Friday, August 21, 2026

AZ: Phoenix - Gunfight with Security Guard, Guard Shoots Opponent

Police said officers detained the shooter, whom they identified as a uniformed security guard contracted by QuikTrip.

Investigators say the man who was shot pulled a gun during a confrontation, and the guard fired in response.

The guard was later released, and the man who died has not been identified as the investigation continues.

 

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IN: Evansville - Gunfight, 2 Victims Wounded

EPD says both victims stated they did not know who had shot them, or why. Officers say the victim who had been shot in the chest did admit to shooting back as they were being shot at. Both victims’ injuries are listed as non-life threatening.

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PA: Philadelphia - Armed Robbery Gunfight, Victim's Gun Failed

A preliminary investigation indicated that four unidentified men robbed the victim's cousin of a Rolex watch reportedly valued at $25,000, police said.

An additional suspect approached the 25-year-old man on a bicycle and pointed a handgun at him, according to investigators.

Police said the man, who is licensed to carry a gun, drew his weapon to defend himself and his cousin. His firearm malfunctioned, however, and he was shot.

The suspects fled eastbound on Juniata Street. Police recovered the victim's gun at the scene.


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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

TX: Houston - Domestic Defense? New Boyfriend Shoots, Kills Girfriend's EX

HCSO Sgt. Sofia Silva told ABC13 that around 2:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to a shooting call. She said a man called 911 and told them a man was trying to break into his girlfriend's apartment.

The woman was not home at the time, but the caller was inside, according to law enforcement.

HCSO said while on the phone with 911, gunshots could be heard.

When deputies arrived, they said they found a man dead inside. The caller told deputies where he was inside the unit, according to HCSO.


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TX: Fort Worth - Homeowner and Intruder Gunfight, Homeowner Wounded, Intruder Killed

What we know:

The shooting happened at 3:30 p.m. on Misty Glenn Court, located near Interstate 30 and East Loop 820.

According to Fort Worth police, a resident returned home to find an intruder inside the house. A physical fight broke out between the two men, and both drew firearms and shot at each other. Both men were struck during the gunfire.

The intruder died at the scene. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office has identified him as 29-year-old Darius Levy.


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Monday, August 17, 2026

AL: Mobile - Security Guard Shoots Man who Assaulted Him

Upon further investigation, officers discovered the victim entered the business, and while inside, physically assaulted a male security guard.

The security guard shot the victim during the altercation.


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SC: Florence - Armed Robbery Suspect Shot and Killed by Armed Store Employee

Officers responded at about 10:15 p.m. to a reported armed robbery at Smokers Town on Woody Jones Boulevard, police said. While they were responding, they were told that Brantley had been shot by a store employee.

Brantley had fled the business after being shot and was later found lying in a grassy area behind it, according to police. The preliminary investigation indicates that he entered the business while wearing a mask and gloves and was armed with a gun.


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Sunday, August 16, 2026

Thailand: Another Mass Murder at a School in 2026 and Strict Gun Control

 

 Bangkok, public domain

On August 7, 2026, Reuters reported a 14-year-old Thai student killed his grandparents, obtained his grandfather's legal 9mm pistol, then went to his school and killed at least five people as well as wounding  15 more. It is difficult to stop a person who is willing to kill their grandparents in order to kill others. The incident in August is the latest in a series of mass murders committed with firearms in Thailand.  In July of 2025, a mass murderer killed five people and then committed suicide at a Bangkok market.

Thailand had imposed even more restrictions on their already restrictive gun control measures in 2023. In 2023, a 14-year-old killed two and wounded five in a shopping center in Bangkok. In 2022, a former police officer killed 36 people, including his wife, his son, and 22 children. The former police officer used a gun and a knife. In 2020 a soldier killed 29 people in a mass murder with a gun in Nakhon Rtchassima.

Bangkok has very strict gun control laws.  It was not always so. When Thailand became a constitutional republic in 1932, there were no comprehensive gun control laws. In 1947, mandatory registration, licensing and permits for civilian ownership was instituted. Licensing for self-defense is relatively common in rural areas.

 

 

  

Firearms in Thai Museum. Public domain. 

  

Self defense is considered a legitimate reason to apply for a firearm permit. Carry permits for public areas are difficult to obtain, according to Grokipedia. About one in ten Thais own a firearm. Ammunition ownership is tightly regulated. Reloading ammunition is banned. Resistance to the strict laws is common. It is estimated as many as 40% of the 10.4 million firearms in Thailand are not legally registered. Thailand has an estimated total firearms related death rate of about 4 per 100K population.  The homicide rate with firearms is about 1 per 100K and the total homicide rate is lower than the USA, about 2-2.4 per 100K. In the USA the total homicide rate dropped below 4.0 in 2025.

Total firearm ownership rates have little or no correlation to homicide rates. Mass murders committed with firearms occur in countries with strict firearms controls. Some of those countries experience mass murder rates with firearms greater than the USA, when the numbers are corrected for population. Mass murder can be accomplished with many different methods. Attacks with vehicles have become more common. An important way to prevent public mass murders is to not legitimize mass murder through mass media. This is difficult but can be done without censorship. There was considerable success when media companies cooperated to not publicize suicides of celebrities. Copy cat suicides were immediately and significantly reduced. The total death toll from mass public murders is low, but the media attention is high.

Mass murder with firearms is promulgated as a phenomena of media contagion. When people who commit mass murder are made into anti-heros. People with mental problems and suicide ideation see mass murder as a way to achieve fame and media immortality.

Thailand has much stricter gun control than exists in the United States.

Gun control does not stop mass murder, with or without firearms.

Analysis: People with guns can stop mass public murder, which was recently demonstrated in the attempted  mass murder in Twin Falls, Idaho. An armed citizen engaged the mass murderer, as did an off duty state trooper. A former police officer engaged the killer, but was shot before he drew his handgun. These heroic individuals helped to lower the death toll. In the Twin Falls incident, a bystander picked up a handgun the killer had abandoned. It was jammed, and she was unable to make it functional, so she abandoned it as well.

 ©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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FL: Fort Pierce - Assaulted by Acquantaince, Homeowner Shoots the Attacker

A 37-year-old man was shot and killed inside a Fort Pierce mobile home Wednesday night after he allegedly forced his way inside and punched the 22-year-old homeowner repeatedly in the stomach during a dispute between the two men, according to deputies. The homeowner has not been charged, and St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office investigators say the case is now being reviewed under Florida's self-defense laws.

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Saturday, August 15, 2026

ID: Mackay - Man who was Shot has been Arrested

Investigators say Flagg was shot while attempting to force his way into the home. Deputies said that Flagg and the homeowner knew each other, but have not released details about their relationship or what led up to the incident.

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IN: Indianapolis - Domestic Defense, Son Shoots Man Who Assaulted Mother

Investigators think the man was abusing a woman in the parking lot, and her son showed up and shot the man. Police at the scene did not identify any of the people involved.

The son remained at the scene and cooperated with the police. IMPD says the Marion County Prosecutor's Office will determine if any criminal charges should be filed.


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LA: New Orleans - Car Burglary Suspect Shot by Armed Victim

According to the NOPD, a man was walking to his car when he noticed the vehicle’s passenger door was open and two juveniles climbing out. The man told police one of the juveniles pointed a gun at him, so he pulled out his own firearm and shot at the suspects, striking one.

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Friday, August 14, 2026

Il: Chicago - Woman Shoots Man Entering Window

A 30-year-old male opened the screen of a window while on the front porch of a residence. A 49-year-old female inside the residence discharged a firearm, striking him in the arm.

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PA: Philadelphia - Attempted Carjack ends with Suspect Shot, Wounded

During this incident, officials said, the suspected attackers produced a firearm and shot the victim. The victim, police said, then produced his own weapon and returned fire.

The man that was struck was taken to a nearby hospital after the shooting where, officials said, he was listed in stable condition.


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PA: Philadelphia - Off Duty Police Officer in Shoot-out with Suspected Car Theives

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer fired shots at suspects who stole his car early Monday morning, touching off a chase through Southwest Philadelphia that ended with multiple stolen vehicles recovered but no arrests, investigators said.

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MI: Warren - Double Domestic Defenses, Two Men Shot, Killed

Investigators learned that the victim had assaulted his 63-year-old father and threatened to kill people at the scene following a verbal argument.

The victim’s 25-year-old brother, a valid CPL holder, discharged his firearm and killed his brother.

Life-saving measures were attempted but the victim was pronounced deceased. The county Prosecutor’s Office determined the action was justified in defense of another.

Just over an hour later, the second incident took place at about 03:15 p.m. at a residence on Stewart Avenue near Stephens and Hayes where officers discovered a 40-year-old man was shot.

Investigators determined the victim arrived uninvited at his ex-girlfriends home, assaulted her and aggressively confronted her current boyfriend, a 33-year-old CPL holder, who shot the victim during the confrontation.

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Thursday, August 13, 2026

Nearly 1 in 3 Voters Say They Carry a Concealed Handgun, Survey Finds

Research done at the Crime Prevention Research Center and published in July of 2026 shows the percentage and number of people carrying concealed handguns continues to increase. A survey of 1000 people conducted by McLaughlin  & Associates on July 22, 2026 shows significant increases in the carrying of concealed handguns. In the last 19 months, from December of 2024 to July of 2026, the percentage of likely voters who carried all or most of the time increased from 13% to 15.7%, an increase of 2.7% of the sample. Those who carry sometimes/rarely increased from 11% to 15.2% or 4.2% of the sample. 

The total who carry increased from 24% in 2024 to 30.9% in 2026, or 6.9% of the sample.  

Similarly, the total of those who say they never carry dropped from 73% to 66.6%, a 6.4% drop. Those who claim they "don't know" if they carry increased from 2% to 2.5%. The sample is of likely voters in general elections.  Such a sample may or may not be indicative of the habits of non-voters.

20.1% of the respondents stated they possessed a concealed handgun permit. This is slightly lower than previous findings. The slightly lower number may be related to the increasing number of Constitutional Carry states, now at 29, where no permit is needed to carry a holstered handgun, openly or concealed, in most public spaces. 68.9% of the people who carry most or all of the time are located in Constitutional Carry states. The 29 Constitutional Carry states contain 47% of the population of the United States. The 29 Constitutional Carry states account for 68.8% of the land area of the United States of America. About 2/3 of the people who carry all or most of the time in Constitutional Carry state have a concealed carry permit. About half of the people who carry some of the time in Constitutional Carry states have a concealed carry permit. 

People aged 18-40 carry at higher rates than people aged 41 and up. In ethnic groups, Hispanics carry at slightly higher rates than Blacks, Asians carry at the lowest levels, and White people and Other are in between.  Republicans carry at higher rates than Democratic or Independent voters do. When ranked by ideology, very liberal voters carry at the highest rates, with 30.8% carrying all the time, vs 21.6% of very conservative voters carrying all the time.

Economic status shows the strongest correlation with carrying concealed handguns. Those who identified themselves as wealthy showed a percentage who carried all the time at 62.9%. Those who considered themselves upper middle class and who carried all the time were 28%. Those who considered themselves middle middle class showed 15.7% carrying all the time, lower middle class showed on 9% carrying all the time and only 7% of self identified poor people carried all the time. 4.1% of the sample considered themselves to be wealthy, and 15.5% of the sample considered themselves to be poor. 80.4% considered themselves to be in the middle class. 

From the self-identified sample, it appears the average income of those who considered themselves to be wealthy was over $175K per year per household.

Analysis: These surveys commissioned by the Crime Prevention Research Center offer fascinating insight into the makeup of people who routinely go armed in the United States. The numbers and percentages keep increasing. While not all people who go armed support the Second Amendment, going armed increases the odds of valuing the Second Amendment. When a person goes about armed, it changes their mental set. They become more independent and aware. They are more likely to view those who seek to disarm them with suspicion. The wealthy in society tend to be those who set trends. The large percentage of wealthy who carry all the time suggest the percentage of people who carry will continue to increase.

 

©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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NY: Richmond - Homeowner Holds 2 Burglary Suspects at Gunpoint for Police

Deputies responded to an Oneill Road home Sunday at 9 p.m. to check on a report of a burglary. The homeowner, seeing the car of the suspects in his driveway, shot out the tires of the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. Upon hearing the shots, the two suspects came out of the home with their hands up and surrendered to the homeowner, who held them until police arrived to arrest the pair.

 

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FL: Leesburg - Domestic Defense, Man Attempts to Force Entrance to Home, is Shot, Killed

The man arrived unannounced and "became involved in a physical altercation with the homeowner and attempted to force his way into the residence," LCSO said. "During the incident, the homeowner discharged a firearm, striking the male subject."

The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.


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IN: Fort Wayne - Domestic Defense Leads to Homicide, Bystanders Shoot Offender

One witness, described in court documents as a security guard who also manages the club, told police no one was hurt in the initial fight, and it happened quickly. But Klotz then followed Rinker back to his car. The witness said they heard multiple gunshots and saw Klotz fall to the ground. Rinker allegedly “swept” his gun toward the witness and others around him, so the witness told police they fired shots at Rinker but weren’t sure if they hit him.

Another witness told police that even after shooting Klotz, Rinker allegedly stood over him and fired about five more shots, according to court documents.

Before police got to the scene, Rinker – who did have a gunshot wound – drove himself to the hospital, according to court documents.

The security guard tried to aid Klotz, who did not have a gun and wasn’t known to carry one. Klotz was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Allen County Coroner ruled it a homicide.

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