what people did tell pollsters.

More here

Ohio homeowner kills break-in suspect: "A man was shot in the chest and killed about 2:45 this morning by a homeowner who said the man had broken into his house. Police said it happened in the 13400 block of St. Clair Avenue. Lawrence Hanson, 65, said he was awakened by the sound of someone breaking into the house. When the Hanson went downstairs to investigate, he saw signs that his house was being burglarized. He went back upstairs, got dressed and grabbed his gun. Hanson said he had no intention to shoot and kill a burglar morning. Hanson confronted the man, whose name has not been released, and ordered the intruder to stop. The man approached Hanson. The gun went off, and the man fell to the ground, Hanson said. "I can't believe I shot somebody," he said, standing next to his garage. Hanson was not arrested, but police seized the gun."


Antigua: Shot robber gains sympathy of shop owner: "Richard Williams can count his blessings today after the court dismissed a charge of break-in, entering and larceny that was brought against him by the police. Williams was shot by the proprietor of Roti King while attempting to burglarise the business place on 14 Jan. Owner of the popular eatery, Tahir Ajim, told the court yesterday that he does not want to proceed with the case. Ajim said that Williams approached him shortly before the case was called and asked him to drop the case. "He saw me outside and told me he is sick, and I felt sorry for him," Ajim said. Chief Magistrate Ivan Walters told Williams that he was free to go after dismissing the matter for want of prosecution. Williams allegedly broke into Roti King and stole $5 cash, one case of Guinness, one case of Wadadli Gold (beer) and one case of Smirnoff Ice valued at $225.83. The Gray's Farm man allegedly with another man entered the popular down town restaurant, but Ajim caught them in the act and Williams was shot three times. He received bullet wounds to both legs and to the right side of his head."


FL: Under anonymity, gun licenses soar : "The number of Floridians with permission to pack heat has jumped nearly 50 percent in three years. In 2005, one year before the state Legislature's decision to provide anonymity to people holding concealed weapons licenses, there were 347,350 active permits statewide. Now, that number has swelled to about 520,000."


Russia: Man shoots neo-Nazi in self defense : "A man who appeared to be from the Caucasus shot an alleged neo-Nazi while waiting for a metro train in St. Petersburg, according to a September 22, 2008 report by the Newsru.com web site. On September 21, paramedics brought a 22-year-old man to the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He claimed that the shooter opened fire without provocation, but police sources say that metro video cameras clearly show five young people dressed like `members of informal groups' (a common euphemism for neo-Nazis) approach to the shooter and start to menace him. Not taking any chances in a city where neo-Nazis have murdered several minorities in recent years, the man fired into his assailants and then fled the scene."

The Man I Might Have Killed

In 1982 I was living alone at the edge of a small desert town in Southern California. It wasn't the best of neighborhoods and I was moving the very next day to a better area. Sometimes your luck just runs out.

I woke up about midnight, hearing angry voices outside at the back of the house. There was no fence and people often wandered around at night, but their argument seemed to be escalating and getting closer so I got up and put on a robe. My little dog was barking up a storm. Looking out the front window, I saw a man standing by the front door of my car on the street, obviously trying to get into it and well illuminated by the full moon. I got the shotgun and opened the door a crack, then shouted at the man to get away from my car and go away. He just looked at me and went on trying to get into the car.

Then I made a big mistake. I walked out onto the sidewalk, closing the door behind me to keep the little dog from getting out. At that point the man started to walk toward me, in a few words telling me just how he would hurt me. I raised the shotgun, but he just sneered and said confidently, "you won't shoot me" and kept coming. He was still too close to my car, so I aimed the .410 shotgun just over his head and pulled the trigger.

I saw the shocked look, just before I saw the blood on his face and chest where the tiny #6 birdshot had hit him. He turned and ran away, destroying a low ornamental fence in the process, but never even slowing to untangle it from his legs.

Elapsed time? Probably not more than half a minute from the time I walked out the door until he fled. The time between his sneering comment and pulling the trigger? Probably a few seconds. The car was no more than 20 - 25 feet from the door.

Emergencies happen fast. I basically had a choice between shooting at him or being killed, with not much time to make up my mind. I was lucky to have the gun, to have taken it to the door with me, and lucky to know something about firing it. Some miracle had made me keep it loaded the two years since I'd left the farm where it had been used on squirrels and other varmints.

Shaking and almost sick to my stomach, I went back into the house and locked the door. made sure every window was locked and took a long hot shower. I had no phone, so could call nobody. Since the sheriff's office was 32 miles distant, calling them would have been a joke anyway. Everyone in that town just had to live with that fact. I never did report it, not being at all sure what their reaction would be. He obviously didn't die, and didn't report it either.

Eventually I went back to bed and tried hard not to think about any of it. As with most things we don't want to face, I mostly succeeded.

It was almost 25 years, and a few self defense classes later when I realized all of the mistakes I'd made and how close I came to death or terrible injury that night. I was very, very lucky things turned out as they did. And he was very lucky I hadn`t aimed that gun straight at him. What were my mistakes?

1. I went from a relatively secure position in the house to a seriously exposed position on the front walk. I basically cut off my only avenue of retreat when I shut the door.

Since there had been others arguing with him only minutes before, there was every reason to suspect he was not alone and that others could have attacked me from behind. It just never crossed my mind. Actually, I was sure he would run away as soon as I shouted, or at least as soon as he saw the gun.

Once I was under attack, understanding my peril and scared to death, I suffered from "tunnel vision." I was completely unable to see or hear anything but the threat in front of me. I probably no longer even heard the dog barking furiously in the house. This is very common under such stress and can only be overcome with serious training and practice.

2. My gun held only one shell at a time, and I had no others with me. If he had continued to attack after I'd foolishly shot over his head, he would probably have killed me. It is highly unlikely I'd have had time to reload anyway.

3. My major mistake was in confronting him, without knowing what to do and especially without an adequate weapon.

So, should we all just cower in the house or allow ourselves to be attacked and robbed? Only you can answer that for yourself. I did what I thought I had to do at the time, and I would again. If there is a next time, however, I won't make the same mistakes.

A man (or anyone) who attacked me today would face a calm, confident, prepared and VERY well armed woman - any time of the day or night. I would hope that he was able to perceive his disadvantage and just go away. Some would, and some would not. His choice.

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GOA submits appeal on behalf of Olofson

Gun owners across the nation are still rejoicing over the Supreme Court decision that struck down portions of the DC gun ban as unconstitutional. But the Heller decision has also signaled the beginning of a new major assault by the anti-gun left. Make no mistake, the anti-gun lobby is not going quietly into the night. They are absolutely rabid over this decision - and their friends in Congress are in a strong position to legislate away those gun freedoms which the Supreme Court has affirmed.

In the meantime, agencies like the federal BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) appear to have no intention, whatsoever, of stopping their attacks on law-abiding gun owners, gun dealers and manufacturers. In GOA's newsletter which recently landed in mailboxes (The Gun Owners, August 18), we detailed the lengths to which the BATFE is going to trample the rights of gun owners and dealers.

From using paid "informants" to provide false testimony, to physically altering firearms to turn them into "machine guns," to abusing and harassing mom and pop gun shops who cannot afford to legally defend themselves, this agency appears not only to have little or no regards for the rights of citizens, but is clearly willing even to ignore the rulings of the Supreme Court.

As you know, Gun Owners is helping to defend David Olofson, a recent victim of BATFE abuse who has been sentenced to 30 months in the Federal Correctional Institute at Sandstone, Minnesota for the alleged crime of knowingly transferring an unregistered machine gun. GOA submitted an appeal on August 25, 2008, to get him released from prison, and our brief is viewable at http://www.gunowners.org/fs0806.pdf on the GOA website.

We took on the case when we learned that the so-called "machine gun" that Olofson owned was, in reality, one of thousands of ordinary semi-automatic rifles made by Olympic Arms. It happened to misfire a few extra rounds when a friend was using it at a range - thus drawing the attention of the feds. However, it only became a machine gun when the BATFE, behind closed doors, mechanically tampered with the rifle. Getting guns to malfunction is a favorite technique of the BATFE as it gives them a great opportunity to rack up convictions on the possession or selling of "machine guns," which requires a special type of license.

As a result, David Olofson has been robbed of all his freedom, not just his right to keep and bear arms. He has lost his liberty, his family, and his life outside of prison. It is just a turn of fate that it is David Olofson - not you or any other semi-auto owner you know - who is rotting away in prison. And that's why GOA came to his aide, and we are pleased to report that you guys have been a tremendous blessing to the Olofson family.

David's wife, Candy, told GOA Executive Director Larry Pratt last week that contributions from GOA members have been a tremendous help. So much so, that she does not need to take a second job, thus allowing her to spend time with her children. All of this has resulted from the many GOA members who are making monthly contributions to help pay the Olofson family's mortgage and car payment. By the way, a lawyer friend who lives near Candy told her that GOA's brief was superb. One could hear the encouragement in her voice that resulted from what the attorney told her.

So, now that we have the Olofson family stabilized, we're asking you to help us get stabilized. This case is very expensive, and we need your help to continue pressing ahead for his release from prison. The costs in taking on this case are huge, although it's a burden we gladly bear because of the danger that it presents to ALL gun owners - especially those who own semi-automatic firearms. If this injustice stands, it will give the ATF the green light to put millions of additional gun owners in their cross hairs.

GOA also needs your financial help because we are using this experience to work with a team of experts to develop written testing standards that could be imposed on the BATFE by law. Such a law would protect individual gun owners, manufacturers and dealers alike, and would be the next best thing to getting rid of The Gang (aka, the BATFE). So please help GOA to accomplish these worthwhile efforts. You can help GOA continue fighting to defend David Olofson - and all gun owners like him - by going to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm on the GOA website. Thank you.

Source

Crocodiles enjoy gun-free society: "Attempts to turn Solomon Islands into a gun-free society has had an unintended deadly side effect. It's lead in part, to an increase in the number of fatal crocodile attacks. Guns were banned on Solomon Islands following racial tensions and the arrival in 2003 of the Australian lead Regional Assistance Mission, RAMSI. Solomon Islands Acting Police Commissioner, Peter Marshall, has told Radio Australia at least six people have been killed by crocodiles in the past 18 months. "We have various reports from around the provinces in Solomon Islands... of crocodiles entering into locations where fishermen are present or where children are bathing or where families are bathing and the reports that we are getting is that the number of crocodiles is increasing," he said."


Cape Cod shooting justified: "Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe has found that Yarmouth Police Officer Christopher Van Ness was justified in shooting and killing Brazilian national Andre Luiz de Castro Martins. On the early morning of Sunday, July 27, Van Ness used his service weapon to fire at least three shots at Martins, who had been driving an automobile at a high rate of speed and who failed to stop for the officer. Although Van Ness had stopped his cruiser in an attempt to block the automobile and gotten out, O'Keefe said Martins did not stop but continued to try to maneuver his car. The district attorney said the officer had good reason to fear imminent great bodily harm or death from being crushed against his cruiser or run over by the automobile, and was justified by reason of self-defense in shooting Martins. One of the shots perforated Martins' heart and a lung, killing him. To convict Van Ness of a crime, O'Keefe said, the state would bear the burden of showing that the right of self-defense didn't exist, and must disprove that right beyond a reasonable doubt. Neither, he said, was supported by the evidence."

Georgia: Robber Disarmed by Employees: "Police are praising four employees of a Forest Park, Georgia furniture store for a bold stroke of self-defense, for turning the tables on an armed robber, for risking their lives to disarm and capture the masked man, who had invaded their store Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning a man wearing a green mask stuck a handgun in the back of one of Burndette's employees as the employee was entering the front door. The surveillance video shows the gunman marching the employee inside the store, across the furniture showroom, straight into the office, and then forcing all four employees onto the floor, face down. Burndette said the gunman threatened to kill everyone. Burndette said the gunman demanded that one of the employees disable the surveillance cameras and give him the video tapes to take with him. And, for a split second, the gunman turned away. "That's when we had the opportunity to grab the suspect," Burndette said. "The opportunity was that when he actually turned his back, when he asked for the camera, when he approached the guy, when the associate approached and said the tape was not in the camera, in the VCR, that's when he turned his back and was getting ready to, I guess, fire." Darren Marshall, the store's accounts manager, was the first to grab for the robber's gun. The video shows the employees finally getting control of the gun and falling in a heap on the gunman, keeping him on the floor until police arrived a few minutes later. Forest Park Police said the gunman is 21-year-old Shawn Henderson of Jonesboro, GA. Henderson had to receive treatment in a hospital for injuries he received in the struggle. He's now in jail"


Mississippi clerk shoots robber: "Jackson police say they won't charge a gas station clerk in the shooting death of a robbery suspect. Police spokesman Lt. Jeffery Scott says a man wearing a clown mask and carrying a gun entered the gas station just after 9 p.m. Sunday. The man took money from the register and ran from the store. Scott says the clerk followed the man outside and shot several times, hitting the suspect as he ran behind a storage shed. The suspect was brought a hospital, where Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart says he died shortly after 10 p.m. Scott says the clerk, whose name wasn't released, was defending himself."


Shooting becomes a test of Missouri's new `castle doctrine' law: "When Rogelio Johnson allegedly climbed through a window and confronted Jackie Gleason in her home near Kirksville, Mo., in May, she shot him dead. A crime? Yes, concluded an Adair County coroner's jury last month. Not so fast, said county Prosecutor Mark Williams, who says the shooting may be justified under a new Missouri law known as the "castle doctrine" that allows a person to use lethal force against intruders. Although the coroner's jury said Gleason committed "death by felony," Williams was not convinced the jury completely understood the doctrine. Besides, he said, he found juror misconduct because one juror said Gleason was guilty before hearing testimony. Williams asked that the Missouri attorney general's office determine if charges are warranted. The attorney general's office has not yet appointed anyone to the case, but should start reviewing it in the next few weeks, a spokesman said Wednesday. The inquest before the six-member coroner's jury lasted two days. In most Missouri counties, coroners are required to investigate deaths that appear to be the result of foul play. When the circumstances of a death are particularly complicated or unclear, a coroner may call a jury to examine the facts of the case. In a taped interview with a Missouri Highway Patrol officer that was played during the inquest, Gleason said Johnson approached her with his hands clasped in front of him as if in a firing position, although no weapon was found. Johnson was Gleason's estranged boyfriend and was under court order to stay away from her house. The front door was locked when he came in through the window, she said. Adair County Sheriff Leonard Clark deferred to the patrol for the investigation because of a potential conflict of interest. He does not agree with the jury's finding. "Based on the information I have at this time, I do not believe there was any criminal wrongdoing," Clark said."


More details on CA shooting blogged here on 19th. "Amariae Sanders was a 16-year-old boy who may have thought a San Pablo gift shop would be an easy mark. But when he vaulted the counter while armed with a sawed-off shotgun, he had no way of knowing that the store owner would fight back, police say. Brian Wogsland, the owner of A&L Posters on San Pablo Avenue, had been robbed twice before and was ready when Sanders and another young man entered about 5 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. He pulled a handgun and fired numerous shots, striking Sanders in the head and chest. In an instant, Sanders was dead and Wogsland was left trying to deal with the third - and most violent - incident over the past year in which he was targeted by robbers. "He was pretty upset when we interviewed him," said police Sgt. Dave Lewellyn. "He obviously didn't want to have to shoot anybody. But he has been the victim of violent crime, and at some point he's going to have to take these kinds of measures to protect himself. He told us he was in fear for his life." After Wogsland opened fire, the other would-be robber fled out the front door of the shop at 14650 San Pablo Ave. He remained at large Wednesday."

Court victory in Ohio: "Today's ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court that strikes down a ban on legal concealed carry in public parks was "a proper decision that upholds the state's concealed carry preemption statute," the Second Amendment Foundation said. Ohio's current concealed carry statute, adopted by the State Legislature in 2006, prohibits local governments from adopting more stringent gun control regulations than the state. The City of Clyde passed an ordinance banning legal concealed carry in city parks. The law was challenged by Ohioans for Concealed Carry. "Anti-gun municipalities across the country have been cooking up ways to challenge state preemption statutes," noted SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, "as a means of harassing legally-armed, law-abiding citizens. Today's ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court struck a necessary blow in the Buckeye State for civil rights and the rule of law."


OH: Cleveland loses appeal in gun confiscation case : "The City of Cleveland has lost in their bid to keep a firearm confiscated from a man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from an April 2007 incident. On April 27, 2007, Antonio Fulton was charged with using weapons while intoxicated, failure to secure a dangerous ordnance, and endangering children. His handgun was confiscated. At his trial, Fulton was acquitted of the charges. Yet, the City refused to return his handgun. Fulton petitioned the Municipal Court to return the firearm, but the Court refused. Fulton appealed the ruling to the Eight Appellate District. Today, the Appellate Court ruled in his favor. … Not only was Cleveland ordered to return Mr. Fulton’s gun, they were also ordered to pay court costs.”

Florida home invader fatally shot: "Last week Thomas Thompson II, 24, was charged with taking copper from a Home Depot store. Early Thursday, the Vero Beach resident was fatally shot breaking into the home of a woman his pregnant girlfriend knew, said Indian River County sheriff's Detective Chris Cassinari. Around 5:20 a.m. Thompson, armed with two knives, crawled through a window in a small home south of Vero Beach at the intersection of 47th Avenue and First Street Southwest. A family dog awakened occupant Francis Hornsby, who found an armed man at the foot of her bed when she turned on a light. Her screams woke her two sons, 19-year-old Austin Hornsby and 20-year-old Robert Hornsby. From what Cassinari surmises, Thompson apparently didn't know the sons were inside the home. One son scuffled with Thompson. Finally, the other son, "in defense, fired a shotgun, killing the subject," said sheriff's Lt. Leroy Smith. Investigators haven't yet identified which son fired the shotgun. Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was at the doorway to a porch. He is survived by a 3-year-old child, officers said. The investigation is continuing. No charges have been filed in what sheriff's investigators consider a burglary. Thompson was released Sunday from the Indian River County Jail under a $5,000 bail following his arrest Sept. 12 on a charge of grand theft. Authorities say he took $2,200 in copper wire from a Roseland Home Depot store."


AZ : Stupid cops shoot man who detained burglar: "Phoenix police say one of their officers shot and wounded a man who had been holding a burglar at gunpoint inside his home. Sgt. Tommy Thompson says the incident late Wednesday happened as officers responded to a flurry of calls in an east Phoenix neighborhood, about shots fired, a wounded man who acted strangely after being let into a good Samaritan's home and finally, a break-in at a nearby home. Arriving officers found a screaming woman who had fled the last home with two children while her mate confronted the intruder. Thompson says officers went inside, ordered everyone out and saw the armed resident coming down a hallway. One officer shot the 35-year-old man several times, but he's expected to survive. Officers then detained the intruder."


Indiana clerk shoots at robber: "Indiana law allows Hoosiers to defend themselves, even with deadly force, and Tuesday morning a woman working behind the counter of Zipp's Deli did just that. Police said she fired shots at a teen who jumped the counter and tried to take money from her cash register. Even though the black male suspect never showed a weapon, he and the clerk struggled before he eventually got away, said Muncie Police Department Lt. Al Williams. Police are continuing their search for him, as well as for another young black man who was waiting across Madison Street. Witnesses said the two fled on foot to 613 E. Fifth St., an apparently abandoned home just a block away from the store. The clerk was not injured. This isn't the first time a Zipp's clerk has fired a gun at a robber. A convicted bandit was shot by a clerk in March 2002 after he robbed the store. He was later found, injured, in a home, along with cash that had been taken from the store."


Utah intruder shot by homeowner: "An estranged husband who was shot after breaking into the home of his wife's male friend remained at University Hospital Thursday. Robert Hunter, 50, was shot in the chest and arms with a 12-gauge shotgun after police say he broke into the home of Joe McIntosh Wednesday night. West Valley Police Capt. Tom McLachlan said Hunter's injuries were not believed to be life threatening. The incident began just before 9 p.m. near 3700 South and 6000 West. Hunter allegedly parked his truck a street away and walked to McIntosh's home. Hunter, who had been separated from his wife for several months, had been served divorce papers earlier that day, McLachlan said. His estranged wife was in the house with McIntosh. Hunter went to the back sliding glass door and allegedly entered the house after shattering the glass, McLachlan said. There had been previous incidents between Hunter and McIntosh, including some threats, McLachlan said. "Those threats may have made (McIntosh) quite leery," he said. McIntosh fired a shotgun at Hunter almost as soon as he entered. Hunter was hit and retreated. Investigators later learned that Hunter was carrying 9 mm and .22-caliber handguns with him that were loaded. Police said whether Hunter pointed his weapons at anyone, whether he fired a shot or whether McIntosh even knew he was armed, were all questions being addressed in the ongoing investigation."

FL: Owner of shop where suspect was killed: 'He came after' my family: "Noel Nagi says he was ready to give the gun-toting would-be robber the cash - about $150. "Just don't do anything crazy. There's a baby." Around the counter-top corner, Nagi's 7-month-old grandson was perched on his father's knee. His mother, Nagi's daughter, stood nearby. "I don't give a f-," Nagi recalls the man saying as he pivoted and leveled the gun at the boy. Then a customer pulled open the A1A Discount Beverage door. In a heartbeat, the gunman was distracted. The father, Yamen Abdelfattah, handed off the infant to its mother. She rushed him to the closed office in two steps. The gunman's attention and weapon then returned to Nagi, the store's owner. And the babe's father, a gun-carrying veteran of the check-cashing business, pulled his weapon, rounded the corner and fired. "We believe the employees of the store got the upper hand on him," Palm Beach County Sheriff's Sgt. Rick McAfee said Sunday night, as investigators combed the scene - a man's body still lying inside the doorway, glass from the door shattered around him. The robber was identified as Robert C. Martin, 35, of 2781 2nd Ave, North Lot 43, Lake Worth. "We're not expecting charges at this time, but it will be turned over to the State Attorney's Office," Barbera said."


GA: Business Partner Shot, Killed: "Police in Dawson County believe that a argument between business partners is the cause of a shooting that has left one man dead. in Big Canoe. According to police the couple said they shot the man out of self-defense after the victim picked up a knife and threatened them. The victim was shot and killed by his wife`s business partner Tuesday morning. Police had gotten a call early Tuesday morning and was told that someone had broken into the home. While deputies were in route, they were told the intruder had been shot to death. Authorities believe that the shooting started over a argument between business partners in which the victim went to the home to confront the woman living in the house. Police added that the debate led to a altercation and the woman`s husband fatally shot the business partner."


California shop-owner kills robber: "The owner of a San Pablo gift shop shot and killed one of two robbers during a holdup attempt Tuesday, the latest in a spate of heists at the business, police said. The shooting happened shortly after 5 p.m. when two men stormed into A&L Posters at 14650 San Pablo Ave., said San Pablo police Lt. Mark Foisie. One of the assailants jumped over the counter with a shotgun and was shot dead by the owner, Foisie said. The man's name was not immediately released. The other would-be robber fled out the front door. The owner of the business has been robbed at least twice before, police said. About two months ago, he was robbed at the business. Within the past year, he was robbed, beaten and had a weapon fired near his face, Foisie said. Suspects have been arrested in at least one of the earlier cases, police said. The shooting is the latest in the East Bay in which store employees have fought back against robbers."


House passes rules easing D.C. gun restriction: ""The House moved Wednesday to compel the nation's capital to broaden the rights of its residents to buy and own firearms, including semiautomatic weapons. Critics, led by the District of Columbia's sole delegate to Congress, decried the action. They said the vote tramples on the District's rights to govern itself and could endanger both residents and political dignitaries who so often travel across the city. But the National Rifle Association-backed bill passed easily, 266-152, with supporters saying they were determined to give D.C. residents the same Second Amendment right of self-defense that has been available to other Americans."

Ohio gas station clerk fires at suspects: "The incident occurred about 10:30 p.m. Sunday at the Sunoco gas station, 6340 River Rd., Cincinnati police said. Three men came into the store and one of them took a case of Budweiser without paying and pulled out a gun, police said. The clerk, Hanny Ashishi, 22, fired a shot as they ran out, police said this morning. One of the suspects, Larry Clay, 19, of Delhi Township, was grazed in the head with glass and suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said. An initial police report said the man was grazed by a bullet. Clay was charged with one count of theft, a police report shows. Two accomplices also were charged. Joseph Phillips, 20, and Joshua Brauer, 19, also of Delhi Township, were booked into the Hamilton County jail charged of theft and receiving stolen property, jail officials said this morning..... On Wednesday, a West Price Hill store owner fired two shots at but did not hit an armed robber who ran off and remains at large. Earlier in the week, a college student just getting off work in the East End stabbed an armed carjacker who also tried to steal his wallet. The alleged carjacker, Daniel Jackson, was taken to University Hospital with critical injuries."


MD: Strange murder charge -- sounds more like self-defense: "Frederick County Sheriff's Deputies have charged a Mount Airy man with attempted second-degree murder after he fired shots into the ground and pointed the gun at another man. Forty-five-year year old Peter Thomas Eaton Junior is being held in lieu of $350,000 bail after his arrest on Sunday. Deputies say a man went to Eaton's house after Eaton backed into the man's vehicle. Authorities say Eaton took out a gun, fired several shots into the ground and pointed the weapon at the man. Eaton's attorney says his client did fire shots into the ground, but wasn't trying to murder anyone."


GA: Post office scuffle ends in gunfire: "A scuffle erupted into gunfire at a South Georgia post office Monday morning. A man apparently waited in some bushes outside the Smithville Post office to ambush another man. Sixty-five year old Jack Beamon is in jail. Investigators say Beamon's wife works there and he confronted one of her co-workers around 7:40 Monday morning. The two argued and Beamon pulled out a .38 caliber revolver. When a second post office employee tried to take the gun, it discharged. No one was shot. A retired state trooper apprehended Beamon and held him until deputies arrived. Beamon is charged with aggravated assault while federal firearm charges are pending."


NM: A very strange case: "A Carlsbad man will face charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a domestic incident in July during which he allegedly held a pregnant woman at gunpoint before shooting himself in the arm.... police were called to a residence in the 500 block of South Maple Street with a report of shots fired. Officers responding to the scene saw a woman, identified as Ana Terrones, running from the residence carrying a firearm. Terrones surrendered the weapon to police and explained that her ex-boyfriend, identified as Jacquez, had used it to shoot himself in the arm. She further told officers that Jacquez had broken into her house, firing the weapon and threatening her, the complaint states. She told police that as she tried to call for help, Jacquez forced his way into the bathroom where she was hiding and pointed the gun at her head while she pleaded with him about the safety of her unborn child, the complaint alleges. He then pointed the gun at his left arm and shot himself, she said. He then dropped it, enabling her to grab the gun and escape.

FL: Teens get shot plus 12 years jail for armed break-in: "Two young men, just 15 and 18 when they got involved in a botched armed robbery attempt orchestrated by a 51-year-old convicted felon, were sentenced to minimum mandatory prison terms in court Tuesday. Circuit Judge Brian Lambert sentenced Justin Tyler, now 19, to 10-year sentences on two counts, the minimum time allowed, for serving as a principal to a home invasion robbery with firearm and as a principal to the burglary of a dwelling with firearm.... The robbery attempt took place at a home in Summerfield when six people were inside - Green, his son, Geoffrey, and four of his friends. Hanna carried a loaded .38 caliber revolver, Tyler an unloaded .25-caliber weapon, and Hodges, a lookalike BB pistol. Besides Tyler and Hanna, who was also struck by the WASR-10 [assault rifle] during a brief shootout, no one was injured."


Georgia: DA won't retry man in road-rage killing: "After trying to imprison a man who claimed self defense in a road-rage killing, District Attorney Paul Howard now says it is in the "interest of justice" the man stay free. A jury deadlocked last July in the manslaughter trial of Charles Anthony Key, who was indicted for killing an Iraq war veteran during an argument at a traffic stop.... the victim, Jack Snook, got out of his vehicle and approached the car of the defendant "I didn't want to kill anyone," Key told Atlanta police detectives during a two-hour interrogation after the shooting. "This is strictly self-defense. This guy was making threats on my life." Snook's friends said he was belligerent and drunk but never actually threatened Key".


UT: City, county gun bans defy state law, foes say: "A pro-gun rights group wants to stop what it says are "petty bureaucrats" from banning guns in their local jurisdictions - an act they say is against state law.The independent gun rights network Gun Owners of Utah is calling on its members to look for signs at places such as airports, buses and local parks banning guns. After a list of such signs is compiled, members from GOUtah! will ask local leaders to take the signs down and revise their rules and ordinances."What we want to do is help all the local and county agencies come into compliance with state law," said Charles Hardy, policy director for GOUtah!. "The first thing we've gotta do is find out who isn't in compliance."

More details on CA shooting: "He told police there were only moments to decide. Several people - at least one with a gun - were breaking through the front door of his Del Paso Heights home. His pregnant wife and two children, ages 2 and 3, slept in a back bedroom. As the would-be invaders forced the door open, the man told police, he believed he had to act. He stuck the barrel of his shotgun into the expanding gap and pulled the trigger. A 19-year-old man took a shot to the torso, stumbled several yards and fell dead. His accomplices - police don't know how many - fled. The attempted break-in took place about 12:20 a.m. Tuesday at a home on the 800 block of Carmelita Avenue, just off Rio Linda Boulevard, according to the Sacramento Police Department. Sgt. Matt Young, the department spokesman, said the home's occupant likely won't face charges for the early morning shooting because his actions appear to meet the standard for justifiable self-defense. "The final disposition will lie with the district attorney, but at this time and stage of the investigation, we don't intend to arrest him," Young said. Sacramento County coroner's officials identified the slain 19-year-old as Jamal D. Ellison."


Florida man defends family, kills suspect during liquor store robbery attempt: "A man defended his family and father-in-law's liquor store Sunday night, shooting and killing a would-be armed robber, said sheriff's officials and family members. Yamen Fattah stopped an armed man with a fatal shot shortly after 9 Sunday as he was confronted at the counter. He, his wife, Rema Fattah, and their 5-month-old child were behind the counter, brother-in-law Maher Masri said later Sunday night. He drove from Plantation after his brother-in-law's call saying, "I shot a guy." The family was at A1A Discount Beverage just south of 10th Avenue North, on Military Trail in suburban Lake Worth, when a man with an semi-automatic pistol entered the store, said Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesmen. The robber was pointing the gun at his wife and baby and swinging it around at all of them, when Fattah fired, Masri said. He had asked the robber to please leave them alone, he said. The man's body could be seen lying inside the doorway, glass from the door shattered around him, as detectives interviewed the witnesses. The open sign blinked in red and blue neon. "He defended himself and he defended his family," Masri said."


CO: Aggressive atheist comes off second best: "A man who threatened to behead two women because they were Christians was attacked in self-defense early Saturday and injured so severely, police say, that his eye was to be removed. Russell Bowman, who called himself an atheist, showed up with a large knife at the women's apartment in the 700 block of Tia Juana Street about 3:15 a.m., police said. Another resident grabbed a shotgun and ordered him to put the knife down. When Bowman refused and began approaching, the person hit him with the butt end of the weapon, police said. Doctors at Memorial Hospital reportedly told police the eye would have to be removed. Bowman, who lived in the same building, threatened the women a couple of days before the confrontation, Colorado Springs Police Lt. Pat Rigdon said. Alcohol appeared to play a role, he said. Police will likely pursue charges of felony menacing against Bowman. The investigation will be forwarded to the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office to see if other charges are merited."


The Second Amendment versus the Police State?: "I am going to draw on a couple of polls ... for this piece. One concerning whether or not the Second Amendment ... is relevant in today's society. The other is ... whether or not individuals choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights. In both polls, the issue of armed resistance of a tyrannical government was a frequent reason for supporting and exercising the right. ... In the polls cited, the vast majority (82% as of this submission) viewed the Second Amendment as still relevant ... very few actively argued against the individual right to keep and bear arms. Clearly, support for the right to keep and bear arms is not a rightwing exclusive."

The usual dishonest arguments from the Left

"There's no such thing as right and wrong" after all!

Congress is considering a bill that would remove several burdensome restrictions on gun possession that the District of Columbia retained even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that its handgun ban and firearm storage requirements violated the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment Enforcement Act, introduced by Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) and supported by dozens of Democrats in the House, would repeal D.C.'s onerous gun registration rules, lift the requirement that guns be kept unloaded and locked except in the face of an "immediate" threat, and narrow the legal definition of prohibited "machine guns" so that it no longer covers magazine-loaded semiautomatics, the most popular self-defense weapons.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) argues that the bill would allow people to carry "loaded AK-47s or .50-caliber sniper assault weapons openly in cars or in person," which would pose a "palpable risk...to the public safety of our residents" and create a challenge for "federal law enforcement and security officials in this city, where two presidents have been killed with handguns." D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier warns, "In attempted and successful assassinations around the world, the first step in attacking a motorcade is frequently to take out the security detail with semiautomatic and automatic firearms."

I'm not sure where to begin. The only provision of the bill that deals with carrying weapons applies in the gun owner's "dwelling house or place of business or on other land possessed by that person." There's nothing about carrying loaded guns in public. AK-47s and all other "automatic firearms" would remain prohibited in any case. The two assassinated presidents to whom Norton refers are Abraham Lincoln, who was killed with a single-shot derringer, and James Garfield, who was killed with a revolver. (John Hinckley also used a revolver when he tried to kill Ronald Reagan.) Both are types of weapons that would remain legal in Washington no matter what Congress does.

I assume Holmes and Lanier are not suggesting would-be assassins are deterred by laws against carrying loaded weapons. Their concern seems to be that if Childers' bill passes the streets will be filled with law-abiding citizens openly carrying loaded rifles and shotguns, making the assassins harder to identify. Leaving aside the rather important point that the bill does not change the rules for carrying guns in public, here's a good way to tell who the assassins are: They're the ones who aren't openly carrying loaded weapons.

In July I noted D.C.'s determination to continue flouting the Second Amendment.

Source







Democrats to gun owners: `The party is over'

Breaking up is so hard to do. Judging from the Democratic Party platform, remarks from presidential nominee Barack Obama and his selection of anti-gun Sen. Joseph Biden as a running mate, the long, transparent courtship of gun owners by Democrats is over and instead of a goodbye kiss, there was a slap in the face; the political approximation of a domestic assault.

It was inevitable. After Democrats lost Congress in 1994 because their actions brought legions of angry gun owners to the polls, the party re-packaged its rhetoric and tried to sell itself as a friend of the Second Amendment. American gun owners, who are increasingly becoming gun rights activists, are not the fools Democrats think they are. As we note in our new book These Dogs Don't Hunt: The Democrats' War On Guns, Democrats earned their reputation as being the party of gun control. Instead of rhetoric, they need to repudiate their long-standing animosity toward gun owner rights.

The party platform tries to patronize gun owners by claiming to "recognize that the right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans' continued Second Amendment right to own and use firearms." But then the document quickly reveals that Democrats have changed their tune but not their agenda: "We can work together to enact and enforce common-sense laws and improvements, like closing the gun show loophole, improving our background check system and reinstating the assault weapons ban."

Gun owners know that the ten-year "ban" on so-called "assault weapons" - which included more than 200 types of commonly-owned firearms - had no measurable impact on violent crime, and that reinstating it is all about symbolism rather than substance. They know that gun shows are the source of less than one percent of guns used by violent criminals. They know anti-gunners believe "common-sense laws" include licensing, registration and a surrender of the "right to carry" to the discretionary whims of police chiefs and sheriffs.

The party chose Obama as its standard-bearer. He once served on the board of the vehemently anti-firearms civil rights Joyce Foundation. During his first run for public office he supported a ban on the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns and semi-automatic rifles. He supports mandatory waiting periods on all gun purchases. He told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in April that "I am not in favor of concealed weapons," insulting millions of armed citizens who care about self-defense in the process.

Gun owners know Biden as an anti-gun extremist. He consistently earns "F" ratings from gun rights organizations. He claimed credit for writing the original legislation to ban semiautomatic sport-utility rifles that are owned by millions of Americans who have harmed nobody.

The proverbial last straw for the firearms community was Obama's remark during his acceptance speech that "The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals."

The "reality" is that gun rights are the same for everyone, no matter where they live. And gun owners know from experience that Democrats falsely believe that the only way to keep guns away from criminals is to oppressively regulate gun ownership for everyone.

Mr. Obama told his faithful that Sen. McCain "doesn't get it." Actually, Democrats "don't get it." You do not woo people by treating them like criminals, and you cannot "support" someone's civil right at the same time you regulate it to irrelevancy. It is now clear to gun owners that Democrats only asked them to the dance just to get through the door.

Source





Philly police chief trains people to be sheep; Complains when they won't fight a wolf

On Sept 10th, 2008 I watched in dumbfounded amazement a Today Show news report covering the vicious beating of an unarmed man on the Philadelphia subway. The victim was attacked by a man wielding a hammer and took place over a 5 minute period all the while approximately ten onlookers watched but did not intervene. The surveillance video shows the attacker placing a young boy in a seat, then reaching into his backpack to retrieve a hammer. He then proceeds to, without warning or provocation to attack a nearby sleeping man by repeatedly beating him with blow after blow from the hammer.

The attack lasted 5 minutes with the victim frantically trying to ward off blows after being knocked to the ground. The attack finally stops when the train pulls into a station and the attacker exits the train. At this point with the victim seriously injured, a bystander pulls a notification alarm alerting the train operator that an emergency exists.

It wasn't the attack or the lack of response that left me dumbfounded. After all, I don't need to tell our readers that the world is an unpredictable oft times dangerous place. This is why I and others have chosen to carry a handgun for lawful self-defense. What left me dumbfounded was the response of both the reporter and their guest, the Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey. They both were simply amazed by the lack of bystander response to intervene or to call for help. From MSNBC:

Ramsey criticized other riders for standing by when the assailant entered the train with his 5-year-old son, directed the boy to a seat, calmly pulled a hammer from a backpack and attacked a man dozing in a nearby seat. At least 10 other riders were in the car when the attack occurred last week, yet no one interfered as the man repeatedly struck the victim in the train car and later out on a platform, Ramsey said on "Today." "They better pray they're never a victim, because if someone was attacking them that way they would certainly hope someone would step forward and help, and it starts with stepping forward and doing something yourself," Ramsey said.

I found myself slack-jawed. For years law enforcement official such as Chief Ramsey have drilled the premise that we (the people) should "leave these matters to the police and other trained authorities". We have been told to comply with the attackers instructions, don't confront them, don't take matters into your own hands, don't look them in the face or antagonize them in any way. Children are taught this from the time they enter into our schools via official "lock down procedures". Why then would the Chief expect them to behave any other way? After years of training to become victims how can you be surprised when they exhibit the behaviors they have been taught and championed by law enforcement? When you raise a nation of sheep, you cannot be surprised when the sheep don't fight back.

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Georgia knifeman shot: "Investigators tell News 12 an 18-year-old with a butcher knife was trying to get into a house on the 14 hundred block of Wrightsboro Road. Deputies say the homeowner shot the intruder in the left leg with a 12gauge shotgun. The teen is recovering at MCG. At this time no charges have been filed".


NRA sues to enforce lifting gun ban: "The National Rifle Association says it's going to court to force communities to accept a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to allow guns at home for self-defense. The NRA has filed at least four lawsuits since the high court in June struck down a handgun band in Washington, which is a federal district, USA Today reported Thursday. Some communities since have repealed their handgun bans, while others are waiting to see if the ruling applies only to federal districts or to state and local governments as well, USA Today reported. "There is going to be a lot of litigation on this," said Dennis Henigan, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The NRA lawsuits include the San Francisco Housing Authority and Chicago, Oak Park, Ill., and Evanston, Ill. Evanston ended its handgun ban last month but is considering reinstating it because a law firm has offered to defend the city at no cost, said Evanston Alderman Steve Bernstein."


Self-defense is manslaughter in Canada: "Words of advise from Judge Richard Brooke to the jury before they make a decision on the fate of Trevor Shannon. Shannon is charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of Evan Wilkes in April of last year at a Kelowna house party. Judge Brooke outlined a possible lesser charge to the jury of manslaughter if they are convinced that the force used by Shannon on Wilkes was proportional to what he faced. Shannon claims he used self defense after feeling threatened by Wilkes, and used a handgun to strike him on the head, but didn't intend to have it go off."

California homeowner kills burglar: "A homeowner who feared for the safety of himself and his family used a shotgun to kill an accused burglar early Tuesday in Del Paso Heights, Sacramento police said. Police were called at 12:18 a.m. regarding a shooting in 800 block of Carmelita Avenue, Sgt. Matt Young said. Officers arrived to find a 19-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Young said an investigation found that the dead man and an unknown number of accomplices allegedly tried to break into the home. A man, his wife and two children were inside the house. One of the burglars appeared to be carrying a rifle, police said.Police said the husband grabbed his shotgun and fired one shot as one of the intruders tried to force his way into the home.Young said the accused burglar was fatally injured by the blast and the accomplice or accomplices fled.


Nebraska shooting ruled self-defense: "After spending four days in jail while the Douglas County attorney's office reviewed the facts of his case, Robert Muckey took his first steps outside, calling the experience "a huge relief." The relief, he said, is unexplainable. Muckey shot Domingo Gutierrez Saturday night as Gutierrez broke into his house through a bedroom window. Muckey said the shooting was self-defense. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine agrees. After Gutierrez broke into the home, Kleine said, Muckey warned him he had a gun. "The victim had said he had something for him too," Kleine said."He was standing on the bed in the bedroom and lunged towards the shooter and the individual shot him. Under the law, and facts we have, we can't show it wasn't justified," Kleine said. Gutierrez was the fiance of Muckey's stepdaughter and the father of the couple's week-old baby.


MO: Wheelie shoots first: "Springfield police have identified Tommie Lee Wise, 52, as the victim of a Tuesday night shooting in a southwest duplex. Wise was taken to St. John's Hospital with a bullet wound to the abdomen, police said. He underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition late Tuesday, police said. The alleged gunman was arrested but charges had not been filed Wednesday. Officers said they responded to a call at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 933 W. Sunset St. about a disturbance involving a handgun. A witness there told police that her boyfriend, who is in a wheelchair, shot Wise at the residence after Wise threatened her boyfriend with a gun, police reported."


It's time to pull out: "It's time to pull out. The death toll is just too high. We need to withdraw and let the people in the streets there just duke it out themselves. Self governance, right? May the strongest win. Survival of the fittest. One hundred twenty five deaths just this summer alone. That's twice the death toll of American military personnel in Iraq during the same time period. So it makes sense to get out, right? Did you know I was talking about Chicago? The city where CCW is ILLEGAL, meaning citizens have no right to carry self defense sidearms for their self protection. They are sitting ducks."

Kentucky resident shoots and kills intruder: "Lexington police have made an arrest in a burglary that turned fatal Wednesday morning at an apartment complex near Hamburg Pavilion. Reginald Laron Jones, 24, of Lexington has been charged with first-degree burglary. Police say he was one of three people, including a man who was killed by a male resident in the apartment and a female, who charged into the apartment Wednesday morning. Officers are conferring with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office as they explore whether the shooting was self-defense, said Officer Ann Gutierrez, a Lexington police spokeswoman. The shooting was being treated as a homicide Wednesday morning as police canvassed an area at Gleneagles Apartments at 2920 Polo Club Boulevard and interviewed witnesses. Investigators were told the couple who lives in the apartment answered knocks at the door and were “rushed by several people,” Gutierrez said. The intruders had handguns, she said. One of the occupants in the apartment got a handgun and shot one of the men. He was found dead inside the apartment when police arrived. Gutierrez said police are looking at whether a 2006 law, commonly called the castle doctrine, applies to this case. Under the law, Kentucky residents can shoot an intruder without fear of being arrested."


Michigan defender dies of heart attack: "A Kalamazoo man died from a heart attack following a struggle with a thief at his residence. It was around 4 a.m. Sunday when the incident occurred in the 1300 block of Homecrest Avenue. Joe Rizzutto, 64, confronted the suspect who was trying to break into the Rizzutto's vehicle. The two men got into a scuffle in the driveway and Rizzutto shot the suspect in a leg. Rizzutto then suffered a massive heart attack. Officers arrived and began CPR on Rizzutto who was taken to a hospital where he later died. The suspect, a 38-year-old Kalamazoo resident, was taken to a hospital where he is in serious condition. Friends believe the attempted break-in was random and that Rizzutto was protecting his family and property."


Indiana lurker shot: "The shadowy figure in the kitchen window didn't answer Saturday night when confronted by the homeowner who shouted repeated warnings. So it wasn't until after the burglar was shot trying to run out the back door that the homeowner discovered he'd wounded his second cousin. "He told me he yelled, 'I'm armed, I called the police,' but the man inside never said anything," Detective Jeff Hornyak said Sunday. Todd K. Godfrey, 46, was shot in the wrist about 10:20 p.m. by his relative, 51-year-old Tarold Blakey, as he tried to leave through a basement door. Blakey said he and his fiance had returned to his home in the 2500 block of Tyler Street and saw a silhouette in the kitchen. He called police, then shouted to the intruder, police said. When Blakey realized the man was trying to flee, he fired a single warning shot. "That's when the guy finally says something," Hornyak said. Police found the house had been ransacked, but nothing appeared to be missing."


NYC man shot by "Craigslist" gun files suit: "A Manhattan boutique owner is suing craigslist.com for $10 million, claiming he was shot with a gun purchased on the popular Web site. Calvin Gibson, 50, who was shot six times by his schizophrenic neighbor in the East Village on July 24, believes the classified site is partially responsible. "But for defendant's negligence in failing to supervise and monitor the content of the ads placed on its Internet service, [the shooter] could never have legally obtained the handgun," according to the lawsuit filed yesterday in Manhattan federal court. The alleged gunman, Jesus Ortiz, who is being held without bail, "has a psychiatric history and a history of violent crime," Gibson claims in the suit, and could never have qualified for a gun permit. "New York has an extremely stringent gun law," the suit says. He claims Ortiz told the cops that he bought the gun on craigslist, and that the suspect's mother told others the same story. Gibson was shot after he stopped at a deli on East Seventh Street near Avenue D. A teen, Mohammed Islam, 18, was also wounded in the random attack."

Tennessee man harasses woman, gets shot: " A Lee County man who was found guilty Friday of violating a protective order for the third time and sentenced to a year in jail was indicted on his fourth alleged violation by a grand jury on Monday. Donald Robert Tomlinson, 29, Route 1, Box 171-D, was charged in June with the most recent violation after he allegedly waited at his estranged wife's residence for her to return from an outing with other members of her family. Authorities have said once she arrived Tomlinson confronted his wife, and after seeing Tomlinson attack the woman, knock her to the ground and begin choking her, her brother shot him in the leg. The brother was not charged, but Tomlinson was charged with violating the protective order as well as assault and battery of a family member. The grand jury returned true bills on both charges Monday."


Mississippi burglar shot: "A would be burglar gets more than he bargains for while breaking into a West Jackson home. The homeowner sent the burglar to the hospital. It happened in the 600 block of Hillsdale Drive off Clinton Boulevard. A homeowner on Hillsdale Drive was still in bed around 9:00 a.m. when a burglar woke him from his sleep. "Once he heard Mr. Moore attempt to break into the home he retrieved a weapon and fired a shot striking Mr. Moore," said Jackson Police Lt. Jeffery Scott. Eighteen year old Lorenzo Moore was shot once in the arm. He fled the home and was taken by private vehicle to University Medical Center."


Texas clerk shoots store robber: "The fatal shooting of a robbery suspect by a clerk at a southwest Houston cellular phone store will be referred to a Harris County grand jury without charges, police said Tuesday. The shooting happened shortly before 7 p.m. Monday after the man entered the T-Mobile store in the 7500 block of the Southwest Freeway and pointed a pistol at two employees, police said. A third employee, who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun, confronted the man and the two exchanged shots, investigators said. The robbery suspect died at the scene. The employee was not injured."


Ohio now has the castle doctrine: "For years, gun rights advocates have stressed to lawmakers the importance of protecting the home, sometimes with even deadly force. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 9, those defenders will get the benefit of the doubt. As part of several concealed carry law updates scheduled to take effect, Ohio will adopt a version of the Castle Doctrine, which states that a person using force against an intruder in the home or car is presumed to have acted in self-defense. Gun rights advocates say the law is a long time coming, while prosecutors are concerned that the trying of such cases will be more difficult. Currently, if a criminal case comes from such an incident, the person who used force must prove it was self-defense. Under the Castle Doctrine - already in effect in several states and named for the centuries-old theory that a person must protect his or her property (or castle) - it will be the prosecutors' job to prove it wasn't self-defense, which all admit is a much more difficult task. "Right now, if someone breaks into your house tonight and waves a knife at you and you shoot them, you have to prove their intent," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a state gun rights advocacy group. "They're saying, 'Was their intent to sell you knives, or to kill you? Well, prove it.' That's what is going to change," Irvine said."

Britain: Censuring of a movie poster exposes elite disdain for the "dumb masses"



We read:

"The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has censured the makers of an Angelina Jolie action movie, Wanted, because the posters advertising the film `glamorised guns'. This willingness of our moral guardians to clamp down on freedom of expression poses a graver threat to the health of society than any imaginary Angelina-inspired gun crime spree.

Wanted is a big-screen version of a comic-book story starring Jolie and James McAvoy. She's a kick-ass assassin, he's a bored office dweeb getting walked all over by everyone. But, as the poster declares: `SIX WEEKS AGO, I WAS JUST LIKE YOU. AND THEN I MET HER. AND MY WORLD WAS CHANGED FOREVER.' It's your regular `boy meets girl, girl gives boy a gun and several million dollars, violence and adventure ensue' kinda movie.

The posters captured the film pretty well. `One poster showed the profile of the actress Angelina Jolie', notes the ASA. `She was crouched with her elbow resting on her knee and was holding a gun pointing upwards. In the background the actor James McAvoy held a gun in each hand, pointing towards the reader.' Another poster showed a variety of images, including one of Jolie `laid across the bonnet of a car on her back. She was facing the reader and holding a gun, which pointed in the opposite direction.'

Yet for the ASA, these posters were simply too much. In its ruling censuring the film's promoters, the ASA states: `We acknowledged most viewers would understand the posters reflected the content of an action film. However, we considered, that because the ads featured a glamorous actress, action poses, several images of or related to guns and aspirational text, they could be seen to glamorise the use of guns and violence. We concluded [the posters] could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorising the use of guns.'

Source

Florida: Kidnapped man turns tables: "After he was forced into the back seat of a car at gunpoint, kidnapping victim Gregory Longley saw his opportunity. When one of the kidnappers - sitting next to Longley - put his gun on his lap to text-message someone, Longley grabbed the gun and killed him, according to the Pinellas sheriff's office. Longley also shot and wounded another kidnapper sitting in the front passenger seat, the sheriff's office said, and told the driver to stop the car. Longley, 20, of 7823 Bay Drive, Tampa, was kidnapped at the Aday Motel, 501 Bayview Blvd., Oldsmar, at about 11 p.m., Sgt. Jim Bordner said. The three suspects were looking for a man with whom there had been a dispute over stolen coins, but they kidnapped Longley instead, believing he could lead them to the man they were seeking, Bordner said. Longley was forced into the back seat of a white 2000 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint, Bordner said. Sitting next to him was Javon Strange, 18, of 4717 N. Habana Ave., Apt 711, Tampa; in the front passenger seat was Juan Carlos Morales, 17, of 12510 Memorial Highway, Tampa; and driving was Abdusbasiyr A. Blake, 18, also of 12510 Memorial Highway, Bordner said. Near the motel after the kidnapping, Strange laid his handgun in his lap to text-message someone, and Longley grabbed the firearm and fatally shot Strange, Bordner said. Then Longley shot and wounded Morales, Bordner said. Longley then ordered Blake to stop the car, Bordner said. Longley got out of the car and called 911"


North Carolina man shoots, kills, intruder: "A gunman who broke into a Fayetteville home Friday night was shot and killed by another man who was inside the home at the time, police said. The gunman and an accomplice forced their way into the house in the 6400 block of Winter Park Drive about 10:50 p.m., said police Sgt. Sam Oates. An occupant of the home grabbed a small-caliber handgun he kept in the house and fired two shots at the pair as they hastily retreated. Police found the dead assailant lying in the driveway of a nearby home. A gun was still in his hand, Oates said. Police hadn’t identified the participants as of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and no other details were available."