MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The Myrtle Beach Police Department is investigating after a homeowner in Myrtle Beach shot at a burglary suspect Monday morning.
Police responded to a home on Beach Drive around 5:30 a.m. to reports of a burglary, according to a report.
FOX23 News spoke to the homeowner Jeff Bray the next day. He says he woke up to his mother-in-law screaming.
Bray said he had a gun by his bed and got up to check the home. He said Benitez had walked in the garage, inside the house and went upstairs.
When Bray spotted Benitez, standing there, by the bedroom door, he says he then grabbed Benitez by the neck and forced him down the stairs and out the front door.
A breakthrough may be happening in South Carolina's move to incrementally restore Second Amendment rights.
In past history, some Second Amendment supporters have seen the Senate Judiciary Committee as the place where the Senate leadership places bills to restore Second Amendment rights to die. The mechanism is simple. Do not schedule a hearing or a vote on such bills until it is too late to pass them in the legislature or to get them to the Governor for signature. Second Amendment activist, James Moffitt wrote, on 24 March, about the Senate Judiciary Committee:
This is typically where most 2A friendly bills go to die. Everyone reading this should be contacting the Senate Judiciary committee members now. I can guarantee you Moms Demand Action will be filling up their inboxes and flooding their voice mail. The time for action is NOW!!
Senatore Luke Rankin took over the chairmanship of the Judiciary committee in 2017.
Larry A. Martin was chair of the Judiciary committee from 2011 to 2016. Martin was credited with killing Constitutional Carry, because it authorized open carry, in 2014. From an article by this correspondent:
Senator Larry Martin is credited with killing S115 in South Carolina last year. He had this to say, according to WLTX:
“You can carry a weapon openly if this bill is adopted and I’m offended by that,” said committee chair Sen. Larry Martin (R-Pickens).
Senator Larry Martin was defeated in a Republican primary in 2016 by Rex Rice. Senator Rice was on a Senate Judiciary subcommittee in 2018. S 0449 was the Constitutional Carry Bill in play in 2018. The bill was heard in the subcommittee, then it died. The 2018 subcommittee had Senators Malloy (ch), Fanning, Goldfinch, Rice, and Senn as members.
Senator Rice had been a primary sponsor of S 0449
Chairman Rankin had not scheduled a hearing for either the open carry with training bill, H3094 or the Constitutional Carry bill, H 3096, as of 23 April, 2021. That has changed. A subcommittee has been scheduled on H3094 (open carry with training) for a hearing on the 27th of April. The subcommittee is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m.The subcommittee can kill the bill or keep it alive. From scstatehouse.gov:
Tuesday, April 279:30 am -- Gressette Room 105 -- Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on H.3094
(Contact Info: 803-212-6627)REVISIONS: Meeting added with agenda in PDF format on 04/23/2021 at 11:15 am
Scheduled for Live Broadcast on 04/23/2021 at 11:20 am
In 2021, the subcommittee members have changed to Young (ch), Malloy, Massey, Kimpson, Garrett. Without detailed knowledge of the internal politics of the Senate Republicans and the Judiciary committee, it is hard to know what this portends.
Bills that restore Second Amendment rights are often opposed by establishment politicians. All the tools of legislative procedure are used to kill bills without showing the responsibility for doing so.
The responsibility for H3094 and H3096 rests squarely with Senator Luke Rankin. His past history indicates he may pass open carry with training, and may kill Constitutional carry. A third option would be to pass open carry with training this year and hold Constitutional Carry to await developments in 2022.
The hearing on H3094 will tell us much about whether the bill has a chance of passing this year. There is limited time in each session. The longer a bill sits without passage, the less likely is passage.
Second Amendment Supporters are lobbying for support of H3094 in the Senate sub-committee.
South Carolina is one of only five states that ban the open carry of handguns in public places. It is worthwhile for the Second Amendment supporters to reduce that number to four. A ban on open carry is an outlier in the history of gun laws.
South Carolina does not appear to have instituted the ban on both open and concealed carry until 1962.
Earlier South Carolina banned slaves "going armed" with any weapon (1855), and restricted handgun sales to law enforcement (1902).
Update: the Judiciary subcommittee failed to vote on HB3094. This delay, in effect, is a move to kill the bill.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
According to police, a man in his late 20s or early 30s was breaking into several homes when he broke into a home with an elderly man still asleep inside.
Police said the homeowner got into a fight with the suspect after he was woken up by the break-in. That’s when, police say, the homeowner was able to grab the suspect’s gun and fire several gunshots.
SAPD said the suspect was not hit by the gunfire and ran from the area, where he was eventually caught by officers on Harcourt Avenue.
NAMPA, Idaho — An intruder was shot in Nampa early Tuesday morning after investigators say he entered the home of Canyon County Coroner Jennifer Crawford.
The 25-year-old man was carrying a baseball bat when he got into the coroner's house on Pleasant Hill Drive just after 12:30 a.m. He was shot by a resident of the home who was not Crawford, according to police.
On Friday, 9 April, 2021, Happy and Kristi Wade were going about a
normal morning routine, as shown by their security video. Happy can be
seen setting a cup of coffee on the hood of his car, and placing a box
of sweets in the back seat.
His wife Kristi comes out. She hears a cat growling. She takes a step back, and a bobcat attacks her from behind. Screaming, she darts between the two family vehicles, with the bobcat biting as it climbs up her back.
Her husband, Happy, comes to her aid. She turns around, and he grabs the bobcat off of her as it it nears her neck.
Holding the cat above his head, he suffers three bites until he throws the cat across the yard. After throwing the cat, he draws his concealed pistol, pursues the cat, and shoots it to prevent it from attacking another neighbor.
Later, it is reported the cat had previously stalked a different neighbor, earlier that morning. From wdbj7.com:
WECT reported, Kristi received a number of puncture wounds, scratches and was bitten several times. Happy is then seen grabbing the bobcat and carries it away onto his front lawn.
“I just remember seeing this face and it was trying to bite her right there in the side of the neck,” Happy said. “And so I shoved my arm in and that’s how I ended up with it like this [above his head].”
Happy said he was bit by the bobcat three times before he was able to throw it.
“I thought: ‘I’ll throw it this way,’” Happy said. “Two options: one, it’ll see an escape route and it’ll take off or it’ll stop just a moment where I can get a good shot at it.”
In the comments at the video, Tyrone Power writes:
Dude goes from Mr. Rogers to Dirty Harry in less than 5 seconds. Classic protective husband/dad/pet owner. Respect
You cannot get more American than this. No where else in the world would there be a suburb with both a bobcat and an armed husband to defend his wife.
Happy Wade shows himself as a good citizen, good husband, and armed warrior/protector, all in a few seconds.
Attacks by rabid bobcats are relatively rare. They happen a couple of times a year.
One was recorded in Alabama in 2015. A 62-Year-Old man choked a rabid bobcat which had attacked him in Florida in 2015. A bobcat was killed after it attacked four people in an Arizona town in 2017. A four-year-old girl was attacked in Arizona, at a campground in 2019. Her father ended up wrestling with the cat. An elderly couple was attacked in Florida in 2019.
Healthy bobcats have been known to kill small deer, as was documented with pictures from a trail camera.
Bobcats have adapted well to the suburbs. This correspondent has seen one in Dallas, and my daughter has seen a few over the years she has lived there.
Stories such as these give another meaning to those sightings.
All of the bobcat attacks this correspondent has read of involved either rabid bobcats, or mistaken identity attacks on hunters who were using animal calls to attract predators.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
During the initial investigation process, officials learned the 19-year-old allegedly initiated a verbal altercation with others in the apartment. Authorities said the altercation then escalated when the 19-year-old began assaulting those in the apartment and threatened to kill them. The 19-year-old strangled a male who he assaulted, officials said, and was then shot by another person in the apartment in an attempt to stop the attack.
Officers said the 19-year-old then turned and started strangling a female in the apartment. He was then shot a second time, then collapsed.
Fuel Filter, not a silencer. Notice lack of holes.
On 7 January , 2021, John Andrews was the target of a "controlled delivery". A controlled delivery is where contraband has been intercepted and is delivered to a suspect as part of a warrant for a search. Acceptance of the parcel containing the contraband is part of the necessary conditions for service of the warrant.
The parcel in question was a solvent trap ordered from China. Solvent traps are not contraband. The warrant claimed the solvent trap was an illegal silencer. New York is one of only eight states where it is completely illegal to possess a silencer.
Agencies present at the controlled delivery and warrant service were West Seneca Police, Agents of Homeland Security, the ATF, Customs, and the Postal Inspector's office. Andrews had several firearms and firearms parts, legally obtained and possessed, in his home. He was indicted on six felony charges.
There was a problem for all those police and agents. The solvent trap was not an illegal silencer. The warrant was not legally obtained. All charges were dismissed.
The problem with the warrant a West Seneca police detective got for Andrews' home, which was based on information supplied by federal agencies, was this: they told a town justice Andrews was getting a "silencer" shipped to him, not a solvent trap.
"The choice of words used by the police in the application were persuasive and wrong," Justice Christopher J. Burns wrote in his Jan. 14 decision. "As a result, this court must find there was a reckless disregard for the true nature of the item and must suppress any items recovered through the search warrant."
All of the charges appear to be based on New York State statutes, not Federal statutes. If there were federal violations, the charges would have been heard in federal court. A month after the charges were dismissed against John Andrews, another resident of Erie County was entangled in a similar case.
On February 11, 2021, another search warrant was executed based on information from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Frederick Oehler case from wivb.com:
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)– Fredrick Oehler, 60, of the Town of Tonawanda was arraigned on February 11 for possession of an illegal assault weapon and firearm silencer, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Oehler was charged on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
The DA’s office tells us a search warrant was executed on February 11, 2021 at Oehler’s Ellicott Creek Road home. The Erie County Sheriff’s Office conducted the search after “receiving a tip from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that the defendant had allegedly purchased an illegal firearm silencer from China,” The DA said.
Authorities recovered an assault weapon and a silencer.
The "assault weapon" was not identified. Upstate New York is a hotbed of civil disobedience to the "safe act" which required registration of numerous rifles.
This correspondent has not found more details of the Oeler case. It would be interesting if Mr. Oehler were able to contact R. Anthony Rupp III, the attorney for John Andrews. U.S. Customs should be able to show photographic proof the item delivered to Mr. Oehler was an illegal silencer, and not a solvent trap.
These cases contrast considerably with a case involving firearms, silencers, and ISIS from 2014. In 2014 a case was brought against Mufid a. Elfgeeh for firearms and silencers. In this case a confidential source gave the guns and silencers to Mufid Elfgeeh as part of an FBI sting.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett A. Harvey and Frank H. Sherman, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Elfgeeh has expressed his support for various terrorist groups, including al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and the pursuit of violent jihad. Consistent with this ideology, Elfgeeh has discussed a plan to shoot and kill both members of the United States military returning from Iraq and unidentified Shi’a Muslims in the Western District of New York. As part of that plan, Elfgeeh purchased two handguns equipped with firearm silencers and ammunition from a confidential source. The handguns were made inoperable by the FBI before the confidential source gave them to Elfgeeh.
In 42 states, citizens can avoid the legal troubles of John Andrews and Frederick Oehler by applying for a Form 1 to legally make their own silencer from a solvent trap.
Legal silencers number over 2 million in the United States, in spite of the banning of the safety devices in eight states. Those states are shown on this map from the American Suppressor Association:
The regulation and tax on these safety tools are excessive. Paying the $200 tax to make your own silencer, legally, is a worthwhile insurance policy against federal prosecution. In the cases this correspondent has reviewed, the prosecution checks with the ATF to determine if a Form 1 has been applied for before issuing a search warrant.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Police have said that the shooting stemmed from an ongoing dispute between neighbors, both of whom were armed.
Souza had shot into a neighbors’ apartment and made entry, Reno Police Lt. Anthony Elges clarified this week. The neighbor, whose identity wasn't released, then fatally shot Souza, he said.
HARTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WOIO) - A 26-year-old Ashtabula man who opened fire during an armed robbery is in critical condition after the homeowner shot him, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Sheriff William Niemi said deputies were called to the 6000 block of Hurlburt Road just before 8 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a shooting.
The preliminary investigation determined the man and two other individuals went to the home to retrieve some property, according to Niemi.
The man went into the home with a gun and demanded his property, the sheriff said.
A short time later, witnesses who stayed outside heard a series of gunshots before the man ran out with his hand on his stomach, Niemi said.
One of the tactics used by the far left to disrupt the lives of private citizens and to show their power, is to block roadways, streets and public right of ways. Blocking public right of ways has been a minor crime. Most states have statutes which require vehicles to give way to pedestrians.
The far left found this weakness in the system, which allowed them to disrupt and endanger tens of thousands of other people without serious penalty for themselves.
Once vehicles were stopped, the drivers and passengers would be at the mercy of the mob. Several drivers have been beaten. Others have been shot at. The mobs appear to have been taught tactics to incite drivers to attempt to escape, and then to claim "victim" status. There are numerous videos which show "protestors" running to get in front of vehicles to stop them and render them vulnerable to the mob.
Several state legislatures have recognized this flaw in the system, which allows groups of people to terrorize the public and to cause fear and death, as emergency vehicles are diverted or delayed from reaching hospitals or those in need of emergency care. AP reports bills are pending in Iowa, Missouri, Utah, Florida, and about a dozen other states.
Oklahoma is one of those states.
Representative Kevin McDugle has introduced a bill, HB2215, to rectify the situation and allow drivers to escape threatening situations. If shown to be justified, drivers would be immune to lawsuits and criminal penalties. The bill passed the initial committee hearing 6-1. From Billtrack50.com:
SECTION 1.AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1320.2, is amended to read as follows:
Section 1320.2 It shall be unlawful and shall constitute incitement to riot for a person or persons, intending to cause, aid, or abet the institution or maintenance of a riot, to do an act or engage in conduct that urges other persons to commit acts of unlawful
SECTION 2.force: 1. Force or violence, or the unlawful burning; HB2215 HFLR 2. Burning or destroying of property, or the unlawful interference; 3. Interference with a police officer, peace officer, fireman or a member of the Oklahoma National Guard or any unit of the armed services officially assigned to riot duty in the lawful performance of his or her duty; 4. Obstruction of an exit or entrance into a private business; or 5. Obstruction of any street, road, highway or thoroughfare in this state used by the public.NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1320.11 of Title 21, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: A motor vehicle operator who unintentionally causes injury or death to an individual shall not be criminally or civilly liable for the injury or death, if the injury or death of the individual occurred while the motor vehicle operator was fleeing from a riot, as defined in Section 1311 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, under a reasonable belief that fleeing was necessary to protect the motor vehicle operator from serious injury or death.
SECTION 3.This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
Any use of force or violence, or any threat to use force or violence if accompained by immediate power of execution, by three or more persons acting together and without authority of law, is riot.
Those who oppose the law claim "protestors" have the right to violate the law and disrupt other peoples' lives in order to bring attention to their perceived grievances. From wnep.com:
Mark Faulk, a longtime Oklahoma activist who was arrested last year for blocking a roadway, said dramatic tactics are necessary to get people's attention.
"The idea of escalating it to the point where you disrupt the convenience of the citizens and of the status quo, you have to do that sometimes to make a point," Faulk said.
The right to peaceably assemble does not include the power to block public right of ways without prior arrangement and notice. The right of free speech does not include the power to infringe on the rights of others.
The left has long held the rule of law, due process, and Constitutional Rights should only be upheld when they work in favor of the left. Chris Cuomo of CNN supports the First Amendment as violence for the far left. He asked where it said protesters (on the left) are supposed to be polite and peaceful:
“And please, show me where it says protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful.”
The left seems to think they will "win" by throwing the country into chaos and destroying the rule of law and due process.
When that happens, everyone loses, except, perhaps, for a very tiny minority which gains control at the top. Even they will always be in doubt of their position and power.
Update: The bill has been passed and signed into law.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
HART COUNTY, Ky. (WBKO) - Update 8:11 p.m. On Thursday, Kentucky State Police responded to a disturbance between a mother and son on 5475 Hammonsville Road in Hart County.
According to Kentucky State Police, the caller said her son had a rifle and was being physically aggressive towards her.
During a fight, the son was shot by his mother.
The son was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital where he is currently in stable condition.
According to Phoenix police, officers responded to the Canyon Palms Apartments near Interstate 17 and Maryland Avenue around 11:30 a.m. for reports of a shooting. Officers spoke to a man who works at the complex and said he was being assaulted by another man. During the fight, police say the employee shot the man assaulting him. The man was taken to a local hospital and later died from his injuries.
Louisiana State Capitol, from wikimedia CC 2.5, 18 Oct, 2006, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
Louisiana is in play to pass a Constitutional Carry bill in 2021. SB 118 has passed a crucial Senate Committee. It is scheduled to go to the floor of the Senate on 21 April 2021. It seems likely to pass the Senate.
Senate Bill 118 has requires the person who would carry without a permit to be 21 years old, or older. It requires a person who is approached by a law enforcement officer to disclose they are carrying a concealed weapon. It prohibits the carrier from being under the influence of alcohol.
These requirements are not required for people who carry handguns openly in Louisiana. Here is a video of the Judiciary Committee hearing about SB118:
The legislators are aware how much fearmongering has been attached to such legislation in the past. From leesvilledailyleader.com:
"It's a law that's time has come," Zelenka said. "You're going to hear testimony that the sky will fall and blood will flow through the streets if you pass this bill. Those dire predictions have proven to have been unfounded."
Experts testified that the costs of the current required nine-hour training course, other fees and fingerprints range from $225 to $325.
A similar bill by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, will get a hearing in a House committee
This correspondent was able to speak with Rep Danny McCormick. He believes his bill, HB16 is superior to SB118. HB16 removes the prohibition on carrying concealed concealed
weapons from people who are 18 years of age or older, and who may
legally possess firearms. HB16 does not include a duty to disclose to law enforcement officers. It does not add a prohibition on consuming alcohol.
HB16 is expected to come up in the House committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice on Wednesday, 27 April, 2021.
Rep McCormick says one of the reasons for his election was his adamant support for Constitutional carry. He has connected with 7000 people whose primary issue is to pass Constitutional Carry.
Louisiana has a population of about 4.7 million people. Arizona has a population of about 7.3 million people. Less than 5,000 dedicated activists were able to effectively lobby for Constitutional Carry in Arizona in 2010. It should be easier to pass Constitutional Carry through the legislature in Louisiana, in 2021.
Representative McCormick asked those who are interested to contact him at mccormick4LA.com. or at his page on facebook.
There is support for a version of Constitutional Carry among Louisiana peace officers. From Ouishitacitizen.com:
West Monroe Police Chief Jeff Terrell said he was personally in support of the legislation.
“Based on my reading of the Constitution, it says you can keep and bear arms,” Terrell said. “The founders made it clear. Restrictions don’t hurt anyone but law-abiding citizens. When you look at it, the people that are not going to follow the law, are criminals. They’re going to carry whether the law says they can or cannot.”
Louisiana Republicans have supermajorities in the House and the Senate. The House has a 68-35 Republicans v Democrats majority. The Senate has 27 Republicans to 12 Democrats.
The Governor is Democrat John Bel Edwards, who says he is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment.
There is a reasonable chance for passage of Constitutional Carry in Louisiana in 2021. The key is to bring the legislation up for a vote. Republicans will be reluctant to vote against a Second Amendment bill while President Biden is in office.
The election of President Biden has people concerned about their Second Amendment rights.
A few years ago, Louisiana passed a strong state Constitutional amendment protecting the right to keep and bear arms. Constitutional Carry would be the legislature passing legislation which complies with the requirement of the Louisiana Constitution.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 3:52PM, Columbus Police Officers were called to the 3200 hundred block of Marion Pl. on a report of a shooting. Onarrival, officers found 15-year-old Trevon Dickson suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. CFD Medic 21 transported Dickson to Mount Carmel East Hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:31PM.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Nasir Ndiaye was transported from the scene to Children’s Hospital by private vehicle where he was treated for a gunshot wound. After taking Ndiaye to the hospital, the person(s) who transported Ndiaye fled from the hospital in the transporting vehicle.
The investigation revealed that Ndiaye shot Dickson, for unknown reasons, fatally wounding Dickson. Dickson was able to return fire, wounding Ndiaye, before collapsing. Detectives have charged Ndiaye with Murder for causing Dickson’s death.
Image from Gallatin County SAR on facebook, bear attack scene 15 April, 2021, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
On the afternoon of 15 April, 2021, Carl Mock was attached by a grizzly bear near Baker's Hole campground in Gallatin County, Montana. The campground is a few miles from the town of West Yellowstone, near an entrance to Yellowstone Park. Mock was able to dial 911. Several agencies responded to the call at about 3:42 p.m. The first responders were able to find Mock after about 50 minutes of searching.
Mock had "sustained significant scalp and facial injuries" according to the Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue facebook page. Localnews8.com gave more details of the injuries:
Authorities say the bear attack left him with severe injuries to the left side of his face, head and neck. Judging from his injuries, they said Mock seems to have used the proper fetal position to keep the bear from killing him, but a the bear still managed to bite out a chunk of his skull.
"I want people to know that Carl wasn't out there… he wasn't out there making stupid choices and like chasing after animals. He's very aware of rules and guidelines," Cook said.
More information was included on an update. Mock had bear spray, the safety tab had been removed, but it was not known if it any had been sprayed. From ktla.com:
Mock when attacked had bear spray — a Mace-like deterrent meant to protect against attacks — but officials said they did not know if he managed to use it. Bear spray canisters have safety tabs to prevent them from going off accidentally and the safety tab on Mock’s bear spray was off, Jacobsen said.
The grizzly was killed Friday after it charged a group of seven game wardens and other personnel as they approached the scene of the attack. Several people fired at the animal and it died about 20 yards (18 meters) from the group, Jacobsen said.
Officials said they are confident the bear that was killed is the one that attacked Mock.
A gofundme page was set up to cover Mock's medical expenses. The site had donations of $28,752 when Mock died of a massive stroke. He faced a massive number of surgeries.
Several reports indicated a moose carcass was discovered within 50 yards of the attack site. This does not make the deadly attack on a human acceptable.
Grizzly bears have been known to be much more aggressive and dangerous than black bears since they first became known to the American government, as reported by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805.
Was this a failure of bear spray? Yes. In a converstation with Morgan Jacobsen of Montana FWP, Morgan confirmed bear spray residue had been found on the clothing of Carl Mock. In our tabulation of pistol defenses against bears, the situation is only included if the pistol has actually been fired. The difficulties of accessing a defensive tool are similar.
If a pistol had been fired, but the bear had not been driven off, it would be counted as a pistol failure. In this case, the bear spray was sprayed, but it did not drive off the bear. Using the same criteria, the bear spray failed.
Bear spray was not used by the investigators. Jacobsen reported the bear was seen charging them from a considerable distance. It was engaged by gunfire before it came into range of bear spray.
On Friday, a group of FWP wardens and bear specialists searched the area and encountered a large male grizzly bear. Wardens say the bear charged the group and did not respond to numerous hazing attempts.
This correspondent has not found information about what firearms were used to defend the group of investigators from the killer grizzly. In the picture of the Search and Rescue unit, one person is armed with an AR15 type rifle, another appears to have a shotgun. Morgan Jacobsen of FWP confirmed the investigators had both rifles and shotguns.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Female with a gun forced her way into caller’s house. Caller’s husband has the female at gunpoint in the house
South Carolina State House, Christmas 2006, Brandon Davis, public domain, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
In South Carolina, both licensed open Carry and Constitutional Carry bills (H3094 and H3096) have passed the House and are sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee, waiting to be scheduled for a vote.
One Second Amendment activist, James Moffitt wrote, on 24 March, about the Senate Judiciary Committee:
This is typically where most 2A friendly bills go to die. Everyone reading this should be contacting the Senate Judiciary committee members now. I can guarantee you Moms Demand Action will be filling up their inboxes and flooding their voice mail. The time for action is NOW!!
The Judiciary Committee Chair is powerful Republican Senator Luke Rankin. Rankin has been in the South Carolina Senate since 1992. He was elected when he was 30 years old, a few years out of law school. He is a practicing attorney in the law firm, Rankin & Rankin, in Horry County, South Carolina. Rankin was a Democrat until 2004, when he switched to become a Republican.
He faced a primary challenge in 2020, It was a very close three way race, where Rankin received 39%, his opponents received 35% and 26% of the vote, leading to a run-off election. Rankin won the run-off in a race with extremely low turn-out, less than 11,000 votes, with 58% of the vote.
One news outlet wrote Rankins opponent in the run-off, John Gallman, had his divorce papers leaked to the media while Rankins divorce remained sealed.
In 2014, Senator Rankin was reported to vote against a Constitutional Carry bill in the Judiciary Committee.
In 2018, Senator Rankin removed an open carry bill from the Judiciary Committee agenda, effectively killing the bill.
On 19 February, 2021, Senator Rankin hosted a podcast titled:
During the podcast, Senator Rankin hosts Representative Stewart Jones, an avid Second Amendment supporter in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Stewart sponsored both H3094, open carry, and H3096, Constitutional Carry. Senator Rankin seems to agree with him. If you listen closely, Rankin does not quite endorse the bills. At 19:20 in the podcast, he says:
"We are talking about Constitutional Carry, open carry, here in South Carolina, how do we get there?"It would seem, one of the ways to "get there" would be for Senator Rankin, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to schedule a vote on the bills, while support is high. Open Carry would seem a shoo-in. South Carolina is one of only five states to ban the open carry of handguns in most public places. Texas passed licensed open carry, similar to H3094, in 2015.
Twenty states have Constitutional Carry without adverse consequences. It should not be a difficult argument to make, to pass the bill in South Carolina.
At about 24:00 in the podcast, Senator Rankin says:
"I love your approach. I love what you are doing."In the podcast, Rankin says that South Carolina is not as conservative as it might seem.
It is hard to know what will happen in South Carolina. Senator Rankin has a long record of voting for incremental improvements in the South Carolina firearms laws. He voted for the shall issue law in 1996, and a number of incremental improvements since then, such as for South Carolina to recognize permits from Georgia and North Carolina in 2016. From lukerankinsc.com:
I STAND for our right to bear arms and defend ourselves. I have defended hunters’ rights and expanded concealed weapon permits to give gun owners the freedom they deserve. (Act 464, 1996, Act 274, 2002, 2005, Act 347, 2006, Act 349, 2008, Act 123, 2014, Act 223, 2016, Act 154)
With this past history, the incremental change to licensed open carry in South Carolina would be logical and reasonable.
While President Biden is attempting to restrict second Amendment rights would be an excellent time to re-enforce those rights in South Carolina.
This correspondent attempted to call Representative Jones and Senator Rankin, but has not received a return call as of publication.
Both Constitutional Carry and Open Carry bills are now in Senator Rankin's committee. The ball is in his court. So far, neither bill has been scheduled for a vote.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
According to sheriff’s officials, “the suspect entered the residence wielding a hammer and threatened to kill the female victim.”
Fearing for her life, the female victim shot the would-be intruder. Officials said Garcia walked away from the residence and was located lying on the side of Foothill Road.
Garcia was airlifted to a trauma center, however, an update on his condition was not available at the time of this release. Officials said the female victim was not injured.
Texas Capitol image from wikipedia, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten
On Thursday, 15 April, 2021, the Texas House passed CSHB1927, one of the bills otherwise known as Constitutional Carry, 84-54. Democrat opposition to the bill was fierce, in spite of 19 other states having passed similar legislation without adverse effects.
Texans are already able to carry rifles and shotguns around the state without any permit.
A Texas state constitutional amendment passed after the Civil War, during Reconstruction, was how handgun carry was allowed to be infringed in Texas. The Texas Amendment was aimed against minorities and freed slaves.
Restoring Constitutional Carry for handguns in Texas has been a slow, incremental process.
Legally armed Texas have shown themselves to be extremely law abiding. They have been more law abiding than police in Texas. Gradually, slowly, incrementally, more and more restrictions on the carry of loaded handguns have been removed. There have not been any adverse effects.
Because Texans already have the ability to carry pistols in their vehicles without a permit; and rifles and shotguns most places without a permit; the practical effect of the bill on crime will be very little.
The symbolic and legal effect of restoring Constitutional rights, and limits on government power, will be significant.
Constitutional Carry has been pushed by Second Amendment advocates in Texas for years. It is a prominent part of the Texas Republican Party Platform. It is very popular with conservative Texans. It has been repeatedly stymied by the Democrats and Republican leadership in the Texas Legislature. The Texas Legislature only meets for a brief period every two years. Thus, there is only a small time frame where legislation can be passed.
Second Amendment supporters have fought against the Republican leadership by using the primary to vote out those who willfully side with the Democrats against the Republican platform.
Previous Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Bonnen, used underhanded tactics to kill Constitutional Carry in 2019. A series of related scandals resulted in Bonnen not seeking re-election in 2020.
In 2021, those efforts, along with the increased threat against Second Amendment rights by the Biden administration, has resulted in a window of opportunity to pass Constitutional Carry. From click2houston.com:
The 84-56 vote came after several hours of some of the most emotionally charged debate yet this legislative session, with Democrats pleading to their colleagues to reconsider their position on the legislation.
The Republican who replaced Dennis Bonnen in District 25, Cody Vasut, voted for Constitutional Carry, as expected.
The debate about Constitutional Carry has become a classic Conservative v. Progressive/Leftist issue. Facts, the Constitution, and the rule of law on the conservative side against emotional claims, worship of government power, and distrust of the people from the Progressive/Leftists.
Democrats typically attempt to link mass murder to unrelated issues such as Constitutional Carry. But Constitutional Carry makes effective defenses against mass murder easier and more likely. It does not make mass murder any easier.
Numerous private citizens have stopped mass public murder.
The leftist argument boils down to:
Guns are bad, you cannot trust anyone but the government
Many Republicans worship government power and distrust the people.
This correspondent has witnessed many legislative sessions in Texas and other states where Republican leaders give lip service to Constitutional rights and limited government; then use their power in the legislative process to kill popular and sensible bills in committee or by various procedural tricks. That is what happened to Constitutional Carry in Texas in the past.
Constitutional Carry has passed the Texas House. It is vulnerable to many attacks using procedure in the Senate. The person with the most influence to kill the bill or pass it in the Senate is Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. He has been ambivalent about Constitutional Carry in the past. He has not championed it.
On 15 April, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued a statement praising the passage of SB 18, which insures Texans Second Amendment rights are protected during emergencies.
Lt. Gov. Patrick has not issued a statement about Constitutional Carry.
He has an opportunity to become a conservative hero this session by passing Constitutional Carry in the Senate. He needs to make sure the bill is voted on by the Senate, that it is not killed by procedure.
If it is killed in the Senate, he will be blamed.
If it is voted on, it will almost certainly pass. It is popular, reasonable, and good politics.
If it doesn't pass, he can say he tried, and gave it a good shot.
If it passes the Senate, it seems likely Governor Abbot will sign it.
If Abbot vetoes a Constitutional Carry bill in the face of a Biden administration, any presidential aspirations of Abbot will be finished.
Conservative voters are alert, committed, and concerned about the threat posed by the Biden regime.
In 2014, Governor Abbot said he would be willing to sign a Constitutional Carry bill.
If Governor Abbot signs a Constitutional Carry bill, his conservative, Trumpian, credentials are enhanced.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The home invasion happened in the 2200 block of North Houston Avenue near East Plum Street at 10:35 p.m.
Police say during the hammer attack the homeowner managed to grab his gun and shoot the intruder multiple times.
Happy said he was bit by the bobcat three times before he was able to throw it.
“I thought: ‘I’ll throw it this way,’” Happy said. “Two options: one, it’ll see an escape route and it’ll take off or it’ll stop just a moment where I can get a good shot at it.”
Happy said he warned the jogging neighbor, who came to the house to check on them, to get out as she tries to help. Happy said he finally shot the animal because he knew something was wrong with it.
“I’m not happy that this happened, we don’t take any pleasure that I shot the cat” Happy said. “I knew when I realized it was a bobcat, having been born and raised in Eastern North Carolina and hunting all my life, you know, that’s just not normal.”
On 15 March, 2021, Fredy Pacini, a 61-Year-Old tire and bicyle shop owner from Monte San Savino, Tuscany, Italy, was officially notified he would not be prosecuted for shooting and killing one of the intruders who had broken into his shop, at night, with a pick-axe. From newsrnd.com:
For the judge "it is reasonable that Pacini could have foreseen that, shortly thereafter, he could have found himself in serious danger of his life and that we feared for his safety. In addition, the fact occurred in the middle of the night, in an isolated area and that the police, even if they had been immediately alerted by the alarm system, would not have been able to intervene on the spot for 15-20 minutes ".
It was the first widely reported case to test the new Italian law on armed self defense on your own property. Unione Sarda reported Pacini used a pistol he had retrieved from a safe to defend himself from the intruders. He was awakened to the sound of breaking glass a bit after three a.m. He fired five times.
Three of the shots hit the door frame. One shot hit one of the intruders in the knee, the fifth shot hit the same intruder in the thigh, severing the femoral artery. The shot was fatal.
The prosecutor had asked the case to be dismissed, under the old law, in March of 2019. The prosecutor believed Pacini had met the criteria for legitimate self defense. The judge in the case had rejected the request in September of 2020, and ordered more investigation.
The new Italian self-defense law was passed in March of 2019.
Pacini had his business broken into on 28 November, 2018. His business had been broken into 38 times previously. Prime Minister Salvatini had commented on the case at the time. The quote is found in many articles:
“Being a robber is a dangerous job. Am I wrong??? Self-defence is always legitimate!” Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right League, said on Facebook.
“My solidarity lies with the Tuscan shopkeeper who was robbed 38 times,” he said.
Prime Minister Salvatini had fought for a reformed self-defense law for years. One had come close to passage in 2017.
The previous law had its origin in Fascist Italy of Benito Muosilini. From davekopel.org:
Modern Italian gun control laws date from the Fascist period; the Public Safety Act was passed in 1931 as one of a series of measures designed to put an end to leftist violence. Addressing the Italian Senate Benito Mussolini explained:"The measures adopted to restore public order are: First of all, the elimination of the so-called subversive elements. ... They were elements of disorder and subversion. On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results."
The laws were, as are most gun control laws, made for political repression rather than for preventing crime. After WWII, the laws were not restored to earlier usage. Rather, they were made stricter and more repressive.
Italians had become increasingly frustrated with law that victimized the victims and coddled the criminals.
The momentum to reform Italian law had been building since the turn of the millenium.
Self defense is tied to all the things the left hates: individual responsibility, independence, limited government, self reliance. It is a hopeful sign that Italians are embracing it.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Authorities say a man was delivering newspapers in the area of Waterfront Way around 4:30 a.m. He had gotten out of his vehicle to make a delivery and when he returned, he found another man sitting in his car.
Details are limited, but police say, "at some point, the delivery person shoots the person inside the vehicle." Police noted that the delivery driver has a concealed pistol license.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- A man attempting to break into a car at a
northwest Harris County motel Saturday night was shot by the vehicle's
owner, deputies said.
It happened around 11:00 p.m. in the 11700 block of Veterans Memorial near Milroy at the Palace Inn motel.
Image from wikipedia, cropped, scaled, and text added by Dean Weingarten
The narrative that the robust protest at the Capitol, over a deeply contentious and flawed 2020 election, was a "deadly insurrection" is falling apart. For months the public was bombarded by the media repeating the lie, over and over, that any contention of election misdeeds was false. Half the country, with good reason, did not believe them.
The lack of trust in the Media and public institutions reached a boiling point on January 6th at the Capitol. This correspondent was there. It was clear the overwhelming number of protestors there were concerned about the election, considering it fraudulent.
The younger and most energetic of the protestors, and at least one agent provocateur, pushed their way into the Capitol. They were far more careful of, and considerate of, police than in the riots which had been occurring in leftist cities for most of a year. There were never more than several hundred of them, out of half a million or more protestors.
Five people died that day at the capitol.
According to the Chief Medical Examiner in the District of Columbia, Dr. Francisco Diaz, two people died of natural causes. One died of a drug overdose. One protestor was shot by a Capitol Policeman.
The cause of the death of Officer Brian Sidenick, after 90 days, has yet to be determined.
The narrative that the protestors caused five deaths is false. Here are the five deaths, as reported in theepochtimes.com. All of them appear to have been Trump supporters.
Ashli Babbitt, 35 years old, Trump supporter. Cause of death - Gunshot, Homicide.
Kevin Greeson, 55 years old, Trump supporter. Cause of death - Heart attack, natural.
Benjamin Phillips, 50 years old, Trump supporter. Cause of death - Heart attack, natural.
Roseanne Boyland, 34 years old, Trump supporter. Cause of death Amphetamine intoxication, accidental.
Officer Brian Sicknick, 42 years old, Trump supporter. Cause of death - undermined at this time.
Autopsies are supposed to be completed in 90 days.
Exceptional cases may take longer.
The case of Officer Brian Sicknick, is a highly political case, where we were told, over and over, Trump supporters killed a police officer in a violent insurrection. This was repeated by the most adored of the Progressive national media, such as the New York Times. It was claimed Sicknick was beaten with a fire extinguisher. It was a lie.
The Chief Medical Examiner is caught in a dilemma. If he finds Officer Sicknick died of natural causes, his political bosses, friends, neighbors, and associates in the District of Columbia will be very upset.
If he finds Officer Sicknick's death was in some way, caused by the protestors, everything is forgiven, but the evidence used, the documents recorded and all the procedures will be gone over exhaustively by the family and all concerned.
Dr. Francisco Diaz is, by his biography, a very professional, very conscientious medical examiner, with great honors in his field.
The delay on the finding of cause of death is not surprising. It is the only option that does not result in immediate severe consequences for Dr. Diaz and his department. Consequently, expect the final result to be something ambiguous, such as "undetermined".
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Joshua Wayne Hawley took off but was later found and admitted to shooting the dog. He was charged with felony cruelty to animals and was given a $10,000 bond.
He then accused the dog of attacking him first before pulling the trigger on the gun.
The store’s owner, Bruce Morrison Gray, and Rocky’s owner Erica Penley told WBTV that a surveillance video of the shooting happened when a man drove up. got out of his car and shot the dog.
However, Gray was arrested for withholding video evidence of the incident. He was taken to the Caldwell County Detention Center under a $20,000 bond.
Walmart stores have very high levels of security cameras. This should easily be resolved.
Indianapolis Metro Police Officer Samone Burris told reporters that the suspect pulled a gun on the store’s security guard around 4 p.m. as the suspect was being confronted. The security guard is also a full-time park ranger.
That’s when the man pulled his gun and shot at the suspect, who was taken to the hospital.
If a defensive use of a firearm goes unreported in the media and nobody hears about it, does it really count?
I’m happy to report that the answer is a resounding “yes,” and I have evidence to prove it.
A man who was patrolling his employer’s property to protect it from thieves, confronted by an apparent carjacker, drew his legally carried firearm and subdued the stranger as police officers arrived and arrested the man.
A security camera captured it all, as you can see below.
I know about this only because the man who held the criminal suspect at gunpoint, a Daily Signal reader who holds a concealed carry permit, reached out to tell his story.
Every month, I write a Daily Signal article highlighting some of the incredible stories from around the nation of gun owners who successfully used their firearms to defend themselves or others. Every time, I note that we have good reason to believe that most defensive gun uses never are reported to law enforcement, much less are picked up and publicized by a media outlet.
Almost every major study on these issues has concluded that Americans use their guns in self-defense between 500,000 and 3 million times a year. Even two “outlier” studies have concluded it likely occurs around 100,000 times a year.
In a twitter thread on a Chicago shooting incident at 1300 N. Cleveland and N Hudson streets, multiple shots were fired from multiple guns.
One person was grazed on the hip.
He was later identified on camera as shooting back at his assailant.
Here is a link to the twitter feeds on the incident.
Dean Weingarten
"Later in the evening an argument occurred on the back porch of the home after the visitor was asked to leave," the state police tweeted. "During the argument, the visitor pulled a knife and went towards the homeowner who was in possession of a registered pistol at the time."
The homeowner, who police said had a concealed pistol license, fired a single shot, which struck the other man. Both men called 911 at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
The injured man was taken to a hospital for treatment. The homeowner was not hurt.
"A records check of the visitor revealed a felony warrant for OWI 3rd and a aggravated domestic violence warrant," the state police reported. "He was turned over to Oakland County Sheriff."
Jarrell Gregory Busby, was discovered outside his home in the front yard suffering from a single gunshot wound to the front left shoulder.
Jarrell was transported to a local hospital where he later died.
MCSO detectives stated that Jarrell’s son was the shooter and he was defending his stepmother.
“Yeah, I’m shocked. I don’t know why he would have been at his door pounding on his door at 2 a.m.,” Tulley said.
Roberts picked the wrong house along Bulger Road in Alkol. Troopers said the homeowner, who’s in his 60s, grabbed his gun and opened fire, hitting the naked suspect in the shoulder as he tried to break down the door.
Tulley said he is familiar with both Roberts and the homeowner.
Marie Varsos lived with her mother, Sisco, in the 1400 block of Whispering Oaks Drive in Lebanon. Police said Shaun Varsos reportedly broke into Sisco's home on Monday morning. Police said he was armed with a shotgun at the time.
Lebanon officers said the shooting was not random and was domestic-related. Varsos and the victims were reportedly going through court battles, and an order of protection may have been filed in the past against him. Lebanon Police said Varsos was not on their radar as a threat to the public.
During the incident, police said one of the victims fired back at him. The two women who were killed reportedly calling 911 while the shooting was happening.
Indiana Capitol by Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0, 29 September, 2008
Indiana appeared to have a good chance of passing Constitutional Carry in 2021. The House passed the bill 64 - 31. A majority of Republicans in the Senate called for the bills passage. From therepublic.com:
Republicans easily pushed the proposal through the Indiana House, but Senate leaders have decided against taking up the bill in the final weeks of this year’s legislative session even though it was co-sponsored by 21 GOP members of the 50-person Senate.
The Indiana Senate has 39 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
The opposition of key Republican leaders killed Constitutional Carry through the simple expedient of inaction.
Republican State Senator Liz Brown of Ft. Wayne killed the bill by never scheduling it for a committee hearing. From the indystar.com:
Fort Wayne Republican Sen. Liz Brown, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee where the bill has been sitting, declined to give the bill a hearing before the deadline, effectively killing the legislation.
Instead, in the last week bills can be heard in committee, she gave a hearing to a resolution emphasizing the Indiana Senate's commitment "to protect the constitutional right to keep and bear arms."
Liz Brown was supported in the killing of the bill by the
Republican Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray. Bray may have organized the killing of the bill. From pdclarion.com:
Specifically, Bray said he concurs with the Hoosier Gun Rights organization that the requirement in the legislation for Indiana to create a database of individuals barred from possessing a gun due to a felony or domestic violence conviction, dishonorable military discharge, or history of mental illness is a “poison pill,” since data restrictions and privacy concerns inevitably will prevent such a database from being created.
Bray said eliminating the handgun license without creating the database means Indiana police officers will have no easy way of knowing whether a person they encounter on the street with a gun is legally permitted to be carrying the weapon.
That interpretation of the bill is disputed. From journalgazette.net:
Guy Relford, a Second Amendment attorney in Carmel, disputed Bray's characterization of the bill. He also has a radio show called “The Gun Guy.”
“This is an outright lie. H.B. 1369 did not mandate any new 'database' at all and certainly did NOT contain a 'poison pill,'” he said in a Facebook post. “The bill simply required a 'process' for getting information in existing criminal history databases, ... to an officer on the street. That process could be as simple as a radio call or an email.”
The Resolution SR 39, has many lofty sentences about supporting the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It has no force of law. It may be a coincidence it was passed by Senator Brown's committee on April Fool's day.
President Pro Tem Bray offers a consolation prize of eliminating the current $75 fee for an Indiana lifetime carry permit. From wane.com:
Instead, the Senate will support eliminating the $75 fee for a lifetime permit after the Legislature eliminated the state’s five-year permit fee in a 2019 bill.
If the Indiana Senate can eliminate the fee for a lifetime permit, they could easily have passed Constitutional Carry, if President Pro Tem Bray had wished to pass it. Bray represents Indiana Senate District 37.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Notice the reversal of ordinary usage in this article. The person who was attacked, and defended themselves is called "the suspect". The attacker, who was shot, is called "the victim".
Police said the victim began punching the suspect in his face.
That’s when the suspect shot the victim, according to police.
The victim ran across the street and into the bar where he collapsed.
Emergency medical personnel transported the man to MetroHealth where he died, according to the release.
The suspect was detained, interviewed, and released pending further investigation, according to police.
Iowa State Seal from wikimedia.org, scaled and cropped by Dean Weingarten
Iowa has become the 18th state to restore Constitutional Carry. Vermont has always had Constitutional Carry, so Iowa becomes the 19th member of the Constitutional Carry club. Three members, Utah, Montana, and Iowa, have been added in 2021, so far. Tennessee is expected to join shortly.
On Friday, 2 April, Governor Kim Reynolds (R) of Iowa, signed bill HF 756 into law. The bill was delivered to Governor Reynolds earlier in the day. Realistically, she could not have signed it any earlier. Governor Reynolds released this gracious statement with the signing of the bill:
“Today I signed legislation that protects the 2nd Amendment rights of Iowa’s law-abiding citizens while still preventing the sale of firearms to criminals and other dangerous individuals. This law also takes greater steps to inform law enforcement about an individual’s mental illness helping ensure firearms don't end up in the wrong hands. We will never be able to outlaw or prevent every single bad actor from getting a gun, but what we can do is ensure law-abiding citizens have full access to their constitutional rights while keeping Iowans safe.” - Gov. Kim Reynolds
The slogan on the great seal of Iowa seems particularly appropriate: WE PRIZE OUR LIBERTIES AND OUR RIGHTS WE WILL MAINTAIN. A citizen-soldier holding a musket is prominently featured on the seal, created in 1847. The bill will become effective on 1 July, 2021.
In Iowa, the Constitutional Carry bill passed the Senate on 22 March. People may have wondered why it took a week to be signed into law. The history of the bill followed this sequence:
17 March, 2021 - H.J. 753 passed the House on, 60 - 37
22 March, 2021 - The bill was sent to the Senate, and passed, 31 -17
2 April, 2021 - The bill was reported to be correctly enrolled (checked, formatted, printed in a proper format for signing), signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, and sent to Governor Kim Reynolds.
2 April, 2021 - Constitutional Carry was signed by Governor Kim Reynolds.
It is part of constitutional, limited government, to follow proper procedures, with due process, and proper checks and balances.
It
is exactly those things which the enemies of limited government want to
destroy, with emergency orders and executive decrees, to make a mockery
of due process.
In Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee has said he will sign the Constitutional Carry bill he sponsored in the Tennessee legislature.
The bill had not been sent to his office as of Friday, 2 April, 2021. It is expected Governor Lee will sign the bill when he gets it. The latest report was the bill was enrolled and ready for the signatures of the the House Speaker and Senate Speaker. (In Tennessee, the Speaker of the Senate signs the bills for the Senate).
When everything becomes an emergency, nothing is an emergency.
Tennessee will become the 20th member of the Constitutional Carry club, and the 19th state to restore Constitutional Carry.
The other 19 states which are members of the club are:
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Two states, Wyoming and North Dakota limit Constitutional Carry to residents. Wyoming is in process of eliminating the residency requirement. The bill there is nearly ready to be signed by the governor.
There are several other states which have Constitutional Carry bills in various states of progress. The most likely candidate for the next member of the Constitutional Carry club is Indiana, where the bill has passed the House and is waiting for action in the Senate.
Governor Holcomb, (R) of Indiana, has been endorsed by the NRA. This correspondent has not found a statement by the Governor about Constitutional Carry.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Authorities made the ruling, after closely reviewing surveillance video, provided by the Lawrence County Housing Authority, showing Respress walking on the sidewalk.
When the Ford Escape approached at high speed, Respress took a gun out of the right pocket of his shorts and kept it pointed at the ground, police reported. The driver of the Escape, later identified as Ramsey, pointed a black gun out of the window and fired at Respress, the complaint states.
Respress then pointed his gun at the Escape and returned fire, shooting four times into the vehicle.
Respress escaped injury in the shooting, but bullets from Ramsey's gun struck a nearby vehicle, Salem said.
A 21-year-old, who admitted to being the marijuana seller, arrived in the parking lot at 11:30 p.m. in a white Mustang. The seller claims Marchman then approached him, put a pistol to his shoulder and tried to carjack him.
The seller told police Marchman then shot him in the shoulder as he tried to retrieve his own gun. As Marchman ran away, the 21-year-old said he heard more shots being fired and thought Marchman was shooting at him, prompting him to return fire, killing Marchman.
