OH: Female worker shoots, drives off robber: "The drive-through employee, who declined to identify herself when she agreed to talk by phone later in the day, was working at the Broad Street Beverage at 308 E. Broad St. when the suspect walked in through a raised garage door to the west side of the building, holding a small revolver, police said. “When I saw him with his gun in the air, I ran and shut the door,” she said, referring to the door that separates the drive-through from the inside part of the business. A police press release said the man shattered a window in the door as he slammed against it to force his way inside. As he forced the door open, the woman - who had grabbed her own gun - pointed it at him and fired a single shot, police said. She said she doesn’t know whether she hit him or not. The drive-through robber was described by police as being a black man wearing tan or light-colored pants and a white T-shirt"


MO: Robbery Victim Fires Back, Shoots Attackers: "The victim and his girlfriend were sitting in their car in the parking lot of the Rally's at Jefferson and Lynch, near the Benton Park neighborhood, about 6:15 p.m. Green says two men entered the back seat of the victims' car, and tried to rob the couple at gunpoint. The victim had a gun, and police believe he shot first, as he was exiting the driver's seat. Police say he critically injured both suspects, shooting one in his head and the other in his chest. At least one of the suspects fired at him, shooting him in his leg. While he is listed in serious condition, police believe he will survive. They say both suspects are in critical condition"


NC: Suspect among three shot during gas station robbery: " Two men have been arrested and another hospitalized after an armed robbery at a Moore County gas station Monday night. Demarcus James Dennison, 18, and Leroy Richard Medley, 20, are each charged with two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and first degree kidnapping. The third man, 17-year-old Randy Joel Williams is in serious condition at Moore Regional Hospital after being shot in the face during the robbery. Police say the three men entered the Short Stop on U.S. Highway 1 in the Lakeview area of Moore County and began to rob the 75-year-old clerk, Grace Kelly at gun point. Kelly's husband was in the parking lot at the time and approached the suspects with a shot gun. He shot through the store front door, shooting Dennison in the face. Grace Kelly was shot in the arm, and her husband, Angus Kelly, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach."


A victory for gun rights and freedom: "When it comes to gun rights and gun control, liberals are so predictable. Condemning the Supreme Court’s decision in the Chicago gun case that applied the Second Amendment to the states, the New York Times editorialized, ‘Mayors and state lawmakers will have to use all of that room and keep adopting the most restrictive possible gun laws — to protect the lives of Americans and aid the work of law enforcement officials.’”

MD: Maintenance man fatally shoots home invader: "A maintenance man at a Forestville apartment complex shot and killed a home invader Monday morning after the intruder forced the man into his apartment and fired a gun at him, police and law enforcement sources said. The maintenance man was able to retrieve his own gun inside his apartment and return fire, fatally wounding the intruder, law enforcement sources said. Police said that the maintenance man had not been charged criminally and that the shooting in the 4400 block of Rena Road appeared to be self-defense. "The victim . . . had a weapon inside the home that he used to shoot the suspect," said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department. "We believe that the victim had every right to defend himself."


Tennessee: Mobile home invaders shot and killed: "The shootings that killed two men identified as burglars in a South Knox County mobile home will be referred to the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Martha Dooley would not elaborate this afternoon on the reason for the review. No charges have been filed against Douglas Jordan III, who shot both of the black-clad intruders as he returned to his Love Lane mobile home off the 8000 block of Chapman Highway at 11:18 p.m. Sunday. Authorities identified one of the dead men as Jimmy Cannon, 39, of Knoxville. Cannon had no local criminal history, but he had served time in prison for armed robbery in Georgia, Dooley said. “According to officers, the men were burglarizing the home when Jordan arrived,” Dooley said. When Jordan arrived, the men “tried to overpower him,” Dooley said, but he was armed and shot the men. “Both were dead when officers arrived,” Dooley said.


South Carolina: Gun-Toting Homeowner holds burglar: "A man who deputies say burglarized a home got more than he bargained for when the gun-toting, tough-talking homeowner caught and held him until deputies showed up. Ken Easler, 73, said he went into his home on Jones Road before heading to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning when he heard someone inside the house. Easler said when he went into the house, he heard someone upstairs. He grabbed his gun and waited for the person to come downstairs. “I put the clip in and jacked one in the chamber, and when I did, he had already started down the steps. He sat down. He sat down and held onto the rail. Deputies said when they arrived, they found Easler pointing his gun at a man, later identified as Douglas Nickerson, who was lying on the bathroom floor. Deputies said when they searched Nickerson, they found two rolls of dollar bills in his pocket."


SCOTUS gets it right: "In a 5-4 decision that split along conservative and liberal lines, the US Supreme Court extended gun rights to every state and city in the nation. The US Supreme Court has struck down a Chicago handgun ban in a far-reaching ruling that makes it unconstitutional for states and local governments to restrict the right of Americans to own guns. In a major victory for gun rights activists, but a bitter blow for those seeking greater gun controls in the United States, Justice Samuel Alito said on Monday the constitution was clear on the right to bear arms for self-defence. The five-four majority ruling extended to all cities and states the Supreme Court's 2008 landmark affirmation that Americans have the constitutional right - as enshrined in the Second Amendment - to own weapons, including handguns."

TX: Man kills invader in SE Houston home: "A man shot and killed an alleged invader who entered a southeast Houston home and held him and others at gunpoint Sunday morning, authorities said. Witnesses told police an unidentified 22-year-old man came to the residence in the 1900 block of Richvale around 9:40 a.m. to confront a man in the home and others about a earlier disturbance, of which the nature is unknown, said Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon. The man also assaulted the people with the gun, Cannon said. At one point, the man whom the suspect came to confront pulled out his own gun, shooting and killing the suspect, Cannon said. The dead man's identity is pending an autopsy. No charges have been filed at this time."


Canada: Home invader shot by elderly intended victim: "Police say that an intruder attempted to break in through a window of a Colton, Ontario home. The 79 year old homeowner is said to have noticed the home invasion attempt, grabbed his handgun, and fired in self defense, striking the intruder in the shoulder and ending the attack. A dead suspect, reportedly identified as 37 year old Fidel Escanuelas was found at the scene, and two suspected accomplices were taken into custody. No injures to the elderly resident were reported."


The Utah loophole: "You can get a license to carry a concealed weapon without ever having to shoot a gun. The reason—a growing number of instructors offer Texas students a chance to get a Utah concealed handgun license. Concealed carry permits from Utah are popular and legal in Texas and it’s not hard to see why. Utah requires less than half the class time, has not written test, requires no live shooting and you don’t even have to leave Texas to get one. “With the Utah program I’m able to concentrate 100% of my time and focus on the 20% of the core materials that people need to know of the day-to-day of carrying a handgun,” said Brad Brasuell a certified Utah instructor."

Antigun nuts proven wrong: "In fact, since concealed carry went into affect, Ohio doesn't have the shootouts; the rage-induced gun battles along Ohio's highways; the accidental shootings; and the return to "Dodge City" -- all predicted by Drum and others like him in their opposition to concealed carry in Ohio. Factually, FBI statistics show violent crime has decreased in Ohio for the third straight year. Yes, that's right -- crime decreased in spite of predictions by the media, politically-motivated law enforcement groups and anti-gun extremists, who claimed that permissive self-defense laws would lead to the end of civilized society as we know it."


California attack on open carry: "Under current law, residents can carry unconcealed guns in public that are not loaded. They also can have ammunition on their person, but cannot go within 1,000 feet of schools or take guns to places like government buildings. A proposed state law would make openly carrying a handgun a misdemeanor. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, the bill passed the state Assembly earlier this month and is set to go before the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 12. Rachel Arrezola, a spokeswoman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the governor has not yet taken a position on the bill and will decide when it reaches his desk whether to sign or veto it."


University of Colorado Puts Politics Ahead of Student Safety: "The University of Colorado voted Friday to continue fighting for the right to ban guns on campus. The CU Board of Regents voted 5-4 in favor of appealing the lawsuit brought by Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), which sought legal confirmation that college directors lack authority to suspend Colorado law or Constitutional rights. Clearly, power and politics, rather than concern for student safety, are ruling the day for CU’s regents. Crime at CU has risen 35 percent in the past four years at the college which prohibits lawful concealed carry, while crime at Colorado State University has dropped 60 percent in the same time frame. No thinking person can look at those numbers and still assert that allowing concealed carry will prove dangerous for the campus."


Ohio Democratic Party unsuccessfully tries to get gun records: "The Ohio Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully this week to get information on all people licensed to carry concealed weapons in the Buckeye State. The state party sent letters to Ohio's 88 sheriffs requesting the names and addresses of permit holders and the dates the licenses were issued. Ohio has about 211,000 permit holders. But neither the Democrats nor any other political party can get that information. The records are exempt from the public record laws. The only public access was given to journalists when then-Gov. Bob Taft signed the law in 2004. The Democrats intended to target people who support the Second Amendment -- the constitutional right to bear arms -- with campaign information, said party spokesman, Seth Bringman."

OH: Akron shopkeeper grabs 12-gauge shotgun and shoots suspect during early morning break-in: "Store owner William Goodwin was sleepy-eyed and unable to see without his contact lenses when two intruders broke into his Goodyear Heights corner store in the dark early Friday. But the 27-year-old shopkeeper's aim was good enough to blast the left arm of one intruder. Two more shots took out a glass soda pop cooler and a back room filing cabinet. Johnny Ray Rollyson, 19, who was free on bond awaiting trial for a March burglary, suffered a severe gunshot wound at the Pioneer Market, near the corner of Goodyear Boulevard and Pioneer Street. As the intruders walked toward the potato-chip aisle, Goodwin fired the first of three shots. The burglars fled... A short time later, workers at Akron General Medical Center contacted police with news that they were treating Rollyson for a gunshot wound. Goodwin said his concealed carry permit has lapsed. Regardless, Ohio law does not require a permit when a citizen is protecting his home or business.




North Carolina: Store clerks shoot and kill robbery suspect during shootout: "The shooting happened at the Sunny Food Store located on Walkup Road at 10:17 p.m. According to the Monroe Police Department, the suspect approached the two clerks in the store, displayed a gun and demanded money from the register. During the robbery, both of the clerks in the store pulled out their own weapons. It’s unclear at this point who fired the first shot or how many shots were fired, but police say shots were exchanged. The suspect was hit at least once, and stumbled down the street before collapsing in the front yard of a house. The suspect, 23-year-old Robert Christopher Young [above] of Monroe, was found in front of 302 McIntrye Street, police said. The clerks on duty, brothers Sophia Pich and Jesus Vergara, were not injured. Monroe police officials said the suspect was rushed to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, but was pronounced dead by medical staff a short time later. No charges are pending"


Why guns are good: "You know what the mainstream media think about guns and our freedom to carry them. Pierre Thomas of ABC: ‘When someone gets angry or when they snap, they are going to be able to have access to weapons.’ Chris Matthews of MSNBC: ‘I wonder if in a free society violence is always going to be a part of it if guns are available.’ Keith Olbermann, also of MSNBC, who usually can’t be topped for absurdity: ‘Organizations like the NRA … are trying to increase deaths by gun in this country.’ Well, I admit that I bought that nonsense for years. Living in Manhattan, working at ABC, everyone agreed that guns are evil. And that the NRA is evil. … Now I know that I was totally wrong about guns. Now I know that more guns means — hold onto your seat — less crime.”


Bravo to those who open carry their weapons: "Those who choose to carry their weapons openly are making a statement every time they step out their door. It forces everyone who sees them to confront the whole gun issue. There may be some who are morbidly afraid of the kind of people who would carry a gun, and they will run away. There may be some who come over and slap you on the back and commend your civic spirit. There may be some who promptly call 911 to report you, and when the police come you get to have a nice conversation about municipal laws and the Second Amendment to the US constitution. Educating is important, but it might make you late to a meeting.”

IN: Prosecutor calls fatal shooting self-defense: "There will be no charges in the shooting death of a former high school basketball star who died Saturday, after the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office found the man's ex-girlfriend acted in self-defense. The announcement today cleared Lisa Beatty of any wrongdoing in the death of 31-year-old Anthony "Tony" Echols ... According to prosecutors, Echols broke into Beatty's home in the 400 block of East Eckman Street about 6 a.m. Saturday and confronted her and a friend, who were both asleep..... Beatty told police she woke Saturday morning to the sound of broken glass and watched as Echols rushed into her room and jumped on top of her friend. As Echols attacked the friend, Beatty grabbed her handgun and demanded that Echols leave. Instead, police said, Echols turned and rushed at Beatty. Beatty fired once as Echols rushed her, then fired several times more as the pair struggled... Echols was found inside the home, suffering from three gunshot wounds, two in his abdomen, one in his thigh. He was taken to Memorial Hospital where he died."


Washington: Armed pizza guy faces off with robbery suspect: "A pistol-packing employee foiled a robbery attempt at pizza delivery business in Spokane. Police says a masked man armed with a pellet gun entered the Pizza Pipeline store Wednesday night and demanded money. That’s when an employee with a concealed weapons license pulled his pistol and told the would-be robber to drop his weapon. The man bolted out the door. KXLY reports police found parts of the pellet gun in the parking lot but the suspect got away."


Guns to be allowed onboard Amtrak trains: "Under language inserted into a transportation funding bill last year, Amtrak passengers will be allowed to carry firearms in checked luggage beginning in December. According to the provision, firearms and ammunition may be transported in secure baggage onboard Amtrak trains under several guidelines including * Passengers must declare to Amtrak within 24-hours of departure that the firearm will be placed in their checked baggage. * The gun must not be loaded and must also be carried in a hard-sided container. * The hard-sided container must be locked with only the passenger having the combination or key for the container.”


CA: Open carry gun ban barely passes Senate panel: "A bill that would ban the public display of unloaded guns narrowly passed the Senate Public Safety Committee Tuesday. The 4-3 vote sent the legislation carried by Assemblywoman Lori Saldana, D-San Diego, to the Senate floor where the final outcome is in doubt, particularly in this election year atmosphere. … Saldana’s measure, Assembly Bill 1934, is supported by a statewide police chief’s organization and major gun-control groups. … Responding to complaints that the guns intimidate and make people uncomfortable, Wright said he has a tall friend with tattoos who intimidates and makes people uncomfortable. ‘Are we going to ban him next?’ Wright asked as he voted against the bill.”

MO: Crazy Robber Shot By Homeowner: "A residential robbery in Kansas City, Mo. ended with the homeowner shooting the man who was who was allegedly robbing his wife. Police said the incident happened "in a matter of seconds." The couple was doing yard work at their home near Gregory Boulevard and Holmes Road just before 5 a.m. when police said a man ran up to them. "The subject came up in the grass and started yelling and acting aggressive," Shaffer said. Police said the homeowner tried to keep his distance, when the alleged robber turned his attention to the woman. The man grabbed the woman, police said, and pulled her inside the house as he started grabbing items from inside the house. The suspect barely made it to the doorway with a flat-screen when police said the homeowner, now armed with a gun he retrieved from his truck, confronted him. "(The homeowner) told him to stop, I'll shoot," Shaffer said. "He didn't and the man shot him in the leg."


GA: Shooting likely self defense: "Police believe a deadly shooting in Sylvester was self defense. A woman shot and killed her own son because he attacked her and the mother of his child. Police say Chris Bunn fought with his girlfriend, Kayla Roberts, most of the day. They say his mother, Brenda Haire, shot him in the chest as he attacked his girlfriend with a candlestick holder. Chris Bunn had a long history with law enforcement in both Worth and Dougherty Counties. He'd been picked up on charges of burglary, criminal damage to property, and harassing phone calls, but Tuesday night his involvement with the legal system ended, after his violent behavior got out of control., some verbal, but it just escalated. It actually got to the point where he had those folks kept hostage in their own home. The Chief says Christopher Bunn's body has been sent to the crime lab for an autopsy. No charges have been filed."


Kentucky homeowner shoots at home invasion suspect: "A Lexington man fired shots at a suspect who broke into his home early Wednesday morning. Police say a man kicked in the front door of a home along Republic Court around 3 a.m. and entered the house. The home owner woke up when he heard the noise and grabbed his gun. He says that when he went into the hall and flipped on the lights, he saw the suspect standing there. The homeowner fired a few rounds and the suspect ran out of the house. Police say they don’t think the suspect was hit. The homeowner says he saw another man running with the suspect as he fled. The suspect didn’t get away with anything in the house. Investigators say the suspect was wearing a dark blue jacket, possibly a jean jacket, dark blue jeans and a bandana on his head. [Race unknown, evidently]


Firearm Travel Guide: Stay on the road and out of jail: "Summer is here. And if you’re like many people, you’re planning a trip that may take you out of state or across many states. But what if you plan to carry or pack a gun for protection, target shooting, or hunting? … if you’re not careful, your fun vacation could turn into a terrible nightmare if you’re caught breaking local laws. My solution? The Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the 50 States …. It answers all the most important questions. Can I open carry in Texas? Is my concealed handgun license honored by every state I drive through on my way to Florida? Does California have state preemption of firearms laws? … How must I store my long guns?”

Florida: Home invader shot and killed: "A home invasion victim fatally shot one of the invaders Sunday in Carrollwood, and investigators have since arrested two other people involved in the crime, Hillsborough County deputies said. Victim Anthony Dipaolo, 23, shot and killed suspect Jonathan Fernandez, 23, sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Fernandez died at the scene. Dipaolo was shot in the left leg. Though Dipaolo fatally shot Fernandez, two other home invasion suspects also have been charged with murder: Willie Goff and Katherine Schaeffer. Sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter said they were charged because their involvement in the offense led to the fatal shooting. Dipaolo was treated and released from a local hospital, Carter said."


Tennessee: Burglar in serious condition after being shot by resident: "A Telford man is in serious condition after being shot early Monday morning during an alleged Piney Flats burglary attempt. According to a report at the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy responded to find the man lying in the driveway with a gunshot wound to his leg. The incident is still under investigation, with charges pending. Police report it occurred at about 12:50 a.m. at 920 Piney Flats Road. The resident, William Lusk, 46, reported that he was in his bedroom when he heard someone banging on the front door. Lusk said three men then broke into his home. He allegedly grabbed a shotgun and fired one round at the suspects, not knowing he had hit anyone until he found a man in his driveway. The suspect has been identified as, Terry Scalf, 39, of 132 Valentine Circle, Telford, Tenn. On Monday morning SCSO Capt. Keith Elton said the incident is still under investigation and no one has been charged. Mountain States Health Alliance spokesman James Watson reports Scalf is in serious condition at Johnson City Medical Center."


California: Woman fatally shoots pit bull to break up dog fight: "An unidentified woman shot and killed one of two pit bulls during a dog fight in South Los Angeles on Saturday morning, authorities said. A woman told officers that she was about to walk her basset hound when two unleashed pit bulls charged and attacked her dog. The woman and the owner of the pit bulls attempted to break up the fight. “They were unable to break up the dogs so she ran to her apartment and grabbed her gun,” Thompson said. “She shot one of the pit bulls to stop the fight,” Thompson said, adding that he did not know exactly how many shots were fired. The second pit bull fled. The dog died at scene, he said. The woman’s dog received non-serious wounds and was expected to live. Thompson said the woman handed the handgun to officers when they arrived. He said it was registered to her."


Open-carry gun activists laud NC: "Randy Dye will sometimes carry a gun on his hip, right out in the open, no jacket pulled over it, no inside-the-belt holster. It draws funny looks, and Dye doesn’t much care. One time, Dye explains, he was standing in line for a money order when the guy behind him asked, ‘Are you a police officer?’ Dye said no, and the guy kept staring, so Dye stared back. ‘We good?’ Dye asked, and the conversation stopped. ‘I wasn’t trying to intimidate,’ says Dye, a retired trauma nurse in Chatham County. ‘He approached me. If you don’t understand your constitutional rights, you need to go read them.’”

PA: Drug dealer ruled to have shot in self defense: "Police said Neil L. Felver, 29, used a .22 caliber Ruger handgun to shoot Abdul Miller, 33, of Milton after Miller invaded Felver's home at 1510 Scott St. just after 2 a.m. June 14. The district attorney is not charging Felver with homicide as the shooting was determined to be in self-defense, but other drug-related charges are "justified." City police Agent Stephen J. Sorage said Miller was shot in the chest and shoulder. Miller died at an area hospital. "Mr. Felver was cooperative and interviewed," Sorage said. "He related that he fought for his life. He further stated that he was in fear for his life, the life of his girlfriend and the life of his children." "It is the belief of the Williamsport Police Department that Abdul Miller targeted the Felver residence due to Miller's belief that he could obtain drugs and-or cash at that residence," Sorage said."


South Africa: Store owner shoots robbers: "A Bloemfontein store owner shot and killed a suspected robber in the Bayswater’s Emily Hobhouse Square yesterday. Police spokesperson Col Sam Makhele said four robbers entered the store and started firing at the man inside his store. The man fired back from his office and hit one of the robbers in the chest, upon seeing their accomplice taking fire the other robbers ran from the store. The injured man managed to get outside the store before collapsing and dying. … Makhele said as the man was acting within his rights to defend himself, he will not face any charges.”


CA: Owner Wants Confiscated Guns Back: "A Carmichael business owner said he is getting the runaround from Sacramento County law enforcement. He said officials confiscated his property and won't give it back, even though he is not accused of doing anything wrong. Bill Dunbar said he was acting in self-defense when he used a Smith & Wesson handgun to shoot and kill one of two men who broke into his store and threatened him a year ago. Afterward, sheriff's investigators confiscated two of Dunbar's collector's edition guns, worth thousands of dollars, as part of the investigation. But a month after the surviving burglar was sentenced to prison and the case was closed, Dunbar is still being denied his confiscated property. Adding to Dunbar's concern is that the district attorney told KCRA 3 it has sent a letter to the sheriff directing the department to release Dunbar's property. However, the Sheriff's Department has repeatedly told KCRA 3 it has received no such letter."


52 Shot, 8 Dead and Mayor Daley Still Resists Self-Defense: "Fifty-two people shot, eight of them fatally in a single Chicago weekend, yet Mayor Richard Daley appears poised to go down screaming in his opposition to the Second Amendment Foundation's lawsuit to overturn his city's handgun ban. "Chicago has become a slaughterhouse," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, "where defenseless victims are terrorized by armed thugs who have taken full advantage of an unarmed populace. Daley and his predecessors who perpetuated this ban are wading knee-deep in the blood of hundreds of crime victims who should have had the means to defend themselves. "Year after year the statistics have piled up," he continued, "yet Mayor Daley has stubbornly defended the city's ban. While he has luxuriated at his vacation home with the safety of armed bodyguards, the bodies of Chicago crime victims have stacked up like cordwood."

Instruments of crime are instruments, not crimes

by Jeff Jacoby

It was one of the creepier stories of the week gone by: The town administrator in Shirley, Mass., was arrested on charges of illegally recording and photographing his town hall co-workers by (among other things) planting a miniature video camera above a toilet stall in the women's bathroom.

Reaction to the Town Hall Peeping Tom was what you would expect. Residents expressed outrage and distress, the accused was arraigned, locks on town buildings were ordered changed, and selectmen began the process of finding a new administrator. But one reaction nobody had was to call for banning or restricting the sale of miniature video cameras. No such call would have been taken seriously, and for good reason: The fact that some criminals might use a camcorder maliciously is not a good reason to penalize the vast majority of people who wouldn't.

By the same token, when someone uses a car to carry out a deadly crime, nobody proposes stringent new curbs on car sales. Nearly 50 homicides in Massachusetts were committed with knives in 2008, according to FBI data, but no lawmaker introduced legislation making it harder for citizens to buy knives. And though each year in the United States, dog bites man (or woman or child) nearly 5 million times, sometimes fatally, anyone can buy a pet dog. Yet when guns are used with tragic or criminal results, cries for tougher gun control routinely follow.

On the same day the Shirley story broke, a rally was held at the State House to support Governor Deval Patrick's proposed bill limiting Massachusetts gun buyers to one firearm per month. The featured speaker was Kim Odom, whose 13-year-old son Steven was shot dead by a gang member in Dorchester in 2007.

"We are not going to accept the fact that our children die on the sidewalk and it ends there," Odom said with understandable emotion. She invoked the memory of Jaewon Martin and Nicholas Fomby-Davis, two 14-year-old Boston boys who were shot dead just last month. As she spoke, gun-control advocates held signs bearing the image of a handgun with blood dripping from the barrel.

Anyone's heart must go out to Odom; as a parent, I can only imagine the permanent heartbreak of losing a son to murder. I respect Odom's determination to change the conditions that led to her son's death, and honor her for channeling her grief into action.

But if Steven, Jaewon, and Nicholas had been bludgeoned to death with stainless steel pipe or strangled with an extension cord, Odom would not be demanding limits on the right to buy metal pipe or power cords.

It is illogical and unreasonable to treat guns any differently. Like power cords and knives, the vast majority of guns owned by Americans will never be used to take a life. Even when guns are used in crime, overwhelmingly it is not to kill; and against the criminal use of firearms must be set the use of guns to defend against crime. According to Gallup, nearly one of every four Americans keep a gun to protect themselves or their homes. While the frequency with which guns are used defensively is much debated; estimates range from about 110,000 to 2.5 million times per year.

The notion that urban gangs can be deprived of guns by laws limiting their legal sale to one a month is wishful thinking. Criminals can always get guns. They buy them on the black market, they get them out of state, they steal them. Almost by definition, the impact of gun-control laws falls primarily on the law-abiding. That is why gun bans don't prevent murder, and why homicides decline when gun bans are lifted. John Lott, the economist and author of More Guns, Less Crime, notes that the murder rate in Washington, DC, soared after the city banned handguns in 1977. Yet in the two years since the Supreme Court struck down that ban as unconstitutional, murders in DC have plummeted.

To be sure, a one-gun-per-month limit is not an outright ban, and if it's unlikely to have much impact on criminal gangs, it's also unlikely to hinder most honest gun buyers. Lott says he knows of no peer-reviewed study documenting a decrease in crime as a result of one-gun-per-month laws. The effect of enacting such a law in Massachusetts will almost certainly be marginal at best.

Anti-gun rallies and extra layers of gun control may make some people feel good, but they are not the way to suppress gang violence. No one can doubt Kim Odom's sincerity. But sincerity won't stop thugs who murder kids. Futile new gun restrictions won't either.

Source





Latest FBI crime data continues to refute anti-gun rhetoric: "Preliminary data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report shows that the violent crime rate went down 5.5 percent in 2009, compared to statistics from 2008. This covers all four categories of violent crime: murder, robbery, aggravated assault and forcible rape. Violent crime went down 4 percent in metropolitan counties and 3 percent elsewhere, according to the FBI.”


Talking across the aisle: "Before a dyed in the wool anti-gun person will even talk to you, they have to feel there is some common ground. Otherwise it makes as much sense to them to converse with you as striking up a conversation with a doorknob. We are normal folks who love our children and wish for safe neighborhoods and secure work environments just like they do. Let’s begin the conversation talking about violence and how the drug culture feeds turf wars. Let’s talk about gangs and violence in the inner city … After we map out areas of common concern, we can discuss causes and cures. Before we trot out ‘More Guns Less Crime’ (and trot it out we eventually will!) we have to establish that we share goals and values with the person we are talking to.”


TN: Assembly overrides Bredesen on gun law: "The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on June 10 and one of their last acts before going home for the summer was to override Gov. Phil Bredesen’s veto of Senate Bill 3012. The bill will allow a person who has a valid Right-to-Carry permit to carry a firearm for self defense in restaurants where alcohol may be served, as long as the permit holder is not consuming alcohol or is not otherwise prohibited by posting provisions. Sponsored by Sen. Doug Jackson (D-25) and Rep. Curry Todd (R-95), the law became effective June 4."

American gun owners are about to get a very hostile Supreme Court judge: "It has become clear that Elena Kagan, Obama’s most recent Supreme Court nominee, is no friend of gun rights, to say the least. While clerking for Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall in 1987, she wrote the judge that she was “not sympathetic” to a Second Amendment–based challenge to the D.C. gun ban. While serving in the Clinton administration, she wrote a memo that “paved the way for an executive order banning dozens of semiautomatic weapons,” according to the L.A. Times. And National Review has learned that in 1996, Kagan apparently tied the NRA to the KKK — yes, the KKK — while debating the Clinton administration’s position on a bill."


IL: Daley considers other victim disarmament options if gun ban is overturned: "As Chicago awaits a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this month that could overturn its 28-year-old handgun ban, City Hall is considering a host of countermeasures that might set off another round of legal fights with gun advocates. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Richard Daley acknowledged an uphill battle against the gun industry, which he described as the most powerful lobby in the United States. Even so, he vowed that in the event residents are allowed to have handguns at home, the city would take steps to ensure that officials can account for the weapons.”


A suggested survival list: "In both the New Orleans and Los Angeles disasters, police protection was non-existent. Lawless gangs quickly took control of the streets, and people were left to either defend themselves or swiftly become the helpless prey of violent marauders. In fact, in New Orleans, some of the policemen actually abandoned their oaths to uphold the law and joined with the criminals, turning their weapons upon the public. Face it, folks: in any kind of disaster, you must be able to defend yourself, or you and your family will be meat for these animals of society that will quickly descend without mercy upon the unprepared, unsuspecting souls around them. This requires that you be armed!”


Home invasions are getting too common — are you prepared?: "Saturday morning in Gatlinburg, a homeowner was shot in the leg by home invaders. The invaders were armed with semiautomatic handguns …. Home invaders don’t call ahead, so it is your responsibility to be prepared when they come calling. In my last article on home invasions, I talked about a selection of handguns that can be used effectively to combat invaders. Long guns, too, can be effectively used. From the simple to the sublime, long guns include everything from a .22 single shot, to the AR-15, to 12 guage shotguns. There is such a large selection of long guns, I will discuss a few with some pros and cons of each type.”

IA store owner talks about deadly shooting: "The owner of a Waterloo convenience store where two robbers were killed Wednesday morning said the suspects were frequent customers. Store clerk Johnny Sanders, 65, shot Robert Maurice Bolden and Antonio McNeal Sproles, both 21, when the two walked into East Fourth Street Liquor brandishing a rifle and a handgun at about 2 a.m. closing time. Khan said Sanders didn't have a choice and was protecting himself during the botched robbery Wednesday. The weapon Sanders used, a .44-caliber revolver, was a firearm that is kept at the store for protection, Khan said. Sanders, a retired John Deere employee, said he had worked at the store in the past and returned to work last week. Officers are still investigating the shooting, but they said Sanders' actions appear justified."


FL: Robber shot and killed. Accomplices jailed: "A plot to rob another teenager near MetroWest last year ended with Beazer getting shot and killed and his four friends incarcerated with felony records. The five had planned to rob 17-year-old, Andrew Estime. They were supposed to meet with Estime under the guise of selling him a gun. Then two of them were to make it seem as if they were robbing everyone. It proved a bad plan. "They didn't realize the buyer had another gun," Assistant State Attorney Jim Altman said. "He kills Beazer. Everybody runs. And that's what happened." Kalvin Beazer was the one in his group with a gun, Altman said. Investigators and prosecutors determined that Estime fired in self-defense in the April 19, 2009, shooting near Edgewood Ranch Road and Jaffa Drive. In Florida, people can be charged with second degree felony murder if an accomplice is killed while committing certain felonies."


Ireland: Gardai (cops) order audit of country’s gun owners: "Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has ordered an audit of the country’s gun owners, amid concerns over the ‘large number’ of unregistered firearms across the country. Firearms groups were informed about the audit on June 2, the same day that 12 people were shot dead in Cumbria by taxi driver Derrick Bird. The audit will be conducted in ‘‘early July,’ according to correspondence seen by The Sunday Business Post. It will be carried out by garda superintendents in each district nationwide, under legislation originally devised to tackle organised crime gangs. The nationwide audit is aimed at people who own licensed guns, but may have lapsed in re-licensing some or all of their firearms.”


CO: Clock ticking for CU to take victim disarmament obsession to Supreme Court: "The University of Colorado regents next week will decide whether the school should continue its legal battle to keep guns off its campuses, which could prove to be a litmus test for Republican board members who hold a 5-4 majority. Only two of the board’s conservatives … have made firm statements in favor of lifting the ban … The other three Republican regents, who could tip the board’s opinion, are more guarded on whether they’ll urge CU to defend its current weapons ban or side with their GOP colleagues. Judges with the Colorado Court of Appeals in April ruled in favor of a gun-rights group that sued CU and argued that a 1994 university policy banning concealed weapons violates state gun laws.”

OR: Smokin' Weed and Packin' Heat

The Oregon State Court of Appeals ruled this week that medical marijuana users cannot be denied concealed handgun licenses, contrary to the opinions of at least two county sheriffs.

The [federal gun control] act states that "an unlawful user ...of any controlled substance" can't own a gun, and the sheriffs contended the federal act trumps Oregon's medical marijuana law.

While federal law prohibits marijuana, Oregon's 12-year-old law legalizes pot possession for residents with a laundry list of qualifying ailments and a doctor's approval.

Leland Berger, who represented four medical marijuana users who were denied concealed handgun licenses, was relieved by the Court of Appeals decision.

He sees the sheriffs' denial of licenses as "discrimination" against patients who use cannabis as medicine for debilitating health problems -- including cancer, glaucoma, seizures, nausea and severe pain.

Broken down, it appears that the Oregon court simply ruled that, under state law, there is nothing to preclude issuing a concealed handgun permit to the medical dope smoker. However, under federal law, smoking dope and possessing a gun while smoking dope remain illegal.

In any event, there continues to be a disparity between state and federal law with regard to the medical marijuana issue.

TX: CBS Photog Packs Heat, Shoots Robber: "Jay Johnson. Remember the name, because he is not a man to be toyed with. Seems Mr. Johnson, also a CBS 11 photographer, was playing poker in Mesquite when a man came in wanting to join in the game. The gentlemen at the table declined, so this man pulled a gun, shot one of the players, and demanded everyone’s money. Then Johnson shot him dead. The police have pretty much determined it’s self defense, and Johnson had a concealed handgun permit."


AL: Armed Man Breaks In Apartment, Meets Gunfire: "Florence Police have an active search along Helton Drive for a man who allegedly broke in an apartment and was then shot at. He quickly ran away. Police responded to the Four Seasons Apartments at 11:45 a.m. Thursday. They say the man, who was armed, broke into an apartment in building H. However, the person who lives there quickly grabbed a gun and shot at the intruder three times. Police don't believe any of the bullets hit the man, though. He ran away. The suspect, a white male, was wearing all black. He was about 6'5" and weighed approximately 250 pounds, according to police."


OH: Man returns fire: "A group of unknown individuals fired shots at a man walking on Mount Vernon Avenue late Saturday night. According to police, at approximately 9:15 p.m. Saturday, 24-year-old Taiwain Johnson was walking in the area of 1512 Mt. Vernon Avenue when he noticed a purple Chevy Tahoe with several black male passengers. According to police reports, the vehicle turned a nearby corner and Johnson soon saw the males from the vehicle on foot between two abandoned houses. One of the men began firing shots in the direction of Johnson, who is a licensed CCW permit holder. Johnson drew his own handgun and returned fire in the direction of the suspects, who fled the scene.J ohnson was not injured during the incident and the investigation continues.”


Stupid Scottish gun laws: "A grandmother has been jailed for five years for possessing a ‘family heirloom’ World War II pistol. Gail Cochrane, 53, had kept the gun for 29 years following the death of her father, who had been in the Royal Navy. Police found the weapon, a Browning self-loading pistol, during a search of her home in Dundee while looking for her son. She admitted illegal possession of the firearm, an offence with a minimum five-year jail term under Scots law.”

TX: Man killed during poker game: "Police say a man who fatally shot a suspected robber after another person was killed during a Dallas-area poker game is not expected to be charged. Mesquite police say 35-year-old Tracy Moore, who lived at the apartment, was shot and killed early Tuesday by 28-year-old Darvis Dervon Young, who allegedly tried to rob the players. Police say another man, 34-year-old Jerome Johnson, shot and killed Young, who police say did not have a known permanent address. Police say Johnson has a concealed handgun permit and was not arrested in the apparent self-defense case."


GA: Tattoo shop owner kills would-be robber: "The owner of an Atlanta tattoo parlor killed a would-be robber during a Tuesday evening confrontation in which at least 15 shots were fired, police said. The attempted holdup occurred about 6 p.m. at West End Tattoo on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, near Peeples Street. "It appears three suspects came into the West End Tattoo parlor and attempted to rob the owner and at some point, the owner managed to retrieve his own weapon," Maj. Keith Meadows told WSB-TV. "It was at that point that the individuals exchanged gunfire." The owner, who had a 9mm handgun, fatally shot one suspect. "The other two armed suspects fled the business on foot and remain at large," said Sgt. Curtis Davenport, a police spokesman. Police said it is unlikely the shop owner will be charged."


IA: Clerk shoots robbers: "Police say Bolden and Sproles arrived around 2 a.m. when Sanders was getting ready to close. The men came in with guns and Sanders shot them, according to investigators. ‘The clerk was getting ready to close and two suspects burst in with guns and attempted to rob the place and the clerk was armed and returned fire and ultimately killed both suspects,’ said Waterloo Police Chief Dan Trelka. Police say Sanders saw the men come in and grabbed a .44 caliber handgun. He shot both men, according to police. One fell immediately inside the store; the other stumbled to get away but then fell at the entrance of the store. Waterloo Police Captain Tim Pillack said the men clearly wanted to rob the store, and cited the fact that their mouths were covered with bandanas and refused to leave when the clerk told them to.”


NV: Gun show on History Channel: "Last fall, Pahrump talk radio host, second amendment activist and defensive firearms instructor Bill Carns was among 5,200 shooters applying to take part in a new competition-based reality TV show, Top Shot, on the History Channel. The … first episode premiered last Sunday. According to Carns, ‘The show encompasses all types of weapons from modern guns through historical weapons that are centuries old and don’t go bang. You might see everything from a long bow to an AR 15.’ The producers selected 50 potential contestants to try out for the show. Carns and 49 others spent a day … on a shooting range in California where they were scored firing two different types of handguns as well as two types of rifles.”

GA: Robber killed by restaurateur: "A suspect in a Moultrie armed robbery is dead, shot by the owner of a business he tried to rob. Monday night, two men tried to rob a woman outside the Cuban restaurant she owns. One of them shot her, but the woman's husband fired back. She's recovering, but one of the robbers was found dead today near the restaurant. It was gunfire that came from Juan Antillon the restaurant owner after his wife Rosa Medrano was grazed by a bullet from the suspect's gun when she came face to face with robbers up outside the restaurant. Antillon told police he didn't think he shot anyone. Now police know differently. "He was shot in his upper torso." Police searched the area, but never spotted Martin's body, just a short distance away, but in search this morning they found a gun and items taken from the restaurant. Police say the robber who got away is black with twists or dreads in his hair. They say he's between 5' 3" and 5' 7"."


GA: Man found not guilty of murder: "The jury said 45-yaer-old André Richardson acted in self defense when he gunned down 29-year-old Curtis Lee Coasey Jr. Police said Coasey was shot multiple times during a fight with Richardson in October 2009. Richardson's lawyer said his client believed his life was in danger when he was confronted. “Mr. Coasey was coming at him with a gun and actually said something to the nature of I’m going to kill you,” said Assistant Public Defender Ken Still. “I really appreciate the fact that the jury took this seriously deciding the life of a man that they couldn't really relate to.”


VA: Two masked Men With Guns fail to Survive Gunfight: "Police are investigating a triple shooting that left two men dead and wounded a teenager. The shooting occurred late Monday night in the 400 block of Chapel St., according to Cpl. Paula Scheck, a spokeswoman for Hampton police. Investigators have learned that a resident of the home and two acquaintances were sitting inside a detached garage about 10:30 p.m. when three men wearing masks walked up with handguns. Gunfire erupted and two of the masked men were shot. One of them suffered several gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead inside the garage, police said this morning. The other was pronounced dead about 12:30 a.m. at a hospital."


MA: Committee’s tie vote derails anti-gun bill: "A legislative committee has rejected on a tie vote a bill by Governor Deval Patrick to limit the purchase of firearms, angering supporters who say the measure would be a crucial step in stemming gun violence in Boston. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary’s 4-to-4 vote does not kill the bill. But the prospects for another vote in the near future seem far from certain. Representative Eugene O’Flaherty, House chairman of the panel and a Chelsea Democrat, said he would like to resurrect the measure but other bills, such as one to change the Criminal Offender Record Information law, known as CORI, take priority.”

PA: Burglar shot and killed: "Williamsport police are investigating the shooting death of a Milton man during a burglary in the city. Police said it happened in a house on Scott Street in Williamsport, around 2 a.m. when Abdul Miller was shot during a burglary. Investigators said this is how it happened, a person in the home called 911. Shots were then fired. When emergency crews arrived they found Miller. He died shortly afterwards. According to court records, Abdul Miller, the man who was shot has a history of being in and out of jail mostly on drug charges. Investigators are asking anyone with information to call Williamsport Police."


Florida: Woman uses rifle to run off invader: "A Port Charlotte woman foiled a home burglary early Sunday when she confronted the would-be burglar with a .22-caliber rifle. Authorities are now looking for an unidentified black man who tried to break into the LaSalle Avenue home around 6 a.m. Sheriff’s detectives said the woman scared away the man while investigating a suspicious noise outside her house. The suspect, described as about 6 feet tall, was standing on the lanai when the armed homeowner frightened him. The man, who was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black shorts, hopped a privacy fence and disappeared."


Known gun ownership scares off robbers: "In December 2008, a Memphis, TN newspaper published a searchable online database of names, zip codes, and ages of Tennessee handgun carry permit holders. We use detailed crime and handgun carry permit data for Memphis to estimate the impact of the database publication on different types of crime. We find that crimes more likely to be affected by knowledge of gun ownership - such as burglaries and thefts - appear to decrease more signicantly, after the database was publicized, in zip codes with more gun permits. However, these effcts appear to decline after the publicity surrounding the database died down. No comparable effect was found for crimes that are usually not premeditated, like assaults or shootings, or in nearby areas and comparable cities that were not covered by the published database. Furthermore, we found no evidence that publishing the identities of gun permit owners led to a relative increase in crimes aimed at stealing their weapons."


Orders of protection are not a shield of steel: "If you are old enough to remember the Vietnam War and the passing of the 1968 Gun Control Act, you probably remember Batfink, whose famous saying was, ‘Your bullets cannot harm me — my wings are like a shield of steel!’ Sadly, we note that Christene Rivera was killed in her Knoxville apartment, allegedly by estranged husband Joseph Rivera, against whom she had an Order of Protection … Unfortunately, these documents are provide no shield of steel against someone who is committed to causing serious bodily harm or death. Simply put, if you really need an order of protection, you need to be able to defend yourself. If you choose to do so with a firearm, be sure and get proper training.”

Pittsburgh, PA.: Intended victim says he shot robber: "The would-be victim of a robbery told police he shot a man who was attempting to steal from him early this morning. But, police did not find the would-be robber. An emergency dispatch supervisor said police were called to Market Square at about 1 a.m. to investigate the incident.


How Obama Reduced Crime Rates Last Year: "President Obama surely didn’t intend it, but he deserves some credit for last year’s 7.4 percent drop in murder rates. His election caused gun sales to soar, and crime rates to plummet. While gun sales started notably rising in October 2008, sales really soared immediately after Mr. Obama won the presidential race. 450,000 more people bought guns in November 2008 than bought them in November 2007, that’s over a 40 percent increase in sales. By comparison, the change from November 2006 to November 2007 was only about 35,000. Over the last decade, the average year-to-year increase in monthly sales was only 21,000. At the same time gun sales were soaring, there was an unusually large drop in murder rates. The 7.4 percent drop in the murder rate was the largest drop in murder rates since 1999."


Gun a month law doesn’t stop trafficking: "But for its own bureaucratic incompetence, Massachusetts would have joined Maryland, New Jersey, California and Virginia in restricting gun buyers to one weapon per month. For what possible reason? To stop so-called ’straw purchases’: legal buyers re-selling guns to people whose criminal past disqualifies them from buying a firearm. On the face of it, the limitation seems like a good idea. In practice, it doesn’t make one iota of difference to the flow of illegal guns to n’er-do-wells (and annoys more civic-minded citizens who like/need to buy guns). Case in point: centraljersey.com reports that the cops have nabbed a New Jersey gun runner purchasing weapons from … wait for it … Virginia.”


Gun-studded rallies safest places in America: "Besides a police station, the safest place in America on April 19 would likely have been any of the numerous Patriot’s Day rallies held around the country where thousands of people, many carrying firearms, celebrated the opening shots in America’s war for independence. Some of the rallies had a strong tea party presence, others were filled with gun rights folks with no particular political affiliation.”

Georgia: Intended victim disarms would-be robbers: "An Augusta man said he stopped three would-be robbers by taking away their gun. The 33-year-old man was walking with another man in the 1700 block of Swanee Quintet Boulevard about 11 p.m. Friday when the three men approached them from behind, according to a Richmond County sheriff’s report. When the man turned around, one of the suspects was close, and he took the weapon. The men then ran away in different directions. The would-be victim said he fired three shots but didn’t know if they struck any of the suspects. Police learned from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office that the weapon was stolen. The victims said the suspects appeared to be between 14 and 16 years old, according to the report."


Pennsylvania Home Invasion Turns Into Gunfight: "Officials said a family returning home in Upper Gwynedd was targeted by five men. After being forced inside, the man residing at the house fired at the intruders, killing one. The resident was critically wounded. Authorities believe an Upper Gwynedd man and his family were intentionally targeted by armed men who accosted family members as they returned to their home Wednesday night. The resident, who collects rent from people living in low income housing, had just pulled into the driveway with his three young daughters, ages 6 to 11, and was greeted by his wife when they were accosted by five men, some of whom were armed, according to Ferman. The five men had been hiding nearby and forced the family inside the residence. Once inside, the resident was able to get his hands on a firearm and a gunfight in which more than 20 shots were fired ensued, authorities said. Both the resident and one of the intruders were shot, said Ferman. No other family members were injured"


It’s time for in your face tactics: "The liberal social engineers, and their political shills, have fed their lapdogs in the Mainstream Media the ‘gun control’ party line. For generations it has poisoned the American consciousness. Without the sophisticated brainwashing agenda of NBC, CBS, ABC and the ‘educational’ PBS, the socialist proponents of citizen disarmament would have long ago been crushed and defeated. To aid in the goal of destroying ‘gun control,’ JPFO has prepared three versions of a placard… that are aimed directly at the soft underbelly of the media. These are purposely designed to be used at gun shows, Tea Party rallies, or any form of demonstration that seeks to send a hard core rebuttal to those who smear gun owners as racists.”


Gun control: The ultimate human rights violation: "Lucid students of the political sphere have certainly noticed that liberals are now using the phrase ‘human rights’ even more than they once used their old standby, ‘civil liberties.’ Of course they rarely define human rights, and even when they try, the definition varies … The most telling aspect of the left’s obsession with human rights is not so much what its proponents claim to defend but what they would be happy to sacrifice. And one thing all human rights activists are perpetually ready to jettison is the right Americans enjoy in keeping and bearing arms.”

OH: Gunman shot when he attacks a whole family: "The grandson of the homeowner, 68-year-old Josephine Clark, was sitting on the porch, talking on his cellphone when an armed man approached him. Authorities say the robber made the grandson strip and then demanded money. He then marched the grandson at gunpoint inside the house and continued on his criminal mission. Soon after, the crook woke up the homeowner's son and other grandson, by striking them over the head with a shotgun. Clark was sound asleep downstairs when she heard the noises upstairs. She told Fox 8 News, at first, she thought the noise might have been her grandchildren. But as she went to check, Clark says the man hit her across the face, knocking her to the ground. He then allegedly pointed a gun at her and said he was going to kill her. That's when her family took action. According to a police report, Clark's son, 40-year-old Robert Clark, grabbed the intruder's shotgun and fired it at him four to five times, killing him. Cleveland Police responded and began investigating, but at this time, it appears the family was well within their rights."


GA: Shooting at strip club considered self-defense: "A security guard at an east Atlanta strip club fatally shot a man drawing a gun on him early Friday morning, police said. Atlanta Police spokesman officer James Polite said the shooting was believed to have been in self-defense because the man, who had been escorted from the Foxy Lady on Moreland Avenue, returned to the door of the bar with a handgun around 3 a.m. Julius Geter, 32, of Atlanta, was among several people fighting in the parking lot, Polite said. Police homicide detective Sgt. D'Andrea Price told the AJC that shots were heard in the rear parking lot, and the security guard who went out to check found Geter running around holding a gun. "According to the security guard, the man pointed the gun at him," Price said. Polite said Geter refused to drop the gun and that is when the security guard fired. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital where he later died"


Pennsylvania: Armed guard stops 7-Eleven robbery: "An armed security officer thwarted a robbery early this morning in Bethlehem, city police said. Police said a robber, who was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and a black ski mask, went into the 7-Eleven store in the 1300 block of Catasauqua Road about 3:30 this morning while brandishing a handgun and demanding cash. Police said an armed Westgate Security officer confronted the robber, who then ran away empty-handed. The robber jumped into a small car and sped away from the store. Police records show no arrests were made."


WV: Governor signs Bloomberg Law: "A new law is asking other cities and states to respect the borders of West Virginia and its law enforcement officers when it comes to Second Amendment rights. The legislation is called the Bloomberg Law after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The legislation was introduced in the State Senate after it was learned that New York was conducting undercover stings in neighboring Virginia using private citizens at gun shows and other venues. ‘Whether it’s the state of New York or any other state, everyone has that sovereignty and should be responsible for that, but crossing lines and trying for entrapment is not the way to do that,’ says Governor Manchin.”

Massachusetts Gun Control Bill Stalls

(Boston, Massachusetts) A proposal to impose stricter gun control in Massachusetts has stalled.

A legislative committee has rejected on a tie vote a bill by Governor Deval Patrick to limit the purchase of firearms, angering supporters who say the measure would be a crucial step in stemming gun violence in Boston.

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary’s 4-to-4 vote does not kill the bill. But the prospects for another vote in the near future seem far from certain.

The proposed legislation restricts gun ownership, tightens background checks and prevents purchase of more than one gun per month. Anti-gun people believe that the measures would impede gun trafficking.

In any event, gun control fanatics likely won't be giving up easily. They'll be back. They're convinced that guns are evil, even legally- and responsibly-owned guns, and elimination of the guns eliminates the evil.

Tennessee man shoots at intruder: "A Louisville man shot at an intruder in his home Tuesday, according to a Blount County Sheriff’s report. James C. Humberd, Bear Hollow Loop, Louisville, called authorities at 8:53 a.m. Tuesday after he came home and found a man in his home. According to the report, Humberd — who couldn’t be reached Wednesday for comment — told authorities that he was certain he hit the man, but deputies didn’t find any blood at the scene."


Texas: Twin black brothers arrested in Home Invasion: "Victor Carroll, 27, was under police guard Thursday at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg while his twin brother Dameon was in the McLennan County Jail facing aggravated robbery charges in connection with an attempted home invasion Wednesday afternoon in Waco. The arrest stems from the attempted home invasion early Wednesday afternoon at the Parkside Apartments in the 1500 block of North 9th Street where three men burst into an apartment occupied by Marquel Phillips, 30, his girlfriend and two children. Phillips told officers he heard a knock at the door and when he opened it, three men with T-shirts over their faces confronted him. Two of the men rushed into the apartment and started to fight with Phillips, police said, but Phillips fought back and was able to take a pistol away from one of the men whom he then shot once in the thigh. After the shot was fired the three men fled."


Second Amendment supporters say UK shooting spree is cautionary tale: “American supporters of gun rights have been electrified by last week’s mass shooting in England and are seeing it as proof that restrictive gun laws, common in Europe, do more harm than good. Representatives of the [CCRKBA] — an organization that fights to preserve Second Amendment rights — have said that gun prohibitionists often cite UK’s restrictive gun laws as a model. In fact, these laws were further tightened after the Dunblane, Scotland, massacre of 16 school children in 1996. However, instead of ensuring safety, such measures only ‘created a risk-free environment for the gunman to carry out his despicable act,’ CCRKBA said. ‘When armed Americans fight back shooting sprees are stopped,’ said the organization’s chairman Alan Gottlieb.”


IL: 100,000 Chicagoans own “illegal” guns: "TTAG [The Truth About Guns] has reported that Chicago residents ‘inspired’ by recent handgun home defense incidents are purchasing an illegal weapon. The Chicago Trib reports that this news isn’t. ‘It’s odd that two people have to die before the paper highlights the fact….’ Based on a study that Ludwig and other experts conducted in 2007 on Chicago’s underground gun market, he roughly estimated that as many as 100,000 Chicago households could have handguns. ‘Judging from the available data, there are apparently a lot of people in Chicago who feel strongly enough they need a gun for protection that they’re willing to ignore the ban,’ Ludwig said.””

Florida Woman Shoots Ex After Sex

(Oviedo, Florida) Last Month, a 42-year-old local woman, Anita Smithey, engaged in sex with her estranged husband and afterward fatally plugged him in the chest with a gunshot. She claimed the gun went off accidentally.

Smithey (pic) also told officers that after she shot Robert Cline, 41, he wouldn't move, so she plugged him a couple more times just to get him off the bed.

It's not surprising that the police investigators had problems with her story and she was charged with murder. Smithey asserts that the killing was in self-defense.

Police said Smithey stabbed herself with a single-blade folding knife to make it look like self-defense in what authorities said they thought was a case of domestic violence.

Smithey was booked into custody and has remained there since the start of May. Circuit Judge Marlene Alva finally allowed bail of $100,000 on June 1st, effective June 10th, the day after the victim's children get out of school.

MO: Just the threat that he had a gun saved a man: "It was all part of a bizarre crime spree police say crossed two Missouri counties and ended in Illinois. One of those victims they say thought fast to protect his home and future wife. When 26 year old Nick Barr got up for a drink of water just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, he flipped on the light and saw a stranger in his home holding a rifle. "He just said, 'don't move,' were the only words he said," says Barr. "Soon as he said that it was like telling me to run. I just bolted immediately." And he was thinking fast, too. Barr says he switched off the lights, shut the bedroom door behind him and yelled the first thing that came to mind. "I was yelling at him and told him I had a gun and a phone," said Barr who was trying to protect himself and his fiancé.... when asked if he did in fact have a gun said, "Not that I could reach. But you got to do something so that's what I told him." And, just around the corner from Barr, they say the four tried to break in to another home. Three of the four were caught after several departments chased them down across the river in St. Clair County, Illinois."


California: Man shot by pawn shop worker was in middle of day-long crime spree: "Detectives said El Monte resident Rudy Barbosa, 24, started a crime spree at 5 a.m. when he robbed a 7-Eleven in in El Monte. He went on to carjack someone in Los Angeles before he was shot by a worker at Alamo Jewelry and Loan, police officer said. Shortly before 11 a.m., Barbosa donned a mask and attempted to rob the pawn shop at 544 N. Azusa Ave. in West Covina, West Covina police Lt. Rudy Lopez said. Two employees saw a masked man carrying what they believed to be a rifle trying to enter the front door while shouting out orders, police said. One of the store employees fired a single shot from a handgun and the masked intruder fled, Lopez said... El Monte police found Barbosa driving nearby and chased him several blocks until he crashed into another car at Santa Anita Avenue and Bodger Street, Lopez said. Officers then arrested Barbosa without further incident"


More gun control in Britain?: "Recent events in Cumbria have led to an entirely predictable concern among UK libertarians that even more restrictions on gun ownership and usage are on the way. But on this occasion, I don’t share their pessimism. UK domestic gun legislation is already among the tightest in the world (which is a bit ironic for a country that is one of the world’s largest arms exporters). Furthermore, even the most dyed in the wool statists are currently resigned to having their budgets (and therefore their de facto powers, at least) cut in the short to medium term. These facts, combined with the rarity of shooting sprees in the UK by licensed gun owners using their own weapons, make any attempt to administer further restrictions uneconomic.”


Fourth Circuit decision restores rights of minor offenders: "Gun owners in West Virginia and many other states whose right to possess a firearm may have been denied because of a conviction for a ‘misdemeanor crime of domestic violence’ may no longer be prohibited from possessing firearms based on a decision last week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which covers West Virginia. In the case of U.S. v. White (PDF), the 4th Circuit held that a conviction in Virginia for simple assault, without evidence in the record of conviction showing the use or attempted use of ‘physical force,’ did not constitute a ‘misdemeanor crime of domestic violence’ for which federal law prohibits the possession of firearms.”

Chicago: Robber shot, killed at pawnshop: "A 23-year-old felon was shot to death as he tried to rob a Northwest Side pawnshop Tuesday afternoon. The slain suspect was convicted in 2006 of armed robbery and sentenced to boot camp, court records show. Police sources said the owner of Fullerton Pawners Inc. shot the robber at about 1 p.m. inside the store. Two accomplices, one wearing a black backpack, ran away. One may have been wounded, sources said. Police have recovered a revolver they believe the slain robber was wielding, sources said. Police were reviewing video of the incident, taken from a surveillance camera in the store, sources said. Detectives also were interviewing witnesses Tuesday night to determine if any charges should be brought against the shooter — including charges involving the city’s handgun ban."


TX: Aggressive boyfriend shot with own gun: "Wilburn had been arguing with his live-in girlfriend Monday evening. She left their home with her two teenaged children and walked to a male friend's home on Chancel Court deputies said. Against the advice of his relatives, her boyfriend came looking for her Trevino said. The 32-year-old allegedly got in an argument with his girlfriend's male friend. Deputies said that evolved into a physical fight. Wilburn reportedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun investigators said. According to deputies, the two men struggled over the gun. Trevino said the woman's friend took the gun from her boyfriend and opened fire inside his garage. Wilburn was shot throughout his torso said Trevino. He stumbled into the yard where he died. The homeowner, Wilburn's girlfriend, and others were taken in for questioning. Even so, no criminal charges had been filed against the alleged shooter."


NC: Wounded homeowner kills intruder: "A Granville County homeowner exchanged gunfire with a suspected burglar early Tuesday, killing the intruder, authorities said. Sheriff Brindle Wilkins said Clay Ellington was trying to break into a home on Dove Road, near Creedmoor, and fired shots at the homeowner, Richard Chapel. Chapel returned fire, killing Ellington, the sheriff said. Chapel was wounded in the exchange and was taken to Duke University Hospital for treatment. His condition was unknown Tuesday afternoon.”


CA: Home Invasion Leaves One Invader Dead: "A 15-year-old suspect was killed and the homeowners critically injured in a shootout early Tuesday during a home-invasion robbery targeting a residential marijuana grow, police said. The injured husband shot and killed one teenage intruder and held another 17-year-old at gunpoint until police arrived at the house in the 1300 block of Aster Drive, near the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, police Sgt. Diane Aguinaga said. A third suspect, believed to be wounded, remained at large Tuesday afternoon as police followed a trail of blood. Two small children at the home at the time of the robbery were uninjured. The husband, wife and wounded suspect were flown to hospitals. The teen later died, and the husband and wife were in critical condition, police said. Police were called at 4:37 a.m. by the husband, who said three men were breaking into his house."

Missouri: Shop manager, daughter foil burglary: "Just after noon on Saturday, Springfield police arrived at the store at 2845 W. Chestnut to find one store manager, a 45-year-old disabled woman, holding the would-be burglars at gunpoint. Marlene Woodman, 65, manages the store with her daughter Angela Mallard, 45. Woodman credits Mallard with protecting her. When she walked in with lunch, Mallard said she had a funny feeling about the customer her mom was serving. When she went to the break room, she found a stranger in the back office, Mallard said. Drawers were open, cushions were overturned. Lights were on, and they are usually off during the day. Mallard told her mother to call the police, go out to Mallard’s car and get Mallard’s gun. “It was all very calm,” Woodman said. She handed her daughter the gun and told the men to sit quietly. She told her daughter not to shoot unless she had to. “Angela was standing in the doorway, telling them ‘Don’t move or I’ll blow you away.’"


CA: Bill would increase rules on rifles: "Lawmakers in the California Assembly have evoked ‘Joe the Plumber,’ Japanese internment and the late novelist Ayn Rand as they battle over a gun control bill that would extend the same reporting requirements and regulations that govern hand guns to rifles and other long guns. On Thursday, the measure, AB1810, passed the Assembly on a 43-10 vote. It now moves to the Senate. Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, sponsored the bill, saying it would help law enforcement investigate gun crimes. Opponents argue the Legislature is systematically taking away their constitutional rights under the Second Amendment.”


Citizen heroes snared in foolish gun restrictions: "The Supreme Court is expected to strike down Chicago’s ban when they release their decision in the case of McDonald v. Chicago. That decision is scheduled to be announced toward the end of this month and answers the question whether the Second Amendment restricts states and municipalities from enacting harsh gun laws. It is likely that there will never be a clear and complete definition from the courts as to exactly what restrictions are acceptable and what are not and at this point there is very little jurisprudence on that subject so Chicago will doubtlessly respond by implementing some less comprehensive, but equally onerous restrictions once their total ban is rejected. Expect the wrangling over what is and what is not an infringement of ‘the right of the people to keep and bear arms’ to be bouncing through the courts for at least the next two or three decades.”

Ct: Suspicious intruder shot and killed: "After the road-rage incident, he said the first driver went to a home on Priscilla Street where a party was being held. The second driver followed the first to the Priscilla Street address and then left, returning a short time later with Parlemon. Viadero said Parlemon then got out of the car with a mask covering his face and approached the house. He continued that the shooter, believing that Parlemon had a gun, got his own gun and shot Parlemon. Parlemon, bleeding from his wound, managed to get back into the car he came in and it drove off. Police initially thought Parlemon was the victim of a drive-by shooting. Officers were canvassing the neighborhood around the firehouse for witnesses when they came to the Priscilla Street home. To their surprise, a man in the home immediately surrendered, admitting he did the shooting."


MO: Investigator Dies in Attempted Robbery, Kills Suspect: "An 18-year-old is in police custody tonight facing possible charges in the attempted robbery and shooting death of an investigator for the Missouri Attorney General's office. Tyrone Thompson worked as a consumer fraud investigator for the AG's office. He was also a former police chief of Pagedale and worked as an officer in University City. The second suspect in this case--Jakeem Hicks-- wasn't so fortunate. He was shot in an exchange of gunfire with Thompson. Police say that Thompson pulled out his own gun when the two suspects tried to rob him. Hicks was wounded. He stumbled about four houses away from where the shooting occurred, collapsed and died on the scene."


GA: Man killed by security guard trying to break up fight: "A security guard breaking up a fight between three men ended up fatally shooting one of them in an exchange of gunfire early Sunday, WSB-TV reports. Atlanta police confirmed a homicide took place in the 1400 block of Boulevard Southeast during "an altercation between the security guard and the victim." According to WSB-TV, a security guard from a nearby nightclub was trying to stop a fight about 5:30 a.m. when one of three participants pulled a gun. The guard and the gunman exchanged gunfire, and the gunman was hit in the chest, the station reported. He was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office identified the deceased as William Cody, 33. Police are still investigating and no arrests have been made"

SC: Mother foils attempted break-in by shooting at men: "A mother who was caring for her young child foiled two men's attempts to break in to her house about 1:30 p.m. Monday when she, from her kitchen, shot at the men... the woman’s husband confirmed that it was his wife who fired at least two shots when the men tried to break in to their home on Broadway School Road in Belton while he was out of town. Authorities did not know whether the woman had hit and injured either of the men. As of Monday night, no one had been arrested, and authorities were still looking for two black men in a burgundy compact car. “The homeowner said two black males came to the front door and rang the doorbell, but the homeowner did not know them and so did not open the door,” said Chad McBride, a spokesman for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. “They drove their car to the back of the house and then picked up an object — a rock or a tool — and threw it through a glass door at the back of the house. “At that point, the homeowner fired a couple of shots.” After the shooting, the men fled the location and drove away in their car, McBride said."


Ohio: Fatal Shooting Justified: "Police in Dayton said a double shooting that happened on Tuesday and left one man dead has been determined to be a justified shooting. Police said the victim, Timothy Thomas, of Springfield, and other man, James Schuller, planned to enter the apartment of Terrance Boyd, 45, and rob him of money and drugs. According to police, Boyd's apartment door was unlocked. Police believe there was a struggle inside the apartment, causing Boyd to grab a gun from one of the alleged robbers and shoot them. Thomas was fatally shot and Schuller was injured. He was taken to a local hospital, where he is listed in fair condition. Boyd was taken into custody for probation violation, which was unrelated to the shooting. At this time, police said Boyd is not facing any charges in connection with the shooting."


South Carolina Soldier Shoots Robbers: "An Army specialist just home from the Middle East shot and critically wounded a robber who tried to hold up his family after they stopped with car trouble late Thursday, authorities said. Two other robbers returned fire as they pulled their wounded accomplice into a getaway car and sped away from the McCleod Road crime scene, according to Colleton County Sheriff George Malone. None of the victims were wounded, but their cars were struck by bullets, deputies said. Deputies located the injured suspect a short time later at Colleton Regional Hospital, where he was being treated for several gunshot wounds, deputies said. David Jayquon Jakes, 19, of Smoaks was later transferred to Medical University Hospital in Charleston, where he remains in intensive care, Chief Deputy Ted Stanfield said. … Investigators have no plans to file charges against the serviceman who shot Jakes, as he had a valid concealed weapons permit and acted in self-defense, Malone said."


Ambushed Florida Man saved by his gun: "John Lee says he's convinced they would have killed him if he hadn't had his gun. Lee was talking from his hospital bed Wednesday about the three armed robbers who ambushed him in the parking lot of his Palmetto Bay apartment complex, shooting him four times as he fired back with his own pistol. "They told me 'give it up,' but they didn't give me a chance. They just shot," Lee said as he lay sedated in his Ryder Trauma Center bed with bandages covering his abdomen, left arm and left hand. Lee was set upon as he got out of his car at the Royal Coast apartment complex where he lives shortly after midnight Tuesday morning. Lee said the bandits gave him no opportunity to comply with their demands before two of them started shooting. "The first bullet caught me in the hand and spun me around," Lee said. "I reached for it. I started firing my gun. I must have gotten hit a couple more times, but I didn't feel it at the time. I just started firing back, and the guys ran off."

Michigan: Home Invader Shot With Own Sawed-Off Shotgun: "Flint Township police are investigating after an elderly man got a hold of a sawed-off shotgun while a 35-year-old man burglarized his bedroom. Investigators said the intruder, a Flint resident, had forcibly entered the second-floor apartment. Police said the man entered the room and saw the suspect set down his gun while rummaging through the bedroom. The man then grabbed the gun and shot the suspect. Investigators said the suspect then grabbed the gun from the man and fled the apartment. Officers said they later discovered him at a nearby apartment building. The suspect was taken into custody and is being treated at a Flint Township hospital while under police guard. Authorities said charges are pending against the 35-year-old suspect."


FL: Both robber and victim die: "Shots were fired from two guns about 9 p.m. Friday inside a car in front of a vacant house on Gertrude Court at the intersection of Cedar Highlands Boulevard. The driver -- David J. McCants, 22, of Ocala -- had no criminal record, Chitwood said. Family members and friends said he was "a good student" at a local college. He was found dead inside the car, and police speculate a 9-mm pistol found inside the car was his. Sean A. Hatter, 21, of Daytona Beach, McCants' passenger, has only been arrested for a misdemeanor, according to court records. He was shot in the leg and foot and is in stable condition at Halifax Health Medical Center. McCants and Hatter were alone in the car when they pulled up in front of the house, but were joined soon after by De'Angelo A. Lee, 20, also of Daytona Beach. That's when "all hell broke loose," Chitwood said. Lee was found dead about 50 feet away from the car. He's the only one of the men with a felony record, and it's not lengthy, court records show. "The only thing we know for sure is that this was a robbery," the chief said. "De'Angelo had property in his pockets belonging to the victims."


Carjacker caught but bystander accidentally shot: "A Detroit carjacking victim was charged with manslaughter this morning for killing a woman in her kitchen with a shot meant for his alleged assailant. Edward Bell, 65, was charged for the May 12 fatal shooting of Geraldine Jackson, 69. She was hit in her home on the 18400 block of Vaughn. The incident began, authorities said, with the alleged carjacking and robbery of Bell on the 18000 block of Evergreen in Detroit, when Antwan Hall allegedly drove off with Bell’s GMC Suburban. Bell reportedly pulled a handgun and fired, striking the SUV. Hall crashed into a tree, bailed out of the vehicle, dropped a replica handgun and fled on foot. Authorities said that Bell fired as Hall ran west on Pickford and Vaughn. The shot missed Hall, but went into Jackson’s home, hitting her, according to the prosecutor’s office. Bell is charged with manslaughter, carrying a maximum15-years prison term; and discharge of a weapon at a building, a felony with a four-year maximum sentence. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in Detroit 36th District Court. Hall is charged with felony murder that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole."


Research: Concealed Carry and Guns Save Lives: "Guns save lives, and are necessary for protection. That's according to research from David Burnett and Clayton Cramer, who track incidents of defensive gun use at TheArmedCitizen.com. The stories include senior citizens fighting off robbers, and women defending themselves against rapists or attackers, proving armed citizens prevent violent crimes everywhere from restaurants and grocery stores to banks, coffee houses and pizza parlors. "We've documented 2,160 stories of self-defense with guns since May 2007 - the same time frame the VPC used," said Burnett. "When it comes to concealed carry permits, we have 153 documented cases across 26 states with at least 550 lives saved." The Violence Policy Center (VPC) recently claimed concealed weapons licensees are killers, offering stories as proof. Burnett says the VPC is distorting the truth. "If these victims had been disarmed, they wouldn't be able to fight back ...they'd be dead," said Burnett."