GUN WATCH: October 2025

Friday, October 31, 2025

Why Use a Handgun for Bear Defense — Because They Work

Grizzly bear downed at 10 feet by Jimmy Cox with a 10mm pistol. Sept. 18, 2018, AK

One of the major advantages of using handguns to defend against bear attacks is defense with a handgun is far more likely to result in a dead bear. This is a highly desirable result. Bears which attack humans should be killed. Killing aggressive bears is a significant way to condition the bear population to avoid humans.

The false premise implicit in the argument for non-lethal defenses against bears is, there are such small numbers of bears, killing a bear removes a valuable resource from the bear genetic pool. This view had some legitimacy about 1975-1980, when the population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states was at its lowest level. This is no longer true. Bear populations are on the rise all over the world. None of the three bears which live in North America have ever been endangered. Even the populations of grizzly bears which lived in the lower 48 states were only listed as "threatened", not endangered. Today we have at least three times as many grizzly bears in the lower 48 than in 1977. The grizzly bear population in the lower 48 is increasing at a significant rate. It is well over 2,000 bears and is probably approaching 3,000 grizzly bears.

When grizzly bears were not protected in the United States, only those bears which learned to avoid humans survived. By 1900, grizzly bears ran from humans and from dogs. Once bears were given artificial protection from humans, they started to lose their fear of humans. The grizzly bears in the lower 48 states kill humans at 30 times the rate per bear of grizzly bears in Alaska. The small population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states kill more people than the large population of grizzly bears in Alaska. Yes, there are more people in the lower 48. But grizzly bears tend to be where the people are not in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. In Alaska, bears and people favor the same territories.

The number of bears killed when they attack people is too small to have much effect on the bear population, except to remove excessively aggressive bears. In the lower 48, there were 211 grizzly bears killed in defense of human life in the lower 48 states from 2003 to 2023. This averages about .64% of the bear population, or less than 10 bears per year. It is only 17% of the bear deaths recorded. During this period, the grizzly bear population has been steadily increasing.

Bear populations must be controlled or they become pests and threats to human lives and human property. The most successful and common method to control bear populations is through regulated hunting. About 5-15% of bear populations need to be harvested each year to maintain a stable population. In Michigan, harvests are about 15% of the bear population from 1992 through 2023. During that period the bear population has increased about 10%. In Alaska, about 6.7% to 10.2% of brown bears were harvested on Kodiak Island, without reducing bear populations. The research paper suggested a harvest rate of 5.6-7.9%.

It is better to harvest bears which are hyper aggressive than to harvest random bears during the hunting season. The number of bears to be harvested remains the same. Bears which are killed attacking people mean there will be fewer bears to be killed by hunters. Bears which are unafraid of people should be taken out of the bear gene pool.

Stephen Herrero considered selective harvest of black bears to be a reason black bears seldom attack humans. From Fatal Attacks by American Black Bear on People: 1900-2009, published 2011.

Eighth, given the strength and opportunistic predation by black bears one can ask why bears do not prey on people more often. Part of the answer may be that bears that try to or do prey on people are usually killed and removed from a population’s gene pool, decreasing the frequency of any genes the individual might have had that could contribute to predatory attacks on people. It is well known among dog breeders that it is possible to selectively breed for or against aggression. It is highly likely that this selection would also be possible for bears.

The same logic applies to ursus arctos (brown bears, grizzly bears and Kodiak bears). Grizzly bears became very wary of humans by 1900, after about 50 years of relentless killing of aggressive bears by humans. The Lewis and Clark expedition journals show the members of the expedition developed a healthy respect for the dangers of grizzly bears. Even with muzzle loading rifles and muskets, they killed 33 grizzly bears and wounded several others. None of the expedition members, which numbered about 50, were killed by a bear. There were several close encounters were men escaped from bears. None of the company were mauled. Muzzle loaders and horses doomed the grizzly in open areas.

With the common availability of cartridge arms after 1873, almost anyone could easily and effectively kill a grizzly bear, if the bear was seen within a hundred yards. Aggressive bears were quickly killed. Those which avoided humans had a chance of survival.

It is not difficult to understand how bears could learn to fear people. Bears have some of the most sensitive noses in the animal kingdom. If a human kills a bear, the remains of the dead bear are going to be intermingled with scent from the human or humans. Remains of a dead bear are highly attractive to other bears. An association of human scent with dead bears is well within the learning capacity of bears.

Another advantage of killing aggressive bears is the bear cannot attack again or attack other people. Several people have been attacked by a bear more than once. Todd Orr is a classic example. Once a bear has attacked a person, it is much more likely to attack another person. The chance of this happening is greatly reduced if the bear is shot with a firearm. If a projectile enters the thoracic or abdominal cavity, the bear will probably die. The time involved can vary from seconds to days. Even .22 rimfire bullets are likely to kill a bear if they penetrate either major body cavity.

AL: Anniston - Gunfight in Little Caesars, Employee Wounded

The Oxford juvenile went behind the counter and attacked one of the employees, leading to a fistfight involving all four individuals. During the altercation, one employee was armed with a pistol. The Eastaboga juvenile pointed his weapon at his friend and the armed employee, resulting in an exchange of gunfire inside the lobby.

As the suspects and the armed employee exited the building, another shot was fired from the Draco. The armed employee, who sustained two non-life-threatening injuries, was transported to UAB for treatment. The other employee suffered minor injuries unrelated to gunfire.

Both suspects have been identified, and Anniston Police Department investigators are collaborating with the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office and the Calhoun County Juvenile Court to determine appropriate charges.

More Here

Thursday, October 30, 2025

TN: Nashville - Gunfight/Roadrage, Four People Wounded

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Four people were injured in a drive-by shooting that turned into a shootout alongside an East Nashville road on Saturday night.

The Metro Nashville Police Department reports that officers responded to the Cleveland Street overpass near Ellington Parkway, where a 22-year-old man had been shot in the buttocks.

Police said he was found near a Chevrolet Malibu, which was disabled along the guardrail. Detectives learned that a second car involved, a Nissan Altima, had dropped off three victims following the incident:

More Here

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

David: Jewish Marksman Extraordinare

David by Bernini, public domain

One of the most famous bible stories is the story of David as a young man, who slew Goliath, a gigantic Philistine warrior, champion of the Philistine army. The story is much debated. Was David known to Saul, the king before David killed Goliath? How old was David when he killed Goliath? Did someone else kill Goliath, and David was later given credit for it?

The most common assumption is that David killed Goliath and he used a sling and stone to triumph over the giant. Estimates of his age vary from 13 to 28. He is described as both a boy and a man, as "a youth" and as "a mighty man of valor, a man of war".

In every generation, there are people who are born who have a natural aptitude with one or another sort of weapons. People with an aptitude often hone this ability though practice, training, or both. David appears to have been a "natural" with the sling. He had plenty of time to practice while he was watching over his father's sheep. The evidence of his proficiency is from KJV bible, I Samuel:

³⁴And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
³⁵And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
³⁶Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

Even a nine foot tall giant would be as vulnerable to a sling as an European brown bear, or a lion. Killing a bear and a lion with a sling (and probably a dagger or knife) would make David well known for his proficiency. It is not impossible to kill a bear or a lion with a sling, or at least to knock them out long enough to finish them off with another weapon such as a knife or short sword.

The bear which existed in Israel at the time of David would have been the European brown bear, essentially the same animal as the grizzly bear in North America. Not all grizzly bears are the same size. There are large males, smaller females, and sub-adults which are smaller yet. The most common to come in conflict with humans tend to be young males which have not established their own territory yet. It seems more likely the bear which David killed was under 300 lbs than over 500 lbs. Similarly, a lion could easily be 150 lbs instead of 300. The important thing with a slung stone would be to hit the animal on the head, at the right spot to knock it out or to stun it. Pitchers who are good at throwing 5 ounce baseballs can hit speeds of 130 to 150 fps. Slings magnify the speed of the throw. Some modern users of the sling hit close to 200 fps and over 130 foot lbs of energy. It is enough to knock out a bear. A Canadian man, Jesse Mengler, knocked out and probably killed a black bear in British Columbia, with a thrown rock, in 2010.

From the biblical text, it is clear Goliath underestimated the smaller David, who was not wearing any armor. His overconfidence contributed to his defeat. It is not difficult for this correspondent to believe Goliath turned his attention away from David at a critical moment. David closed the distance to optimum sling range and let fly with the deadly shot. Goliath was struck in the forehead with enough force to partly embed the stone. He fell unconscious to the ground. David then used Goliath's sword to make certain he was dead. To show both armies he had triumphed, David cut off Goliath's head and held it up for them to see.

For most of history, slings have been used as military weapons. They were used by the Aztecs in opposition to the Conquistadors in the Conquest of Mexico. Steel armor and firearms made slings obsolete as military weapons.

In Barnett v. Raoul, Judge McGlynn references the David and Goliath story to illustrate the need for effective projectile arms for self defense. Judge McGlynn stated David had no choice but to use a projectile weapon in combat against the giant Goliath who outclassed David in sheer size and body strength.

SC: Charleston - Fight, Residents Disarm Invasion Suspects

CHARLESTON — Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an Oct. 26 attempted burglary at a downtown home, which was thwarted by residents who shot one of the men and stabbed the other, police say.

Shortly before noon on Oct. 26, Charleston police responded to a home on S. Enston Avenue. The residents reported that two men had broken into the home and attempted to rob them, according to information released by the police department.

More Here

GA: Savannah - Domestic Defense, Woman Shoots Man

Savannah Police determined that 46-year-old Keith King was shot in apparent self-defense after an altercation with a woman who was living at the home. King was charged with simple assault and criminal trespass.

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CA: Bakersfield - Gunfight at Interuppted Burglary, no Injuries

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 7:30 a.m., deputies were called to the 300 block of Industrial Street for a report of two people who shot at each other with guns.

KCSO said deputies spoke to a man involved in the shooting, and it is believed the exchange of gunfire happened during an interrupted burglary.

More Here

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Two Fatal Black Bear Attacks in Arkansas in 2025, First Time in Over a Century

Black bears in northern Wisconsin, courtesy Dean Weingarten

Two fatal bear attacks occurred in Akansas in 2025. The first attack occurred on September 3, 2025, near the Mulberry Mountain area of north west Arkansas. The second attack happened on October 1st or 2nd, near the Sam's Throne campground near Mount Judea. The two attacks happened in or on the edge of the Ozark National Forest, about 45 miles apart.

The last fatal bear attack recorded in Arkansas occurred in 1892, as reported from the May 10 edition of the Arkansas Democrat. From aktimes.com:

Mountain Home, Ark., May 10 — Mrs. Mary Carter, a widow, with a small family of children, is a raving maniac, as the result of a raid upon her little cabin by a half-starved black bear, in which two of her children lost their lives and one [was] half devoured before assistance arrived. Her five children were playing in the yard while the mother was engaged in scrubbing. Suddenly the screams of the children startled her. She saw an enormous bear strike down her oldest boy, who had bravely attempted to defend the children in his charge. The beast seized the baby and ran rapidly away. The animal tore the little one to pieces before the mother’s eyes and escaped to the forest.

Black bears were reduced to a small remnant by 1927. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission prohibited bear hunting in that year. An active program of reintroducing black bears was but into effect from 1956 to 1968. in No bear hunting season was allowed until 1980.

The first fatal bear attack in 2025 in Arkansas was covered on AmmoLand.

A 72-year-old man, Vernon Patton, was working on a gravel road with his tractor when a 70-pound juvenile male black bear attacked him. The attack happened on September 3, 2025, in the Mulberry Mountain area of Arkansas. The attack occurred near Highway 23, just south of the Mulberry Mountain lodge. Vernon’s son came by to check on him. The son saw his father being attacked and drove off the bear by throwing rocks at it.

This is the smallest black bear to successfully kill a human in a predatory attack, of which this correspondent is aware.

The second fatal bear attack in Arkansas occurred on October 1st or Second near Sam's Throne campground. The campground is about 45 miles to the north east of the location of the Mulberry Mountain attack. The victim of the attack at the Sam's throne campground appears to have been sleeping on a cot, in the open, when the attack occurred. The Newton County Sherriff, Glenn Wheeler released several updates on the incident. The bear in the Sam's Throne incident has been describes as male black bear about 150 to 170 lbs. Pictures of the suspected bear were sent by the victim, Max Thomas, 60, of Springfield Missouri, to his family, before the attack occurred. Max was dragged about 40 yards into the woods.

Searches on the Internet indicate a Max Thomas of the correct age was a successful businessman, husband and father. He was married to the now widowed Mrs. Thomas for 35 years.

Bear populations and bear attacks have been increasing over the last several decades in North America, Asia, and Europe. There is good documentation in Japan, Europe, and North America. It is more difficult to find documentation for the area covered by the former Soviet Union and China.

Bear attack numbers have been increasing. They are not common. There are usually less than four fatal bear attacks per year in North America. Japan has more fatal bear attacks on average than does the United States. Japan has had seven fatal attacks so far in 2025. The United States has had three fatal bear attacks in 2025. Canada did not record any fatal bear attacks in 2025 so far.

The populations of both humans and bears are increasing. Bears have received more protection by governments than ever before in history. Bears learn to avoid humans by learning humans are dangerous to be near. The less bears fear humans, the more likely bears are to attack humans.

UT: West Valley City - Gunfight at Party, Aggressor Shot, Killed

According to police, 18-year-old Allen Montelongo was driving a vehicle and shot at a group standing in the roadway outside the party, striking a 16-year-old boy.

Someone from the group fired back at Montelongo, causing him to crash into a fence down the road, where he was pronounced dead.

The 16-year-old boy was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, but is expected to survive.

More Here

NV: Carson City - Man Forces way into Home, is Shot, Wounded

That dispute led to one driver chasing the other to the area of the Star Way residence. Two separate vehicle accidents are suspected to be associated with this incident are being investigated. One crash was reported as a hit and run accident on Biltmore Street, and the second crash was reported at the Star Way address, just one block away from the first crash scene. No injuries were reported.

This investigation has centered on the motive of the shooting victim, who has no known affiliation or connection to the Star Way residence.

The residents of the home and female who shot the man did not know the victim of the shooting when he forced his way into their home. No other injuries were reported.

More Here

Monday, October 27, 2025

Open Carry at GRPC in Salt Lake City, 2025

At the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Salt Lake City, in 2025, a number of people were openly carrying sidearms. They were uniformly willing to have pictures taken of the sidearms being carried. The sequence of images is about the sequence in which they were encountered at the Conference. There were probably people who were open carrying who this correspondent did not encounter.

The predominant type of handguns were variations of the popular 1911 style handguns. The handgun in the outside the waistband leather holster with a thumb break retention system was the first one encountered.

The 1911 style with CCDL on the grip is believed to be a representative of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League. Connecticut banned open carry in 2023. Some CCDL members at the Gun Rights Policy Conference were open carrying because they legally could do so in Utah. As is often the case, the main purpose of the open carry at GRPC was to make a political statement. Self defense was a secondary purpose. There were few places where violent crime was less likely than at a Gun Rights Policy Conference in Salt Lake City.

As the attendees from Connecticut are not allowed to open carry in their home state, it is not surprising their carry gear may be more appropriate for concealed carry. The 1911 type handgun in an inside the waistband holster is a good example.

A particularly rare example is the Freedom Arms mini-revolver in an original Freedom Arms belt buckle/holster. Freedom Arms no longer makes the mini-revolvers. They command high prices. The number of Freedom Arms original belt buckle/holster manufactured was never very high. They are difficult to find and command prices bolstered by their rarity. Most people do not see them as real firearms. In a sense, that makes them a form of "concealed in plain sight".

The ubiquitous Glock semi-automatic pistol was represented by what appears to be a Glock 17 in an outside the waistband holster. It is unclear if the holster uses a paddle or belt loops.

The pistol below is unidentified. The slide appears rather "Glockish". Polymer framed pistols have become common, with many variations.

Several people mentioned the open carry of a standard sized revolver in an outside the waistband belt rig with a thumb break retention system. The revolver appears to be a Smith & Wesson. I did not ask the owner to unholster the handgun. Removing a handgun from a holster in the crowded conditions of the Gun Rights Policy Conference would breach etiquette.

This correspondent believes considerably more people were carrying concealed at the GRPC in Salt Lake City than were carrying openly.

Great strides have been made in the restoration of rights protected by the Second Amendment. When concealed carry was banned for most people in most states, open carry was legal for most people in most states. Most people did not do so because propaganda against the carry of firearms created a stigma. It was common for those who did not want people to have the right to carry arms to call police and complain, thinking it had to be illegal to openly carry even when it was not.

This correspondent has had the opportunity to educate police on at least six occasions in three states while openly carrying holstered handguns. Open carry is strong, symbolic, protected political speech. It sends a message: The power of the state is limited. The Second Amendment means something. The people have the right to bear arms. Those who pushed back against infringement of Second Amendment rights by openly carrying firearms did so at some risk. Some were illegally arrested. Some had to endure long court cases to prevail. This correspondent believes one of the most effective purpose of open carry is education for political purposes. Open carry normalizes the carry of weapons.

Once Constitutional Carry is achieved in a state, the number of people openly carrying seems to fall off. The political purpose was achieved. This correspondent has often openly carried at Gun Rights Policy Conferences. This year was different. Utah has Constitutional Carry.

CA: Apple Valley - Man Attempting Break-in Shot, Wounded by Resident

Deputies responded around 7:00 a.m. on October 23, 2025, to a home in the 14000 block of Osage Road following reports of a shooting.

Investigators determined that the suspect, identified as Todd Johnson, attempted to forcibly enter the residence when one of the occupants fired a weapon, striking him, according to a written statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

More Here

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Update #4, Bear Defense with Handguns, 15 more cases, Total of 206, 98% effective

Grizzly bear shot in self defense at 10 feet by Jimmy Cox with a 10mm, Sept. 18, 2018, AK

The use of handguns to defend against bear attacks has been shown to be effective 98% of the time. This update details 16 more cases where a handgun was fired in defense against a bear or bears. In this study all cases where a handgun was fired in defense against a bear are included. This guards against selection bias. Every case is described so readers can draw their own conclusions. If researchers refuse to show the data used to write papers, it detracts from the validity of the conclusions. Extreme accuracy or speed with handguns does not appear to be required. 15 of the additions are handgun only cases. One is a combination case. The total number of cases has become awkward to publish. Links are included to the last full list, published on June 21, 2021 of 104 incidents, and the updates published since then.

The first update was published on April 11, 2022. Eleven additional cases where handguns were fired in combination with other lethal instruments were published on March 16, 2022. The combination cases are not included in the handgun only statistics. The second update was published on November 21, 2023. Total cases increased to 170. The third update was published on May 8, 2024. Total cases increased to 190.

In this fourth update, there are now 175 handgun only cases. Four of the handgun only cases were judged to be failures. Combination cases, where handguns were fired in combination with other lethal instruments, are included for completeness, but are not used to determine handgun effectiveness. The number of all documented cases where a handgun was fired in defense against a bear or bears now numbers 206. The 16 additional cases are listed below in chronological order.

August 19, 2020, Becharof Wildlife Refuge Alaska, grizzly, .45 Magnum Scott Haugen, David Stumpf, 8:30 a.m.

I hit the rocks, laid flat, and hollered for Stumpf to shoot. He did, sending a round past me, right over the bear’s head. Less than 15 yards from me, the bear whirled and sprinted back into the brush. It happened so fast there was no anxiety. The encounter put us on full alert as we had three miles of water to fish over the next eight hours before the bushplane would return for us. Thoughts of what could have been kept our adrenaline pumping.
A week later a manager of Becharof National Wildlife Refuge issued a statement of caution for anglers to reconsider heading to this section of Featherly Creek. The sow and two cubs charged a guide and her clients and were overly aggressive toward them. The sow was thought to have also killed a boar while defending her cubs. A month prior this same sow ran multiple anglers from another creek, over 25 miles away. Though Stumpf and I never saw the cubs, they were close. The full story made us realize how lucky we had been.

March 28, 2024,Greenwood Lake, New York, Black bear, Unknown handgun

State environmental police officers are searching Greenwood Lake for a large black bear that was shot after breaking into a home on Seventh Road overnight.

Residents of the Wah-Ta-Wah Park neighborhood, just east of the lake and up against a mountain, said bear encounters are common, but the break-in followed by a shooting was a first.

Greenwood Lake police told News 12 that just after midnight Thursday, the bear attempted to enter the house through various doors and windows, before finally managing to open a window enough to crawl inside.
Police said the owner was alerted to the break-in by his dog, and shot the bear once in the midsection with a legally owned handgun.

April 25, 2024 Great Falls MT grizzly, unknown handgun.

GREAT FALLS – A man searching for antlers shot and killed a grizzly bear on April 25 during an encounter on private land northwest of Wolf Creek.
The man was walking along a ridge covered with low trees and brush with his two dogs at his side and the wind at his back while searching for shed antlers. After seeing a fresh grizzly bear track in a snow patch, he continued along his path and a few minutes later he first saw the bear standing near the top of the ridge about 20 yards away. The bear dropped to all four legs and charged the man, who drew his handgun and fired five shots from distances about 30 feet to 10 feet, grazing the bear with a one shot and hitting and killing it with another shot. The man was not injured in the encounter. He was not carrying bear spray.

July 19, 2024, Columbia Falls, Montana Grizzly, unknown handgun:

KALISPELL — A man was hospitalized after an encounter with a grizzly bear on Thursday evening approximately 2 miles north of Columbia Falls in Flathead County.
A 72-year-old man was alone picking huckleberries on Flathead National Forest lands off the North Fork Road when he reported encountering a bear that charged and attacked him. The individual shot and killed the bear with a handgun.
FWP wardens and bear specialists responded to the incident and confirmed that an adult female grizzly bear was killed. FWP is working to verify if any cubs are present. FWP determined it to be a surprise defensive encounter.

July 30, 2024, black bear Florida Marion County 9mm.

According to Florida wildlife officials, the man — Jesse Tittle — let his dogs outside around 5 a.m. on July 30, and shortly thereafter, he heard his dogs, a 60-pound pit bull and a 25-pound pit bull-Papillon mix puppy, barking “aggressively” from a nearby yard.
The FWC said Tittle called his dogs, but the puppy did not return to him. The man grabbed his larger dog, but it pulled him toward the bear, and he ended up on the ground, officials said.
“I noticed that it was a bear. I called the dogs, and only the big dog came. Me and him kind of wrestled around here, and I was trying to hold him down. He wanted to go back because he wasn’t coming back,” Tittle told News 6.
Tittle said he saw the bear near his pup, so he attempted to fire a “warning shot” to scare the animals but struck the bear, according to the FWC, which said the animal tried to climb a tree but fell to the ground.

August 20, 2024, Alaska, Resurrection trail, 10mm Brown bear

Tyler explained what happened in more detail in a video interview with alaskasnewssource.com .
Two things happened at nearly the same time. Tyler’s Father yelled bear, bear, bear! and the grizzly bear let out a roar/growl as it charged at him. The father, Chris, turned slightly away to protect his head and neck as he continued to yell “hey, hey, hey!”. The bear momentarily braked, then veered toward Tyler. Tyler estimated it was four seconds from the time the bear roared until the bear hit him.
The bear was rapidly approaching as Tyler struggled to unlock the holster and draw. Tyler cleared the 10mm from the holster just before the bear hit him and bowled him over. Tyler fired his first shot while falling backward. His legs were probably raised to fend off the bear. The bullet intersected his quadriceps muscle, the big muscle on the front of the leg between the knee and the hip. The bullet entered, traveled under the skin for about three inches, and exited a relatively shallow wound. It may have continued on, penetrating the bear.

Sept 2, 2024 Idaho, Island Park Caribou-Trghee national forest, grizzly, unknown handguns

On the morning of Sunday, Sept. 1, an archery hunter was attacked by an adult male grizzly bear west of Henrys Lake in Island Park. The man was hunting elk with a friend on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near the Divide Creek Road when the attack occurred.
During the surprise encounter, one of the hunters was knocked down and bitten by the bear. Both men were able to utilize their sidearms to shoot the bear, deterring the attack and killing the bear.
The hunters were able to call 911 and the injured individual was transported by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Fish and Game responded to the scene after coordinating with Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service teams. Conservation Officers conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the hunters acted in self-defense during a surprise encounter with the bear from a very close distance.

September 6, 2024, Siren Wisconsin, Black Bear, Combination Rifle and 10mm hunting.

Ryan saw the bear, very close, under an oak tree, only 6-10 feet away. His eyes met the bear’s, and the bear leaped at him. He fired eight shots, a mag dump, very fast. He says he managed to miss all eight shots. The bear bit his leg, and then Ryan pistol-whipped the bear with his empty handgun. The bear let go of his leg and attacked his arm and face. Owen, seeing the bear on top of his father, shot the bear again, stopping the attack. It all happened very fast. From the nypost.com:
It was dark when they again came across the wounded bear staring at them from under an oak tree, the dad said.
“He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,’’ Beierman told the Star Tribune. “The next thing I know, he was on me. He charged and knocked me down,” he said.
“The bear was fighting for its life, and I was fighting for mine.”

September 13, 2024, Tepee Creek, North of West Yellowstone, Montana, Grizzly bear unknown handguns.

WEST YELLOWSTONE – A grizzly bear was killed Monday in an encounter with bowhunters in Tepee Creek, north of West Yellowstone.
The two hunters reported being charged by a sow grizzly bear with two yearling cubs. Using handguns, the hunters shot and killed the sow. The yearling bears also charged at the hunters, who shot at and injured one of the yearlings. The hunters were not injured.
Bear specialists, game wardens and a helicopter pilot with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, as well as law enforcement staff with the Custer Gallatin National Forest, visited the site on Wednesday. They confirmed the mortality of the adult bear, an older female. Officials found evidence of a yearling bear being injured, but they did not locate the yearling bears.

September 13, 2024, Montana Grizzly bear 10mm Glock 20, From Cowboy State Daily.com:

Mercado started to relax, thinking the bears would just go their own way.
“Then she stopped, turned sideways and ‘woofed’ at us a couple of times,” he said. “And then she just came for us at 20, maybe 30 mph. She came right at us like a bat out of Hell.”
For the second time during that hunting trip, things had gotten gravely serious.
“I just told my boy, ‘Shoot, shoot shoot!’” Mercado said.
Barkley fired about a half-dozen shots in rapid succession “and I could see the bullets kicking dirt up around the bear,” Mercado said.
He was just about to cut loose with his bear spray when “she skidded, stopped and took off back the other way toward her cubs,” he said.
The bears scrambled up a steep slope and were gone.

September 26, 2024, Wyoming, upper Green River Basin, Grizzly, 10mm Glock

But before long, he saw the grizzly and her cubs coming down the hillside adjacent to him. So he drew his handgun “and tried to stay as absolutely still and quiet as he could,” Quintrell said.
That didn’t work.
As the bears passed about 10 yards in front of him, the female caught his scent and immediately charged. Clement, who was backed up against the rock and had nowhere to go, opened fire.
After the bear sank her teeth into his leg, Clement’s pistol jammed, but he somehow maintained the presence of mind to clear the jam and continue firing, Quintrell said his friend told him.
Quintrell said that Clement probably fired about 10 times, and he saw at least four bullet wounds on the bear’s carcass, including the evidently fatal head shot.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service game warden had been informed of the attack and the bear’s death, Quintrell said.

October 3, 2024, Meeteetse area of Wyoming, Grizzly bear, 10mm Glock

Just switched from empty chamber to carrying a round in the chamber.

“It sounded like the forest was falling apart, there were branches breaking,” he said.
His father hoped that it might be the bull elk, but Kalkowski wasn’t sure about that.
“I had a gut feeling that it wasn’t good. I wasn’t sure it was a bear, but I knew it was not good,” he said.
So he went for his pistol, and had only just gotten it clear of the holster when the bear came bursting out of the timber.
He began firing immediately.
“She folded into a soccer-ball shape and rolled right to my feet,” he said.
The bear kept rolling, ending up on a log.
“I thought she was done for, but my dad said, ‘Put the rest of your clip (magazine) into her,’” he said.
So he emptied the rest of the Glock’s 15-round magazine into the bear, which rolled off the log and back into the nearly impossibly-dense timber.
The incident unfolded in a matter of seconds, Kalkowski said.

October 5, 2024 Hidden Lakes, Gallatin County, MT, Grizzly, unknown handgun

On 10/5/24 at 2:08 pm, Gallatin County Dispatch received a 911 call from a hunter just south of the Hidden Lakes complex who reported he was charged by a Grizzly bear and then was forced to climb a tree to find safety. The hunter reported being charged by a sow grizzly bear with two cubs. The hunter defended themself by shooting the bear with a pistol before climbing a tree. The wounded bear remained in the area causing the hunter stay in the tree to wait for help.
A MT Fish Wildlife and Parks helicopter was dispatched to assist the hunter. Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue teams in Big Sky mobilized and staged at key locations to respond to the hunter’s location if needed. MT FWP personnel landed near the treed hunter and dispatched the wounded Grizzly. The hunter was not injured during this encounter and was transported by helicopter to safety.

May 21, 2025, Choteau, Mt, Grizzly 10mm, .45 ACP

At 30 yards, the bear put her ears back and charged. Justin and John drew their pistols and started firing. John was on Justin’s right, about 10 feet away. He was armed with a 1911-style .45 ACP. Justin had a Glock 20 chambered in 10 mm. John fired five shots, Justin fired three shots.
Justin said, “the bear looked as big as an elephant coming toward us.”
Justin believed bear spray would have been useless because of the variable wind. Justin was using a mix of Federal full metal jacketed and hollow point rounds in the Glock, while John was using his .45 ACP.
At about 20 yards, the bear, obviously hit, veered to Justin’s side and out of sight, moving north. North was toward the property boundary. Mary Sexton owned the property on the other side. They called Mary to alert her to the possibility of a wounded grizzly coming her way. They re-mounted the side-by-side four-wheeler and headed toward Truchot Hill, hoping they would be able to spot the bear from the top of the hill. On the way, they stopped at Sheriff VanSetten’s home and let him know what was going on. They called the local Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Wildlife Management Specialist, Chad White, and informed him of the encounter.

June 24, 2025, Black Bear, Ft. Walton Beach Florida, unknown pistol.

On June 24, Robinson watched from inside his home as a bear walked along a back wall, the report states.
“The bear did not seem right,” records show he told an investigating wildlife official. “It was not afraid of me and was walking around during the daylight.”
He grabbed a pistol, he said, to protect himself and his wife. From behind a cracked door, he yelled at the bear to go away. Robinson said it knocked over his griddle and walked toward him. The bear, a male, weighed roughly 180 pounds and was estimated to be between 2 and 4 years old, according to wildlife officials.
“I felt extremely threatened and thought the bear was going to come through the door,” records show he told an investigating wildlife officer. “So I then began shooting the bear.”
Robinson shot it 12 times, records show. He stopped firing when the bear turned away from him, and he watched as it walked a few dozen feet before dropping to the ground.

September 29, 2025, Big Sky Montana, Grizzly, unknown handguns:

Two hunters were hunting in the vicinity of a known elk carcass when they saw a grizzly bear on Sept 29. To make their presence known, the hunters yelled at the bear. The bear reportedly came toward the hunters, and they each fired once with handguns. Both the bear and the hunters left the site without further incident.

In all of the 206 cases, a handgun was fired in defense against a bear. This follows the same protocol as the famous "Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska", which only scored incidents where bear spray was actually sprayed at bears. In our handgun study, only one incident involved a game warden shooting a bear in defense of self (June 26, 1987). In the Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray paper, 21 of 72 incidents involved park personnel spraying bears.

TX: San Antonio - Security Officers at Power Station Shoot Man Attempting to Drive Through Gate

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after security officers at a power station shot a man trying to drive through the front gate.

Deputies responded around 5 p.m. Thursday to the shooting at the Calaveras Power Plant Station on US Highway 181 South.

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AZ: Kingman - Unlawful Entry met with Gunfire, Suspect Wounded

Officers arriving on scene found Gabriel Leon Wes Hairybull, 26, of Peach Springs, with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the arm and chest. Investigators determined that Hairybull, who appeared to be impaired, had attempted to unlawfully enter the rear door of the residence when he was shot once by the homeowner.

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Bertha Schmidt Weingarten Tribute - Death of a Mother

Bertha Weingarten about 1925 Hair was a brighter red than in picture

Bertha Schmidt Weingarten 1914 - 2013

Bertha was born Bertha Schmidt, in Brook Park, Minnesota, on December 21, 1914. She was an early Christmas present who arrived shortly after the start of World War I. She was the seventh child to be born in a log cabin with two little loft bedrooms. Her mother, Emma, left her abusive husband, Herman Schmidt, when Bertha was 12. At the time Bertha was one of ten children. Divorce was very rare. Her father had taken to drinking. The situation must have been very bad for her mother to leave her home, taking the four youngest children with her. She had married at 17 in 1902, against the advise of her mother. The experience had an enormous impact on Bertha's life.

Emma moved Bertha and the three other young children to Grand View, Wisconsin, which was near wilderness in 1926. The man who hired Emma for a cook made improper advances toward my mother. Emma confronted him, and they were out of a job in a strange place. Emma forced the farmer to leave until they could find a new place. A neighbor at the closest farm took them in to help transplant rutabagas. He was a middle aged batchelor, living alone on his own farm.

Court proceedings initiated by Emma's Husband forced Emma and Bertha back to Minnesota for a time. Emma had a fourth grade education, at most, and Bertha served as her Mother's secretary, reading and writing love letters between the bachelor farmer and the soon to be divorced mother of ten. Eighty years later Bertha was still moved to tears as she recalled that Emma had insisted, that if she married the farmer, he would have to accept her four youngest children with her.

They waited for the return letter. Telephones were rare. Letters took days to deliver and return. They both cried when the return answer was "Yes, of course!"

Bertha idolized her Step-Father, William (Bill) Gillis. He became the father that she had wished that she had, even though life was not easy. Because of her early experiences, Bertha vowed that she would only marry a man who was a practicing Christian who was active in the Church.

Few people understand how hard everyone in that society worked. The rural areas did not have electricity. One of the chores Bertha shared with a sister as a little girl in Minnesota, was cranking water up from a well in a bucket, filling up a five gallon can, and hauling it on a little cart from the well to the house. It was only about a hundred yards from the well to the house, but I am sure it was quite a chore for a pair of little girls. She talked about how hard it was, and how much water had to be hauled on wash day, for a household of ten people. It must have seemed wonderful to have an artesian well on that old farm in Grand View, Wisconsin.

Bertha came of age in Grand View, working at the local dairy. She received a pound of butter or cheese a week. She was not sure if, with the moves to Wisconsin back to Minnesota, then back to Wisconsin, if she had ever officially finished the eighth grade. At the start of the great depression, the crash of 1929, she was 14 years old.

She was a very attractive young woman who had many suitors. The picture does not show her vividly red hair. During the depression, my Father had joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The camp that he was in was about twenty miles from Grand View, and the locals arranged for dances to be held at an establishment half way between. That is where LeRoy met Bertha. The family story is that he told a friend that she was the woman that he would marry at that first dance. They courted for three years, with Bertha taking jobs at Sears in Minneapolis and as a maid in Chicago. They kept up a correspondence, but I never found any of their love letters. In 1940, my father issued an ultimatum. Make up your mind and marry me, or I will find someone who will. She accepted. They were married on May 25th, 1940, six months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. They moved in with my Father's parents, on their farm about six miles north of Hayward, Wisconsin.

LeRoy and Bertha Weingarten at and shortly after marriage in 1940

During the war, they had four children, all girls. They moved to Milwaukee where my father worked as a machinist supervisor of a shift of women, producing munitions. Bertha had her fourth child, another daughter, in 1945. They did not enjoy living in the city. After the war, they moved back to the farm with the in-laws for a year, then to Hayward for the next four.

In 1950, they purchased my uncle's farm on the Namekagon, a little more than a mile from my Grandparents. Within a year, they had electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, and me. I was born in 1951, while my twin sister died during childbirth. The farm was a dairy farm, and very hard work. My sisters worked on the farm and walked a mile and a half to the local one room school. By the time I was of school age, two more boys had been added to the family, and my father had started his career with the Wisconsin Highway Department as a surveyor. Bertha's last daughter was added to the family in 1958. Eight children are quite a few to take care of. A mother with that many children on a farm becomes a supervisor, manager, teacher, and taskmistress.

Bertha was always busy and hardworking. In between cooking, cleaning, laundry, farm chores, and literally keeping the home fires burning (we heated with wood, and kept fires going 7-8 months of the year), she kept numerous flower gardens around our home on the Namekagon river, as well as a large vegetable garden for the table and to provide vegetables to can for the winter. She worked hard at encouraging us to read, and expected us to do well in school. The house had many books and magazines while we were growing up. My parents gave each of us the first year in college, and we had to take it from there.

Bertha became very active in the 4-H program, and was a local leader for many years. Many of my formative experiences came from her 4-H activities.

Church was a very important part of our lives. We started with the family Church at Phipps, a tiny village, three miles away. The Church was moved to Hayward, Wisconsin about 1959. Bertha remained strong in her Christian faith until she died.

In the early 1970s my aunt, who lived three miles from us upriver, became very ill. Her husband had recently died, and they had a young daughter. My parents took her in, and Lynda became their ninth child to raise.

The Federal government bought much of the family farm about this time, as part of the Wild River project, turning most of it into a national park. My father retired in 1979 and with the children raised, my parents started a fresh phase in their life - tourist and world travelers. They visited me in California and Panama, traveled to Europe with my youngest sister, and traveled to Alaska seven times. They remained involved in local charities. In their 80's, they started to slow down. By the time Bertha reached 90, she had severe osteoporosis, she had broken her left leg in a fall, and had suffered a stroke. The femur was held together with a metal plate and bolts or screws inside her leg. In her later life, it was a source of pain whenever she moved her legs.

She had to undergo stints in the local rehabilitation center/nursing home twice. I talked to the staff when I visited. She was their star patient, working harder than people decades younger, never complaining, always with a cheerful word for the staff. it appeared to me that the new drugs for osteoporosis helped. If she had a fault, it was her unwillingness to be a bother to other people. Her hard work paid off, and both times she moved back to her home with my Father. My Father, LeRoy Weingarten died when she was 91, in 2006. They had been married for 66 years. I wrote about him and posted it on the Internet at Freerepublic.com. I intent to post this tribute to Bertha there as well.

After seeing my Aunt and Grandmothers in nursing homes, I had promised myself that I would not see my parents forced into one. The family was able to support my Mother in her own home for six more years. My parents had been very frugal, and great savers, but she came very close to outliving their resources.

She often had numerous friends stop by and visit. Bertha was the last leaf on the tree. She outlived her friends and all the immediate family of her generation. Her last sister died a year before she did. She became physically very frail, and finally an invalid in her own home. I was very fortunate in that I was able to take care of her for four months of the last year of her life. Her mind was still mostly clear, though she was a little confused at times. I will always thank God for the opportunity to spend that time with her.

I had only left for a couple of weeks when she entered the last phase. When people made leading comments insinuating that her life was not worth living, she had said "God will take me when he wants". She was 19 days short of her 99th birthday, surrounded by family and church members when she was taken.

She is survived by three sons, five daughters, fourteen grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.

I had been a practicing agnostic/atheist for most of my adult life. Near my retirement, I accepted Jesus back into my life. He had never really left, I had just rejected God. I am glad to say that my mother was very happy that I had come back, just two years before she died. I look forward to seeing her on the other side.

This is a companion piece to the tribute that I wrote about my Father. For whatever reason, it took four months for me to gather the will to write it. My family will be having a memorial service, as Bertha requested, on May 25th.

My parents ashes were placed in the woods that they loved and nurtured. They will be surrounded by mature trees that they planted more than 50 years ago.

Originally written in 2014. Reviewed, a few minor errors corrected in 2025.

Dean Weingarten

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Attack by Asiatic Black Bear on 82-Year-Old Woman in Japan, Video

Link to video on X

On October 8, 2025, an 82-year-old woman was attacked by an Asiatic black bear in the city of Daisen in Akita Prefecture, Japan. The attack was caught on video. The bear is presumed to be an Asiatic black bear because the brown bears (Ursus Arctos) in Japan are limited to the northern island of Hokkaido. Daisen and Akita prefecture are not on Hokkaido. Akita prefecture is on the largest of the Japanese islands, Honshu. Honshu has a significant population of Asiatic black bears.

From the actions of the bear, it appears to be a juvenile bear which has not perfected its hunting technique yet. The woman appears to hear the bear and turn toward it just before the running bear reaches her. The bear misses solid contact, only managing to claw the woman's face before over-shooting its mark. The woman is screaming, and after another abortive attempt at a take-down, the bear retreats. This is typical prey-testing behavior for bears. The bear does not go very far, but the woman is rescued by a passing driver. She gets into the left passenger seat (opposite of the USA) and they drive off. She was taken to the hospital.

Japan has more fatal bear attacks than the United States. It is a surprising fact, given Japan's population is only 36% of the USA population. The USA has about ten times as many American black bears as Japan has Asiatic black bears. The USA has about 3-4 times as many brown bears (ursus arctos) as Japan has brown bears (ursus arctos) on Hokkiado island. Bears are hunted much more regularly in the USA than in Japan. Japan has one of the lowest rate of firearms ownership in the world, while the USA has the highest rate of firearms ownership in the world.

The Asiatic black bear is more aggressive than the American black bear, although the two are closely related species. The brown bears on Hokkaido are the same species as the brown bears in Alaska, the lower 48 states, Asia and Europe. They are a world wide species with a number of sub-species which have slight genetic differences. In the USA they are known as grizzly bears, brown bears, and Kodiak bears.

The Japanese government is in the process of reforming some of the onerous restrictions on hunting bears in Japan. Japan is in the process of reducing the population of brown bears on Hokkaido (about 11,000) to a more manageable number. One of the reforms has been to allow hunters to shoot bears in urban areas without having to obtain prior permission to shoot in each individual case.

Japan could gain resources and reduce the population of brown bears in Hokkaido by selling hunting rights to sportsmen worldwide. Given the experience of Alaska, it is likely an auction for brown bear permits in Japan would bring in 30 or 40 thousand dollars each. This would bring money into the local economy for the hiring of guides, use of hotels, and other tourist amenities.

The animosity toward firearm ownership in Japan makes such an outcome highly unlikely. Elderly Japanese hunters have complained that bureaucratic restrictions are one reason they are having difficulty recruiting younger hunters.

AZ: Phoenix - Burglary Suspect Shot

Phoenix police said they were called out to a shooting near 40th and Cortez avenues, just south of Cactus Road, around 10:40 a.m. When officers arrived, they found a man had been shot. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators said they learned that he had burglarized a nearby home when he was shot by a homeowner. However, it’s unclear if he was shot by that homeowner or a neighbor.

More Here

Friday, October 24, 2025

President Trump on National Concealed Carry Reciprocity "We are talking about that."

President Trump FBI presentation October 15, 2025

On October 15, 2025, the Trump administration held an FBI news briefing, which started at about 3 pm Eastern Time. At about 21 minutes and 43 seconds into the briefing, President Donald Trump was asked about national concealed carry reciprocity. Here is a transcript from x.com:

Brian: further conversation to have national concealed carry applied to our actual D.C. like if you had a drivers license for Texas and you had a permit, of course you could drive...
President Trump: "Well as you know, they have been talking about that for a long time. Its an interesting question. A lot of people feel strongly both ways. We are talking about that."

President Donald Trump has said he would sign a national reciprocity bill if it came to his desk. The second term for President Trump has been the most active administration in restoring Second Amendment rights of any president in history. There have been significant differences in bills which have been submitted to enact national carry reciprocity. The framework which appears most favored would preempt most states restrictions on the carry of firearms by non-residents. Here is an example of H.R. 38, as introduced in the House of Representatives in 2025:

This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the carry or possession of concealed firearms across state lines.
Specifically, an individual who is eligible to carry a concealed firearm in one state may carry or possess a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms.
It sets forth requirements for lawful concealed carry across state lines. The bill preempts most state and local laws related to concealed carry and establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by interference with a concealed-carry right established by this bill.

There are other versions of national reciprocity. During the legislative process there is considerable debate and negotiations, which can result in substantial amendments to bills, in order to obtain enough votes for a bill to pass. There are court cases which are challenging the authority of states to prevent non-residents from legally carrying firearms under the rights protected by the Second Amendment.

In California, lawsuits have resulted in a process where non-residents can apply for a California concealed carry permit. In Massachusetts, the state supreme court dodged the issue. A case by truck drivers has been filed in Minnesota, and dismissed by the District judge.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled the Second Amendment is not a second class right, of the enumerated rights in the Bill of Rights.

Analysis: At some point the ability to exercise the rights protected by the Second Amendment across state lines will be addressed by Congress, the Supreme Court, or both. Much will depend on how the mid-term elections are concluded in 2026. If the Republicans gain substantial majorities, the chances of a bill similar to H.R. 38 passing are fairly good. If the Republicans lose a majority in either the House or the Senate, such a bill will not pass. This correspondent does not expect a challenge to a ban on non-resident carry to reach the Supreme Court for at least two years.

NC: Benson - 83-Year-Old Grandfather Shoots, Wounds Grandson

BENSON – An 83-year-old Benson man will not face charges after allegedly shooting his grandson Wednesday evening in what police believe was an act of self-defense.

Benson Police responded to a reported shooting at 5:44 p.m. at 101 East Kennedy Circle. When officers arrived, they found a 27-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. The victim was transported to WakeMed for treatment and was listed in stable condition at last report.

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Wednesday, October 22, 2025

FL: Brevard County Employees may Open Carry at Work

Florida open carry by Michael Taylor before the Court ruling

As reported in Florida Today.com, the Brevard County commissioners have amended their employee policy to include the potential for county employees to openly carry firearms while at work. The change is consistent with the appeals court ruling the Florida ban on open carry is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. On October 16, 2025, From floridatoday.com :

The next time you see a county employee, they could very well have a pistol on their hip.
And they would not be violating any county policy.
Brevard County commissioners this week amended their employee policy around firearms to reflect an appeals court ruling in McDaniels vs. State of Florida allowing open carry in Florida starting in September.

The Brevard County commissioners had a meeting on October 14, 2025. It is likely the change in employee conditions was made at that meeting.

Brevard County has a population of over six hundred thousand. It is a long, thin county along the east coast of Florida, and contains the famous NASA space launch facility. It is informally known as the space coast. Brevard County commissioners have been supportive of restoring the rights protected by the Second Amendment for years. Five years ago, on August 6, 2020, Brevard County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting open carry in Florida. From mynews13.com:

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Gun laws are once again a topic ahead of the elections, with Brevard County approving a resolution in hopes to change concealed weapons laws.
The resolution aims to support the expansion of “lawful statewide open carry of firearms.” As District 2 Commissioner Bryan Lober explained, the outline of a gun is enough to alarm someone, so he wants guns out in the open.

On April 24, 2018, it was reported in floridatoday.com the Brevard County commissioners had unanimously changed County policy to allow County employees who have a Florida concealed carry permit, to carry at work. From floridatoday.com:

VIERA, Fla. – Brevard County employees with a concealed carry permit will be allowed to bring their guns to work, under a policy change unanimously approved this afternoon by county commissioners, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
"This is a fundamental right," said County Commissioner John Tobia, who proposed the change in the county's "Zero Tolerance of Workplace Violence" policy.
Previously, the policy banned county employees who are not in law enforcement or security from bringing their guns to work.

On May 22, 2018, the County commissioners updated the rules to allow "off the body" carry. From floridatoday.com:

Brevard County commissioners have approved updated rules for county staff to carry weapons at work.
Under the measure, workers with a concealed-carry permit will have more flexible rules for packing while at work.
The change was approved 3-0, with Commissioners Jim Barfield and Curt Smith absent when the vote was taken.
Under the new policy, county employees are allowed to have a gun in a purse, briefcase or backpack, as long as the gun is in their "control at all times." They also can have the gun in a locked desk or filing cabinet drawer under their control.

Brevard County employs over 2,200 employees. The changes in County policy restore some of the rights protected by the Second Amendment to local government employees. Lake County in Florida restored some of the rights protected by the Second Amendment to County employees in February of 2018. Several other Counties around the United States have taken similar actions to restore rights to their employees. South Dakota recently passed a state statute to prevent local governments from infringing on some rights protected by the Second Amendment. The South Dakota bill was signed into law on March 31, 2025.

Some polities in Florida have been hostile to open carry, even if done legally. From Ammoland, July, 2018:

The Miami Beach park ranger, the Miami Beach Police Department officers and the police chief, may be personally liable for violating Florida preemption law in this case. The law has a provision for willful and knowing violation of citizens rights in this area. The decision by the park ranger and the police officers to ignore the law, when presented with it by Michael Taylor, and the written notice given to the police three weeks prior to the event and hours before the event on May 24th, could easily rise to the level of knowing and willful violation of the law

SC: Columbia - Home Invader Shot, Killed by Apartment Resident

According to deputies, the shooter and a witness said the man kicked in the door of their apartment, forcing his way inside.

The shooter then took a gun and shot the man, investigators said. Both the shooter and the witness stayed and spoke with investigators.

More Here

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Reddit Bans Subreddits where Gun Parts and or Accessories are Traded or Sold

On October 9th, 2025, Reddit management/owners decided to ban all user to user sales and/or trades of firearms parts or accessories. The sale or trade of firearms was already banned on Reddit. This rule goes into effect on October 9th, 2025. The announcement also bans the subreddit r/RetroARMarket completely.

No one on Reddit will be allowed to facilitate user to user transactions involving firearms parts and enhancements. Even specific instructions, such as 3D printing files to make such items are banned. The notification of the bans can be read at this link.

According to wikipedia, Reddit was the seventh most visited website on the planet as of February, 2025. Over 50% of the traffic comes from the United States, about 7 percent each from the UK and Canada, then about 4% from Australia and Germany at 3%. The rest is split among numerous other countries. It appears service is worldwide except for China and Indonesia. People who have DNS service in Indonesia are said to be able to access the site.

In the notification of the change in rules, no reason is given for the change. From the notification:

"This means that on and after this date, communities will not be permitted to allow user to user transactions involving any firearm parts or enhancements. Discussions, reviews , links to external licensed vendors, and user to user transactions involving items such as holsters, safes, or other non-enhancing items are still allowed."

People who are in the affected subreddits are not happy with the rule change.

Analysis: There is a clear pattern from those who want a disarmed population. This group includes most governments on the planet. They realize to keep the population disarmed, they must prevent the people from having access to information about how to make firearms and ammunition. Australia bans the possession of computer files used to print firearms parts - even toy fireams - on 3D printers. New York State has attempted to do the same. These attempts in the United States are being challenged as not allowed under the First Amendment, which protects free speech and the freedom to publish.

By making it more difficult for enthusiasts to trade or purchase legal items on line, Reddit is following the footsteps of other services such as Ebay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. The Internet is a big place. As the Gun Control Act of 1968 caused enormous numbers of retail outlets to stop selling firearms, it also caused hundreds of thousands of dedicated firearms stores to spring up. These stores served as gathering places for Second Amendment enthusiasts.

Similarly, we may see Internet spaces which are freindly to fireams enthusiasts grow because they have an advantage over those which ban user to user sale and trade in the larger spaces.

Where firearms are highly regulated, there persists active firearms communities. As rights protected by the Second Amendment are restored in the United States, firearm friendly Internet communities are likely to thrive inside the United States.

It is very difficult to stop the flow of information over the Internet. As much as Europe tried to maintain a monopoly on the manufacture of modern firearms, it was impossible to stop the spread of such a powerful technology. Stopping the spread of how to make firearms and ammunition is a much more difficult task.

FL: Pensecola - Victim Shoots Man who Attacked him

Upon arrival, officers located two individuals, one who had been “pistol whipped” and the other who had been shot around 7 a.m. on the 1000 block of Langley Avenue, according to Pensacola Police.

Both were transported to a hospital for treatment, but the individual who was shot, Jamir Jackson, was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

The preliminary investigation indicates the incident may constitute a Stand Your Ground case, according to the release.

More Here

Monday, October 20, 2025

J.P. Morgan Boss says USA should Stockpile Bullets Guns and Bombs

Jaimie Dimon is the Chairman and CEO of America's largest bank, JP Morgan Chase. In an exclusive interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Dimon said he believed the United States should invest in more military hardware. From bbc.com :

Global security has been a recent focus for the JP Morgan boss, with his letter to shareholders earlier this year warning the US would run out of missiles in seven days of a South China Sea war.
Reflecting on how the world could combat risk factors, he pointed to greater military investment.
"People talk about stockpiling things like crypto, I always say we should be stockpiling bullets, guns and bombs.
"The world's a much more dangerous place, and I'd rather have safety than not."

Dimon did not denigrate President Donald Trump. Dimon was not complimentary of President Donald Trump. Dimon believed the U.S. Federal Reserve was doing a good job. In the past, Dimon has skirted questions about JP Morgan Chase Bank's stance on gun control. It appears he has tried to avoid the issue while pleasing and provoking both Second Amendment supporters and those who want a disarmed population.

In his letter to Shareholders in the annual report of 2024, many of the policies supported by Dimon will sound familiar as policies supported by President Trump. Dimon makes the case the USA must be militarily strong in order to survive and prosper. The Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans do not present the barriers to the use of military force which existed even 60 years ago. Long range bombers, intercontinental missiles, hypersonic missiles, cyber warfare and the more common use of orbital space has made our ocean barriers far less effective. Peace depends on a strong military. This is the common observation made through thousands of years of history. From the letter:

As President Ronald Reagan once wisely said, “The only way to stay safe is peace through strength.” Having the best military is expensive, but it is not nearly as expensive as dealing with what would happen without it. We must maintain the world’s strongest military, without question.

This correspondent does not think Jaimie Dimon was talking about the approximately 530+ million firearms in private hands in the USA. Dimon does not mention them directly. Those arms significantly strengthen the United States Military. They make taking control of a hostile population more expensive and difficult, complicating actions by potential occupying forces. They aid in keeping a tradition of defense of country popular. They aid military recruitment. They assure the people of the United States the US government is more trustworthy than most other governments, as the ultimate authority of arms exists in the people themselves.

Chairman and CEO Dimon does not touch on the use of local and state militias to aid in domestic security. As seen in the Ukriane/Russia war, drone warfare can be an important part of homeland defense. This correspondent would like to see a national policy to integrate citizen drone operators into a system of state and local militias, which could make a militia system a more effective part of national defense. Citizen operators of complex computer systems are already a major part of our defense of cyberspace. Alternate communications systems, such as an alternate Internet backbone operating from orbit, (Starlink) could make the United States communications system more robust.