KY: Louisville Man Shoots Suspect After Robbery: "A Louisville man said he chased down a robber and shot him after a home invasion and armed robbery Monday night. James Monroe said he was defending himself and his family when he shot 19-year-old Michael Strong. According to Monroe and the police report, two men forced him into his home at gunpoint Monday night and robbed him while his wife and three young sons were inside. Monroe said Strong and the other man robbed him while his 8-month-old son was right next to the robbers and his two four-year-old sons and wife were in another area of the home. After the robbers left, Monroe said he got his gun and chased after Strong. "I seen him, he must have heard my gate. When I came out, I fired, he fired, he fired back and I kind of ducked behind the wall right here," said Monroe. Monroe said he shot about seven times and Strong shot just once before his gun jammed. Police later found Strong, who was suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Investigators said Monroe has a permit for the weapon, but it wasn't advisable for him to chase an armed gunman. Police said it is not legal to shoot a man to recover property, but it is legal to defend yourself, which is what Monroe said he was doing. "He did raise his weapon and got off one round and that justified me right there," said Monroe. According to court records, Strong pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery two years ago and was given five years probation on a 10-year sentence. Those records indicate Strong began serving that probation less than 16 months ago."


Germany: New shooting shows futility of anti-gun laws: “The killing Tuesday of at least two people in a courthouse shootout in Bavaria, Germany — which comes less than a month after a teenager killed 15 people in a school shooting — is expected to fuel debate about tightening Germany’s gun laws, already among the most restrictive in the world. The court was hearing a case regarding a dispute over inheritance. During a break, an argument broke out outside the courtroom, according to reports. The shooter, an older man, pulled a gun and shot a female relative, who later died. Shortly thereafter, he killed himself. Other people were injured in the attack, which occurred in Landshut, 45 miles northeast of Munich. Reports indicated that security checks are not routine at the Landshut courthouse. Tuesday’s shooting comes less than a month after the school shooting in Winnenden, in southwestern Germany. After that incident, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for tougher gun laws in Germany. German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, however, said that better enforcement and a change in values were needed. The Christian Science Monitor noted at the time that another school shooting, in 2002, had already spurred stricter regulation of guns"


Gun control humiliated again: “With every single criminal shooting, gun control is shown to have been a failure; an absolutely, abject, humiliating failure. I could begin by showing how every nation banning guns also saw its own share of increasing violence first, then the call for banning guns. Where there is violence, only the gun crimes are covered by the media, only the gun crimes are the most spectacular, one might think, but dying is dying; not all crimes of violence are guns — many are knifings, rapes, robberies, chokings, beatings, poisonings, abductions — each of which can be stopped by a the lethal force of a loaded gun in the hands of a citizen. This makes the anti-crime argument for taking guns a outright fraud.”


NH: Panic buying yields ammo shortage: “Panic buying of ammunition has created shortages for bullets and is slowly pushing up wholesale prices for ammo, according to New Hampshire gun dealers. …The dealers report that ammunition makers are producing as many bullets as they can — but that hasn’t yet translated to having plenty of stock in stores. It’s also caused wholesale prices to go up a bit, even though the cost of the raw materials going into the bullets has dropped sharply over the past few months. The root cause of the problem is based on the same panic buying that has sent firearms sales skyrocketing over the past few months. … Since President Barack Obama was elected in November, many people have gone on a buying spree, fearful the government would impose new restrictions and new taxes on guns and ammunition. But as demand has shot through the roof, issues on the supply side have also come to the forefront. For instance, cheap imported ammo from countries such as Russia has dried up. In Russia’s case, that came after the U.S. government slapped its state arms exporter with sanctions over ties to Iran, according to press reports. That was last fall. Ammo producers also aren’t just producing for the commercial market. They also have to fill military and police contracts.”

Texas: Pawn shop manager shoots would-be robber: "A robbery attempt in southwest Houston ended with gunshots and a suspect being taken to the hospital. Saturday evening, investigators say that two men walked into the Bayou pawn shop off Fondren near Clarewood with guns drawn. The manager reportedly grabbed a gun and fired at the men. One of the suspects was hit and the other surrendered. The condition of the suspect, who was hit by a bullet, hasn't been released. Police took three people in for questioning."


Russia: Hit Man Misses, Shot Dead by Target: "A hit man sent to kill a businessman in the Moscow region missed his target Tuesday night, giving the would-be victim enough time to return fire and shoot his attacker dead, regional investigators said Wednesday. At around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, the businessman showed up at the police precinct in the Moscow region town of Shyolkovo and told the duty officers that half an hour earlier a gunman had ambushed him outside the home he is building in the village of Potapovo, firing at him with a gun equipped with a silencer but somehow managing to miss, Interfax cited a law enforcement source as saying. The man had just driven up to the gates of the house when the hit man ran up to the car and squeezed off two unsuccessful shots, according to Itar-Tass, Vesti Moskva reported. But the target kept a cool head and grabbed a Saiga 12-gauge rifle he happened to have in the car (take note, potential contract-hit victims reading this!) and shot the attacker dead. "My husband was born under a lucky star," Alexei's wife, Natalya, told Life.ru "There were five bullet holes in the car, but he didn't have a scratch. . . . What saved him is that he is a professional hunter. He is a dead-eye." In a surprising twist, Life.ru also informs us that police believe the attack may have been connected to Alexei's "professional activities."


TN: House passes guns-in-restaurants bill : "The House passed HB0962, the guns-in-restaurants bill that would allow handgun carry permit holders to take weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol. The bill, as amended, would ban those weapons from restaurants from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it currently sits in committee. The House vote, 70-26, would be enough to override a potential veto by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who has said he'll make his decision when, and if, a bill comes to his desk."


TX: A shot at campus safety? ""Holders of concealed handgun licenses could bring their weapons to college campuses if Rio Grande Valley lawmakers have their way. A proposal working its way through the state Legislature would lift a ban on handguns on campuses of both private and public institutions. Proponents of the bill view it as a way to preserve gun owners' rights while promoting safety on campus, arguing that if students or staff on campus had weapons, they would have a better chance defending themselves against a Virginia Tech-style shooting. Rep. Kino Flores, D-Palmview, one of the bill's co-authors, said he views the measure as a `defensive mechanism' at universities."

SC: Two would-be robbers killed at poker hangout: "Two men who tried to rob several card players were killed in Denmark. The Bamberg County coroner's office says the home was known to host parties where people played poker and partied, and last night two men showed up with guns to try to rob the place. One of the men being robbed pulled out a gun and shot and killed the two would-be robbers. There's no word yet if the shooter will be charged".


PA: Idiot judge upholds irrational ban on firing guns: “A Lancaster ordinance barring people from firing guns has passed its first court test. Lancaster resident Curtis Swinton, who has a permit to legally carry a concealed weapon, was charged after he fired a gun in a restaurant parking lot in December 2007. He told police his cousin was being beaten up and he fired a warning shot to disperse the assailants. No one was injured. Swinton says only the state can make such gun laws and the ordinance bars people from defending themselves. But Lancaster County Judge Joseph Madenspacher this week upheld the ordinance, saying it has enough exceptions to allow people to defend themselves in court."


DC: AG decries pro-gun amendment to representation bill : “The nation’s capital would be more vulnerable to a terrorist attack if the District of Columbia’s gun laws were weakened, the city’s attorney general said Friday. Peter Nickles testified before a House subcommittee examining the potential effect of a gun amendment attached to legislation that would give D.C. its first full vote in Congress.”


Health care records leading to a gun database : “GOA has to inform you of yet ANOTHER threat to your privacy, the Second Amendment, and even your wallet. It is called an “individual mandate” or, alternatively, the “Massachusetts plan.” And over the weekend, both the Washington Post and the New York Times worked hard to build momentum for it. We alerted you a few weeks ago to the gun control provisions in the stimulus bill that President Obama signed in February. Our government will now spend between $12 and $20 BILLION to require the medical community to retroactively put our most confidential medical records into a government database — a database that could easily be used to deny veterans (and other law-abiding Americans) who have sought psychiatric treatment for things such as PTSD. Currently, gun owners can avoid getting caught in this database by refusing to purchase health insurance or by purchasing insurance with a carrier that has not signed an agreement with the government to place your records in a national database. But that’s all about to change. A budget resolution — to be voted on this Friday in the Senate — will be the first domino in a process that could FORCE you to buy government-approved insurance, thus making it impossible to avoid the medical database. What would all this cost? Based on comparable insurance currently on the market, it could cost $10,000 a year — or more."

NY prosecutes good neighbor: Chris Cervini, 17, a junior at Hilton High School, was fatally shot about 3:30 a.m. on Baneberry Way, just off Manitou Road. Roderick Scott, 41, of Baneberry Way was charged with second-degree murder. Police said they responded to a call about 3:30 a.m. of people possibly breaking into cars on Baneberry Way. They found Cervini shot dead in a driveway and located two other teens involved in the incident.... Greece Police Chief Merritt Rahn told media members near the scene that a man who lived on Baneberry Way had heard noises outside his house and had confronted the group. Rahn said that the man told officers that during the confrontation, one of the teens charged him, and he fired a handgun twice, striking one of the teens. Police allege Scott shot the teen with a legally registered .40-caliber handgun. Wise would not say how many times Scott may have fired the weapon. Whether the teens were breaking into cars is part of the investigation, Wise said. But, he said, Scott cannot claim his property was the target of a crime. "It wasn't his vehicle (at risk)," Wise said. "It wasn't his property." [Hopefully, the Grand Jury will toss the charge out]


Tennessee: Police Say Dad Shot Son in Fight: "Metro Police believe a father shot his 32-year old son, but he may not face charges. Investigators think the gunshots were the result of a fight. Investigators said, late Saturday afternoon in North Nashville, a father and son were fighting when the shooting happened. Police do not anticipate charges against the father because they say he was acting in self defense. The son is in critical, but stable condition."


Texas: Suspect shot by security guard: "A suspected car burglar is recovering from a gunshot wound after being confronted by a security guard. It happened in the parking lot of the Kings Best market on Martin Luther King near Old Spanish Trail. We're told the security guard spotted someone breaking into vehicles. In the end, the suspect was shot in the leg. That man was taken to a hospital, and the security guard was questioned."


FL: Attempted robbery turns into shooting: "People living in the Silver Pines Apartments stood by watching as Orange County deputies put out crime scene tape Saturday afternoon. A man was shot in the middle of the community during an attempted robbery. According to Orange County Public Information Officer Jeff Williamson, the man was trying to get drugs from a drug dealer. Williamson says the man then tried to rob the dealer. The dealer drew his gun and shot the man. Williamson says the dealer ran away from the scene. The shooting victim was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he was treated for the non-life threatening injury. The shooter is still at large. No names have been released".

Another triumph for New York gun restrictions: "A gunman has killed 13 people after taking dozens hostage in the US state of New York. The suspected gunman was later found dead inside the immigration centre in Binghamton, police officials said. Nearly 40 people escaped from the building but four were critically injured in the shooting, north-west of New York City, police said. The town's police chief, Joseph Zikuski, told a news conference that 14 people had been found dead in the American Civic Association (ACA) buildings. The man believed to have carried out the attack was found dead with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, he said. Ammunition, two more hand guns and a hunting knife were recovered from the scene. Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey told AP the gunman had entered a room where people were sitting exams for US citizenship. It was in the middle of a test. He just went in and opened fire," said Mr Hinchey, whose congressional district includes Binghamton. Witnesses reported seeing a man entering the ACA building during the morning. He was described as being of Asian appearance, in his 20s, and wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses. The gunman, believed to have been a Vietnamese-American, used his car to barricade the building's back door before bursting in the front door, firing his weapon, said officials. He shot two receptionists, one of whom managed to call the police, before walking down a corridor towards classrooms."


NC Man acquitted in '07 shooting: "A Rowland man was acquitted Friday in the shooting death of his neighbor in October 2007. The jury saw the shooting as a case of self-defense, according to lawyers handling the case. Strickland was accused of shooting Hedrick Dial on Oct. 23, 2007. According to investigators, Dial and his brother, Timothy Blue, went to talk to Strickland about an altercation involving Strickland’s son and Dial’s nephew. The boys had fought earlier that day about sand being dumped in Strickland’s mailbox. The fight began after the boys got off their school bus on Countrywood Drive. Dial, who was 38 at the time, was struck once in the back and once in the side, according to authorities. Blue was shot in the leg while trying to help Dial. After the trial, Assistant District Attorney Danny Britt said jurors looked at the fact that Blue and Dial were on Strickland’s property at the time of the shooting. “The only consideration they took into account was where it took place, not anything that happened beforehand,’’ Britt said. “Not the threats that occurred beforehand or the use of force or the different types of wounds... Public Defender Angus Thompson said it was a clear case of self-defense. “I expressed during the trial that I understand the hurt of the Blue family of losing a loved one. It is a shame that neighbors can’t get along. But this was a self-defense case, and it was a defense of habitation of one’s residence,’’ Thompson said. “Regardless if you have a trailer, brick house or one made of stone, it is your castle. In light of what took place prior to this incident, a man has the right to defend his castle.’’


The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.: "The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the U.S. What's true, an ATF spokeswoman told FOXNews.com, in a clarification of the statistic used by her own agency's assistant director, "is that over 90 percent of the TRACED firearms originate from the U.S." But a large percentage of the guns recovered in Mexico do not get sent back to the U.S. for tracing, because it is obvious from their markings that they do not come from the U.S. "Not every weapon seized in Mexico has a serial number on it that would make it traceable, and the U.S. effort to trace weapons really only extends to weapons that have been in the U.S. market," Matt Allen, special agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), told FOX News. In 2007-2008, according to ATF Special Agent William Newell, Mexico submitted 11,000 guns to the ATF for tracing. Close to 6,000 were successfully traced -- and of those, 90 percent -- 5,114 to be exact, according to testimony in Congress by William Hoover -- were found to have come from the U.S. But in those same two years, according to the Mexican government, 29,000 guns were recovered at crime scenes. In other words, 68 percent of the guns that were recovered were never submitted for tracing. And when you weed out the roughly 6,000 guns that could not be traced from the remaining 32 percent, it means 83 percent of the guns found at crime scenes in Mexico could not be traced to the U.S."


Gun Owners and Corporate Social Responsibility: “Corporate Social Responsibility around the globe has been a resentful intrusion. It is a device to coerce Business into leftist thought. It uses issues such as Green or accountability or other issues to compel Business to alter their entire corporate outlook and philosophy, and even turns the concept of corporate giving on its head. … I’ve been following CSR for a decade, and there are tons of ways American Business can learn how to live in a hostile political environment, and may even combat effectively some of the unrealistic and dangerous political traps now set out just for them. … One thing Business is doing as a genuine act of concern for community is in lifting bans on handguns. Where the concern for safety had been to ban all evil, it has amounted yet again to the feel-good, do-exactly-the-wrong-thing approach in lumping customers and employees in with the evil that Business would like to stop at the door.”

TX: Shotgun-toting robbery suspect shot and killed by business owner: "A business owner shot and killed a suspected robber near Poteet according to deputies. The Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s investigators say around midnight two robbers burst into Larry's Game Room on Hwy 16. That’s about seven miles north of Poteet. The robbers, who had a shotgun and pistol, fired one shot in the ceiling and began demanding money. They forced a female worker to ground and pointed shotgun at her. The business owner came out of the backroom with a 40-caliber handgun and shot one of the robbers in the head. Carlos Valero, 25, died at the scene. The other would-be robber ran off. Both are believed to be from the Atascosa area. Right now, investigators are working on an arrest warrant for the other alleged hijacker. Both the Atascosa Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers are handling the investigation. Deputies say the shooting happened at a place that had eight-liner machines. These machines can sometimes be used for gambling and investigators are looking to see if these were legit."


OH: Suspect Shot During Gas Station Robbery: "Police said a man was shot during a robbery at a northeast side gas station early Thursday. Two men went into Sam's Gas and Food, located at 1773 Fifth Ave., shortly after midnight as it was closing, 10TV's Tino Ramos reported. Police said the men had guns and attempted to rob the store. One of the clerks grabbed a gun and shots were exchanged between the worker and the robbers. One of the suspects was shot in the back. The victim was dropped off at The Ohio State University Medical Center East. He was transported to OSU Medical Center where he was treated and arrested in connection with the robbery, Ramos reported. Police continued to search for the second suspect. The employees at the gas station were not injured.


Canadian police say this guy is a lawbreaker: "According to a police report, Knight saw three people trying to take his ATV in the early hours of March 26, chased them in his car and ran the ATV off the road, crashing his car in process. Police say Knight fired his shotgun at one of the suspects trying to get away. "We believe the farmer exited his car and discharged two rounds to the suspect with a shotgun," said acting Sgt. Jim Lank of the RCMP. The suspected thief was treated in Edmonton for non-life threatening injuries and is still recovering. He has been charged with stealing a quad and a truck. Charges against the other two involved are still pending.


TX: Jury Finds Man Not Guilty Of Murder: "A Smith County jury found David Allen McBride not guilty of murder, believing his claim that he shot a man nine times in self defense. McBride, 36, was acquitted of murdering George "Rusty" Edward Hill, 40, just before midnight on May 25, 2007. McBride said that for months Hill had been calling Shannon Hill, his ex-wife, who was living with McBride. He said Hill also threatened him, saying he was going to “beat you till you couldn’t breathe.” McBride said he awoke that night to banging and found Hill in his living room demanding to know where Shannon Hill was. McBride told him to get out. On the porch, the two exchanged words and Hill threw a wrench at him, he said. When Hill pushed the door open, McBride said he retrieved his .22-caliber rifle from his bedroom and turned to see Hill holding a wrench “like he was about to hit me.” McBride said he pointed the gun at Hill and that Hill walked out to the porch and flung a wrench toward him. McBride fired a “warning shot” to get Hill to leave, he said. McBride said he then set the gun down and then Hill picked up a large grass-cutting tool and swung it at him. As McBride picked up his gun again, he said he saw something flash over his head and heard a bang. He said he later learned Hill threw the tool at him and it had lodged in the house. McBride then began firing at Hill, he said."

SAF SUES ERIC HOLDER OVER GUN RIGHTS OF NON-RESIDENT AMERICAN CITIZENS

Odd case

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Attorney General Eric Holder, seeking an injunction against enforcement of a federal law that makes it impossible for American citizens who reside outside the United States to purchase firearms while they are in this country.

SAF is joined by two natural-born citizens, Maxwell Hodgkins and Stephen Dearth, who have been denied the opportunity to buy firearms because they do not currently reside in the United States. Hodgkins currently lives in the United Kingdom, and Dearth is a resident of Canada.

The lawsuit alleges that Holder, as attorney general, is enforcing unconstitutional laws that prevent citizens like Hodgkins and Dearth from exercising their Second Amendment rights. The complaint also asserts that enforcement of the federal gun laws that prevent such citizens from purchasing firearms when they visit the U.S. violates their right of equal protection under the Fifth Amendment. The plaintiffs are represented by Virginia attorney Alan Gura, who successfully argued the Heller case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

"This is what happens when anti-gunners rush to pass a restrictive gun law that ignores the constitutional rights of law-abiding American citizens who happen to be living abroad," said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. "Honest Americans who live in other countries for a variety of reasons should not be denied their Second or Fifth Amendment rights when they return to American soil. Hodgkins and Dearth, and many others just like them, are victims of anti-gun rights zeal.

"Such citizens have every right to obtain and own firearms for a variety of reasons, whether to hunt, or for personal protection, target shooting or competition," he continued. "Hodgkins, Dearth and other non-resident citizens want to keep their firearms here for use when the come home. However, current federal law makes it impossible for them to exercise their rights like any other citizen. It is fundamentally wrong to penalize American citizens for living overseas."

Source






New York man jailed with a gunshot wound after harassing ex-wife: "A 47-year-old man is in the Greene County jail with a gunshot wound after State Police say he showed up drunk at his estranged wife's home and harassed her and her sister. Troopers got a call around 5:30 Monday evening from a 49-year-old woman who said she had just shot her sister's ex-husband. Police say Geraldine Finelli armed herself with a 20-gauge shotgun after Donald Case Jr. showed up making threats. When Case refused to leave, she fired one round toward the ground, striking Case in the lower leg. He took off, but was stopped by Catskill village police and taken to the hospital for treatment of the wound. When he was released, State Police charged him with second-degree burglary. He was arraigned and jailed on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond.


Ohio: Pizza shop owner describes robbery, shooting: "Hayes, 37, was behind the counter Tuesday night when 20-year-old Patrick Finney, wearing an orange ski mask, walked in and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at his head just before 8 p.m. A customer, an older woman from the neighborhood, was seated at the counter watching the Cavaliers game while waiting for a stromboli. ''He said, 'Give me the [expletive] money. This is an [expletive] robbery,'' Hayes said. Hayes cooperated, giving the robber a stack of $10 bills. The robber wanted more and pointed the shotgun within inches of Hayes' head, he said. ''As soon as I gave him the money, I pulled my gun out from my hip, pointed it and fired four shots,'' Hayes said. Finney fell to the floor, then stood back up. Hayes fired three more shots from his Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol. Finney staggered outside and collapsed across the street. The cash he sought was dropped outside. Hayes then called 911. Finney was taken to Akron General Medical Center. He died within the hour. An autopsy on Wednesday showed he was shot multiple times in the torso. The death has been ruled a homicide. Akron police are investigating the shooting, but there is no indication that Hayes, who has been questioned by investigators, acted unlawfully."


South Carolina: Occupant shoots back at invaders: "Deon Shippy and his girlfriend, Casey McKinney, decided to take full advantage of their day off by catching a few extra winks Monday morning. But their peaceful slumber was shattered shortly after 10 a.m. when an armed gunman forced his way into their duplex at 4 Twin Woods Drive near Converse and opened fire. "We were still asleep and I heard a loud bang," Shippy said. "I thought my punching bag had fallen off the porch. Casey said someone was breaking through the door, and I got up and bullets started flying past my head. One hit her in the arm. I told her to hide under the bed and I grabbed my gun and started shooting back." Police responded to the home invasion call at 10:15 a.m. They arrived on the scene and found McKinney bleeding from a bullet wound on her left forearm. She was taken to Spartanburg Regional Hospital for treatment and was later released. Witnesses said the gunman and an accomplice fled the scene in a black 1980s Ford Crown Victoria with dual exhaust. They described the suspects as two black males. Authorities said Shippy and the intruder exchanged more than a dozen shots through a bedroom door before the suspect retreated. Bullet holes were visible on the exterior of the home near Shippy's bedroom window. Shippy said he might have wounded one of the suspects during the melee, but investigators were unable to confirm that Monday."

FL: pharmacist kills armed robber: "A pharmacist shot an armed robber dead Tuesday at a drugstore off South Orange Blossom Trail, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting happened about 5:15 p.m. at JR Pharmacy, 2160 Whispering Lakes Blvd. The man came into the shop with a handgun and, after a brief confrontation, was shot to death, sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said. Investigators would not release names, where the body was found or what the man tried to steal. The drugstore caters to the heavily Hispanic clientele in the neighborhood, customer Evette Luciano said. Evette Luciano said she spoke to one of the partner's wives and was told that the shooting happened in the front of the store while two owners were in the back. The worker who did the shooting formerly worked across the street at Walgreens, customers said. There was another armed robbery at JR Pharmacy in April 2007, Solomons said. There are no laws preventing people from defending themselves with guns at home or at work. "The Legislature has empowered people to protect themselves," said sheriff's Cmdr. Paul "Spike" Hopkins. "People are tired of being victims."


Michigan store owner chases robber with gun: "When Amos Bell spotted the owner of the Leonard Short Stop chasing a masked gunman Tuesday morning, he didn't hesitate to help. He got out of the car he was riding in, and gave chase. "(The owner) was running up the street with a gun," said Bell, 18. "I knew it wasn't going to be nothing good." Bell and the owner, who had been shot in the leg in the 10:40 a.m. holdup, lost sight of the robber, but police caught the suspect a half-hour later hiding in some bushes. Police brought Bell and the hobbled owner, whose name wasn't released, to the scene of the capture to identify the robber. Police caught up to the suspect just after 11 a.m., and found a handgun, too. Officers were responding to a call that a store owner, armed with a long gun, was chasing a man who had just shot him. The owner told Bell that he was shot in the leg when he refused the robber's demand for cash. Police recovered the $800 reported stolen. The owner returned to his store after Tuesday's shooting, walking with a limp and the sides of his denims slit for examination by paramedics. Awaiting ambulances soon left after the man said he didn't need to go to the hospital, Bell said."


TX: Shotgun blast deters robbers: "Authorities arrested Jose Manuel Salas, 33, and Javier Harvey Ortiz, 44, Saturday in connection with an early morning robbery along Azle Highway. Reports indicate a homeowner operating a business from the same location called for help at approximately 1:30 a.m. after he found two men stealing cash and rolls of quarters from his business. The homeowner told the men to stop before firing a shotgun once at one of the suspects who then fled with another man in a car, according to an affidavit detailing the incident. A short time later, Parker County Sheriff’s deputies detained a vehicle matching the homeowner’s description. Salas was driving and Ortiz was a passenger, the Sheriff’s Office said. A statement claims deputies found stolen property matching a description given by the homeowner inside the vehicle, and the homeowner arrived to identify the suspects and vehicle. Salas was charged with burglary of a habitation, failure to maintain financial responsibility and for no driver’s license. Ortiz was arrested in accordance with a Tarrant County warrant and was also charged with burglary of habitation."


“One gun a month” — rationing Constitutional rights: “I have recently been discussing, one at a time, the various approaches the forcible citizen disarmament lobby takes in pursuing its agenda. Today, we’ll look at ‘one gun a month’ laws. The idea behind such legislation is that if limited to buying only one gun per month, an aspiring gun trafficker will be unable to efficiently ply his illicit trade …. Of the three states that do have a ‘one handgun a month’ law on the books, one is Virginia — commonly singled out as being at fault for violent crime in New York, because of its ‘weak gun laws.’ My guess is that if the ‘Mayors Against Illegal Guns’ had their way, Virginia (and every other state) would have a ‘no guns per month’ law.”

Scare tactics: the mainstream media's war on guns

When you have an agenda, you can spin nearly anything to fit it. The mainstream media, for reasons that are all their own, are by and large anti-gun. That bias is readily evident in their stories about anything involving guns. Take, for instance, an article in the Nashua Telegraph which begins, "like it or not, gun sales are, well, booming."

We deal with tragedy every day. Whether terrorist attacks, natural disasters, car accidents, etc., people lose their lives every day. In a free nation with 300 million people, sadly some will choose to commit violence with firearms. Unfortunately, there was just such an episode of violence over the weekend when a man killed eight people at a nursing home in North Carolina.

One article couldn't help but note that "the shooting will inevitably be seized upon by proponents of greater gun control who have already highlighted a spate of recent attacks." They also attempt to sway public opinion by noting that "the shooting appeared to be the latest massacre to scar American society, where firearms-related deaths total about 30,000 each year." Sounds scary until you note that the flu kills 63,000 and even Septicemia (infection) kills 34,000 each year. Of course, that figure also includes suicides, which account for approximately half the figure, as well as gang killings and criminals killed by police officers in the line of duty.

The media wants the "Assault Weapons Ban" reinstated, even though it was proven to be ineffective, and they will seize on any opportunity to push that agenda through journalistic activism.

Another example would be a recent story regarding singer Rihanna, who recently got a tattoo of a gun on her ribcage, remarking on her choice, "I’m a big advocate of guns. So I said, ‘How about a gun?'" Had it been any other social issue she supported, it would likely have gotten little mention. But since she was opposing the media's gun control agenda, the website perezhilton.com editorialized, "Considering everything that's come to light recently, this is totally creepy/sad! We sure hope RiRi is getting the counseling that she obviously needs." Apparently, an abuse victim who cowers in a corner is having a healthy response, but if she's a strong woman who supports firearms ownership for self defense then she needs counseling. I'd argue that Rihanna isn't the one with the problem.

Yet another example is the story out of Texas regarding that state's bill to deny an employer the ability to disarm employees to and from work. The headline laments, Guns could be legal in workplace, making people think that gun owners will be able to stick guns in their desk or lunchbox when the truth is only that employees with concealed carry licenses would be permitted to have guns locked up in their vehicles. Ohioans For Concealed Carry has asked the Ohio legislature to adopt a similar measure.

Much to the chagrin of the media, not all legislators and public officials support their agenda. We hear daily the hand wringing and rending of clothes as the media notes every pro-gun vote as the result of the "powerful gun lobby." They like it even less when a public official like Colorado's Mesa County Commissioner Janet Rowland supports the idea that "county employees might carry concealed handguns to improve security at the old county courthouse." Rather than treat it like an innovative solution to dwindling resources and increasing crime by relying on law abiding citizens to increase safety, papers like the Daily Sentinel call it a "shoot-from-the-hip solution" and imply she has lost her mind.

Gun control has proven time and time again to be ineffective. The general public seems to be less and less willing to be lied to and mislead, but that doesn't stop the gun grabbers and their puppets in the media from trying.

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Washington: Invader shot: "A resident trying to protect himself during a home invasion shot and seriously wounded one of two invaders early Monday. Spokane police said the man underwent surgery at a Spokane hospital for two handgun wounds to his abdomen, and the other suspect ran and remained at large Monday afternoon. A woman living at the home in the 4100 block of East 16th Avenue called 911 about 2 a.m., reporting that two men had entered the house and that her male roommate was confronting them in another room. The call came in about the same time the roommate fired shots in the other room, said Officer Tim Moses, police spokesman. Both of the suspects were armed, police said. Moses said police detectives plan to interview the injured man to learn more about the other suspect and the reason for the confrontation."


Illinois: Pizza delivery man scares off would-be robbers: "Calumet City Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery in the 100 block of Webb Street at 11:24 p.m. on Sunday. Three men attempted to rob a pizza delivery man at gunpoint, Calumet City Police Commander Dan Zorzi said. "(The victim) saw these guys approaching and got nervous," he said. "When they came up and pulled a gun, he pretended he had a gun, and they took off." The suspects fled on foot and the victim drove off in his truck and flagged down Hammond Police at 157th Street and State Line Road, Zorzi said."


KS: Kansans to vote on gun ownership amendment: “Next year, Kansans will vote whether to change the state constitution to guarantee individual gun rights.“It is the law of the land today in every state. They (supporters) would like to make sure it stays that way in Kansas,” said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, an Independence Republican.Supporters of a resolution that passed the House and Senate say the move is needed in case the U.S. Supreme Court ever decides that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun ownership. In 2008, the court ruled that the Bill of Rights covers an individual’s right to own firearms."

FL: Home Invasion Leaves Invader Dead, Homeowner Arrested on drug charges: "A home invasion left one invader dead, the two residents of the home under arrest and detectives seeking one or more suspects who fled after the shoot out. Derek Wimes [above right], the homeowner who was arrested on drug and gun charges. Dead is Jameel K. Young [above left], 20, who was pronounced dead outside the home, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported. Under arrest are the homeowner, Derek Wimes, 32, who faces drug and other charges, and his live-in girlfriend, Michelle Smith, 38, who faces drug charges, the Sheriff’s Office said. About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Young and another man kicked in the door from the carport to the kitchen of the duplex at 3637 N. Frontage Road. When Wimes heard the commotion, he grabbed a handgun and ran into the kitchen, firing several shots at the suspects, at least one of whom was armed. Young was hit. After the gunfire, the two suspects fled toward a black SUV parked at the end of the driveway. One of the men got into the SUV, which drove off, leaving behind Young, who had collapsed just outside the vehicle. Young was pronounced dead on scene of a gunshot wound. During the investigation, deputies discovered that Wimes had marijuana. He was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Smith was charged with possession of cocaine."


Changes in DC prompt run on guns and ammo : “Concern that the Obama administration could impose a new ban on some semiautomatic weapons is driving worried gun owners to stockpile ammunition and cartridge reloading components at such a rate that manufacturers can’t meet demand. Attorney General Eric Holder last month suggested that the Obama Administration favors reinstituting a U.S. ban on the sale of assault weapons.”


CO: Bill aimed at easing gun buys: “After Columbine, Colorado voters approved a measure requiring background checks on all gun-show sales. But as the 10th anniversary of the high school massacre approaches, lawmakers are considering a bill that would waive the checks for anyone holding a concealed-carry permit. Police chiefs and sheriffs are among those who testified against the measure, which is scheduled to be heard by the full Senate next week. Among law enforcement concerns: Colorado does not have a standard concealed-carry permit or a centralized database with information on whether a permit is still valid.”


WA: Nickels’ proposed gun ban not worth a dime: “Once again when faced with a controversy, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is reviving his plan to ban legally-carried firearms from city property, and the Second Amendment Foundation today promises once again to immediately take him to court. ‘This time around,’ said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, ‘Mayor Nickels needs to raise this issue to distract public attention from the political smell arising from the snow plowing investigation. We remind the mayor that his office has been warned by Attorney General Rob McKenna that neither he, nor the city, has the authority to enact such a ban under state preemption.’”

TX: Prosecutors drop charge against man who had shootout with cop: "Travis County prosecutors on Friday dismissed the case against David Lozano, who lost his leg in a late-night shootout with an Austin police officer at Lozano's Northeast Austin house in 2007. "We believe that Mr. Lozano maintained a reasonable belief that on that day and time he was defending himself, his wife and his property," Travis County Assistant District Attorney Steven Brand said. The dismissal came after a series of expert witnesses for the state and defense cast doubt on whether officer Roger Boudreau told the truth about the confrontation, according to lawyers in the case. Lozano, 48, spent 13 months in jail before he was released on bail last year.... Last year, an expert witness for the defense analyzed the audio and the crime scene and determined that Boudreau fired the first three shots in the incident. Prosecutors dismissed the initial charges and acknowledged inconsistencies in the evidence and in Boudreau's account... Deck said that further analysis by his expert witness found that Boudreau fired the first five shots. In recent weeks, he said, Brand told him that state experts had independently determined that Boudreau fired at least the first three shots, prompting prosecutors to abandon the case. Deck said he doesn't think it was an innocent mistake by Boudreau, but that Boudreau intentionally lied about who fired the first shots.... Last week, Lozano filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Austin, Boudreau and Boudreau's supervisor, Sgt. Stephen Deaton, claiming, among other things, that he was a victim of excessive force and that his civil rights were violated."


OH: Off duty officers had bad aim: "Two off-duty Akron police officers who chased a robber out of an Ellet bar earlier this week did not fire until the suspect aimed his shotgun at them, the police chief said Friday. The officers, who were bar patrons at the time of the robbery, also did not appear to be intoxicated and, therefore, no blood-alcohol tests were administered after the shooting, Police Chief Craig Gilbride said. The official internal investigation into the shooting is expected to take several weeks before it is concluded and released to the public. Gilbride, however, said preliminary interviews show the officers acted appropriately after witnessing the robbery early Tuesday morning inside the Holiday Lounge on Hilbish Avenue and chasing the armed robber. The man escaped with a getaway car driver, but two suspects were arrested the next day. Brian C. Goodwin, 34, and Brian Gumpl, 32, both of Akron, are charged with five counts of aggravated robbery. Police say one man came into the bar armed with a shotgun and demanding the bar's cash. The off-duty officers followed the bandit outside, where he ran to an awaiting car. Gilbride said only one of the officers fired on one of the suspects. The shots came after the foot chase in which the robber turned and aimed a shotgun at the officers, he said. The officer fired about 10 times, but the suspects were not struck."


TX: Owner kills store robber: "Sheriff's department officials say two men dressed in black and wearing ski masks entered a Mobilecom cell phone store. At least one of the men was armed with a gun. They successfully robbed the store of a couple of cell phones and computers. Several people were inside that store, including employees and witnesses. But the owner was there, and he also had a gun. He chased after the two men into the parking lot. One man was able to get into a dark colored car and drive off. But the owner apparently shot the other man in the parking lot. The suspect didn't stop running. He ran into the street on Barker Cypress and was struck by a car that was headed southbound, but the man kept on going. "After he hit the car, he rolled over the hood," recalled Jason Karim, the driver of the car. "He hit the windshield, landed on the back. He got right up. He just kept right on running across the street to the other strip center, and that's where he collapsed in the driveway." "At this point we're early in the investigation," explained Det. Craig Clopton of the Harris County Sheriff's Department homicide division. "We have to talk to all the witnesses and get everything straightened out. But I can't say that (the owner) would be charged with anything. From the outside looking in, I don't see where he did anything wrong." Authorities say the suspect who died at the scene did have a weapon."


NC: Robber shoots his partner: "Authorities said a suspected armed robber pulled a gun Friday afternoon, but instead of shooting the victim of the robbery, he shot his partner. Officers said four men walked into Carolina Industrial Supply on Parkside Drive and tried to rob Thomas Campbell. During the robbery, the gunman fired a shot at Campbell, but shot another would-be robber in the face. That’s when all four suspects took off in a light blue Ford. “Twenty minutes or so after the call, someone did show up at University Hospital that may be connected to this case as well, and that’s part of this investigation that we hope to clarify,” Capt. Bruce Bellamy said. Police said Roman Johnson was dropped of at CMC University for treatment. He’s now under guard at CMC Main and will be charged with armed robbery when he’s released. Police have issued warrants for Martin Lee Reid, Jr. for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery."

Oklahoma: Man fends off knife-wielding intruder during home invasion: "A Metro man takes on a man with a knife and wins. Maurice Johnson was catching up on some sleep Thursday afternoon when his burglar alarm sounds. He awakes to a man in his house in the 4300 block of North Blackwelder. "I see a guy in a big black jacket holding a knife about that size and he tells me basically turn the alarm off and give me money." Johnson, keeping his wits about him, tells the man to follow him to the back bedroom where there may be some cash. The suspect keeps the knife held tightly against Johnson as they walk through the house. Johnson says he pretends to rifle through his drawer to get money but got his gun instead and fires a shot at the suspect. The suspect takes off immediately. No word on if the suspect was hit."


FL: Teen robber killed at Burger King had lengthy juvenile record: "Long before Johnny Jean-Baptiste was shot dead trying to rob a Burger King on Tuesday, the Miami teenager was a familiar face to police... On Tuesday, Jean-Baptiste was out on bond awaiting trial for the carjacking charge when he walked into a Burger King at 5398 Biscayne Blvd. around 4 p.m. Wearing a ski mask and black gloves, say police, the teen pointed a semiautomatic Bryco .380 at the people behind the counter. Customer John Landers, armed with a 9 mm Glock and a concealed weapons permit, saw the teen and confronted him, telling him to put down the gun. Jean-Baptiste refused and fired his weapon. Landers, 45, fired back. Within moments, Jean-Baptiste lay dead on the floor of the fast-food restaurant, while Landers had bullet wounds to his chest, shoulder and arm. No one else inside the store -- which is usually crowded with children leaving a nearby school and adults getting off work -- was injured. [This story was posted here on 26th but no names were available at that stage]


IN: Father shoots son, claims self defense: "A Muncie man was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis on Friday morning after being shot by his father following an argument. Muncie police released Michael L. Thomas, 61, after questioning about shooting his son, Andrew, 29, following a confrontation in their south Muncie home in the 2200 block of South Windpoint Drive around 4:42 a.m. "He is claiming self defense," said police detective Sgt. Mike Engle, about the father who told police he was afraid of his son. According to police, Andrew Thomas apparently confronted his father and mother, Mornie, as they lay in bed, following a dispute over a disconnected phone and the trash being taken out. As the son lunged at his father, the elder Thomas pulled out a handgun and shot his son in the stomach. Andrew Thomas underwent surgery Friday and was listed as a "no information patient." Michael Thomas, who declined to comment, put down his gun after calling emergency dispatch. Police Sgt. Jay Turner said the victim was conscious and talking before he was taken to the hospital. Engle said the case would be turned over to the county prosecutor's office to determine whether formal charges would be filed in the shooting. Police are looking into reports of whether the younger Thomas might have threatened his parents before."


Gun rights and the Constitution: Was Heller insignificant?: “Has the Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller … been of almost no significance? So claimed the New York Times in a recent article by Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak. Unfortunately, Liptak’s article followed in a long New York Times tradition of credulously reporting the claims of one anti-gun professor, without conducting sufficient research to see if the claims hold up. Let’s start with the most obvious facts which the Times overlooked. On the day that Heller was decided, the citizens of five Chicago suburbs … were prohibited from owning guns. … Today … [i]n four of the five Chicago suburbs … the handgun bans have been repealed. Yet according to the Times, ‘So far, Heller is firing blanks.’”

South Carolina Couple shoot, Stab black intruder: "Deputies said a man who attempted to rob a Spartanburg couple ended up shot, stabbed and arrested. Spartanburg County deputies responded to a call of an attempted robbery at a home on West Croft Circle. Travis Morrow, who lives in the house, and his girlfriend, Aiyetoro Ross, told deputies two men tried to rob them. Morrow said as he struggled to disarm one of the men, the gun discharged, and hit the suspect. Ross grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed the suspect. Both of the robbery suspects then ran from the house. Deputies were later called to Mary Black Hospital where man had come into the Emergency Room suffering from a gunshot injury and a stab wound. The injured man was identified as 20-year-old Ronald Deshawn Rice, of Spartanburg. Rice is charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill. The second suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Ryan Dwight Ross of Pacolet, SC. He is also charged with one count of attempted armed robbery and two counts of assault with intent to kill.


NRA Files 2nd Amendment Complaint in Heller v. D.C. Gun Case: The National Rifle Association filed a second amended complaint in Dick Anthony Heller et al v. District of Columbia in U.S. District Court. NRA and other plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a preliminary and permanent injunction to prevent the D.C. Council from implementing laws that violate the Second Amendment and from enforcing its prohibitions on the possession of commonly owned firearms. Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist, said, “It's time to fully restore the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding residents in the District of Columbia. The D.C. Council’s latest gun registration scheme is proof of D.C.’s continued contempt for the Supreme Court.” NRA filed the original suit last summer after D.C. enacted a restrictive gun registration law in response to the landmark Supreme Court decision in the first District of Columbia v. Heller. The historic Heller decision struck down D.C.’s long-standing ban on handguns and self-defense in the home. The second amended complaint challenges D.C.'s current laws, which will become permanent in early April if not vetoed by Congress."


IL: House votes down gun control measure : “For the second time in a year, an attempt to toughen state gun laws fell short of passage in the Illinois House.The proposal, which failed on a 55-60 vote Wednesday, aims to close the so-called private-sale loophole. … Supporters say current law allows guns to get into the hands of criminals who would otherwise not be able to buy firearms. … A majority of lawmakers, however, doubted additional gun laws would stop the violence. … Downstate lawmakers argued that Chicago-area lawmakers are trying to impose stricter gun laws on the rest of the state when the problems of gun violence are primarily limited to within the state’s largest city.”


Self defence a precarious right in New Zealand: "My congratulations this morning to stabbed shop owner Virender Singh, who fought back against intruders into his shop only to have to fight back against police who charged him for having the temerity to defend himself. Just as they did when Greg Carvell defended himself and the occupants of his family’s gun shop. Just as they did when Paul McIntyre defended his property and his family. Just as they did when Michael Vaimauga was arrested for assault after he stopped a burglar breaking into a shop. And just as they would have if the late Navtej Singh had managed to fight back successfully against the armed intruders into his bottle store. As an Avondale dairy owner said when a colleague was stabbed in the neck and back by a robber, “When we protect ourselves, we get charged - and if we don’t we get stabbed. What do we do?” So my congratulations to Mr Singh not just for being cleared in a depositions hearing at the Manukau District Court, but for having the gumption to defend himself and his young nephew when the police have already made it perfectly clear they view anyone who does as a criminal. Make no mistake, Virender Singh’s exculpation yesterday by Manukau JPs was not a ringing declaration of your right to self defence – despite the Crimes Act allowing it, and basic human rights demanding it. No, his case was not dismissed based his right to self defence, but only because there was insufficient evidence to charge him."

RI: Aggressive neighbor gets shot: "Attorneys for an ex-Providence policeman say he was afraid for his life when he shot and killed his neighbor in a dispute over a children's ball game in May 2008. Nicholas Gianquitti will argue during his murder trial that he was acting in self-defense after his firefighter neighbor, 44-year-old James Pagano, punched him in the face. Attorneys gave opening statements in Providence Superior Court on Tuesday. Prosecutors said children at Pagano's house hit a tennis ball into Gianquitti's car. Both sides in the case agree that Gianquitti then cursed at the children. When Pagano found out, he went to Gianquitti's house to confront him. Pagano allegedly punched Gianquitti, who pulled a gun from a holster and shot him."


Republican Enlists 65 Pro-Gun Dems to Oppose Assault Weapon Ban: "U.S. Representative Mike Ross (AR-04) led a group of 65 pro-gun Democrats in denouncing recent comments made by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s on February 25 that the Obama administration intended to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. The group of 65 pro-gun Democrats, led by Ross, sent a letter to the Attorney General on March 18, 2009, urging him to abandon any effort to reinstate the assault weapons ban and to focus instead on effective law enforcement strategies to enforce the nation’s current laws against violent criminals and drug traffickers. “Firearms are an important means of self defense and, as an avid hunter and outdoorsmen, an important part of our way of life,” said Ross. “I am a firm believer in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and will continue to fight any efforts in Washington that restrict our right to own and bear arms.” The group argued that the ban was ineffective during the 10 years it was law, and that crime began falling before the ban was passed in 1994, and continued falling during and after the ban. The last time the murder rate was at its current level was more than forty years ago"


Texas may loosen laws on storing guns: Texans would be allowed to stow their guns and ammo inside their locked cars or trucks while at work and parked on employer property under a controversial bill passed Wednesday by the state Senate. The Senate voted 31-0 to prohibit employers from enforcing restrictions against employees possessing a legally owned handgun or ammunition inside a locked vehicle while in a company parking lot. Firearms and ammo must be stored out of sight. “Here in Texas people like their firearms and … if they want to bring them to the workplace they are going to do it whether there’s an employee policy against it or not,” said state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, the measure’s author. “This is designed to stop employers from punishing employees who legally bring weapons to work .” Supporters say employer rules banning guns in a company parking lot infringe on their Second Amendment right and their ability to protect themselves as they travel to and from work."


MA: Gun dealers feel regulatory pinch: “Fifteen years ago there were 23 federal firearms licenses issued in Belchertown. Today, there are three. ‘I would say that’s a pretty major decline,’ said Rich Kimball … one of the three remaining license holders. Stricter federal licensing regulations dating back to 1993, plus the overall climate in Massachusetts with some of the toughest firearms laws in the country, have made it tough for gun dealers in the Bay State, according to Kimball. The combination, he says, ’caused a lot of dealers to get out of the business.’ … Kimball, a gun dealer for 25 years, said that in the last decade the amount of paperwork and forms to fill out every time he receives an order of guns or sells one has increased dramatically.”

Arkansas Rejects Guns in Churches

(Little Rock, Arkansas) A proposed bill which would allow concealed weapons to be carried in churches was shot down today by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Current law bans concealed weapons in bars and churches.

Florida: 1 dead, one injured in Miami Burger King shooting: "One man was killed and another seriously wounded in a shootout inside a Miami Burger King on Tuesday, officials said. Police said a man wearing a ski mask walked into the store at Biscayne Boulevard and 54th Street and demanded money from a clerk. A customer, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled a gun, said Officer Jeff Giordano, a Miami police spokesman. The customer and robber exchanged fire. The robber was shot dead at the scene. The customer, who had several gunshot wounds, was taken to Ryder Trauma Center in serious but stable condition, said Lt. Ignatius Carroll, a Miami Fire Rescue spokesman."




Arkansas: Man Defends Wife, Wounds Would-Be Robber: "According to the police report, a husband and wife were unloading groceries into their Jeep when a man wearing a wig and cap allegedly confronted them, pointing a gun. At that point, the report says the suspect said "'This is a robbery'" and went after the woman's purse. Police say the suspect allegedly hit the woman and ripped the bag from the woman's arm. Police say that's when her husband took action. Sgt. Cassandra Davis says the husband fired at Jonathan Terry [above], hitting him in the rear end. "The husband than retrieved his own personal weapon. He did ask the suspect to release his wife and the purse. The suspect refused," says Sgt. Davis. Police say Terry jumped into a waiting car and his friends, Sherry Battle and Tequila Rice drove him to UAMS. "They were at the hospital and our officers took those individuals into custody also," explains Sgt. Davis. All three are facing Aggravated Robbery Charges. Police say Battles and Rice fought with officers and are also facing battery charges. Today's THV has the couple's names, but since they haven't been charged with a crime, we've decided not to mention them"


Ohio: Would-Be Robber Ends Up As Shooting Victim: "A would-be thief ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound after a failed robbery attempt in Mt. Auburn overnight. Police say the would-be robber, 20-year-old Anthony Walker of Corryville, approached two men at a home in the 120 block of Malvern Place and threatened them with a gun. One of the men, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, reportedly shot Walker during the altercation. Both of the intended victims then drove to the Cincinnati Police District One station and reported the incident. Rescue crews transported Walker to University Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to the chest. He is now facing charges of aggravated robbery."


WV: Delegates want to bear arms without permits: "Controversy often inflames passions, and mindful of this lawless age and a propensity of some in society to go over the edge, a few lawmakers want the right to arm themselves without a weapons permit. One sponsor of such a House bill, in fact, Delegate Mark Hunt, D-Kanawha, relayed a personal threat directed at him and his family, penned by the hand of a convict. A self-described ‘monster,’ the man behind bars warned of what he intended to do to Hunt and his children. Hunt decided to leave nothing to chance and get a firearm, but was told he had to wait during a two-month concealed weapon application process.” [Poor bubby!]

PA: Shooter faces drug charges: "Johnstown police and Cambria County prosecutors are investigating whether a Johnstown man was justified in using deadly force when he shot and killed a man believed to be attempting to break into his apartment Sunday evening in the city’s West End. Until that issue is resolved, the police are not filing any shooting-related charges against 27-year-old Andrew Herdman, District Attorney Patrick Kiniry said Monday. However, Herdman has been arrested on drug charges for the large amount of heroin found inside his apartment. The police found a large amount of heroin – packaged into 259 folded, wax paper “stamps” for street sales. Kiniry estimated the street value at $5,000. The victim was identified as 29-year-old David Edward Turner of Johnstown’s Moxham section. Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said that Turner died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. A report of the shooting was called to Cambria 911 by the mother of a juvenile girl who had been inside the apartment with Herdman. The girl had called her mother after the shooting, Kiniry said. When police arrived, they found Turner collapsed on the floor on an outside porch at the entrance to the apartment, officials said. Herdman had shot through a metal door, and the slug hit Turner in the chest, it was reported... Turner had two criminal convictions in county court and was placed on probation for 14 years on charges of criminal mischief and receiving stolen property. He was ordered to pay costs, fines and restitution totaling more than $17,000."


Tellers botch attempted robbery at Crofton bank: "Quick-thinking tellers trapped a gun-toting, masked man between two doors of a Crofton bank during an attempted robbery this morning. The man eventually shot his way out of the Arundel Federal Savings Bank, but didn’t get away for good. County police caught up with the suspect and his alleged accomplice within minutes on Route 50 near Interstate 97. A witness told police he saw a man walking on Davidsonville Road just after 10:30 a.m. and watched as the man put a ski mask over his face, cut through a small parking lot and headed to the front entrance of the bank at 2046 Davidsonville Road, said Justin Mulcahy, a county police spokesman. The man walked into the bank and the front door shut behind him, Mulcahy said. But he had another door to go through before he could reach the bank’s lobby. Employees, tipped off by the man’s ski mask and his handgun, refused to “buzz” him past the second door and then tapped a button to lock the main entrance to the bank.


NRA Appeals Ruling Blocking Guns in National Parks: "The National Rifle Association on Friday appealed a federal court ruling that blocked a Bush administration policy allowing people to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks. The decision, issued Thursday by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, halted a regulation from the waning days of the Bush administration. The rule, which took effect in January, allowed visitors to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge as long as the person had a permit for a concealed weapon and the state where the park or refuge was located allowed concealed firearms. Previously, guns in parks had been severely restricted. Chris W. Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said the group will pursue all legal and legislative options. The NRA had pushed for the Bush rule change and was granted legal standing in a lawsuit brought by gun-control advocates and environmental groups. "We didn't give up in the fight to change the old, outdated rule and we are going to pursue every legal and legislative avenue to defend the American people's right to self-defense," Cox said Friday."


CA: Proposed easing of concealed-weapons law draws fire: "What issue could unite a Republican lawmaker from Southern California and a 46-year-old lesbian from Natomas? Guns, of course. A bill introduced in the state Assembly last month aims to make it easier for Californians to obtain a concealed weapons permit. Assembly Bill 357 – yes, the number is right – would change a state law that currently gives county sheriffs or chiefs of police final say in who can carry a gun. By stripping the local law enforcement discretion, the bill would mandate that any Californian who passes a training course and demonstrates "good moral character" can tuck a pistol into his or her waistband. Even though the bill won't be heard in committee for a few weeks, it has raised ire among law enforcement officials, including Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. Police chiefs and sheriffs can be more effective at screening out people who shouldn't have concealed weapons, he said." [But some of them screen out most people]

Lack of gun bans keeps New Mexico safe: "During a recent visit with my sister in Oakland, Calif., our conversation turned to the crime rate in her city. She told me that the trend among armed robbers was what are termed "take over" robberies, during which one or more armed thugs would brandish weapons in a restaurant and not only rob the cash box, but also all of the customers. Any attempt to resist is likely to result in the shooting of an unarmed customer or worker. She was somewhat taken aback when I told her that that type of robbery "wasn't allowed" in New Mexico. I further explained that since we weren't in a (safe?) gun-free city, I could sit in any of my favorite cafes and count at least a half dozen people who were carrying firearms, concealed or openly. Our criminals in New Mexico are at least bright enough to see that the odds are against them in a take-over situation. Referring to the front page article in The Daily Times of March 15, I would first like to voice my support of our legislators who are supporting a revision of the law that would allow a concealed carry permit holder to have lunch or dinner in a restaurant where alcohol is served. Kudos to Sen. Bill Sharer for his belief that responsible adults are not the enemy."


Government taking guns: Ya gotta ask why: "What I want to know is why so many in government even want to take away guns at all. They'll never get the guns out of the hands of criminals, and there's no point in disarming the voters. Unless . naah, that's just conspiracy talk. What happens in other countries can't happen here. Just because their countries began with crisis, doesn't mean our similar crises will follow the formula and lead to taking our weapons. Just because their leaders lied to them about trust and transparency doesn't mean it will automatically happen here. Just because the people there didn't see it coming doesn't mean we . well, you fill in the rest."


NC: Bill to extend concealed carry sidetracked: “Gun supporters aiming to extend the right to carry concealed handguns into restaurants and parks where they are now banned had their hopes sidetracked. A measure to allow concealed-carry permit holders to carry their gun while visiting city and county parks was postponed Thursday in a House Judiciary committee. The sponsor also wanted to include state parks. Supporters also want to carry guns when eating in a restaurant that serves alcohol. A permit holder could lose that right for having a gun where alcohol is sold. That bill was sent to a subcommittee. Opponents said driving-while-impaired laws show people still drink when they shouldn’t, and mixing gun rights with alcohol sales is a bad idea.”


An alternative to “guns at work” laws: “Frankly, although I consider myself a fairly hardcore gun rights advocate, I am torn when it comes to this kind of law. I cannot easily dismiss the argument that a property owner has the right to prohibit pretty much anything on his or her property … On the other hand, some argue that fundamental human rights … are always inviolate, and that property owners cannot legitimately demand the surrender of such rights, even on their own property. It’s always a dilemma when rights collide. It seems to me that there is a way around the dilemma, though. Let property owners ban guns on their property, but in doing so, they take on the responsibility for the protection of anyone legitimately on that property.”

Park Service Bans Lead Bullets

The U.S. National Park Service has banned lead bullets and fishing tackle on federal park lands. Hunters will be forced to use more expensive copper bullets.

Understandably, 2nd Amendment supporters are miffed. According to Neal Knox of the Firearms Coalition, banning lead ammunition is "the latest scalp in a well-organized, scarcely recognized series of flanking attacks upon the right to keep and bear arms."

Well said, Mr. Knox.

NV: Married couple foil home robbery attempt: "A local couple came home from work last Saturday night to find not one but five people burglarizing their home. Emery Childress III and his wife Brenda knew right away that something was wrong. "Saturday evening I picked my wife up from work. She was going to take the evening off. We pulled up to the garage, we opened the garage door. When the garage was half-way up, the dogs ran out to us. And normally, the dogs are inside the house." "He went in first so I opened the door and let him in," continues Brenda. "And then I shut the door and...it only took about three seconds and I heard him say...Freeze. I use foul language - I say get on the ground, drop it. I walk over...to these guys...and I have them at gun point." Inside their Henderson home were four perpetrators, all holding valuable weapons: guns, knives, and even a sword that belonged to them. "I then entered from the garage, came around the corner where he had two suspects laying down on the floor," says Brenda. "They had our .45 down there and I picked it up." While Emery's wife held the two perpetrators at gun point, he ran outside with the other gun and tried to catch two more that were waiting outside in an SUV. "We had two adults and two juvenile girls were arrested," confirms Keith Paul, Henderson Police Department. "There is one suspect that is outstanding." 27-year-old Billy Hicks was booked on conspiracy; 18-year-old Avion Wilkins was booked on burglary, home invasion, conspiracy, and grand larceny of a firearm; and a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl were taken to the Clark County Juvenile Hall."


CA: Oakland Robbery Victims Fight Off Robbers: "The owner of Oakland's Gourmet Market wishes it didn't happen. He says his nephew should have never fought off the suspected robbers when they came into his store at 1549 Jackson St. Thusday night. Two armed men barged into the store around 9:30 p.m. but their plan to hit the store and run off was foiled. Two customers and a cashier started punching the robbers. The robbers fired off shots striking the men, but they wouldn't stop fighting. Eventually one suspect escaped but the heroes were able to hold on to one robber, grab his gun and subdue him until Oakland Police got on the scene. One victim was shot in the chest, another in the neck and the last one in the arm. The store owner says the injuries weren't serious and that they are all in good condition".


Obama gunning for the Second Amendment: "This will seem like a strange way to open a piece of commentary, but the gun owners who voted for Barack Obama believing he respected Second Amendment rights remind me of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. Specifically, I think of the scene from The Return of the Pink Panther in which Clouseau was getting a real dressing down from his superior, Chief Inspector Dreyfus. The issue was that Clouseau had naively stood by talking to a `blind' organ grinder outside a bank while the institution was being robbed. After Dreyfus pointed out that the organ grinder was the lookout for the thieves and Clouseau said that such a thing was impossible because the beggar was blind, Dreyfus asked how Clouseau knew this. Clouseau replied, `He told me so.' Quite frankly, this wasn't nearly as stupid as believing that a member of Chicago's socialist New Party, who was weaned in a black power church, was a gun caesar and not a gun seizer. And now Obama is in fact striking a blow against the Second Amendment."


DC: SAF challenges handgun ban scheme: “The Second Amendment Foundation and three Washington, D.C. residents today filed a lawsuit challenging a regulation by District of Columbia city government that arbitrarily bans handguns based on a roster of ‘acceptable’ handguns approved by the State of California. The District is using this list despite a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer that protects handguns ‘that ordinary people traditionally use for self-defense.’ This scheme could eventually bar the ownership of any new handguns.”