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".