Texas shootout: "Two men were injured in Duncanville early Friday after a home invasion shootout. Duncanville police were called to the 200 block of Martin Luther Circle around 5 a.m. after resident Derrick Johnson, 35, told authorities he woke up to find someone ransacking his home. Mr. Jackson said he shot at the burglar and the suspect fired back. Mr. Jackson was struck in the lower abdomen and transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center for surgery. A man was found about an hour later in a field at the 300 block of South Cockrell Hill Road with a gunshot to his pelvic area, police said. He was transported to Methodist in unknown condition. Police did not release the man's name, but said he was a possible suspect."


Alabama stepdad kills son in self-defense: "Athens police responded Friday night to a shooting at an Athens home and found one man dead in an apparent act of self-defense. Athens Police Chief Wayne Harper said Jason Bickerstaff, 38, of Athens came to the home of his mother and stepfather at 301 Gale Lane demanding a shotgun and threatening them with a double-bladed ax. The incident occurred at about 8 p.m., when a neighbor reported hearing Bickerstaff drive up and later heard Bickerstaff's mother, Linda Curtis, screaming. The neighbor said she did not hear any gunfire. Bickerstaff's stepfather, Dave Curtis, went into the bedroom to get the shotgun, Harper said. Bickerstaff followed and again threatened his stepfather with the ax and knocked him down. At that point, Dave Curtis retrieved a pistol he had in the bedroom and shot Bickerstaff, Harper said. Limestone County Coroner Mike West said Bickerstaff had two gunshot wounds in his chest, both from a .38-caliber pistol. After the shooting, Dave Curtis went outside to wait for Athens police to arrive, Harper said. Harper said police are not yet sure why Bickerstaff was demanding the shotgun, but he said police had received a report earlier Friday that Bickerstaff had been involved in an altercation with someone over money. Police were still investigating the case late Friday. Harper said there were no plans to charge Dave Curtis in the shooting.


NY: Court restricts gun sentences: "A federal appellate court just made it more difficult for federal judges in New York to impose stricter sentences for gun-related crimes. Recently at least one federal judge here has been citing the danger that guns pose to cities as a reason to impose lengthier prison terms on federal defendants who commit gun crimes. That practice will stop, following a 3-0 ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday that instructs judges to not consider the level of local gun violence in handing down sentences. The court explained its decision as an effort to impose greater uniformity in federal sentencing across the country. Otherwise, the court said, it would 'open the door' to unequal penalties for similar crimes in rural and urban areas."


The history of gun control, part 1: "Over 200 years ago, when the Founding Fathers drafted the Second Amendment, no one questioned the need for private gun ownership. The Framers considered private firearms to be essential to protecting personal liberty, both as a means of opposing foreign threats and also as a check against excessive government power. The Framers were passionately devoted to the idea that a self-sufficient armed citizenry is the best means of preserving liberty. But many on the left do not want you to know this."

Australian police not interested in street crime

What do you expect of public servants? Get a gun!

POLICE Commissioner Ken Moroney has thumbed his nose at public opinion, defying calls for tougher action against street crime. His defiance came after The Daily Telegraph struggled to have a crime investigated by police despite having photographic evidence of a mugging in Sydney. Last night the victim, a 16-year-old TAFE student, revealed his fear over the attack on Tuesday night near Central railway station. His mother, Margaret Short, said her husband tried to report the crime to police but was "fobbed off".

"When my husband Don rang Central (Police Station) they wouldn't even take a statement, insisting it must come from our son. They just fobbed him off. "They said the victim has to report the crime and because our son didn't want to, they couldn't record it for him. But our son was too scared to do that." The boy told the Daily Telegraph last night: "The police said they know who it is, or have an idea, but can't guarantee anything. "I didn't want to go to police because I thought if (the culprits) found out who I was, I could get bashed or some of their mates would find me and make trouble." The boy, who last night revealed he was menaced with a knife in the attack, subsequently visited Surry Hills police yesterday.

Victims of crime said yesterday that they had given up expecting police to do anything about it. However, Mr Moroney insists his officers are doing the best they can. Figures reveal that hundreds of thousands of citizens who have been robbed, assaulted or who have had their homes invaded are not bothering to report it.

The Commissioner yesterday chose to dodge the issue by citing the state's falling crime rates. With hundreds of angry citizens inundating the Daily Telegraph website with reports of lazy police, Mr Moroney said last night it would be "unrealistic" to expect everyone to be happy. He said police internal research indicated that confidence in the police was high and that the community felt safe - but he refused to release the figures so the public can make up its own mind.

"I expect all my officers to do their best at all times. "They have an oath of office and that is their pact with the people of NSW. "Police are not perfect human beings. "Figures show the majority of crime categories are either falling or are steady. {Because people no longer to report stuff] "Does that mean that every individual who looks to police for assistance will be 100 per cent happy 100 per cent of the time? "That would be unrealistic, but I hope the public understands that we do have a committed police force who are doing the best possible job they can."

The annual Australian Bureau of Statistics survey of victims of crime for the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research for 2006 - the latest figures available - show 127,500 victims of assault did not report it in 2006, 22,800 people did not report that they had been robbed, 26,300 people did not tell police their house had been broken into and another 63,100 people did report an attempted burglary.

"The most common reasons why people don't report crime are that people don't think the police could or would do anything about it, the offence was too trivial, or nothing was stolen," BOSCAR director Dr Don Weatherburn said. Victims of Crime Assistance League executive director Robyn Cotterell-Jones said it was because they were sick of being given the brush-off. "Police are making a decision about whether a case is going to make it to prosecution and if not, they are simply not bothering to do anything with it," she said.

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Louisiana attacker shot by ex-girlfriend: "Members of the DeRidder Police Department responded to a call from a residence on Bilbo Street last week, where Paul Lee Williams had been shot in the leg. According to the police Williams had been stalking his ex-girlfriend and earlier in the day threatened her outside of a local store. The ex-girlfriend, whose name was not released, immediately went to the Police Department and filed a report. Because she was afraid for her life members of the police department escorted her home and secured her house. After the police left she locked all of her windows and doors. The police described that sometime after dark the victim felt as if she were being watched and walked out onto her porch where she noticed that the skirting around her house had been disturbed. Williams then emerged from beneath her home and ran toward her. She immediately went back in to her home and retrieved a pistol which she had been carrying for protection. She allegedly fired at Williams and missed. She went back into her home and picked up the phone to call the police when Williams forced open the back door and entered her house. She shot at him two other times, hitting him once in the leg as she dialed the number for the police department. Williams fled the scene and the police found her at the end of her driveway near the road with the gun in one hand and the phone in the other. After searching the surrounding area the police found Williams in the garage of a nearby house. Williams was taken to a local hospital where his wounds were treated and then booked into the DeRidder Jail. He also has a criminal record with two other stalking charges".


New Mexico man shoots determined thug: "A man coming to the aid of his West Side neighbor shot an intruder, even as the intruder beat him with a crowbar, Albuquerque police say. Police said Gregory Lawrence Powers, 36, broke into the West Side yard around 10 p.m. May 26. After a neighbor arrived with a gun, Powers attacked him with a crowbar, according to a Metro Court criminal complaint. Powers continued beating the Good Samaritan even after being shot three times, the complaint said. Powers was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital and treated for gunshot wounds to the chest and groin. He was released into police custody Monday, a hospital spokeswoman said. Powers is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The neighbor was treated and released from UNMH."

Maine man holds up burglars: "A LaGrange man used a 12-gauge shotgun Tuesday to detain two people who apparently tried to break into the home he is renting on the Bennoch Road. Guy Shuman, 18, of LaGrange has been charged with burglary and criminal mischief, and charges also have been filed against a juvenile involved in the incident, Sgt. Bill Birch of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday afternoon. This is the second time in the past few weeks that Penobscot County sheriff’s deputies have responded to a report of a burglary at the home, according to Birch. Police confirmed that the rented residence previously was broken into in late May. No one was injured in Tuesday’s incident, Birch said. "[The resident] heard a noise out behind his house around 11:04 this morning when he noticed two people trying to break into his house," Birch said. He confronted the two men and held them until law enforcement officials arrived. Shuman was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail where he remained Tuesday afternoon. He is scheduled to appear on July 13 at Penobscot County Superior Court."


Texas man Shoots Car Thief: "A car owner shot a man who tried to steal his car early Wednesday, officials told KPRC Local 2. Houston police said the car owner saw his Chevrolet Camaro being driven out of his driveway in the 6700 block of Avenue H near Cesar Chavez Boulevard at about 4:30 a.m. The owner ran out of the home with his gun in hand, officials said. Investigators said the suspect lunged at the owner with a screwdriver and stabbed him in the head twice. Police said the owner fired seven shots at the suspect, striking him three times in the stomach and leg. The suspect and car owner were transported to Ben Taub Hospital. The suspect was last listed in serious condition and the car owner was stable. Detectives said the suspect could face charges of burglary of a motor vehicle."


Texas invasion leads to shootout: "Killeen Police don't know whether or not drugs or gangs were related in the shoot-out but they do know the victim received a knock on his door around 12:30 Wednesday morning. He thought he knew the two men on the other side of the door, so he opened it and was soon trampled over. The two men were wearing scarves over their faces, one running past the victim to the back bedroom and the other stabbing him multiple times. The second suspect, who headed toward the back of the apartment began shooting into the back bedroom, but unknown to him, shots were fired back at him by several men in that room. Both suspects then ran out the door and were gone before police got there. Just 30 minutes later, Metroplex Hospital in Killeen reported a patient with a gunshot wound. That man told police he had been robbed and shot by two men in Conder Park in Killeen. Carroll Smith with the Killeen Police Department says investigators are now trying to figure out if that victim is one of their suspects in the home invasion. "We've got two different incidents that happened in the same near area. Are they related? It's unknown at this time. Could they be related? Yes," said Smith."

Oklahoma prowler killed: "Oklahoma City police have identified a man shot and killed over the weekend after entering a home on the city's northwest side. Police say 27-year-old Eugene Drake was killed shortly before 8 o-clock Saturday morning after a gunbattle broke out at the house. Police say Drake was seen prowling outside the house on Northwest 121st Street before he entered the home and exchanged gunfire with someone inside. Drake was shot and killed, and the resident was wounded. The resident's name wasn't immediately released, while police determine whether to recommend any criminal charges."


Alabama high school intruder shot: "An alleged intruder was shot and killed this morning during a struggle with a Birmingham City Schools security officer at Hayes High School. Two school security officers were dispatched to the school at 3 a.m. after they were alerted to a break-in, said school system spokeswoman Regina Waller. When they arrived, they saw a man exiting the school through a window. As one of the officers was trying to handcuff the man, the suspect turned and tried to attack him, Waller said. They fell to the ground in a struggle, and the security guard's gun discharged. The intruder was taken to University Hospital, where he underwent surgery and died, Waller said. Birmingham police evidence investigators remained on the scene at 10:30 a.m. Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Jay Glass identified the dead man as 24-year-old Alfonzo Turner of Birmingham. Waller said the school security officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation."


Texas Store Clerk Shoots Out Thief’s Windows: "Police say two men are under arrest after a robbery at a northeast side convenience store Monday night. According to officers, one of those suspects was shot by the store clerk. The robbery happened around 8:30 p.m. at the Ashkan Food Mart on Rittiman Road. Police say a robber came into the store and acted as if he had a gun. Once he got cash, he hopped into a waiting pick-up truck. The clerk ran outside and shot at the truck as it drove away. Officers were able to track down that truck at a nearby apartment complex. They say the vehicle's windows had been shot out and they noticed blood. Police found the injured suspect and a man believed to be his getaway driver. Both were placed under arrest. There is no word yet on the suspect's condition."

North Carolina man shot by homeowner: "A person who was allegedly breaking into a car was shot by the homeowner and was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center. Police said that a homeowner on Church Street used a shotgun to shoot a man who was allegedly breaking into the homeowner’s vehicle around 4 a.m. The man who was shot was airlifted to CMC with non-life-threatening injures. Police plan to talk to him about their investigation. They spent most of the morning talking to the homeowner, who says his vehicle has been broken into before. According to North Carolina law, police say homeowners can shoot if they feel their life is threatened. Police are still investigating Monday morning’s shooting. At this point they say the homeowner used a shotgun, but they’re not releasing what type of ammunition was used. Investigators said the weapon could have produced life threatening injuries, but it did not. The Gaston County district attorney will now decide if the homeowner will be charged."


Alaska man shoots grizzly : "Another grizzly bear has been shot outside Fairbanks. It was the third killed in defense of property in eight days. A Fairbanks man shot the grizzly early Thursday off of Farmers Loop road north of the city. His property borders Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. Don Young, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist, said the bear and a sibling approached the man at his backyard farm. "They were kind of nosing around where the guy had a cow and some geese," Young said. "He yelled at them and shot a couple shots in the dirt and they kind of ran off and split up, but one came back and he ended up shooting it." State wildlife troopers will investigate the shooting, Young said. He estimated the bear weighed about 200 pounds and was 3 or 4 years old. Two grizzlies were killed near here May 24. One was shot in Salcha, south of Fairbanks, after it got into a pig pen. The other was killed at Mile 13 Elliott Highway when it walked into a yard and confronted a barking dog. "This early in season, the end of May, three (shootings) around Fairbanks is definitely on the high side," Young said. The bear killed Thursday was shot in the same area where two grizzly siblings were reported last spring. One of those bears was shot and killed when it approached a horse corral."


Louisiana man shot, faces battery charges: "A Shreveport shooting is being considered self defense. Police say the man who got shot now faces battery charges. It happened in the 500 block of Kirby Street. Just after 6:00 p.m. Saturday, neighbors say a woman shot the man that she lives with. The woman says the man was beating her and she pulled out a gun and shot him in the leg. The man was taken to LSU hospital. At newstime, there were no charges against the woman."

Tennessee: Rough cop gets his due: "A 27 year-old Memphis police officer was killed Sunday, June 3, 2007, after he kicked open a door at the home of his former girlfriend, who is also a Memphis police officer. Deputies were called to the 1200 block of Breezy Gate Drive in East Shelby County near Cordova just after 8 a.m. They found 27 year-old Jeremy Kyle shot to death near a downstairs bedroom. The woman who lives at the house, 27 year-old Teresita Watson, told Sheriff's Detectives the intruder was her co-worker and former boyfriend. Watson says after Kyle kicked open the backdoor of her home, he walked to the bedroom and pointed a gun at her and another man who was with her, 22 year-old Justin Davis of Memphis. There was an exchange of gunfire. Kyle was shot in the chest. He died at the scene. Watson was also shot. The bullet grazed her stomach area. She was treated and released from the Regional Medical Center. Davis was not hurt. Watson's three young children, ages 3, 5 and 9 years-old, were upstairs in a bedroom. They were not hurt. Sheriff's detectives say Davis admitted shooting Kyle when he aimed the gun at him and Watson. No charges have been filed against Davis. Sheriff's Deputies had been called to the house before."


Texas owner shoots man trying to rob phone store: "The fatal shooting of an armed robbery suspect during a holdup of a southeast Houston cellular phone store will be referred to a Harris County grand jury, Houston police said Sunday. Quinton Jerome Randle, 21, died at the scene after he was shot shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday while he was robbing Ultra Telecom and Computers, 7134 Bellfort, Houston police said. Witnesses told police they saw Randle enter the store with a gun. The owner, Mohammed Hoque, was able to grab his own pistol behind the counter and chase Randle out of the store. During the pursuit in the parking lot, Hoque fired several times. Randle was struck and collapsed. He died at the entrance of the parking lot. For several hours after the shooting, his body lay covered by a yellow sheet, a black handgun on the pavement next to his right hand and a tan baseball cap by his feet. Homicide investigators questioned Hoque and interviewed several witnesses at the scene, including passengers on a Metro bus that was passing by at the time."


Texas burglar shot: "A Houston police officer shot a suspected home burglar Sunday when the man suddenly turned toward him while holding a dark object that turned out to be his wallet, authorities said. The shooting happened about 12:45 p.m. outside a home in the 5600 block of Hoover in northwest Houston. The man was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he is expected to survive, Houston police said. The homeowner had flagged down the officer, a 17-year HPD veteran whom police have not identified, telling him someone was in his house. "They noticed the suspect at a window inside the house," said Sgt. Nate McDuell, an HPD spokesman. The man crashed through the window and tried to run away. Police said he was carrying a black bag in his hand. The officer, assigned to HPD's North Patrol Command, ordered the man to stop. He dropped the bag but continued running, police said. The officer then saw the man reach for a dark-colored object on the ground. "He had it in his hand when he turned toward the officer," McDuell said. Believing the object was a gun, the officer fired, striking the man in the leg. "The homeowner, as well as a third-party witness, also saw the object and believed the suspect to be armed," McDuell said. Charges are pending against the man, police said."

The making of a gun believer

It was a night in 1982 when I was living alone in suburban Los Angeles. At about 3 a.m., I awoke to a sound at my front door. At first, I thought it was a raccoon rummaging in the bushes, but when I peeked through the peephole on the front door, I saw a man on my porch trying to break the lock with a screwdriver. All my lights were off, so I thought, "He must think no one is home." I pounded on the door from the inside and yelled, thinking he would run away when he knew the house was occupied. He straightened up for a moment, looked back at me through the peephole and, to my horror, bent down and kept working on the lock.

I dialed the number for my next-door neighbor, just 50 yards over the fence, but not one answered. I called another neighbor. Still no answer. I was afraid to leave the house and was beginning to panic. What did he want? What would happen if he got in? I called the police and told the dispatcher what was happening. "Is he in the house?" she asked. (I still can't believe she asked that before telling me that the cavalry was coming.) I said no, so she said, "Well, lock yourself in your bedroom. Someone is on the way."

I ran back to the peephole. He was still there. At this point I realized that a man still trying to break through the door with lights, noise and a person in the house would probably not just take my stereo and sneak away. I was in terrible danger.

Then, all of a sudden, the pounding stopped. I crept to the door and looked. He was gone. He couldn't break through the lock and had probably decided he'd been there too long. The police arrived … about 10 minutes later. I promised myself that I would never be defenseless again.

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Australian political party wants gun training for kids



CHILDREN should start firearms training from age 10 and shooting programs should be reinstated at schools, says the NSW gun lobby. At present children as young as 12 can gain a gun permit, allowing them to shoot semi-automatic pistols, bolt-action rifles and other firearms under supervision.

NSW Shooters Party MP Roy Smith told the Sunday Telegraph his group would lobby parliament to allow 10-year-olds to gain two years' experience with air rifles before they sat for gun licences. "Kids these days get in trouble because we don't trust them with anything," Mr Smith said. "BB guns and air rifles now have to be registered when, in my day, all the boys were running around with them; we don't trust kids with pocket knives and we don't trust them with (fire) crackers. "So essentially the first taste of responsibility kids get in Australia nowadays is when we hand them the keys to the car - often with tragic consequences." Mr Smith said his party would also lobby for gun safety programs and shooting lessons to be reintroduced into school curriculums.

In contrast, the Coalition for Gun Control last week urged the State Government to abolish gun permits for minors. Spokeswoman Sam Lee said the law was "absurd". "It is dangerously ironic that a young person cannot possess a fake or replica handgun but that they can legally use a real one," she said. "We don't let them get a driver's licence until they are 17, because it's too dangerous, but we let them shoot with a semi-automatic handgun before they are even teenagers."

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia statistics show big increases across all ages - including minors - in its membership. Spokesman Adam Leto said in 2000, there were just 15 members under the age of 18. Last year that figure had jumped to about 400, with an average of 120 new members signing up every three months. "We now have about 1000 members under the age of 18," he said.

Western Sydney schoolboy Matthew Woolnough, 12, earned his gun licence two months ago and goes to target practice with his brother Aaron, 14, at an SSAA indoor range. "I enjoy it," he said. "It gives you confidence although the other kids say, 'you can't play soccer so you have to shoot guns instead'. "I have a disease which makes my cartilage disintegrate so I can't (run around on the field)."

Ashleigh Bell, 17, took up shooting initially because of her dream of becoming a policewoman. "You feel really strong and confident when you know how to use a gun and the other kids think it's pretty cool," she said. "It's relaxing, it improves your concentration and when you're feeling angry you can come here and shoot instead of taking it out on a person."

Her sister Rebecca, 12, currently has her temporary membership exemption - a precursor to a minor's permit, which she is due to receive next month. "I wanted to do it because I saw my sister liked it so much," she said. "I've been told I've got a pretty good eye so I'm pretty happy with that."

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Ohio man with concealed gun shoots at robbers: "A man legally carrying a concealed handgun shot at an armed robber in Akron. Four teenagers approached 24-year-old Raphael L. Owens at about 11:30 Wednesday night near the corner of Elmore Avenue and South Portage Path. One pointed a chrome-plated gun at Owens and demanded his cell phone. Owens gave up the phone. The robber then asked, "what else do you have?" Owens tried to run, but the robber grabbed his arm. Owens broke free, pulled out his own gun and fired one shot, missing the teens, who took off running. They ran south on Elmore while Owens ran toward a pay phone. When he got to Grand Avenue at West Exchange Street, he saw the suspects up the street, at Grand and South Portage Path. Again, one teen leveled a gun at him. Again, Owens fired a shot and missed. The suspects fled as Owens called police from the pay phone at West Exchange and Dodge Avenue.


Vermont home invader released: "A Stowe man pleaded innocent Wednesday to domestic and simple assault charges in Orleans District Court after being shot in Albany. Eric Kelley, 31, was still clad in a hospital gown and bound in chains when he stood before Judge Christina Reiss. Police said Kelley was shot after he tried to break into his estranged wife's home in Albany and attacked her brother and father. He had been treated at North Country Hospital in Newport City after police said he was shot and grazed Tuesday morning when a side-by-side shotgun went off. The gun had been held by David Croteau, the father of Kelley's estranged wife Dawn, police said. Police did not say whether Croteau tried to shoot Eric Kelley or whether it went off by accident when Kelley knocked Croteau down. Kelley pleaded innocent to felony unlawful trespassing into an occupied dwelling, and misdemeanor charges of domestic and simple assault and unlawful mischief. Orleans County sheriff's deputies released Kelley after he signed conditions of release, including that he not contact or harass Dawn and her family members, including mother, Cindy Croteau, and brother Douglas"

British Keystone Cops again: "A police worker was accidentally shot by a gun specialist during a lecture on firearms awareness at the Thames Valley force’s headquarters. The wounded man, who is in his fifties, was reported to be in a serious but stable condition yesterday in the John Radcliffe hospital, Oxford, after surgery for a wound to his abdomen. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will now examine how a 9mm Glock pistol came to have a live round, why the safety catch was not on, and whether the officer checked the status of the gun before the lesson. Eleven call operators were attending the session in Kidlington, Oxford, on Wednesday when the gun went off as the officer – a member of the force’s tactical firearms unit – was demonstrating how it worked. “A shot ran out and one of the class was shot in the stomach from fairly close range,” a police source said. The source said: “The question uppermost in everyone’s mind is why on earth the gun was loaded when it was being used as during a demonstration in a classroom.”


Virginia: Burglar gets a headache : "A suspected burglar was shot in the head Wednesday after police say the unknown man tried to break into a house in Woodbridge, according to Prince William County police. The man, who police believe may be responsible for two burglary attempts at the house in the 1900 block of Old Post Terrace, fled from the scene after being shot, leaving a trail of blood, said Officer Erika Hernandez, Prince William police spokeswoman. Police said the homeowner fired a handgun at the burglar, striking him in the head, Hernandez said. When police arrived, the burglar was gone. The burglar is described as a thinly built white man in his early 20s, with blond hair who is approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. The victim was not injured during the incident, Hernandez said, adding that at this time no charges have been brought against the homeowner."


Arizona man shoots himself in foot but gets thug too: "A man shot himself in the foot as he was defending himself from an attacker at a Mesa motel early Thursday, police said. Police said a man went to a room at the Tails West Motel, 6205 E. Main St., about 2:30 a.m. looking for another man who he said owed him money. During an altercation, the man in the room was pushed down onto a bed, where he reached over and grabbed a handgun and fired at the attacker. The first shot hit his foot, and the next two struck the attacker in the upper thigh and hand, police said. The men were taken to hospitals."

Soldiers Finding WWII Weapons in Iraq

While searching for weapons caches, American soldiers near Abu Ghraib often play the part of accidental archaeologists. Iraq is a country steeped in history, but the artifacts that soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry have periodically stumbled on are not born of the Middle East. Instead, they have migrated from Europe and Asia, remnants of past battlefields that have been pressed into service again.

Rifles etched with the Nazi eagle and swastika, Tommy guns seemingly straight out of black and white gangster movies, and a British Sterling submachine gun familiar to any World War II enthusiast have been found among the weapons troves of insurgents. The weapons, often preserved in their hiding places in motor oil, are discovered in perfect working order, a startling incongruence to their surroundings in Iraq and modern warfare. “Most of this stuff should be in a museum and not floating around,” said Capt. Rene Diaz, 29, of Puerto Rico. “You normally can only read about these kinds of weapons.”

The unit finds about two to three weapons caches per week, said Capt. Shaun Trinkle. The finds vary in size from a couple of guns with a few hundred rounds to larger caches with dozens of weapons and explosives. Trinkle, a 27-year-old from Fort Hood, Texas, said soldiers typically find a variation of the AK automatic rifle, a weapon common to many Iraqi households.

But on a dozen occasions, the troops have found weapons that date as far back as the 1930s and 40s. The weapons, from places like Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, are worth tens of thousands of dollars to collectors, Diaz said. Diaz, a gun enthusiast, spends time pulling apart the rare weapons, studying the sturdy design that has allowed them to continue performing more than a half century after their manufacture. “These old weapons were designed to be pounded and punished,” he said. “In World War II they were made simple and easy to use. And here they still are.”

Trinkle, another admirer of vintage weapons, said it is anyone’s guess how the guns — some worth upwards of $25,000 on the antiquities market — could have found their way into dirt holes in the orchards and rutted fields of western Baghdad. “Sometimes it amazes me,” he said. “Some of the guns may have been family heirlooms passed down. Some may have been surplus weapons sold by other countries to Iraq. Some may have been floating around on the black market.”

The appearance of British weapons has the most plausible explanation, the soldiers said. The guns were likely remainders of the colonial British presence in Iraq during the early part of the 20th century. Iraq achieved independence from the British in the 1930s. “The weapons are pretty rugged,” Diaz said. “But a lot of them were destroyed after [World War II] so that’s why they’re collector’s items.”

Diaz said he hopes some of the antique guns are displayed at the unit’s home base in Fort Hood. The process of clearing the weapons for return to the United States involves a lot of paperwork, he said, but otherwise the guns will be destroyed or turned over to Iraqi authorities. “This is real unique stuff that you definitely don’t see every day in the United States,” Trinkle said. “Here you just find them buried in the ground.”

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Texas Man Found Dead After Dispute Turned Deadly : "Smith County Sheriff deputies are investigating a dispute that turned deadly after one man allegedly threw tools at another at a home near Gladewater. Smith County Sheriff Sgt. Randy Meadows said the shooting occurred in the 22100 block of County Road 374 about 12:30 Saturday morning and left a 40-year-old man dead. "We got a call that there had been a shooting and when deputies arrived they found George Edward Hill dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds," he said. Meadows said detectives at the scene saw evidence of a struggle, including a sling blade that was stuck in the wall. "It appears at this time that Hill showed up at the home and began arguing with David Allen McBride and then began throwing tools at him," he said. Meadows said Hill was throwing different types of tools and McBride reported he feared for his life and armed himself with a handgun and fired multiple shots striking Hill. "Right now it appears to be self-defense, but the investigation is ongoing," he said. "No charges have been filed at this time."



Tables turned in Florida attack : "Jacob Seckler keeps a gun in his pocket when he mows the lawn. He keeps a gun in his pillowcase when he tries to sleep, but the shadows dancing across the bedroom walls keep him awake. “I’m strictly against guns. I never wanted them in the house,” said Seckler. “Now I wouldn’t be in the house without a gun.” Seckler’s stance on guns changed the morning of May 16. He was mowing his lawn when he turned around and saw two 20-year-old men standing behind him. Seckler said one of the men was pointing a gun at his head. After Seckler, 50, raised his hands to the sky, the two men pushed him past the garage toward the front door of his home in northeast Cape Coral. They held him at gunpoint and said they were getting into his house no matter what. A struggle ensued at the front door. Seckler refused to let the men inside and they beat him over the head with the pistol and their elbows and fists. One of the men bit Seckler’s back. Seckler’s fiancee, Elizabeth Kachnic, 37, said she heard screaming and the door slam repeatedly. “I don’t know what happened to me,” said Seckler. “I was so scared. I’m not crazy like that, but I knew I had to do something.” The gun was pressed against Seckler’s temple. He said he pushed the assailant’s hand down and the gun fell to the ground. Seckler said he screamed for Kachnic to call 911 as he and the two men scrambled for the weapon. “I got the gun. I just turned around and shot,” said Seckler. “If they did not come here with a gun, they would be alive. It’s their fault.” He fired every bullet in the clip. One of the men, John Patrick Moore Jr., was hit as he sprinted across Seckler’s driveway. He stumbled to the edge of the street and died."

California: Ryan O'Neal Won't Face Criminal Charges: "Prosecutors declined Friday to charge Ryan O'Neal with assault with a deadly weapon for firing a gun during a brawl with his older son earlier this year. There was insufficient evidence "to prove this case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt," said a report from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. "Witnesses gave, in different interviews, conflicting stories" of what happened during the brawl, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office. Mark Werksman, O'Neal's attorney, said prosecutors did the right thing by declining to pursue the case. "It's a tremendous relief for Mr. O'Neal to have this resolved favorably in this manner," said Werksman, claiming his client acted in self-defense. O'Neal, 66, was arrested at his Malibu home Feb. 3 for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm. He was freed on a $50,000 bond. The actor has said he fired a warning shot to scare his 42-year-old son, Griffin O'Neal, who had attacked him with a fireplace poker. He said his son lashed out at him during a fight, but he ducked and the poker struck Griffin O'Neal's pregnant girlfriend, Joanna Berry. She needed stitches for a facial cut, her attorney has said. Werksman said Ryan O'Neal suffered bruises to his arms and legs when he was struck several times."


Oklahoma: Clerk and robber both shot: "A convenience store clerk is in good condition at a local hospital after being shot during a robbery attempt in northwest Oklahoma City this morning, a police spokesman said. The suspect is also thought to have been shot, police Sgt. Paco Balderrama said. The suspected robber is in police custody after calling for paramedics shortly after the attempted heist. Police have not released the identities of either the clerk or the robber. About 2:15 a.m., police responded to the 4 Seasons Gas & Food at northwest 63 and Santa Fe, where the clerk at the store had been shot in the chest and left hand by a robber, Balderrama said. The suspect ran, but the clerk told police he had shot the robber before the man left the store. A short time later, the suspected robber called for medical help about a gunshot wound from 6316 W Wilshire Blvd., Balderrama said. The man was taken to a hospital and is currently in police custody. Police think he is responsible for the robbery, Balderrama said. The clerk is good condition this morning, recovering from his wounds at OU Medical Center"

Utah householder shoots at white guy in black hat (just like the movies): "A man shot at a burglar who entered his apartment Tuesday night. Police said a man dressed in black broke into an apartment, at 1100 South block of 200 East, about 11:20 p.m. and told a man inside he would kill him. The resident, who was watching television at the time, tussled with the burglar in the living room and broke free, authorities said. The resident went to the bedroom and grabbed a gun, shooting three times as the burglar ran away, said police. The burglar appeared to get away unscathed, police said. He was described as white, in his 20s, 5 feet, 10 inches tall and wearing black shorts, a black shirt and a black hat".


Texas man fatally shot by bar owner in robbery attempt: "A man was fatally shot by the owner of a north Houston business he was allegedly attempting to rob Sunday night. Police were called to the 5800 block of Fulton around 10:30 p.m. and discovered the body of a man, dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. An automatic weapon was nearby. The owner of the bar told police that he confronted the man, who he believed to be a burglar, and the two exchanged gunfire. Witnesses told police that four shots were fired, said HPD Homicide Sgt. Ramiro Lozano. The owner of the business was not injured and the incident remains under investigation."


Tennessee shooting ruled justifiable: "Local and state investigators said this weekend’s shooting death of a Tennessee National Guardsman was done in self defense. The shooting happened early Sunday morning at a home on Dexter Gouge Road in the Limestone Cove area of Unicoi County. They say the homeowner was defending himself when a man pushed himself into the home holding a gun. Investigators said Clarence Hyder went to Nathan Gouge's home with a gun in his hand and he had another gun and rifle in his pick-up truck. Sheriff Kent Harris says he believes Hyder went to Gouge's home because he felt Gouge was talking about him behind his back. "Hyder already told his wife and his father in law that he already had a problem with Gouge. His wife, her first reaction was she thought possible that Hyder rode by there and shot into their house,” Sheriff Harris said. Sheriff Harris said Hyder was a guardsman with the Tennessee National Guard and returned from Iraq about a year ago. Harris described Gouge and Hyder as long time friends. The sheriff doesn't expect any charges to be filed and an autopsy as been requested for Hyder."

Mississippi: Feisty store clerk kills robber: "It happened just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning at the Super Seven gas station located at 4564 Bullard Street. According to police, the four suspects entered the store. Two were carrying shotguns and the other two were carrying pistols. Two of the suspects began tussling with the clerk. Eventually, the clerk pulled out his own handgun and began shooting at the suspects. 17-year-old Deonta Thomas was shot in the chest. He died on the scene. 16-year-old Ryaneal Campbell was shot in the leg. He is recovering at U.M.C. and will eventually be charged with armed robbery. The store clerk does not face any charges. The other two suspects fled the scene on foot. They were wearing masks to partially conceal their faces."


IN: No guns allowed, if you're a visitor: "Pistol-packing tourists at the Statehouse soon will have to leave their guns at home. Lawmakers and judges, however, will be exempt from new Statehouse security restrictions that go into effect June 4. The Statehouse -- which includes the governor's and lieutenant governor's offices, the legislature and the Indiana Supreme Court -- has been wide open, with no metal detectors and numerous entrances. Under the new policy, guns will be banned, and visitors will have to pass through metal detectors. ... the new rules do not apply to legislators or judges who, as members of separate branches of government, set their own rules."


Observant Florida mayor catches dumb crooks: "After a customer wrestled a gun away from a convenience store robber, an unlikely figure foiled the getaway: North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns. The gunman, wearing a dark blue bandanna over his face, walked into the market at Northeast 14th Avenue and 129th Street about 4 p.m., police say. After a customer tackled and disarmed him, he ran outside and jumped into a waiting gray Chrysler or Dodge with two other men. Burns, reelected last week, was driving to City Hall when he saw the scene unfold. For 10 minutes, he followed the car, trying unsuccessfully to dial 911. The robbers, aware they were being followed by his Secret Service-esque black SUV, abandoned their car behind North Miami's Jewish Community Center, 735 NE 125th St. Meanwhile, North Miami's new Strike Team, a group of detectives who target gangs and fugitives, were cruising the streets. One detective, John Mayato, happened upon Burns at the parking lot. Later, as the two guarded the abandoned car, another car cruised through the alleyway -- and Burns said he recognized the dreadlocked man as a passenger in the car he'd followed earlier. Mayato radioed fellow detectives, who pulled the car over. The dreadlocked man, whose name was not released, had called friends to pick him up, police believe. ''The amazing thing is he came back to the scene of the crime where they dumped the car,'' Burns said. Another man, Kendrick Jolly, 19, was found loitering in the area. His bandanna -- and ID -- were found inside the abandoned rental car, police said. Jolly has been charged with armed robbery. Detectives found another gun inside the car."

Arizona slaying ruled justifiable homicide: "The County Attorney's Office has deemed the March 3 fatal shooting of a 21-year-old-man by a near North Side resident justifiable and no charges will be sought in the case, authorities said. Killed was Charles Alvin Eisner, police said. Sgt. Decio Hopffer, a Tucson police spokesman would not name the man who shot Eisner because the shooter has not been charged with a crime. Eisner was shot before dawn after the occupant of a home near East Fort Lowell Road and North First Avenue heard noises in the carport, went to investigate and spotted a stranger in the carport, said Rick Unklesbay, chief trial counsel for the County Attorney's Office. Unklesbay said the resident went back into the house to put on clothing and when he turned around he found the stranger had rushed into the darkened home and the resident shot the intruder. A review of the police investigation lead to a determination the shooting was a justifiable homicide and the decision was made this month not to seek charges, Unklesbay said. The shooting was immediately reported to police by the resident, Unklesbay said."


Ohio man Shoots Pit Bull When It Tries To Attack: "A man was attacked by a pitbull on the city's east side Thursday morning before a gas station owner shot the dog. The attack happened at East 55th Street and St. Clair Avenue. Gas station owner Steve Daymut said he saw two pit bulls were walking unleashed near the busy intersection and one of the dogs got hit by a car. He wanted to help the dogs, but when the uninjured dog seized a passerby, Daymut ran back to the station and grabbed his 9 mm handgun. He shot the pit bull as it started to come toward him. The passerby was taken to an area hospital with injuries to his arm. His condition is not known."


MO: Bill would extend protection for deadly force: "An effort to expand [sic] gun rights in Missouri has been forwarded to Gov. Matt Blunt's desk. Dubbed the 'Castle Doctrine,' the House and Senate reached agreement on the bill, which is intended to expand a person's justifications for using deadly force in self-defense beyond the traditional defense of one's home. Current Missouri law justifies the use of deadly force only if people believe it's necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious injury. The bill -- SB62 -- would give people in homes as well as car and truck drivers wide discretion in the use of deadly force against intruders. People would be immune from criminal and civil actions for killing or injuring someone in self-defense."

The Dead Horse in the Living Room: School Shootings

We are loathe to discuss the dead horse on the living room floor because we don't want to contemplate the fact that we would have to do something tangible about it. So we simply tiptoe over it and try to ignore its presence. Similarly, that is how we treat school security and prohibiting guns on campus.

There's an old story about a couple who moved into a new neighborhood. When their next door neighbor invited them to dinner, they gladly accepted. When the big evening arrived, they donned their best social attire, grabbed a little gift for the host and hostess, and presented themselves at the neighbor's front door at the appointed time, hungry, and ready to cement their new friendship.

Once inside, they immediately became aware that there was a dead horse on the living room floor! The hosts made no mention, indeed they quietly stepped over it in offering hors doevres, wine and small talk. When moving from the living room to the dining room, they had to step over the poor thing, yet the hosts acted like nothing was amiss. Dinner was splendid except for the knowledge that there was a dead horse in the next room, yet no one seemed to find it the least bit odd. It was strange, but even after dinner, when they retreated from the dining room back to the living room, there was that huge dead horse in the living room floor. The hosts continued to step over it each time they moved about, and they paid absolutely no attention, yet it was still there, plain as life.

Finally, as the new couple made their way past the dead horse to take their leave, the wife couldn't take it anymore. She turned to the hostess and asked "are you aware that there is a dead horse on your living room floor?" The hostess replied "Of course, but we don't like to talk about it".

The dead horse on the living room floor. It's there all right and we are most certainly aware of its presence, yet we pretend that it doesn't exist. Why? Well, first of all, if we acknowledged its presence, then we'd have to do something about it. Second, it is unpleasant, and whilst we know we'd have to clean it up, the cleansing might challenge us. We hope by denying its presence, that we won't have to deal with it, to think about it, to speak it's name. We hide from the truth. It might belie our self opinion, our perception of the world around us, it might make us think, change our minds.

Well? There's a dead horse on the living room floor. At least when we think of school security, and the possibility of some nut case coming in and shooting up the place, and the people inside. We are loathe to discuss the dead horse because we don't want to contemplate the fact that we would have to do something tangible about it. So we simply tiptoe over it and try to ignore its presence. And we pray that others will do the same.

Like an alcoholic refusing to admit that they have a problem because then they'd have to do something about it, we all can see the dead horse, yet no one wants to do anything about it. Meanwhile, it continues to fester. What about future happenings? Future victims?

Well, there's a problem with this strategy, as Virginia Tech shows us. We can try to ignore dead horses, but they continue to make their presence known to us, and our avoidance of the topic becomes more and more silly and pathetic as time passes, and events illustrate the fallacy of our preconceived notions.

The read dead horse is, of course the sad fact that the VA Tech nutcase had time to chain the doors, reload, and perform many other tasks - including killing as many people as possible - simply because he had no viable opposition. The dead horse is the fact that when nutcases come to our schools looking to make names for themselves, they know that they face no effective opposition.

32 people dead in VA Tech. how many would be alive and walking around today had there been someone - anyone inside that building who could mount effective opposition? The dead horse I refer to is why wasn't anybody else armed? Why wasn't there an armed person inside that building who could provide effective protection for the victims, who could only be led like sheep (or horses) to slaughter?

We know that name of that dead horse - the college administration is afraid of guns and had banned them from campus - even by licensed permit holders. Not only that, but they had just successfully defended this policy against a licensed permit holder in court. And not only that, they crowed over their victory, claiming it would make the campus safer. Events have proved that this policy, far from making people safer, actually increased their vulnerability for when the nutcase came.

Guns are banned from public places out of ignorance and propaganda. Those who know the truth know that guns are used far more often to deter crime than to cause it. They know that passing laws, enacting policies, etc. only deter the `good guys', and do nothing to stop the `bad guys'. In fact, by publicizing the fact that yours is a `gun free' zone, you effectively invite every nutcase in the vicinity to use your facility, and your people, as targets in his shooting gallery. You guarantee him safety from opposition whilst he continues to kill more and more people. And you take the right to self defense away from the victims.

Study after study (Kleck and Lott to name two) have affirmed that when `good guys' carry guns, that `multiple victim' shooting decrease in number. Who can possibly NOT want the chance of a multiple victim shooting to decrease? And when they do occur, the number of victims is far fewer. That means less people killed. Guns in the hands of normal citizens, permit holders if you will, are lifesavers. Yet for decades we have been told that guns are dangerous and ought to be banned.

Another dead horse is the fact that gun bans do not work, never have. Place after place, country after country, society after society has seen violent crime rates jump after gun bans are put into place. History shows gun control a dismal failure when and wherever it is tried, yet some people persist, stepping over the dead horse of disarmed victims, and armed criminals. They actually make us less safe than before, yet continue down the spiral of violence that they increasingly enable. Another dead horse that we don't talk about.

The truth is just about the opposite: more guns means less crime, including school shootings. If you look at the events behind every school shooting in recent history, the only ones that ended before the shooters were satisfied involved armed intervention. With nothing to stop them, the armed people just keep killing until they are satiated. With armed opposition, they are thwarted.

And don't tell me about getting the police. The VA Tech nutcase managed to kill entire classrooms full of people before the police could even be called - let alone arrive, setup, and gain entry (remember: he chained the doors). You can kill a lot of people in a very short time -especially if they cannot escape, and help cannot arrive. Some schools hire armed guards to deal with the threat. But armed guards are often the first ones to die - remember the lottery shootings? And that guard wasn't even armed.

So how many of the 32 could be alive and among us today had just one person inside that building been armed? Certainly not all could have been saved, but some. Can you look at the pictures of the victims and know who is now dead because of the dead horse that was VA Tech's `gun free' policies? Can you tell who is no longer able to live and enjoy life because no one could save them? Can you look into each young, promising eye, and say that that future was denied precisely because the administration is proudly squeamish about reality? Another dead horse.

Will school shootings continue? You bet. As long as nut cases know that they can come in, face no opposition, and kill as many innocents as they desire, things like this will continue to occur. As long as our schools are virtually proclaimed to be `nutcase shooting galleries", and our children, our young, our future, held out as expendable targets for the evil among us, that evil will continue. As long as we continue to tiptoe around the dead horse, it will continue to fester and reek of folly.

Some people believe that security cameras will deter shootings. In Great Britain - the most monitored society on the planet - violent crime is on the rise. All the cameras can do is to record the event. They can do nothing to stop it, or bring it to an early conclusion. There is only one way of doing that - the dead horse - promote the presence of armed `good guys'.

Other people say that all one needs to do is to call the police. A call to the police takes time, time during which the caller can be shot. People who have had the necessity to call the police will substantiate the fact that the phone call takes time - time during which things are happening. One can empty a gun's magazine in less time than it takes to produce your cell phone, let alone punch in the digits for "911". Cell phone calls to the emergency line are often routed to the wrong department. I have had the need to call 9-1-1 twice during the past few years - and both times the call went to another police department. They had to switch my call to the other location, and I had to start the process all over again. Each time the phone call required over a full clock minute just to get the right person on the other end to pick up. Then I had to explain the situation, then I had to wait for the police to arrive. By the time an emergency phone call can be completed, the shooter has the opportunity to kill dozens of people. The dead horse is that when seconds count, not only does the caller become a target should they be noticed, but the arrival of help is measured in minutes. People die during that time.

So if we look at the dead horse in the living, talk about it, and take prudent, wise action, then we will eventually do the right thing. There are people among us who carry firearms every day. People we see in the grocery store, walking down the sidewalk, people who sit beside us in church, on the bus, on a park bench. Are they carrying? Perhaps so. Perhaps not. But if they are, and someone tries to commit a violent crime, you can rely upon them to stop it, perhaps to save lives. It should be more reassuring to know that these folks are around, than to believe in the dead horse that we can remove guns from bad people by passing laws or enacting policies. Should the unthinkable happen and someone stride into your facility shooting, wouldn't you want to have a friend who is armed beside you?

Which brings me to my final dead horse. The safety of gun holders is proven and unchallengeable. The statistics of concealed carry, for example, is unassailable, yet people continue to express fear of guns. You may very well be afraid of guns, but others aren't. others have learned about guns, and are not governed by ignorance, but by truth. Those very people - those `armed citizens' that you fear may be the only thing between you and a violent crime, perhaps even death. Will you take the time to learn the truth? Do you want to be really safe, or only `safe' in an illusory sense. My final question" Would you rather FEEL safe, or BE safe?

Source






NC: Soldier kills home intruder: "A Fort Bragg soldier shot a 16-year-old intruder to death in his apartment early Wednesday, stopping an apparent home invasion. ... According to court documents, the four -- Geddie, Michael Fripp [above], Torrian Knowles and Kwuamae Keaton -- were at the apartment complex shortly after 5 a.m. Keaton, 17, reportedly stayed in the car while Fripp, 22, stood at the side of the building. They were acting as lookouts, police said. Geddie and Knowles, 18, went behind the apartment, court records said. Geddie kicked open the back door and went in. The occupants of the apartment -- soldier Brooks Boone and his wife -- were awakened by the noise, records said. Boone reportedly grabbed a gun from a nightstand beside the bed and fired several shots. Geddie was hit in the chest. The three who took him to the hospital have been charged with first-degree burglary and conspiracy...Buchkechio Geddie was a student at Hoke Christian Academy in Red Springs. He had attended South View High School but was expelled last year, his father said"


NC: Store owner holds burglar's accomplice at gunpoint: "Authorities said a man entered a Shell station on University Parkway at about 5:11 a.m. and demanded money. After he received an undisclosed amount of money, the culprit demanded money from the safe, police said. The owner, James William Overby, retrieved a handgun from a concealed location and pointed it at the culprit, according to Winston-Salem police. A short struggle ensued and the culprit fled on foot, police said. Overby then encountered a second culprit waiting in the suspect vehicle and ordered him to the ground, according to police. Overby detained that person until police arrived."

CA: Robber loses gun; ID'd by store video camera: "Woodland police have identified a suspect in the Tuesday morning attempted robbery of the AM/PM market at Ashley Avenue and Main Street. The suspect has been identified by police as Raul Aguilar Garcia, 22, of Woodland. Garcia is described as being 5-feet, 8-inches tall and weighing around 195 pounds with brown hair and black eyes. He was last seen in the South Sacramento area Tuesday but may return to Woodland because he has relatives in the area, according to police. Garcia and another as yet unidentified suspect, are believe responsible for the attempted robbery of the market around 2:37 a.m. Tuesday. A quick thinking Woodland clerk wrestled an assault rifle away from the suspect, then chased him from the store, according to police. The suspect was brandishing the assault rifle and demanding cash at the time of the robbery attempt. The gunman demanded money and handed the clerk a bag, but the clerk took the opportunity to grab the barrel of the rifle. He was able to wrestle the gun from the robber's grasp. After the tables had turned, the clerk pointed the loaded rifle at the startled suspect who turned and fled the store. The suspect was last seen running eastbound on West Lincoln Avenue with a second unidentified man".


NY: Tenant shoots suspect during home invasion: "Shots were fired during a daring broad daylight burglary attempt Tuesday. Police say the incident happened on Sharon Avenue, where a tenant opened fire at a burglary suspect. ... This has been a frightening day for this family. Tenants could be seen power-blasting blood off their sidewalk, which the suspect left as he ran off. Police say that an 18-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with burglary. They add the shot, apparently fired by the female tenant, was in self defense."


Creeping control: "I see the busybodies at the Bureau of Land Management have their skirts in a bunch over recreational shooting on government land. Specifically, they want to ban recreational shooting at the Ironwood Forest National Monument in southern Arizona. The proposal to ban target shooting appears in two out of four strategies that fall under the monument's proposed resource management plan -- including the BLM's preferred Alternative C. In the plan, the BLM justifies the proposed ban by claiming, vaguely, that target shooting poses a risk to people engaged in dispersed recreation on the monument's 129,000 acres."

Another triumph for Canadian gun control: "A 14-Year-old boy died in a Toronto hospital today after he was shot at a local high school. "There was a radio-call for a shooting at a school in Toronto," Constable George Schuurman of Toronto police said. The victim, believed to be 14, was taken to hospital but died, police chief Bill Blair said later. "A young man lost his life, a young student lost his life in the school," Mr Blair said. The school was briefly locked down in the afternoon as police searched for the shooter. Mr Blair said he had no information about suspects. "The only information we have is that this young man was found with a single gunshot wound," he said."


California gas station robber shot: "A man trying to rob a North Oakland gas station at gun point Tuesday morning was shot in the face by the owner, police said. The suspect, a 22-year-old Stockton man whose name was not released by police pending verification, is expected to recover. He was arrested about 15 minutes after the foiled robbery when he showed up at a San Leandro hospital. The station owner and a clerk who was also there were not hurt. The robbery happened about 7:25 a.m. at TQ's 76 station, 5425 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which police said has been robbed in the past. Officer Ryan, who is investigating the case with Officer Jesse Grant, said the suspect entered the store area of the station where the owner and clerk were. Their names were not released by police. The clerk fled out of the store and the owner told the suspect to take whatever he wanted, police said. When the suspect could not get the cash register opened he began looking for the owner, who by then had gotten a gun and was in the garage area, police said. When the suspect, who was still holding the gun, came into the garage the owner shot him in the side of the face, Goodfellow said. Based on a trail of blood found, police believe the suspect made it to a car parked about a block away. He showed up about 15 minutes later at San Leandro Hospital, 13855 East 14th St. Police do not believe he drove himself there and were looking for an accomplice. The man was arrested and later transferred to Eden Hospital in Castro Valley where he was in serious condition Tuesday. Goodfellow said the gas station owner was released after questioning."


North Carolina homeowner kills black home invader: "Authorities are investigating the death of a man after a homeowner shot him after an alleged home invasion. At approximately 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Fayetteville police officers responded to an unit at the Lake Shore Grand Luxury Apartments at 5508 Faith Drive in reference to a home invasion. Investigators said three men entered the residence armed with a weapon while the occupant was home. Police said the homeowner heard the men enter the residence, armed himself and fired, shooting one of them. Police said all three men fled the scene and drove to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where the wounded suspect died as a result of his injuries. Detectives have the other two suspects in custody. Authorities have not yet released the names of the people involved."

NY: Burglar shot by store owner: "A burglary suspect was shot by a store owner early Friday at 1144 E. Main St., according to Rochester police. ... The 58-year-old business owner reported a burglary at 1:50 a.m. after he was alerted by an alarm, said Rochester Police Officer Deidre Taccone. Police searched the building but found no suspects, Taccone said. The store owner repaired a door that was damaged in the break-in. While the owner waited for other police officers to arrive to search for evidence such as fingerprints, a 41-year-old man entered the store about 4:15 a.m., Taccone said. The store owner confronted the man and the intruder came at the store owner, she said. The business owner shot the man with a registered handgun and called 911."


Bent on evil: "For example, consider homicide rates not involving firearms. The U.S. statistics rank higher than many European countrys' total murder rates, while Mexico, the Philippines and Taiwan have no-gun homicide rates higher than the U.S. total murder rate. Furthermore, 27.2 percent of Swiss nationals own hundreds of thousands of fully automatic rifles in their homes as part of their national defense; Switzerland has a low firearm homicide rate. Yet Great Britain with its draconian gun laws has a higher firearm murder rate. In the long run, if potential mass killers didn't have access to firearms (an unlikely prospect even if the gun laws were changed) they would just turn to other weapons to commit their crime, a bomb being a likely choice."


UT: Armed pharmacist stops robbery in progress: "Police say a 35-year-old Salt Lake man didn't really have a gun when he walked into a pharmacy and handed an employee a note demanding painkillers. But a pharmacy co-worker did. ... A pharmacy worker told police the man handed her a note stating 'This is a robbery. Give me 2 bottles of Oxycontin ... Do NOT make a scene and no one will get hurt. I have a gun.' ... another pharmacy co-worker showed his gun, and the suspect attempted to flee. The suspect, however, 'deferred to suggestions' made by a passer-by armed with a golf club to wait for police, according to the charging documents."

Arkansas pharmacy robber shot: "Marion, AR - A would-be robber is recovering in the med after being shot by the store clerk he was trying to rob. It happened this afternoon at the marion discount pharmacy in marion arkansas. Tonight.. Locals are calling the shooter a hero. It's well-known around town that Marion discount pharmacy had been robbed three times before. Locals are fed up. And when they heard how an attempted robbery got foiled.. Some.. Called the shooter a hero. "There was a guy laying in front of the door," says Nicky Glover a bystander who hadn't seen anything like this happen in Marion before. Marion Discount Pharmacy had just been robbed two weeks ago. But this latest attempt sent the would-be robber to the hospital. The shooter? A female pharmacist who was tired of being scared. "I think she probably solved a lot of problems here in Marion," says a friend who came to give support when they heard pharmacist Susan Burns shot a robber in her store. "We're all tired up and down this mall of robbers, thieves. She's my hometown hero." Police say around 3pm, the suspect, 26-year-old Jeremy Johnson, walked in with a gun. Police say Johnson then told a pharmacist behind the counter to get down on the ground, and ordered another to get him drugs. Somehow, Burns pulled a gun from behind the counter and fired. Police say the last time a robber came in, that robber had stuck a gun to her head. This robber didn't get far. Police say Johnson already had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from another robbery in Tennessee."


Idaho teens make a point: "Two home-schooled teenagers in this northern Idaho town say they are carrying loaded guns to the library, grocery store and other public areas for self-defense, as a crime deterrent, and to educate others about their rights. Zach Doty, 18, carries a loaded Glock handgun on his hip. His 15-year-old brother, Steven, carries a .22-caliber rifle in a sling on his back. Police have been called on several occasions to question the teens but have not found the teens to be in violation of the law. In Idaho, residents 18 and older can openly carry a firearm in public. And those ages 13 to 17 who have parental permission can carry a rifle in public. "I certainly don't anticipate that I'll need to use it, but I'd rather have it and not need it than to not have it and need it," Zach told the Coeur d'Alene Press. "There's no reason for me to hide a weapon." Zach was stopped April 17 on his way to Bible study. On Friday, police again responded when someone reported the brothers with guns in a park. But police left after confirming it was the Doty's."


Comment by economist Walter Williams: "Now let's turn to gun control laws. What do Virginia Tech's 32 murders, Columbine High School's 13 murders, Jonesboro Westside Middle School's five murders, Germany's Gutenberg High School's 16 murders, the murder of 14 legislators in Zug, Switzerland, and the murder of eight city council members in a Paris suburb all have in common? Answer: All the murders were committed in "gun-free zones." So a reasonable question is: Does legislation creating gun-free zones prevent murder and mayhem? In 1970, Israel adopted a policy to arm teachers and parents serving as school aids with semi-automatic weapons. Attacks by gunmen at Israeli schools have ceased. At Appalachian Law School in Virginia, a gunman who had already murdered three people was stopped from further carnage by two armed students. Gun possession stopping crime is not atypical, though it goes unreported by the media. According to various research estimates, from 764,000 to as many as 2.5 million crimes are prevented by armed, law-abiding people either warning a criminal that they're armed, brandishing their weapon or shooting a criminal. In the interest of truth in packaging, I think we should rename "gun-free zones" to "defenseless zones."

Indiana shooter says he acted in self-defense: "The man accused of shooting a fellow worker Monday evening at a local horse-training facility says he acted in self-defense. Charles Wolcott, 51, was upgraded Tuesday evening from critical to serious-but-stable condition after being shot in the stomach by 56-year-old Richard Velas. Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said Velas has not been arrested or charged with a crime, and Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said it's possible the shooting was provoked when Wolcott allegedly attacked Velas with a hammer. Police say the shooting occurred about 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Glenwood Training Center along Ind. 111 near the Clark-Floyd county line. Velas was reportedly living at a residence on the property while Wolcott - whose permanent address is Bennettsville Road in Borden - was temporarily living with his girlfriend in a home adjacent to the facility. Velas allegedly fired two shots at Wolcott from a rare .36 caliber black-powder six-shot revolver, a gun Mills said police "weren't really used to dealing with." A friend of Velas' - who declined to give his name but was caring for two of his own horses at Glenwood Tuesday afternoon - said Velas "felt really bad" about the shooting and described him as a "passive man who avoided confrontation."


Statue spooks British cops: "A terrified dad was held by police for 13 hours after they mistook a dummy of Lara Croft for a gunman. Computer games fan David Williams, 42, was arrested when armed cops swooped on his home late at night. He was pinned to the ground, handcuffed and quizzed - after officers spotted his life-sized model of the gun-toting Tomb Raider star, reports The Sun. David, from Dukinfield, Greater Manchester said: "I can't believe the police could be so stupid." He had called cops, about nuisance phone calls he'd received, but when two officers arrived, one saw the limited edition 6ft statue, worth 1,000 pounds, standing in the darkness of his living room window. Fearing it was an armed crook, the officers called in support - and David was held at gunpoint. David, who runs a computer games store, said: "The back-up cops burst in through the back door and knocked me to the ground. One jabbed a gun in the back of my neck and said, 'All right - where's the gun?' "I said, 'I don't have one'. They weren't happy and searched the house. "They must have soon realised what had happened because the PC who called for help was getting a lot of stick."


More British keystone cops: "Armed police chased gunmen along a motorway and cornered them in a supermarket car park - only to find two teenage girls in fancy dress with a toy pistol. Holly Spedding and Fatima Rupp, both 19, stopped their car to find themselves surrounded by police marksmen pointing guns at them and screaming: "Put your hands up!" The girls, dressed as cowgirls, cowered in fear as two helicopters hovered overhead and van loads of police dogs snarled at them. Holly and Fatima, who were locked up for hours before they were finally released, told how they had been returning from a Cowboys and Indians night at Chester University. As they headed home to Harrogate, North Yorkshire, along the M62 they joked with passing lorry drivers who spotted Fatima's cowboy hat. She said: "The lorry drivers were pretending to shoot me with their fingers. So I pointed the toy gun back at them. Everyone was smiling and laughing." But an off-duty police officer had spotted the girls and reported them for threatening motorists. Holly, who was driving, and Fatima realised something was wrong when they noticed a half a dozen police cars on their tail. Holly said: "We were petrified when we stopped and they came screeching up and surrounded us. "There were four jeeps, two vans full of dogs, armed police, helicopters and they were screaming: 'Where's the gun?'"