Friday, July 31, 2015

Daily Caller: Image Shows VA Psychiatrist On Facebook Telling Veteran To Commit Suicide


An image posted online Monday night apparently shows a Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist telling a veteran to commit suicide.

The image was uploaded to Imgur and shows an anonymous veteran indicating support for gun rights on a Facebook comment thread.

More Here

ID: Lawyer Claims Threat to take Infant Invalidates Gun Charge


Angelo Cervantes, Left, Raul E Herrera (Fiancée of Sophia) Right

When a warrant was served in an Idaho murder case on December 3, 2014, a woman, one of the suspects' fiancee, Sophia D. Sanchez, was just leaving the house.  She was questioned before being read her Miranda rights.  She refused to answer questions until her attorney was present.   The Detective continued to question her.  Her lawyer claims that she was coerced into talking.  From idahostatesman.com:
Ackley claims Nampa Detective Mark Palfreyman coerced Sanchez into talking with him. Palfreyman noted that Sanchez’s 16-month-old baby was her top priority and that the detective wanted to make sure she was able to remain with the infant. He suggested, Ackley wrote, that was contingent on her cooperation.

Police ordered Sanchez to accompany them to the Nampa Police Department, where she was questioned for three hours before being allowed to leave. During questioning, she admitted to possessing a .22-caliber pistol found in a bedroom closet. She was arrested and charged later that night, after police stopped her while driving with Herrera.

The claim resonates with me because I was peripherally involved in a case where a similar tactic was said to have been used.  A local whistle-blower was arrested on a domestic violence charge when his wife, a Mexican national, imprudently called police during an argument.  I recall being told that she had thrown water on him, or some other minor event.  In any case, she refused to have a protective order taken out against him... until the police threatened to take her children unless she did so.  

He was immediately evicted from the house, his guns confiscated, and he was left to shift for himself in the 100 degree plus Yuma summer.  Coordination on their case was difficult because the protective order did not allow them to communicate. 

I heard that they eventually won the case, and he was not convicted. 

I became interested in the threat of taking away a woman's children to coerce cooperation. 

I asked a prominent local attorney and friend if the tactic was common.  He said that it depended on the jurisdiction.  He opined that in Somerton, a few miles South, it probably happened in 50% of the cases where women with children became involved in the criminal justice system.  

And in Yuma, I asked?  In Yuma, he said, it happened in all the cases that he had knowledge of. 

He clarified that this was merely a threat, and he did not know of cases where it was carried out.  He said that one of his clients was tough, and dared the officers to have her kids taken.  They never did.

But the point, it seemed to me, was that this was a very potent threat used to coerce women into doing things that they otherwise would not do.  It seemed a violation of the Fifth Amendment.

I am curious about how this case will play out in Idaho.  Police are allowed to lie to suspects in order to obtain confessions.   Are they allowed to lie about threats in order to do so?   If a threat seems plausible, is it coercion?

While it should not make a difference in Sophia's case, her fiancee, Herrera, was found guilty of all charges, and his co-defendant plead guilty to first degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault.  

Sophia faces up to 10 years in prison on  the firearms charge.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Followup OK: Attorney Shoots Client in Self Defense



The day of the shooting, Smith went to Silvernail’s house and said he needed to pick up some clothes.

“He was immediately angry and demanding,” Silvernail said.

Silvernail went to his car to get a bag of clothes when he says Smith attacked him.

“When I got out of the car with the duffle bag, I threw it to his face to get a little space, and my pistol just happened to be in the car right there between the seats,” Silvernail said.

It was a split decision, he says, when he shot Smith.

“I can’t remember being any more terrified in my whole life,” Silvernail said.

 More Here

Thursday, July 30, 2015

GA: Burglar flees from Man with Gun



The 24-year-old man said that when the glass broke in his door, he went to his closet and retrieved his firearm, then informed whoever was at the door that he had a gun. The victim never got a good look at the person, who quickly fled, according to the report.
More Here

MO: 15 ft Python Shot in Man's Yard



“I was terrified,” after seeing the snake, she said. “I got my husband out of bed. He’s out there in his underwear with his gun.”

They feared his handgun wouldn’t be enough to stop the snake.

They called Troy’s dad who killed the snake with two blasts of a shotgun.

More Here

NM: Suspected Home Invader Shot


Rio Rancho police say a man who was trying to break into another person's house was shot Monday.

The suspected home invasion happened in the 1500 block of Via Verane in the Cabezon area.
More Here

GA: Disarm and Shooting of Elderly Man may be Self Defense

Detectives say the suspected gunman remained at the location and is cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses told police it was the older man, who is now dead, who actually pulled the weapon. They went on to say the younger man then took it from him.

Police think this could be a case of self defense. They are waiting to get more information before determining if any charges will be filed.

More Here

Followup MI: Shooter acted in Self Defense



KEELER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The man arrested in connection to a July shooting is now being called the victim as the man he shot faces charges, 24 Hour News 8 has learned.

The shooting happened in the 62000 block of Gilmore Avenue just before 8 p.m. on July 18. Police arrested the shooter, a man in his 60s, and the man he shot was taken to the hospital.

As the investigation continued, it was determined that the man who was shot, a 54-year-old Illinois man, was the aggressor and that the shooting was in self defense, investigators confirmed Wednesday.
More Here

TN: Elderly Man Shoots 2 Breaking into his Home



(WBIR – PETROS) No charges are expected to be filed against an elderly man who shot two people who were trying to break into his home.

Morgan County Chief Deputy Steve Cochran said the shooting happened early Tuesday in the Petros community.

The man's neighbors are supporting his act of self defense.

"I have to say that I would support that he defended himself," Petros librarian Carol Beene said. "Whenever a situation can be diffused by nonviolent means, I think that is better, but I also know that if I were home by myself in the middle of the night and someone came in, I would feel the need to protect myself."

More Here

Some Facts on Cecil the Lion Hunt

I found this on the popular site accuratereloading.com.  It adds facts, texture and nuance to the emotion floating about out there.  Remember that Zimbabwe is one of the most corrupt regimes in the world.  From Zimbabwe Wildlife Conservation:

We have been following these threads with great interest. we emphasize we are advocates of "sustainable utilization " as a conservation tool , some Basic facts that have been verified by several reliable and credible sources :-

The operator / professional hunters in question had a valid TR2 form stamped by the Zimbabwe parks & wildlife authority. This form once stamped allows a hunt to take place."authority to hunt"

Each and every property or hunting concession to be hunted by the registered operator/client / professional hunter during the course of conducting the hunt must be recorded on this TR2 form

All hunting Quota's are issued by Zimbabwe parks Authority, and ARE AREA SPECIFIC!!! The property in question where the lion was hunted is "Antonette", which incidentally was legally owned by Peter Johnston /Rosslyn Safaris, and was taken without compensation during the land grab. This could get

Any off take of animals be it for cropping,management or trophy hunting purposes has to be applied for and approved. The land owner is then issued with a "quota" which is valid from 01/01 -31/12 of each year. Few clients fully understand the different land classifications Zimbabwe has for its hunting industry.

1.government hunting concessions
2.communal areas - campfire or tribal areas generally with human settlement within these areas
3.private land - farms,ranches, conservancies

All these areas have different regulations and rules. There is no one standard set of laws that govern safari hunting across these land classifications. Naturally this is where the foreign client assumes his hunt should or will be legal and be compliant in local laws etc. His link being the professional hunter for everything that happens on the ground during the hunt, and in most cases the "operator" or company he has contracted to hunt through would have done all the paper work for his hunt, TR2 / hunt registration etc

99% of clients will never have had sight of the areas quota, again here he is generally relying on/be guided accordingly by his professional hunter.So client arrives in camp, he has probably not had sight of this TR2, as these are acquired ahead of time, usually before the clients even arrive in Zimbabwe, all necessary information is usually taken from the safari contract form or is forwarded by client / booking agent to operator / professional hunter. He would have his basic list of main species he would be hunting.off they go hunting.as soon as you leave camp and have rifles prepared,tracker etc on your vehicle you are deemed to be hunting,have the intent to hunt,look for,track stalk etc

Here is where the problem starts... Even if this client/hunter had shot a bushbuck,hyena, or whatever other animal/bird etc for that matter, that was not on the approved hunting quota for the said property for that current hunting year. They are technically hunting legally in terms of the authority to hunt , the valid TR2 form,but he has just killed an animal without the relevant approved and allocated quota / tag for that specific property. You have just poached that species . The onus is on the professional hunter conducting the safari, and the buck stops with him period!!


1.there is no law gazetted in Zimbabwe that specifically forbids the shooting of collard animals. It's the unwritten rule amongst "professional hunters" should the collar be visible that these animals are off limits.

2.of the 65 or so lions that have been collard in matabeleland north ( hwange, gwaai,Victoria falls,etc) in the past decade or so, 35 have died, with 24 of these being shot by either sport hunters, on problem animal control - cattle killers, man eaters etc . In the event one is killed, it's professional to return the collard to the research organization with date,location etc the animal was killed etc

3.the professional hunter/land owner did themselves no favors by trying to destroy the lions collar. No lion tag/quota , there was mention of "quota transfer ".. This is absolutely diabolical , but unfortunately is has and still happens. That's a lengthy topic which we will go in depth about in a separate post.

4. Did the client actually know the operator / land owner had no lion on quota? We very much doubt it.

5. Did the operator / professional hunter probably take a chance, hell yes!! If the lion had been cleanly killed, would we be in the PR storm we find ourselves in... Most probably not.

6.the operator and the land owner appeared in court today in hwange, and were granted bail.

Unfortunately some operators and professional hunters continue to "manipulate the system", quota transfers between areas, unsustainable quotas,with the blessing of government offices and / or use of influential political partners,moral and/or scientific conservation ethics are sacrificed for financial gain. Until there is a complete and thorough restructuring in the relevant ministry, government departments,and even our local hunting associations to a lesser degre our wildlife heritage will remain at risk.

More Here

WI: Men Breaking into car Confronted, 1 shot


The man and an accomplice were breaking into a car when they were confronted by the owner, who ultimately shot him.

Both break-in suspects are in custody and the shooting is under investigation, police said.
More Here

GA: Man Shoots Robbery Suspect


According to Hamadi and a DeKalb police report, Hamadi was in his vehicle in the parking lot of the Bouldercrest Plaza shopping center on Bouldercrest Road. He was processing a truck he’d booted when a black Kia Spectra pulled up behind him and stopped.

“For five or ten seconds they didn’t do anything,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “… I thought that was odd. I had my gun in my holster waiting to go, and pulled it out just in case something happened.”

Something did happen. Two people in ski masks got out of the Kia, ran up to Hamadi and pointed guns at him from a foot away.


More Here

OH: Man pulls gun to stop attack


According to a report from the Columbus Division of Police, the victim said he and a woman with whom he shares an address were kicked and struck by the man, a former neighbor of theirs. Reports said the suspect threatened to get a gun and kill the pair, at which point the man said he produced his own weapon, for which he has a concealed-carry permit.

The suspect told police the victim pulled a gun on him and he left the scene, but said he has no recollection of any other details of the incident.
More Here

IN: Homeowner is Pushed down stairs, Robbery Suspect is Dead



"It's better him than me," said Mary Ann Sechowski. She lives across the street from Parcher.

She says he was well within rights to defend himself and his property.

"I know he has guns," said Sechowski. "He has weapons, and evidently he knows how to use them."

Parcher didn't want to talk on camera, but he told us he showed us cuts and bruises on both arms and on his back. He says he got them after the burglar - he caught red-handed - pushed him down the stairs.
More Here

TX: Woman Shoots at Suspects, hits Friend


Before the shooting, investigators learned the three women, two watching TV and one in the bedroom, were at the residence when two men carrying “long guns” and wearing masks kicked in the front door and demanded money, according to the release.

The woman in the bedroom grabbed her shotgun, entered the hallway and saw one of the men pointing his gun at her friends, the release stated. When the men turned their guns on her, the woman fired one shot, missing both of the men and injuring one of the women instead, the release stated.

More Here

TN: Man Shoots 2 trying to enter his bedroom



According to deputies, Don Cox says two people, identified as Joseph Hinde and a 17-year-old boy, broke into his house and were trying to get into his bedroom. He told deputies he was afraid for his life, so he jerked the door open and fired his gun.
More Here

GA: Suspect shot attempting to break into house



Savannah-Chatham police have charged a 24-year-old man with burglary after he was shot attempting to enter a house in the Paradise Park neighborhood Monday afternoon.

Nathaniel Eugene Holsey was transported from the first block of Sheridan Circle for treatment of a non-life threatening gunshot wound about 1:23 p.m., according to the department’s spokesman, Julian Miller.

More Here

CA: Clerk Shoots Robbery Suspect

A suspect who tried robbing a liquor store on Stockdale Highway was shot by a clerk and fled in an awaiting vehicle.

More Here

AL: Self Defense claim being Investigated



Investigators are looking at self-defense in a deadly Marshall County shooting.

Sheriff's officials say deputies responded Saturday afternoon to a fight call on Winkles Road in Grant.

When they arrived, 37-year-old Matthew Lee Ponder was shot and died at the scene.

The shooter was detained for questioning and then released.
More Here

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

TX: Pastor Shoots Robbery Suspect



"I just want the public to know that this was a robbery," Pastor Holmes told Eyewitness News exclusively. "He broke in the door, had laptops in his hand."

Pastor Holmes said he woke up when he heard someone moving around in the church and grabbed his gun.

"I commanded him to stop twice, and he didn't. So fearing for my life, I did what I had to do."

And that was shoot. Baytown Police say Holmes shot the man in the right shoulder. They identified him as 27-year old Lee Marvin Blue Jr.
More Here

One Shot Almost Enough to Save Woman whose Gun Jammed


Tracy Williams does not appear to have had much experience with firearms.  It was a desperate situation that drove her to buy guns and take a CCW class.  She had broken up with her boyfriend, who had a long criminal record.  He had kidnapped her, she had escaped and filed charges.  He was out on $75,000 bail when he attacked her three weeks later.

During that period she had obtained the firearms and a concealed carry permit.  North Carolina requires an 8 hour course, including live fire, and an $80 non-refundable fee to obtain a permit. 

From abc7chicago.com:
Green said Williams shot her ex as he attacked her around 5 p.m. in the parking lot of a Food Lion on U.S. 1 near a Cash Points ATM. Police said Williams' gun then jammed and Yarborough fatally shot her.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Williams in front of the ATM with two guns, while the suspect's gun was missing. They believe she was trying to defend herself.



An eye witness states that Williams was not the only one who had problems with their gun.  From wral.com:   
"I heard her start blowing the horn, then I heard a gunshot go off," said a witness at the scene who did not want to be identified. "She started running around trying to get away, yelling for help...And as he was chasing her, he was trying to load the gun and she was fighting for her life, yelling for help."
The one shot that she was able to fire was almost enough.  It hit Yarborough in the leg, but appears to have missed arteries or bone.  As a 9mm, it had enough power to break the leg if bone were hit.  Tracy Williams would likely have been able to outrun Yarborough if his leg had been broken.    From twcnews.com:
“She had just recently went through the concealed carry class. She had a 9 mm handgun. She fired one round and it appears the reason she dropped the weapon, the weapon jammed and she tried to run away from him and that's when he initiated the fatal blow,” said Chief John Green, of the Franklinton Police Department.
A gun is not a guarantee of safety.  Possession of a gun provides another option for self defense.   In Tracy Williams' case, it was almost, but not quite enough, to save her.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

KS: Domestic Case looks like Defense of Other



They went to that house for the ex-girlfriend to retrieve property, Ojile said. Massey and his son went to the door, knocked and were allowed inside.

Once inside, Massey pulled out a gun and pointed it at the 18-year-old ex-boyfriend, witnesses told police. They came into the view of the ex-boyfriend’s roommate, who “retrieved a handgun near his location” and fired several shots at Massey, Ojile said.

Massey was struck more than once and crawled out of the house. He was helped to the car, where police found him upon arrival.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article28894717.html#storylink=cpy

More Here

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

SC: Victim Disarms, Wounds 1 of 3 Home Invaders



Greenville deputies were called to the home, on East Castle drive, at about 3:40 a.m. The homeowner told deputies that the men broke into his home. He said he was able to wrestle a gun away from one of the men and he fired at the intruders, wounding one of them.

More Here

PA: Resident Escapes Bonds, Is Wounded; Disarms and Shoots Invader



A 25-year-old Steelton man who was shot during a home invasion early Monday shot and killed his assailant, Steelton police say.

"We believe it was self-defense," said Steelton police Chief John King, who said no charges have been filed in the shooting, which occurred in the 300 block of Lincoln Street.

King said they don't know the identity of the man who was killed nor his accomplice.

More Here

OH: 62-Year-Old Shoots at 1-Year-Old, is Wounded by CCW Permit Holder



A 62-year-old man with a gun in each hand fired at four people – including a 1-year-old boy – before a civilian with a concealed carry permit returned fire and wounded the shooter, cops told FOX19.

Thomas McCary is being held without bond on four counts of felonious assault.

McCary was arguing with a woman around 8 p.m. Sunday night and, when the woman’s brother, Patrick Ewing, approached, McCary pulled out a .38-caliber handgun and fired three shots at him, Cincinnati police said.

More Here

Illinois concealed carry, FOID update approved


An update to Illinois FOID and concealed carry acts has been signed into law.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said the legislation stemmed from the case of a lifelong hunter whose FOID card was revoked by the state after 13 years.

The gun enthusiast has a mild intellectual disability. The 2013 law that allowed concealed carry in Illinois prevented people with mild disabilities who seek services from the state from possessing or using firearms.

“If someone is capable of safely using a firearm either recreationally or in cases of self-defense, we shouldn’t take that right way,” said Forby, who supported the measure.

More Here

Rob Morse: Keeping the Anti-Gun Dream Alive



Some people still believe gun-prohibition works. That fading idea is like a sick old man on life support. It takes more and more effort simply to keep that fading fantasy alive.

They try. These anti-rights lobbyists pump out a heartbeat of press releases paid for with a billionaire’s money. Yes, I mean Bloomberg, as well as the Joyce, Tides and Heinz foundations.

Here is an example. The murders at the Charleston, South Carolina church were in a gun free zone. The billionaires who wants you disarmed said we need more background checks.. while admitting the murderer passed his firearms owner background check.

Well, duhh.

A crazed gunman attacked a Dallas, Texas police station. The Bloomberg groups blamed a new law allowing open carry of firearms. They forgot to mention that the open carry law does not go into effect until next year.

Oops


TX: Clerk Shoots Robbery Suspect in Head

HOUSTON -- A jewelry store clerk shot and killed a robber in southwest Houston.

Police say the robber tried to hold up Jade Jewelers on Westheimer and Wilcrest just after 4pm.

More Here

MO: Charges Dropped against Father of Six



According to the police, the suspected shooter, 30, and Marchlewski were arguing at the beach on Saturday night when the man decided to leave. The man took his six kids and wife in their two cars and started to leave.

When the man stopped to make sure his wife was safe, Marchlewski walked toward the his car. The argument continued, and when the man feared the argument would escalate, he drew his gun and shot Marchlewski in the chest.

The man was arrested for voluntary manslaughter and charges were filed, but the prosecuting attorney declined the charges. The shooter has been released.

More here

AL: 20-Year-Old Shoots 16-Year-Old Aggressor



The young men reportedly got into some type of altercation at about 1 a.m. at a location on Alabama 75 North. The 20-year-old fled the scene and stopped at a parking lot on North Broad Street to check his truck for damage.

Honea, who was with a group of males, approached the man’s vehicle in an attempt to start another altercation, Smith said, when the 20-year-old drew a 9 mm pistol and fired one round, striking Honea in the chest.

The man then called 911 and police and medics responded to the scene to find Honea dead.

(snip)

Smith said the 20-year-old, while detained at the scene and interviewed, has not been charged at this time.

The case will go before a Marshall County grand jury for possible charges, said Marshall County District Attorney Steve Marshall.
More Here


WI: Armed Pharmacy Employee Stops Robbery

A pharmacy employee recently thwarted a theft by pointing a gun at the suspected robber.

Sarah Dixon was working at Pharmacy Station in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the morning of July 7, 2015, when she received a note that said, “This is a robbery. Don’t panic, or I will shoot,” according to GazetteXtra.

The note, which was allegedly from a man named Gerrick R. Richey, also demanded 60 oxycodone tablets.

Dixon received the note and told a pharmacy technician to call the police, according to the criminal complaint. Dixon then headed to the back room, and the alleged suspect followed her. She then retrieved a gun from her purse and pointed it at Richey.

The pharmacy’s surveillance footage showed Dixon continuing to point the gun at Richey as she directed him from the back of the store to the front.

More Here

Monday, July 27, 2015

FL: Be careful what you say to 911



What you say on 911 is recorded.  It can and will be used against you in a court of law.  My friend and publisher of numerous books on gun laws, Alan Korwin, says that in the vast majority of cases where people involved in self defense scenarios end up in serious legal difficulties, it is what they said on 911 that got them into trouble.  He expounds on this in his book "After You Shoot".   In a recent case in Florida, both male participants made errors.  One is dead and one has been charged.        

I suspect that Robert Doyle is already regretting saying that he would put his gun to the other driver's head.  If it was not for that statement, I doubt that he would be charged.  The other driver, Candelario Gonzalez, threatened to "whoop his ass" and followed him to his home.   Candelario Gonzalez no longer has regrets in this life.  He is dead.



It appears that if Robert Doyle had not mentioned that he was going to put a gun to the other driver's head if the driver continued to follow him to his home, he would not have been charged.   From myfoxtampabay.com:
"I have a truck, there's some maniac that's been following me, trying to run me off the road an (expletive). My gun is already out. It's cocked and locked," Doyle told the dispatcher.

At almost the exact same time, the wife of 44-year-old Candelario Gonzalez was on the phone with another 911 operator. She indicated her husband was also threatening violence.

"My husband wants to go whoop his (expletive)," he said.

"Well if he does that, he'll, he'll go to jail," the dispatcher responded.

Both callers blame the other driver for acting aggressively.

Doyle's made at least two more references to his gun.

"They are following me to my house. I'll be there in 20 seconds and the guns are already out," he said, later adding, "I'm going home and the gun's coming out. I'm going to put it to his (expletive) head."
In the 911 call, Robert Doyle says the driver that is following him and trying to run him off of the road, is driving a truck.  In the overhead picture of the scene, the vehicle beside the truck in the driveway may well be a Kia Soul.  There appear to be two children at the back of the vehicle.


Once home, Robert got out of his Kia with his gun.  Candelario confronted him.  Robert's wife, on 911 says "Don't Shoot! I have 911 on the phone!" Five gunshots are heard immediately after Robert's wife makes the statement.

When the officers arrive, Robert Doyle's wife says that Candelario Gonzalez would not leave and charged her husband, which is when Robert Doyle shot him.

Fox 13 reports that an unnamed witness claimed to see Candelario Gonzalez walking back toward his car (truck?) when he was shot.  Some reports are saying that Candelario was driving a landscaping truck.  That may be the vehicle in the street with the trailer behind it in the middle lower part of the picture.

The police are saying that Robert Doyle is the aggressor, because he told them that he had a gun and was ready to use it.
According to detectives, Doyle then held Gonzalez's wife, daughter and grandson at gunpoint until deputies arrived. He told them he acted in self-defense.

But detectives don't believe it and said, based on the words Doyle used in his own 911 call, it appears he was the aggressor and that's why he's charged with murder.

"He doesn't come out and say I'm going to shoot this guy. He said 'I've got my gun out. I'm cocked and locked and ready to go,'" said Capt. Dave DeCarlo, with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

It is hard to think clearly when one is under stress and potentially under attack.  Something to consider is that it is a bad idea to lead a potential attacker to your home.  I was given this advice about 20 years ago by an officer of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, in a class for CCW instructors.

You do not want a potential perpetrator to know where you live.   Having reinforcements at hand to help would be better.

The AZ DPS officer did not advise people to drive to police offices.  He said that you could not be sure that they were open or available.  He advised people to drive to fire stations.   He said they are open 24 hours a day, and are used to handling emergencies.  He said that the profession with the highest number of concealed carry licenses are firefighters.

Perhaps Robert Doyle wishes that he had driven to a fire station.  I am sure that Candelario  Gonzalez' wife wishes that he had done so.

In both of their cases, they said too much to 911.


©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Sunday, July 26, 2015

MSNBC's Poll Shows Support for Carrying Guns in Public



In the wake of the theater shooting in Louisiana, the Chattanooga Jihadi attack on the U.S. military, and the church mass shooting in South Carolina, MSNBC might have thought that people would be against carrying guns in public.  They sponsored an online poll.    MSNBC wisely put guards in place to prevent multiple votes from individuals.  If they thought that people desired more gun control, they were wrong.

At the time of this article, they had received 234 thousand votes.  I am sure that they appreciate the clicks, but given their editorial stance in favor of any restrictions on the second amendment, anywhere, anytime, I suspect that they were surprised.  Here is the poll question and the possible responses.

Do you think people should be allowed to carry guns in public?

1. Yes! The Second Amendment guarantees it.   91%

2. No, it's too dangerous.  5%

3. Only for self defense.  4%

Notice that the total in favor of people carrying guns in public is 95%.

Link to poll

It is likely that the MSNBC policy of allowing only one vote per person is contributing to the lopsided result.    Second Amendment Supporters outnumber disarmists many times over.  The ratio may be as high as 20 to 1.

 Definition of  disarmist 

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Update: The poll was started in May of 2014.    As a long running poll at MSNBC, it has started seeing renewed attention this week. 

Update 2: The total votes are now at 326K, up 90K in a couple of days.

1. Yes! The Second Amendment guarantees it.   92%

2. No, it's too dangerous.  4%

3. Only for self defense.  4%

This indicates that the ratios are pretty stable and longterm, about 20 to 1 in favor of the public carry of firearms, by people who care about the issue.

WV: Serial Killer Stopped in Desperate Self Defense Case



It appears the Neal Falls was a serial killer.  The license plates on his Subaru are  from Oregon.   The best summation of this case so far is on the pibillwarner site:
Neal Falls DOB 9/24/1969 out of Oregon appears to be a serial killer, he was killed in West Virginia by a prostitute, he had kidnap-rape-murder tools in his vehicle, Neal Falls has worked as a armed security guard nationwide. Inside Neal Falls’ vehicle, police said they discovered a machete, shovel, axes, knives, bulletproof vest and numerous sets of handcuffs. Police also found a large bottle of bleach and a list containing the names of escorts.


From dailydot.com:
"I knew he was there to kill me," the visibly shaken woman told KPTV after being released from the hospital, where she was treated for broken vertebrae and lacerations. "I could tell that he had already done something because he said that he was going to prison for a long time. And that's when I knew he was gonna kill me."

When Falls began to strangle her, she said, she reached for a nearby rake. Falls put down his gun to try and wrestle the rake out of her hands—that's when she grabbed the gun and shot him. Falls died from the gunshot wound, and she ran outside to get help.

When police arrived, they found an extensive "kill kit" in the trunk of Falls's Subaru. In the trunk were knives, a shovel, a machete, several axes, a sledgehammer, a pair of hiking boots covered in dirt, trash bags, and cleaning supplies.


The escort shot Falls with a Ruger LCP, a small .380 semi-automatic that he had set down as they struggled.   She shot him over her shoulder.   It seems likely that he was on top of her while she was face down.   It is a small pistol, but it did the job.

For those who believe that prostitutes are not worthy of protection, remember that Jesus is descended from a prostitute.  All are fallen, all are forgiven.   This escort likely saved many lives in addition to her own. 

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

AL: Gun Free Zone Signs go Down; Governor Bentley Fulfills 2010 Promise



A year and a half ago, I wrote about the illegal "No Weapons" signs at rest stops in Alabama.  The Alabama Department of Transportation doubled down and declared the signs legal ... because.  Yesterday afternoon, Friday, the 24th of July, 2015, Governor Bentley stepped up to the plate and ordered the signs taken down.  From yellowhammernews.com reporting the Governor's tweet:


I have ordered the AL Department of Transportation to remove signs banning weapons at all Alabama rest stops to comply with state law.

Good for the Governor. He knows how to count. He is also keeping his campaign promises from 2010:

  • I will defend Alabama’s sovereignty from federal encroachment, consistent with the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution.

  • I will protect each Alabamian’s right to legally purchase, own, carry and use firearms.

  • I will ensure the state government does not hinder city and county government operations.

  • The Second Amendment clearly grants every American the right to own firearms. As Governor I will protect each Alabamian’s right to legally purchase, own, carry, and use firearms.
Governor Bentley is a Republican. 

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Justifying crime. Comments fit John Jay Ray's Monograph on Political Leftists



While doing some research on the Bouchard's store defense with an AR-15 clone, I came across a discussion on 4chan.org about the event.  The site is labelled as Politically Incorrect.  While most of the participants expressed various levels of approval of Mr. Murrar, who defended himself and his store, an anonymous poster typed this response:
This man had no right to fire on these people. He turned a small time theft into murder. Why didn't he just run out the back door and let them do what they had to do?

Fucking republicans. I hate this world so much.
Note the reference to hatred of the world.  It could have been taken directly from John Jay Ray's monograph on THE MOTIVATIONS OF POLITICAL LEFTISTS.   It is a strange view of the world that equates ramming a stolen vehicle through a concrete barrier into a building, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage, and an unknown amount of damage to the vehicle, a "small time theft".   Yet the same person equates a defensive shooting, where no one was killed, into "murder".

In this twisted world view, the poster equates destruction of property and theft with "providing for family":
 I'd be armed too if I had to be afraid of insane republicans with military weapons firing on me while I was trying to provide for my family.
Then the poster invokes class warfare to justify the criminal's actions:
And in case you can't read this man had two, TWO!, stores. I'd also presume that he had insurance. Nobody was going to be hurt until he had to play cowboy.
It is easy to pretend that these beliefs are the attempt of an Internet troll to provoke a response.  But one sees these attitudes and variations expressed rather widely.   I have often seen the "just providing for family" card played by criminals, even though such a scenario is extremely unlikely in the United States, with its extensive safety nets for mothers and children.

No one has to steal in the United States in order to feed children.  One of the biggest problems among the poor is that they are obese.

Some children do go hungry.   When they do, it is virtually always because their care providers squander the money and food subsidies provided for the children on drugs and alcohol, or perhaps gambling, which are more important to the children’s care providers than the children's welfare.

To justify class warfare, the left continually inflates and exaggerates the amount of hunger in the United States.  Political propaganda by the Ad Council pushes the meme.    But if you look carefully, you find that the definition of a "hungry child" is based on surveys of parents or care providers, and not on any measure of nutritional sufficiency.  No wonder the numbers are so ridiculously high.


©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Barbarians at the Gate WI: Owner Defends Store and Self with AR 15 clone (Video)





On July 3rd, 2015, Ronnie Murrar grabbed a sport utility rifle when it counted.  It was a good choice.   Three robbers smashed through a concrete barrier and into the gates of his store with a stolen mini-van.  Ronnie accessed an AR 15 pattern rifle and fired at the invaders as they attempted to squeeze through the damaged gates.  At seconds 54-57, he fires about 7 shots.

Link to video
 







Deishun L. Byrd-McWay has been charged in the incident.  He showed up at the hospital with three gunshot wounds.  Three hits in three seconds out of seven shots at about 20 yards is pretty good.   In the video, Ronnie does not appear to be using the sights, but does have the rifle at his shoulder, using a variation of a point shooting technique.

The video illustrates many of the virtues of the AR 15 type rifle for defense of self and others. It is easy to use, points naturally, is easy to control with mild recoil, and has sufficient magazine capacity that you do not have to worry about a reload or attempt to count your shots in a tense, life and death situation.

After the perpetrators flee, Ronnie puts down the rifle and grabs his pistol to investigate the damage to the door.   A pistol allows a person to be armed without having a gun in their hand when the police arrive.


 From wisn.com on 23 July:
The owner of the store found out Wednesday he won't be charged in the shooting.

The attorney for Bouchard's owner told WISN 12 News reporter Christina Palladino his client had every right to defend himself after three men with guns broke into his store.


"The persons who tried to break into his store that night not only intended to steal but intended to kill him,” attorney John Schiro said.He said the video clearly illustrates how the men rammed the back of a stolen minivan into concrete posts blocking the entrance. Then, the men jumped out and tried to squeeze through the opening of the gate.

I wonder if my good friend, Jim Blair, of Blair's hardware, sold Ronnie the rifle.  Jim gained momentary national attention during the run up to the Clinton "Assault Weapon" ban when he defended the Second Amendment on TV in the Milwaukee area.  He sold dozens of rifles and cases of ammunition out of the Blair Hardware family store in Butler, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.

It is activism such as Jim's that has helped to educate citizens to the virtues of sport utility rifles for defense of self and others.

Jim is a superb shot with rifle and pistol, competing in high power rifle events at Camp Perry.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Two Thirds of Texas Murders by Illegal Aliens?



From  pjmedia.com:
PJ Media obtained a never-before-released copy of a Texas DPS report on human smuggling containing the numbers of crimes committed by aliens in Texas.   According to the analysis conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, foreign aliens committed 611,234 unique crimes in Texas from 2008 to 2014, including thousands of homicides and sexual assaults.
The precise number of homicides (presumably murders and non-negligent manslaughters) is listed as 2,993.  From the FBI UCR, Table 20, the murders and non-negligent manslaughters listed for Texas in those years are the following:

2008 1372,
2009  1325
2010  1246
2011 1089
2012 1141
2013  1133


The period of the Texas DPS study is listed from October of 2008 to April of 2014.  That would be a period of five years and seven months, or 67 months.  From the FBI UCR, we see total murders and non-negligent manslaughters for the years 2008 - 2013 in Texas.  That number is 7306 for the 72 months, or 101 per month.

The periods overlap for all but four months, so we would expect the average per month to be very close.  At 101 x 67 that would be 6,767 total murders and non-negligent manslaughters for the 67 month period.

That is all murders and non-negligent manslaughters, solved and unsolved.  The clearance rate for all murders and non-negligent manslaughter for the  South, West, Central region is 65.8% for 2012, according to the FBI UCR.

The illegal aliens reported in the DPS report were all arrested.  It is likely that a third who committed murders and non-negligent manslaughters were not arrested. That would increase the number of illegal immigrant crimes by 50%, to 4,489.  That does not take into account that only illegal aliens who already had their fingerprints in the criminal database were counted in the DPS study.

If that number is close to correct, over the 67 month period that we have records for, 66+%, or 2/3 of all murders in Texas were committed by illegal aliens.  

That is an astounding number.  I would like to see the actual DPS study.   If the Daily Caller has the study, they should release it.

Update: Here is a screenshot of the Texas DPS ten most wanted for July of 2015.  Note that 9 of the ten have Hispanic surnames.   Immigration status is not stated.  It is interesting to note that all ten are classified as "White".


This does not prove the 2/3 number, but it does support it.  If the 2/3 number is accurate, we would expect the majority of the ten most wanted to have Hispanic surnames.  It also shows that in the criminal justice system, the term "White" has little or nothing to do with cultural heritage.  For criminal justice purposes, Hispanic criminals are considered "White", but Hispanic victims are classified as Hispanics.

Here are some numbers from 2014 in California(pdf).  Hispanics were 46% of arrestees for murder in the state.  We do not know the immigration status.

Total California arrests for homicide in 2014. 1,427
  • 20.1 percent (287) were white
  • 46.0 percent (657) were Hispanic
  • 27.2 percent (388) were black
  • 6.7 percent (95) were other

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Friday, July 24, 2015

GA: Intruder Shot While Crawling Through Window



Investigators say Clement was able to open the window at one apartment and began looking inside through the window. The resident was awakened when Clement climbed through the window. Deputies say while Clement was climbing back through, the person fired two shots with a .380 handgun.

Deputies say Clement was hit one time in the right thigh. He ran back to his home and was taken to Doctor's Hospital by an unknown means of transportation.

More Here

IN: Domestic Door Kicker Shot



A woman, her brother and two children were at the house when the incident happened. Police say a man, the father of one of the children, kicked in the door to the house.

The woman’s brother shot at the man when he tried to get in, hitting him, police said.

More Here

TX: Guard Shoots at Tow Truck



Police said a security guard shot twice at a towing company vehicle at a Fort Worth apartment complex early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to the Park At Sycamore School Apartments in the 3800 block of Sycamore School Road at 1:13 a.m. after the security guard pointed his weapon at the tow company driver who was looking for missing or stolen vehicles.

More Here

Followup WA: Shooting After Attack not Justified



Bushnell says during the confrontation, Poindexter assaulted him with a wooden bat, which was later recovered by police. Bushnell received blows to the head, but police say what Bushnell allegedly did next was not a justified use of deadly force.

“The defendant retrieved a handgun from a backpack, made the decision to go after Poindexter, who had walked a short distance away, and fired three shots at Poindexter. Two of the rounds struck Poindexter in the back,” Wohl said.

Despite Bushnell's good intentions, police say pursuing Poindexter with a gun after their fight was over, was an unnecessary use of force.
More Here

TX: Homeowner Shoots Intruder Twice



Witnesses told NBC 5 the resident shot the intruder twice before he ran from the home, leaving a trail of blood on the sidewalk.
More Here

TN: Man Shoots Robbery Suspect



According to police, at about 9 p.m., a man walked up to another man and tried to rob him. The robbery victim then pulled out a gun and shot the stranger. He then drove away to call 911 from another location. He said he left because he didn't feel safe staying at the store.

"If I had a gun and somebody had a gun, I'd have probably shot him too," said Young.

At this point, police said they have not filed any charges as they continue to investigate whether this was a case of self defense.
More Here

OK: Man Attempting to Kick in Door, Shot by Occupants


Police found the shooting scene at a nearby apartment. Residents there told officers the man was trying to kick in the door so they shot through the door.

More Here

Update LA: Robbery Suspect who lost Gunfight, dies

Shooting "in the leg" can be deadly.
NEW ORLEANS – A gunman attempting to rob a customer at a gas station was instead shot in the hip by the customer and died several days later.

The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Ronnie Magee, who was shot by the customer on July 15 and died Tuesday.

More Here

CA :Employee Investigates Burglar Alarm, Shoots Suspect



An employee went to the strip club when a burglar alarm went off and shot the person inside in the building, Sacramento police said.

One was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and is expected to survive, officers said.
More Here

LA: Father Rescues Daughter from Home Invaders



The homeowner's daughter was at the house alone when three suspects broke into the home. She called her father after barricading herself into a room.

The father arrived on the scene with a gun and chased the suspects into the backyard. He said he thought one of the suspects, 18-year-old Imani Smith, was trying to pull a gun on him. The homeowner then fired several shots, hitting Smith in the thigh once.
More Here

OK: Bear Showed no Fear before being Shot



“He wasn’t afraid, and he wasn’t leaving,” Burns said. “The bear was heading steadily toward me, looking directly at me and partially upright. At that point, I felt like my livestock and I were in danger. I fired one shot, striking the bear, and it went down. I fired a second shot, which may or may not have struck the bear.”

He said his adrenaline was going and his heart was pounding during the incident. He said on a scale of one to 10, his fear level was about 20.

More Here

FL: Teen Boy made Stupid by Testosterone




The stepfather is a convicted felon, not allowed to possess firearms.


When the teenager arrived at his girlfriend's Apopka home around 4 p.m., he saw two men — his girlfriend's stepfather and her stepfather's friend — each with a shotgun, according to Orange County Sheriff's Office. The dauntless teen pulled the barrel of the gun to his face and said he was not scared, according to deputies.

More Here

MI: Disabled Vet Apprehends Criminal; Cited for Shots in Air (video)



One of the limits to the legal use of deadly force was illustrated by a recent incident in Detroit, Michigan.  A disabled veteran caught a robbery suspect, and attempted to hold him for police.  After about five minutes, the suspect ran away.  The vet shot in the air in an attempt to stop the suspect, but it did not work.  From clickondetroit.com(with video):
"The criminal hit me with something in the back of my head," the veteran said. He did not want to be named in this story.

The robber was trying to steal the man's gold chain. He chased the robber and returned to the restaurant a few minutes later with the robber held at gunpoint.

"I pushed him and I told him, 'Punk, sit down. Punk, sit down,'" he said. "He looked at me and thought I was an easy target because I'm disabled, but don't let the smooth taste fool ya. That's how he got caught up."
When the police showed up, they cited the veteran, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, for shooting inside of city limits.    They did not confiscate his pistol, which appears to be a Taurus 24/7 pro with ambidextrous safety. 



The veteran is carrying the Taurus in an inside the waistband holster, without any additional retention. 

In a case such as this, the veteran might have been able to get assistance from other customers.  The suspect was not complying; they could have taken pictures.  Perhaps they did so.   It is hard to believe that the suspect will escape custody.

 ©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Feinstein paraphrased


Thursday, July 23, 2015

MS: Investigator says Wait for the Police; bad advice?


In Hancock county, Mississippi, it seems likely that a domestic homicide was prevented by the actions of two men who were called to a home to guard against attack by an former husband.  From the sunherald.com:
The woman had been staying at a girlfriend's house, he said. The man went there and was unable to convince his ex-wife to leave with him, and he made comments that "he was coming back to take care of everybody," Grannan said.

The homeowner called her current boyfriend and her ex-boyfriend and they showed up and waited for the man to come back, he said.

Investigators believe the man returned and remained in his vehicle as words were exchanged and the other men told him repeatedly to leave.

"The man, still in his car, pulls a gun out and starts firing and everybody starts firing," Grannan said, referring to the other men.

"He got shot twice. He's lucky he's not dead."
Glen Grannan, the chief investigator for the Sheriff's Department, had this to say:
The men had a right to defend themselves, Grannan said, "but the man should have never come back and the others should have called the police and waited." 
I have read of many cases of domestic homicide.  One thing that they tend to have in common is that the police arrive too late, if at all.  Police resources are limited.  Almost certainly, if the Sheriff's office had been called, and if a deputy had been sent, the deputy could not have waited in the area for very long.  Then they would have left, and the outcome could have been much different.

Even if the ex husband showed up while the deputy was there, the ex could just have left, or waited for the deputy to leave.

I cannot fault the two men for defending the women involved, but my usual advise is to avoid becoming entangled in these domestic situations.  

Domestic situations account for a significant fraction of homicides, about 15% according to the numbers in a Bureau of Justice Statistics document.  That number is likely inflated, because it assumes that domestic homicides are equally represented in the 44% of homicides where the relationship between the offender and victim are unknown.   As domestic homicides are among those most easily solved, that assumption seems unlikely.  But even if none of the 44% of the unknowns were domestic, the percentage of domestic homicides would be over 8 percent of the total, a significant number.

Women in these situations often go back to the man involved, or take up with another man with similar habits.   When that happens, people who aided the woman often wonder why they bothered. 

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch
I hav
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2015/07/21/6330880_one-injured-in-hancock-county.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2015/07/21/6330880_one-injured-in-hancock-county.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

FL: Off Duty agent Fires at Burglars at 1:20 a.m.



FDLE said the agent found two men breaking into a vehicle in his driveway about 1:20 a.m., and he fired three rounds from his department-issued firearm.

No one was injured.

The agent was able to take one of the men into custody, but the other man fled and remains on the loose, FDLE said.
More Here

NM: Charges Dropped against Andre Michael Perez in Mobile Park Shooting



Perez told police he was acting in self-defense when he opened fire on Vallejos, who was later found dead with two gunshot wounds in his torso. However, several months later in March 2014, a Doña Ana County grand jury charged Perez with first-degree murder.

On Friday, senior trial prosecutor David Ruark, of the District Attorney's Office, filed a "nolle prosequi" motion in 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces.

More Here

OK: Couple Honored for Bravery in Fighting Invaders



Eddie and Cindy Gilmore, of  Marshall County, Oklahoma, were given an award for fighting back against armed home invaders in March of this year.   Four masked and armed invaders broke into their home and took Cindy hostage before Eddie accessed a pistol and started shooting.   He wounded two of the invaders before they fled, leaving him and Cindy unharmed.  From kten.com:
The Gilmores are being recognized for how they handled a break-in that happened at their home back in march. 
The night of the incident three people broke into their home with the intent to rob them, but the Gilmores fought back shooting two of the intruders.
Here is an excerpt and link from the story shortly after the Gilmore's home was invaded.  From kxii.com:
That's when, Gilmore says, he started shooting in every direction he could, hitting two of the subjects. The suspects fired back, but neither Eddie or Cindy were hurt.

"They had a gun to her head," Eddie Gilmore said, "They could've killed her and come right in here and killed me if I hadn't had a gun."

(snip)
Cryer added investigators don't believe the suspects, Broderick Humphrey, Austin Braden, Meridann Awalt, and Freddy Cervantes knew the Gilmores. "Based on just statements from our suspects," Cryer said. "They claim they were out in a wooded area shooting their firearms and looking for a place to rob and i think just because of the secluded area of this house is why it was targeted."

Said Eddie Gilmore, "I had some re-loads in this one gun and they mis-fired...next time they won't misfire."
 Many people have suggested that using reloads in your defensive firearm is unwise, and this is the best reason that is given for it.  It is hard to match the quality and reliability of factory defensive loads.  It can be done, but it is difficult.

The award is similar to the award given to Zara Aldi, who disarmed and shot a robber in Lexington, Kentucky, in May of this year. 

These awards seem to be part of a trend.  The internet has broken the stranglehold that the old media had on stories such as these.  Nearly all of them were spiked by AP and the old media.  As more people hear of them, and consider them, it only seems right to reward people who have contributed to a safer community by helping to apprehend dangerous criminals. 

I suspect that we will be seeing more awards of this nature.  Maybe cities and states will start rewarding citizens who fight back on a regular basis.  Detroit and Milwaukee would be good places to start.
 
Chief Craig and Sheriff Clarke would be perfect authorities to hand out "armed citizen" awards.   The Bill of Rights day, 15 December, would be a good day to celebrate armed citizens with a parade of them down main street.  There would be many who would participate.  

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Handgun Permits Nearly Tripled Since 2007



In 2007, 4.6 million Americans possessed a permit to carry a handgun. Now, eight years later, that number is 12.8 million Americans, or 5.2% of the population, according to a study by the Crime Prevention Research Center.

And contrary to the stereotype leftists hold of gun owners — that they’re white males bitterly clinging to guns and religion — the body of armed citizens is growing more and more diverse. CPRC reports that there is evidence gun ownership is growing among minorities at a greater rate than among whites. Furthermore, gun ownership among women increased 270% from 2007 levels opposed to the 156% rate for men.

While these numbers are heartening for lovers of Liberty and advocates for the right to self-defense, they are also probably low. After all, CPRC notes that there are 10 states in the union that allow some kind of permitless handgun carry (with Maine most recently joining those ranks). And there are signs that these gun owners aren’t just exercising their hunting and fishing rights. At the SHOT Show in January, the National Shooting Sports Foundation released a study that found the number one reason women get a gun is for self-defense — all inconvenient truths for those who want to impose more gun control.

http://patriotpost.us/posts/36518


TX: Double Disarm ends with Robber Wounded (video)

If you watch the video, the clerk is fighting with two of the robbers, but manages to get the gun and shoot one before they overcome him and flee. 

There is video at the link.

One of the men was armed and demanded money from the clerk, Smith said. Surveillance video shows the clerk fight with the robber, take his gun and shoot him in the shoulder.

Police said the robber then took his gun back and hit the clerk in the face with it.

More Here with video

Average Mass Shooting Stopped by Police vs. Mass Shooting Stopped by Civilians

Auditing Shooting Rampage Statistics

July 31st, 2012   Submitted by Davi Barker





Firearm prohibitionists love to use tragedy to leverage their agenda. So, it’s important for gun rights advocates to stand their ground and fire back (proverbially) whenever this happens.

I posted a graphic on Facebook claiming the average number of people killed in mass shootings when stopped by police is 18.25, and the average number of people killed in a mass shooting when stopped by civilians is 2.2. I based it on 10 shootings I found listed on some timeline somewhere. I honestly don’t even remember where. I presented the case studies in a blog post on the Silver Circle blog and I did the math myself.

The graphic was met with great enthusiasm and much skepticism. Leave it to Facebook users to demand an audit on a meme. So, I started over, only much more meticulous this time. I compiled and analyzed 100 shootings, noting my methodology, and I am now prepared to present my findings, complete with links to the data. But here’s a spoiler… It’s not that different.

The average number of people killed in mass shootings when stopped by police is 14.29

The average number of people killed in a mass shooting when stopped by a civilian is 2.33

More Here

NOSC Commander and Marine used sidearms to engage Chattanooga Jihadi



The Navy Times reports that the installation commander and a Marine engaged the Chattanooga Jihadi with sidearms during the attack.  From the navytimes.com:
A report distributed among senior Navy leaders during the shooting's aftermath said Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White, the support center's commanding officer, used his personal firearm to engage Abdulazeez, Navy Times confirmed with four separate sources. A Navy official also confirmed a Washington Post report indicating one of the slain Marines may have been carrying a 9mm Glock and possibly returned fire on the gunman.

From the comments, Mark Keith states that :

gunnery sergeant sullivan eel to his POV and returned armed and engaged the shooter. It's going to come out one way or another. At least they went down fighting for there men.
It seems a plausible scenario, but I have not seen any validation of it.  I put it in the category of rumor at the moment.

It seems likely that the  Lt. Cmdr. Timothy White, the support center's commanding officer, and the unnamed Marine engaging the Jihadi, significantly reduced the number of casualties.  That is the pattern that has emerged at other mass shootings. 

My compilation of mass shootings stopped by armed Americans shows that of the 22 cases found so far, 18 of them were stopped by people inside of the situation, while only four were stopped by people from outside who recognized the situation and had time to intervene.

Certainly Lt. Cmdr White and the unnamed Marine exhibited valor in the face of enemy attack.  They should be recognized and held up as an example of the best that our service members can be.   It says much of how this administration is viewed by many, that a significant number of comments expect White to be disciplined, rather than rewarded.  From the comments:
 It will be a damn shame if the military slap them with a UCMJ actions. It won't surprise me though.
and
 And I bet they will be punished for having weapons...
UCMJ is the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  It is the manual for punishing people in the military.  I do not see punishment as likely.  The political costs are too high.

I can see the calls for commendations rising.  They are already in the comments section.  It will not be long before a political candidate will recognize that the desire to recognize the bravery of these men will resonate with the electorate.  It will not be President Obama who firsts suggests it.  My bet is that it will be Donald Trump.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Fl: Open Carry Event on Tampa Pier



ADulay, a regular contributor to opencarry.org, wrote about the open carry event that was held in Tampa over the weekend.   From opencarry.org:
For those of you who could not make this meeting, here's a very quick synopsis of what you missed.

Just over 50 guys, all open carrying, showed up with fishing gear, donuts, coffee and a great attitude.


No police anywhere near the place. Lots of civilian people fishing and no problems with that at all.


Several questions from curious people and most, if not all were amazed at the laws in Florida. I can only assume that nobody made a "man with a gun call" to the police!


It was very hot out there, even in the shaded areas of the fishing pier.


ABC news did show up for some interviews and all in all, it was a very good meeting.


Hard to believe that the news didn't make anything out of "50 armed men at fishing pier". Nobody injured or taken hostage!!! Evidently CNN didn't get the word!


Seriously, lots of really good people all with the same goal in mind. It was well worth the effort for me to get out of the house at 7am to make the meet up north.


For the record, no fish were harmed during the entire event!


AD


Florida is one of the five remaining states that ban the open carry of firearms in most public places.  Those five states are: California, New York, Illinois, South Carolina, and Florida. 

Florida's ban on open carry is fairly recent.  When the shall issue concealed carry permit law was passed in 1987, Janet Reno, of Waco fame, President Clinton's Attorney General, was the State Attorney for Dade County,  Florida.  The concealed carry permit bill included state pre-emption that eliminated the power of Florida cities to ban open carry inside of their borders.

Reno was incensed by this and mounted a campaign to ban open carry.   She succeeded.  The legislature, in an act quite similar to New York's passage of the "Safe Act", held a special session, bypassed the normal committee hearings, testimony, and citizen input, and banned open carry in most places.  Some would suggest that this "success" was instrumental in Janet Reno's selection as Attorney General under President Bill Clinton.

Following the statist tactic of outlawing everything that is not allowed, open carry was banned everywhere except for a few exceptions.  One of those exceptions was to allow the open carry of firearms while fishing.  It is this exception in the law that Second Amendment activists are using to promote the restoration of open carry rights to Florida.


The next generation of Second Amendment supporters being raised in Florida.

Florida Carry organized the open carry event and is vigorously working toward restoring open carry in Florida.   In addition to open carry events, they have mounted court challenges and have had success in lobbying the legislature.

Texas is the most recent state to restore open carry freedoms.  Its new law will take effect on 1 January, 2016.

Florida  and South Carolina are the most likely candidates to restore open carry after Texas.  The Florida ban has been in effect for less than 30 years, and Florida has had significant success with its shall issue concealed carry law.  Governor Rick Scott has said that if an open carry bill passes the legislature, he will sign it.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

TX: Intruder with Mental Issued Shot by Homeowner


CORPUS CHRISTI -

A man with possible mental health issues forced his way into a home on Denver Street early Monday morning. According to police, Robert Smith claimed the homeowner had assaulted a woman and was holding her unlawfully.
More Here

AL: Neighbor Shoots Aggressive Dog



We spoke with the man who is being accused of killing the dog. He says the dog came into his yard while he was getting the mail and acted aggressively.

“The dog gets in a crouched position with his teeth showing and that’s when I shot the dog and he was in my driveway,” Leonard Turner said.

“He just shot him, and he’s my neighbor and he never told me once that any of my dogs were bothering him ever,” Sorrels said

Leonard Turner told us he had felt threatened by the Sorrels family’s dogs before so he started carrying a weapon when he went outside.

“I’m sorry I had to kill the dog I hate it happened but I can’t go back and change it and if I did I’d probably have to go back and shoot it again I mean I know I would,” Turner said.
More Here

WA: More on King County Shooting



KING COUNTY, Wash. —

Police say a 70-year-old homeowner shot a man who came into his home and began attacking his roommate.

Investigators said a man in his 50s entered the home in the 9400 block of Carnation-Duvall Road Northeast at about 2 p.m. Sunday and began to attack the homeowner's 65-year-old roommate. The 70-year-old man fired gunshots at the man, who fled.

The homeowner told police that he had fired five shots from a 9mm handgun, but was not sure if he had actually hit the man. Investigators learned the man had lived on the property in the past and there was some history of violence between the parties.
More Here

TN: Suspect Wounded by Car Wash Owner



KNOXVILLE (WATE) – A woman was taken to the hospital after police say she was shot by the owner of a car wash when she and another man were spotted stealing money from a change machine.

Police were called to the Buggy Bath Car Wash on Asheville Highway just before 3 p.m.

Officers say a man and woman were stealing money from the change machine when the business owner confronted them. The suspects then fled in a pickup truck.
More Here

Rob Morse: While Obama Looks the Other Way..Citizens and Governors Defend Military



Another of our military members has died. That makes five people who were murdered by Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez in Chattanooga, Tennessee. By orders of their superiors, these sailors and marines were disarmed when they were attacked.

Americans acted. I wrote about citizens defending military offices in Georgia. Today there are more citizens doing the same thing. Some are in Virginia. (a second report on the same person) More citizens are protecting our military in Ohio where they are joined by off duty sheriffs officers and Ohio Carry.

These state governors took steps for an armed defense at the recruiting offices and military bases in their state. Some used law enforcement and other governors used the national guard; Texas Governor Abbott, Louisiana Governor Jindal, Oklahoma Governor Fallin, and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Meanwhile, President Obama has said that the military will remain disarmed.

More Here

AR: Governor authorizes National Guard to "arm full-time military personnel"


LITTLE ROCK, AR (KAIT) -

As the investigation into the shooting deaths of 4 Marines continues, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson authorized Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Mark Berry to arm full-time military personnel.

The move comes in response to the shootings in Chattanooga, TN.

In a release, Governor Hutchinson also ordered the flag to be lowered at half-staff in honor of Staff Sgt. David Wyatt.

Wyatt, a Russellville native, was one of the Marines killed in the shooting.

More Here