WA: Shotgun toting victim runs off suspects in attempted heist: "At 11:51 p.m., a man was walking home in the 2400 block of Northwest 58th Street when he was confronted by four, young adult men, Whitcomb said. The robbers implied they had a weapon but the victim didn't see one. He ran home, armed himself with a shotgun and chased the suspects away."


New Zealand police hate self defense: "A Tokoroa takeaway owner who shot a masked gunman in the leg after wrestling a semi-automatic .22 rifle off him could end up being charged for defending himself. Aotea Chinese Takeaways owner Zhuofeng "Titan" Jiang, 25, grabbed the rifle as the gunman pointed it at Mr Jiang's 19-year-old cousin and demanded money from the till about 9.45pm on Monday. The gunman had already fired a warning shot into the floor. Another shot went off as the men wrestled with the rifle. When Mr Jiang got hold of the rifle he fired two shots, one into the floor, and another into the man's leg, to stop him from being attacked. The gunman screamed in pain after being shot and fled. Mr Jiang said yesterday that he was not a hero. "I was not scared. I would do it again. I hate these people. I will never give them any money." Police were last night hunting a fat man, 1.8 metres (6ft) tall, wearing dark-coloured clothing. Detective Senior Sergeant Todd Pearce said part of the inquiry would look at whether Mr Jiang was liable under the Arms Act. Police did not encourage people to fight back when firearms were involved. "The victim was threatened with a firearm and sought protection to retrieve the rifle. "If it is found he did not use the appropriate level of force to defend himself it is possible charges could be laid." Mr Jiang is angry that police took 25 minutes to arrive at the scene after being telephoned." [Which shows how much use they are. NZ police are real Keystone Kops. They lay charges against self-defenders but the charges never stick]


Limbaugh runs off the rails: "Rush Limbaugh's new pet project -- fighting animal cruelty for the Humane Society of the United States -- is riling sportsmen from coast to coast, prompting fears that the talkster typically supportive of gun rights is aiding a group they say has a secret agenda to end all hunting in America. Twenty-eight groups representing millions of hunters and sportsmen are demanding that the conservative radio commentator end his collaboration with the HSUS and stop "helping them to mainstream their image in the minds of reasonable people." "Despite a few programs designed to attract support from the general public, HSUS is in fact an organization that opposes hunting, fishing, and trapping," the groups, including Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, wrote in a letter last week to Mr. Limbaugh. "Its leadership has a long and established history of promoting legislation, litigation, and referenda to restrict the rights of American sportsmen and women."


Nutty NY spending $200 a pop to beat handguns into coat hangers: “With three churches participating in the Police Department’s latest gun buyback program in the Bronx, there was plenty of opportunity for the police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, to make biblical references. Dozens of weapons were arrayed on tables in front of Mr. Kelly at a news conference at Police Headquarters when he announced the results of last Saturday’s event, in which 987 weapons were dropped off at the churches in six hours — the largest number of guns turned in since the department started the program last year. Eventually, that sawed-off shotgun, that shiny handgun, that assault weapon could one day be hanging in a closet. The weapons will be melted down into wire clothes hangers, Mr. Kelly said.”

Gun-Offender Registry Proposed in Utica, NY

Utica Mayor David Roefaro today proposed that city residents charged with second- or third-degree criminal possession of a weapon be required to register their home and work addresses with the police department every six months for four years following completion of their punishment.

The proposal would include those convicted of illegal possession of:

* A loaded handgun.

* Three or more illegal handguns.

* A handgun by a convicted felon.

* An assault weapon.

* A disguised firearm.

The information in the registry would not be available to the public because Roefaro is concerned with protecting juveniles convicted of illegal gun possession, said Angelo Roefaro, the mayor's assistant.

“We don't want to ruin their reputation in the community in perpetuity,” Angelo Roefaro said.

Mayor Roefaro wants to call the city ordinance "Lindsey's Law" after a local police officer, Thomas Lindsey, who was killed during a traffic stop in 2007. Oddly, the Oneida County DA, Scott McNamara, said he didn't know whether the proposed law would have helped Lindsey.

I'm of the opinion that a gun-offender registry would NOT have helped Officer Lindsey. When fingers are pulling triggers, it's way past time to do background checks. With that in mind, I would suggest that the proposed gun-offender registry has more to do with politics than crime prevention.

In any event, the proposed ordinance requires approval of the Utica Common Council and it is scheduled to be discussed next month. If enacted, violations will be misdemeanors punishable by a possible one year in jail and $1,000 fine.

Texas: Midlothian man's fatally shot at Arlington house: :A 42-year-old Midlothian man was fatally shot in Friday night by his former father-in-law, Arlington police said. Police said the shooting appeared to be in self-defense, and that they would turn over evidence to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office for a determination. No one has been arrested. Rodney Kennedy was at a home in the 1400 block of Pecan Street when he was shot by his former father-in-law, 67, police said. The shooting happened at 10 p.m. during an altercation, according to reports. The house is near the University of Texas at Arlington."


Florida: Robbery Suspect Dies After Being Shot By Property Owner : "A Polk County man shot at two robbery suspects Tuesday morning when he thought they were going to run him down. One of the suspects was hit in the head and died, and the other is still at large. The incident happened near a citrus grove on Rifle Range Road in the Wahneta area of Winter Haven. Property owner Jamie Jones heard a commotion outside while working inside his shed just before dawn. Jones told detectives a man and woman were driving away in his Land Rover. He said after they saw him, they tried to run him over. Fearing for his life, Jones pulled the trigger. One of the bullets hit 21-year-old Nikki McCormick in the head. While she lay bleeding in the passenger seat, the male suspect fled on foot. McCormick was rushed to the hospital where she later died. Detectives aren't sure if the male suspect was hit. The property owner last saw him limping down a nearby street. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says Jones likely won't face charges, and he offers a warning to other would-be robbers."


Guns are better than restraining orders: “Debi Olson had three restraining orders taken out against her. But that didn’t stop the woman from ambushing ex-husband Mauricio Droguett in an Iowa shopping mall last July, fatally stabbing him in front of shocked mall-goers. Toni Brown of Washington, DC was shot by former girlfriend Raina Johnson on August 12, 2008, leaving the woman paralyzed from her neck down. Johnson is currently serving a 28-year sentence for a crime the judge termed ‘extraordinarily brutal.’ A restraining order had been previously issued against the assailant. Karen Allende of New York City was walking to work on a September day in 2006 when she was attacked suddenly by her husband. She died that morning on the sidewalk, a restraining order folded neatly in her purse. Each year 2-3 million domestic restraining orders are issued for the purpose of curbing domestic violence. Simply put, these orders of “protection” are a hoax foisted on unsuspecting victims, all at taxpayer expense. Restraining orders are a travesty for the simple reason that they don’t work.”


“Speaking truth to empower”: “You really don’t understand, do you? You really don’t know that the states that wanted blacks to be counted as ‘1′ instead of ‘3/5′ were the SLAVEHOLDING STATES. That’s because, with apportionment, it would give them more representation in Congress — more power — all the while holding this NONVOTING population hostage. Those opposed to slavery didn’t want them counted at all for that reason. But then, you don’t understand ‘gun control’ had its roots in racism, either, do you? I notice you never talk about the slave codes that could punish a black man for having a dog because it might attack a white man — or the post-Civil War black codes designed to put firearms beyond the economic means of freed blacks — or a key observation in Dredd Scott, that a black man simply CAN’T be a ‘citizen’ because then he’d have the same rights as whites, including the right to keep and bear arms. Yeah, Chief Justice Taney actually wrote that. You’d know if you took the time to do a little learning before presuming yourself authoritative enough to teach.”

AL: Shooting Under Investigation: "Morgan and Limestone County officials continue to investigate a weekend shooting in Morgan County. It happened at 8:45 Saturday night on Garrett Road in Priceville. According to the Limestone County Sheriff's Department, Tim Garth of Belle Mina shot brothers Ricky and Sam Brown. Ricky Brown was taken to Huntsville Hospital where he was pronounced dead. His brother Sam was shot in the leg. Authorities say the two brothers initially assaulted Garth at his home. Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely says the case has not been ruled as a murder yet, and there may be indication the incident was self-defense. No charges are filed yet. Authorities also say this isn't the first fight between the three. About nine years ago, Ricky Brown was accused of shooting the suspect and his sister."


A rush to bear arms even in Taxachusetts: “In the words of one Berkshire County gun shop owner, ‘gun sales have been through the roof’ in recent months. Indeed, sales of firearms in the United States began to rise in the lead-up to the November 2008 presidential election, including here in Democratic Massachusetts — long viewed as a bastion for liberal [sic], anti-gun politics. And they continued to soar for the first three months of 2009, according to the FBI’s National Criminal Investigative Service, which performs background checks on people seeking to carry firearms.”


Obama pushing treaty to ban reloading : “Even BB guns could be on the chopping block! Remember CANDIDATE Barack Obama? The guy who ‘wasn’t going to take away our guns?’ Well, guess what? Less than 100 days into his administration, he’s never met a gun he didn’t hate. A week ago, Obama went to Mexico, whined about the United States, and bemoaned (before the whole world) the fact that he didn’t have the political power to take away our semi-automatics.”


Guns make colleges safer: “Mass public shootings are a horrific feature of modern life. Many of the bloodiest examples of this scourge have occurred on college campuses. As professors, we are particularly sensitive to this danger. Despite this — no, because of this — we support a bill currently pending in the Texas Legislature that would permit the concealed carrying of firearms on college and university campuses in the state by holders of concealed-handgun permits.”

CA: Weekend shooting may have been self-defense: "Oakland police say a 16-year-old boy arrested after a fatal shooting over the weekend may have been acting in self-defense. The teen was arrested on a transit bus after police say he shot and killed a 20-year-old Oakland man and wounded a second man Saturday evening. Investigators have since determined that the man fatally shot by the teen was armed with a shotgun. They believe the youth thought he himself was going to be shot. The teen has not been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of the man armed with a shotgun, but he was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon for wounding the second man. Investigators say the second man shot by the teen was not armed. The name of the teen has not been released."


TN: Man shot in self-defense, police say: "The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was called to 1211 Lakeside Drive at about 9 p.m. Saturday on reports of a shooting, spokeswoman Janice Atkinson said. On arrival deputies found the victim, Kevin Bailiff, 22, lying on the ground at the edge of the driveway to the residence, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left lower leg, Ms. Atkinson said. Deputies secured the scene and detained the father of the victim, Richard Bailiff, 66, Ms. Atkinson said. Detective Ed Merritt advised that father and son became involved in a verbal argument that escalated to the shooting and at this time appears to be self-defense, Ms. Atkinson said. The victim was transported to Erlanger hospital by Hamilton County EMS".


Ban gun free zones now: "Gun control policies wrought by the likes of liberal Sens. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Schumer (D-N.Y.) amount to "cruel indecency and forced victimization" argues rocker Ted Nugent in an April 20, 2009 column in U.S. News & World Report. With the election of Barack Obama, the 10th anniversary of Columbine, the second anniversary of Virginia Tech, and the media's ongoing fixation on a faulty "90 percent" statistic of U.S. guns seized in Mexican drug crimes, the MSM has found a second wind for the gun control after it was virtually moribund post-9/11. It is indeed Ted Kennedy's gun ban dream of GunFreeZones that have proven to be the guaranteed slaughter zones where the most innocent lives are lost. Think Columbine, VA Tech, Lane Bryant, NW IL University, Luby's Cafeteria, NJ, Salt Lake City, and Omaha malls, Calgary University, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, Flight 93, the mayor's office in San Francisco, ad nauseam. Peace and love will get you killed, and unarmed helplessness is bad. Unless of course your anthem goes baaa..... baaa...... baaa. So why in God's good name would any human being wish to force unarmed helplessness on another? That level of cruel indecency and forced victimization is incomprehensible to me and about 100,000,000 Americans who own guns. Self-defense is the most powerful, driving instinct of good people everywhere. To deny this is evil personified. Write this down—GunFreeZones are a felon's playgrounds. Ban GunFreeZones now".


Oklahoma gun ownership becoming more widespread: "Tina Pierce, community corrections officer at the Payne County Sheriff’s Office, said applications for concealed carry licenses have tripled since January. “I did 66 of them last month, opposed to that 20 I used to do, max,” Pierce said. “That (20) used to be a big month.” Pierce said elderly women, students, nurses and teachers have been applying for concealed weapons licenses at an increasing rate, she said. Ginger, an administrative programs officer for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Self Defense Act licensing unit, said OSBI officials expected an increase in renewals this year but were surprised at the number of initial applicants. “We’ve had a drastic increase in initial applicants that we can’t explain,” she said. “We don’t know what’s causing it — and it’s not just any one particular group — it’s just across the board.”

Idaho: Man shot and killed during alleged break-in: "The FBI and Nez Perce Tribal Police are investigating a fatal shooting at that took place at a grocery store in Stites early Thursday morning. It happened during an apparent attempted break-in. The Idaho County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a 21-year-old Kamiah man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity was being withheld until family was notified. He was one of two men who were reportedly trying to break into the Stites Grocery Store. He was shot and killed during the alleged break-in. The Sheriff's Office says the other suspect ran from the scene. Witnesses say the pair came in through a fan vent in the back of the store. The grocery store owner, who asked to not be identified, said a man was working on an upstairs computer at the store when he heard a noise. She said that's when one of the alleged would-be burglars "came at" the man who then shot the alleged burglar in the leg. She says when the alleged burglar didn't stop, the man fired a second shot into his chest. The Idaho County Sheriff's Dispatch Center said the call came in at 3:24 a.m. from the man who had done the shooting, saying he had shot an intruder in the store. It was unknown if either alleged intruder was armed.


Pennsylvania: Man wrestles gun from intruder in Pittsburg home invasion: "A Pittsburg man fought off two men who broke into his home early Friday morning, wrestled away a shotgun and shot one of the suspects with it as he fled, according to the victim and police. The wounded suspect left the scene but was arrested after being treated at a hospital, said Sgt. Steve Albanese. Police also arrested a second suspect and are still searching for more people connected with the home invasion. The incident happened just after midnight when two men with guns broke down the front door and entered the home on Calistoga Drive. The male homeowner, who declined to be named, said he was awakened and came out of his bedroom to investigate the noise. He said he was confronted by one man with a sawed-off shotgun and a second man with a handgun. He wrestled the shotgun out of the suspect's hand, and the man fell on him, he said. The second suspect then reportedly shot at the victim's wife but did not hit her. The victim, whose stepson was also in the home, said he got up, recovered the shotgun and began shooting in the direction of the suspects. The suspects fled, and the victim fired one round as they ran across a neighbor's driveway, hitting one man in the upper torso, Albanese said."




Mississippi: Son’s 2nd shot kills intruder: "A woman, awakened by the sound of someone removing the screen from her bedroom window, got out of her bed at 1 a.m. Friday, walked to her son’s room and quietly woke him. “She said, ‘Snigg get up,’” the son said in an interview later Friday morning. “I got up, grabbed my gun and went to the corner there by her room,” he said, standing at the door of the apartment, on the bottom floor of the last in a row of Spanish-style buildings in the Granada Apartments on Chicot Road. It was dark in the apartment, but the window was backlit, Snigg said. He heard the window go up and saw a man coming in. “He stuck his hand under and pulled the blinds back, the blinds and the curtain,” he said. “And he eased in like he was attempting to come in. “I fired two shots, then he ran off,” Snigg said. Police say they won’t identify the woman or her son, who offered the nickname Snigg, for fear of retribution. Javorous Darnell Tims [above], 20, ran about 80 feet from the window, fell to the sidewalk and died of a single gunshot wound, police said Friday. Pascagoula police said Snigg and his mother acted appropriately, “taking the actions they felt necessary to protect themselves.” However, because a man died, the case will be presented to a grand jury for review."




Soldiers Forced to Disclose Personal Fireams Data: "In a post yesterday, Mitchell Langbert offers an insightful look at how U.S. Army soldiers are being required to disclose to their superiors all information about their firearms — personally-owned firearms. Best of all, the look comes straight from an infantryman at Fort Campbell, Ky., and even includes a copy of a memo outlining what soldiers at that post must do. Yes, it seems Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s beliefs about military folks being prone to right-wing extremism have spread to the Pentagon and beyond. This news makes me wonder what other information service members soon might be forced to reveal. Perhaps they’ll be required to answer this yes-or-no question: “Are you loyal to Dear Leader Obama?”

Louisiana Gun-Offender Registry Proposed

(Shreveport, Louisiana) Similar to the sex offender registry, a gun-offender registry has been proposed as a city ordinance by Shreveport Police Chief Henry Whitehorn.

The registry would require people convicted of gun-related crimes to register with police to let them know where they are living. Eventually, it could turn into a public online registry with photographs and statistics. The measure would allow residents to find out whether they are living near someone who has been convicted of a gun-related crime, including homicides, aggravated assaults and drive-by shootings.

"As part of our strategy to keeping Shreveport safe, we were searching for solutions to insure gun offenders are taken off the streets and this is one piece that would be a part of a solution," Whitehorn said.

Slippery slope, my friends. I foresee all gun registration schemes as mere precursors to confiscation programs. Nevertheless, gun-offender schemes have been implemented in New York City and Baltimore.

TX: Robbery suspect shot by victim : "Buster Mumphrey Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday and a second suspect who sustained a gunshot wound during the crime remains hospitalized in critical condition. Thursday. The victim said he went outside to get in his vehicle and was attacked by two black men dressed in dark clothing. The two stole his wallet but the resident was able to fire one shot as they ran away and he believed he had possibly struck one of the suspects. About 15 minutes later, officials at Good Shepherd Medical Center called the sheriff 's office regarding a patient with a gunshot wound who had just arrived at the emergency room by private vehicle. Deputies were interviewing the wounded man and the man who drove him to the hospital, and during that time Willeford said the investigators were advised of the Kilgore robbery. Mumphrey was taken to the sheriff 's office and after an interview was charged with the crime. He was arraigned by B.H. Jameson, Gregg County Precinct 1 justice of the peace, and his bond was set at $50,000, Willeford said. The other suspect, whose name had not been released at press time, remains in the hospital in critical condition, though Willeford said he is expected to live. The chief deputy said the Gregg County district attorney's office prepared an affidavit for a search warrant for the suspects' vehicle that was driven to the hospital and deputies recovered the victim's wallet during that search. The victim was roughed up by his attackers but his injuries did not require medical treatment, Willeford said."


Arizona: Female carjacker shot: "A woman who tried to carjack a man at gunpoint outside a North Side Walgreens early Thursday was shot and wounded by the man, police said. The man called police around 12:30 a.m. to report he had just shot one of two women who tried to take his car as he waited in the pharmacy drive-through near East Grant and North Swan roads, said Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman. The 26-year-old man, whose name was not released, had just left Tucson Medical Center and went to fill a prescription. When he drove back to the drugstore to check on his prescription, two women came up to his car. One was armed with a gun. The woman tried to shoot the man, but he pulled his own gun while she was trying to pull the trigger. Her gun didn't fire for an unknown reason. The man fired his gun twice. One shot grazed her head, and the other struck her in the shoulder. The woman fell to the ground, and the man took her gun away."


Florida Man: I Tasered My Wife in Self Defense: "A Florida man says he Tasered his estranged wife during a fight in what he claims was an act of self defense, MyFOXOrlando.com reported. John Palmore, 49, told FOX Orlando affiliate WOFL that he was forced to shoot his wife, 48-year-old Khadeja Palmore, with a stun gun after she became violent and punched him in the nose during an argument about their pending divorce. He said he realized his soon-to-be ex was upset about the split and bought the gun to protect himself against her, according to MyFOXOrlando.com. "If someone's coming at you, you don't want to put your hands on them, but you do want to protect yourself and not hurt them," he said. Khadeja Palmore was arrested and charged with battery in the case, according to the station."


Milwaukee police chief setting stage for confrontation: "Milwaukee, WI Police Chief Ed Flynn is playing with political nitro glycerin, and he doesn’t seem to realize it, or perhaps he simply doesn’t care. Quoted by the La Crosse Tribune, Chief Flynn says he will ignore a finding by State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that peaceable open carry of firearms is legal. Flynn’s directive to officers in his department is “if you see anybody carrying a gun on the streets of Milwaukee, we’ll put them on the ground, take the gun away and then decide whether you have a right to carry it.” The chief displayed a rather cavalier, if not outright arrogant, attitude when he added, “Maybe I’ll end up with a protest of cowboys. In the meantime, I’ve got serious offenders with access to handguns. It’s irresponsible to send a message to them that if they just carry it openly no one can bother them.” Perhaps some higher legal authority might explain to the chief that it is also irresponsible to send a message to the public that a police chief can literally tell the state attorney general to pound sand, he’s going to do it “his way,” and too bad if that violates someone’s civil rights. Already, some people have been arrested for carrying openly, according to my colleague Candace Dainty. Note to Chief Flynn: Wisconsin is still part of the United States, not a police state. This is the kind of attitude that gets people grumbling about “jack-booted thugs.”

Tennessee Man Shoots 2 Dogs Attacking Neighbor's Dogs: "A Brainerd man shot and killed two pit bull dogs attacking a neighbor's pit bull in an incident on Sunday. The case was turned over by Chattanooga Police to the McKamey Animal Trust. McKamey officials have charged the owner of the two dogs, Walter Pitmon, for letting his dogs run at large. Police Officer Brian Blumenberg said he responded to 108 S. Howell Ave. and spoke with Stephen Hooper, who said two pit bulls attacked his pit bull who was chained in the back yard. He said while the attack was going on, his neighbor, James Klassen, came out of his house at 106 S. Howell Ave. with his pistol and shot the attacking dogs an unknown amount of times. Mr. Hooper said after the dogs were shot, they ran off. The dogs were later taken by McKamey officers to an animal clinic on Amnicola Highway. They were later put down. Officer Blumenberg said Mr. Pitmon arrived at the scene and identified himself as the owner of the two dogs. He said he was trying to feed the dogs at his residence at 113 Spring Creek Road when they got out. He said that was about an hour before the attack. He said he went looking for them, then saw a number of officers at the house on South Howell and suspected that it involved the two dogs. A neighbor, Matthew Overby, said he was playing with his four-year-old cousin less than 100 feet from where he heard six or seven shots."




Florida: Homeowner Cleared in Shooting: "Prosecutors have concluded a Lake Wales security guard who shot a man who was breaking into his home was justified in using deadly force. Assistant State Attorney Robert Antonello wrote a letter with his findings about the March 18, nonfatal shooting to the Lake Wales Police Department. In the letter released Thursday, Antonello said William Cornwell, a hospital security guard, was protecting himself and his young children. Cornwell arrived at his Grove Avenue home just before 7 a.m. His wife left for work, and he was alone with his 3 1/2-month-old son and 3 1/2-year-old daughter. A noise awoke him from his sleep and, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, he went to find out what was happening, Antonello wrote. Cornwell came "face-to-face" in the hallway of his home with Michael Collins [above] who swung a crowbar at Cornwell's head. Cornwell chased Collins out the back door and fired two shots, Antonello wrote. Collins ran to his vehicle parked in the house's driveway, Antonello wrote. Cornwell ran back through his house, out the front door, and "instinctively opened fire on the vehicle (at the tires and body) in an attempt to disable it and prevent the intruder from leaving." Collins drove about 200 feet up the road to an orange grove where his vehicle overturned, and he was captured. Lake Wales police say Collins, 45, was struck in the head and left arm by the gunfire, but survived. Collins was flown to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment. He is charged with armed burglary and possession of burglary tools. He remains in the Polk County Jail and is being held without bail on the burglary charge.


GA: More Augustans carrying guns: “Recently two people robbed at gunpoint in Augusta fought back. They both fired shots at the robbers. Both had something else in common, a concealed weapons permit. Court clerks tell NBC Augusta 26 News the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit has nearly tripled this year. ‘It’s scary to know how many people actually have a concealed weapons permit and the places that they can carry them now,’ said Angela Rice, Director of Richmond County Probate Court. Rice says there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of people applying for a concealed weapons permit. … From January of this year to April the court has already issued almost 1,200 requests, and the year isn’t half way over.”


TX: Bandera commissioners uphold right to bear arms: “Historically, Texans hold dear the tenets of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Right to Bear Arms – and Bandera County Commissioners recently proved no exception. On Thursday, April 9, they unanimously approved a resolution opposing the passage of the Firearm Licensing and Record Sale Act of 2009, as well as any similar legislation. As Precinct 1 Commissioner Bruce Eliker noted succinctly, ‘They’re trying to take our guns away.’ According to the resolution, the United States Supreme Court in a landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller, recently struck down a firearms ban in DC. Prior to the court’s decision, District residents were prohibited from possessing firearms.”

Ohio: Clerk Opens Fire On Would-Be Robber: "Two men were hospitalized on Wednesday after they were shot during a hold up at a drive-thru on the city's northeast side, 10TV News reported. The shooting occurred at about 3:30 p.m. at Dani's Drive-Thru, located near the corner of Westerville and Agler roads. Investigators said a man walked inside and tried to rob the clerk, but the clerk produced a gun and opened fire, wounding the man in the legs, 10TV News reported. The man was apprehended about a block away near a home on Cleveland Avenue. The other person wounded in the shooting may have been an innocent bystander, police said. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. No other injuries were reported."


Oregon: Springfield police say fatal shooting was self-defense: "Police say a fatal shooting in Springfield was an act of self-defense. The shooting happened Monday night at a home on the 2300 block of E Street. Investigators say Rodolfo Baldenegro, 47, went to the home looking for his estranged girlfriend. Investigators say the woman had filed a restraining order against him. Police say Baldenegro forced his way into the residence and got into a fight with the woman and another man. Police say the other man shot Baldenegro in self-defense. Baldenegro died at the hospital".


South Carolina: Shootings found to be self-defense: "Spartanburg County deputies determined that a man who shot two people Monday night outside his residence was acting in self-defense and charged the two men on Tuesday. Daniel Scott Byrd, 22, of 115 Keith Street, Greer and Josh Duncan, 24, of 207 Church St., Wellford were each charged with one count of assault and battery. Byrd's stomach was grazed by a bullet and Duncan was struck in the buttocks during a fight Monday night outside a Keith Street residence. Larry James Pruitt Jr., 41, told deputies that a group of people were causing "a bad ruckus" outside his home and he asked them to keep it down. Pruitt said Byrd and Duncan then came into his yard and began choking and assaulting him. Pruitt said he pulled a revolver from his pocket and fired several times, then ran into his home, reloaded his gun and waited for deputies. Multiple people who said they witnessed the incident told deputies Pruitt was truthful about what happened. When the deputy arrived, Duncan and Byrd were still on the ground outside of Pruitt's home."


Guns and the barometer of discontent : “You see it when tens of thousands of citizens turn out to protest in ‘Tea Parties’ across the U.S.; you see it in military personnel compelled to form ‘Oath Keepers,’ outlining orders they will not obey; you see it in a number of states debating sovereignty resolutions, in some cases even calling for secession; you see it in the number of people joining gun rights organizations; and yes, you see it in the number of people buying guns. Simultaneously, just as during the Clinton administration, malcontents have increasingly inflicted mass homicides on the American people. Is it part of the same unrest? If so, what causes it? The economy? Hatred for the Obama administration? … Or something more fundamental and pervasive?”

DC's Gun Right Now Apply To Western States

The landmark Heller decision that permitted DC residents to have guns in limited capacities inside their own homes has now been extended to the Ninth Circuit, which covers most western states. The court found that the Fourteenth Amendment -- which extends most of the protections in the Bill of Rights from the federal to the state level -- also applies to the second Amendment. From Ilya Shapiro on the Cato Institute's blog:

In short, residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington now join D.C. residents in having their Second Amendment rights protected. And courts covering other parts of the country — most immediately the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago — will have their chance to make the same interpretation in due course.

Shapiro highlights a footnote by Ninth Circuit Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, which could have significant implications for the way the Second Amendment it viewed in future rulings.

Some may disagree with the decision of the Founders to enshrine a given right in the Constitution. If so, then the people can amend the document. But such amendments are not for the courts to ordain.

Source




Georgia: Pizza robber shot: "An 18-year-old was shot after investigators say he tried to rob a pizza deliveryman at an empty house. A delivery in Augusta turned into a crime scene Sunday for Papa Johns Driver Tavarius Lewis. When he tried to deliver a pizza to this house on Dent Street Sunday night, investigators say Kevin Martin pulled a BB gun and tried to rob Lewis. "[Lewis] started backing up, reached in his pocket and pulled out a .40 caliber handgun and shot the suspect," said Sgt. Blaise Dresser, of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. Dresser says Lewis shot in self-defense, not realizing Martin's weapon was only a BB gun. Investigators believe this was not Martin's first robbery. The suspect, Martin, is expected to make a full recovery. He is facing charges of armed robbery. The driver, Lewis, is on paid leave from Papa Johns while the sheriff's office investigates. Papa Johns has a policy that says no workers can carry concealed weapons, either on them or in their car."


PA: Gun rights proponents hold rally at Capitol: “Hundreds of gun rights supporters assembled in the state Capitol for a noisy Second Amendment rally that’s become an annual tradition. The Tuesday rally focused on constitutional protections for gun ownership in the state and national constitutions and what several speakers described as threats to those rights. The crowd booed heartily at the mention of a proposal backed by Gov. Ed Rendell to limit handgun purchases to one per month. National Rifle Association president John Sigler is warning that ‘the enemies of freedom are not giving up’ and that too few gun owners understand that their rights are at risk.”


WI: Carrying firearm not grounds for disorderly conduct: “Wisconsin citizens are legally allowed to carry firearms openly, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a memo to the state’s district attorneys Monday… according to Van Hollen, there is nothing in state law regarding citizens who openly carry weapons.’The Department (of Justice) believes that mere open carry of a firearm — absent additional facts and circumstances — should not result in a disorderly conduct charge,’ Van Hollen wrote. …Van Hollen did say, however, that the police may stop and question citizens who openly carry weapons if the officer has ‘reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts of criminal activity,’ based on the individual circumstance.”

AZ Governor: New Gun Laws Won't Secure Border

(Washington) In statements yesterday to a Congressional committee, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said that new gun laws won't solve border problems.

Brewer, testifying before a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, said a focus on new gun laws ignores the underlying problem: the failure of the federal government to secure the border. She said the problems of violence will go away once the government does its job.

The governor said the record to date has been that Washington has been unwilling to commit the necessary funds and personnel. She noted her own request for more National Guard soldiers along the border has been rebuffed.

"If we get the resources, if we get the support and the federal government does what they're supposed to be doing according to our Constitution, those problems will halt.''

And that, Brewer said, includes border violence.

"Stopping the flow of guns into Mexico won't stop Mexican cartels from obtaining guns elsewhere,'' she said. The governor said the evidence shows "other countries have large factories that are making guns.''

She repeated her opposition to new gun control laws after the hearing.

Once again, everything stems from inadequate border security and, according to Gov. Brewer, any discussion of gun control is simply a distraction.

Tennessee man uses gun to end road rage incident: "A Kingsport man used his concealed handgun to protect himself during an alleged road rage incident on Sunday. According to Kingsport Police, the incident occurred about 1:58 a.m. on Harris Avenue. Michael Salyer told police he was headed home when a yellow Ford Probe in front of him started weaving from left to right. The driver, later identified as Jonathan Lee Adams, 28, 1630 Spruce St., stopped in the middle of the road, jumped out and started screaming at him, Salyer said. When Adams tried to get in his car, Salyer said, that's when he pulled out his handgun and ordered him to stop. Adams' passenger, later identified by police as his girlfriend Laura Kathleen Cain, 42, same address, then yelled at Adams, and he ran back toward the Probe and the pair drove off, Salyer said. Police later found the Probe at the couple's home. The pair initially denied having the car out, saying they'd been home since 7 p.m. Adams eventually admitted being involved in an argument with Salyer on Harris Avenue. Adams and Cain were both arrested and charged with false report."


SC: Armed hero saves 4 lives during home invasion robbery: “There’s nothing like a justifiable homicide to bring out the bigotry resting in the heart of Old Media reporters. Last week, Demario Brown, on the run from police, held up two women at gunpoint and forced them into the house they were visiting, and then held two additional victims at gunpoint while demanding money he claimed was stolen from him. … one of the victims … fought back with his own gun. In the exchange of fire, Mr. Brown was fatally wounded, ran out of the house and collapsed a short distance away. Even though one article’s title was accurately stated as ‘Robbery suspect shot dead by intended victim,’ North Charleston’s Live 5 News still chose the ‘concerned neighbor’ gambit to condemn the shooting.”


CA: Victim disarmament laws could get tighter: “On the tenth anniversary of the deadly high school shootings in Columbine, Colo., California lawmakers announced new efforts to keep guns and ammunition away from people who are barred from possessing those items. Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, is backing a bill to require people who sell handgun ammunition to be licensed. It would also require sellers to conduct business face-to-face, bar Internet or mail order sales and require a thumbprint and other identifying information of people who buy ammunition.”


The lesson of Columbine examined: “On another anniversary of Columbine, we might look at various other experiences for perspective and see whether anything was learned at all. In this Examiner’s surmise, the deaths of students are unnecessary, avoidable, and politically motivated. Politically motivated? How? By indolence and by stubbornness, pure stubbornness. Perhaps tortious interference. Perhaps worse.”

Louisiana: Fatal shooting was self defense: "Authorities say they believe a 49-year-old woman shot and killed her 26-year-old boyfriend in self defense Sunday morning in Denham Springs. Mark Lockwood was dead at his girlfriend's home when deputies arrived and a spokesman for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office says Suzanne White told them Lockwood had put a knife to her throat and demanded that she tell him the location of the gun used in the shooting. She told authorities she convinced him to remove the knife from her throat, but he was still holding it when she reached the gun and shot him. Investigators believe White shot Lockwood in self defense and Jason Ard, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, said no charges have been filed."


Georgia: Restaurant Manager Shoots at Would-Be Robber: "The manager of a popular restaurant exchanged gun fire with a man trying to rob his store, Atlanta police said. Authorities said a masked gunman grabbed an employee taking out the trash at the Taco Mac at 1006 North Highland Ave. around 3 a.m Sunday. The gunman was planning on robbing the place when the store's manager grabbed a gun and starting shooting at the robber. He fired back and managed to escape. Police don't know if the suspect was shot. They are looking at surveillance tape to determine his identity. No injuries were reported inside the restaurant."


Gun show loophole: “I have mentioned before that I believe that the front on which the gun prohibitionists have the greatest chance of success (at the federal level) is closure of the mythical ‘gun show loophole.’Such a measure is not their first choice–they have made very clear that banning so-called ‘assault weapons’ is what they really want (the ‘jewel in the Obama crown,’ as my colleague David Codrea called it). The gun haters seem to be coming to grips, though, with the realization that for the time being, at least, support for such a radical measure just isn’t there.”


A peek into a liberal’s strange mind: “My sister, who lives in a large east coast city, is a dyed in the wool liberal … What makes her wonderful is that she is very intelligent and widely read, and is willing to hold forth on long conversations regarding difficult topics. … I put a question to her that I thought would crystallize our differences and it did. My question: Would you kill to avoid being killed? That is the acid test. If you answer no, then all that you profess makes sense for you. … Her answer: ‘I think that most any creature, if faced with a life and death situation, would instinctively try to save itself. This is instinct, not reason. That is why I would never carry a gun. This way I don’t have to make horrible choices.’”

Georgia: Robber gets surprise when pharmacist opens fire: "It was a robbery with a big surprise for the robber. A gunman walked into a CVS drugstore expecting to hold up the place. What he didn't expect was to find a pharmacist who had a gun and was not afraid to use it. The shooting happened just after midnight at the CVS on Walton Way and 15th Street. Investigators say this isn't the first time CVS has been robbed, but this time was different. A pharmacist fired at the suspect, protecting himself and the store. The surveillance pictures tell the story. In a matter of seconds a masked robber wearing black enters this CVS Pharmacy and starts demanding money. Clenching a pistol, the robber gives the cashier a bag to fill and then heads towards the back. "The suspect then asked about the register in the pharmacy and began heading back to the pharmacy," says Richmond County Sheriff's Sergeant Ken Rogers. But Investigators say the overnight pharmacist, Michael Swindle, heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and made his way out into the store. "The pharmacist overheard the conversation and realized the store was being robbed and he then grabbed his own 9mm weapon from his bag as he stated and confronted the suspect in one of the aisles," says Sgt. Rogers. "When he confronted the suspect the suspect raised his weapon at the pharmacist at which time the pharmacist fired at least three shots at the suspect which caused him to then flee the scene," says Sgt. Rogers. The robber runs out of the store and Swindle follows after him, still carrying his gun. No one was hit or injured but Investigators say the gunfire was perfectly legal."


Colorado Homeowner Fends off Alleged Armed Burglar With Gun Shot: "A suspected burglar is under arrest Saturday morning after police say the homeowner took security into their own hands. Colorado Springs police say they were called to 3295 West Woodmen Road on a report that a person armed with a knife had just broken into the caller's home. The caller told police they had used their gun to fire a shot at the armed suspect and the suspect had run away. Police and K-9 units found the suspect in the woods with non-life threatening wound to his lower leg. He was transported to Memorial Hospital and arrested after he was released. The suspect, Ricky Hatcher, was booked into the Criminal Justice Center for Felony Menacing. Police say the homeowner and Hatcher may have known each other. Police say the homeowner is not facing charges pending further review by the District Attorneys office".


OR: Lawmakers back closing of handgun records: “A bill to limit public release of information about concealed handgun permit holders is headed for a vote in the Oregon House. The measure endorsed Wednesday by a House committee was sought by Oregon sheriffs who want to prevent newspapers and others from getting lists of people with concealed handgun permits. The sheriffs and gun rights groups say that releasing the information would jeopardize permit holders’ personal security. Open government advocates have argued that the concealed handgun permits have always been an open record and that there’s no compelling reason to make them off limits to the public.”


TN: Senate OKs bill to allow guns where alcohol served : “People with handgun carry permits would be able to bring their weapons into Tennessee establishments that serve alcohol under a proposal that passed the Senate on Thursday despite oppositon from those who called the proposal unsafe. The measure sponsored by Sen. Doug Jackson, a Dickson Democrat, was approved 26-7. However, it doesn’t contain two amendments that were included in the companion bill that passed the House earlier this month. One provision would create a curfew for handguns being carried between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the other would ban handguns at any establishment that enforces age restrictions. However, the Senate bill allows establishment owners to post signs prohibiting handguns, and it also maintains current rules that prohibit alcohol consumption by anyone carrying a firearm. The two chambers must now work out their differences before the legislation heads to the governor for his consideration.”

Nebraska: 80 Year Old Store Owner Takes Gun From Would Be Robber: "Talk about turning the tables. A robber walked into Sugar Hill Package Liquor near 56th and Ames Wednesday morning, probably thinking Floyd Westbrook was an easy target. He's an elderly man working in the store by himself at one in the morning. But the robber was wrong. He's the one who ran away... afraid. At closing time Wednesday, Floyd wasn't tired for his one last customer. He recalls, "The guy comes in and says 'this is stick up, gimme your money'." A man wearing a ski mask and black gloves pulled out a gun. He wanted Floyd's hard earned cash. Floyd wanted the gun out of the robber's hands. "He had that gun sticking out right on me when I handed him the ones, I grabbed the gun. He got too close to me, " Floyd says. You don't want to mess with Floyd. First of all, he doesn't look 80. This man stands 6'4" and weighs 230 and his own weapon.. large, strong hands. Floyd says, "When I was a young man, I could break any man's hands. I was strong in my hand." The fast, handy move surprised and scared the robber. Floyd says, "He run yelling, 'don't shoot! Don't shoot!' and flew out that door". The robber still ran off with $19. Floyd got the gun off the streets and wasn't hurt. He says when police arrived, they checked the chamber, the gun was loaded."


New Hampshire woman chases off druggie: "When Christopher Duhan kicked open the back door of a Seabrook residence to commit a Monday afternoon burglary, he was met by the lady of the house who chased him off with her handgun, according to police. Duhan, 28, of 147 Ashworth Ave., Hampton Beach, was arraigned Tuesday in Portsmouth District Court on a felony count of burglary. According to an affidavit by officer Scott Mendes, Seabrook patrol officers were dispatched to a B Street residence at 12:30 p.m. Monday, for an "active" daytime burglary. The homeowner told police she was about to take a shower when she heard "loud crashing," so she grabbed her pistol and came face-to-face with the intruder, who she recognized as Duhan, a drug-dependent friend of a family member, according to court documents. Gun in hand, the homeowner told Duhan she was calling the police before he fled across Route 1, police allege. Based on a clothing and vehicle description, Seabrook police arrested Duhan at a Hampton hotel where he has been residing, according to the affidavit."


California: Homeowner Opens Fire On Thieves: "Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies said they responded to the scene of a home invasion where the home owner opened fire on the thieves. Deputies said a man reported four men kicked in the door at an apartment on Ethan Way near Arden Fair Mall. The homeowner grabbed a shotgun and fired at them. All four men fled the scene. Deputies said they blocked off one section of that neighborhood while they searched for the burglars."


Strange logic: blaming drug violence on guns: Obama indicated that while he favors reinstating the U.S. ban on assault weapons, which Congress allowed to expire five years ago, the move would face too much political opposition to happen soon. He said better enforcing existing laws to prevent arms smuggling would have a more immediate effect on keeping U.S. weapons from Mexican cartels.”

Florida: Woman Shot In Home Shoots Suspect: "A Palm City woman was shot Thursday morning during a home invasion, but she was also able to shoot the suspect, who fled and was apprehended a short time later, neighbors and authorities said. The incident occurred at a home in the 1500 block of Southwest Crossings Circle shortly before 9 a.m. Neighbors said they heard a loud noise and came outside to find Linda Schultz, who turned 47 earlier this month, bleeding from a gunshot wound. She was airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center, but her condition was not immediately available. According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Christopher Reber was arrested in connection with the crime. Deputies located him in a room at the Suburban Lodge in Stuart after one of his family members told them where he was shortly after 10 a.m. Reber, 23, suffered a gunshot wound and was also airlifted to St. Mary's Medical Center. Neighbors said Schultz came running out of her home carrying the suspect's gun. "She was trying to describe to the police what had happened and what the gentleman looked like, what he was driving and that she had shot him," neighbor Linda Smyth told WPBF News 25. "She knew she shot him."




Florida: Wife shoots garbage husband: "According to the report, Winter Haven police responded around 4 a.m. Tuesday to a reported shooting at 1121 Seventh St., S.W., the home of Troy and Dawn Christoff. When they arrived, police discovered that Troy Christoff [pic above] had been shot multiple times with a 9mm handgun. The shooter was identified as his wife, 35-year-old Dawn Christoff. Witness statements and an examination of physical evidence indicate that Troy Christoff intended to shoot several members of his family who lived with him, according to the police report. Prior to the shooting, he had armed himself with a handgun and begun to load the weapon, stating which member of his family each bullet was intended for. When the handgun was loaded, Troy Christoff raised the weapon and pointed it at his wife, according to the report. The wife, who had armed herself with another handgun to protect herself and other family members, fired multiple shots at her husband, striking him several times...According to Polk County Jail records, Troy Christoff has been arrested on four previous occasions going back to July 2004. Past charges included battery, disorderly intoxication, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis, driving under the influence and violation of parole."




Oklahoma: Tulsa Homeowner Shoots At Burglary Suspect: "In broad daylight, two men parked their car and knocked on the door to make sure no one was home. They peered around into the backyard and watched for neighbors. But the homeowner was home, watching through the windows. And when his door was kicked in, he did what he is trained to do as a reserve officer. "He was about halfway through the part he had kicked in, crawling," John said. "And I was on the phone with dispatch. I was talking to 911 until he began crawling into my home. Then I just dropped the phone, and that's when I started shooting." John fired six shots. His bullets made contact with the getaway car, smashing the window. Police later found and arrested 20-year-old Justin Boyd [pic above]on complaints of first-degree burglary, false impersonation and hit and run, all after a previous felony conviction, in addition to two previous charges. After police arrived on scene, they used a search dog and a helicopter to try to find the second suspect, but he got away.


Texas: Young woman shoots, kills ambitious oldster: "A 26-year-old woman fatally shot a man who lived in her Red Bird apartment complex and broke into her unit Tuesday night, Dallas police said. Two women were inside their apartment in the 8000 block of Leigh Ann Drive, which is just north of Danieldale Park and Interstate 20, when the 55-year-old man knocked on the door about 11 p.m, police said. One of the women called police as the man tried to get inside, and the other woman shot him as he entered, causing him to stumble out the door and collapse in the grass, police said."

MD: Family nabs gunman in home invasion: "Jacqueline Frisby was hanging out at her neighbor's home last week when two masked men charged into the living room, guns drawn and demanding "the money and the drugs." "We kept saying there's no money, nobody here does drugs," a still shaken Frisby said. "I thought they were playing a joke until the guy with the (handgun) stuck the gun to our heads and threatened to kill us right there." Risking their lives, the two men living in the home wrestled with the gunmen and won a brawl that eventually included a baseball bat and shots fired. One robber fled but the other was pinned to the floor until police arrived. "All I have to say is thank you Glen Burnie (High School) wrestling. It saved me for real," said the younger man, who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation. The home invasion was the second in Glen Burnie on April 8, and the 14th time in the last seven months that county police have said robbers burst into homes and apartments across Glen Burnie and Severn".


MO House clears students' right to carry on campus: "A move to allow concealed weapons on college campuses is dividing administrators and their students. The State House is on its way to approving an amendment to allow college students to carry guns, with a conceal and carry permit. But school administrators say it would make their campuses less safe. If a deranged shooter was able to make way into a campus building, the idea is that students themselves -- and not campus police -- could be the first line of defense. "It can make those campuses safer because there's a possibility that a student can help assist in taking care of the issue before more people are killed or hurt," said student Nathan Starmer, a college Republican who supports the change. Starmer said the ban ignores reality, because anyone who wants a weapon, will carry one. "I think campus officials would be surprised at the amount of students who have weapons and who keep them, don't show them," Starmer said."


Armed America: Behind a broadening run on guns: “What do an elderly Oklahoma homeowner, a Virginia Citizen Militia member, and a Texas airline pilot all have in common these days? They’re all part of America’s massive gun-and-ammunition buying spree — a national arming-up effort that began before last year’s election of President Obama and continues unabated … it has led to shortages of assault-style weapons, rising prices, and a broadening of gun culture to increasingly include older Americans, women and — gasp — liberals …The causes are varied — from fears over crime, both rational and irrational, to the concern that 2nd Amendment rights will be curtailed … it presents a snapshot of a country that has historically turned to powder and balls in times of turmoil.”


ABC’s anti-gun bias revealed in 20/20 anti-gun hit piece: “New information has surfaced about the depth of bias that surfaced on ABC’s 20/20 hit piece that aired Friday, April 10 with Diane Sawyer as the host.The [NSSF] revealed Monday that it had been ‘asked numerous times by 20/20 Senior Producer Muriel Pearson to participate in the story, but understanding the piece was a set-up, we refused.’ NSSF is a firearms industry umbrella group that offers education about firearms safety and programs including ‘Don’t Lie for the Other Guy,’ aimed at helping the industry deter illegal straw purchases. Its biggest annual effort is the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show, a huge exhibition of new products in the shooting, hunting and law enforcement fields.”

Canada: Shot prompts thieves to make their exit: "A jewellery store robbery in downtown Vancouver went wrong for the thieves yesterday when a store employee pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot. The three men ran outside and sped away in a silver car. They left behind some smashed cases at the store on Robson Street but it's not clear if any jewellery was taken. No one was hurt."


CA: Two shot in struggle for gun: "Deputies responding to the 10:30 a.m. shooting call found a male with a gunshot wound lying in the front yard, just a few feet from the weapon that deputies believe was used against him. The man, shooting victim Ben Daisy, was airlifted at 10:55 a.m. to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment. Suspect Justin King also was transported to the Palm Springs hospital. According to Porter, King went to Daisy’s house with a 9 mm handgun and the intent of robbing him. Porter said King let himself into Daisy’s house, where a struggle ensued. The gun fired once, injuring King in the right leg and Daisy in the upper abdomen/lower chest area. At this point a third person, known only as Josh, joined the struggle. The gun was dropped inside the house, picked up and then dropped outside the house. King ran south from the house, chased by Josh with a shovel. Josh caught up with King on Lupine Road just south of Siesta, where he struck the young man in the upper body and head with the shovel, subduing the man until deputies arrived on the scene. King had not been arrested by Tuesday afternoon because he was still being treated at Desert Regional, the sergeant said. Porter does expect deputies to arrest the man, who could be facing charges of residential robbery and attempted murder."


The university of the totally disarmed: “Many universities ban firearms, but some research I’ve been doing reveals that some universities ban firearms and stun guns and chemical defensive sprays, either in dorm rooms or in the university as a whole. This basically leaves students entirely without any defensive weapons, and also has the effect of disarming dorm residents when they go off campus property, since they have no place to store the defensive weapons when they’re back on campus.”


Breaking down 60 Minutes’ anti-gun bias: “ABC’s 20/20 did a hit piece on the Second Amendment and armed citizens on Friday night. The show responded to the growing sentiment that ‘if I only had a gun,’ maybe an armed citizen could make a difference in a spree shooting such as the incidents at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. In reality, it ought to be called ‘if I had ONLY a gun.’ Picking people without concealed carry permits to represent the armed citizen and rigging the scenario to ensure that they don’t defeat your narrative is propaganda, not journalism.”

Virginia: Intruder shot: "Armed with a double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun, the resident of a Botetourt County home fatally shot an intruder Friday night, authorities said. A family living in the home heard someone yelling, cursing and pounding on their house about 10:40 p.m., according to a release Saturday from Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle. A man living there called 911 and secured his family members in a locked bedroom, then loaded the shotgun. The intruder used a wrought iron patio chair to break a glass sliding door and come into the house, and the male resident shot him. "From what I'm told, he showed some restraint," Botetourt County Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom said about the shooter. "But it got to the point where he didn't have much of a choice." The house is in a heavily wooded neighborhood at Houston Mines Road and Salt Pond Road in the Nace area of the county. The home is owned by Jody and Gina Hoover, according to county records. The sheriff's office, however, is not identifying the resident because the incident still is being investigated. Branscom said he believed five people were in the home at the time of the shooting, including two children.... Deputies arrived as the shots were fired, Sprinkle said. The wounded man was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been clearly established, Sprinkle said."


Louisiana man shoots Pit Bulls: "A 26-year-old man shot three Pit Bulls who were allegedly attacking his dog, killing two, Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of Pritchard Drive. According to Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Fortunato, the man said that his girlfriend alerted him to the fact that their dog was being attacked by other dogs and he went into his rear yard and found three Pit Bulls mauling his pet. Fortunato said the suspect told officers that he tried to chase the dogs away, but when that didn’t work, he shot his gun at them, killing two of the dogs and causing the other one to flee. The resident retrieved his injured Terrier and transported it to a local veterinarian for treatment. No charges were filed against the resident involved."


Obama gets gun-shy : “Running for president in last year’s Democratic primaries, Barack Obama promised to restore a federal ban on certain semiautomatic assault guns — a position that’s still on the White House Web site. … But Obama and top White House aides have all but abandoned the issue. Emanuel helped orchestrate passage of the original assault-weapons ban when he worked in the Clinton White House. Now he and other White House strategists have decided they can’t afford to tangle with the National Rifle Association at a time when they’re pushing other priorities, like economic renewal and health-care reform, say congressional officials who have raised the matter. (According to his office, Emanuel couldn’t be reached for comment because he was observing the Passover holiday.) A White House official, who asked not to be identified discussing internal strategy, says, ‘There isn’t support in Congress for such a ban at this time.’”


Damned if you do: “From time to time, various publications and organizations offer online opinion surveys concerning the Second Amendment and the unalienable individual, civil, Constitutional, and human right of every man, woman, and responsible child to obtain, own, and carry, openly or concealed, any weapon — rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything — any time, any place, without asking anyone’s permission. Usually, these polls take the form of a heavily-loaded question like: ‘Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to bear arms?’ Herein lies a trap … If you answer ‘yes,’ as might be expected of a supporter of the Second Amendment, then you’ve agreed that the right to own and carry weapons derives from the Constitution. You have converted a right into a government-granted privilege, which can be taken away from you any time the enemies of liberty wish to to so and have the power to get it done, if only by repealing the amendment in question. All of your rights are inherent in your existence as a human being. Never forget that.”

The gun scene in Germany today

In a low-ceilinged room in west Berlin, a gunman steadies himself, aims and fires. The noise is startling even through sizeable ear protectors, but he doesn’t flinch before pulling the trigger again. Despite the Magnum revolver he looks like an off-duty lawyer, which he is, down to his shiny brown brogues.

Next to him, firing a similar weapon at the cardboard targets 25 metres away, is a ginger-bearded mechanic in a baseball cap. It is practice night at Kleinkaliberschützen Berlin (Small Calibre Shooting Club Berlin, or KKS), and an eclectic handful of men — the one woman present doesn’t appear to move out of the common room — have come to take part in one their country’s favourite pursuits. To British ears, guns plus Germany means wartime armies or dramatic shooting sprees, particularly in the wake of last month’s school massacre and this week’s bloody gun attack in a Bavarian courthouse. But guns are part of the national culture, and their appeal stems from the centuries-old hunting, sporting and back-to-nature traditions of German life rather than the more recent penchant for militarism.

There are more than 15,000 gun clubs in Germany with around 1.5 million members, not to mention the legions of hobby hunters. There are roughly 10 million legally-held guns and perhaps double that in unregistered weapons, making it the fourth-largest civilian firearm-holding nation in the world behind the US, India and China, according to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey. Every summer Schuetzenfest, or shooting festivals, take place in towns and villages across the country and in some places are the centrepiece of the civic calendar. But guns are now, in the wake of recent events, under scrutiny.

The lawyer, who requested that only his first name Roman is used, gives a thumbs-down to indicate that he is not happy with his performance.

Others have been similarly displeased about the backlash that gun clubs have faced since Tim Kretschmer, who learned to shoot with his father at such an institution, opened fire at his former school in Winnenden in March and claimed 16 lives including his own. An open letter from the victims’ parents helped reopen an emotional national debate about gun laws. After a registered gun club member killed his sister-in-law and himself during a row in a courthouse in Bavaria on Tuesday, the state premier offered his own pledge to re-examine the rules. A day later, another 59-year-old Bavarian man shot his ex-wife dead before turning the gun on himself.

Members of KKS do not think that the gun ownership laws, which they argue are very strict already, are to blame. Thomas, a ponytailed bank worker who started shooting with his policeman father at the age of eight, said: "You cannot stop this by forbidding legal weapons. It’s the same when young men die in cars at fast speeds. It’s not the car, it’s the person who can’t drive it."

Here they do everything by the book. Roman has his own air pistol, which he brought to the club in a padlocked case, but having joined in summer 2007 he has not yet fulfilled the stipulated 18 visits to the club that form one of several preconditions to buying his own Magnum, and so he must use one held at the clubhouse.

However, Wolfgang Nietsch, the club’s 74-year-old chairman, is sceptical that the rules are always adequately enforced by the state authorities.

"It is the law that you have to keep your guns in a locked cabinet but the police don’t have enough time or manpower to make sure," the retired pipe-layer and owner of 15 guns said. "One policeman said to me that they know 90 per cent of the cabinets are not adequate." Mr Nietsch has been attending gun clubs since 1968, when a damaged ear drum put an end to his competitive swimming. His daughter, now middle-aged, was a champion shooter as a teenager, and he is worried that not enough young people are taking up the hobby. The minimum age for membership of KKS is 12 — Mr Nietsch thinks that children should begin shooting even younger than that with the right supervision and training — but there are no juveniles among the club’s 80 members and relatively few young adults.

Roman, who at 36 is one of them, thinks that the more traditional aspects of some clubs are putting younger people off. "I like this club because you can concentrate on shooting," he said. "It is a sport. People train regularly and the club’s teams do well in competitions." The costumes, bands and marching associated with Schuetzenfest life "are not attractive to younger people," he said.

Nevertheless, gun clubs and shooting remain immensely popular. The Marksmen’s Association is the fourth biggest sporting organisation in Germany and, particularly in a general election year, few politicians are likely to risk alienating its members.

After a school shooting in Erfurt in 2002 left 17 dead, Germany tightened its laws and raised the minimum age for gun ownership to 21. In the wake of Winnenden, Angela Merkel called for a relatively modest change — spot checks to make sure weapons were being stored correctly — but a month later things have already gone quiet. Mr Nietsch has his own thought on what the reason for that is: "The law won’t change because 60 per cent of MPs are hunters." Thomas, the bank worker, seems confident that the gun club’s place in German life will long outlive the turbulent aftermath of the recent shootings. Such tragedies are "not good for the discussion," he said, "but the next issue will come along soon."

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CA: Man shot, in custody after robbery: "One man was shot and three others remain on the run after a victim in a home invasion robbery fired a gun at their fleeing car. According to the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a residence on the 1400 block of Harden Drive in McKinleyville early Sunday afternoon after receiving a report of a home invasion robbery. At about 12:25 p.m., sheriff's deputies responded after residents of the home called 911. The three occupants reported they heard a knock at the door, and upon answering the door, three black males, all adults, shoved their way into the house, the sheriff's office reported. The three suspects allegedly stole marijuana from the victims and fled the house, authorities said. As they attempted to drive away, one of the victims fired a weapon toward the vehicle. An additional witness reported seeing a total of four suspects in the fleeing vehicle. A short time later, a local hospital reported they were treating a man for gunshot wounds. Witnesses at the hospital reported seeing three men flee from the car after dropping off the injured man at the hospital, the sheriff's office reported. The men were seen running into a field near Pacific Union Elementary School."


SC: Robbery suspect killed at AA meeting place: "A robber who walked into the Columbia downtown Alcoholics Anonymous center, pulled out a gun and demanded money was killed in a burst of gunfire from an AA visitor’s gun, police said. “Gimme what you got,” witnesses quoted the robber as saying when he entered the AA building at 2015 College St. in Five Points about 10:48 p.m. Saturday. They said he brandished a .25-caliber handgun. At that point, as one AA visitor dropped something on the floor — possibly his wallet — another AA visitor pulled out his own pistol and shot the robber “multiple times,” police said. Kayson Helms, 18, of Edison, N.J., was pronounced dead at Palmetto Health Richland at 11:24 p.m. Saturday. The AA visitor who fired his weapon and killed the suspect had a concealed weapons permit, police said."


Piracy: The Free Market Solutions: "What did the captain and crew of the Maersk Alabama have in common with the victims of the Binghamton murders? Both were unarmed and defenseless against evil. In the Binghamton case, this probably had to do with the fact that government offices, such as immigration services centers, tend to be no-gun zones. In the case of the commercial ship, the reasons are more complex... If the Maersk Alabama had been armed, there are ports in the world that would not have allowed it to dock. Its mere presence would constitute a security risk.... For a fee, private firms who specialize in protective services, will protect your ship. Depending on the policy you purchase, they may put armed guards on your ship or, if for any number of reasons you don't want to do that, you can take out a fancier and more expensive policy and they will escort you with a convoy of armed boats through pirate infested waters. The latter sort of policy would solve the unable-to-dock problem. You can rendezvous with your guard boats at a pre-arranged point and part with them after passing through the dangerous waters, at which point their check will presumably be in the mail."

Colorado intruder shot: "A man armed with a box cutter pushed his way into an Aurora home early Friday morning and attacked a male guest who was sleeping on the couch before the intruder was shot to death by the man who lived there, police said. The alleged attacker, who has not been identified, knocked on the back door of a single-family house at 1672 Jamaica St. around 3 a.m. The man who lived in the house went to the door but was pushed aside by the intruder, police said. After a brief scuffle, the intruder went into the living room where Frank J. Sanchez, 18, was sleeping. The intruder began attacking Sanchez, who woke up and started fighting back, Detective Shannon Lucy said. Meanwhile, the resident went into his bedroom, pulled out a pistol and shot the intruder dead, according to police. "We don't consider this a random burglary or robbery," Lucy said Friday afternoon. She didn't identify the resident of the house, who is not considered a suspect in a crime and was not taken into custody, she said. Sanchez, wanted on an outstanding burglary warrant in Kansas City, Kan., was arrested."


FL: State won't charge man who shot, killed crazy wife: "The State Attorney's Office won't charge a Pensacola man who shot and killed his estranged wife at his home. Rick Crider, 52, killed Reba Crider, 49, on Jan. 25 inside the home in the 10300 block of Aileron Avenue, off West U.S. 98. "My wife just took a shot at me," Crider told a 911 dispatcher. "I killed her." In a report released Thursday, Assistant State Attorney David Rimmer concluded that Reba Crider, who was outside, fired a single shot through a kitchen window in her husband's direction. He returned five shots in self-defense, using a gun he kept atop his refrigerator, according to Rimmer. She was struck in her chest, right hand and right arm. The report describes a couple whose tumultuous marriage was near an end. It said Rick Crider had invited his wife to his home the night of her death to divide their belongings. Rimmer said there was no evidence Rick Crider invited his wife to his home with the intent to harm her. Reba Crider's daughter, Tamara Andrews, 28, said Rick was her mother's fifth husband, and she had been married to him for about seven years. A week before the shooting, Rick Crider went to Thompson's house, said his wife was bipolar and described "how horrible she was," according to the report.


MD: Family thwarts armed robbery attempt: "A Glen Burnie family tackled an armed man who broke into their apartment, grabbed his handgun and held him down until officers arrived late Wednesday, Anne Arundel County police said. Shortly before midnight, two men burst into an apartment in the first block of Normandy Drive, brandished a shotgun, fired a handgun and tried to take property from one of the residents of the apartment, police said. The residents, described as a couple in their 40s and their 20-year-old son, fought one of the suspects to the ground and took his weapon away while the other man ran away, police said. When police arrived, they arrested Joshua Edward Frazier, 26, of the 300 block of Melvin Ave. in Grasonville and charged him with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary, armed robbery and related offenses. Police were unable to find the second assailant, who was described as a light-skinned black man between the ages of 20 and 27 with acne, wearing a faded red hoodie, black jeans, a red bandanna on his face and a black winter vest."


SD: Man Shot while breaking in: "Police say a man was shot and killed Thursday morning in Brookings when he tried to break into a home. According to police, 23-year-old Bradley Joe Odens died at the Brookings hospital after being shot inside the home of a 28-year-old man shortly before 2 a.m. Police Captain Jeff Miller says Odens may have been confused as to where he was and continued to force his way into the home after being warned by the resident. Miller says Odens broke a window in a door as he was trying to get in. He says one shot was fired, hitting Odens in the chest. Miller says the two men lived two houses apart but did not know each other. No arrests have been made, and an investigation continues. Miller says it's too soon to determine if it was a justifiable shooting but that it doesn't appear that foul play was involved."

Washington man kills fake cop: "Josh Ray always sleeps with a gun next to him. Early Monday morning, he felt he had to use it to defend himself. The 25-year-old Wenatchee man says he was just falling asleep on his living room couch when "my door flew open and there was a man standing there in the doorway and he said, 'Freeze, police.' " Ray, who says he is an avid viewer of the television reality show "Cops," was not buying it. "I kind of got real scared and I jumped in the air and put my hands up but it took me only a couple of seconds to know that this guy's not a cop," Ray said. "I know from watching that show that if police are coming to someone's house, they announce themselves before they boot the door open, not afterwards." The next few seconds would culminate in the wounding of Ray, the death of the man at the door, Scott D. Bates, and possibly the solving of three armed robberies at Wenatchee area pharmacies. Wenatchee police say they suspect that Bates was involved with those robberies, one of which was committed with an accomplice. Wenatchee police cannot confirm what happened inside the residence before they were called. Ray said he had a pistol on the coffee table next to the couch, but when he jumped up, the movement put him closer to a semi-automatic rifle, which he grabbed. At that point, he said, Bates shouted, " 'Freeze' at least two more times and I pretty much said BS. Those were the only words I ever said to that man." Ray said Bates then shot him in the thigh and "it hurt really bad and I immediately returned fire. I shot him eight to 10 times. I wanted to make sure I didn't get shot again because he still had the gun in his hand when he was on the ground." Police have said they think Bates came to the Ray home at 616 Fourth St. to steal drugs


South Carolina: Intruder killed during shootout in North Charleston home: "North Charleston police said that an armed man who tried to rob a home on Ranger Drive on Thursday was killed during a shootout with the tenant. The coroner says the suspect was 25-year-old Demario Brown from Johns Island. Police said officers responded to the scene after a call about shots being fired. Police say Brown, who was armed, forced two women into the home to rob them. Police say a tenant who was already inside the house, had a gun and shot Brown. Brown also fired back hitting Timothy King. King was transported to MUSC. Police say he had non-life threatening injuries. Brown died at the scene."


Preamble and gun control: "Currently being considered by the Judiciary Committee is an unconstitutional piece of legislation known as HR 45: Blair Holt’s Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. It is solely sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL] and would require a license for handguns and semiautomatic firearms, including those already in citizens’ possession. Applicants would be thumb-printed and required to sign a certification that their gun would NOT be kept in a place where it could be used for self-defense. It would be compulsory for the applicant to provide ALL psychiatric records, pass an exam, and pay a $25 fee for a license that would have to be renewed after five years, at which time the government could revoke it.”


Support for gun restrictions slowly declining: "In Gallup polling conducted prior to last week's gun massacre at an immigrant center in Binghamton, N.Y., only 29% of Americans said the possession of handguns by private citizens should be banned in the United States. While similar to the 30% recorded in 2007, the latest reading is the smallest percentage favoring a handgun ban since Gallup first polled on this nearly 50 years ago. Public support for restricting the sale and possession of handguns to "police and other authorized persons" was relatively high in the early 1990s, with 41% to 43% in favor, but has since edged lower. At the same time, opposition to a ban has increased from 53% in 1991 to 69% in the most recent survey."

Florida: Gunfight breaks out during attempted robbery: "A gunfight broke out in a Palm Coast neighborhood early today during an attempted robbery. Gunfire erupted when a man armed with a silver handgun attempted to rob a man who had just returned home on Folcroft Lane after purchasing a prescription at a local pharmacy, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigators said. They are still looking for the gunman. The resident had just returned from a Walgreens store on Palm Coast Parkway at 1:11 a.m. with his medications. As he was getting out of his car, deputies said the gunman rushed into the garage and demanded the drugs. In an attempt to scare off the intruder, the man said he yelled as loud as he could. Instead of fleeing, the intruder took a shot at him., deputies said. The resident wasn’t hit but quickly retrieved his own handgun and began shooting back at his assailant. Nobody was hurt, although a car parked in the neighbor’s driveway was hit with one of the rounds, according to a news release. "We need to identify this individual and get him off the streets," said Sheriff Donald Fleming. The intruder is described as a black male, 5-foot-7, wearing a white shirt and dark pants. He fled the area in a green Dodge Caravan, deputies said."


Texas: Boat thieves shot: "One person was killed when a group of men tried to steal a boat while driving down a freeway, KPRC Local 2 reported. Houston police said three men in a car tried to steal a boat that a man was hauling with his pickup truck on Interstate 45 at about 1 a.m. Investigators said the men in the car opened fire on the man in the pickup truck. The man in the pickup truck returned fire, officials said. One of the men inside the car was killed. The driver of the car stopped at a gas station on North Shepherd Drive for help. The driver of the pickup truck lost control and ended up a field. There were fish in the boat because the man was returning from a fishing trip at Lake Conroe."


NY: Proposed victim disarmament measure still in holster: “A proposed Albany County law that would require gun shops to register ammunition sales — a measure that has created a firestorm — is being reviewed for its constitutionality. … the measure would regulate the storage, possession and sale of ammunition in the county. It would also require dealers to record each ammo sale and the caliber, make, model, manufacturer’s name and serial number of the firearm for which the purchase was made. Introduced at the March meeting of the County Legislature, the proposal, called Local Law A, was sent to the Law Committee for review. Two weeks later, committee Chairman Bryan Clenahan sent the proposed local law to County Attorney Craig Denning for a ruling on its constitutionality.”


Where officers fear to tread: “When arguing against citizen’s rights to be able to bear arms for self-defense, anti-gunners always propagate the myth that citizens do not need this right because the police will protect you. However, if you think about it logically, this is an extremely naive position to take.Look around you right now. Is there a police officer visible? Unless you work in a police station or courthouse, the answer is probably ‘No.’ As I pointed out in a previous week’s article, the police, as much as they might wish otherwise, will almost never be there when someone is attacked. But sometimes, a victim will get lucky and an officer, investigating an unrelated crime, will happen upon the scene while an attack is in progress.”

MI: Fatal shooting ruled self defense: "A fatal shooting in Kalamazoo has been ruled self defense. Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Fink has ruled that the March 6th shooting death of Bernell Gordon was self defense. The alleged shooter, Frank Pierce, will face two felony firearms charges, but will not be charged in Gordon's death. Authorities say Pierce did shoot and kill the 20-year-old Gordon, but Gordon was assaulting Pierce and trying to rob him at the time of the shooting. Pierce will be charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He could face up to five years in prison."


CA: Homeowner punches, tackles armed robbery suspect: "A Pinole homeowner, seizing on a suspected robber's moment of distraction, disarmed him, chased him and struggled with him as officers arrived early Monday. The incident occurred at a house on Hazel Street near Pinon Avenue moments after midnight Monday. A tenant who rents the upstairs of the house called police to report hearing suspicious noises downstairs. When officers arrived, they heard arguing in the home's yard. A woman — one of the three victims — said one intruder had held a shotgun on them while the second intruder searched the home. The shotgun was loaded. She told police that the suspects had ordered the victims to lie face down in the house. Later, she said, the suspects ordered them outside where one of the intruders watched over them with a shotgun. Then the robbery went awry. "The suspect was distracted for a moment, and lowered his shotgun," Rogers said. "I believe (the homeowner) punched him. He (the suspect) dropped the shotgun and took off running, and the homeowner chased him and tackled him. They were fighting when police arrived." The other suspect was still in the house when officers arrived. "We caught him ... red-handed, with a box full of property and a mask over his face," Rogers said. Police arrested the pair, whom they identified as Steve Bearce, 30, and Blake Anderson, 31, both of Vallejo, on suspicion of robbery, possession of a firearm and kidnapping. The two were booked into Contra Costa County jail. No charges had been filed Monday afternoon, Rogers said."


KS: Robbery Suspect Dies from Gunshot: "A robbery suspect has died, and two others have been arrested. The incident happened late Friday night, when three suspects tried to commit a robbery in the 2000 block of W. 2nd Street. The intended victims, a man and a woman, locked themselves inside their car. One of the supsects began banging on the car window with a long-barrelled gun; he had his finger on the trigger, the gun went off, and the bullet accidentally hit the gunman in the head. The other two suspects put the wounded man in the back of a station wagon, then led police on a chase through the streets of north-central Wichita, with speeds at times reaching 70 miles per hour on 13th Street north of downtown. Police arrested two suspects; the man who accidentally shot himself, 25-year-old Paul Broyer, died from his injuries. All three robbery suspects were out of jail on parole."


Gun control restricts those least likely to commit violent crimes: "The March 21 murder of four Oakland police officers by Lovelle Mixon, a convicted felon wanted for a recent parole violation, epitomizes the futility of “gun control,” or the banning and restricting of gun ownership for law-abiding adults. Using the officers’ tragic deaths to further an unrelated agenda — stripping away the Second Amendment rights of honorable citizens — is both harmful and distracting. Mixon was not an anomaly. Felons commit over 90 percent of murders, with the remainder carried out primarily by juveniles and the mentally unbalanced. The United States already has laws forbidding all three groups from owning guns, which, by definition, are ineffective against the lawless. “Gun control,” therefore, only “controls” those who have done nothing to merit such regulations. Arguments for gun control rest on deceptive claims such as National Coalition to Ban Handguns’ allegation that “most murders are committed by previously law-abiding citizens.” Americans are deluged by literally dozens of supposedly scholarly articles asserting such falsehoods — but with no supporting references. For there are none."