AL: Darrius Frazier found Not Guilty in Self Defense Trial shooting of Gjamal Rodriguez

Frazier, who had no prior criminal record and has been held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail since Oct. 29, 2019, broke down upon hearing the verdict, the news site reported.

"A jury found him not guilty and we're happy about that,'' defense attorney Emory Anthony said. "I'm sad in that the life of Mr. Gjamal Rodriguez was taken, but my client has always said it was only in self-defense."

"He kept the faith, and he knew the only reason he fired shots was because he believed the young man was reaching for a gun,'' he said.

The shooting happened on a Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, on Birmingham's east side.

According to trial testimony, Frazier and Rodriquez were dating sisters who lived at a residence in the area. Rodriguez's girlfriend argued with Frazier and she warned him that she was going to get Rodriguez involved.

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CA: Armed Jewelry Store Owner Stops Smash and Grab Robbery

The store’s owner is seen running over to defend his business before drawing a gun on the masked men.

“It was a bad experience, I mean everybody is giving me a thumbs up. I mean, I don’t really feel good about it,” Usman Bhatti said.

Usman Bhatti says smash and grab robberies have become a menace for business owners across the Bay Area.

Bhatti is legally permitted to carry a gun and should he need to protect his business he’s ready.

 

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Kyle Rittenhouse Files for Return of Rifle, Property

On January 19, 2022, documents were filed with the Kenosha County Circuit Court asking Judge Bruce Schroeder to award ownership of the rifle Kyle Rittenhouse used to defend himself on August 25, 2020, during the riots in Kenoasha, Wisconsin. He is also asking for the return of Kyle's iphone, ammunition, and clothes. From the kenoshacountyeye.com:

Kenosha County Circuit Court Bruce Schroeder will have to decide who is the rightful owner is of a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 rifle. This is the rifle used by Kyle Rittenhouse on August 25, 2020 to kill two assailants and wound a third. Schroeder will also be asked to decide if sporting rifle will be released at all. According to court documents filed this afternoon, ADA T. Clair Binger (D) and DA Michael Graveley (D) are not releasing the AR-15 Rifle to Rittenhouse after being asked by his attorney, Mark Richards.

The testimony of both Rittenhouse and Dominick Black established the intent was for the rifle to be transferred to Kyle when he became 18. From Kenoshanews.com:

The filing states: “As established through the trial testimony of both Dominick Black and Mr. Rittenhouse, the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle ... was purchased by Dominick Black but was to become the legal property of Kyle Rittenhouse upon his 18th birthday,” which was Jan. 3, 2021.

According  to the Kenoshacountyeye.com, this isn't the first time the Kenosha County prosecutors have refused to return legally owned firearms to their owners.

This isn’t the first time T. Clair Binger refused to return a gun to someone he lost a case against. Even though Binger told a podcast host that he has a concealed carry license and caries a gun, he in universally known as being a strong gun-control supporter.

Kyle Rittenhouse says he wants the rifle to destroy it. Judge Schroeder will get to decide if, under Wisconsin law, the rifle belongs to Kyle, because of the oral contract between Kyle and Dominick. 

To this correspondent, the more important question is: 

Was it a legal contract under federal firearms law? 

The firearm was not substantially transferred to Kyle before the present. Everyone agrees the rifle was/is legally owned by Dominick Black. Much has happen since the event filled day of August 25, 2020. Legally, the rifle still belongs to Dominick Black.  The legal risk to Dominick Black if  the rifle is transferred to Kyle Rittenhouse is probably small.  

In 2014, the Supreme Court, in United States v. Abramski, ruled it does not matter if a firearm is legally transferred to another person, if the firearm was purchased as a straw purchase. 

At present, the rifle Kyle carried was never substantially transferred to him.  If it is transferred to Kyle, Dominick Black may be at risk for a straw purchase prosecution under federal law.

It seems unlikely; Abramski was a very strained 5-4 decision by a far left majority. But it is precedence.  A lot of punishment by process could be entailed.

I talked to Attorney Anthony Cotton of Kenosha, who represented Dominick Black,  to see what he thought of the risk. He said the defense was structured, from the start, with cognizance of potential federal law:

"We have been cognizant of potential federal liability from the beginning."

About half of Cottons practice is in federal firearms law, so he is will aware of the law and the Abramski decision.

I asked if he were concerned about possible legal exposure for Dominick Black. He said he wasn't

"No, I am not."

"It is something that if it happens, then we will deal with it."

Attorney Cotton said he no longer is representing Dominick Black. He said if Dominick Black wants to pursue legal recourse to have his rifle returned, then Dominick can do that with a different attorney.

Attorney Cotton:

"We got it dismissed, so my work is done."

Perhaps this correspondent is concerned with a minor issue. Dominick Black was always a minor player in the case; he co-operated with the prosecution.  No federal charges have been brought. The Abramski case was a rare prosecution.

In today's climate, prosecutors seem willing to strain statutes to the limit, in order to persecute perceived political opponents.

To the advantage of Dominick Black, the Biden administration seems incompetent. Their plate is full of multiple, self-inflicted crises overseas and at home. Rampant inflation, disruption of civil society, soaring energy prices are a few domestic issues that come to mind.  

Hopefully, persecution of a minor player in a trial which showed President Biden to be a clueless and cruel bigot, will not be a high priority.

The Federal statute of limitations for felonies is five years after the offense was committed. This assumes due process and the rule of law still apply.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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PA: Pizza Delivery Driver Shoots Carjack Suspect

PHILADELPHIA - Police say a pizza delivery driver turned the tables on an armed carjacker and shot him multiple times Thursday night in Kensington. 

According to investigators, a 39-year-old delivery driver was delivering food on the 3300 block of H Street just after 7:30 p.m. when he was approached by an armed carjacker. 

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LA: Domestic Defense, Woman Shoots Ex who Broke in, Assaulted Her

During the early morning hours of Wednesday, Jan. 26, a woman walked into the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) and stated that she shot her ex-boyfriend. She has an active restraining order against him for previous incidents of domestic violence, according to EPSO. 

 The woman reported that Joseph broke into her house by kicking in the front door, then went into her bedroom and tried to take her clothes off, without her permission, in an attempt to sexually assault her. The woman’s child entered the room after hearing commotion, and Joseph grabbed the child and put the child in another bedroom, according to EPSO.

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Kel-Tec at Shot Show 2022, P15 pistol, Supply Issues

Kel-Tec P15 (aluminum frame) in Authors hand at SHOT Show 2022.

This correspondent talked with Kel Tec engineer Ryan Williams. Lead design engineer Toby Obermeit was unable to make the show this year. One of the primary interests was getting a first look at the new Kel-Tec P15 subcompact 9mm pistol. It is said to be an updated verstion of the P11, which pioneered sub-compact polymer 9mm pistols. The P11 held ten rounds in the magazine, as I recall. I had a P11 for a while, not long after they first came out. For whatever reason, I sold it.  A light pistol has more recoil impulse. This correspondent opted to carry a bigger pistol most of the time. The new P15 weighs in at 14 ounces in the polymer frame version. An aluminum frame version will be available for more money.  The P15 has a 4 inch barrel, better than many sub-compacts. The Kel-Tec P15 has a suggested retail price of $425. The pistol pictured is an aluminum frame model, with a suggested retail price of $725. Both are expected to be available in 2022.

The P15 is almost the same size as the extremely popular P17, which has become the most popular .22 LR pistol in the Kel-Tec line. The P17 .22 has a 3.93 inch barrel and a 16 shot magazine.

Things that stand out with the P15 are the small size, 6.6 inches long, about like a Walther PP, the light weight, the trigger, the grip safety and the sights/optic. 

Much of pistol shooting is subjective. People find a platform they like, one that fits them well, that points well for them. This correspondent found the P15, with the included extended 15 round magazine, to fit his hand very well. The trigger was surprisingly good. It had a very smooth, about a quarter of an inch take-up, with a nice, crisp release, at a guesstimate of about a 4 lb trigger.  I think I could shoot the pistol well, especially if optical sights were installed as on the pistol at the display.

The factory front sight indexed with the notch in the optic, giving a good backup sight.  This correspondent was skeptical of the Kel-Tec introduction of a self-defense striker fired pistol into a crowded field. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Kel-Tec P15 handled. The ergonomics were well thought out. The grip safety could be disconnected if desired, but it worked well at the Kel-Tec display. The status of the grip safety and the magazine disconnect can be selected by the user. There is a small screw on the right hand side of the frame. Turning the screw to one of three positions makes the selection. In one position, both grip safety and magazine disconnect are engaged. In the second position, both are disengaged. In the third position, only the grip safety is engaged. 

It is a very slim pistol, only .875 inches thick. 

While the hot firearms market has showed signs of meeting demand, most product is still flying off of the shelves.

 

Author with Kel-Tec P17 at Industry Day at the Range

The P17 sub-compact .22 pistol has been another top seller in the Kel-Tec line.  Initial, pre-production models had problems. Kel-Tec spent a few months working them out. Now the reviews are glowing. The P17 and the P15 make a natural pair, even though the magazine release is different for the two. 

Two years ago, Kel-Tec had a target of production of 2,000 P17 pistols a week. Due to supply chain problems, they have averaged closer to 1,000 P17 pistols a week over the last two years. When the company who produces the magazine bodies cannot obtain the plastic to make the magazines, you are limited in how many pistols you can sell. 100,000 pistols is a great run for any handgun. The demand for the P17 has not let up. 

The high demand means you cannot find one at the suggested retail price of $199. Online auction sites have had them bring more than twice that amount. 

 

CP33 at SHOT show

 Kel-Tec Engineer Ryan Williams reported they have caught up with the backlog for the CP33. They are appearing on dealers shelves at close to the suggested retail price of $475, including two 33 round magazines. 

The CP33 this correspondent purchased months ago has been an outstanding pistol. It is very accurate. One inch groups off a rest, with optical sights, are common at 25 yards. It is light by "old" standards. It has been reliable, if cleaned about every 200 rounds. It is a joy to shoot. It, like the P17 .22. is suppressor ready. It is easy to take down and clean.

Kel-Tec pistols are made and designed in the United States. Their innovations are legendary. If the P15 does as well on the range as the P17 and the CP33 have done, Kel-Tec will have another winner on their hands.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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AZ: Domestic Defense? Resident Fatally Shoots Sean Toahnnie

Toahnnie, who hailed from the community of Tonalea located northeast of Tuba City, was formerly in a relationship with one of the residents of an apartment inside of a multi-unit complex near Lake Mary Road and Interstate 17, according to Flagstaff Police Department spokesman Sgt. Odis Brockman. 

Toahnnie allegedly went to the apartment and knocked on the door for “an extended period of time,” Brockman said. He then climbed up the exterior of the building to get to the third-floor balcony of that same apartment.

He was confronted by an occupant of the apartment who then shot and killed Toahnnie, officials said. Flagstaff police responded to the apartment shortly after 4 a.m. and found Toahnnie dead.

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Nosler Machinist Claims Self Defense in Bend, OR: Trayvon, Rittenhouse replay?

 

Ian Cranston and his fiancee Allie Butler

Ian Cranston is a 27 year old machinist employed at the world famous Nosler bullet making company in Bend, Oregon.

On September 19, Ian Cranston was with his fiancee, Allie Butler. He shot and killed 22-year-old Barry Washington outside a bar in Bend, Oregon.

Washington had been acting erratically earlier that night. Washington had propositioned Cranston's fiancee, inside the bar.

After a second proposition had been rejected, outside the bar, Washington attacked Cranston. Cranston displayed his firearm to deter further attack. Then Washington attacked Cranston's friend and started to come at Cranston again. Cranston fired one shot. Washington went down.  Cranston immediately attempted to apply first aid, but the shot proved fatal. There is said to be video evidence from multiple angles. From ktvz.com:

In a statement to media, Sali added: "On behalf of Mr. Cranston, and particularly in light of the false and inflammatory public statements made previously by the District Attorney’s office, we are immensely grateful that the events of that evening were comprehensively and accurately captured on video by multiple cameras. For our part, we will continue to make our case in court, where it belongs, and based on the evidence, as it should be."

Cranston's lawyer gave a summation of the events shown in the video, which has not been released to the public.  From ktvz.com:

Shortly after midnight, Sali said, “Washington suddenly and without any provocation attacked Cranston … with two powerful, closed-fist blows to the head,” causing a head injury. The lawyer said “Washington raised his arm and made a series of threatening gestures toward him,” by which time Cranston – who had a concealed handgun license – was holding his gun, and displayed it to Washington to “deter … the assault.”

But the threats continued, he claimed, and Washington “lunged towards (Cranston’s friend) and punched him in the face.”

“Then, Washington turned at and squared toward Cranston, who was standing only a few feet away, with his handgun still drawn and visible,” the motion states. “It was at this point that Cranston finally fired a single shot at Washington. The round struck Washington in his midsection, stopping the assault.”

“Once it became clear that the threat had ended, Cranston immediately moved to Washington and began rendering aid and calling for help,” Sali stated.

Cranston was arrested for manslaughter by the Bend police. It appears this occurred before the video evidence was analyzed. From a media release by the District Attorney, John Hummel: 

Barry Washington was shot and killed on a downtown Bend street by Ian Cranston,in the early morning hours of September 19, 2021. Bend Police officers quickly responded and arrested Mr. Cranston for the crime of Manslaughter in the Second Degree. Shortly after his arrest, Mr. Cranston paid the bail amount previously established by the Deschutes County Circuit Court for people charged with the crime of Manslaughter in the Second Degree and he was released from jail on the condition that he appear in court on October 5, 2021 at 9:00a.m.

To this correspondent's knowledge, no security video has been made public. The security video has only been available to the prosecutor and the defense. 

The video of the incident initially made available to the public was from the cell phone of Cranston's fiancee. 

A far left activist group, the Central Oregon Peacekeepers, stormed the office of the Central Oregon Daily News and demanded the video be removed from public access.  From linkedin.com:

 The cell phone video taken by Mr. Cranston's fiancee was first aired by Central Oregon Daily News. In short order the Central Oregon Peacekeepers stormed their offices in protest, an action requiring the Bend Police Department to respond. Then, during the Cranston arraignment, the same group led by Mr. Luke Richter, then targeted a CODN film crew covering the arraignment and aggressively, both physically and verbally, attacked them.

Far left activists successfully pressured Central Oregon News into taking down the phone video of the incident. They applied further pressure on the Central Oregon News crew which appeared at the Courthouse. From centraloregondaily.com:

Outside the Deschutes County Courthouse Friday, as Ian Cranston was arraigned on murder and manslaughter charges for the shooting death of Barry Washington Jr., a crowd of roughly 125 people gathered.

It was peaceful, with cheering when the judge announced that Cranston would continue to be held without bail.

But chaos erupted when Luke Richter, a leader with the local group the Central Oregon Peacekeepers, singled out a Central Oregon Daily News crew.

The far left activist group claimed the incident was one of racism, and that Washington was murdered simply because he complemented Cranston's fiancee. They did not mention the attack on Cranston and his friend, or that Washington had a blood alcohol level of .195.

In a comment section of an editorial considering possible conflicts between DA Hummel and Police Chief Kranz, Hummel is characterized as having " ridiculously far left wing views". From bendbullitin.com: 

NotaRobot Aug 8, 2021 8:20am

As a long-time Bend resident and tax payer, I support Chief Krantz and his policing decisions. Mr Hummel should keep his ridiculously far left wing views in check and represent the people of Bend that want the law, order, respect, cleanliness, and sense of community that is Bend. If Mr Hummel wants to destroy communities by undermining police and letting criminals ignore police direction and watch the city go to ruin, he should move to portland which is our liberal icon of how poorly that model works

District Attorney Hummel took the side of the far left. He framed the incident as one of racism where a white man killed a black man for complementing his fiancee.  He openly takes the side of the far left activists in this youtube video. Here is a partial transcript:

To the hundreds of people who have been advocating on behalf of Barry; Thank you, keep it up. Our Community needs you. Know this, justice will be done in this case."

District Attorney Hummel links the case to historical attacks on black men although there has not been any evidence shown of racial animus in this case. From bendsource.com:

“Our country has a disgraceful history of denigrating, prosecuting and lynching Black men for talking to white women. Over the last week, literally hundreds of people called and emailed me to remind me of this history. I responded to every one of you,” he said. “Racism didn't only happen back then. And down there. It happens right here. And right now.” 

District Attorney Hummel did not find evidence of racism to charge Ian Cranston with a hate crime. He encouraged the activist group to continue scouring social media to find something he could use to prosecute a hate crime. From bendsource.com:

The grand jury did not charge Cranston with a hate crime, but Hummel said there’s an ongoing investigation of Cranston’s motives. He said the public has been helpful collecting evidence, particularly the activist group Central Oregon Peacekeepers, and asked anyone with relevant information to send it to his office or Bend PD.

The District attorney was able to convince a grand jury to find reason to charge Ian with murder after considerable pressure from the leftist activist group. From lawandcrime:

Hummel’s announcement of the murder charge was met by cheers and applause after community activists and local officials previously complained that Cranston, who is white, was getting off easy for the alleged murder of Washington, a 22-year-old Black man. Cranston had initially been charged with manslaughter and was released after posting $10,000 bond.

There are claims of racism in this case on facebook . It appears there isn't any evidence to support those claims. Even DA Hummel admits there is no evidence of racial animus: From the Daily Mail:

He said: 'If we obtain sufficient evidence to prove that this shooting was at least partially motivated by race, we will go back to that grand jury and ask them to add the charge."

Opinion: 

This case seems to be following the Trayvon Martin media model. A young black man unprovokedly attacks a white man, who is armed and defends himself. 

He is charged. Then leftist activists claim racism, without any evidence.  The leftist activists make up claims, which are repeated in the media. A left-wing activist DA then overcharges, to placate the leftist activists, who pressure the media into removing evidence from public scrutiny.  

For example, activists claimed the "N" word was used. No mention of any N word usage was presented by the District Attorney. If there had been N word usage in the video, the DA would have pounced on it. 

The DA pushes hard for no bail, in spite of the clear self defense claims, video evidence, long term ties to the community, and no criminal record on the part of Ian Cranston. 

Just because a person is unarmed doesn't mean they are not deadly threats.  Hundreds of people are killed with "personal weapons" (hands, feet, fists, etc.) every year. 

As in the Kyle Rittenhouse case, the attacker, Washington, appears to have ignored the fact that Cranston was armed. 

A major difference in this case is the large amount of video evidence is not available to the public. The job of the jury becomes more important, as the public has been making decisions on little evidence. 

In the Rittenhouse case, there was an enormous amount of video evidence available to the public. In the Cranston case, the Left is doing all it can to make sure the public does not see any video evidence. They are doing all they can to convict Cranston in the media.

People who are inebriated often make bad decisions. Making repeated unwanted advances to a man's fiancee, in front of him, then unprovokedly attacking him, is a recipe for bad consequences. 

This correspondent has not seen the video.

District Attorney Hummel has decided not to run for re-election after the end of his term in 2022.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TN: Woman fatally Shoots William Hoskins in Self Defense

COLDWATER, Miss. — A man is dead after a woman shot and killed him in self-defense around 8:30 p.m. Monday night, according to the Tate County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office told FOX13 that 63-year-old William Hoskins began shooting outside of a house on Oak Valley Drive near Coldwater, MS, broke into the house with three people inside and continued shooting.

A woman inside who knew Hoskins grabbed a gun and shot him after he broke in, killing Hoskins, the sheriff’s office said.

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MKS Supply, Industry Day at the Range, Barnaul Ammo Import (Russain Ammo Ban)

MKS range position with Barnaul Ammunition Shot Show 2022

At the Industry day at the Range, Shot Show 2022, this correspondent was able to talk with Charles Brown, President of MKS Supply. Their position on the fireing line was on the West end of the range positions. 

There was a several cases of Barnaul ammunition on display. As Russian ammunition has been sanctioned by the Biden administration, Mr. Brown was asked about the effect on his ability to supply ammunition to the American market. 

The company is required to submit Form 6's to import ammuntion. The forms are submitted long in advance. There is a significant pipeline of ammuntion continually being imported into the United States. 

The Biden administration sanctions on the importation of Russian ammuntion did not revoke any of the Form 6 applications which had already been approved. They became effective on September 7, 2021. They will continue in effect for 12 months, to be re-evaluated in late August or early September, 2022, which will be shortly before the mid-term elections in November of 2022.

The sanctions stopped approval of the Form 6 applications which were not approved when the Biden sanctions were put in place.

Approved Form 6 applications can be used for two years from the date of approval. Thus, from the date of the Biden administration sanctions, imports will continue for about two years. 

Charles Brown said the sanctions applied both to assembled ammunition and to components. He said a major effect on the company was to stop progress on a series of new calibers the company has been working on to market in the United States. 

He said because of the way the sanctions are worded, components cannot be simply shipped to a country outside of Russia, and then imported from that country instead of from Russia. 

What happens is a severe break in the supply chain. No more Form 6 applications are approved. The major effect of the break in Form 6 approvals will not be seen by consumers for about a year and a half, as orders continue to be filled from imports approved on Form 6 applications before the sanctions were put in place. 

Because the United States is the major private market for ammunition, suppliers cannot easily shift market share between producers. 

The market in ammunition is not as fluid as in oil, or coal, or rice or wheat. There are many major markets for those commodities. When China banned Australian exports of coal and wine, Australian producers were able to shift to other markets because of world wide demand. Eventually, China realized they were hurting themselves more than Australia. 

If there were major market for ammunition outside of the United States, another market would buy the Russian ammunition, and the USA market would be able to purchase ammunition from other countries which would normally go to that market.

There isn't enough of a market in the rest of the world for legal, private ammunition outside of the United States. The United States is home to about half of all private firearms on the planet, as estimated as of 2017. The US private stock has increased about 12-14% since then. Almost all of the United States private arms are owned legally, allowing significant ease of ammunition use for training, target shooting, hunting, and informal recreation. 

According to the Small Arms Survey, most of the rest of the ownership of private arms in the rest of the world is illegal, severely reducing the opportunity for legal use and supply of Ammunition.

As an informed guess, the United States Market probably consumes over 80% of the legal commercial ammunition in the world.

Expect Russian ammunition supplies to dry up. But not just yet. More supplies will continue to come on the market for almost two years. 

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

IN: Fiancee Shoots Man attempting to Break into Apartment

She says the man never got into the apartment, but he did break several windows and threatened to shoot her. So she ran upstairs and got her fiancé.

“When he said he would shoot me in the face- I didn’t take no time. I locked my door, put my dog in the kennel, and ran,” she says.

She says when her fiancé came downstairs, he yelled at the man to stop, but the man got a shovel and began hitting the door. That is when she says the fiancé fired one shot.

Police eventually arrived on scene, took the man into custody, and took him to the hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound and dog bite.

 

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NV: Reno Homeowner Fatally Shoots Intruder

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -A man is dead and the Reno Police Department said it appears a homeowner killed him in self defense.

It happened Saturday about 9:45 p.m. in the 2000 block of Idlewild Drive near Idlewild Park.

Police said the homeowner reported having shot an intruder. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound who was pronounced dead at the scene, along with the homeowner and a witness.

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SHOT Show Attendance, Day 2 More and Better Numbers

SHOT Show day 2, more and better

On day two of SHOT Show 2022, the subjective experience of this correspondence is: attendance increased over yesterday. There were clearly more media in the Press Room. Some of them reported delays in flights and difficulty in getting flights at all, which explained much. The numbers of media registered for the show is similar to 2020, approaching 2,000. Media has to pre-register, so transportation delays are inside of those numbers.

Another consideration is the expansion of the floor space at the show. This has the positive effect of reducing crowding, making it easier to get around. Floor space at the SHOT Show in 2022 is up to 800,000 square feet compared to 692,000 square feet in 2020.  A 16% increase in floor space does much to reduce congestion. 

 

Attendance at the SHOT show is down for 2022, as expected, but not as much as the subjective experience would indicate. The number of registered attendees are very close to 42 thousand for 2022, and may go over; in 2020 they were 55 thousand, for about a 24% drop.  Some of those attendees had transportation problems and flight delays. The actual numbers in attendance will be known shortly after the end of the show.

Compare the SHOT Show numbers to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), for the same years. The numbers for the CES dropped from about 170 thousand in 2020 to 45 thousand in 2022. That is a  73% drop. The CES show is the biggest conference type show held in Las Vegas.

The number of exhibitors appears to be down slightly, maybe as much as 3-5 percent. However, the existing exhibitors are spread out of more area, making the show less crowded and exhibitors easier to access. The combination of more space and lower numbers of attendees has made a dramatic difference in the ease of movement. There may be a change in the mix of exhibitors as well. Such is particularly difficult to quantify. Some exhibitors no doubt experienced transportation problems.

Talking to a few exhibitors reveals a positive experience. Some comments were: "a very good show"; "easy to get around and see the people we needed to see"; "I could just walk up to the person I wanted to see, and there they were".

This correspondent had a quick look at the exhibits in the expanded space in Ceasar's Palace. You go outside of Venetian complex, though a good sized outside area, and cross a bridge to enter the expanded space. It was significant exercise simply to walk from the Press Room to the back of the expanded space.  Hundreds of interesting exhibits were passed by; in a show of this magnitude you have to concentrate on a relatively small number of targets.  Here is an extremely limited example: I chatted with Reshet Graf about infra-red ID and targets, because of work I had done at Yuma Proving Ground; Thunderbeast about their suppressor designs; a long chat with Edward McInerney from Havasu City Arizona about his successful firearms manufacturing (formerly known as Plumbcrazy). He had an unbelievable show special of 5 complete AR15 type rifles at about $385 each to dealers, of course.

When or if the culture returns to "normal" the increased floor space facilitates much easier movement through the show. As the speed of commerce is accelerated, the efficiencies multiply. This benefits everyone, eventually. The SHOT Show needed to be expanded. It was always difficult to get around the show.

The 2022 SHOT show will be remembered as one of a kind.

 ©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

OH: Driver involved in "Road Rage" incident Claims Self Defense

In a 911 call Friday night, a man said he shot and killed someone on Interstate 275 in self-defense.

Eric Duke, 47, was killed in the shooting, Colerain police said Monday. 

Colerain police spokesman James Love said Duke and another person were involved in a collision due to "road rage" on the highway. After the collision, there was a confrontation and Duke was fatally shot, Love said.

In the 911 call, the man, who has not been identified by police, says he was trying to get away from a reckless driver when the other vehicle stopped in front of him in the fast lane and reversed into him.

The caller was sobbing as he said the other man, who police have now identified as Duke, got out of his vehicle. The caller said Duke was trying to open his door and was pounding on his window.

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WA: Warning Shots by Homeowner Ruled Self Defense

Officials said that a man rammed his car through a fence and into the backyard of his brother’s home. According to PPD, the homeowner then fired warning shots into the ground, at which point the man got back into his car and left the scene.

The suspect who rammed his car through the fence has not been located, and officials are still investigating the incident.

No injuries were reported, and there is no immediate threat to the public.

PPD says they will not be pressing charges to the homeowner who fired gun shots at this time, since preliminary evidence alleges he acted in self-defense.

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MO: Homeowner Fatally Shoots Man attempting to Break - in

Upon arrival, officers located a man suffering from a gunshot wounds behind a house.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The homeowner told FOX4 that she was standing in her kitchen when the man tried to break in her back door. That’s when she fired.

That all happening minutes after neighbor, Edward Rogers had encountered the man himself.

“Some guy was trying to break into her house because apparently she said ‘no this is private property,”‘ Rogers said.

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PA:Charges against Terry Meyers Dismissed in Shooting of Orsino Von Thurman

BEDFORD, Pa. – Charges are being dismissed against a Schellsburg-area man charged with shooting a Black Lives Matter activist in the face in a high-profile 2020 altercation.

Bedford County District Attorney Lesley Childers-Potts issued her decision to drop charges against Terry Myers on Thursday – one day after he appeared at a preliminary hearing to testify against Milwaukee native Orsino Von Thurman, who was shot in the face with a shotgun in the August 2020 incident.

Childers-Potts said Myers’ testimony was “crucial” to obtaining a conviction against Thurman, who is accused of firing at Myers. She called Thurman – who has a felony record – a “danger to society” in Bedford and beyond.

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IL: Store Clerk Stops Armed Robbery with Gunfire

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) - A store clerk in Illinois shot and killed an armed robbery suspect and will not be facing charges at this time.

“After a preliminary review of surveillance video and witness interviews, it appears the use of force by the employee was justified as self-defense and for the defense of others inside the store during the robbery,” Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal said.

The store clerk explained to KWQC why he pulled the trigger.

The incident occurred Tuesday night at Blackhawks Tobacco & Vape in Rock Island, Illinois. According to police, three robbery suspects, all wearing masks, entered the store. One of them had a gun.

As they threatened employees and demanded merchandise, the store clerk, who asked to remain anonymous, decided he had to open fire.

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2022 SHOT Show attendance Down, Venue not Crowded

Hallway at 2022 SHOT Show. It would normally be full of people.

 As someone who has attended most of the  shot shows in the last decade, the most obvious difference in 2020 is the ability to move through the halls and aisles at the show without the crowed press of people seen at previous shows. Attendance is down by a significant amount. The exhibitors who are present seem to be attracting good interest, such as with this Aimpoint exhibit:

Some major players have a limited presence at the 2022 Shot Show. This Colt location would normally be covered in exhibits and people instead of considerable empty space, as pictured.

Some deals are being done at the table behind the sign. In many previous shows, the aisles were elbow to elbow. 

Many people were wearing masks, as required by the decree of the Democrat Governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak. 

A mask was required to enter the Venetian Towers accomadations. A mask was required to enter the dining facilities at one of the major restaurants in the Pallazo-Venetian Casino complex. 

 Adherence to the mask mandate was mixed, at best. Masks were worn in slipshod fashion, limiting their usefulness to declarations of obedience to the mandate. Many people wore masks below the nose, or at times, hanging from one ear. 

Reports heard by this correspondent indicate the cancellation of many flights reduced attendance significantly. Once a potential participant understood they would not make the first day of the show, many decided not to come.  Others could not come because of illness. 

One participant of many previous shows informed this correspondent the mask mandate was a contributing factor in their decision not to attend.

The Press Room had, on estimate, about half as many participants as usual.  There were familiar names there, just fewer of them. 

In a strange way, this is an excellent show to attend, because it is easy to see the exhibitors. It is easy to get around. For the attendee who wants to see the exhibits and make contacts, this is a very good show. 

While some major players in the industry have a minimal presence, there are many slightly below the top level. They are easy to find and work with. There are many top players as such as Glock and Smith & Wesson who have their usual large displays and foot prints. 

The ammunition manufacturers and accessory manufacturers are here in force. 

Attendance is down, but this is a significant show worth attending.  

While moving through the show is much easier than in previous years, there is far too much to see to gain more than a fraction of the information available. 

 

 

 

UT: Man Breaks into House, Gunfire Exchanged, Woman Wounded

Evans said Warr had visited the residence earlier and after an argument about money was asked to leave.

“He left the house and he was not invited back, so he was not welcome there,” Evans said. “Later, one of the occupants in the home heard loud noises and glass breaking. He went and got a handgun himself. And John came around the corner and actually fired round off at the person staying in the house.”

Multiple shots were exchanged, Evans said, and a woman inside the house was wounded. Her husband took her to a nearby hospital where she was treated and released.

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ATF Problems with Rollout of New eForms Online System

 

The improved eForms platform launched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to review and process ATF  Forms 1,2,3,4,5,6,6A,9,10 and 5300.11 applications online, is finding implementation bugs. This is expected in the major launch of any large software system.

The new, improved, modernized eForms system at the ATF was rolled out on December 23, 2021. The American Suppressor Association said it was the biggest technological jump in the process since the fax machine. From the association: 

We’re very excited about the launch of the much anticipated new eForms system. This represents the largest technological jump for NFA since the advent of the fax machine. The system is online as of this morning, December 23rd. 

The system is experiencing bugs and difficulties. Those difficulties have been acknowledged a broadcast email, which appears to be from the ATF :

Dear eForms Users,

At this time, we find it necessary to make everyone aware of some problems many of you are experiencing with ATF’s shift of all licensing applications to cloud services to include the eForms application. We are working on all reported issues around the clock to ensure they are fixed as quickly as possible. The failing infrastructure of the original legacy eForms system required us to move to this new environment as expeditiously as possible. We are sorry that you have been experiencing problems as a result. There will be continuous fine tuning to ensure all applications are working in sync.

Unfortunately, anomalies still exist with registration, login, and other areas in the application, and we are triaging those issues in real time. The development team is actively working to improve your ability to access your accounts and to perform all functions in eForms quickly and reliably. Despite internal and industry testing these anomalies have still surfaced after launch. You should be seeing significant improvements in the coming hours and days. Once basic performance is stabilized beyond an acceptable level, we have several planned tasks to add and improve features over the coming months.

We apologize for any current problems that you are experiencing and are taking them very seriously. This new eForms is built to evolve rapidly and continuously. ATF has the support team in place to keep pushing improvements until eForms smoothly delivers the services needed by all users.

Mason B. McDaniel

Chief Technology Officer

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF)

While it is boilerplate legalese, which has no real application to a broadcast email, this notice was tacked on to the email message:

NOTICE: This e-mail message and any attached files are intended solely for the use of the addressee(s) named above in connection with official business.  This communication may contain Sensitive But Unclassified information that may be statutorily or otherwise prohibited from being released without appropriate approval.  Any review, use, or dissemination of this e-mail message and any attached file(s) in any form outside of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives or the Department of Justice without express authorization is strictly prohibited.

Government correspondence released to the public is in the public domain. It is not protected by copyright laws.

One of the most significant changes in the administration of the National Firearms Act by the ATF, has been the implementation of  licensing and tax stamp applications online. While considerable paper forms were still required, the online application process significantly improved processing times. This, in turn, has assisted in the exponential growth in tax stamp holders. The number of legal silencers has been growing at a 21% rate for at least 10 years. There are now over 2.6 million legal silencers in the United States. 

This correspondent expects the exponential increase in legal silencers to continue for the next decade and more. At some point, barring the destruction of our current form of government, the requirement to have a $200 tax stamp for a firearm safety accessory (silencer) will be removed. 

The already massive increases in legal silencers have sparked a serious movement to remove silencers from the NFA. As the number of legal silencer owners and silencers skyrockets, the pressure to remove silencers from the NFA grows exponentially. 

The implementation of an improved online system to apply for tax stamps is a step toward reform of National Firearms Act (NFA).

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

CA: Rural Paso Robles Shooting Described as Self Defense

A man was shot in rural Paso Robles on Tuesday night, in an incident the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is describing as self-defense. Deputies responded to a report of a shooting on the 14000 block of Chimney Rock Road around 10:50 p.m., according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. The incident initially was reported as two trespassers in a car on the property.

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PA: Armed Homeowner Shoots Car Theif Suspect; Arrested on Illegal use of Weapon

Police initially reported this as an attempted carjacking, but have since released new details about what happened.

Police responded to the 5800 block of Cobbs Creek Parkway in Southwest Philadelphia at about 8 a.m. after a suspect attempted to steal the victim's car.

Sources told Action News that the suspect attached yellow cables to attempt to tow away the car, but was shot by the homeowner who had come outside to see what was happening.

The car broke off from the cables and the suspect's car ended up crashing into a school bus, sources said.

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ID: Boise Cancel Culture, George Zimmerman and Gun Law Conference

 From Patch.com: Lethal Force Gun Laws 2021 Boise, Idaho

The Old School Gun School is a long established firearms school run by JB Herren, located in Chehalis, Washington. It origins date to 1972. The school has been very successful. One of its more successful ventures is a series of conferences on Lethal Force Gun Laws. The first of these conferences was held in 2015, in Washington State. The conference features some of the foremost experts on the subject. JB Herren says it is the most expensive law conference on the planet. The 2021 general admission price was listed at $3,995. The price included all meals and hotel rooms as a package deal. 

The 2020 conference was re-scheduled for the spring of 2021, in Boise, Idaho, at the Riverside hotel, because of Covid19 restrictions placed on the state of Washington by the governor.

Several prior conferences featured George Zimmerman, who was able to tell attendees what had happened during his fateful self defense encounter in Florida. Those conferences were held as planned, without any protests or outside drama, in the state of Washington.

The spring conference in 2021at the Boise, Idaho Riverside Hotel was held as planned. The hotel management was pleased; another conference was planned for four days in the fall, starting November 5th, 2021. 

George Zimmerman was prominently featured in advance of the November conference. He was on the agenda. He had a hotel room registered in his name. George was featured in the advertisements for the event. The hotel management did not ask for or require a list of speakers. No controversy was expected.

On November 4th, JB Herren and his team were doing preparations for the conference at the Riverside, in the conference room. Considerable setup is necessary for a conference of this size and prominence.  

In the afternoon, the Hotel management asked for a meeting.  The Conference was to start the next morning at 8 a.m. 

Here is what happened at the meeting in the conference room, as told by JB Herren: 

Hotel Management:  Gee, Mr. Herren, we're kind of concerned.

We have been getting calls from people, and have you seen social media? 

 

JB Herren:  Actually, I haven't.

Hotel management: Oh, my goodness. It is all over social media. 

JB Herren: Is that right?

Hotel management: "Do you have George Zimmerman coming?"

JB Herren: "Yes we do."

Hotel management: Well, you know, he's a killer. And he's a racist white supremacist. 

 

JB Herren: Well, that's really not the truth.

 

Hotel management: Yes it is. Haven't you read the media?  We are getting death threats. We pride ourselves here at the hotel, because we are the largest employer of minorities. We know George hates minorities and wants to kill them all, and so therefore, we can't have a killer here because all of our employees  are fearing for their life. If George comes, he will probably kill em all."

JB Herren: They said, their employees were in fear for their life if George Zimmerman were present for the conference.  

 

There was considerable discussion about that. 

 

JB argued, we have been scheduled. The contract has been signed. 

 

Hotel management: No, no, no, no. 

 

Hotel management: Didn't you look him up on the web, Mr. Herren?  

JB Herren: I know all about him. 

Hotel management: How could you invite a killer like that to our hotel? That is highly disrespectful of you!

JB Herren: OK, listen;  I got a whole  lot of people coming to this conference. They are on jets now. I paid for everything.

Hotel management: But George cannot be part of it. You have to get rid of George. 

JB Herren: So, OK, I will get rid of George.

JB called George. Told him the bad news. JB had already paid him. JB forfeited thousands of dollars. It was not George's fault. He told George there would be another time.

JB reported to the Hotel management: I got ahold of George, his speech is canceled, its ok. 

At this point, the Hotel management has been joined by one of the Hotel owners.

 

Hotel management and owner: Mr. Herren, we have been getting more and more threats now. It doesn't matter if George is coming or not. 

 

You can't hold that conference here.

Because the threats say they're going to burn the hotel to the ground. And they're going to kill everybody inside. They're going to set fire to the hotel, and as we run out they're going to kill everybody. They really want to kill all of our minority employees, is who they want to kill. 

We called the police department here, and they said they would be unable to defend the hotel. They would be unable to keep the hotel safe.  

And, so since the police department can't keep the hotel safe, we just can't have you here. Because, after all the rioters and the looters and the pillages and the plunderers they are all going to be here with their machine guns.

JB Herren: "This conversation happened pretty much as I just described." 

The Old School Gun School had only hours to find another venue. The Conference was scheduled to begin at 08:00 Friday morning. This was Thursday, late in the afternoon. 

Most of the students had already arrived and were in their rooms at the Riverside. They would be able to stay there Thursday and Friday nights; then they would have to move. 

Many venues in Boise were happy to host the conference. None had the available space necessary on the days required.  Fortunately, one venue was able to contact another customer and have them move their setup time by a few hours, allowing the venue to have the most expensive law conference on the planet proceed on time. 

A few students and presenters cancelled out, turned around, and flew home, to avoid the controversy.  

JB Herren said the Hotel management told them, when they talked to the police department, the police did not want a killer like George Zimmerman in the state of Idaho, and if they found him in the state of Idaho, you know, it would be big trouble.

Several police officers volunteered and came to the conference, and they all said: 

 

This is ludicrous. 

 

JB Herren had this to say of the students:

 "Nobody asked for any compensation back. Not one student said: Well, then, I want some of my money.  No. Everybody hugged us and were grateful that we didn't cave in. Grateful that it was going ahead. Grateful we were still doing it. And p*ssed off as could be with the Riverside."

The Riverside Hotel management posted their version of events on a poster at the check in desk. They posted it on social media: 

 

Boise Riverside Hotel on instagram statement. The same image was broadcast on Twitter, by the Redoubt Antifascists, @RedoubtAFA, on November 4th, 2021

 

The funds which had been paid to the Riverside Hotel, for services which were not rendered, were eventually refunded. 

The events for 2022 and 2023, which had already been scheduled, will be held at a different venue.

As far as can be determined, the Best Western hotel chain had nothing to do with the decisions made at the Riverside Hotel.

JB Herren suspects an employee at the hotel found out about George Zimmerman's scheduled presentation, and being ignorant of the facts of the case, going only by the discredited reports of the old media, launched a cancel culture disinformation campaign. 

Several people talked of lawsuits against the Riverside Hotel. JB Herren does not know of any that have been filed.

JB Herren's experience with people in Idaho is they are polite, respectful, and patriotic.  

The Lethal Force Gun Laws Conference has been extremely popular and consistently growing.

When, at the end of the course, students are asked if they wish to attend the next course, a consistent majority of students have signed up and paid for the next course in advance.

The Lethal Force Gun Laws Conferences are expected to grow and successfully continue into the foreseeable future.

 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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The spring 2021

TN: Chattanooga Shooting Believed to be Self Defense

The shooting happened after 10:30 PM in the 2400 block of Glass Street.

Police believe the case was a robbery attempt.

They say the shooter stayed on the scene and was the actual victim of the robbery attempt.

They say he shot 20 year old Derrick Ruffin in self defense.

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MI: Restaurant Worker Shoots Man who Stabbed Him

DETROIT (AP) - Police say a restaurant employee fatally shot a man armed with knife who was attacking him in Downtown Detroit.

Detroit police said there was an altercation between the employee at Prime and Proper restaurant and the person who ultimately stabbed him about 12:10 a.m. Sunday.

 The restaurant employee then shot the 52-year-old attacker.

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Results of Dominick Black Plea Agreement on 10 January in Kenosha

From facebook

Dominick Black is the young man who purchased the rifle used by Kyle Rittenhouse in his self defense shooting on August 25 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

Rittenhouse killed two people in self defense and wounded a third. A jury in a nationally publicized trial found Rittenhouse not guilty of all charges. Because the killings took place during the riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and multiple devices were capturing video, nearly all of the events were on video, and viewed by the Jury.

Rittenhouse was charged with illegal possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under the age of 18 very quickly. That charge was eventually dismissed by the judge, because the rifle Rittenhouse carried did not qualify as a dangerous weapon under longstanding Wisconsin law.

As the rifle carried by Kyle Rittenhouse was not found to be a dangerous weapon under Wisconsin law, Dominick Black could not be found guilty of supplying a dangerous weapon to a person under the age of 18, where the discharge of the weapon resulted in someone's death. Two counts of this charge were filed by ADA Binger.

Judge Bruce Schroeder is the judge who presided over both cases. It was highly unlikely Judge Schroeder would rule against himself.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney T. Claire Binger, was harshly criticized for his role in the case. Binger was believed to take the case for ideological purposes. He has been criticized for being "personally involved" in the case. 

In negotiations between Black's attorney and Binger, Binger worked to salvage something for his reputation. He offered a fine of $2000 for a plea of no contest to a civil charge of "contributing to the delinquency of a child". The charge does not carry any criminal penalty. 

Binger backed the carrot of a relatively minor, non-criminal fine, with the stick of significant lawyers fees during an appeal, if  Judge Schroeder simply dismissed the now untenable weapons charges. From 41nbc.com: 

Binger told Schroeder on Monday that he anticipated the judge would have dismissed the felony counts against Black based on that decision. He also told Schroeder that he didn’t agree with his interpretation of state law and suggested the district attorney’s office might appeal that ruling.

While the prosecutor's office would almost certainly lose the appeal, it would cost Binger noting, and the Black family considerably more than $2,000, to fight it. There is always the possibility a politically oriented appeals panel might find in Binger's favor.

ADA Binger has been reliably hard-core against the right to keep and bear arms in Wisconsin. In 2016, Wisconsin Carry helped defend Guy A. Smith in a case involving the Wisconsin Constitutional Amendment to keep and bear arms. The Amendment was passed in 1998, and is very clear. It passed with 74% of the vote. From Article I Section 25: 

 The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose.

Smith and his attorney insisted on a jury trial. The Wisconsin statute in question says: 

 " ... no person may place, possess, or transport a firearm, bow, or crossbow in or on a vehicle, unless one of the following applies: 1. The firearm is unloaded or is a handgun."

The firearm in this case was a handgun. Binger used a very similar argument to what he used in the Rittenhouse case. From jsonline.com:

The defense position "would suggest anyone without a permit can drive around with a loaded weapon in the vehicle," Binger said. "I decline to read the statute so broadly." He said Wisconsin's concealed carry law, Act 35, would have no meaning.

"No meaning in cars," Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder clarified.

Yes, it was the same Judge Bruce Schroeder in the 2016 case as presided over the Rittenhouse trial and the Black plea agreement. 

In the handgun in a car case, Prosecutor Binger waited until the last possible moment before the trial began, costing the defense the maximum amount of money.

 On August 28, just as jury selection began, T. Claire Binger asked the case be dismissed and the defendant be acquitted. 

The case was dismissed, and no precedent was to be set. 

It became clear, however, that T. Claire Binger was unwilling to accept that Wisconsin residents have a right to keep and bear arms. 

It is the default position of Progressives everywhere, not just in Wisconsin.

Judge Schroeder reduced the fine to $1,500 and court costs, which brought it back to about $2,000. 

Judge Schroeder then signed off on the plea deal for Dominick Black. No criminal record, and a fine equivalent to about 8 hours of attorney fees. There would be no appeal of the dismissal of felony charges.

©2022 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

MI: Forestville Resident Stabbed by Home Invader, Shoots Suspect

FORESTVILLE, MI - A home invasion suspect is in police custody after a homeowner managed to shoot the alleged perpetrator during the attack, according to a news release from the Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office.

At roughly 4:50 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, Sanilac County Central Dispatch received a call about a man who had been shot in the Village of Forestville, according to the release. Dispatchers learned a Forestville resident had been stabbed during a home invasion, but was able to obtain a firearm and shoot the suspect, according to the release.

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PA: No Charges for Man who Killed Armed Robber in Asian Store

York City Police said no charges will be filed in a shooting at the now-closed Asian Best restaurant where a man who was trying to rob a store clerk was killed. 

According to a news release, city police consulted with the York County District Attorney's Office before determining no charges were warranted.

 

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Indiana House Passes Consitutional Carry in 2022, what will Senate do?

Indiana Capitol

On January 11, 2022, the Indiana House passed a Constitutional Carry Bill.

In 2021, Indiana came very close to passing Constitutional Carry in the state. On February 22 of 2021, the House passed bill 1368 65 to 31. The Indiana Senate had 39 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The future of HB 1368 looked bright.

Constitutional Carry is a restoration of the right to carry, without government permission, similar to when the Second Amendment was ratified in in 1791. At that time, there were no requirements to have government permission to carry firearms, openly or concealed. There were few places were citizens could not carry, such as early prisons, which were much less common than today, and powder magazines. 

While there are several variations of Constitutional Carry, it is widely accepted as  the ability to carry handguns, openly or concealed, in most public places, without the necessity of obtaining a government permit. It is also referred to as "permitless carry".

In Indiana, 21 Republican senators were co-sponsors of the bill in 2021. It did not pass the Indiana Senate. The Republican leadership in the Senate decided to kill the bill.  It was not alone.

The 2aproject.com reported there was a secret Republican Caucus vote to kill the bill, where a majority of Republicans voted against the bill in a meeting not available to the public. From the 2aproject, in April of 2021:  

It is hugely frustrating for Indiana gun owners and supporters of the Second Amendment that Republicans, who hold a super-majority of 39-11 in the Indiana Senate, refused to give HB 1369 a public hearing - choosing instead to kill the bill behind closed doors in a secret vote taken last Thursday in the Republican Senate caucus.  And consider this: we know for a fact that at least 20 Republicans voted against the bill in that secret meeting to achieve a majority.  Yet the bill had 21 co-sponsors in the Senate. Simple logic dictates that at least two Senators (in addition to the 18 who were not co-sponsors) actually voted to kill the bill behind closed doors DESPITE BEING CO-SPONSORS.

State Senator Liz Brown killed the bill by the simple expedient of never scheduling it for a committee hearing. 

Senator Brown remains the Senate Judiciary Chair in 2022. Senator Brown represents Senate District 15. The District was made somewhat more conservative in the 2021 redistricting, according to kokomoperspective.com. Indiana is a serious candidate to pass Constitutional Carry in 2022.

From wpta.com:

The constitutional carry bill, HB 1077, was introduced Tuesday. It specifies that those who are not otherwise prohibited from carrying or possessing a handgun are not required to obtain or possess a license or permit from the state to carry a handgun in state lines.

Bill author State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) said the bill would not change the process to legally purchase a gun, and Hoosiers would still need to complete the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives form and be approved by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. He said this ensures only eligible buyers legally purchase handguns.

AP reports Senator Liz Brown is co-sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate.

The chairwoman of the state Senate committee that blocked the repeal effort last year is co-sponsoring a bill similar to the House proposal for this year’s session.

Politicians often promote bills they have no intention of passing, to gain credibility with their core constituents. Indiana voters will see if Senator Brown is serious about passing Constitutional Carry this year. Much depends on what the Senate bill has in it.

Indiana Governor  Eric Holcolmb did not include a mention of Constitutional Carry in his priorities for the 2022 legislative session.  

The deadline for filing for the 2022 state elections is on February 4, 2022. The primary elections are scheduled for May 3, 2022. 

The House currently has 71 Republicans and 29 Democrats, for 100 total members. The Indiana House Bill 1077 passed with 63 votes to 29.  The legislative session is scheduled to run from January 4th to March 14th.

The Indiana Senate has 39 Republican senators and 11 Democrat senators. Action in the Senate will be done before the primary elections.

The primary elections are scheduled for May 3rd. The primary elections could provide leverage to pass Constitutional Carry in Indiana.  2022 as an election year is a positive factor favoring passage of Constitutional Carry. 

The Constitutional Carry map has changed since the Indiana senate killed the bill in 2021. 

Iowa passed Constitutional Carry on 2 April, 2021. Tennessee passed Constitutional Carry on 8 April, 2021. Texas passed Constitutional Carry in June of 2021. 

In total, five states passed Constitutional Carry in 2021. Utah and Montana passed Constitutional Carry before the Indiana Senate decision to kill Constitutional Carry in Indiana for 2021.

With 21 states having Constitutional Carry (permitless carry), objections to a bill in Indiana become harder to justify. 

Opinion: 

In 2020, the left pulled out all stops to remove President Trump from office. Those extreme measures worked nationally. They are not in play in 2022. Conservatives want to see action to stop the Leftist push for authoritarian government and socialism at the national level. 

Constitutional Carry is a measure where state Republicans can visibly show their willingness to push back against authoritarian federal power grabs.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

PA: Gunfight Stops Carjacking, 16-Year-old Suspect Wounded

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A wild carjacking shooting in West Mount Airy ended with more than a dozen bullets fired and a 16-year-old suspect in the hospital Thursday night. The gunbattle happened on the 6500 block of Cherokee Street.

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WI: Off -duty Police Officer Shot Attempting to Stop Armed Robbery

 

MILWAUKEE (AP) — An off-duty Milwaukee police officer was shot and wounded while trying to stop an armed robbery in the city's Third Ward, according to authorities.

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NICS Gun Sales December, 2021, Third Highest; 18 Million for Year

The numbers for December, 2021 National Instant background Check System (NICS), background checks conducted by the FBI, and gun sales, are in. It was the third highest December for both background checks and gun sales.

December 2015 was the highest on record for gun sales, with about 2.22 million. It was second highest for background checks, with 3.3 million. December of 2020 was next highest, with about 1.90 million gun sales, and highest with 3.9 million background checks.

In December of 2021, there were about 1.76 million gun sales, and about 3.1 million background checks.

The annual gun sales for 2021 are the second highest on record, about 18.1 million. Total background checks for 2021 are the second highest on record with about 38.9 million. 2020 had the highest total number of background checks with 39.7 million. The numbers are rounded for brevity and clarity.

The number of firearms sold through the NICS system has tended to become a smaller fraction of total NICS background checks because background checks are being used for more and more purposes outside of gun sales. The biggest use of background checks is for carry permits and carry permit rechecks. Notably, Illinois and Kentucky conduct multiple re-checks on carry permits per month. The Kentucky and Illinois permit checks account for over 700,000 NICS checks in December of 2021. 

This correspondent predicted the total NICS gun sales for 2021:

The trend is moderating. This correspondent expects the gun sales in December to be between 1.5 and 2 million firearms. The total for 2021 will be over 18 million firearms.

The trend continues to moderate. To this correspondent, the driver consists of two things: we are producing guns about as fast as we can; and ammunition production is inelastic. That is, it is very expensive and difficult to increase ammunition productive capacity. Once the manufacturing plant is operating at full capacity, 24/7, increasing capacity is a long term process which is capital intensive. It takes years to accomplish, once the decision to increase capacity is made.

Such decisions are not entered into lightly. Companies do not spend multiple millions of dollars on what may be a short term bubble of demand.

If the attempt by the left to permanently take power in the United States, through corruption and nationalization of the election process is successful, legal demand for ammunition is likely to drop, as strict controls would likely be imposed by an emboldened Leftist regime. This was the template followed by the successful attempt to overthrow the democracy in Venezuela. In addition, much of the demand appears to be due to political instability. If Conservatives are successfull in repelling the assault on the Constitutional order, then political stability is more likely. In either case, the demand for ammunition is potentially reduced.

Millions of new gun owners have been created in the United States in the last two years. Some of the demand for ammunition is likely to be permanent, barring a tremendous upheaval in the political landscape. 

Such an upheaval is a serious possibility, which keeps the current demand high.

 

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

MO: Woman Fatally Shot in Glasgow Village was Killed in Self Defense

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — The woman shot to death in Glasgow Village this week was trying to rob an acquaintance in a home invasion when he killed her, authorities said Wednesday.

The man who fatally shot Shabria Furlow won’t face charges because prosecutors decided it was a justified homicide.

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NC: Edward Neeley, Jr. Found not Guilty by Jury in Killing of Ronald Lee Barham

“He was acting in self-defense,” Goldsborough said after the verdict. “He was actually a victim of an attack.”

The shooting occurred shortly after Neely arrived at the apartment at 3203 Orange St. on Feb. 8, 2018, Goldsborough said.

People at the apartment had been drinking and doing drugs, Goldsborough said, and a fight broke out. Barham and another man, Curtis Allison Jr., approached Neely and “Ed had to use his firearm,” Goldsborough said. His client was not drinking or doing drugs at the time, he added.

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Alabama May Pass Constitutional Carry in 2022

 

 

Alabama has strong support for passing a statute to restore Constitutional or "permitless" carry in 2022. 

Alabama passed a Constitutional amendment strengthening the former amendment protecting the right to keep and bear arms in 2014. 

"(a)  Every citizen has a fundamental right to bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state. Any restriction on this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

(b) No citizen shall be compelled by any international treaty or international law to take an action that prohibits, limits, or otherwise interferes with his or her fundamental right to keep and bear arms in defense of himself or herself and the state, if such treaty or law, or its adoption, violates the United States Constitution."^[4]

The Alabama legislature has been struggling with legislation to meet the promise of the Constitutional amendment ever since its passage. 

Alabama has been considering Constitutional Carry for years. The major stumbling block has been the sheriff's association opposition to permitless carry.

The Alabama Senate has passed Constitutional Carry bills more than once. The bills have failed in the Alabama House. That seems to have changed. The Republican Caucus for the Alabama House of Representatives has added Constitutional Carry as a priority for passage in 2022. Republicans control 3/4 of the seats in the Alabama House.   From the dothaneagle.com:

Lawmakers have proposed bills to repeal the pistol permit requirement for years. They have passed the Senate but not the House. The endorsement by the GOP caucus indicates this could be the year a bill passes both chambers.

Advocates for the bill say the requirement to buy a permit violates Second Amendment gun rights. Sheriffs and police have generally opposed the repeal bills, saying the permit requirement is an important tool for law enforcement, partly because it requires background checks for permit applicants. The permit fees help sheriffs pay operating costs.

The sheriffs obtain the fees from the carry permits. It is a source of independent funds for sheriffs. One sheriff  went so far as to fire an Alabama Representative in 2017, because they were a prominent supporter of Constitutional carry. Depriving a man of his job because he disagrees with the sheriff's political views seems an extreme measure.  The punishment has not deterred Representative Shane Stringer.

Representative  Stringer, who was fired by Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran for supporting Constitutional Carry, is sponsoring Constitutional Carry this year. Alabama has a short legislative session length of 105 days. The session is scheduled to start on January 11, and to adjourn on April 25, 2022. 

This correspondent has not found a statement from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey for or against Constitutional Carry. Governor Ivey faces a primary election on May 24, 2022. If a Constitutional Carry bill passes the legislature, it will be on her desk before May 24. There are several  opponents in the primary election. It is difficult to see how a veto of Constitutional Carry would help her in the primary election. 

Alabama is a prime candidate of join the Constitutional Carry club in 2022.

We should know if Ohio is joining the Constitutional Carry club before then. Indiana is seriously considering Constitutional Carry again this year. Nebraska Senator Tom Brewer is pre-filing his Constitutional Carry legislation. LB 773, which lists 14 sponsors and co-sponsors in the 49 member unicameral Nebraska legislature.  An increase of 2-4 members of the Constitutional Carry club is easily possible in 2022.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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