NC: Two out of four down: "Derrick Womack, 31, was at home with his wife and stepson on Tacia Lane nine miles west of Lillington just before 10 p.m. when four men tried to enter the house and rob him. Investigators believe Mr. Womack, who had just arrived home from work, was targeted for the day's receipts from the store he owns just down the road. Mr. Womack struggled with one of the suspects and was shot in the hand shortly before he took the gun from the suspect and returned fire. Mr. Womack was treated and released and is recovering from his injury. One of the suspects is still in WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh. The other suspect shot at the scene, 18-year-old Maurice Purcell of Sanford, was charged with attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, first-degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. He was released from Cape Fear Valley Medical Center last weekend and is in custody at the Harnett County Jail under $100,000 bond. Sheriff Rollins said the incident is still under investigation and his office is still searching for two suspects who ran away from the scene.


TX: Suspected burglar shot dead in self-defense: "Police are not saying much right now because they are still investigating the invasion, but we do know that the suspected burglar was shot and killed. It happened at a home about an hour northeast of Austin in Cameron. Milam County Sheriff's deputies got a call around two this morning about the shooting of a home intruder. Deputies found suspected burglar, 34-year-old Eddie Sexton III, dead. No charges are filed yet, but the case could be the latest in a string of Castle Law defenses. It's still unclear whether or not the homeowner is the one who shot and killed Sexton this morning."


AL: Homeowner opens fire on burglar: "A burglary suspect got an unpleasant surprise while attempting to rob the gun cabinet of a Dothan resident, according to police. Dothan Police Lt. Anthony Westberry said a homeowner is reported to have opened fire on a suspect he found trying to rob his gun cabinet. Westberry said the attempted burglary happened at about 7:48 p.m. The homeowner entered his house on Decatur Street and found the suspect trying to take weapons from a gun cabinet. Westberry said initial police reports indicate the homeowner shot at the burglar and chased him from the residence. Westberry said police continue to search for the suspect, who was described as a black male wearing dark clothing"



DC: New rule prompts fears of guns at inauguration: "Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and gun control groups are concerned that some visitors attending President-elect Obama's inauguration may try to pack heat because of a rule allowing concealed weapons in national parks. The Bush administration recently altered federal regulations to allow people with permits to carry concealed firearms while in national parks if the park falls within a state or district that allows concealed weapons. Washington D.C. does not allow concealed weapons, but Norton and other think confusion over the rule could lead visitors to bring guns to Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration, which will be held on two miles of National Park land - the National Mall."

NC Home Owner Surprises Would-Be Thieves: "The Harnett County Sheriff's Office is looking for suspects chased off by a homeowner during an attempted break-in south of Dunn. According to Sheriff Rollins, the incident occurred during the day just south of Dunn at a home on Bud Hawkins Road. Sheriff Rollins did not identify the home's owner. "The fella was at home, actually, upstairs, and he heard somebody who kept ringing the doorbell," Sheriff Rollins said. "Before he could get downstairs, somebody tried to kick his door in ... "Of course, by then he had his shotgun," Sheriff Rollins said. Sheriff Rollins said the suspects fled the scene in a Carolina blue 2000 to 2004 four-door compact car, according to the homeowner. The suspects were described as two black males in their late 20s. One of the suspects is further described as approximately 6-foot-2 inches tall, of medium build with his hair done in corn rows.


NJ man shot with own gun during home invasion: "A home invasion suspect was shot with his own gun early Monday in the township's Newtonville section, and police were searching for his alleged accomplice, authorities said. The incident began shortly before 12:51 a.m. Monday when Lemuel Harris, 29, and another man broke into a home in the 300 block of 8th Street through a rear door, said Lt. Gerald Lewis, a state police spokesman. It did not appear the home invasion was a random incident, he said. Harris reportedly was armed with a handgun. It was unclear if the second man, who had not been identified late Monday, also was armed, Lewis said. After the men forced their way into the residence, a struggle ensued between Harris and the homeowner, police said. The second suspect fled on foot, according to reports. As Harris and the homeowner struggled for the gun, it discharged, and Harris was struck in the hand, according to Lewis. He suffered a superficial wound to one of his fingers. The homeowner reportedly subdued Harris until police arrived. Neither the homeowner nor the other occupants in the house were injured, Lewis said, declining to elaborate on why Harris and the other man allegedly broke into the home. The handgun was recovered at the scene. Harris was taken to William B. Kessler Memorial Hospital in Hammonton. After he was treated, he was taken to the state police barracks in Buena Vista and charged with burglary, robbery, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Harris was held in Atlantic County Jail on $100,000 bail."


CA: Gunman beaten with own shotgun: "An armed man who entered a Piner Road apartment, apparently with the idea of robbing residents, was overpowered by the residents and knocked out with his own gun, Santa Rosa police reported Tuesday. The man now is being treated at a local hospital, in stable but critical condition, said Sgt. Lisa Banayat. He went to the residence at about 10:15 p.m. Monday and knocked on the door. When a resident opened the door, he entered with a shotgun and pointed it at the two 18-year-old residents, demanding money and marijuana, according to the police report. The two residents grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and wrestled it from him, Banayat said. And in the confrontation, the man was struck on the head with the butt of the shotgun. The residents called police, reporting a would-be robbed was unconscious on their kitchen floor, Banayat said. No one has been arrested."


Mexico: Store owner kills kidnapper : "A Store Owner (dressed in brown) is attacked by 4 Kidnappers. While 3 of them move the store owner's car he enters his store, gets a gun from one of his workers and shoots one of the kidnappers in the face (dressed in a white shirt). The other 3 delinquents flee in the stolen car. Everything is recorded by the store's CCC. The police decided not to press charges against the store owner." [Summary of video]

FL: Victim turns tables on attacker, fatally shoots him: "A man coming home from a nightclub early Friday morning suddenly found himself with a gun pointed at his head and a robber threatening his life, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. But the victim also had a gun, and a faster trigger finger, said sheriff's spokesman Mike Jachles. Brian Kelley, 22, quickly turned the tables on the alleged robber, getting off several shots and killing him in a courtyard just outside his apartment door, deputies said. The confrontation happened at 4:32 a.m. in the 4100 block of Southwest 19th Street, authorities said. The Sheriff's Office is treating it as a clear case of self-defense; Jachles said Kelley is cooperating with the investigation and has not been taken into custody. The case will be reviewed by the State Attorney's Office, Jachles said. While Kelley does not have a permit to carry a handgun, a permit is not required to own a gun or bring it from your car to your home, said Sgt. John Phillips, who was at the scene Friday morning."


Arizona homeowner opens fire on two home invaders: "A Phoenix neighborhood was rocked by gunfire last night when a homeowner stopped two would-be robbers in their tracks. Police say one of the suspects is now in the hospital the other still on the loose. That after the two men allegedly tried to break into a home near 19th Avenue and Dunlap. During the robbery they were met with bullets. The suspects took off in a car, but the one who was shot was dumped at nearby Circle K. He is at the hospital, but then will be taken into police custody. Police are still searching for the second suspect."


Oklahoma: Intruder killed in burglary attempt: "A Tulsa homeowner shot and killed a teenager who was breaking into his house early Tuesday, police said. Shortly before 3 a.m., three people broke into a home in the 1300 block of North Irvington Avenue, Tulsa Police Cpl. Mark Shelton said. Many of the 15 to 20 occupants were awake, including the home- owner, who heard the break-in and got his gun. Two of the suspected burglars, including one who was armed, were moving through the house when they encountered the homeowner, Shelton said. Gunfire was exchanged. The homeowner shot one of the intruders twice in the chest, and the homeowner's wife was shot in the abdomen. The wounded intruder, Cody Ray Payne, 15, left the house but died in the front yard, police said. The homeowner's wife was hospitalized but is expected to recover. The other two suspected burglars ran from the house and were not found, Shelton said. They were described as black, in their late teens and wearing hooded sweatshirts and dark baggy pants. The victims, a Hispanic family, did not want their names released, said Capt. Ryan Perkins."


CA: Off-Duty Officer Opens Fire In Road Rage Incident : "An off-duty San Francisco police officer reported firing a gun at another motorist in self-defense during a highway confrontation in Marin County early Wednesday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The incident happened around 12:45 a.m. today on northbound U.S. Highway 101 south of the Waldo Tunnel. The CHP reported that a passenger in a green Ford pickup truck pointed a handgun in the San Francisco officer's direction, at which point the officer fired his service weapon. It is unclear whether the Ford or its occupants were struck by the gunfire, CHP Sgt. Diana McDermott said. The officer, who was not in a police vehicle at the time, and called the CHP immediately afterward, she said. The CHP searched the area but did not locate the Ford pickup. McDermott said the CHP was still investigating how the confrontation unfolded. "From what I understand it was a road-rage type of deal that started on the Golden Gate Bridge and proceeded northbound toward the Waldo Tunnel," McDermott said."

Washington man dies after wife shoots in self-defense: "At about 3:55 a.m. Dec. 13, Federal Way police responded to a shooting at the Mariposa Apartment Complex, 28120 18 Ave. S, Federal Way. A 24-year-old white female called 911 to report she had shot her 40-year-old white male husband. Both are residents of Federal Way. Upon arrival police contacted both subjects inside the apartment. The unresponsive male was on the bedroom floor with multiple gunshot wounds. South King County Fire and Rescue responded along with paramedics from King County Medic One in an attempt to revive the male, but pronounced him dead at approximately 4:43 a.m. The King County Medical Examiner later responded and took control of the body. Upon initial interview of the female, she stated she had been separated from her husband for several weeks and that they each had a protection order against the other. The female was later transported to St. Francis Hospital by ambulance for minor head injuries and related pain. After treatment, the female was transported to the Federal Way Police Department for interviewing and is cooperating with the investigation. Preliminary investigation indicates the shooting was in self-defense. The scene was processed by the Federal Way Police Department with the assistance of the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Team."


Florida oldster, 91, shoots at, repels home invaders who threatened his wife: "Charles Johnson is a man of his word. On Oct. 4, 1936, then 19, Johnson promised to love and protect his bride, Berlie Mae. On Tuesday, he did. Now 91, he scared off two home invaders with his 38-caliber revolver when the men threatened his wife of 72 years at their home east of Ocoee. "I was going to kill him either way," the retired jack-of-all-trades said Wednesday. "She's all I've got to live for . . . Why would I want to live?" Terror erupted in the Johnsons' heavily barred house on Lake Stanley Road shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday as the couple watched TV news. She was sitting in her wheelchair. He was sitting nearby on the sofa. That's when a stranger stepped through the back door. "What are you doing? What are you doing?" Berlie Mae Johnson, 90, remembered asking as the man stepped on her shiny-clean tile floor. "By then, he had the gun to my head. I don't know what all I said." The man ordered the couple: "Be quiet. Don't say a word. Don't move." Overcome by shock and fear, Berlie Mae Johnson said she couldn't move as a second man wearing a stocking over his face started to come through a sliding-glass door from the backyard. Her husband, who goes by Johnny, had his stainless-steel Police Special revolver tucked under a cushion on the sofa. He has been protective, she said, ever since they met at a Church of God service in Cocoa during the Great Depression. "You don't think, man. You do what you have to do," Johnson said of how he grabbed his revolver as the second intruder entered. "He saw the gun and, boy, he was gone." Shifting his aim, Johnson fired at the man still holding a gun to his wife's head. "I shot as plain in his middle as I could have," said Johnson, describing how the man jumped and ran out the door. "I think I missed."


Texas: Domestic dispute ends in a deadly shooting: "A woman's 80-year-old grandfather fatally shot her estranged husband after he tried to take their two children from the grandparents' house, Conroe police said Saturday. Brice Wade Boudreaux, 32, died Friday evening at the home on Silver Creek Drive in Conroe, police said in a statement. The investigation was ongoing Saturday, and it was not immediately clear whether the grandfather would face charges. He was questioned by police and released. According to police, Boudreaux's estranged wife and children have been living with her grandparents for about five months. When Boudreaux arrived Friday and tried to take the children, the grandfather intervened and ordered him to leave. Boudreaux refused, pushing the man out of the way, the statement said. The grandfather then allegedly retrieved a revolver from another room and placed it in his back pocket before again advising Boudreaux, who was aware the older man had a gun, to leave, police said. As the two left the home out to the driveway, Boudreaux again pushed the older man and allegedly struck him in the chest area where he recently had a pacemaker inserted, police said. Fearing for his life, police said the older man then allegedly shot Boudreaux once, killing him."


Soaring Response for Second Amendment Book Bomb: "Beginning on America's Bill of Rights Day (December 15), the SECOND AMENDMENT BOOK BOMB was launched to communicate the importance of the Bill of Rights' Second Amendment for the protection of liberty. With your help, we are pushing constitutional rights to the top of national book bestseller lists, making a loud and clear statement that Second Amendment rights are unalienable! A truly historic victory was won on June 26, 2008 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own and bear arms. However, the Heller ruling was immediately attacked and efforts continue on the national level and across the country to undermine gun rights. (In this regard, President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Eric Holder for U.S. Attorney General is an ominous sign.) Therefore, to secure the Second Amendment now and for the future the American public must be made aware of the reasons why the Founders sought to protect this right. And now we have the tool to do so -- the fascinating, seminal, and inspiring, new book, THE FOUNDERS' SECOND AMENDMENT: Origins of the Right to Bear Arms, by Dr. Stephen P. Halbrook* -- the perfect way both to educate ourselves and to reach friends and family who don't yet understand Second Amendment rights. Our goal is to reach one million Americans with Dr. Halbrook's book during the Holiday Season and throughout the New Year ahead. As a result, we are rapidly closing in on reaching our goal and with your further help, we can make Dr. Halbrook's book #1 on the bestseller lists."

FL: Bystander Shoots Robber In Mall Parking Lot: "Police continue to search for two men who tried to grab a woman's purse as she walked toward the Fashion Square Mall on Tuesday. A third man was shot and arrested, apparently by a bystander who saw the robbery, police said Wednesday. Willie Keys-Fairclough, 29, who is hospitalized with minor injuries, was arrested in connection with the incident. The incident began about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday when the woman got off a LYNX bus and walked to an ATM to check her balance. She then continued toward the mall. "She felt people come up to her, maybe one, maybe two," Sgt. Barb Jones of the Orlando Police Department said. "They tried to grab her purse...She resisted. She started yelling, that's when everything started unfolding." One shopper, who saw the men with guns, got his own. "You had a citizen engage the suspects," Jones said Wednesday. "There were some rounds fired." The suspects ran across the street, and police said they found one man hiding behind a dumpster. The man had been shot in the leg but didn't know it. The man, later identified by police as Keys-Fairclough, is charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault with a gun. Two other suspects remain on the run."


AL: Robbery suspect shot dead, alleged accomplice wounded: "A would-be robber was shot dead overnight Wednesday and his alleged accomplice was wounded after they attempted to rob the owner of a gas station near Anniston. Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson said the gun-toting suspects and the owner got into a shootout around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Fuller's Oil Company on U.S. 431. Amerson said 21-year-old Takeem Pope of Anniston appeared to have died of a single gunshot wound. The other man, 19-year-old Blake Jackson, also of Anniston, was shot in the arm. Amerson declined to name the owner, but said he acted in self-defense. He was not injured. Authorities said charges are pending against Jackson, who was taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.


Crazy Philly man fatally shot after pulling pellet gun on cops: "It's a neighborhood so notoriously crime-riddled that police parked a marked trailer curbside at 23rd and Tasker streets to intimidate thugs and ease surveillance efforts. So maybe it's no surprise that a thug reached for his gun, shouting that he was ready to shoot, when a uniformed police officer came there late Wednesday. The threat ended fatally for the thug, who ignored the officer's repeated orders to surrender his weapon. The officer shot the man once in the chest as he reached into his waistband, said Lt. Frank Vanore. The man, who died 20 minutes later at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, remained unidentified yesterday. At the scene, investigators found the man's weapon, a replica pellet gun, Vanore said. "The last thing an officer wants to do is use deadly force, but sometimes he is forced to do that to protect himself and the public," Vanore said. "This was a brazen act, and it was a split-second decision that unfortunately in this case was fatal." Gunfire is common in the area, which is plagued by drug activity and home to the notorious Bey family, a clan police have called urban terrorists. The officer, a seven-year veteran, was placed on desk duty, pending outcome of investigations by the homicide and internal-affairs units. Outside Lid's Cafe yesterday, passersby had little sympathy for the dead man. "He had to be crazy to draw a gun on a cop. You get what you look for," said Lawrence Walters, 66" [He was probably so bombed out of his brain that he thought his gun was real]


Gun Availability, Crime, Freedom & Liberty: "In Jacksonville, do we have a gun availability problem or a black problem? Neither. One must look to Sweden for an example. In Sweden, all adult males keep fully automatic rifles at home. Using the logic of "it's a gun availability problem not a black problem," then Sweden should be filled with the shot-worn bodies of its citizens riddled dead by the readily available, vicious assault rifles. But that's not the case. No, not at all. You see, those of us with a modicum of understanding and discernment, and a classic education into the meaning of freedom and liberty, know that what we have is a cultural problem, and not a gun availability problem. The root of the problem is not being willing to, nor bothering to care to obey the laws of the city/state/country in which one resides. When we find an answer to that root cause, then we will be closer to a solution. Blaming the availability of guns is intellectually lazy, and boilerplate DNC/HCI tripe. Anyone with half a brain knows and acknowledges that criminals will never, ever turn in their weapons, and banning guns will only create a gigantic black market for guns -- exactly the result we have seen with keeping drugs illegal. And we have not yet touched on the millions of law-abiding citizens that would be made criminal by our government issuing a gun-ban proclamation, who would then rise up at such an unjust usurpation of personal liberty -- a disastrous consequence for sure -- yet entirely foreseeable. But, in the end, and foremost: It is about freedom. Freedom to come here and speak my mind. Freedom to read whatever I want to read. Freedom to worship a god or not, freedom to own a personal defense weapon that can equalize things between men. This country was brought about with such great precepts central to its founding. Tell me, one and all, the further we get from these principles, does our country prosper and flourish? We're about as far as one can get and still "have a toe in the water." Are things good? Are we more free or less?" [I think that the writer above meant Switzerland rather than Sweden. Gun ownership is strictly regulated in Sweden]

Florida Man Uses Would-Be Robber's Gun To Defend Himself: "Miami-Dade Police say a resident turned the tables on three home invaders who tried to rob him in Southwest Miami-Dade Monday night. Out of the three armed men that tried robbing the man, police say one ended up hurt and was dropped off by the other two accomplices at Jackson South Hospital. They say three Latin males with thin builds attempted to rob the man at Southwest 152nd Street and 93rd Avenue, but they got into a struggle with him instead. The victim was somehow able to get the gun and shot at one of the would-be robbers, critically injuring him. Police say they fled in a blue or green Chevrolet Astro van, which they used to drop off the injured man at the hospital before taking off. The man in the house only suffered a bump to his head. Police are looking for the other two men involved."


PA: Lawsuit says Delco gun policy unconstitutional : "Delaware County was hit with a federal lawsuit yesterday claiming that its policy of refusing to return confiscated firearms unless the owners obtain a court order is unconstitutional. The civil-rights suit was filed by C. Scott Shields, a gun-rights attorney and small-town political firebrand who has been the National Rifle Association's point man in fighting Philadelphia's attempt to write its own gun laws. The plaintiff, Thomas DeOrio, 21, of Glen Mills, argues that the county government, judges and Sheriff's Department illegally retain confiscated guns - even if a crime hasn't been committed - when the owner is entitled to retrieve them. In DeOrio's case, Brookhaven police seized his collection of handguns and rifles in October and turned them over to the sheriff when his girlfriend filed for a temporary protection-from-abuse order. Shields said she perceived something he had said to be threatening. Three days later, after a court hearing, a judge dismissed the order, records show. But DeOrio soon learned that getting his guns back wouldn't be as easy. Although the protection-from-abuse order had been thrown out, Shields said the sheriff's office refused to return the firearms unless DeOrio filed a "legal action." "Hence, we have a civil-rights suit," said Shields, the mayor of Rutledge Borough."


GA: Court orders gun libel suit back to state: "The federal appeals court in Atlanta has ordered a lawsuit claiming New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg libeled a Georgia sporting goods store by calling it 1 of several `rogue gun dealers' to be returned to the state court where it originated. Friday's decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was the latest development in a 2-year legal battle that began when Bloomberg sued 15 firearms brokers in five states, including Georgia. The suit said they were selling weapons that ended up in the hands of New York criminals. Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, representing Adventure Outdoor Sports in Smyrna, Ga., argued before the appeals court in September that the suit should be returned to state Superior Court."

Kentucky: Guard shoots man in store robbery: "A security guard shot the alleged would-be robber of a grocery store Sunday night, Irvine police said. Police would not identify the two men, but Officer Brian Brooks said the wounded man was taken to University of Kentucky Hospital for treatment. Brooks responded to a call at 7:17 p.m. Sunday at Priceless Foods, 1012 Winchester Road in Irvine. Upon entering, he found a man, armed with a small-caliber revolver, slumped over the cash register. The man, in his 20s, then fell to the floor. The guard had shot the man with a .357 Magnum, Brooks said."


Indiana: Man fatally shot during robbery identified: "Police have identified the man who was fatally shot while trying to rob a Westside grocery Sunday night and the employee who shot him. Miguel Mondragon, 29, Indianapolis, shot Christopher Barreto, 23, also of Indianapolis, after Barreto reportedly pointed his gun at a woman with a baby, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Matthew Mount. Barreto walked into El Michoacana Supermarket at 6240 W. 34th at 8:50 p.m. brandishing a handgun and herded all the customers into one part of the store, Mount said. When the robber pointed the gun at the woman and her child, Mondragon shot him, using a gun belonging to the store's owner. Barreto was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police are calling the shooting justified, but evidence will be turned over to the Marion County prosecutor's office for a final determination, Mount said."


Texas: Police ID suspect killed in bank robbery attempt: "Police on Wednesday identified the suspect and the security guard who fatally shot him during an attempted bank robbery in south Dallas. The suspect in the attempted bank robbery Tuesday was 31-year-old Christopher Sebastian Jones. Jones was fatally shot inside a bank after exchanging gunfire with security guard Matthew Scott Prindle, 36. Jones entered a branch of Chase Bank and shot at Prindle, who was grazed in the upper body but not seriously injured. Prindle returned fire, striking Jones, who died inside the bank. Members of a police tactical unit entered the bank after seeing a woman hiding under a desk. Officers then found Jones' body.


South Carolina: Suspect shot to death during apparent home burglary: "A home invasion leaves one man dead and another is on the lose. County police say, around 9 last night, two suspects broke into a house on Burcale Road in Myrtle Beach. Police are investigating the shooting death that occurred at Courtyard 1 Apartments on Burcale Road, that's near the Clay Pond village community. They say the owner was home at the time of the robbery and shot one suspect while the other took off. When police arrived at the house they say, the owner was just putting down his gun when they saw one of the suspects lying on the ground dead with two gun shot wounds. The deceased suspect is, 22-year-old Lamont Lee Reed Durrell of Georgetown. Police took the burglary victim into custody but was later released. They say he was assaulted but not hurt during the altercation of the home invasion. Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County Police Department confirms that no charges will be filed against the home owner."

Texas man found not guilty in murder trial: "After deliberating for just less than an hour, a jury came back with a verdict Monday afternoon in the murder trial of Kurtis Glover of Livingston. Wesley Tudor, 27, was found not guilty and acquitted on all charges of murder for the September 2007 shooting death of Glover at a house party just south of Huntington off U.S. 69. Glover, 23, was shot point blank between the eyes with a .25-caliber handgun after he allegedly tried to pull Tudor from his vehicle during a confrontation. Tudor has maintained that he feared for his life when he fired his gun at Glover and acted in self-defense. After having left the party earlier on the night of the murder, Tudor later returned to look for his cousin, whom he believed Glover and his friends had beaten up. Tudor previously testified that he pulled out a gun which was kept in the center console of his grandmother's truck, which he had been driving that night, after Glover hit him in the face. However, Tudor's defense said that the men approached Tudor's vehicle and threw the first blows, which caused him to use deadly force on Glover. "My client was dealing with a pack of violent men," Deaton said. "I find it hard to believe that the state doesn't think a serious altercation occurred before the gunshot."


Jury believes Ohio man who said he killed in self-defense: "Colton Groves, 19, was shot four times outside a Far West Side home where he went for a party. Cory Esson awoke to a party that was out of control in his own house, then fatally shot one of the revelers he had followed outside. He said he acted in self-defense. Yesterday, a jury found him not guilty in the death of Colton Groves, which occurred shortly after 5 a.m. on Jan. 26. Esson, a 21-year-old welder, said his roommates hosted the party at 806 Westmead Dr. on the Far West Side. He told police that he went to bed after having half a beer but woke up because of the noise. He demanded that the 10 people he didn't know leave the house. Someone threw a beer bottle or a rock at the house on the way out, he said, and he went outside to investigate with a .40-caliber pistol in his pocket. Esson confronted two men in a car and again ordered them to leave. What happened next was in dispute during Esson's murder trial in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. According to testimony, Esson pistol-whipped Groves, 19, and shot him four times during a scuffle on the ground. Assistant County Prosecutors Laurie Arsenault and Lauren Cerminaro said that Esson provoked the situation with Groves and had a duty to retreat before using deadly force. They said Groves and his friend were trying to leave when Esson grabbed Groves by the collar and ripped him from the passenger side of the car. Esson denied that, but he did admit to firing 10 shots. Defense attorney Robert F. Krapenc told jurors that the 140-pound Esson feared for his life and tried to retreat from the struggle but that Groves kept coming at him. In her instructions to the jury, Judge Julie M. Lynch summed up self-defense by writing, "You must consider the conduct of Colton Groves and determine if his acts and words caused the defendant to reasonably and honestly believe that he was about to be killed or to receive great bodily harm."


Iowa man shot in pizza robbery gets 27 years: "A Des Moines man who was shot when he tried to rob a pizza delivery driver in March was sentenced Monday to 27 years in prison and will not be eligible for parole for at least 7 years. The plea deal imposes back-to-back prison sentences on Kenneth Jimmerson for second-degree robbery, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent and a weapons charge. Jimmerson, 20, was shot at least three times when he attempted to rob James William Spiers III at gunpoint outside a south-side apartment complex. Jimmerson's second-degree robbery conviction requires him to serve at least 70 percent of that 10-year sentence. The other charges have no required minimum time before he is eligible for parole. Spiers, who delivered for the Pizza Hut restaurant at 4100 S.E. 14th St., reportedly grabbed Jimmerson's gun and fired several shots from his own handgun. Jimmerson fled the scene empty-handed, and was later hospitalized and arrested. .The botched robbery sparked a public outcry days later when Pizza Hut said Spiers had violated its no-weapons policy, even though he had a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon. Spiers was fired, and immediately became a symbol for gun rights advocates. He was offered jobs by employers from around the country, and someone launched a Web site in his honor. State Sen. Brad Zaun, an Urbandale Republican, called on Iowans to boycott the Dallas-based pizza chain. Pizza Hut offered Spiers an undisclosed severance package, counseling and help with a job search."


They hate our guns? : "These people: most politicians and bureaucrats, along with most modern academics and media figures, do not just hate our guns. They hate people, all of us! They especially despise and hate those who do not swallow their lies of `reasonable control' or `the common good,' who are not willing to be controlled and robbed for any reason. They hate and fear people - especially free people! If all the guns on the planet magically vanished, they'd still be terrified of us because their reason for living is control and they have clear plans to control every knife, screwdriver and ice pick on the planet if that's what it takes to control the people."

Would-be robber shot, killed by Ariz. store owner: "The owner of a Chandler jewelry store shot and killed a would-be robber after the two exchanged gunfire, police said Sunday. Two men, one of them armed with a gun, attempted to rob Christopher Diamonds on Saturday evening, Chandler police Detective David Ramer said. The store's owner, overhearing the robbery in progress, grabbed a gun and confronted the suspects. He and the armed robber exchanged several rounds of gunfire; both were hit. The injured suspect fled the store in a stolen truck while the other suspect ran into a nearby neighborhood. The truck later stopped on a nearby freeway, and the suspect was taken to a hospital after officers tried to revive him. He died at the hospital. Officers later found the second suspect in the neighborhood and arrested him. Ramer said the 58-year-old store owner, who was shot in the face, will survive. ``You have a right to defend yourself, and he did a good job of that,'' Ramer said of the store owner.


Indianapolis: Suspect shot, killed during store robbery attempt: "One man is dead following a shooting at a grocery store on the northwest side Sunday evening. Metro Police say an armed suspect attempted to rob the El Michoacano supermarket in the 6200 block of West 34th Street just before 9 pm. All of the customers and employees in the store were ordered to move to one side of the store. Police say the suspect then pointed his gun at a woman and baby, leading a store employee to pull his own gun. "At this point, the employee fired a shot at the suspect or shots, we are not sure at this point how many shots were fired, he struck the suspect," said IMPD Sgt. Matt Mount. When police found the suspect in the store, he was in critical condition. He was transported to Wishard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. His identity has not yet been released. Detectives are talking with the employee who fired the shot and witnesses to determine what happened. Police are also investigating information about the gun, its owner and the employee who possessed it. A release from IMPD stated that it appeared to be a justified shooting, though a thorough investigation will be conducted with evidence turned over to the prosecutor to determine if charges should be filed.


Nickels hides while gun owners oppose Seattle gun ban scheme: "When a cross-section of firearms owners gathered at Seattle City Hall Monday night to oppose Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' gun ban scheme, the mayor was nowhere in sight to defend his plan, and the Second Amendment Foundation wonders why. `If ever an audience reflected the kind of diversity that elitists like Greg Nickels normally rave about, Monday night's turnout of gun owners certainly measured up,' said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb."


This year, give her a gun for Christmas: "With a single week left until Christmas, a lot of us are still scrambling to find a gift for that person who already has everything. Chances are, the person who already has everything has an interest in keeping their stuff safe, and one way to do that is give that special someone in your life a firearm.A lot of Christmas gifts end up as bothersome clutter, such as goofy trinkets or unread books. A gift certificate is a good sign that you don't know much about the person, but aren't quite thoughtless enough to just send cash. But with a gun you can give that person a new hobby, an ongoing lesson in responsibility, peace of mind, and make the world a better place."

Florida: Armed homeowner runs off burglars: "Two masked, armed men broke into an Orange City house but fled empty-handed after the homeowner went after them with his own handgun, officials said Friday. The 36-year-old husband and his wife, 37, whom officials did not identify, were watching television in their bedroom at their Cedar Avenue home when they heard a loud crash in another part of the house at 9:45 p.m. Thursday. When they investigated, they were met by two armed men in their kitchen, Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said. The couple ran back to their bedroom where the husband grabbed a handgun and went after the armed men, who then bolted through the front door, Haught said. No one was injured in the incident, Haught said".


Florida man reports shooting intruder: "A Bradenton man reported shooting a man who came into his house and put a gun to his girlfriend's head early this morning, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office report. The 52-year-old homeowner said his girlfriend, 47, opened the door to their home, in the 6500 block of Wellesley Drive, just before 2 a.m. this morning. The girlfriend told deputies a man at the door tried to push his way in, while a second man with a gun got into the house and put a gun to her head, according to sheriff reports. The boyfriend said he came back from getting a gun and opened fire on the gunman when he saw the gun to his girlfriend's head. The boyfriend, who claimed his shot hit the gunman, said he only saw one person in his house, while the girlfriend said two men were there. Sarasota authorities later reported to Manatee detectives that a gunshot victim had checked into a hospital there. Manatee detectives have interviewed the man, who had a gunshot wound to the hand, but have not confirmed whether he was the man involved in the Manatee shooting. No arrests have yet been made."




Proposed gun ban in Springfield, MO, parks: "Don Snavely brings one more bad argument for stripping law-abiding citizens of their right to self-defense in parks. It's the classic "argument from authority," which goes: "I'm an 'expert,' therefore, my opinion rules -- never mind any facts to the contrary." Mr. Snavely's 35 years of administering Los Angeles-area parks include precisely no experience at all in parks where normal, law-abiding citizens could freely and legally choose concealed carry for self defense. Not one single day. Snavely also seems entirely unaware of the research into actual effects of license-to-carry laws. He claims no particular statistical expertise. There's no evidence he's ever written on the subject. And oddly, he seems to think that City Council has already committed to push a parks ban in 2009. But other than that, Mr. Snavely's an expert. Now I appreciate Mr. Snavely's service, but it doesn't imply that he knows anything about lawful concealed carry. Not that he should: Don Snavely retired in 1991, years before some 45 scholarly studies and articles on the actual effects of right-to-carry laws were published. And since ordinary citizens can't get permits in Los Angeles to this day, Snavely's claim to be an expert is a bit like someone claiming that 35 years of administering Lake Springfield made him an expert on elephant seals. Still, after 35 years of being happy enough that the law-abiding were legally prohibited from defending themselves in California, Mr. Snavely wants to force his favored policy down the throats of Springfieldians as well. And he doesn't even live here -- he lives in a tiny town of 1,400, 60 miles away! Snavely believes that since one of his own park rangers left a gun in a public locker and another shot himself, the private citizens lawfully carrying weapons are endangering everyone. But not only has he failed to establish that any microscopic risk from lawful concealed carry in our parks outweighs benefits, he's failed to show any known problems in parks from legal permit holders at all. Including in his own parks!


Chicago Handgun Ban Survives First Challenge: "A federal judge on Thursday upheld Chicago's 1982 handgun ban as Mayor Daley disclosed plans to strengthen it by following Washington D.C.'s lead. In a 5-to-4 decision in June, the Supreme Court overturned the D.C. handgun ban on grounds that the Second Amendment establishes the right to own a handgun for personal self-defense, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Hours later, the National Rifle Association and the Illinois State Rifle Association filed lawsuits seeking to overturn handgun bans in Chicago, Morton Grove, Evanston and Oak Park. Wilmette and Morton Grove subsequently repealed their handgun bans. Chicago held fast. "City taxpayers are going to pay more money in legal fees for a fight they will ultimately lose. The city is only postponing the inevitable. They won this round. But if this thing goes to the Supreme Court, we will prevail. The court laid out a very compelling case with a lot of foundation for an individual's right to bear arms," said Todd Vandermyde, the Illinois legislative liaison for the NRA. Following the ruling, Daley said he will host a "gun conference" next month to look for ways to beef up gun laws and get guns off the streets. The mayor said he would bring in leaders from across the country and people who have lost loved ones to gun violence. He said the attendees plan to review recent Supreme Court decisions that limited how cities can regulate guns. "I believe the court's ruling presents us with an opportunity to continue our efforts," Daley is quoted by the Chicago Tribune as saying."

Arkansas woman turns the tables: "She's a woman who knows how to protect herself as two men who tried to rob her found out. What they didn't know was the woman is licensed to carry a concealed weapon...and yes, she was packing heat. "A lady was flagged over Sunday evening about 6 p.m. on the interstate between Kelley Highway and the Arkansas river bridge." Lt. Steve Coppinger with State Police says that two men in a car signaled that the woman was getting a flat tire. "When she pulled over to check her tires one of those person in that other car got out and attempted to rob her at knife point." But what the thief didn't expect happened next. Coppinger says the female driver pulled out her handgun. "She pointed that at her attacker and he backed away, got in the car and they fled." Investigators say the would-have-been victim was able to turn the tables because she had a concealed carry permit. State police are keeping some details of the investigation close to their vest so they will know when they get the right guys. Right now, officials are saying they believe this to be an isolated incident."


California woman shoots thief: "A 34-year-old homeowner shot a man who was trying to steal from her property in East Sacramento Wednesday morning, police said. The incident happened about 7 a.m. in the 4500 block of 13th Avenue, Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said. The suspect, who sustained facial injuries, is in a hospital and expected to survive, Leong said. The man, whose name has not been released yet, is a parolee-at-large. Investigators are reviewing the case to determine if the woman acted in self-defense. She has not been charged, Leong said."


Georgia robber killed in shop: "A would-be robber was killed after he was shot in a gunbattle with an employee at a cell phone store in Forest Park. Authorities said it happened Monday night at about 8 p.m. Police identified the deceased suspect as 18-year-old Tyrie Rolland of Decatur. Rolland was shot in the head and died at Grady Memorial Hospital. Detectives are working to identify a second suspect who fled in a white pickup truck. Forest Park police major Chris Matson said it appeared the worker acted in self-defense."


OK: Tulsa lawmaker wants repeal of gun tax: "A Tulsa lawmaker said Tuesday he will file legislation to repeal the sales tax on the purchase of guns or ammunition in Oklahoma.'As Americans, we should not have to pay a tax to exercise our constitutional rights - especially our Second Amendment rights,' said Rep. Eric Proctor, D-Tulsa.The measure . would have minimal impact on the state treasury. . He said the tax should also be repealed because it could be a barrier for those needing protection. `People shouldn't have to pay a tax to the government if they need a gun in the home for self-protection,' Proctor said. `No matter what, the responsibility to protect your family is greater than the state's need to generate taxes.'"

Arkansas: Man Holds Intruder At Gunpoint Until Police Arrive : "It started out as a normal morning for the Newborns last Thursday, but as Lester Newborn was getting out of the shower he says his worst fears were realized as he heard his daughter scream "There's someone in the house!" Lester Newborn adds, "I have no idea what she was planning on doing all I know is she came in my house." Newborn says the intruder probably walked through the neighborhood looking for an open door or window and happened to find theirs. "I was messing with Christmas lights outside and I left a window unlocked and that's the window she came through." His daughter Brittney Newborn adds, "She came in through my bedroom window and she took the screen off and she just came in. I heard her making noise in my room I was in another room I just came in to see what it was and she was just standing right there." Brittney says as she screamed for her dad she left the room and he walked in with a .357 hand gun. Newborn adds, "We're all blessed because evidentially she was on some kind of drugs or something because she didn't resist at all. The weapon is for protection in my home and I'm glad and thankful I didn't have to shot her." Police say the intruder is 30-year-old Jennifer Draper. She's being charged with residential burglary and held on $5,000 bond."


Arkansas Mother Shoots, Kills Son In Self-Defense: "A Franklin County man was killed by his mother Sunday, likely in self-defense, after he reportedly pistol-whipped her and his stepfather, authorities said. Cameron Utsler, 22, was shot to death at the Prairie Street residence he shared with his mother and stepfather, north of Charleston, according to Lt. Steve Coppinger of the Arkansas State Police. "Right now it looks like a justified shooting," David Gibbons, Franklin County's district attorney, said on Monday. Troopers were dispatched to the residence at around 1:20 a.m. Sunday. Utsler was found dead at the scene, Coppinger said. Utsler's mother and stepfather, whose names were not revealed by either Coppinger or Gibbons, told investigators that Utsler became violent toward them after they had returned home from a Christmas party, according to Coppinger. "He was upset that he was excluded from a family Christmas get-together," Coppinger said. Utsler reportedly brandished a handgun and at one point struck both his mother and stepfather on the head with the pistol, according to Coppinger. How many times Utsler struck them with the gun was not revealed. "I don't believe he discharged the weapon, he just physically beat them," Coppinger said. "One of the parents, out of a defensive posture, had to get a firearm and shoot him." Coppinger described both the mother and stepfather as "very small in stature" and "slenderly built." Utsler, however, was described as more than 6 feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds. "He's a big guy with a violent history," Coppinger said."


Texas Dog Walker Kills Armed Teen Robber: "A man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday fatally shot an armed 17-year-old robber, police said. The incident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Ben Gill Park in the 100 block of Lions Club Lane where, police said, a group of teen robbers surrounded the man. According to investigators, Markee Lamar Johnson pulled out a gun and the 47-year-old man, a licensed concealed handgun owner, fired shots. The 17-year-old Terrell High School student was struck in the head and died at Parkland Hospital. His weapon was recovered at the scene and later determined to be stolen during a separate offense in Terrell, according to police. Police said they would not likely file charges against the man. Three other teen suspects fled the scene in a vehicle that was recovered in the 300 block of S. Park Street, police said. Police identified the the other suspects and arrested one of them. Ryan Scott Patterson, 17, is charged with aggravated robbery. The robbery victim, who did not want to be identified, was not injured."


While gun rights advanced this year, the prospects for next year look very tough: "Once Barack Obama takes his oath of office in January, he will become, without a doubt, the most anti-gun President this nation has ever seen. How are gun owners responding to the oncoming Obama presidency? By the tens of thousands, they are pouring into gun stores all across the country and stocking up on guns and ammo, fearing the worst. Many buyers include first-time gun owners."

UT: Burglary goes bad when homeowner shoots back : "Officers have arrested a man they say tried to break into a home and then traded shots with the homeowner in the middle of the street. . `They were kicking in the door, and the man was inside with his family,' Ogden Police Lt. Scott Sangberg said Tuesday. `He went to the door with his 9 mm (handgun). Then the guy realized that the place wasn't vacant and started to leave.' As he was leaving, police said one of the would-be burglars fired a gun at the homeowner. `The owner took a shot at him,' Sangberg said. The homeowner gave police a description of the men and the green Dodge Intrepid they fled in. Police recognized it from an attempted burglary case they dealt with the week before and went to the suspect's home, where he was arrested."


GA: Packing heat" "In a settlement filed in District Court on Dec. 4, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office admitted violating an Augusta man's Fourth Amendment rights by seizing and holding his firearm .. `Simply put, a police officer needs reasonable suspicion of a crime before he can detain someone, and merely possessing a handgun is not reasonable suspicion of a crime,' says Ed Stone, president of the gun rights group georgiacarry.org and co-counsel for Mead. `In this case, the encounter went beyond merely detaining Zachary Mead for having a handgun; the deputy in this case actually seized the handgun and took it with him.'"


The life and death cost of gun control: "Banning guns is in the news. India practically bans guns, but that didn't stop the horrific Muslim terrorist attacks this last week. A football player concerned for his safety violates New York City's tough gun control regulations by carrying a concealed handgun, and people call for everything from banning NFL players from carrying guns to demanding that the athlete serve many years in jail. Where is the sympathy or debate in either case over letting people defend themselves? Given that the terrorists smuggled their machine guns in with them, would anyone argue that India's extremely strict gun licensing and artificially high prices for guns helped prevent the terrorist attacks? In fact, the reverse is more likely the case."


"If it's a firearm, we're taking it": "So here we all are, on the verge of more `reasonable regulation' that will strip us all of liberty and the right to property - legislation that us Three Percenters will disobey at the point of a firearm. The Emma-Gees (machine gun collectors), the Fudds and the Prags should understand at least this. The bell tolls for thee as much as for me. If you want to keep your property and your liberty you'd better be digging your foxhole along the line that we Three Percenters have marked out. Because if we lose, so do you. If we're forcibly disarmed, so will you be. And after that, you're just so much meat to be ordered about by tyrannical butchers."

Pa.: Woman Claims Self-Defense in Agent's Killing: "The case against a woman who killed a Pittsburgh FBI agent during a drug raid at her family's home has been moved to federal court, where her defense will claim that she thought she needed to act in self-defense. Elash said Korbe is "extremely remorseful" about the death of Special Agent Sam Hicks, but he questions whether she heard law enforcement identify themselves when they entered her house with guns drawn. "I don't believe my client's guilty of any crime. I think the evidence will show that," Elash said. "... It's obviously a self-defense or a defense of others, and the others that she's defending are a 5- and 10-year old that were with her when she was on 911, making the call to the police that somebody had broken into her house." Hicks was part of a task force serving drug warrants in a coordinated operation throughout the Pittsburgh region on the morning of Nov. 19. He was shot at Korbe's home on Woods Run Road in Indiana Township, where a warrant was being served on her husband, Robert. Christina Korbe's former attorney, Sumner Parker, has said that the woman fired a gun because she thought people were breaking into the house. In Sharpsburg, residents are circulating a petition for Christina Korbe's innocence and holding a collection for the family's children. Some do not believe the woman knew it was law enforcement breaking through her front door." ["No-knock" raids always risk this]


PA: Pittsburgh's new law "unenforceable," but passed anyway : "Pittsburgh has a new law that would fine or jail gun owners who don't report their gun stolen or missing within 24 hours after they discover it. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl allowed the bill to become law on Monday when he returned it to council without his signature. Ravenstahl says he believes the measure will be unenforceable and pre-empted by state law, but appreciates the effort to reduce gun violence. Some council members say they realize the measure may be illegal, but they feel they must do something to address a rash of recent gun violence in the city."


DC tightens victim disarmament rules after landmark court ruling: "The District of Columbia Council passed more regulations for gun owners Tuesday, months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the city's 32-year-old handgun ban. Among other things, the bill requires gun owners to register their weapons every three years and receive training by a certified firearms instructor. `This bill will be, I think, one of the most progressive registration laws in the country,' Council member Phil Mendelson said."


"An armed society is a polite society": "Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe told the citizens in his north St. Louis ward to arm themselves to protect their lives and property from escalating crime because police are 'ineffective, outnumbered or don't care.' Troupe claims that when he and fellow residents approached a district police commander last year, 'there was nothing he could do to protect us and the community ... that he didn't have the manpower.' Always, there is never enough money. Double, triple, quadruple the money and there will always never be enough money for bureaucrats to do their jobs. Just ask every inner city public school district in the United States over the past 50 years or so. Double, triple, quadruple the money and there is still always never enough money to educate your kids and protect them from violence. But the city's all-wise, all-knowing, all-important, politically correct officialdom lined up in immediate knee-jerkedly unison behind the district commander."

SC: One dead, four charged in apparent robbery attempt: "The Newberry Police Department is investigating a shooting over the weekend that left a would-be robber dead. According to Newberry Police Chief Jackie Swindler, the investigation started Saturday night when 35-year-old Willie Hiller was found dead in the driveway of a home on 1st Street. At about that same time, a man went to the police station and told officers that he shot into a crowd of people as they attempted to rob his apartment at the Palmetto Point Apartments. That apartment complex is near the location that Hiller's body was found. The man who fired the shots told investigators a group of people tried to rob him at his apartment, and in self-defense, he fired into the group. Police say it started around 9:30pm, when a 13-year-old came knocking. They say the resident recognized the child and opened the door. Soon after that, police say 5 others rushed the apartment trying to get inside. "The plan was for all of them to gain entry and get inside and rob the individuals of this house," Swindler said. Investigators are still trying to work out the details but tell News 10 that the man who fired the shots will more than likely not be charged, as it appears he acted in self-defense. Four people have been charged, including 18-year-old Jessica Sligh, with attempted armed robbery and attempted burglary."


VA: Drinking session leads to shooting: "When authorities arrived, they found Matthew Hicks, a 32-year-old Loudoun County resident, dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Willie Donaldson, a 35-year-old Internet security consultant who rented the brick house on South Arlington Ridge Road, was arrested and charged with murder... Donaldson told police that at some point Hicks threatened to kill him if he didn't go to an ATM and give him money, the affidavit says. Denman Rucker, Donaldson's attorney, said his client was acting in self-defense. "It's our understanding that he [Hicks] was trying to get more money from Mr. Donaldson," he said. Donaldson was treated for injuries at the Virginia Hospital Center. A mug shot released by police showed his face bruised and bloodied. Hicks was a former Navy SEAL, according to a Navy spokesman. But he was stripped of the SEAL qualification, a highly unusual act, and was other than honorably discharged from the Navy before his enlistment was up.'


OR: Appeals court deals major blow to gun rights : "An Oregon Appeals Court decision has found that your car is now considered a `public place.' That means that possessing a loaded firearm in a vehicle may be considered a crime if the locality in which you are traveling has a ban on open loaded carry. This ruling is a major setback for gun rights in Oregon and puts many people at risk simply by crossing into a town or city that has onerous and unposted rules. OFF is considering what further legal action can be taken, and in the meantime warns gun owners to be very careful when traveling in Oregon."


Independent Institute launches Second Amendment book bomb: "Monday, December 15, marks America's Bill of Rights Day, the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. To commemorate this event, the Independent Institute is launching the Second Amendment Book Bomb in an effort to move constitutional rights to the top of national book bestseller lists and communicate the importance of the Second Amendment in the protection of liberty."

WA: Police suspect husband death was self-defense: "A Federal Way man died early Saturday after police said he was shot multiple times by his wife. The wife, 24, called 911 shortly before 4 a.m. and reported that she had just shot her husband, said Federal Way police spokesman Raymond Bunk. The initial investigation indicates the shooting was in self-defense, Bunk said. The identity of the 40-year-old man has not been released. The shooting occurred at the Mariposa apartment complex on 18th Avenue South. Police arrived to find the man inside a bedroom. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:43 a.m. The woman was treated at St. Francis Hospital for minor head injuries. Afterward, she was questioned at the Federal Way Police Department, then released. The woman told police that the couple had been separated for several weeks, and that she and her husband each had a protection order against the other."


MD: Owner Defends Liquor Store, Kills Would-Be Robber Suspect shot during attempted armed robbery: " The owner of a Largo liquor store shot and killed a man in an attempted robbery Friday morning, police said. A man entered Kettering Liquors in the 10600 block of Campus Way South about 7:30 a.m., announced a robbery and pulled out a gun, police said. One of the owners pulled out a shotgun and shot and killed the robber, police said. "It's tragic. Somebody died today," said Bill Miles, of Kettering Liquors. "The good news is it wasn't one of us. It was the bad guy." Three owners and a deliveryman were in the store at the time. None of them was injured. Police are investigating".


Baltimore robbery try: "Police were seeking two men and a woman who attempted to rob three males at Hammershire and Reisterstown roads about 9:30 p.m. Friday. While the men walked down the street, a man armed with a handgun and a woman also carrying a handgun exited a silver Toyota Camry occupied by a second man and demanded their money. When one of the victims grabbed one of the guns, the two fled back to the car and drove off with no money or property."


Florida pizza man delivers a punch with pie: "When a customer pulled a gun on Eric Lopez Devictoria this week, the Pizza Hut deliveryman fought back with the only thing at hand. A large, steaming hot pepperoni pie. Fearing for his life, Devictoria, 40, lobbed the pizza at the armed man who had ordered him inside a Miramar residence in the 1900 block of Acapulco Drive before 1 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The maneuver bought Devictoria time to run to safety. As he fled, the armed man and his accomplices fired at least one shot, police said. The deliveryman called police, who arrested three teenagers in Pembroke Pines on charges of armed robbery a short time later."

Australia: Gun ownership up by 10,000 a year as State Government waters down laws

Having a gun-owners' political party gives heft

Gun ownership is booming again in NSW, with 40,000 new firearms registered in the past four years. The rise coincides with a deal cut by the State Government and the Shooters Party to water down tough gun laws introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre.

Figures from the NSW Firearm Registry obtained by the National Coalition of Gun Control show gun ownership has risen at the rate of 10,000 a year since 2004 to 687,138 in October this year. Multiple gun ownership has also soared. The number of people receiving permits to obtain a second or subsequent firearm in 2006 was 32,616. In the first 10 months of this year, 43,095 such permits were issued.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics has also revealed that guns are being stolen at a rate of more than two a day. The majority are taken from homes. Despite the worrying figures, the Government and the Shooters Party have quietly agreed to a number of changes to gun laws introduced by former premier Bob Carr after the Port Arthur killings.

Shooting clubs will no longer have their licences automatically revoked for not disqualifying members who have been convicted of firearms offences. Previously, the police commissioner could immediately revoke a club's licence for not taking action against a convicted member. In another change, the mandatory 28-day waiting period before a second or third gun can be acquired has also been scrapped. The Government has also made it easier for men who have previously been the subject of apprehended violence orders to regain a gun licence.

Source





OH: Man fires at robbers, thwarts home invasion : "A man thwarted a home robbery on Thursday morning when he fired gunshots at two armed men who had forced their way into his home. .. Josh Fields said he was awakened when one of the men put a gun to his head... Cassey Fields was also sleeping when the men broke down the home's front door, stormed inside and pointed a gun at her. Moments later, she said she heard gunshots."I heard two gunshots and I didn't hear Josh or my dad anymore, so I thought they got my dad," Cassey Fields said.The gunshots were fired by her father. After hearing the men break into the home, Ken Fields grabbed his own gun and confronted the two men."The first one who was at the door turned around to go out and I fired a shot at him," said Ken Fields.After being shot at, both men fled from the home."


MA: Gun-rights advocates stand by Worcester worker: "Antiviolence and gun-rights backers banded together yesterday in support of a Worcester liquor store clerk who shot and killed a masked man who allegedly pulled a gun on him during an attempted robbery. .. "It sounds like a clear-cut case of self-defense, which is what the Second Amendment is really all about," said Jim Wallace, director of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts. "The (clerk) was properly lawfully in possession of a firearm. It sounds like a win-win situation."Forty-year-old Evan Louis Rivera, who entered the store with another masked man, pointed a gun at one of the clerks and one of the clerks fired back, striking Rivera multiple times, police said. Rivera died 45 minutes later.John Rosenthal, co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence and a rifle owner, said he supports responsible gun ownership and the use of firearms in self-defense."


The Mumbai masacre: It could happen here: "The firearms massacres that have periodically caused shock and horror around the world have all been utterly dwarfed by the Bombay shootings, in which a handful of gunmen left some five hundred people killed or wounded. Commentators have been swift to insist that we must all 'stand firm' against such outrage; but behind the rhetoric, the pundits have been visibly uncertain how an assault like that in India can be prevented or resisted. The Bombay massacre exposed the myth of a number of our security assumptions.For anybody who still believed in it, the Bombay shootings exposed the myth of `gun control'. India had some of the strictest firearms laws in the world."

IL: Homeowner thwarts burglar: "A Dupo resident fought back and made a citizen's arrest when a man attempted to rob his home in the middle of the day. . When deputy Cerether White arrived he found Eric L. Kirk, 35, of 117 S. Fourth St. in Dupo handcuffed outside the home with the 35-year-old homeowner kneeling on him. The homeowner told White that Kirk had knocked on his door and he didn't recognize him when he looked out the window. The homeowner tried to run the license plate on a blue minivan Kirk was standing near but could not read the entire plate so he decided to get his gun, according to the police report. When the homeowner, whose name was not released by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, retrieved his gun and returned to the door his dogs started barking. That's when he noticed Kirk and the van were gone. He then saw the van backed up to his garage and Kirk using a crow bar to try to open the homeowner's garage door. The homeowner called 911 to report the crime in progress and then fired two rounds into the ground near Kirk. According to the police report Kirk ran to the van and attempted to get away when the homeowner grabbed him, wrestled him to the ground and slapped handcuffs on him with the assistance of a neighbor."


Useless gun bans: "I'm not a gun owner, yet it disturbs me to see the media throw responsible gun owners in the same group as deranged killers. The Second Amendment was written to ensure that Americans could protect themselves from criminals, foreign invaders and our own government. Banning the sale of assault rifles won't prevent criminals from killing large numbers of people; they can simply use different firearms, get assault rifles through illegal channels or use different weapons altogether, like bombs or even SUVs. Gun laws only punish law-abiding citizens because criminals ignore laws."


CO: Group to file lawsuit challenging CU's gun laws: "Representatives from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus said they will file a lawsuit Thursday asking the court to strike down the University of Colorado's concealed carry ban. The Colorado Springs chapter of the [SCCC] has argued before, to the school's regents, that gun-free zones on college campuses translate into a ban on self-defense. Members want the university to loosen gun-control rules and allow those with handgun permits to pack heat on campus. . The state Legislature passed a law in 2003 allowing concealed weapons to be carried by permit in most parts of the state, including college campuses, but then-State Attorney Gen. Ken Salazar issued a formal opinion that the CU regents' order trumped the state law."


Dial 911 and die: "I wonder how many `buyback' gift card recipients would be willing to complete the transaction if they first presented the cops doing the collecting with a simple card and asked them to sign it? The text would go something like this: `GUN SURRENDER PROTECTION CONTRACT' `The [Name of Law Enforcement Agency] agrees that a special relationship exists between our department and [Name of Individual Surrendering Firearm] by virtue of his/her turning in a working firearm to us. Because we have encouraged him/her to be personally defenseless, we hereby agree to assume responsibility for his/her personal safety and protection, and admit liability should we fail in this duty.'"

South Carolina: Clerk shoots, kills masked man during holdup : "A liquor store clerk shot and killed an alleged armed robber in Worcester last night, firing at a masked man several times when he pulled a handgun during a holdup, police said. The alleged robber -- Evan Louis Rivera, 40 -- was pronounced dead at a hospital 45 minutes after the shooting. When the clerk opened fire, Rivera's accomplice ran and remains at large, police said. The clerk who shot the robber was interviewed by police and has not been charged. The two masked men entered Big Bob's Liquors on Richmond Avenue at 9:59 p.m., police said in a statement describing the shooting. One of the men pulled a handgun and pointed it "directly at one of the two store clerks then on duty," the statement says. One of the store clerks pulled his own gun and shot the alleged robber several times, police said. The clerk's name was not released because he has not been charged with a crime. Police said he was cooperative and is properly licensed to possess and carry firearms."


Arizona Homeowner Shot Intruder: "A man who police call a would-be burglar may be regretting kicking in the door of an east Valley homeowner early Tuesday morning, authorities said. Investigators said after Richard Lopez kicked in the door of a Gilbert home, the homeowner grabbed a gun and shot him twice -- once in the face and once in the torso. The driver of the alleged getaway vehicle, Mark Vega, took Lopez to the hospital, where they were met by officers, police said. The east Valley homeowner who shot Lopez will not be charged, Gilbert police Sgt. Mark Marino said. "In this particular case, the homeowner protected himself," Marino said."


Virginia: Man Shoots And Kills Alleged Intruder: "Arlington County Police tell 9NEWS NOW that a man shot and killed an alleged home intruder. Police say that they received a call at approximately 4 AM from a man who said that he had shot an intruder in his home and that the man could be dead. Police say that when they arrived at the home on the 2100 block of Arlington Ridge Road, they found one man dead and that the man who called turned himself in to them. Arlington Police are still investigating the incident and could not confirm any more details."


Massachusetts liquor store clerk disarms would-be robber: "Raul Gruezo said he got angry last night when a would-be robber walked into Garcia Liquors, pointed a loaded gun at him and demanded money. "I'm so mad, I'd like to hit him," the 59-year-old package store clerk said. Gruezo said he stared the man down, then grabbed hold of the gun with his right hand, and used his left hand to pull it away from the intruder, who then fled the store. "I look at him, like a cat, then take it away," Gruezo said, demonstrating how he snuck his right hand onto the weapon as he looked at the intruder. His left hand was injured and bandaged from the scuffle. "This is the first time in my life that somebody pointed a gun at me," he said. "But I don't scare. I'm not nervous. I'm just mad." Gruezo said he used his size advantage to pull the gunman toward him and push the gun so it pointed toward the ceiling instead of at his face. The robbery suspect, who is described as 5-foot-5, with a stocky build, fled the store after losing his gun. Police said they will review a store surveillance tape in an effort to identify the gunman."

FL: Pizza man fires at would-be robbers: "A Dominoes delivery driver in Titusville fought back during a robbery attempt, turning the table on two would-be crooks. Jerry Johnson was making a pizza delivery when he was attacked. That's when he said he fired his gun in self-defense. "When I pulled up, I noticed it was dark. I've been doing this for like ten years. I know what it looks like. People have their lights on, they're expecting you. This looked fishy," said Johson. It was just one shot, but it was loud enough to get Jason England out of bed. "I didn't know what it was. I just heard a loud bang," said England. One of England's neighbors had ordered the pizza on Saturday night. Witnesses saw police surveying landscaping, which may have proved the perfect cover for the suspects. "They had bandannas on and they were pretty intent on hurting me. I'm glad I had my protection with me," said Johnson. "I pulled it out. I shot at one of them. He might be shot for all I know."


CO: Vietnamese criminal invades restaurant where 3 cops were lunching -- gets shot 5 times but lives: "A Denver jury convicted a man Tuesday on numerous charges from a shootout with police last fall at a Vietnamese restaurant. Prosecutors said Phuong Van Dang, 27, came into the Ha Noi restaurant wearing a mask and carrying a shotgun and a black duffel bag, planning to rob restaurant patrons. Dang was convicted of attempted first-degree assault on a peace officer, attempted second-degree assault on a peace officer, assault, menacing, attempted aggravated robbery, attempted theft of more than $20,000, reckless endangerment and possession of a weapon by a previous offender. Dang faces further charges as a habitual criminal. A sentencing date has not been set. Detective Jesse Avendano and Sgt. John Pinder, who were on duty but not in uniform, testified during the weeklong trial that they were having lunch at the restaurant when they heard screams and saw employees fleeing the kitchen of the restaurant on South Federal Boulevard. They said Dang trained a 12-gauge shotgun on customers. Pinder fired at Dang and the three exchanged shots. Three restaurant patrons were wounded by police bullets. Dang's gun jammed as he tried to shoot directly at police."


The Appleseed Project: Creating liberty one rifleman at a time: "I spent the last weekend at the Phoenix Appleseed Shoot in Arizona with a number of fellow shooters. I came with my wife, five children and my other best friend in tow. . Almost three-dozen shooters showed up for the training which is a fairly respectable turn-out.What is an Appleseed Shoot? Fred, the proprietor of Fred's M14 Stocks . started and built the program. The Revolutionary War Veterans Association is an umbrella organization that was created to bridge the gap between the Founding of the nation and the present day through educational outreach . from whence was born the Appleseed Project whose modest goal is to create one million new Riflemen in America."


Ban swimming pools!: "Those same whiners whine about accidental deaths of our children from the evil hand gun and what a national disaster it is to continue to allow that level of atrocity to continue to occure in civilised society. Let's look at some records, from let's say, 1999-2003 in the state of Florida. After sifting thru the billions of lines and reports written and compiled by unbiased people(do these people exist?) I was surprised to find out that there were 124 adults that had 124 of their children die from careless handling or storage of guns. I was also stunned to find out that during the same time period 356 families had 356 children die from careless handling or storage of their swimming pools. Where is the human cry out for the eradication of swimming pools at home. The children in Florida have a three times higher chance of expiring from their pool than from a gun in their house. Needless to say the forces behind these two different sorrows are political and we try to offer comfort to the swimmingpool disasters and we try to offer jail time to gun disasters. What we have lost site of is the heartbreak of the families that suffered both those disasters. The slugs that use these people for their own political ends have a really big bill to pay when they face their maker, and face their maker they will. Swimming pool ownership is a personal decision. Gun ownership is a personal decision. Why would we as Americans let some politician in the hip pocket of some wealthy old guy with an ax to grind run your life and make your personal decisions?"

OK: Dog Takes 3 Bullets

(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) A home invader broke into a house and the family dog, D-Boy (pic), immediately attacked.

Police said the dog was shot once in the head and despite that, he kept attacking the thief. D-Boy was shot again for his doggedness. After shooting the dog three times, the man ran away, police said. Officers took D-Boy to a vet shortly thereafter.

His owner said the officers even called the next day to check on him. Roberta Trawick said she’s thankful for the police and for D-Boy. However, D-Boy's apparently been on edge since the incident and races to the door whenever someone comes to the home.

On edge! Who wouldn't be on edge after being plugged three times?

Alabama men shot in break-in attempt: "A Colbert County homeowner shot two men who reportedly were trying to break into his house early Wednesday, leaving both hospitalized recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said. Three Florence men face charges over the break-in bid, Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May said. Charged with second-degree burglary were: Justin Peake, 22, 330 Reddoch Road, Florence; Holland Noah Elkins, 19, Darby Drive, Florence; Jason Douglas Reynolds, 18, 127 Patsy Drive, Florence. Peake was in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital on Wednesday night, while Elkins had surgery and was transferred to a private room at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence and was in stable condition. Authorities said the homeowner reported that the men were trying to kick in the back door at his home at 6720 Second St. The break-in occurred around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigators said the homeowner shot Peake and Elkins multiple times with a 9 mm pistol after they kicked in the back door of the residence, which is just past East Colbert Baptist Church. The sheriff said neither Peake nor Elkins were armed. Peake, who was found lying in the yard, was flown to Huntsville Hospital, where he remains in the intensive care unit. May said Peake's Mercedes was found by Florence police on Reddock Road in Florence, which is in the affluent Heathrow subdivision. "We were able to locate the driver (Reynolds), and he was interviewed by investigators and admitted that he took (Peake and Elkins) to the residence to burglarize the residence," May said."


North Carolina Store Owner Shoots Suspected Robbers: "The Catawba County Sheriff's Office said a business owner shot and killed a suspected robber, and hurt another one. Deputies said it happened at 3:15 a.m. Saturday. Randy Willis, owner of Willis Packaging on Highway 10, went to his store because the alarm was going off. When Willis got there, deputies said he saw a man coming out of his store with a shotgun. Willis and the robber struggled, and deputies said Willis pulled out a pistol and shot the robber, killing him. Deputies said another robber, 52-year-old Arnold Ray Jr., had broken into the store. Ray jumped Willis, and Willis shot him as well, this time in the shoulder. Deputies said the two men had broken into the store through the front window. They also said a woman, Jean Holman, dropped the two men off. Holman is charged with breaking and entering and larceny. The sheriff's office said Ray was taken to the hospital. Authorities have not released the deceased man's name. Authorities said Willis hurt several ribs during the altercations, but did not go to the hospital. Ray is charged with breaking and entering, larceny, robbery and kidnapping. Willis was not charged. Deputies said the case will be handed over to the district attorney.


FL: Storeowner Chases, Shoots At Armed Robbers: "Two men came in to John's Variety, 208 4th St. N., at about 8 p.m. Saturday, says Silva. Their faces were covered with something resembling a ninja mask, he says. They pointed what looked like a .45 caliber handgun at him. "They told me and a customer to 'get on the floor, give me your money,'" says Silva on the phone while tending to a customer looking for Tylenol. "I moved as if going down on the floor, reached for my gun, stood back up with the .380 in my hands and they ran like jackrabbits." Silva, 53, says he followed the men out of the store. "I let three rounds go," he says. "Unfortunately, I missed them." Not long after Silva chased the would-be robbers, St. Petersburg police arrested two men they say tried to rob the store. One, Benjamin Roland Jones, 19, 934 10th Ave. S., was picked up on Central Avenue. The other, Cory Jay Smith 21, was found hiding in a nearby lake and received a minor bite from a police K-9 dog, police said. Smith, 985 Melrose Ave. S., is being held in the Pinellas County Jail on a bond of $50,000. A former cook aboard the submarine U.S.S. Andrew Jackson and, more recently, a Merchant Marine, Silva says his actions were partly the result of his military training, partly instinctual."


Florida: Woman shoots home invader through abdomen: "Lynn Haven police were looking Friday for two suspects in a home invasion and attempted robbery. Melissa Galarza, of 817 Bradford Circle, answered a knock on her door Thursday evening, and two white males charged into the home and demanded "the money," a Lynn Haven officer wrote in an incident report. One of the men punched Galarza in the face twice and knocked her to the floor. The men covered her mouth to keep her from screaming and kept demanding the money, reports said. While on the floor, Galarza remembered she had a gun within reach on the bottom shelf of her coffee table. She drew the weapon, and the two men backed off before charging at her again. Galarza said she fired in self-defense, and the men fled her home together, report said. Galarza suffered minor injuries in the incident, officials said. Galarza's bullet went through the abdomen of one of the suspects, 26-year-old Matthew Andrews, officials said. Andrews went to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. While at the hospital, Andrews was met by the Panama City Police Department and an investigator questioned him about the wound, said Capt. Mark Aviles."

California: Homeowner with gun foils robbery attempt: "A Burson man was arrested by Calaveras County sheriff's deputies after he attempted to rob a homeowner at a residence located in the 5800 block of De Los Angeles Road in Burson earlier this month. At approximately 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, Mike Nicholson III, 24, knocked on the door of William Six's residence on De Los Angeles Road. Six answered the door and found Nicholson standing there with a 10-inch knife. Nicholson told Six to give him the keys to his best truck and reportedly said, "I'm robbing you," according to a release from the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office. Six balked and closed the front door. Concerned Nicholson was going to remain outside his residence or steal one of his vehicles, Six retrieved a firearm. Six confronted Nicholson at the bottom of his driveway and ordered Nicholson to the ground. Six told deputies Nicholson sat down for a short time, but became belligerent. According to Six, Nicholson said he did not have to remain at the scene and started to get up off the ground. Six responded by firing a warning shot into the ground. That seemed to do the trick, as Six was able to hold Nicholson at gunpoint until Deputy Jim Moser arrived to take Nicholson into custody."


Ark. man forces way into wrong house, fatally shot: "Police in northeast Arkansas say a Trumann man looking for his wife after an argument went to the wrong home and was shot to death by the homeowner when he tried to force his way inside. Trumann police say Saturday's shooting death of 34-year-old Todd Short appears to be a justifiable homicide. Police Chief Larry Blagg says Short apparently got into an argument with his wife, and that she went to a family friend's home. According to police, Todd Short went to a nearby home - thinking that's where his wife was staying - and tried to force his way inside. The homeowner, Jimmy Hand, then fatally shot Short with a shotgun. Police say the two homes were "cookie cutter" and that both had similar cars in the driveway. The shooting remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed against Hand.


Alabama: Stupid teen charged with murder of his accomplice: "The adoptive mother of a teen charged with capital murder of an acquaintance who was killed while the two were robbing someone Sunday said her son was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Malik Hameed, 17, is remorseful over his involvement in a weekend robbery that left his accomplice, a family friend, dead, said his mother, Hamidah Hameed, 56. Police say Malik Hameed and Patrick Cortez Levert, 26, were shot Sunday in the 100 block of Cotton Avenue Southwest while trying to rob a 39-year-old man at gunpoint. The man pulled a gun and shot both, police said. Levert, found on the sidewalk, was taken to UAB Hospital, where he died. Someone drove Hameed to Princeton Baptist Medical Center, where he was treated and later taken into police custody. Though Hameed didn't shoot Levert, he is charged with capital murder because he was a conspirator in a crime that resulted in death, police said."


Department of the Interior announces final firearms policy on guns in parks : ""Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Lyle Laverty today announced that the Department of the Interior has finalized updated regulations governing the possession of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The final rule, which updates existing regulations, would allow an individual to carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges if, and only if, the individual is authorized to carry a concealed weapon under state law in the state in which the national park or refuge is located. The update has been submitted to the Federal Register for publication and is available to the public."

Gun owners have nothing to fear, says Obama

A non-change we can believe in?

US president-elect Barack Obama has reassured millions of lawful gun owners have ''nothing to fear'' from his incoming administration next month. Gun shops across the country have reported increased sales amid fears that Obama intends to restrict gun sales after taking office on January 20. While Obama supports gun control, he has repeatedly denied any intention of "taking away folks' guns". The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the second amendment of the US constitution and gun control is a controversial political issue.

"I believe in commonsense gun safety law, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a press conference on Sunday. "And so, lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. "I've said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition, and I think that people can take me at my word."

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TX: Burglar shot dead in driveway : " Police said a Cedar Hill resident shot and killed a person attempting to break into a vehicle in his driveway Friday morning. The gunfire erupted at 7:30 a.m. in the 9100 block of Sleepy Hollow, one of the city's nicest, most established neighborhoods. Police said the homeowner heard an alarm going off on his pickup truck. He grabbed a gun, went outside, and opened fire when he saw the alleged burglar attempting to remove a stereo system. The suspect died at the scene. "This is extremely rare," said Cedar Hill spokesman Corky Brown. "This is a really quiet neighborhood like most of ours in Cedar Hill. It's very shocking to the neighbors to have something like this occur." The names of the homeowner and the suspect have not been released. The homeowner has not been arrested or charged at this point."


NC: Shopkeeper shoots suspected thieves: "With bushel baskets filled with ripe tomatoes and fresh pecans beside its prominent holiday fruitcake display, the Randy Willis Grocery in Vale shows little evidence of the violent struggle that left one man dead during a botched robbery attempt early Saturday. According to a release from the Catawba County Sheriff's Office, two suspects broke into the store around 3 a.m. The alarm went off and the store owner surprised the suspects. He went to investigate and thought the thieves had already left, but he said they were lying in wait for him, clutching the shotgun he keeps in the store for protection. When Willis turned his back, the men jumped him from behind and a struggle began. "One of them had my shotgun and they made me lay on the floor and took my billfold," Willis said. Willis said while the men had him pinned to the ground and lay on top of him, he was able to reach into his pocket, angle a gun he had there toward his attackers and fire one shot from his .38 revolver. "I shot one time and hit both of them with one bullet," Willis said. According to sheriff's reports, a 28-year-old suspect died on the scene. His name has not been released. Arnold Eugene Ray Jr., 52, of Icard, was taken to the hospital with a bullet wound to the shoulder. Charges of breaking and entering and larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and first-degree kidnapping are pending for Ray. "Rebecca Jean Holman, 47, of Connelly Springs, dropped the suspects off and is charged with breaking and entering and larceny," read the press release. She is being held on a $10,000 bond and her court date is Monday."


FL: 16-year-old shot in robbery attempt: "Daniel Deion Sanchez and another gunman walked up to the garage of homeland security Assistant Chief Carson Tranquille as he and his wife arrived at their Northside home just before midnight, police said. The robbers were masked had their guns drawn. Tranquille and his wife were going into the house when the robbers approached, according to a police report. Tranquille fired his weapon, wounding one of the robbers, who was caught a few houses away and identified as Sanchez, said Chief Rick Graham of the Sheriff's Office. Sanchez was shot in the leg and was taken to Shands Jacksonville with non-life-threatening injuries, Graham said. The second robber escaped. Graham said police were looking for the other suspect and possibly a third person. He said Tranquille, a 20-year veteran of the department, first became suspicious as he passed through his neighborhood and noticed a car with its headlights on. The couple pulled into their garage and were preparing to go inside when the assailants walked up the driveway. "This was before the garage door was able to come down," Graham said. Graham said the case is "really about a homeowner and his wife," though it shows police can also become victims of random crime. He said the two suspects did not fire their weapons and that a gun was recovered".