A BLACK DC OFFICIAL WHO UNDERSTANDS

Crumbling rowhouses, liquor stores, and pockmarked streets highlight the neighborhood where D.C. city official Sandra Seegars lives-but a hand-painted sign near her home boasts, "There have been no murders on this block." Miss Seegars draws a diagram on the back of an orange flier to illustrate how dangerous her neighborhood is. Crisscrossing lines in a grid represent a five-block area around her home. She points her pen to streets on her map: "Several people have been killed up here, and at least two in the last year here. There was a drive-by right here. There was a shooting right here, but the guy didn't die."

All those murders happened after the city's near-total prohibition on guns took effect in 1976. "How dare they have a gun when it's against the law?" she asks sarcastically. D.C.'s Firearms Control Regulations Act, unique in America, restricts anyone from owning a handgun not registered with city police 30 years ago. Police refuse to issue permits for any weapon obtained after that time. Weapons registered before that date must be stored "unloaded, disassembled, or bound by a trigger lock or similar device," rendering the weapon useless.

Even though no one has ever been murdered while on Miss Seegars' block, she speaks of burglaries in terms of "the last time someone broke into my house." Several years ago someone set her car on fire. A prostitute standing on the corner described seeing a man in an orange, hooded shirt set the blaze. "I think we should have guns at least in our homes and be allowed to have them loaded," Miss Seegars says-but such comments anger her boss, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, a pro-gun-control Democrat like almost every other members of the D.C. city council.

When the U.S. House of Representatives voted in 2005 to allow residents to defend themselves with guns in their homes, Mr. Williams called the amendment "a slap in the face." Nearly every member of the city council protested lifting the gun ban, and the Senate never acted on the bill. Miss Seegars vocally opposes her colleagues and, as head of the D.C. Taxi Cab Commission, wants taxi drivers to be able to protect themselves from thugs by carrying a holstered pistol. A Metropolitan Police press release on Dec. 23, 2005, detailed six taxicab robberies since November.

Not all cab drivers could arm themselves legally-some are felons and many are not U.S. citizens-but, Miss Seegars says, criminals "wouldn't know which ones did and which ones didn't have a gun." Under her proposal cab drivers would "need to go through all the proper regulations and training [and] be a citizen of sound mind." She estimates that 700 of the 7,000 drivers she represents would be both able and willing to carry a weapon on the job.

Her proposal has stirred up controversy, as did her earlier comment that cab drivers should avoid dangerous, low-income black neighborhoods and "dangerous looking" passengers, such as the "young black guy . . . with his hat on backwards, shirttail hanging down longer than his coat, baggy pants down below his underwear and unlaced tennis shoes."

Appalled city officials called her statements racist, and interim commission chairman George W. Crawford said that drivers following Miss Seegars' recommendations would be subject to a $500 fine and license suspension or revocation.

But Miss Seegars, a street-tough black woman, knows about dangerous neighborhoods. Raised in public housing until she was 18, her brothers became involved in drugs and thug activity. Her oldest brother, James Seegars, took up robbing banks in the mid-1970s, until a friend who betrayed him shot him in the head. Her younger brother, Marvin Seegars, was one of the "Pizza Hut Bandits" who targeted those restaurants and stuffed employees into freezers before making off with cash. He is serving a life-plus-20-year sentence for murdering a man in 1980.

Part of the reason Miss Seegars is so adamant about legalizing guns is because she is familiar with the mindset of bad guys: "I know from my brothers being criminals that they like easy targets. . . . The drivers are just out there trying to make a living, and they're going to get killed for a couple dollars."

The Metropolitan Police's Third District Auto Theft Unit agrees with Miss Seegars. Officer Farid Fawzi stood up from behind his desk in the basement-level office of the police station when asked about guns and said, "Make them legal. In [Prince Georges County, Maryland] you can have a gun and even though things are getting bad now, they have never had the problems we have." Gathering his gear from around the office, he strapped on a Kevlar vest and continued: "I think it would be interesting to see what kind of changes there would be if guns were legal. I know shootings would be up . . ." Officer Norman Rahman interjected: "Just at first." "Sure, for a while," Officer Fawzi said, "until we go through the whole campaign of training residents about how to use guns to defend themselves. When you live in the city what are you supposed to do to defend yourself?"

Officer Joe O'Rourke walked through the door and joined the discussion: "I feel no safer working in a city with strict gun laws than in a city without gun laws." He should know. Before joining D.C.'s Third District, the well-traveled officer served 26 years on the New York City police force, then spent several years in the Secret Service and a little while with police departments in Florida.

If stricter gun laws stopped crime, D.C. would be the safest place in the country. But crooks still have guns and the homicide rate has been among the worst in the nation for more than 20 years. Guns are prevalent on D.C. streets in spite of aggressive law enforcement. MPD recovered 2,316 guns in 2005.

Guns alone are not the problem to Officer Fawzi. He owns nearly a dozen. He is, however, aggressive about enforcing the law because in D.C. illegal guns are owned by people wanting to commit illegal activities. Officer Fawzi says a legal gun in well-trained hands can save lives: "I think everyone should have a gun in their house for self-defense." And as for the risk of his gun falling into the hands of the crook? "Train yourself so it won't be used against you. You go to school to learn how to drive. Learn how to use a gun."

The controversy about gun laws is one that top city officials do not want. Late last year Miss Seegars learned that she will not be reappointed for another term. That very day a cabdriver was killed during a robbery. She says, "I really wasn't too concerned about guns until I was appointed to the taxicab commission. City officials get mad at me for not touting the government line. But just that someone would think about [drivers] enough to say that they should be allowed to arm themselves to defend themselves. That means a lot to them."

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OH: Altercation leads to fatal shooting: "Police in Dayton are investigating a fatal shooting that happened at an apartment complex on Burkhardt Avenue on Sunday night. Investigators said the shooting may have been in self-defense. According to people at the scene, the shooting victim was going from apartment to apartment in a rage, banging on doors after allegedly hitting and threatening his girlfriend. ... His girlfriend, who claims Abrams beat her, called her ex-husband to the apartment to help her. Investigators said the ex-husband confronted Abrams, who he claimed had a knife. Police said he ended up shooting Abrams."



MS: Governor signs no-retreat law: "Governor Haley Barbour has signed into law a bill that expands [recognition of] a person's right to claim self-defense against intruders to an individual's car, business and the vicinity of the business. The bill takes effect July first. It also provides that the person would not have to retreat before using deadly force. Under current law, a person can claim self-defense against intruders in their home. Under the bill, it would be presumed that a person who used deadly force acted prudently and therefore would be immune from civil liability. The bill prohibits civilians from claiming self-defense if deadly force is used against a law officer. "

More could have been done to protect woman: "As the community grieves for the loss of Rebekah Grainger and rallies to try and bring her killer to justice, I sit here wondering why. ... Even sadder is the fact that protecting oneself isn't more encouraged to women who are being victimized in a domestic situation. And I'm not talking about kung fu. If a woman was ever in the position that Rebekah Grainger was in on March 6, and actually had the foresight to be armed and ready in case of a threat, what would happen? Would it really be as simple as protecting one's self or one's family? No. If a woman (or man) ever uses a gun in true self-defense, our society is trained to question it to the bitter end. Proceedings for manslaughter charges would often be proposed in such a situation. It is unfortunate, but our society has trained its girls and women that protecting themselves by deadly force is unladylike, un-Christian and just wrong."

Protecting gun rights vital to Alaskans: "To we Alaskans, gun control is a favorite topic of discussion and the goal of many liberals in the Lower 48. We in the North know better. Guns are needed tools and, secondly, a source of sport. Our progress in defense of the Second Amendment comes from a surprising individual, Democrat Rep. Eric Croft. His legislation to eliminate concealed-carry requirements, House Bill 102, was signed into law in 2004. We should thank him for both his perseverance and support of the right to keep and bear arms. ... Much of America's media is so biased against guns and private ownership of weapons, that we are not told of all the peaceful and legitimate uses of guns in our nation. With the exception of the History Channel and occasional specials on other channels, most young people think of guns as killing machines and only killing machines."

TN: Expanding the right to self defense : "Senate Bill 2672, the Tennessee Castle Doctrine Bill sponsored by Senator Don McLeary (R-Jackson), seeks to expand the right of self-defense. The bill would extend that right to permit a person to use the same deadly force now allowed in a person's residence to the immediate area and buildings around the residence and to other dwellings and vehicles. The bill, also known as the Stand Your Ground Bill, is scheduled for a hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee this week. 'All law-abiding citizens have an innate right to self-defense, whether they are in their home, their barn, or their car,' stated Senator McLeary. A person's home is that person's castle is a long-recognized principle that has been eroded away over the years. This bill will help restore our self-defense zone."



TX: Off-duty guard fatally shoots man : "An off-duty security guard fired at three men who attempted to rob him, leaving one of the men dead and another wounded early Sunday, police said. According to a police report, Rudy Perez, 21, one of the three, died from his injuries. The other two, one of whom was wounded in the thigh, were booked on aggravated robbery charges. The men pulled up in a car at about 3 a.m. in the 200 block of South Navidad, passing the guard, whose friend had given him a ride home after his shift at a local nightclub, the report said. The guard told police that one of the men walked toward him with a pistol pointed at him. He said he feared for his life, pulled his own pistol and fired at the man. He continued to shoot as the man jumped in the car and it sped away, the report said. Police apprehended the men after they arrived at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital."

Like sheep to slaughter: "Unlike in many other states, Hawaii's citizens who are being attacked -- even in their own homes -- can be convicted of murder for protecting themselves. They are not automatically allowed to defend lives and property, as America's Founding Fathers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. A lethal force bill introduced this session at the Hawaii State Legislature, which is modeled after the Florida law allowing law-abiding citizens to use lethal force to protect themselves if they are attacked anywhere, failed. In fact, that proposed legislation did not even get a hearing."


Torn on concealed carry: "I generally lean toward liberal positions, especially as regards social issues. But in the ongoing debate over Nebraska's proposed concealed carry law, I find myself torn, perhaps because I'm dealing with it from a painful perspective that forces me to reconsider my own liberal [sic] outlook. My 24-year-old daughter, Rachel, was murdered on May 28 of last year. The man who climbed in through a bedroom window and killed her and two other young people (and seriously wounded a fourth) had a criminal record; he should not have had -- and indeed was technically not allowed to have -- a weapon. But he did have one, and he used it to take from me the thing I loved most in the world. If any of the victims had been carrying a weapon, the outcome of that tragic confrontation would almost certainly have been better; it could hardly have been any worse. Perhaps my daughter would still be alive. At least she would have had a chance. But she had no chance; no one there was armed except for the killer, who shot each victim (one of them three times) and then simply walked away."


CT: Lawmakers eye victim disarmament "loophole" : "Police and lawmakers are trying to close a legal loophole (sic) concerning gun ownership. Lawmakers and victims spoke out today, calling for a law to make it a criminal act not to report when a gun is stolen. ... All statistics for all the recent gun crimes in Connecticut conclude that most gun crimes are committed by people who cannot legally own a gun. So where are they coming from? ... Police believe many guns are coming from legal gun buyers who buy them to specifically sell them to drug dealers, either for cash or drugs. When police trace the gun to them. ... 'That person simply says; 'I don't know where they went. They were stolen,'' ... says Lt. Robert Lanza."

California nutcase taken out: "The random shootings took less than five minutes, leaving an Elk Grove man dead, two others seriously wounded and a city in shock. Aaron Dunn, 28, is under arrest at UC Davis Medical Center after he allegedly shot three victims whom he didn't know, according to Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Sgt. R. L. Davis. John Johnson, 46, of Elk Grove was killed when he was shot in the face as he stood by his car outside Mandango's Sports Bar and Grill. Another man, also 46, whose name has not been released, was shot in the head through his car window in front of his wife and two young children in the parking lot of Chili's Restaurant. He remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Dunn, who is from the Yuba City-Marysville area, remains hospitalized in critical condition after he was shot by police officers. He will be charged with homicide, attempted homicide and assault on police officers if he survives, Davis said. The first shots were reported to the police at 7:47 p.m. Saturday. It ended minutes later when two Elk Grove police officers shielded innocent bystanders and fired at the suspect when he pointed his shotgun at them. Dunn allegedly opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun first at Chili's, then jumped into his car and headed east on Laguna Boulevard before crashing. He got out of his car and fired shots at passing cars before shooting another unidentified victim in the back near a McDonald's. He ended up at Mandangos where he shot and killed Johnson. There, Elk Grove police officers shielded bystanders and shot Dunn.


IN: Governor recognizes Hoosiers' rights: "Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law legislation endorsing Indiana residents' right to use deadly force against intruders, a change that prevents courts from ruling that individuals should flee first before using a gun. The legislation signed into law Tuesday states that Hoosiers do not have to retreat before using deadly force to prevent serious bodily injury to themselves or someone else. Indiana did not previously require residents to retreat before using a gun or other deadly weapon. The new law, however, clarifies state law and prevents courts from determining that Hoosiers should run before using a gun. 'This bill would eliminate any duty to retreat that a court might decide is necessary,' said Rep. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, the bill's author. The law makes Indiana one of only three states, along with Florida and South Dakota, with a deadly force law. Fifteen other states are considering similar legislation, according to the National Rifle Association."


MD: Robbery victim identified "The owner of at least one gasoline station has now been identified as the man who turned the tables on a gang of violent bandits Friday in a parking lot at the Village of Cross Keys. Police confirm that Mark Beckwith of Bel Air was the man being beaten as he left his car, apparently on his way to a Columbia Bank branch in the Cross Keys shopping center off Falls Road in north Baltimore Friday afternoon. Beckwith was able to get back to his sedan and get his handgun, which he fired. One of the attackers soon died at Sinai Hospital, while another one was wounded in the hand. That man, 29-year-old Corey Mcleaurin, was treated at two hospitals and has been charged by police in connection with the attack on Beckwith, who is 57. Authorities say that Beckwith has a permit to legally carry a handgun. While the specific reason he was issued such a permit has not yet been released, in Maryland concealed carry permits are given to persons who carry quantities of cash or valuables or who have reason to believe they may be under threat."

Kansas House overrides veto; gun bill is law: "Kansans can apply for licenses to carry concealed firearms in July and begin toting hidden guns in public next year. Thursday, the House overrode Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto of the concealed carry bill in a 91-33 vote, seven more votes than needed. The Senate voted to override the governor's veto on Wednesday evening with three votes to spare. It is the first veto override in Kansas since 1994. The votes ended a 14-year effort to get concealed carry passed in Kansas. Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, a leading gun rights advocate, said he expects about 48,000 Kansans, or 2 percent of the population, to obtain concealed-firearm permits in the first four years. "The people of Kansas have waited a long time for this," he said, a gold handgun pin through his tie and a National Rifle Association pin on his lapel.... Supporters say concealed carry is necessary to allow residents to defend themselves. The bill was called the Personal and Family Protection Act. Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth, who promoted the bill in the House, said she immediately made three phone calls after the vote on Thursday. One to her husband, a Leavenworth police officer who supports the concealed-firearms bill. And the two other calls went to rape victims who had contacted Ruff saying they want to carry guns to feel safer. "People now have the right to defend themselves if they want to," said Ruff, adding she doesn't plan to get a concealed-gun permit. "I've never had a desire to carry a concealed gun," she said. "I pushed it because two rape victims in my district asked me to."


NY: Shots rout two teens in heist : "Two teenage boys attempted to rob a Vulcan Street credit union at gunpoint Tuesday morning, but ran out empty-handed when a retired Buffalo police officer, working as a security guard, fired three shots at them. The robbers apparently were not struck by any of the bullets. ... Just after 11 a.m., two robbers, described as 14 to 17 years old, entered the credit union, armed with a black handgun, according to Northwest District police. One of the robbers ordered the security guard to his knees and told him not to move, police said. When one of the robbers approached the counter, the security guard fired three shots at the robbers, police reported. 'When the security guard was going down on his knees, he took advantage of the opportunity and fired,' Salas said."


CA: Big cat shot: "A man who shot a mountain lion in his backyard won't be criminally charged because he acted in self-defense, prosecutors said. In January, Bill Hill of Rancho Santa Margarita fired two rounds at the animal with a 9 mm pistol after his wife saw it and screamed. The 90-pound cat fled from the residence into a ravine near an elementary school, and authorities killed the animal 90 minutes later. State authorities had recommended a misdemeanor charge be filed against the 52-year-old Hill, a former Stanton police officer and now a private investigator. But prosecutors said Friday they will not file charges. "He was shooting in self-defense in the sense that he was worried about the community and children walking to school at the time," said Deputy District Attorney Steve Yonemura."

NY: Father shoots man pointing gun at son: "A Buffalo man who was supposedly buying rims for his truck at a Liddell Street residence was shot about 11:15 p.m. Tuesday when he attempted to rob the seller, Buffalo police said. Darius Spates, 23, of Northland Avenue pointed a gun at the seller, identified as Tony Winans, 21, of the Lidell address, and Winans' father, Tommy Travis, 44, of the same address, shot Spates, detectives said."


MI: Man holds female intruder at gunpoint while wife calls police: "A Clinton Township man woke from a deep sleep Wednesday morning to find a woman sitting on his living room couch counting his money. The man grabbed a loaded handgun and told the woman to freeze. He then ordered her at gunpoint to the ground while his wife called police."


South African gun owners at the cross roads: "There is a new pro-gun, pro-self defense organization in South Africa, and none too soon. Gun Owners of South Africa (GOSA) was publicly launched on January 26 in Cape Town. It was my pleasure to be on hand for the auspicious event. South African officials, including Communist Party Member and now Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula just days before the GOSA launch, made it clear that the purpose of the new law requiring reapplication for gun licenses was to disarm the public of all legal guns. Nqakula should know since his Ministry is in charge of administering the Firearms Control Act."

John Lott comments on the New Orleans confiscations "In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' residents got an idea of what life is like without the rule of law. They had no telephones, no way to call 911. Even if they had, the police who reported for duty were busy with rescue missions, not fighting crime. Citizens had to protect themselves. This was made rather difficult by the city's confiscation of guns, even from law-abiding citizens. After five months of denial in federal district court, the city last week made an embarrassing admission: in the aftermath of the hurricane, the severely overworked police apparently had the time to confiscate thousands of guns from law-abiding citizens."


NH: House rejects stand your ground bill : "House lawmakers on Tuesday voted down a proposal that would expand people's right to use deadly force in self-defense. The 194-138 vote comes two weeks after the Senate approved its own bill to allow people to use their guns in self-defense in any place they have a right to be. It would remove the requirement that a person retreat when it's safe to do so. The vote was a close one, however, with 12 senators in favor and 11 opposed. One later said he'd mistakenly voted in favor."

TX: "I ... have no remorse now for killing a man" : "Bill Harvey can't explain why he's alive to tell how he wrestled a gun from a robber, shot the man and then survived a barrage of bullets from the suspect's three accomplices. The violent scene unfolded about 6 p.m. Saturday inside Harvey's west Houston home in the 2200 block of Woodland Park Drive while his wife and five children watched. 'I don't know what to think,' Harvey, 34, said Sunday. 'I absolutely have no remorse now for killing a man, and I'm trying to figure out if that's right or wrong.' Police said Harvey would not face criminal charges. He was shot in the neck, side and lower back. The wound to his neck barely missed his carotid artery."


KS: Gov vetos concealed carry legislation: "Citing opposition from law enforcement and business leaders, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as expected vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have allowed qualified Kansans to carry concealed guns. Supporters promised a swift attempt to override her veto. The governor spiked a similar bill in 2004, and said repeatedly she didn't believe the measure would make Kansas safer. ... If the Democratic governor's veto stands, Kansas, along with Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois, would be the only states where concealed guns are banned."


Stop Church Gun Grabbers: "Some church bureaucrats of various denominations have joined the ranks of extremist gun grabbers in promoting bans or restrictive controls on the private possession of firearms. This undermines the right of self-defense and the right to life itself. To stop these ecclesiastical extremists, the St. Gabriel Possenti Society, Inc. works with law-abiding gun owners of various religious persuasions to oppose church gun grabbers. ... Send the churches a message! Download, print and cut out this coupon. Deposit it in church collection baskets! Ask your friends and relatives to do the same."

VA: Guns OK in glove compartment : "Licensed gun owners can now keep a firearm locked in the glove compartment or some other locked container inside their car without a concealed weapons permit under provision adopted by the legislature last week. If stopped by police, the gun owner would have to notify them of the gun. Before, a gun had to be in plain sight, in line with Virginia's nonconcealed carry law, unless the owner had a permit. Del. Clay Athey Jr. (R-Front Royal), who sponsored the change, said he could have a gun at his home and his temporary hotel room during the legislative session, but he noted the law was 'gray' when it came to carrying a gun in his car. He said it was a 'reasonable' extension of the Second Amendment."


DE: Bill would make getting permit for concealed gun easier: "Legislation to make it easier for law-abiding Delawareans to obtain permits to carry concealed handguns was introduced today in the state House -- with enough sponsors to guarantee its passage in both chambers. Under current law, applicants must demonstrate a compelling need for a permit and convince a Superior Court judge to issue it. House Bill 359, which is backed by the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association and the National Rifle Association, would require the judge to issue the permit if the applicant meets the requirements and no grounds are presented for denying it. The legislation 'would level the playing field for all the applicants,' said John Sigler, a retired Dover police captain who is first vice president of the NRA. Many current permit-holders were approved because they must carry large sums of money in their jobs, and Sigler said the right to self-defense also needs to be recognized. 'Single moms have got a right to protect themselves and their family, just like the small-businessman' who carries the day's receipts to the bank, Sigler said."

PA: Proposed changes to gun laws : "Gun owners and sportsmen gathered in Harrisburg Tuesday to support two proposed laws to end gun registration and broaden self-defense rights in Pennsylvania. State Representative Steven Cappelli of Williamsport and two other state lawmakers announced a proposal to make it a felony for anyone to maintain a gun registry. The state police already has one. The three also introduced a House Bill which would strengthen laws dealing with the use of lethal force in self defense."


AL: Deadly force bills lined up for passage: "The Alabama House and Senate are now in position to approve legislation that would expand the instances where a person can kill someone to protect a home, business or vehicle. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 to approve a deadly force bill that passed the House last month. The bill now goes to the Senate. A nearly identical bill passed the Senate earlier in the session and has cleared a House committee. It is awaiting a vote in the House. Current state law allows a person to use deadly force if someone breaks into his home and the resident feels threatened, but also says deadly force should not be used if the resident feels he or she can 'avoid using force with complete safety.' The legislation removes that language, but says a person must feel threatened at the time they use deadly force. ... Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said he voted against the bill because he is concerned that people will be shot when someone thinks they are breaking in a house, but they are really not."


CA: Good riddance to a dangerous nut: "A 54-year-old man was shot and killed by an El Dorado County sheriff's deputy Saturday night after he pointed a gun at the deputy, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. The incident occurred at 9:25 p.m. on Vallecito Court in the rural community of Garden Valley, where deputies responded to an emergency call that the man, who lived in a motor home on the property, was making threats to others on the property. The property owner said the man had been drinking and had fired a gun, the Sheriff's Department reported. Deputies attempted to contact the man for about 35 minutes. When he emerged from the motor home with a gun pointed at his own head and then at a sheriff's deputy, the deputy shot him, according to the news release."

TX: Trailer park owner talks about shooting: "The Silsbee trailer park owner who admits pulling the trigger in a fatal shooting says he wants to set the record straight. Lonnie Brown calls what happened Saturday self-defense. It seems everyone agrees this started when a pit bull chased Brown's step-grandson. Brown says he went to the trailer of the dog's owner to find out what happened. Witnesses say Brown shot one of the dogs there. He says what they may not have seen is that dog bit his leg. Brown denies some witnesses' claims that he shot the dog's owner, Justin Slider, as soon as Slider came outside. Brown says Slider threatened to kill him and began hitting him. Brown's attorney calls his 65 year old client's actions 'survival mode. What would you do if you were being hit in the head? [Slider] was 19 years old. He was, I think, a bricklayer.' ... 'He's muscles,' Mr. Brown said, 'He [was] nothing but muscles. I couldn't push him away, I couldn't control him,' says Bo Horka, Brown's attorney."


New Orleans thugs admit gun thefts: "In a stunning reversal, the City of New Orleans revealed today to attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association that they do have a stockpile of firearms seized from private citizens in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The disclosure came as attorneys for both sides were preparing for a hearing in federal court on a motion filed earlier by SAF and NRA to hold the city in contempt. Plaintiffs' attorneys traveled to a location within the New Orleans city limits where they viewed more than 1,000 firearms that were being stored. 'This is a very significant event,' said attorney Dan Holliday, who represents NRA and SAF in an on-going lawsuit seeking to enjoin the city from seizing privately-owned firearms. 'We're almost in disbelief,' admitted SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. 'For months, the city has maintained it did not have any guns in its possession that had been taken from people following the hurricane. Now our attorneys have seen the proof that New Orleans was less than honest with the court.' Under an agreement with the court, the hearing on the contempt motion has been continued for two weeks, the attorneys said. During that time, according to Holliday and fellow attorney Stephen Halbrook, the city will establish a process by which the lawful owners of those firearms can recover their guns."




FL: Prostitutes hunting serial killer: "Women involved in prostitution in Daytona Beach, Fla., have reportedly armed themselves and are searching for a serial killer behind the slayings of three residents, according to a Local 6 News report. 'Rather than run from the man police labeled a serial killer, streetwalkers here in Daytona Beach along Ridgewood Avenue say they are seeking the serial killer out,' Local 6 reported Tarik Minor said. 'They believe the man responsible for murdering three women here is someone they have come in contact with.' ... 'We will get him first,' streetwalker Tonya Richardson said. 'Yeah, we are going to get him first. When we find him, he is going to be sorry. It is as simple as that.' Richardson said she and other women are carrying weapons on the streets after Laquetta Gunther, Julie Green and Iwana Patton were found dead in the city."

Iraq: Families prepare to fight: "Om Hussein, who was reluctant to give her full name, and her Shiite family are preparing for war. They've stocked up on food. They bought a Kalashnikov rifle and a second car -- so that there is space for all 13 members of their extended family should they need to flee in a hurry. 'We are afraid of what will happen in the coming days,' she says. 'Maybe there will be a monthlong curfew, or maybe fighting in the streets will force my family to stay in the house for days at a time.' In the past week, President Bush has tried to assure Americans that Iraq has stepped back from the brink of civil war. 'Iraqis have shown the world they want a future of freedom and peace,' he told the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Monday. Few Iraqis, however, share Bush's view that the crisis has been averted. They are readying themselves for the worst, fleeing likely flash points, stockpiling weapons and basic foodstuffs, barricading their neighborhoods, and drawing lines in the sand delineating Sunni and Shiite territory."


SC: Self-defense law would recognize citizens' rights: "Sen. Hugh Leatherman of Florence is a strong believer in the rights of everyday citizens. That's why he said he's proposing a bill in the state Senate that would make self-defense laws in South Carolina a little less strict. Sen. Brad Hutto, an attorney in Orangeburg, said laws in South Carolina require a person who is being attacked to retreat, or run away, if at all possible, before using any type of deadly force on the attacker. Under Leatherman's bill, the requirement to retreat would be deleted and deadly force could immediately be exerted on the attacker to prevent bodily injury to or death of the victim."


AL: Home invasion ends in shoot-out : "A home invasion ended with a shoot-out. William Tony Gross' home on Benton Lane in Arab was broken into early Thursday morning while Gross was at home. But the 62-year-old didn't let the intruder just walk away with his belongings. He got a gun. In the end, though, Gross was shot in the stomach with a small caliber rifle. The suspect fled the scene. People who live in the area say they don't blame Gross for fighting for his property."

KS: House advances Senate-passed concealed guns bill : "Law-abiding Kansans can carry concealed weapons under a bill passed Tuesday by the House. The 90-33 vote returns the bill to the Senate. Sponsoring Sen. Phil Journey, R-Haysville, said he would ask the Senate when it meets Tuesday afternoon to accept House changes and send it to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who vetoed similar legislation in 2004. If Sebelius spikes this year's bill, her veto could be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the Legislature -- 84 votes in the House and 27 in the Senate. The bill passed the Senate 29-11."


Victim disarmer Daley "delusional" : "An Illinois gun rights group Tuesday called Chicago Democratic Mayor Richard Daley 'delusional' for demanding that all 1.5 million firearm owners in the state appear before him and explain why their weapons should not be banned or confiscated. While acknowledging that Daley's statement comes in the wake of a pair of shootings in the city that left two young girls dead, Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), nevertheless said that the mayor's outburst 'suggests strongly that it's time to pad the walls' of his office with rubber. 'I have a message for you, Mr. Mayor,' Pearson added. 'The Revolutionary War was not fought so that we could unseat King George and install King Richard. The Bill of Rights is not a stick of salami that you can slice and dice at your whim.'"


NC: Mother shoots home intruder : "A Cumberland County mother shot and killed an apparent home intruder Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. ... Strickland was inside the house when she heard tapping on an outside window. When she went to investigate the noise, she either saw or heard the intruder, who was armed, trying to kick in the front door, authorities said. Strickland then got her gun, shots were exchanged and the intruder was hit. The intruder, whose name was not released, left the scene in critical condition, but died shortly before arriving to a local hospital. ... Strickland, who is 9 months pregnant, has two other children: one 3 years old and another 1 year old."

OK: Guns for judges: "Oklahoma judges could carry guns in courthouses under legislation approved today by the Oklahoma House. Tulsa state Representative Daniel Sullivan allows district judges and associate district judges to have firearms in a courthouse. It was approved 94-to-4 and sent to the Senate for a vote. The measure arose from an incident in Tulsa in which a judge became concerned that a defendant had overpowered a deputy sheriff, prompting the judge to arm himself in self-defense."



MO: Court hears arguments on gun permit case : "A man who was denied a permit to acquire a gun after being evaluated at a mental health facility argued Monday to the state Supreme Court that his constitutional right to due process was violated. David Nelson was sent to a mental health center for a 96-hour evaluation in September 2003 over fears he would harm himself. He was evaluated and released with no finding of mental illness or need for further treatment. Last year, he applied for a permit to acquire a weapon. The Callaway County sheriff's office denied the request, citing a section of law barring people who were committed to a mental health center from obtaining a permit."

TX: Southwest Side man fights off intruder: "A man walking home from a neighborhood nightclub had to defend himself from an intruder that followed him to his Southwest Side apartment. Police said the man was walking to the apartment in the 400 block of Cropsey Avenue, near General Hudnell Drive, at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, when he noticed someone behind him. The man ran to his apartment, went inside and slammed the door. The suspect kicked in the door and knocked the victim to the floor. The victim got a gun, fired a shot and missed. The intruder ran away. Police are searching for him."


Homeowner shoots intruder in the chest: "Police in northwest Houston think a homeowner grabbed a gun to defend himself against a suspected intruder. It happened at a home on Arncliffe at Antoine late Friday night. Police say the suspected intruder was shot in the chest and rushed to a hospital. His condition is unknown. The homeowner was questioned but there's no word if he'll face any charges.

THE PERSECUTION OF ANGEL SHAMAYA

"I suspect there's not a person interested in Second Amendment matters out there who doesn't know by now that Angel Shamaya - the founder of KeepandBearArms.com - has been arrested on firearms charges in Michigan. Activists have already stepped forward to offer character references* for his first hearing and to organize the collection of donations to cover his legal fees.

According to the sketchy information available, Shamaya is accused of having four unregistered guns in Michigan. Shamaya, who only recently relocated, is said to have been in the process of registering the firearms when a complaint brought a SWAT team to his door. The charges against Shamaya are (fortunately, under the circumstances) misdemeanors, and he's currently free on bond.

It's been suggested that the original complaint against Shamaya was filed maliciously. I have no reason to argue with that supposition. Malicious or not, however, the only question the authorities will be asking is whether or not Shamaya broke the law, and it doesn't matter to them whether or not he was in the process of arranging for compliance at the time....

Angel Shamaya hasn't really done anything wrong. But then a lot of people who haven't really done anything wrong somehow find themselves in trouble, too. Let's hope that Shamaya's notoriety and his numerous supporters will bring some attention to such miscarriages of justice as he's now enduring. And let's hope that, should the case make it to a jury, the jury does nothing. Meanwhile, if you're inclined to do anything, offer whatever support you can to Shamaya."

More here. More comments on the Shamaya case here and here.






OH: Central-city homeowner shoots, injures intruder: "Toledo police said a man was shot by a homeowner early Saturday after the man allegedly broke into the central-city home. Police, responding to a burglary-in-progress call at 1566 Buckingham St., found resident Darron Doss and the suspect, John Curry, of 643 Nebraska Ave., on the rear porch. Mr. Doss told police that Mr. Curry broke into his residence about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. Mr. Doss said he armed himself with a shotgun and fired a warning shot. Police said Mr. Curry was wounded and he was taken to Toledo Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. A hospital spokesman said she had no information on Mr. Curry yesterday.


WY: Laramie shooting was justifiable homicide: "A man won't be charged for shooting another man through the door of his home, the county attorney has decided. James Martino, 55, of Laramie, told investigators he fired a single shot with a rifle. The bullet hit Brandon Martinez, 19, killing him. Police Chief Robert Deutsch said all the evidence pointed to self-defense. The police report said Martinez had been trying to force his way into the house. Martinez's teenage girlfriend, who lived nearby, had gone to Martino's house after an argument with Martinez."

IL: Homeowner shoots home invader: "Police are searching for a man after a home invasion that ended with gunfire and a police chase in the Metro East. Police say two men fired two shots and tried to break down the door of a home on Third Street in Madison around 11:00 Wednesday night. The homeowner returned fire, hitting one of the men in the stomach. The two men sped off, and police gave chase before the suspects ditched their car in East St. Louis. Police caught the suspect who was shot. The other man got away."


Gun control reduces violence? "Our friends across the pond in England have enacted fairly strict gun control measures in recent years in response to rising violent crime rates, and have an extensive network of cameras to keep a governmental eye on the populace. In fact, things are so peaceful in this now gun-free utopia that schoolchildren are sent to class in body armor to protect against being stabbed."

PLENTY OF "CONCEALED CARRY" FOR BLACKS ONLY IN GUN-CONTROLLED BRITAIN

Two hitmen attempting a gangland execution were killed themselves yesterday when armed pub customers chased and shot them dead in front of children playing football. Police were called to the Brass Handles pub in Fitzwarren Street, on the notorious Langworthy estate close to Salford shopping precinct, after gun shots were heard.

They arrived to find the bodies of two men of mixed race about 20 yards apart on playing fields known as The Croft. Both died where they fell. Two other men, who had also been shot, were taken in a private car to Hope Hospital, Salford, where they were treated overnight for their injuries.

As armed police flooded the area, it emerged that the incident was an escalation of a turf war between gangs vying for supremacy on the Manchester and Salford border. The shootings were witnessed by young children who had been playing football on the playing fields between the pub and a Lidl supermarket. They were said to have been deeply traumatised.

Witnesses suggested that the incident happened shortly after 2.30pm when two men of mixed race entered the pub during the busy lunchtime period. They appeared to single out and shoot two white men in the crowded bar before fleeing from the pub and across the playing fields to their getaway car, a black Mondeo, parked some distance away.

At this point a number of people in the pub, obviously armed, gave chase. One of the fleeing men was shot in the back of the head. The second man stopped and turned to see what had happened and was shot in the side of his body. Then, witnesses suggest, he was shot in the head "execution-style".

The two bodies remained on the playing fields, covered by a white tarpaulin, as darkness fell. One father, whose child was playing football on the parkland, said: "The children were having their usual Sunday kickabout when there were two men running from the pub. "One was shot in the back of the head as he knelt down. The other then turned to see how his friend was and he was shot in the side, and then in the head. Then the men from inside the pub disappeared....

Last night police from the Tactical Aid Unit mounted a highly visible operation on the estate. Officers, who fear a further escalation in the turf war, urged calm and tried to reassure residents. The Langworthy estate is a mix of high-rise flats and terraced housing, many of them boarded up...

More here





Nuisance lawsuit knocked on the head: "On Monday, Federal District Court Judge Audrey B. Collins used the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" as the basis for dismissal of a reckless "public-nuisance" lawsuit against firearm manufacturer Glock and distributor RSR. In doing so, Judge Collins became the first judge in the country to use the new law to counter the anti-gun lobby's shameless attempts to hold the lawful firearm industry responsible for the acts of criminals. The suit sought to blame Glock and RSR for the horrendous criminal actions of deranged white supremacist Buford Furrow. In 1999, Furrow shot and killed postal worker Joseph Ileto, and wounded three children at a Jewish Community Center in Grenada Hills, California, after illegally acquiring firearms. What is not often reported is that, while a Glock pistol was used in Furrow's heinous crime, the gun was originally sold to a police department, which subsequently sold it to a licensed dealer, who in turn sold it to a collector, who finally sold it to Furrow. Glock is being targeted, but did nothing illegal, and RSR never owned, sold, or possessed the firearm.


Store owner good shot -- downs 2: "Three men tried to rob a store at 28th Street and Broadway, but the store owner fired at them, shooting two of them. The third would-be robber robbery suspect escaped in a white Jeep Cherokee and is still on the loose. He dropped the money and it was returned to the store owner. The store owner did suffer some minor injuries. One robber was shot in the chest the other in the head."

AZ: Armed woman sends robber fleeing: "A robber got some spare change and a scare when he threatened a woman in Midtown on Monday morning. The 56-year-old woman was walking near East Fort Lowell Road and North Country Club Road when a man dressed in black approached her and demanded money, said Officer Dallas Wilson, a Tucson Police Department spokesman. The robber implied he had a gun, so the woman complied with his order and gave him $1.50, hoping he would leave, Wilson said. Then, thinking her life was in danger, she drew a Smith & Wesson revolver and pointed it at the robber, who ran away."


State of emergency ...: "A lot of non-gun owner households may not have noticed, but there is a lot of activity in state legislatures about barring authorities from confiscating personal weapons during an emergency. ... The individual is the asset of the community, and communities make up the nation. The sovereign individual is the authority of the country. These mean that the person is at once the beneficiary of the nation and its authority in one. Officials tend to forget this, and freeze people out of their neighborhood's disaster recovery. Confiscation of weapons in time of emergency is one such example. Illegal or not, it works against the interests of the community. It stomps on the rights of the people. It delays recovery, and for what?"