OR: Man shot and killed stepson in self defense: "The Lane County district attorney says a 62-year-old man acted in self defense when he fatally shot his stepson at the family's Lowell, Ore., home. District Attorney Alex Gardner said Thursday that an inebriated Shawn Gamble picked a fight with his stepfather Jimmie Allen Montgomery on Monday and assaulted him near a shed on the property. Montgomery retreated to the main house and the 36-year-old Gamble followed. The older man grabbed a small-caliber handgun near his bed and warned that he would fire if Gamble kept coming. Other family members prevented Gamble from grabbing a gun but he still resumed his attack on Montgomery and the older man fired multiple shots."


TX: Cigar store clerk scares away armed robbers: "A cigar store in Waco, Texas was held up by two bandits, who made off with cash, though it has been speculated that they probably won’t return to the store, especially after one of the shop’s clerks had scared them away. The robbery occurred at approximately 12:40am Wednesday, at the Fiesta Smoke Shop, when two masked armed robbers stormed into the establishment, confronted two of its clerks, and demanded money. As soon as he got the opportunity, Tayeh grabbed his gun and opened fire at the robbers.... the bandits headed toward the exit after they were done. That was when Tayeh went to go grab a revolver that was concealed behind the counter. Soon enough, he began shooting at the two fleeing armed robbers with it, and a shootout ensues, with the shots being fired at close range. At least one of the bandits may have been shot, according to Tayeh. Thankfully, neither Tayeh nor his partner was harmed."


NC: Homeowner isn’t charged in shooting: "But on Dec. 10, Dellerman said, he had no choice. He walked down the stairs, holding his handgun in front of him. In his living room, curtains drawn to save heat, he saw three tall men. 'And then I heard something like 'Get him!' and they started coming at me,' he said.Dellerman fired. Five bullet holes were later found in his floor, window and armoire, he said. He hit all three of the men, he would later learn."


MD: A retired police officer reportedly shot a robbery suspect: "The Baltimore City Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred in the 5200 block of Park Heights Avenue on Wednesday night and involved a retired police officer. Detective Kevin Brown says a suspect attempted to rob a carry-out restaurant with gun and was subsequently shot by an unidentified retired police officer."

FL: Bystander with gun comes to rescue of Marine and wife: "A group of unruly teenagers attacked a 27-year-old Marine and his wife who had asked them to be quiet during a Christmas night showing of 'Little Fockers.' ... The couple was kicked and punched in the parking lot before a gun-brandishing witness told the crowd to step back just before deputies arrived."


MI: Man shot during home invasion critical: "Ryan Edger, 28, remains a patient at Battle Creek Health System, where he was taken after the shooting about 11 p.m. Thursday. Battle Creek police said Edger was one of three men wearing masks when they kicked open a side door and entered a home in the 100 block of Cliff Street, apparently searching for money or other property. Edger was armed with a handgun, detectives said, and the others may have been armed also. A man and woman and the woman's 7-year-old girl were inside the house and a short time later the woman's boyfriend, 28, returned to find the robbers still inside. Detective Jeff Coons said the boyfriend and Edger began to fight and the boyfriend, whose name has not been released, took the gun away from Edger. The boyfriend then retrieved his own gun, a .223 caliber semi-automatic handgun and began firing at the men, hitting Edger several times, including once in the face."


S.C.: Tow-truck driver shoots, kills man after dispute: "A Bluffton man was shot and killed Christmas Eve by a controversial tow company operator, who put a boot on his minivan as he was visiting with relatives, according to Sheriff P.J. Tanner. Carlos Olivera, 34, was shot multiple times at about 8:30 p.m. Friday in front of his brother's home at 408 Live Oak Walk in the Edgefield neighborhood, Tanner said. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating, but Preston Oates, a principal of Pro Tow, has not been arrested, Tanner said. Both men were armed, Tanner said, adding his department is reviewing witness statements and evidence, including two confiscated weapons, to determine what led up to Olivera's death. Oates -- who says he acted in self-defense -- was detained by deputies and released later that evening, Tanner said."


NC: One Dead after Barber Shop Shooting: "Police are investigating a shooting in an Asheboro barber shop that left one man dead on Christmas Eve. Witnesses say that a man was asleep in one of the chairs in the Real Cuts barber shop, located at 801 MLK Jr. Drive, when two men came in on Friday morning. One of the men walked over to the man who was asleep in the chair and started beating him up. When the man awoke, he pulled out a gun and shot one of them in the stomach. The other man fled the scene, and so did the shooter, said witnesses. Police are currently interviewing the shooter, who they have in custody."

Indianapolis: Diner owner fought back when two armed robbers tried to get away with robbing his business: "Euel Milmoth has been the owner of E.J.'s Diner for the past 11 years. All that time, he said he has carried a .22 magnum pistol in his pocket. He said he felt uneasy Thursday morning when he was opening up for the day around 5 a.m. The lights weren't even on yet when two men came in. One stood by the door, the other approached Euel at the counter. "One guy came up to the register and said, 'I need some money.' He reached into his pocket for something, and when his hand started to come out... I had my gun cocked... and I shot him," he told Fox59 News. One of the suspects was hit in the right shoulder. Police searched the area for any possible leads but came up short."


W.Va.: Homeowner shoots and kills neighbor: "West Virginia State Police say a homeowner shot and killed an intruder at a house along Teays Valley Road in Scott Depot, Tuesday afternoon.
Troopers say Jeff Walker was sleeping on his couch, when his dogs began barking. Walker told police he got up and found his neighbor Stephen King in his home. Walker says King pointed a gun at him when he shot him in the torso. King was taken to the hospital, where he died a short time later. Right now, no charges have been filed in the case."


MD: Gas station owner shoots, kills would-be robber: "The owner of a Laurel gas station struggled with, then shot and killed a man who attempted to rob his store early Tuesday, police said. Based on a preliminary investigation, police said they believe a man entered the store, implied that he had a weapon and demanded money. After a struggle, the 48-year-old store owner shot the would-be robber in the parking lot, said Justin Mulcahy, a police spokesman. The suspect was taken to a hospital in Prince George's County, where he died Tuesday morning. Mulcahy said the man who owns the gas station owns the property, though the doughnut and ice cream shops are owned by franchisees. "We're going to work closely with the state's attorney's office," Mulcahy said. "No one's been charged at this time."


NC: Blizzard Strips Gun Owners of Concealed Carry Privilege: "The recent blizzard that hammered North Carolina is also taking its toll on the state’s law abiding gun owners. Citizens possessing concealed carry permits who are caught packing heat during the “State of Emergency” will be subject to criminal charges, per the state’s firearms law. On Christmas Day, Lt. Governor Walter Dalton, in consultation with Governor Bev Perdue, called in the National Guard as snow covered every county in the state. Once a state of emergency is declared, concealed carry permits become null and void, and those who aren’t familiar with this bizarre stipulation in the law are subject to arrest and criminal prosecution"

AZ: Suspect dies after opening fire on guards: "A suspect involved in a shooting at a Phoenix gentleman's club died after opening fire on security guards. Officers found a security guard who works for the club with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators discovered that there had been an altercation between two groups of people at the club. The bouncers and security guard broke up the fight and asked those involved to leave the premises. The suspect, Tekina Latu, 22, became upset and grabbed a handgun, firing several rounds at the security guard. Some of the bullets struck the security guard's ballistic vest, which police said may have saved his life. The security guard was able to get his gun and return fire, striking Latu several times."


CA: Armed Robbery Spree Ends in Fresno: "Police say the same group of young men is behind five armed robberies in the city of Fresno in the past month. Their crime spree ended, after one of them was shot in the process. 18-year-old Wesley Sarden was shot by the co-owner of the Play 'n' Trade, who happens to be a woman. Police say she won't be charged because she acted in self defense. But others involved could be held responsible. 18-year-old Oshae Boyd was arrested in connection to the deadly robbery series. Police plan to ask the district attorney to charge him with murder since his accomplice died while they were committing a felony."


AZ man shot in foot in self defense: "The Pinal County Sheriff's Office said 24-year-old David Provost was wounded when he and 27-year-old Dustin Jakes began to argue over which branch of the service was better, Army or Navy. The confrontation apparently escalated into a physical fight, and with Jakes in a sling from recent shoulder surgery, he could not defend himself from the attack and pointed a handgun at Provost, according to the PCSO. According to the PCSO, Provost said, ""What are you going to do shoot me? I don't care, shoot me," as he advanced on Jakes. Jakes reportedly fired two rounds from the handgun toward the floor and one of the rounds struck Provost in the foot. Gaffney said the case will be looked at by the department's Criminal Investigations Bureau and sent to the County Attorney's Office for review, but that it appears Jakes fired the handgun at Provost in self defense."


FL: Robbery attempt foiled when victim shoots first: "A would-be robber was shot and seriously injured late Sunday night after the man he attempted to rob struck first. The shooting took place outside the Longhorn Steakhouse and next to the JPMorgan Chase Bank on the 6800 block of Okeechobee Boulevard, just outside West Palm Beach city limits, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department. A spokeswoman for the department said three men approached a fourth man and attempted to rob him. The victim, who had a concealed weapons permit, pulled out his own gun and shot one of the robbers. The would-be robber was rushed to St. Mary's Medical Center on trauma alert with life-threatening injuries"

Short Hiatus

This blog is suspended for a couple of days over the Christmas period. But as Macarthur said for the cameras: "I shall return"

CA: Off-duty officer shoots robbery suspect: "An off-duty San Diego police officer shot and injured a robbery suspect Wednesday night outside the officer's residence in the Nestor area of south San Diego, police said. The suspect was shot once in the buttocks, and his wound was not considered life-threatening, said police Capt. Jim Collins. The officer heard noises outside his condominium on Avenida Del Mexico, just off Saturn Boulevard, about 9:35 p.m., said police homicide Lt. Kevin Rooney. When he looked outside, he saw two men carrying his motorcycle to the back of a minivan. The officer armed himself and ran outside. The offficer, who was not in uniform, confronted one of the men and identified himself as a police officer. He ordered the man, identified by police as Eduardo Gonzalez, 28, to get on the ground... Gonzalez then hit the officer and turned and placed both hands inside the middle of his jacket. The officer believed Gonzalez was arming himself and fired the shot."


Attempt to rob off-duty cop in Milwaukee fails badly: "Milwaukee police said an off-duty officer was the target of an armed robbery at 102nd Street and Fond Du Lac Avenue in Milwaukee Thursday afternoon. Assistant Chief James Harpole told the media late Thursday afternoon that two men approached the officer and one of the men pulled out a knife. The 42-year-old officer, a nine-year veteran of the force, pulled out a gun and shot the man with the knife, police said. The other robber surrendered. The man who was shot is at an area hospital and suffered non-life-threatening injuries."


AZ Legislator wants end to campus gun bans: "Saying everyone but criminals will be safer, a veteran legislator wants to let qualified faculty carry guns on university and community college campuses. Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, said Wednesday that there have been instances of someone with a grudge coming onto a campus, going into a classroom and starting to shoot. He said the current prohibition against weapons on campus - one that the criminal has ignored - leaves the teacher and student defenseless. But Harper isn't stopping with arming the faculty. He is crafting a separate measure to allow students with certain training to also arm themselves."

MA: Disarming the toy box: "Dominic joined dozens of children yesterday at the annual Toy Gun Bash in the gymnasium of Pleasant View Elementary School. There, they lined up to toss their toy guns, from dainty purple water guns to camouflage-painted pistols, inside the Bash-O-Matic, a large black, foam creature with churning metal teeth and the shape of a cockroach spliced with a frog. Prodded by Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, who wore a fuzzy Santa hat, the children stared curiously as the Bash-O-Matic mashed up their guns and digested them into a plastic bin near its tail."


SAF, ANJRPC Ask for Summary Judgment in New Jersey Lawsuit: "The Second Amendment Foundation and the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs have filed a motion for summary judgment in their federal lawsuit that challenges New Jersey handgun carry laws. SAF and ANJRPC filed the lawsuit last month in federal district court in New Jersey. If this motion is granted, there could be action on the case early in 2011. "We're challenging New Jersey's unconscionable law that forces citizens to demonstrate some absurd 'justifiable need' in order to exercise a constitutional right to keep and bear arms," said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "The way Garden State officials consistently abuse their authority to deny handgun licenses under existing statute is simply unconstitutional, and our case will prove that."




Battle over Chinese-made rifle pits Canadian gun enthusiasts against cops: "Several gun owners are refusing to surrender a semi-automatic rifle that was imported from China and bought legally before the RCMP retroactively declared it a prohibited weapon. The police force says that the imposing-looking Norinco Type 97A can easily be converted to a fully automatic weapon and must be prohibited on that basis. But 15 gun owners have refused to accept the $1,400 per firearm that Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has offered to anyone who voluntary relinquishes one of the rifles. The gun owners have gone to court in an effort to prevent their weapons from being confiscated. Firearms retailers say the rifle has been prohibited largely because of its appearance. Canada’s National Firearms Association says the RCMP is exceeding its mandate by reclassifying the Norinco Type 97A"

Maine: Robber shot and killed: "Crowley told Denoncourt, who was watching television, that she had crashed her car nearby and needed to be towed back onto the road. “Denoncourt stated that he immediately was suspicious as he did not hear a crash.” After getting some rain gear and a tow hitch and placing the handgun in his belt, Denoncourt went outside and, after closing the door behind him, allegedly was sprayed in the face by Crowley with pepper spray, according to the affidavit. A man believed to be Richards then appeared and began striking Denoncourt in the head with some sort of metal object, the affidavit indicates. Denoncourt had difficulty seeing because of the pepper spray but managed to get to his Jeep in the driveway, where he pulled his gun out of his belt and fired three to four shots at a “silhouette moving toward him,” according to the document."


NJ: Christie commutes sentence of man jailed for owning guns: "Gov. Chris Christie has commuted the sentence of a man who was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found with guns he'd purchased legally in Colorado. Twenty-seven-year-old Brian Aitken's case had become a cause celebre among gun-rights advocates. Aitken had purchased the guns legally in Colorado, and he passed an FBI background check when he bought them, according to his father, Larry Aitken. Brian also contacted New Jersey State Police before moving back back to the Garden State to discuss how to properly transport his weapons. But despite those good-faith efforts, Larry Aitken said, Brian was convicted on weapons charges and sent to prison in August. Judge James Morley would not allow the argument in trial earlier this year and Christie later declined to reappoint the judge due to an unrelated case. According to an order for commutation of sentence released by Christie on Monday, Aitken was to be released from custody as soon as administratively possible."

AL: Woman claims self-defense in deadly shooting: "A woman who shot her husband at their home in Northport Sunday claimed that she was acting in self-defense, authorities said. No arrests have been made in the killing of Michael Odell Jones Jr., 28, who was shot at his home on Royal Oak Circle Sunday, said Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit Capt. Loyd Baker. The wife told investigators that Jones had threatened her with the gun during an argument, Baker said. Jones put the gun down before he began to hit and kick her, she told investigators. She said Jones had threatened to kill her and himself, Baker said. The woman told investigators that she took the gun and fired several shots. Baker did not release the woman's name because she has not been charged with a crime."


TX: Suspect charged in store robbery: "It happened at a store on Canal Street in east Houston on Saturday. Police say the store owner was returning with a bag of cash when a car pulled up and a man got out and snatched the money. When the thief was running away, the store owner pulled out a gun and fired. A short time later, a vehicle matching the description of the suspects' vehicle pulled up to the Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Room. The suspect, Elton Guidry, and another man, Corey Taylor, showed up at a hospital where Guidry died. Taylor, 30, was taken into custody on robbery charges. The 32-year-old business owner was not injured."


ATF to require multiple sales reports of long guns: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is moving to require federally licensed firearms retailers to report multiple sales of modern sporting rifles beginning January 5, 2011. Specifically, the ATF requirement calls for firearms retailers to report multiple sales, or other dispositions, of two or more .22 caliber or larger semi-automatic rifles that are capable of accepting a detachable magazine and are purchased by the same individual within five consecutive business days."

11-Year-Old Girl Wards Off Home Invaders With Pink Rifle






AZ: Beer heist turns into shootout: "A botched beer heist became a dangerous early morning shootout at a Phoenix convenience store, police said Sunday. The shooting occurred when three men entered a store near 51st Avenue and McDowell Road about 1:45 a.m. The suspects tried to take beer from the store and were stopped by a 25-year-old man, who was not a store employee, said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a spokesman for Phoenix police. One of the suspects, a 17-year-old, shoved the man to the floor and shot him, Thompson said. The victim in return shot the youth. "He (the teen) didn't realize the other man was armed too. That man pulled his gun out and he shot the teenager," said Thompson. Both men were taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries."

FL: Attempted heist at jewelry store leads to shootout: "Carlos Cisneros, owner of Cisneros Jewelers on Dr. Phillips Boulevard, told deputies he exchanged bullets with two suspects during an apparent attempted robbery on Tuesday. The store's owner, 71-year-old Carlos Cisneros, told investigators two young men had entered his store with their faces covered with bandanas. Cisneros told deputies he tried to get his gun so he could protect himself. That's when he said one of the suspects pulled a handgun and fired at him multiple times. Cisneros fired back, deputies said, with bullets shattering a store window and a display case during the exchange of gunfire. Cisneros was not hurt, and nothing was stolen before the suspects fled, deputies said. Cisneros told deputies he thought he may have hit one of the two men during the gun fight."




Shooter shot by boxed-in driver: "A 19-year-old man [above] is dead after he fired a semiautomatic pistol at a boxed-in motorist who then shot him back, Seminole County deputies said Saturday. The driver, whose name was not immediately revealed, told authorities that he was heading home about 2:15 a.m. Saturday near Old Lake Mary Road and Egrets Landing when he saw two cars following him. Sheriff's Lt. James Clark said the driver tried to turn around, but was boxed in by the vehicles. A man later identified as Desmond Willis got out of one of the cars and began firing a semiautomatic pistol at the motorist in what the Sheriff's Office called an attempted robbery. The driver had a gun and returned fire, Clark said. The driver's gunfire struck Willis. Soon after the traded shots, the two cars sped off, taking Willis with them, Clark said. The motorist then notified authorities. Soon after that, hospital workers called the Sheriff's Office about a man who had just been pronounced dead." The motorist does not face charges in Willis' shooting, according to the Sheriff's Office."


City with strictest gun laws has most officers killed by gunfire : “The City of Chicago has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation. Up until a few months ago, it was illegal for a private citizen to own or possess a handgun anywhere within the city, including in one’s own home. For 2010, Chicago also holds another distinction. More Chicago Police Officers were killed by gunfire this year than any other police agency in the nation. The city also boasts one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, with 1 in 89 residents being victims of violent crime last year.”


Florida school board shooting shows failure of “gun control” : "Superintendent Bill Husfelt, who acted bravely, albeit futilely, had time to say ‘Please don’t’ before assailant Duke opened fire. The rest had to resign themselves to diving for cover in terror. Why? Isn’t Florida one of those states with ’shall issue’ concealed carry and a ’stand your ground’ law …. Yes it is. But that’s trumped — at least in the eyes of the Bay District Schools board — by policy …”

NC: DA rules Raceway shooting self defense: "Investigators in Sampson County say a Fourth of July shooting death was justified. They say Torrey Frederick shot and killed Timothy McKoy at Harrells Raceway. The district attorney says the investigation revealed McKoy appeared to be the aggressor for pulling a gun on Frederick, who fired in self-defense. The DA will not file charges against Frederick." [More details here]


Pa.:Gunman disarmed and shot: "A Wilkinsburg man who police say killed a man in Sharpsburg faces gun charges, but was not charged with the death. Norman Warren, 22, will be charged with tampering with evidence and illegally carrying a gun for his role in the death early Tuesday of Marlon Roberts, Allegheny County Police said. Police said Roberts, 22, of Lincoln-Lemington came to the Sisca Street home of a former girlfriend Monday night and threatened and assaulted Warren, her boyfriend, with a pistol. Warren disarmed Roberts and shot him with the gun before fleeing, police said. Roberts died at Allegheny General Hospital in the North Side. The woman was home with Roberts' 2-year-old son at the time of the shooting, Sharpsburg police said. Chief Leo Rudzki said that on his way to the scene, he saw Warren and arrested him."


Pa.: Dormont garage owner shot robber dead: "On the ground and dazed from the jolt of a stun gun, Bill Miller peered over his shoulder and saw his assailant slip out the door. The man had just taken Mr. Miller's cash and his driver's license at gunpoint. He had a hunch the gunman would be back for more. Mr. Miller scrambled to his feet and grabbed the pistol he keeps in a cabinet above his desk, tucked in the corner of his small auto shop in Dormont. "I took a step and looked right at the door and all I saw was a chrome gun coming back in," Mr. Miller said. "When he came back, I knew it wasn't to say Merry Christmas." Wordlessly, the man pointed his gun at Mr. Miller, the men separated by just a couple of feet. In an instant, his instincts took over. "I shot him," he said. "I had no other choice." The man, whom the medical examiner's office on Friday identified as Lonzy Westbrook, 39, of the North Side, fell to the ground ... Mr. Miller works six days a week as a mechanic. He's also a Vietnam veteran and a licensed NRA firearms instructor"


Utah police call death act of self-defense: "Police officials do not anticipate filing criminal charges against a 17-year-old girl who shot and killed a man who was strangling her aunt Thursday night. At a news conference Friday, Police Chief Greg Whinham said 37-year-old John F. Sharp was choking his girlfriend, 32-year-old Mellony Pursel, at their home located at 1920 W. 4400 South when the 17-year-old girl picked up a gun and told Sharp to stop what he was doing. When Sharp turned and came toward the girl, she shot him twice in the chest. The two bullets traveled through Sharp and hit Pursel in the arm. Sharp died before police arrived at the home. Pursel was taken to a local hospital where Whinham said she is expected to recover from the wounds. Sharp and Pursel had lived together at the home with Pursel's niece and the niece's 7-month-old child. The niece was living with Pursel while her husband is on active duty with the military."

KS: Fatal Home Invasion: "The Topeka Police Department responded to a home invasion and shooting at 514 SW Tyler that left one man dead. They say the man that was shot was the suspect in the case. It happened just before 7 pm at 514 SW Tyler. Topeka Police say they were called to a possible burglary at one of the apartments and discovered the suspect with a gunshot wound. Residents say a man broke in and demanded money. Officials say that man was Reuel Bridges, 28, of Topeka. The resident says he got his gun. Bridges tried to fight him, so he fired his weapon and called police. Bridges was pronounced dead at the hospital."


CA: Shootout at marijuana clinic: "Three armed men opened fire during a robbery at a marijuana dispensary in Northridge on Wednesday night, seriously injuring two people. Authorities said the suspects entered the clinic at Roscoe Boulevard and White Oak Avenue at 9:40 p.m. At least one of them was armed with a weapon. A gun battle occurred, as the clerks inside the facility also armed themselves. Two employees of the clinic were shot, and a pit bull was also shot and killed. Another dog was unharmed. The suspects fled the scene in a gold SUV in an unknown direction. Police are unsure if anything was taken from the marijuana clinic. The victims were rushed to a local hospital, where they remain in critical condition."


CA: Business owner acquitted in shooting after 17 months in jail: "Salvador Mercado Jimenez describes himself as an innocent man who acted in self-defense when he shot a man outside his business. A county prosecutor saw it differently, calling Jiminez an angry security guard who tried to kill an unarmed man as he walked away. Jurors acquitted Salvador Jimenez after he spent seventeen months and four days in jail for attempted murder. The night of the shooting, there was a private birthday party at the dance hall. A group of 10 to 15 men loitered outside. Some began drinking and using nitrous oxide, he said. Holding a flashlight, he came outside with another security guard and asked the group to leave. They cursed and threw glass beer bottles at the pair, he said. Two bottles hit Jimenez.. Jimenez was scared. Some men started grabbing at him, trying to take his gun. Jimenez took out his gun and pointed it to the floor. Rogelio Nolasco, one of the men in the group, grabbed the gun, which went off during the struggle, he said. Nolasco was shot in the back of his head. He's now partially paralyzed, and eyesight in his left eye is limited, according to prosecutors."


Texas store owner turns tables and kills 3 robbers: "When it was over, all three robbers were dead — and Castillo, though shot at least three times, was still standing, having successfully defended what was rightfully his. He remained in surgery at Ben Taub General Hospital late Thursday, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. He is expected to survive. The crime unfolded at 2:08 p.m. Thursday when two men posing as customers came into the store and asked the Castillos to show them some rings. As the husband and wife helped the two men, a third man walked into the store, pulled a pistol and announced he was robbing the business. The two men who had posed as customers also then pulled pistols on the Castillos, police said. The Castillos were ordered to the back of the store at gunpoint, where Eva Castillo was tied up. Castillo then pulled a pistol from his waistband, "obviously fearing for the safety of his wife and himself," said HPD spokesman Kese Smith. Castillo killed the robber who had tried to tie him up, then grabbed his shotgun from his office and killed the other two men."

FL: Road rager shot: "A man who was shot by another man in a road-rage incident could face charges, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said the man who opened fire on 24-year-old Sean Ralston may have been shooting in self-defense. The deputies who arrived at Marsh Road near County Road 426 about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday found Ralston with a gunshot wound to the chest. He said he had been shot by a man in a white pickup after a road-rage incident. Bustamante and witnesses said Ralston got upset after Bustamante drove too slowly after making a right turn, passed Bustamante and then stopped his own vehicle in the middle of the road. Ralston then approached Bustamante's truck and punched him several times through the open window, prompting Bustamante to shoot Ralston with a .40-caliber handgun, according to the Sheriff's Office. Bustamante, who does not have a criminal record, has a permit to carry the handgun, according to the sheriff's office." [Update from yesterday -- with names]


CA: Liquor store clerk pulled gun on armed robbers: "Two men walked into AC Liquor Store and Mini Market in the 1100 block of South State College Boulevard about 11 p.m. on Dec. 4, said Sgt. Rick Martinez of the Anaheim Police Department. One of them, wearing a light-gray hooded sweatshirt, pulled out a what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash, while the second man walked to the back of the store to grab two cases of beer. The store clerk pulled out his own gun when the armed robber became distracted with retrieving the money on the counter, Martinez said. “The clerk recognized he had a small window of opportunity,” Martinez said. “He was armed and pointed his handgun in self-defense.” The two men fled in what may have been a small dark pickup truck with a small amount of cash and two cases of beer, Martinez said. The men were described as Latinos in their early 20s"


MS: Home invaders wounded by gunfire: "Jackson police spokeswoman Colendula Green said John Caston, 16, Nicholas Shannon, 19, and Clency Lampton, 17, are charged with house burglary and armed robbery of an individual after they and another unidentified suspect allegedly kicked in the door of a residence early Saturday morning. They were identified when they checked into the hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg, Green said. One of them also suffered a wound to the back. The shootings occurred when the four attempted to rob a family in the 3500 block of Rainey Road in south Jackson. Green said that, after the four suspects kicked in the front door and demanded the family lie on the floor, the homeowner was able to locate his gun and began firing shots. He hit three of them."


AR: Workers Thwart Robbery: "Bullets flew across Thompson Street on Tuesday after employees of a pawn shop thwarted an armed robbery. Shots fired at the robber zipped from C&S Gun Shop across Thompson and hit the plate glass window of P&N Oriental Market. Witnesses said shots also hit a silver or tan vehicle used as a getaway car. “We don’t think anyone was hurt,” said Lt. Kevin Lewis, Springdale Police public information officer. “We are checking with hospitals to see if anyone comes in with a gunshot wound.” A man tried to rob the gun and pawn shop at 1208 S. Thompson at 2:25 p.m., Lewis said."

FL: Road rage shooting: "A road rage incident led to a shooting in Seminole County late Tuesday, deputies said. Deputies were called to the side of Marsh Road near County Road 426 about 7:11 p.m. Tuesday. A sheriff's official said two men had pulled over and later gotten into an altercation. At some point during the altercation, deputies said, one of the men drew a gun and fired, stiking the other. The man shot suffered what deputies described as a "very minor" wound. It did not appear likely that there would be an arrest in the shooting late Tuesday. Deputies said it appeared the shooting was likely in self-defense."


CA: Barber's customers shoot back: "At least five people were being treated for wounds sustained after two men entered the Fly Cuts and Styles shop just after 1 p.m. and started shooting at two men who were getting haircuts, and the two targeted men started shooting back. The battle carried over into the parking lot, where a 30-year-old woman who was putting her child into a vehicle was shot and killed, The Sacramento Bee reported. Sacramento Sheriff's Department Sgt. Tim Curran said the woman evidently was an innocent bystander. The toddler was with deputies and firefighters Tuesday afternoon. Investigators said the five wounded included the two men who opened fire initially, the two who fired back, and the barber, a 27-year-old man who was shot in the ankle."


CA: Vendor wounds would-be thief at swap meet: "Police said four men used hammers to smash the jewelry cases of one dealer about 3:30 p.m. The robber snatched up jewelry and began to run through the crowd when a vendor emerged and went after him. "He pulled a gun and he just shot him," she said. "I didn't know he was going to pull the trigger. I ran. I took cover and ran." The robber, hit in the back, staggered a few feet and collapsed. The shooter walked up and stood over him. "He said, 'That's what you get. I hope you don't die,"' Police officers swarmed the scene, arresting the wounded man and an apparent accomplice trying to get away. Hart said the District Attorney's Office will review the vendor's action to determine if the shooting was lawful."

Va.: Gas Station Clerk Fires Gun at Robbery Suspects: "The clerk said he was just finishing up a shift at the gas station and was sitting in his car warming it up. He said two men approached him and used a taser to stun him. Because he was wearing a thick coat, the stun gun didn't do much good. The clerk said he had to act quickly to protect himself. He pulled the gun he was wearing on his waist. He fired two shots and he believes one of the attackers was hit. Both men ran away."


CA: Would-be robber shot with own gun: "A gunman attempting to rob a patron in a store parking lot Sunday evening was shot by his own .44 Magnum revolver during a struggle, police said. Officers followed a trail of blood about 11/2 blocks from the store but were unable to find the man, said police Lt. Chuck Flesher. More than two hours after the shooting no one had shown up at a hospital for treatment, he said. The attempted robbery took place about 5:30 p.m. outside a market in the 2000 block of South El Dorado Street. The patron wrestled the gun away from the man and it went off, apparently striking him in the torso, Flesher said. Flesher said the would-be robber might have been picked up by someone where the trail of blood ended."


IA: The NRA opposes weapons free zones: "The National Rifle Association is trying to block Iowa cities and counties from establishing ‘weapons free zones’ in parks, city halls, courthouses and other government buildings. The NRA says Iowa residents should be able to use deadly force to defend themselves at home or anywhere they need to.”

Ga. man shoots robber: "Authorities say a Georgia man shot and killed an assailant who tried to rob him in a grocery store parking lot in Rockdale County. Sheriff Jeff Wigington says Ryan Moore was heading inside an Ingles store in Conyers late Saturday when two men tried to rob him. He says one of the men had a knife. The sheriff says Moore pulled out a gun and fatally shot one of the robbers. The other ran away. Nathan Taylor, a friend of Moore's, says he fired his gun in self-defense. The sheriff says Moore's account of the shooting matches that of several witnesses in the parking lot."


Nevada man shoots, kills alleged attacker: "A man reported shooting and killing another man in self defense Friday night. The Nevada County Sheriff's Office received the 911 call at 9:54 p.m. Friday night from the alleged shooter stating the other man had broken into his residence on the 12000 block of Pinewoods Road to attack him with a hammer. He then shot the man in the chest at close range, said Sgt. Stephen Tripp. Neither man's name has been released. The Union, however, identified the shooter as Craig Marquard. Contacted at his house, Marquard confirmed his involvement but declined comment. “The shooter's wife had left him and they were in the process of divorcing, and the decedent was involved with the guy's wife,” Tripp said. “They had a phone conversation earlier in the evening and shortly after the decedent burst into the shooter's home with a claw hammer.” Both the shooter and another man were in the residence at the time, and the shooter used a handgun in self defense, Tripp said."


IL: Robber killed in tanning salon: "At L.A. Tan, a man entered the business about 6:30 p.m. and announced a robbery and pointed a handgun at a female employee. The man then ordered a female customer using a tanning bed to tie the hands and feet of the female employee with a rope he had brought with him, officials said. A few minutes later, a male customer entered the business and was ordered at gunpoint by the suspect to tie his hands together, according to police. But the customer grabbed the gun. He shot the suspect twice, police said. When the gunman reached for the ropes he carried in a bag, McDaniel saw his chance and took it. Lunging at the unmasked man and knocking him to the ground, he then grabbed the gun from the counter where the man had left it. The man fought back, and McDaniel shot him as the two struggled on the ground."


CA: Investigators say shooting was justified: "A video game store owner will not face any charges for shooting and killing a teenager who tried to rob him. The attempted robbery happened at Play-N-Trade on Brawley at Clinton in West Central Fresno Saturday night around 11:30. The body of the unidentified suspect was found about a mile away at Sussex Way and Milburn Ave. This video game store was closing up for the night when three armed suspects forced their way inside. After pushing some employees to the ground an owner took out his gun and fired one shot hitting a suspect. Salazar said the owner shot and critically wounded one teen. All three would-be robbers took off to a nearby neighborhood and drove away in a car. "About twenty minutes later we get a call of a suspect who is a victim of a shooting in a neighborhood Northwest of here about a mile and a half."

Gun-Toting Woman Accosted in Own Home is Arrested in Kansas

-By Warner Todd Huston

Most Americans would imagine that if a homeowner is accosted in her own home by an outsider, the homeowner would be justified in arming herself. In fact, most Americans would think it a right… seeing as how there's that whole Second Amendment and all.

Well apparently there are neither any Americans nor any supporters of the Constitution among the authorities of Council Grove, Kansas because a women that was accosted by a man in her own home was herself arrested when she armed herself and then accidentally discharged the weapon.

Naturally it all happened over a young girl that wanted to date a man whom mother found undesirable. It is easy to sympathize with the mother, too. Her daughter is 16 and this leering, neer-do-well "boyfriend" is 21-years-old. Me, I'd be ready to shoot an adult trying to "get" my little girl, too. The guy obviously has a mental problem at 21 to be going after a kid barely into high school.

Worse, this creep physically attacked the mother several times, taking away her cell phone so that she could not call for help, physically restraining her, and otherwise roughing up the mother. It's no wonder she felt the need to arm herself with this ruffian with a 50 pound advantage on her attacking her like that.

After repeatedly being manhandled by this jerk, the mother, school teacher Karen Vondemkamp of rural Morris County, grabbed a .223 caliber single-shot varmint-rifle and threatened 21-year-old Justin Allenbaugh, demanding that she allow her 16-year-old daughter to get out of his car. As she held the gun downward it discharged, she says by accident. The bullet came no where near Allenbaugh or his car.

“As I aimed at his tire … I just decided not to go ahead and fire at the tire. I thought ‘what if I missed’ … I thought this probably isn’t the right thing to do, so I lowered the gun, and my finger still pulled on the trigger more out of frustration than anything.”

For a full account of the incident see Earl Glynn's account on Kansas Watchdog.

And what happened when the police finally arrived? Why they arrested mother Vondemkamp, of course.

So let's go over the details here.

A 21-year-old outsider with a fifty pound weight advantage admittedly forced his way into the woman's home several times. He admits he attacked her. He admits he "restrained" her physically. He admits that he was trying to date the woman's underage daughter.

And when the mother armed herself against this attacker in her own home… the cops arrest the mother??

I don't know how the chief of police (or sheriff or whatever they call him there) of the county police got his job, but he should lose it. The Attorney General should also lose his job for being stupid enough to charge the mother with a crime!

… and would someone get some mental help for this creep of a 21-year-old pedophile?

Source





Delaware oldster fires at burglars' truck: "A Bridgeton man was arrested Friday night when an 82-year-old homeowner fired a shot at the tire on two burglars' pickup to keep them from fleeing, according to Delaware State Police. No one was hurt. It happened Friday at 10:35 a.m. at a home on Chapman Road in Newark, De. Police said the son of the homeowner saw two men taking a generator and other items from the yard of the home and putting them in the bed of a pickup truck. The son called police and his father. The father went to the pickup truck and fired at it. Police arrived and took two men into custody. Forty-one-year-old William Rafter of Clayton and 30-year-old Mark Sturgill of Bridgeton, N.J. have been charged with theft and conspiracy. The homeowner was not charged."

TN: Pizza robber gunned down: "A local man was shot and killed in Tennessee last week after allegedly robbing a pizza-delivery man. DeRon Hulin, 21, was killed after he and his friends allegedly stole the wallet and cell phone of the delivery man. In response, the delivery man returned to his car, got his gun and attempted to follow the muggers to get a license plate. Hulin pulled a gun, the two exchanged fire and Hulin died at the scene, Nashville police said. Police called the shooting self-defense."


Mississippi Supreme Court exonerates shooter: "According to testimony, Boyette and Newell exchanged some harsh words. Newell claimed Boyette followed him back to his truck and as he got inside, Boyette beat on the truck, shouted at him and threatened him with what I presume was colorful language. As Newell got into the truck, Boyette shut the door on Newell's leg. Newell claimed Boyette threatened to pull him out of the truck. Newell tried to leave but said Boyette grabbed the door. Newell pushed on the door and got out and claimed Boyette said, "I'm fixing to cut you up" and reached into his pocket where he had a knife. Newell grabbed a gun from under his seat and fired one shot, killing Boyette.


CA: Home invaders shot: "The home invasion took place in a rural area near Hickman on Merriam Avenue around 7:30 a.m., said Lt. Charles Grom with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department. Grom says the targets of the home invasion shot the would-be robbers. Two of the men were later found on Oakdale- Waterford Highway in Waterford. One was fatally shot and the other was taken to a hospital with several gunshot wounds. His injuries were not life-threatening and he was in stable condition, said sheriff's spokesman Deputy Luke Schwartz. Sheriff's deputies used a helicopter and dogs in their search as they rounded up the three other suspects. Schwarz said detectives believe robbery was the motive at the Hickman residence but nothing was taken. He said the alleged perpetrators appeared to have ties to the Sureno gang."


Pittsburgh woman says she killed robber with his own gun: "Allegheny County district attorney's office will determine whether a 20-year-old woman was justified when she fatally shot a teenager in Munhall early Friday with a gun she says she wrestled away from the male during an armed robbery on the street. The woman, who suffered lacerations during the altercation that required hospital treatment, was released from custody after detectives interviewed her for several hours, county homicide Lt. Andrew Schurman said. Killed in the incident about 12:05 a.m. was Dwain Heath Jr., 17, of Munhall. According to Mr. Schurman, the woman told detectives she had gone to a convenience store within a few blocks of her home and made a purchase. As she was walking in an alley in the rear of the 800 block of Ravine Street, Mr. Heath approached her, brandished a gun and demanded money. The woman then fought with the man, disarmed him and shot him."

You Must Get Gun Range Training. But You Can’t Get Gun Range Training

Second Amendment lawyer Alan Gura filed an appeal this week in the case of Ezell v. Chicago, challenging the city's ban on gun ranges. It's likely to be one of the first important appeals court decisions to define the new shape of Second Amendment jurisprudence.

Gura is already the most important lawyer in that field, with his one-two punch of Supreme Court victories in 2008’s D.C. v. Heller (which established that the amendment protects an individual right to own weapons, at least for self-defense in the home) and 2010’s McDonald v. Chicago (which established that that right applies to states and localities as well as the federal government).

After June's McDonald decision declaring that Chicago’s ban on handgun possession violated the Second Amendment, the city continues to impose picayune and detailed demands and restrictions on its citizens’ ability to possess and use weapons. One lawsuit, Benson v. Chicago, supported by the National Rifle Association, was filed in July challenging the new regulations on many grounds, including the ban on gun ownership by adults under 21, the ban on sale or transfer of weapons (except via inheritance), and the discretionary power of the superintendent of police to ban any particular type of weapon he decides is unsafe.

Gura, with the institutional support of the Second Amendment Foundation and the Illinois State Rifle Association, sued in August challenging one specific element of Chicago’s new gun laws, a suit that could expand where and how we have a constitutionally protected right to use guns.

Chicago insists a legal weapon permit holder must have a signed affidavit from a firearms instructor affirming that he or she completed a training course, including at least one hour of gun range training. Chicago simultaneously prevents its residents from meeting that criterion in the city they live in. Yes, that’s right: The city demands gun range training to own a gun yet bans gun ranges at the same time.

More here




News from Malta: "A hooded man emerged from the darkness brandishing a crowbar and told the 52-year-old jeweller to hand over his black bag. Mr Mizzi refused to obey, prompting the thief to strike him with the metal bar, leaving a head wound and an ugly gash on his left cheek. Meanwhile, two other hooded men pounced on his son from another direction, brandishing a sawn-off shotgun. “Somehow, my son snatched the gun from them and when they realised what was happening, they ran off,” the father, who did not wish to be photographed, said. His son then fired around five shots, aiming at the hooded man who attacked his father... his son managed to hit the remaining assailant in the leg, incapacitating him." [Malta is an English-speaking island in the Mediterranean]


A call to arms: "So here’s a call to arms, quite literally. If you are a gun owner, and can use your weapon safely and responsibly, think seriously about whether you might owe a duty to yourself, your family and your neighbors to carry a sidearm in public. Even if not, hold yourself as though you might well be armed. Ladies can keep a hand inside their purses and look people in the eye as they approach in a parking lot. Gentlemen should keep a hand in a coat pocket and walk confidently and tall. And if that hand clutches a personal defense arm, so much the better. Bad guys won’t like it. That’s a good thing.”

UT: Official State Gun Proposed


Browning Model 1911 .45-Cal Automatic
(Salt Lake City, Utah) In March 1911, the Colt .45-cal automatic was selected after rigorous testing as the official sidearm of the U.S. military. Designed by legendary firearms genius John M. Browning of Utah, the pistol is still in service worldwide.

To commemorate the 100 years of reliable service and powerful durability of the Browning Model 1911 .45-caliber automatic pistol, Utah State Representative Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, has proposed declaring it the state gun.

Support for the proposal is not unanimous. In fact, some believe that merely having a state gun is disturbing because a gun is used to kill.

Not necessarily. Police officers carry guns and their motto is "To Serve and Protect," not "To Serve and Kill."

New rifles give Army snipers in Afghanistan needed range

The Army is shipping powerful new rifles to its snipers in Afghanistan to kill insurgents who are firing from greater distances and shooting at troops more frequently than in the early years of the war. The XM2010 sniper rifle can hit a target 3,937 feet away, which is a quarter-mile farther than the current Army sniper rifle shoots.

The added distance is important because insurgents have been shooting down from ridges and mountaintops where gravity helps their bullets travel farther and beyond the range of Army snipers.

"They're not outgunning us, but they are putting our soldiers in a predicament where 800 meters (2,625 feet) may not be enough," said Col. Douglas Tamilio, referring to the maximum range of the current M24 sniper rifle.

"Because of the expanse, you can see so far and you can engage so far," Tamilio said. "You want to give guys the capability to do those things they need to do at those ranges."

Afghan insurgents appear more willing to shoot at U.S. troops than in the past, according to Pentagon data. Gunfire attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan have spiked over the past year and in July 2009 topped 1,000 for the first time in the war. That mark has been topped several times since.

Afghanistan is full of craggy mountains, broad valleys and desert where insurgents can hide and shoot from long distances. "There's an enormous amount of terrain there that favors snipers," said John Pike, a military analyst and director of Globalsecurity.org, a website dealing with defense matters.

The Army's 2,500 snipers are to start receiving the XM2010 early next year, said Tamilio, who manages weapons programs for the Army. The M24 has been in service since 1988.

Among other improvements contained in the new sniper rifle are more powerful telescope and a device on the muzzle that dampens the noise and flash of a shot, helping to conceal the U.S. sniper.

Prior to the Afghanistan war the Army spent about $400,000 per year on sniper equipment; it spends about $19 million now. The Army began seeking the more powerful rifle in February based on requests from commanders in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon would not say how much the new rifle costs, but said Congress appropriated $5.6 million in 2009 and 2010 for the rifle's development and production.

The snipers are an important part of the counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan, which is designed to minimize civilian casualties, Tamilio said. Insurgents often mingle among villagers as cover because they know that U.S. troops want to avoid harming civilians.

"A well-trained sniper taking out somebody he knows he has to take out — if it's a high payoff target — he can do that with almost no collateral damage," Tamilio said. "He's going to put his round on target."

Pike agreed, saying a bullet is better than a bomb in most circumstances. "You don't want to kill the people that you're trying to defend," Pike said. "We won't win the war doing that. Anyone other than a sniper runs a serious risk of killing innocent people in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Source




KS: No charges to be filed in home invasion: "An apartment resident who shot and killed an intruder will not face charges. Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor said Wednesday he reviewed the case and determined 46-year old Normon Hammond acted "well-within his lawful rights to protect himself and others from immediate harm." Topeka Police say Hammond fired shots at 49-year old Edward Bowens early Saturday morning, as Bowens was breaking into Hammond's apartment. The two lived at the same apartment complex at SW 12th and Polk. With Bowens' death, Taylor says his office considers the case closed."


FL: Robbers shot in game parlour: "Police have identified two men who burst into a St. Petersburg game parlor wielding guns Tuesday night and wound up in a shoot-out. One was killed, the other wounded. At least one customer was also shot. Two masked men had barely walked into the business when at least one customer fired a gun, and a robber fired a few rounds before he was shot and killed, said police spokesman Mike Puetz. Police found Robert Lee Dawson, 29, dead in the doorway of the 16th Street Game Room, 1741 16th St. S. Dawson was wearing a mask and had been shot in the neck, police said. Police identified the other robber as Lathierio M. Golden, 23. Released from prison in September, Golden fled the scene and later showed up at St. Anthony's Hospital"


AR: Legislator files open carry bill: "Arkansas has now made it official — House Bill 1051 was pre-filed Tuesday by Representative Denny Altes of Fort Smith. HB1051, appropriately titled the Defensive Carry Restoration Act (DCRA), will restore the rights of citizens to freely carry handguns for self-defense. ‘This legislation (which will not affect the current Concealed Handgun Carry License Law in any way) is designed to allow open carry by the people of Arkansas without requiring an expensive permit. The carrying of a concealed firearm without a permit, however, will still be deemed illegal.’”

Doug Giles has a dream

(As the father of Hannah Giles, Doug may well be the world's proudest father)

I have a dream! A dream where girls walk in utter confidence amongst the masturbatory me-monkeys who surround them. A dream where women have solid assurance that they can and will serve some ham-fisted tool his own scrotum if need be.

I have a dream! A dream where instead of reading about a cute college coed left dead and naked out in a vacant lot or bloated and floating in a river, the story reads: “dead jackass found double-tapped and dead on the curb as his soul wings its way to Hades—all because he messed with the wrong mama.”

A dream where it’s normal for girls to know Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. A dream where they can shoot golf ball sized groups with their .38 at 15 feet. A dream where they have a BS detector that’s so sensitive they can read people and environments with godlike clarity within a nanosecond.

I have a dream! A dream where the Joran van der Sloots and all the other Bobbie Cutts-like splooge brained droogies in the midst of us live forever in fear. A dream where parents will raise their daughters to be sweet and deadly dames.

I have a dream where if some moron in the name of his stupid religion ever abuses his wife or daughter and God doesn’t strike him dead on the spot, that his wife or daughter will. Okay, maybe that’s too extreme. How about put him in an irreversible coma?

I have a dream! A dream where the tide turns in the news cycle, and we start hearing reports of murderous men going to an early grave instead of sending a good girl to hers. A dream where if a girl tells her buddies that a guy is bothering her, her friends scare the living daylights out of him.

I have a dream! How did this dream come about? This holy vision came from God in direct response to my prayers over the cultural nightmare women in the U.S. live with now.

In addition to God birthing this vision within me, another factor gave rise to this would-be dream world of mine: I just realized that protective fathers, brothers, friends and uncles aren’t omnipresent (I know … I’m slow. I went to public school), and therefore all girls everywhere have to rely upon themselves as their own first line of defense.

Yes, since their gallant male counterparts can’t be everywhere at all times to render aid, we’ve got make certain that our babies know how to leave a bad guy severely inoperative and, if need be, kill him all by their lonesome. That is my definition of “girl power.” This is my dream: all girls of every conceivable stripe having the attitude, skill, and force to pulverize a felonious punk. I’d like to see the following:

* One million girls flooding into martial art classes

* One million girls getting handgun training

* One million girls purchasing their own piece and getting licensed to carry it

* One million girls getting a heavy dose of common sense to avoid dangerous scenarios as much as possible

This concludes my heavenly vision. I know this not a pleasant topic to contemplate; however, this is the world we live in, and to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Think about how many girls would be alive and pursuing their desires today … if only they had known how to fight. And think of all the punks who would be in jail or worse … if only their victims had known how to immobilize the imbeciles.

Given the violent culture we inhabit here in the United States of Acrimony, I have purposefully raised my daughters with this maxim: When the crap hits the fan, be the fan.

Dad, one of the greatest things you can give your girl is the ability to shoot— to rock in a hard place —should the occasion ever arise. Be prepared.

More here

WA: Woman shoots 2 intruders, foils home invasion: "Two Renton men alleged to have been shot by a woman during a failed drug robbery have been charged with assault. King County prosecutors contend that Maurice H. Pollock and Brandon K. Wolfe were both wounded in a midday gunfight that broke out as they attempted to force their way into a woman's apartment while posing as police. The woman told police she was in her apartment with her boyfriend and children when someone approached her door and yelled, "Police!" Her boyfriend cracked the door, allowing Pollock and Wolfe to force their way into the home. Concerned Pollock was about to kill her boyfriend, the woman drew a pistol from her backpack and opened fire on Pollock and Wolfe, who was also armed, a Renton police detective told the court. Having fired the gun dry, she retrieved a second pistol and continued shooting at the men until they ran from the home."


OH: Robbers shot; one killed: "Odomie A. Wellington, 31, whose address was listed as the Westchester Executive Apartments, 4884 Westchester Drive, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds around 7 p.m. Saturday. He was in the driver’s seat of a white Cadillac parked outside the apartment complex. His passenger, 21-year-old Alekum N. McLendon, of Youngstown, was shot in the lower back and taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center. Police said Wellington and another man went into a Parkman Road Northwest home and began shooting in what officials said was a robbery of the baby’s father, who also was wounded in the home invasion."


Armed and female: "I remember one of my first female students. She was in her sixties, an accomplished academician and author with strong roots in what was then called ‘women’s liberation.’ She had considered the gun to be a hideous side effect of testosterone poisoning. Then, she was assaulted by armed criminals and nearly died. ‘It occurred to me,’ she told me later, ‘that I had neglected one element of my empowerment.’”

Ct.: Son Stabs Parents, shot By Father: "A father shot and killed his 24-year-old son, after the son had repeatedly stabbed him and his wife while they were in bed Saturday night, state police said. At about 7:40 p.m., David Gemeasky Jr. entered the bedroom of a home at 655 Bethel Road and stabbed David Gemeasky Sr., his father, police said. Gemeasky Jr. then stabbed Tamara Brennan, who is his biological mother, as she was trying to flee the attack, state police said. Gemeasky Sr., although suffering from serious stab wounds, was able to get his shotgun and shoot Gemeasky Jr., police said. Gemeasky Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene. Gemeasky Sr., 45, and Brennan, 43, were both transported to William Backus Hospital emergency room where they are being treated for their injuries. A hospital spokesperson said today that Gemeasky Sr. was in stable condition and Brennan was treated and released."


WA: Man gets jail for having a gun, no charge for shooting a man: "A homeowner who shot an alleged burglar on his property in September has been sentenced to five months in jail on weapons charges. A first-degree assault charge relating to the shooting was dismissed. To explain the dismissal, Vu cited the facts of the case: “There were people whom Patterson believed were burglarizing his home,” Vu said. “He confronted them, and during the confrontation, he and one of the alleged burglars both pulled out their firearms..... Patterson said he noticed Rivers and Langdon inside the detached garage at his home in the 3500 block of East McLoughlin Boulevard. So he went to his bedroom to retrieve a handgun from under his bed, according to court documents. Langdon and Rivers dropped the power drill they were carrying from the garage when confronted, but Rivers then allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Patterson’s head. Patterson told investigators he shot Rivers in the face in self-defense."


GA: Suspect shot dead in attempted robbery: "One suspect in a liquor store robbery was shot to death after two men attempted to rob the store in Marietta, police said. Police said the two men entered the Windy Hill Bottle Shop in Marietta about 11:35 p.m. Saturday and threatened the store clerk at gunpoint. Police said the clerk also had a gun, and all three men apparently began shooting. One of the suspects was shot and died later at an Atlanta-area hospital. The second suspect fled the building, and the clerk was not injured, police said. Police said they had not identified the man who died."


FL: Shooter shot by clerk: "A bizarre shooting broke out in an Orange County convenient store late Saturday night. Police said a masked suspect shot and killed a man inside the JC Grocery store, on Rio Grande Avenue, but then the store clerk pulled out a gun of his own and fired back. Deputies said a light-skinned man in his 50s walked into the store, and then a dark-skinned man walked in behind him and shot him. That, investigators said, was when the store clerk pulled out his gun and shot the gunman in the face. The wounded shooter managed to get away, but deputies found him later in a car off Mercy Drive. Both the gunman and the man he shot were taken to the hospital. The latter died from his injuries later Sunday morning."

OK: Tulsa Woman Shoots Boyfriend, Claims Self-Defense: "A Tulsa woman claimed self-defense after shooting her boyfriend early Saturday, according to Tulsa Police. The shooting took place at about 4 a.m. in the 5600 block of North Garrison Court. The woman told police she was being choked by her boyfriend when she grabbed a gun and shot him in the torso, according to Sergeant Robert Rohloff of the Tulsa Police Department. Police have been dispatched to the same address in the past for reports of domestic disturbances. The boyfriend was taken to a local hospital where he is expected to recover. The girlfriend had not been arrested as of Saturday morning."


OH: Deer hunter kills black bear: "The Ohio Division of Wildlife’s law-enforcement division is investigating a series of events that led to a Massillon man shooting and killing a 225-pound black bear Monday evening in Harrison County. Bears are protected wildlife in Ohio. The man used a shotgun to kill the bear during the first day of Ohio’s deer gun hunting season. The man’s name has not been released. Turner would not confirm reports that the man claimed he acted in self-defense. He immediately notified the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department that he shot the bear."

NC shooting ruled self defense: "Greer police said Justin Dillard entered a home in the Sunnyside community at Victor Court Apartments at about 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 10. They say he started talking with Rusty Jones, a man later identified as a person of interest in the case. Jones, three other adults and five children were in the home. Dillard, Greer Police say, pulled a chrome handgun, pointed it at Jones and told him he was going to shoot Jones in the head. A bystander stepped between the two men, police say, in a bid to defuse the situation. Jones then pulled a black handgun out of his pocket and shot Dillard four times. Dillard collapsed in the front yard of the home while Jones fled through the back door, police say. Jones turned himself into police the day after the vigil. He was taken into custody and interviewed about the shooting."


Conn.: Drug Dealer Acquitted Of Manslaughter: "A Hartford Superior Court jury believed a drug dealer's claim that he shot and killed one man and wounded another in self defense after they forced their way into his Gillett Street apartment and robbed him at gunpoint of drugs and $8,000 in cash. The jury took about two hours to acquit Tivon Mendes, 25, of the most serious charges against him, first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and first-degree assault with a firearm. Mendes, 25, originally from East Hartford, admitted that he sold crack cocaine and PCP from his apartment. He testified that at about 1:30 a.m. Nov. 4, 2008, two masked men forced their way into his apartment and ransacked it in search of drugs and money. Mendes said he retrieved his .45-caliber handgun, which was stored in his bedroom closet, peered from his apartment door into the hallway and saw the two men looking through the bag. Mendes said that Slappy raised his gun toward him and that he responded by opening fire."


TN: Robbery Suspect Shot, Killed By Pizza Delivery Driver: "Metro police said a pizza delivery driver shot and killed a man who attempted to rob him Friday night. It happened around 8:30 p.m. in the Arbors of Brentwood apartment complex on Brentwood Terrace. Police said three men tried to hold up a Jet's Pizza delivery driver at gunpoint as he was going back to his car after a delivery. That's when the driver allegedly pulled out his own gun and shot one of the suspects. The suspect died on the scene. The other two suspects are on the loose. Police said the driver had a valid gun carry permit, and they believe the shooting was in self-defense."


San Diego Lawsuit Seen As Key Challenge Of CA Gun-Carry Laws: "A lawsuit in federal court in San Diego is viewed as an important challenge of the decades-old debate over concealed-weapon permits in California, reports the city’s Union-Tribune. Filed last year by independent journalist Edward Peruta, the suit accuses the county and newly elected Sheriff Bill Gore of setting standards for such licenses so high that they are “illegal and unconstitutional.” It joins other suits filed nationally since 2008 in the wake of two U.S. Supreme Court decisions on gun-ownership rights."

SC sheriff says shooting of Florida man justified: "Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner says the shooting of a Florida man on Thanksgiving Day by a private security officer was justified use of force. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports that autopsy results Wednesday showed 42-year-old James Piotrowski of Stuart, Fla., died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds, one from a gun fired by the 58-year-old security officer, Charles Gary Knox. The sheriff says the shooting occurred after an argument and gunfire between the victim and his uncle at the uncle's home in the Brays Island Plantation subdivision. Tanner said the guard shot Piotrowski after the officer saw Piotrowski shoot and wound the other man. Tanner says the fatal wound came from the guard's gun.


WA: Intruder invades cop's home, gets shot dead: "The Kitsap County Prosecutor’s office won’t prosecute Washington State Patrol Trooper Jason Blankers for fatally shooting Brent R. Bayliffe on Sept. 11, 2010 outside Bayliffe’s home in Olalla. He told Bayliffe to “keep his hands in view,” according to the Decline to Prosecute Notice. “Bayliffe did not respond coherently,” and according to the notice. Then, he jumped out of his car unexpectedly and hit Blankers in the head with a pipe. This stunned Blankers, forced him to the ground and caused a three inch cut to his head which began bleeding profusely. Then, Blankers and Bayliffe started struggling. But he relaxed for a moment to wipe the blood out of his eyes, and Bayliffe tried to grab the pipe again. To stop him, Blankers shot Bayliffe, hitting him twice."


The GOP's Wisconsin agenda: "With the Nov. 2 election of Scott Walker and solid majorities in both houses, Wisconsin Republicans have their first opportunity in a decade to distinctly redefine state policy. Making Wisconsin the 49th state that allows citizens to obtain permits to carry concealed firearms should be a slam-dunk. In recent years, concealed carry legislation has been blocked only by Gov. Doyle's veto. GOP leaders say they plan to push the issue at the beginning of the next legislative session. Although some commentators say concealed carry is a distraction from the economic issues the GOP was elected to tackle, it's a policy the party has been promising its base for years and cannot afford to punt on. The question that remains is how expansive the concealed carry legislation will be".

Missouri: Shooting victim, companion allegedly arrived with bats and masks to settle dispute: "William Smoot, who is charged with attempted robbery in the incident, told authorities he and a friend went to Michael Bellmyer’s home — armed with baseball bats and wearing masks — to settle a dispute. The man who was shot, identified in court documents as Thomas Stevens, has not been charged. According to the probable cause statement in the case, Smoot admitted to arriving at Bellmyer’s home in the 700 block of West Wall Street carrying a baseball bat and, because it was cold outside, wearing a mask. He told authorities he and Stevens went over to confront Bellmyer about past disagreements. Smoot said he used the bat to knock on Bellmyer’s door, which Bellmyer answered with a gun pointed in his direction. Smoot said he pushed or kicked the door when he saw the gun and took off running. According to the court documents, Bellmyer told police he answered the door while holding the gun because of the early hour and where he lives. He said he later recognized Smoot when 911 dispatchers asked Bellmyer where the suspects had gone and he looked out his front door. He told authorities the two men had run across the street, and the man he now recognized as Smoot had taken his mask off."


Guns on Amtrak: "It WILL soon be legal to carry unloaded firearms in checked-baggage on trains in the US after Congress has lifted restrictions imposed in the wake of September 11, 2001 attacks. "In December 2009 the US Congress passed a law that told us that we had to reinstate firearms as part of checked baggage service," said US national rail corporation Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm. Weapons allowed when the new policy begins on December 15 include shotguns, rifles and pistols, and a passenger can also carry up to five kilos of ammunition. "Amtrak operates over 300 trains a day... We anticipate less than 100 have checked baggage service. So less than a third of our trains have checked baggage service," the train service said in a statement."

CA: Pot grower fired in self defense: "New allegations surfaced Tuesday in the case of the Fresno man accused of killing a suspected pot thief -- allegations about evidence that -- the defendant's lawyer claimed -- has been withheld from him. Dydoungphan's attorney, Franz Criego, told a judge that he had just found out about possible evidence he had not been given by the district attorney's office -- pictures someone had taken on the scene during the robbery. Criego said those pictures could prove his version of what happened -- that Dydouangphan fired a warning shot at the robbers -- that one of the robbers fired a gun at him -- and that Dydouangphan then fired in self-defense, killing one man."


Detroit: One robber shot, both arrested: "Detroit police say they’ve arrested two suspects who attempted to rob an auto repair shop on the Detroit-Ferndale border. The attempted robbery happened Tuesday night at the Precision Tune Auto Shop on 8100 block of West 8 Mile Road near Livernois Avenue. Police said a male suspect tried to hold-up the shop, but a shop worker turned the tables on the suspect, whipping out a gun and shooting the suspect multiple times. The suspect fled the scene in a waiting car, police said. Minutes later, the suspects were located at Carlita Avenue and Schaefer Highway, where they were involved in an accident with another vehicle, police said. Police soon arrived on the scene and said they took two male suspects into custody."


Norming guns away: "We American gun-owners need to become more familiar with the process of ‘norming.’ The ‘norm’ of civilian disarmament already surrounds our country and has the potential to nullify our Second Amendment right. When global firearm-prohibitionists speak about ‘norming,’ they are actually discussing the process wherein society becomes increasingly hostile to the possession of arms in the hands of civilians.”

FL: Police identify armed robbers killed in home invasion: "Miami-Dade police on Friday identified two armed intruders who were killed during a home invasion on Thanksgiving Eve. Dead in the robbery attempt: Derrick Fussell, 28, and Gustavo Perez, 23. Police say the two men burst into the apartment at 17255 SW 95th Ave. at about 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday. The homeowner, Antonio Luis Delpino, 27, fired at the men. Perez was felled by the gunfire. Fussell jumped from the third-floor apartment in an attempt to escape, and died from his injuries at Jackson Memorial Hospital.”


Army to review murder conviction of Edmond soldier: "Two U.S. Army panels are set to review the case of an Edmond soldier convicted of unpremeditated murder for shooting and killing an Iraqi detainee during an interrogation in 2008. Prosecutors have said Behenna took Mohammed to a secluded railroad culvert near Beiji, Iraq, and shot him execution- style after interrogating him at gunpoint. Behenna said he acted in self-defense after Mohammed stood up and tried to reach for Behenna's gun. Behenna said he defied orders to release Mohammed because he wanted another chance to question the detainee he believed was involved in a roadside bombing in April 2008 that killed two men under Behenna's command."

OR: Barista in Eugene shoots, kills robber: "Two men tried to rob a Dutch Bros. coffee shop Wednesday and police say one of them may have been shot dead by a barista acting in self-defense. The shooting took place about 9 p.m. at a Dutch Bros. near the University of Oregon campus at Franklin and Walnut. Police said at least one of the suspects was armed. The dead man was in the entryway of the drive-through coffee stand, police said. The second suspect got away. He was described as a white man with blonde hair, wearing jeans, brown hiking shoes and zip-up 'puffy' coat with fold-down collar."


Claims Say Safety Bullet Disables Loaded Gun: "Makers of a gun safety device say their product can save lives. The Safety Bullet is said to disable a loaded gun. Distributors tell us it allows an owner to have access to the loaded gun within seconds should an intruder break in. The Montana Shooting Sports Association fears the Safety Bullet gives a false sense of safety and recommends other gun safety measures. "Children check guns by pulling the trigger. Should a child pull the trigger with safety bullet, it will disable the gun and your child is alive." Barrow says Safety Bullet also is an added disabler should an intruder steal your gun and try to use it on you or your family members."

FL: Convict killed during home invasion: "Manatee County Sheriff's deputies say a 19-year-old convicted drug dealer was killed when he and another man broke into a home Thanksgiving morning. Officials Friday identified the dead man as Brooklenn Gargar of Palmetto. Detectives say Gargar and another suspect forced their way into a home and fought with Aaron Curry, who then shot and killed Gargar. The second intruder, who has not been identified, fled. Gargar was convicted in 2009 on drug charges. Corrections department records show he was sentenced to a year and nine days in prison but was released May 29 of this year. Detectives don't think this was a random incident.


Ark.: Home invader shot and killed by homeowner: "Police say a Fort Smith resident fatally shot another man during an attempted home invasion robbery. Police spokesman Sgt. Daniel Grubbs says the incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. Friday. Police say 69-year-old James Kennel told them that 27-year-old Chad Cancel entered the home through an unlocked front door, wearing a mask, brandishing a gun and demanding prescription medication. Kennel told police he was forced into a bedroom at gunpoint and was attempting to get the medication when the crying of Kennel's 5-year-old grandson in another room distracted Cancel, who left the bedroom. Kennel told police he armed himself with a handgun and shot Cancel twice when Cancel returned to the bedroom. Grubbs says no arrests have been made and no charges have been filed as a result of the shooting."


Pennsylvania governor vetoes expanded gun use: "Claiming the bill advanced a "shoot first, ask questions later mentality," Gov. Ed Rendell on Saturday vetoed legislation expanding self-defense protections. The bill would have provided the same right to use lethal force in self-defense outside and inside the home. Kim Stolfer of McDonald, chairman of Firearms Owners Against Crime, was optimistic the bill can still become law in 2011 under Republican Gov.-elect Tom Corbett. "I believe by summer it will be law," said Stolfer, citing broad bipartisan support. Corbett has said he would support the legislation. But the bill must start anew in January, after a six-year effort by Western Pennsylvania gun owners to get the legislation to the governor's desk."

IN: Who shoots first wins: "A 38-year-old southern Indiana man is dead after a shooting late on the afternoon of Nov. 24 and the person who fired the gun that killed him is free. Now that Billy Bledsoe's family says they don't think they're getting justice in his death. Indiana State Police say preliminary indications show Bledsoe was armed with a shotgun when the two men arrived and they shot him in self defense. Adams says even if Bledsoe had a gun, he's not buying self defense claims. "If he pointed the weapon at them, he never had a chance to pull the trigger," Adams said. "These two guys come over there and he had a right to defend his home and they just out drew him and shot him in the chest." He's outraged the two men weren't arrested while his son in law ended up dead."


Ark: Home invader killed: "Fort Smith police said at 7:30 Friday night a man wearing a mask entered the home at 8401 S. 30th Circle in Fort Smith demanding prescription medicine. Police said he came in through the front door, which was unlocked. The homeowner told police the suspect flashed a gun, causing him to pull a gun of his own. The homeowner shot and killed the suspect. There were three other people in the home at the time of the incident, police said. Detectives said the investigation is still in its preliminary stages, but as of now they are not anticipating any charges against the homeowner."


Nasty Canadian cops arrest man who confronted prowlers: "A Burton, N.B., man who confronted prowlers with an unloaded shotgun was charged Monday with possessing a weapon for a purpose dangerous to public peace. Manzer was awoken in the early hours of March 28 by a phone call from a neighbour warning him three prowlers were in the area. (At the time, there had been repeated incidents of vandalism in Burton.) The prowlers had been spotted in the yard of Manzer's neighbour, Brian Fox, around 2:30 a.m., and Fox had gone out to try to catch them. That was when Manzer heard the shouting and went to help Fox. "I grabbed my firearm and went out onto the step," Manzer said. "There was a lot yelling. It was dark; it was hard to see." "I stepped out front with the firearm for my protection and told everyone to be quiet, the police are on the way, don't anybody move," Manzer said."

TX: Homeowner kills man who wouldn't leave: "The visitor was at a home in the 12800 block of Westleigh for the Thanksgiving holiday, said Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith. Around 2 a.m., the man allegedly became belligerent and assaulted the homeowner, which led to a struggle, Smith said. The homeowner then removed the man and locked the door, Smith said. The man stood outside yelling and tried to re-enter the home, Smith said. After the homeowner repeatedly asked him to leave, the visitor allegedly broke a front-door window and reached inside to unlock the door. Fearing for the safety of his children, the homeowner retrieved his gun and continued to tell the man to not enter, Smith said. Ignoring the warnings, the man opened the front door and charged toward the homeowner, who then fired his gun once.
The man was struck in the chest once and died."


MI: Arrested for self defense?: "Investigators said they believe the victim was pursuing the woman and he and the suspect had traded text messages before the victim went to the home on Post Avenue and confronted the suspect on the porch. Police believe the victim punched the suspect and then the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the victim once. The shooting was reported at 4:11 a.m. after the victim drove to the police station. He was taken to Battle Creek Health System for treatment of his chest wound. Police went to the home and found the suspect, who told police he shot the man in self defense. He gave officers a revolver police believe was used in the shooting. The man, 22, was arrested on a charge of assault with intent to murder."

TN: Wife shoots and kills home invader: "The search continues today for the would-be robber who escaped two nights ago after his partner died breaking into a South Knoxville home. Joshua Dexter Watson, 24, died Monday night when Jamie Franklin, 21, came to her husband's rescue with a .357-caliber revolver inside their home at 210 Colonial Drive. Watson and another man had knocked, kicked in the door and struggled with her husband, Jonathan Franklin, just before 8:50 p.m., Knoxville police said. One of the men shot Franklin, who wasn't seriously wounded. Police haven't said whether that shot came from Watson, who had a long history of arrests, or from the other robber, who apparently got away unhurt."


CA: Open carry group to hold toy drive: "Opponents of a group that advocates the right to openly carry unloaded guns plan to protest during the group's meeting and toy drive at a Pleasant Hill restaurant Friday. Contra Costa Open Carry plans to hold a meeting at a Nation's Giant Hamburgers restaurant on Friday afternoon, organizer Alany Helmantoler said. California gun owners can openly carry guns as long as they are unloaded, holstered and are not carried near schools or government buildings. The open carry movement, whose members say they aim to inform the public about Second Amendment rights and the importance of self-defense, regularly holds meetings at restaurants around the Bay Area. For the open carry group, the event will double as a toy drive for children in need."


Former U of K student appeals dismissal of lawsuit over gun on campus: "A former University of Kentucky graduate student and employee has appealed the dismissal of a lawsuit he filed against UK over his firing for having a gun in his parked car on school property. Michael Mitchell has asked that the case be reviewed immediately by the Kentucky Supreme Court because it involves the right to bear arms granted by the Kentucky and the U.S. constitutions. "This case presents a question of great and immediate public importance to the citizens of the commonwealth because, without a swift resolution of this case, more than 300,000 students and employees of the various colleges, universities, technical schools and other postsecondary education institutions will be unable to exercise their right of self-defense and possession of firearms in support of that right,"