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."