DE: Three men charged in botched robbery of city liquor store: "Three men wanted in a botched liquor store robbery that turned deadly were arrested Thursday, Wilmington police said. Datwan Lum of the 100 block of Chadd Road, Newark; Bernard Goodwyn of the 900 block of Linden St. and Orlando Osario of the 100 block of E. 39th St., both of Wilmington, were charged with first-degree robbery, possessing a deadly weapon during a felony and conspiracy. The attempted holdup happened about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Favor's Liquor Store, 1020 N. Walnut St. Two masked robbers brandishing handguns ordered the 55-year-old clerk to hand over money. One climbed across the counter and pointed a handgun at the cashier while the another ran around the counter and also pointed a gun, according to court records. One suspect then told the cashier to "get back," and the victim backed up, police said in court records. One of the two suspects tried to open the cash register while holding a gun on the cashier. When the gunman looked away, the cashier pulled his own gun from the waistband of his pants and started firing at the gunmen, who fled the store. Kendel Miller, 20, of the 500 block of W. 39th St., was fatally wounded by the store clerk, police said."


Calif. Man, 81, Scares Off Robbers by Shooting: "Sacramento police said an elderly man scared off would-be robbers inside his home when he pulled a gun and started shooting. Sacramento police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said the two robbers were able to get inside the home of an 81-year-old man after asking to use his phone Saturday evening. Though one of the men was armed, the victim was able to pull out his own gun when he was left inside a room where he kept the gun. The two men fled when the elderly man started shooting through a door. Police said the man, who was believed to be by himself during the robbery, was not hurt."


PA: Houseguest foiled robbery attempt: "As the robbers stood over him and his friends inside a Delaware County apartment, one of the houseguests decided it was time to act. He grabbed for the intruder's handgun yesterday morning, wrestling him out into the building's hallway, where the gun went off, alerting neighbors and police. "The guy said, 'To be honest with you, he gave me the opportunity,' " Clifton Heights Police Chief Walter Senkow said of the guest. "He was a lot bigger than the gunman." When one of the houseguests - both male and from New York - opened the door, two young men, one of whom had a handgun, burst in with their faces covered, demanding the victims' cash and jewelry. Senkow said one of the victims thought the intruders had an African accent. After the victim wrested control of the gun, the two robbers ran out of the building with the victim in pursuit. One drove off in a silver Nissan Altima. The other ran from the apartment complex, finding his way into a nearby Laundromat, where he borrowed a cell phone from a customer. Police are tracking the number."


NH: Second look at State House gun ban?: "A gun ban put in place at the State House last month will get a second look from the committee that controls government buildings. House Majority Leader Mary Jane Wallner, D-Concord, in a letter delivered today, asked Senate President Sylvia Larsen to have the Legislative Facilities Committee reconsider the ban on firearms and other deadly weapons. Larsen, who chairs the committee this year, said she will comply with the request, but said she doesn’t expect a change. Larsen said discussions at committee hearings are limited to members of House and Senate, and are not a time for the public to testify. "A public hearing will be in fact held during the bills that deal with these issues," Larsen said, noting that two bills are now pending that deal with the issues of weapons in public buildings. Wallner, who brought the proposed ban to the committee in the first place, said members of the House told her they were concerned about safety in the building. Last spring, a group carrying firearms shouted at lawmakers during a House debate."

I don't get this

I have no time for Senator Soles and it does seem that the incident was part of a homosexual quarrel that Soles had with one of his "lovers" but surely an elderly man has the right to shoot at a young guy kicking his door in. I think the young guy is lucky that he was only slightly wounded -- JR

North Carolina's longest-serving legislator turned himself in for booking Friday after being charged with shooting a former client who was kicking his front door last summer.

State Sen. R.C. Soles and an attorney arrived Friday at the Columbus County Jail for processing. A jail official said Soles was held until he posted a $5,000 unsecured bond.

The Columbus County Democrat was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. The indictment alleges Soles "unlawfully, willfully and feloniously" shot Thomas Kyle Blackburn with a handgun on Aug. 23.

Soles, an attorney who had represented Blackburn in court, said he was afraid at the assault.

The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation is currently probing a sexual allegation against Soles even though the man who made that allegation has since recanted it.

Source




OK: Shooting victim charged in accomplice's killing: "A man who was injured during a gunfight that resulted in Tulsa's first homicide of the year was arrested Thursday on complaints of first-degree felony murder and armed robbery. Kendall Roland, 21, was shot in the arm Sunday night when Shawn Huber, 25, was killed by three gunshot wounds to the chest. Detectives determined that the shooting occurred in a residence at 621 E. 42nd St. North, an arrest report states. Witnesses told police that Huber and Roland had gone there to commit a robbery. Huber, who was armed, reportedly struggled with one of the residents over the gun. The resident was able to take control of the weapon and shoot both Huber and Roland, the report says. Huber was hit three times, and a woman drove him to a nearby convenience store, police said. An ambulance met them there, and medics took Huber to St. John Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The arrest report indicates that Roland is accused of felony murder, which asserts that the death occurred while the defendant was in the commission of a felony, which in this case was robbery. Roland and Huber were co-defendants in a 2007 drug case. They received suspended sentences in that case after they pleaded guilty to drug and paraphernalia possession, court records show. Roland also has a conviction for carrying a concealed weapon and faced a domestic assault charge last year"


MS: Two men shot in convenience store altercation: "An altercation at a Jackson convenience store leads to gunfire and a good Samaritan taking a bullet. Shortly after three o'clock Saturday morning J.P.D. officers responded to Jubilee Food Mart in the 3200 block of Highway 80 where they found a man shot in the left hip. Jackson police spokesman Officer Roderick Holmes said three men were arguing inside the store when they went outside and were followed by the store clerk. According to witnesses a fourth man joined the altercation. That's when investigators said a bystander inside the store went outside to help the store clerk. One person in the group pulled a gun and shot the man who came to the clerk's aid. A security guard, who was inside the store, then went outside and fired in defense of the injured man. The four men then left in two separate vehicles, a light and dark colored sedan. Police said later one man arrived at a Jackson hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. The names of the injured have not been released. Jackson police said both men's injuries do not appear life threatening."


Tyranny and gun control: "Over the years, I’ve had conversations with Europeans about gun control. Not surprisingly, they have been very critical of America’s ‘gun culture’ — that is, the widespread ownership of guns among the American people. They have extolled the situation in Europe, where gun-control laws preclude people from freely owning guns, arguing that such laws make for a more peaceful society. My response to such Europeans has included the following: The big advantage we have over you is what happens if a tyrannical regime ever takes power. Except for Switzerland, where most families are well-armed with assault rifles and handguns, Europeans have but one choice when faced with the rise of a tyrannical regime: submit and obey or be killed. Americans, at least, have one final choice — resist with guns... A good example, of course, was Nazi Germany, where German Jews lacked the means to resist their round-ups and incarceration with force and where ordinary Germans, also lacking the means to resist what was going on, kept silent or became government supporters."

Idaho shooter released after case dropped: "A man accused of shooting two men during a night of drinking in downtown Coeur d’Alene left jail Friday after a grand jury declined to indict him. Adam M. Johnson, 25, said he shot Brandon R. Burgess and Bradley J. Phillips in self-defense after the men and their friends threatened him during an early-morning argument Dec. 27. The men had argued at a bar hours earlier, and police said Johnson was attacked by the men only after he fired a gun at them. A grand jury apparently disagreed and refused to indict Johnson, the CEO of a Coeur d’Alene-based telecommunications company. Charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery were dismissed Friday in Kootenai County District Court. “The facts in the case, I think, pointed to self-defense, absolutely,” said public defender Anne Taylor. “We were developing a very good case.”"


TX: Charges against two men in shooting death dropped: "Charges against two men accused of the April 2008 shooting death of Erik Perez were dismissed Friday after new evidence surfaced, according to the Taylor County District Attorney’s office. Armando Trevino Jr. and Terence Tyrique Mitchell were arrested in connection with the death of 19-year-old Erik Perez, who was shot in the chest and face after a confrontation in the 1100 block of Poplar Street just after midnight on April 16, 2008. He died from his wounds six days later. A Taylor County prosecutor said that as the trial date approached, more evidence was presented to suggest the shooting was in self-defense. “After the initial investigation, some evidence was given to police — a gun was turned over — that suggested this was a self-defense case,” said Dan Joiner, Taylor County Assistant District Attorney... The two were released from custody after serving more than 500 days in custody since their arrests. Mitchell was in custody 536 days, Trevino for 575 days. According to Reporter-News files, Trevino, Mitchell, and Perez’s girlfriend, Valerie Flake, went to a club on April 16, 2008, leaving in a black Chevy Tahoe that belonged to Trevino. Trevino apparently stopped the vehicle in the 1100 block of Poplar. Perez, who was visiting Flake’s sister in the area, then approached the vehicle and struck Trevino in the face. According to the warrant, Trevino then fired a .45-caliber handgun at him, hitting Perez in the face. Trevino and Mitchell fled the scene, police said."


Las Vegas shooting another monumental gun control failure: "Let’s face it, 66-year-old Johnny Lee Wicks — the man who opened fire at a Las Vegas, Nev. federal building Monday, killing retired Las Vegas Police Sgt. Stanley Cooper, 72, who was working as a security guard — was living proof of the abject failure of gun control laws. Wicks, according to the Washington Times, had a criminal background that included murder and drug charges in Memphis, Tenn., in the 1970s and assault and rape charges 20 years ago in California. He did time in prison for killing his own brother in March 1974, a sentence that originally was set at 55 years but was reduced to 12 to 15 years after an appeal, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Bottom line: Wicks was a guy who should not have had a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun, or any other kind of firearm, and while this incident will certainly fuel the argument that “weak gun laws” and “easy access to firearms” are to blame, there is a much different perspective that gun control proponents simply and routinely ignore. Even the most regressive and restrictive gun laws do not prevent people like Wicks from getting firearms."


British army rifles problematical too: "Military chiefs were last night facing criticism after being forced to buy guns with more powerful bullets to defeat the Taliban. The Ministry of Defence has spent £1.6million on 440 semi-automatic rifles, which use 7.62mm ammunition. The order from U.S.-based company Law Enforcement International followed concern that UK forces' 5.56mm rounds were unsuitable for battle in Afghanistan. Because the 5.56mm bullets - used in the standard-issue SA80A2 assault rifle --are smaller and lighter, they are less effective from 300 yards or further away. It means insurgents - who use 7.62mm ammunition for their AK47s - back off and shoot at British troops from greater distances. Half of all battles in Helmand are fought between 300 and 900 yards. Now the MoD has splashed out on the gas-operated LM7 semi-automatic rifles - renamed the L129A1 - which can hit targets up to a mile away. But the purchase has raised concerns over whether the UK was wrong to give soldiers the SA80 assault rifle in 1986 rather than retaining 7.62mm firearms.

Leftist hypocrisy

I posted the following on Aug 25 last year. It has just been drawn to my attention that Soles has a long history of opposition to gun rights. He has voted for every anti gun bill that has crossed his desk, but when someone invaded his house, he picked up a gun

NC: State senator shoots intruder: “State Sen. R.C. Soles shot one of two people who he said were breaking into his Tabor City home about 5 p.m. Sunday, officials said. Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said Kyle Blackburn was taken to Loris Community Hospital in South Carolina. Late Sunday night, a spokeswoman at the hospital said that Blackburn was in good condition. The shooting occurred on Soles’ property when two men went to the senator’s house and tried to kick in his front door, Batten said.”




Georgia man shoots attacking dogs; no charges filed: "A Bibb County man told sheriff’s deputies he killed two stray pit bulls in self-defense Sunday evening, according to a sheriff’s report. The report said the man went to feed his animals outside his Jeffersonville Road residence when he was aggressively approached by a pit bull. The man got a shotgun from his house and fired at the dog, missing it. The dog fled the scene. As the man approached his animal pen, he saw a second pit bull that tried to attack him and he shot it once, killing it, the report stated. He found a third pit bull in the pen and shot it as well. The man told deputies the dogs killed three of his hogs and a cow. No charges have been filed against the man."


New Mexico: Burglary suspect shot by homeowner: "Charges are pending against a man who was shot in the chest by a Jarales resident while allegedly trying to break in. Valencia County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Trujillo said the shooting occurred shortly after midnight on New Years Day at a house on Mill Road. According to the deputy, the homeowner, whose name has not been released, heard someone trying to break into his home and called 911. When the suspect entered the house, the homeowner shot him once in the chest, Trujillo said. “The intruder was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital,” Trujillo said. He said the suspect’s condition was not immediately known Monday, but he is expected to face breaking and entering and other charges upon his release from the hospital. Police are not releasing the suspect’s name until the charges have been filed. Trujillo said the homeowner is not being charged with any crime."


California: Clerk takes shot at would-be robber: "Merced police say a robbery attempt at a neighborhood market went awry Wednesday, after the store clerk fired upon the robber. The robbery attempt was reported around 3:45 p.m. at the Food Center store, located at 1150 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, according to Lt. Andre Matthews. A masked gunman entered the store, demanding cash from an employee, Matthews said. Meanwhile, another employee who was standing in another part of the store observed the gunman. That clerk armed himself with a handgun and fired one shot. The robber, who wasn’t hit, fled the scene on foot. Officers Krista Stokes and James Lodwick arrived at the scene shortly after the robbery attempt and interviewed employees. By late Wednesday, police hadn’t arrested the robber. Matthews said no one at the store was injured during the incident"

The forgotten virtue of firearms

During Christmas week, a registered sex offender with a conviction for attempted murder used a gun to take three hostages at a Wytheville, Va., post office. Not too surprisingly, the national media gave the crime extensive news coverage. Such sensationalism leaves a distorted image about what happens with guns every day in the United States. When guns work to stop crime, there's not nearly as much drama to sensationalize and, as a result, that much less coverage.

In Oklahoma City the previous week, an armed citizen singlehandedly stopped an attack that surely would have resulted in a multiple-victim public shooting. The media gave the event scant attention. The scene went down when a Marine, who was on leave and came home for the holidays, started firing in an apartment parking lot. Before anyone was harmed, another man aimed his permitted concealed handgun at the attacker and ordered him to put down his weapon. The shooter dropped his gun and ran into his father's apartment, barricading himself in. Three-and-a-half hours later, the man surrendered to the police.

A Marine with a gun who wanted to cause harm would surely be able to maim or kill a lot of people. Those dead bodies would have attracted exhaustive coverage. Of course, corpses are newsworthy in our sensational culture, but when an armed citizen stops an attack, the heroism rates barely a blip on the national radar screen. In this case, a search found just one television news story on the incident, and it left out the identity of the man who saved the day. In our confused times, murderers, it seems, are more interesting than heroes.

An important detail that is neglected in news coverage is that all the multiple-victim public shootings in America - crimes in which more than three people were killed - happened where legal concealed handguns are banned. The Wytheville post office is such a gun-free zone, not to mention that the felon who committed the crime was banned from possessing a firearm anywhere. The Oklahoma City attack was stopped because the man who stopped it could carry a concealed handgun.

Often what's true and what makes good TV are two different things. But either way, news standards don't give people any idea about the costs and benefits of people owning guns. Police are extremely important in stopping crimes, but police understand that they almost always arrive on the scene after a crime has occurred. Heroic actions of citizens who stop attacks deserve a lot more attention.

Source






PA: Off-duty cop shoots assailant: "Philadelphia police were continuing their investigation on Wednesday afternoon of the fatal early-morning shooting of a robbery suspect by an off-duty officer. Authorities say the traffic cop was driving his own car near 7th and Willow Streets, just north of Callowhill, about 3:30am when a man jumped in, demanded cash and jewelry, and hit the officer with a gun: ‘During the course of the confrontation, the officer was able to get to his weapon. It was discharged, and the male was struck.’ Lt. Frank Vanore says 23-year-old suspect Altariq Hutchinson of Edgewater Park (Burlington County) NJ, was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital.”


Chicago Fireman On Trial For His Life: "Chicago, IL—Ted Kozak, 58 is a professional hero. He has saved many lives and many millions of dollars of property during his career. Kozak has never been a threat to anyone and has avoided a criminal record. That all changed in September of 2006 when police raided his home. Kozak believes that the words of our Constitution have real meaning. Keeping and bearing of arms suitable for military service is not some special privilege for the elite but the right of the people. Kozak’s close friend, a retired Chicago cop collected guns instead of stamps, cars or toy trains. The retired lawman had a collection worth thousands and prized pieces such as his “Chicago Typewriter” prominently displayed in Michael Mann’s movie, Public Enemies. Needing cancer surgery the ailing fellow asked Kozak to securely store his collection while he was being treated. The collection was safe until Chicago police found and seized the firearms. That Thompson submachine gun is a showpiece and it’s over 70 years old. It’s impressive to look at but it’s not for use in violent crime but to be kept under museum conditions. So were the other collectable firearms, found in his possession. Now Kozak is on trial for engaging in constitutionally protected activity in gun rights hating Chicago. Chicago’s officials want to put Kozak in prison for many years. Is this because he was evil? No, but because he has not bowed to the all powerful Oz and chose to enjoy his American rights.


The Second Amendment faces a decisive year in 2010: "The Second Amendment faces a deci- sive year in 2010. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. has called for new semi-automatic gun bans - despite their decade-long record of fraud and failure, and despite his own Justice Department's failure to fully or even half-heartedly prosecute federal firearm felonies. Mr. Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have demonstrated their willingness to use cooked statistics to blame Mexico's violent drug war on Americans and their Second Amendment rights. Anti-gun leaders in Congress have introduced bills to ban guns, license gun owners, register guns, tax bullets, serialize ammunition, shut down gun shows and a hundred other schemes. They're still there, proposing every nonsensical gun law they can imagine that only affect law-abiding citizens, while criminals go about their evil business unfettered. Meanwhile at the United Nations, global citizen-disarmament nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and freedom-fearing dictatorships worldwide maneuver to impose their will on you through international treaties."

North Carolina: Man Confronts Robber With Shotgun: "A Gastonia man who heard a robber in his house said he confronted the intruder with a shotgun Sunday night. Preston Jeter, 17, is the man victim Kenneth Watson said he found in his home. Brandon Cobb, also 17, was arrested as Jeter’s alleged accomplice. The two are also suspected of breaking into and robbing the home of one of Watson’s neighbors before coming to his home. Watson was in his home off Bethany Road when he heard glass breaking and said he saw Jeter coming in the door with a hammer. “I said ‘this guy came to rob me,’ so I grabbed my gun,” Watson said. Watson said Jeter waved the hammer at him, but dropped it and fled when the homeowner raised his shotgun. Watson is not sure what kept him from pulling the trigger when the two stood face to face. “I don’t know. Something came over me. I had the gun on him, but I didn’t do it,” he said.


Oklahoma: Suspect shot during home invasion in Durant: "A 17-year-old male suspect has been flown to a Plano hospital after he was shot in the back during a home invasion in Durant. Durant police say the teen broke into a home in the 1000 block of North Third just after 11:30 this morning while the homeowner was inside. The homeowner awoke to find the suspect inside. He yelled for the teen to stop, and then shot the suspect in the back. Police believe the teen fled first to a relative’s house across the street, and then to a friend’s house in the 200 block of West Poplar, where 911 was called. The teen was transported to the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma. A medical helicopter was then called to MCSO, and the teen was flown to a Plano hospital. “”He crawled through the window, the homeowner was there, and shot the suspect,” Lt. Carrie Wyrick of the Durant Police Department said. Under Oklahoma Law, homeowners have the right to defend themselves and even to kill an intruder."


Will Virginia nullify federal gun laws?: "Delegate Charles W. Carrico, Sr. has introduced House Bill 69 (HB69) in the Virginia Legislature. The bill, known as the Firearms Freedom Act, ‘Declares that firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition made in Virginia and retained within the borders of Virginia are not subject to federal law or regulation under the authority of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.’ Virginia joins New Hampshire, Missouri, Utah and a number of other states considering such legislation. Montana and Tennessee have already passed similar bills into law.”


Rifle Review: .458 SOCOM: "The .458 SOCOM (.458 Special Operations Command) was reportedly given birth over a barbeque and some cold brew. It was at an informal gathering of special ops personnel, specifically Task Force Ranger, when the subject of stopping power came up. It seems it took multiple hits to permanently take the opposition "out of the game" in Mogadishu, Somalia. The consensus was a one-shot stop would sure be nice. Marty ter Weeme, founder of a company called Teppo Jutsu, L.L.C., went to work. In 2000 a sledgehammer cartridge that would launch 250- to 600-grain .45 caliber bullets from a standard size AR-15 with a proper barrel and chamber was born -- enter the .458 SOCOM."

Texas: Homeowner Shoots Suspected Burglar: "A homeowner shot a burglary suspect on Sunday, KPRC Local 2 reported. Robert and Pam Cole were asleep at their home on Cloverleaf Street near Texarkana Street in east Harris County at about 11 p.m., when they heard glass breaking. “We were both jarred awake,” Pam Cole said. “We knew something was wrong. The alarm was going off.” “Someone is coming in the house and she yelled out,’ get your shotgun,’” Robert Cole said. “I came out of the bedroom and down the hall here, a man with a black hoodie and a fire extinguisher like he was going to beat somebody, was in the living room. I came out of the bedroom with the shotgun … shot him in the hip. He screamed, dropped the fire extinguisher and dived into the hole he came in.” Harris County sheriff’s deputies found the man down the street. He was laying in a neighbor’s yard and yelling for help. Mark Galvan, 17, was taken into custody and treated for his wound."


Ohio: Beauty shop worker turns shotgun on would-be robber: "A knife-wielding, would-be robber is in Montgomery County Jail after a beauty shop owner chased him from the store with a shotgun Saturday, Jan. 2. Workers at the Hair Gold Beauty Supply, 4011 W. Third St., flagged down Officer Erica S. Cash about 2 p.m. by yelling, “Robber! Robber!,” according to a police report. Cash raced up Gettysburg Avenue where she saw Lawrence Hahn running after William Chinn, the report stated. Cash caught up with Chinn, 19, who said he was “sorry” and wanted to apologize to Hahn and the shop’s owner Hae J. Kim for trying to rob their store, the report stated. Kim said Chinn walked into the store with a red bandanna on his face and demanded money with a knife in his hand, the report stated. Kim said he grabbed a shotgun kept in the store and pointed it at Chinn, the report stated. Chinn fled, but Kim and Hahn chased him and that’s when they flagged down the officer, the report stated. Chinn said he needed money and was tired of his family supporting him, the report stated. He was scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. today, Monday, Jan. 4, according to jail records."


Texas: Would-be Robbers Shot By Sandwich Store employee: "Police say two suspected robbers are in the hospital after an employee at a Dallas sandwich shop shot them. It happened Sunday afternoon near the intersection of Polk and Camp Wisdom. Police are still at the restaurant, keeping an eye on it since the glass windows were completely shattered during the incident. Police say two men went inside the store to rob it. But their attempts were unsuccessful as an employee shot both of them. One suspect ran and was eventually caught and taken to Methodist Hospital. The other suspect was caught at the restaurant and then transported. Witnesses heard several shots fired. Employees at a pizza parlor next door say one even went through a wall. “First it sounded like loud banging…then we heard three loud gun shots” says Damien Rush, who works nearby. It’s unclear what the condition is of the suspects who were taken to the hospital."


New Mexico: Home invader shot in neck: "A home invasion suspect is recovering from a gunshot wound to the neck. Jorge Romero, 44, allegedly broke into a house in the 10,000 block of Mountain Road in NE Albuquerque on Thursday. Police said he was shot in the neck after exchanging gunfire with the homeowner. He’s in satisfactory condition at University of New Mexico Hospital. The homeowner was not hurt. Witnesses told officers that Romero’s friends took him from the scene and then for some reason dropped him off at a store near the intersection of Lomas and Eubank. Romero faces several charges once he’s released from the hospital. It’s unclear if any charges will be brought against the homeowner."

PA: Man shot and killed in liquor robbery: "A New Bloomfield man was fatally shot while he apparently attempted to rob a beverage distributor in Carroll Township, Perry County Saturday night, state police said. Perry County Coroner Michael Shalonis said he pronounced Jeffrey Thomas Harless, 25, dead at Shermans Dale Beer & Beverage at 10:55 p.m. Saturday from a single gunshot wound to the chest. At about 9:44 p.m., an alarm sounded at the 4946 Spring Road beverage distributor and an employee arrived at the store to find the front door’s glass broken out, a news release from the state police said. The employee entered the store and confronted Harless, an apparent burglar, police said. A confrontation ensued, police said, and the employee shot Harless once in the upper chest with a pistol. Harless was also armed, police said. Police did not release the name of the employee because the investigation is ongoing."


TX: Alleged Gunman Released From Police Custody: "The alleged gunman in Tuesday's homicide is now free from police custody after being held briefly for questioning. The Wichita Falls Police Department isn't releasing the man's name, and they say they're turning the case over so a grand jury can decide if the homicide was in self defense. Police officials tell us the gunman called 911 around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and reported shooting 20 year old Matt Whatley. Police say, Whatley was dead when officers arrived at the apartment complex on 32nd street. According to police, the shooter says, he was acting in self defense. The man says, Whatley followed him into the apartment, and when Whatley refused to leave, the man went to get his gun. Then, Whatley allegedly approached the gunman, and that's when he tells police he opened fire. Police aren't giving out any more details or saying how the men knew each other, but neighbors tell us the two men had been friends. "It was a friend thing, and the girl came between them," said Long. Detectives are reviewing this case and plan on turning it over to the district attorney, but no charges have been filed against the alleged gunman."


New Year’s resolutions for gun owners and those just thinkin’ about it: "Let’s start with those of you are just thinkin’ about it. Here are a few suggested resolutions for you: 1. Resolve to decide early in 2010 whether or not you are going to take personal responsibility for yourself and your family, whether at home or away. When the barbarians are at the gate, will you be prepared to defend the castle until the cavalry arrive (in nine or ten minutes)? 2. If you resolve to defend the castle, then the next thing is to determine what measures to take, between minimal and extreme. Do you have good locks on the doors? What about an alarm? Is it monitored? Do you and your neighbors watch out for each other? Are you prepared for a home invasion, of which we have seen too many of lately?”


ACLU’s attention to rights should include gun rights: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington has vowed to monitor legislative reaction to three different police shootings in Washington State to make sure the proposals do not ultimately violate people’s rights if they become law. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today reminds the ACLU that the right to keep and bear arms is a constitutionally-protected right, and demands the same protection from legislative abuse as any other civil right. “While our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of those officers who have been murdered in recent weeks,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “we share the ACLU’s concern that the legislature’s reaction may be to clamp down on the rights of law-abiding citizens, as well as the rights of criminal suspects, without actually accomplishing anything.” Washington ACLU spokesman Doug Honig was quoted by the Associated Press observing, “Our concern would be measures that are proposals that sound tough, but in practice won’t do much to make us safer, but will restrict people’s rights.” “That’s what gun owners have been saying for years about restrictive gun control measures that don’t reduce crime,” Gottlieb stated. “Already, some lawmakers are using these police shootings to advance their personal anti-gun agenda"

Michigan: Clerk shoots armed suspect during convenience store robbery: "A convenience store clerk shoots an armed suspect during an attempted robbery. The suspect was later caught by police. Shortly after 7 p.m. on New Years Day, the GRPD received a call reporting a robbery at the Short Stop convenience store in the 1000 block of Leonard St. SW. The caller reported shots fired. Police say a suspect came into the business armed with a handgun and demanded cash. As the suspect was fleeing the scene, the clerk pulled out a weapon and shot the robber in the leg. Police located several pieces of evidence in the parking lot including the weapon and knit mask worn by the suspect. The suspect and vehicle believed to be used in the incident were later located. The masked robber is recovering in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Charges are expected to be delivered later today.


NC: Citizens reflect on deadly force after shooting: "A robbery attempt in which an off-duty sheriff's deputy killed a suspect at an ATM prompted many Thursday to reflect on the use of deadly force. Deputy Zackary J. Odom, 22, shot and killed a teen who reportedly pointed a gun at him and demanded his money about 10:30 p.m. while at the State Employees Credit Union on Charles Boulevard, according to a preliminary investigation. Customers at the busy credit union branch on Thursday supported the deputy's action. “As a former law enforcement officer, I say yes, it was a proper reaction, as soon as he pointed that gun at him,” said Cecil Hill of Maysville, at the credit union with his son Johnny and his grandson, Joshua. “If you don't get your shot off first, he's going to get you.” The robber “might have shot him even if he gave him the money, just to get rid of a witness,” Johnny Hill said. “If I have a gun, I'm gonna shoot the robber.”


Nutty Leftist Teacher would rather see OWN child DIE than allow a gun for self defense: "I am a math teacher at Brockton High School, the site of a school shooting earlier this month. Current school security procedures lock down school populations in the event of armed assault. Some advocate abandoning this practice as it holds everyone in place, allowing a shooter easily to find victims. An alternative to lockdown is immediate exodus via announcement. Although this removes potential hostages and makes it nearly impossible for the shooter to acquire preselected targets, it unfairly rewards resourceful children who move to safety off-site more shrewdly and efficiently than others. Some propose overturning laws that made schools gun-free zones even for teachers who may be licensed to securely carry concealed firearms elsewhere. They argue that barring licensed-carry only ensures a defenseless, target-rich environment. But as a progressive, I would sooner lay my child to rest than succumb to the belief that the use of a gun for self-defense is somehow not in itself a gun crime." [Gee! Thanks, Dad!]


More Guns, Less Crime in '09: "Americans went on binges buying guns and ammunition in early 2009, worried that a radical leftist president and Democrat-dominated Congress would violate their Second-Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. The effects? Less murder, robbery, rape, and property crime, according to an FBI report released Monday. This gives the young president and Democrat Congress at least one proud but unintended accomplishment for which they'll never claim credit. Indeed, gun buyers were out in droves in late 2008 and early 2009. While it's easy to infer that increased gun ownership figures align precisely with the drop in crime in the same calendar period, you won't see that headline in the New York Times, despite their penchant for such inferences about increases in crime coinciding with increasing "guns on the street."

Kentucky Home Invader Shot To Death: "A man is dead after a shooting in Adair County. Troopers said the attack happened at about 11 p.m. on Christmas. Investigation said Bobby Bunch, 35, tried to force his way into the home of Michael Compton at 2294 Cane Valley Road. Troopers said Bunch was shot during the altercation. An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday in Louisville. No arrests have been made".


Ohio: Armed Robber Shot, Killed By Auto Sales Employee: "Police say an armed man robbing an auto sales store in north Columbus was shot and killed by a store employee. The shooting occurred at Advanced Auto Sales at 657 E. 5th Avenue about 5 p.m. Monday. According to Columbus police, the shooting stemmed from an attempted robbery. The suspected robber entered the business and asked to use the restroom, then came out showing a gun and demanding cash. Police told NBC 4 that the attendant gave the robbery suspect money, but he said it wasn’t enough and began pistol-whipping the attendant. Another employee was able to retrieve a gun and shot the robber. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene. The employee suffered a broken nose and was treated and released from Grant Medical Center."


Chicago man says he shot, killed robber after escaping from car: "A South Side man says he grabbed a gun from robbers who snatched him off the street and he killed one of them when firing off what he meant to be a warning shot. “I’m walking to the store minding my own business and a car full of juveniles pull their car to the side,” said the 31-year-old man, who asked not to be identified. “A guy gets out pointing a gun at me to get in the car and says we’re going to the ATM. Chicago police said they have corroborated details of the man’s account with witnesses. One police official said the man won’t face any charges. "We drove around the block, and then a third guy wants to know if I have a checking account or a savings account. So after I tell him, he gets out at the restaurant. So it’s me, the person in the back, and the driver who has a .38 pointed at me the whole time, even while he’s driving,” the victim said. Halfway down, a woman in the back seat told the driver to toss her the gun because she didn’t want police to see it, he said. “All of a sudden, by the grace of God, between these two fools, I hear boom, and then I hear her hollering and screaming, ‘I shot my finger off, I shot it off.’ “That’s when I knew it was my moment. “My adrenaline was pumping. I reach over the seat and go to get the gun. I got the driver kicking at me, and I’m fighting for the gun with the woman. One arm is fending off his kicks, the other is trying to get this gun. I finally get it and point it at the driver, about six inches away from his abdomen. I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. He said he rolled out of the car and started running down the alley. The woman got out and chased him. “I don’t know if she’s gonna kill me or not, so I fire a warning shot,” the man said. “Unfortunately it hit her. I never fired a gun in my life... The man said the only injury he suffered is a welt under his left eye. The robbers got his wallet and $12, he added."


DC murder rate lowest in 45 years?: "The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the D.C. gun ban in March and the city records the lowest murder rate in 45 years... Coincidence? A criminal has to think twice these days don't they. The home they're breaking into might just have owner with a gun instead of a baseball bat. Overall murders in D.C. are down 25 percent. I'm sure a lot of murders are criminal vs. criminal in gang fights... I'd like to know how much 'criminal vs. innocent' murders are down".

Idaho: Pistol packin’ barista turns tables on would-be robber: "The owner of Sunshine Espresso in Coeur d’Alene fought fire with fire – literally – when she pulled a handgun on a 17-year-old boy who tried to rob her stand Wednesday morning. Police arrested the teen shortly after the incident, which took place just before 6:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of Government Way. Sunshine Espresso owner Michelle Cornelsen said the teen walked up to her stand and demanded cash without showing the gun at first “He didn’t have it at first, he was playing with his pocket, I had a bad feeling though. I had a bad feeling about him,” Cornelsen said. What the robber didn’t know is that Cornelsen has had her concealed weapons permit for seven years and she had received a new 9mm handgun for Christmas from her husband. About five minutes into the attempted robbery another customer pulled up to the stand, distracting the would-be robber and giving Cornelsen the opportunity to grab her gun. "I grabbed mine, put it in his face and said 'Get out, you leave right now' and he said 'OK, OK' and left," Michelle said. The teen walked away nonchalantly. Meanwhile about two blocks away a Kootenai County deputy in plain clothes was serving civil papers and heard the radio call about the attempted robbery. He tracked down the teen and held him at gunpoint until backup arrived and took him into custody."


Illinois: Man shot by homeowner had gone to wrong house to pick up son: "A homeowner shot a 49-year-old man over the weekend after the man forced his way into the homeowner’s house in an attempt to pick up his 11-year-old son from a birthday party that was actually held a block away, police said Wednesday. Wauconda police said the 49-year-old man went to an incorrect address in the 300 block of Indian Ridge Trail in the far north suburb about 5:45 p.m. Saturday with another son, 15. After the homeowner and his wife told him the 11-year-old wasn’t there, police said the man didn’t believe them and allegedly pushed his way in, then attacked the homeowner’s wife. The woman’s husband fired at the man with a small-caliber pistol as the intruder continued to assault her in the foyer of their house, police said. Both the man and his teenage son were hit multiple times, police said. They ran from the house, but the man collapsed near the driveway, where he was found by officers, police said. Officials said it’s still not clear why the man would try to force his way into the wrong house, which is in the same subdivision as the address where he intended to pick up his son... The two homeowners and the teenager were treated at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington and released Saturday night, police said. The man suspected of forcing his way into the home remains in critical condition in Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge as of Wednesday afternoon, police said".


Another Mass Shooting, and why Finland needs MORE Guns: "From the Times Online, comes a report this morning of a shooting massacre in a shopping center in Espoo, Finland, a town close to the capital Helsinki. An immigrant by the name of Ibrahim Shkupolli, took out a 9mm pistol and began shooting shoppers at a mall supermarket, killing four people... Ah yes, the American gun-culture rears its ugly head once more, this time shattering the peace in a bucolic Finnish town which would have been spared the carnage caused by Mr. Shkupolli, if only the gun-control laws had been made even stricter. And yet, one can’t help but wonder how many lives would have been saved had another customer (licensed to carry a concealed weapon), drawn his weapon and put an end to Shkupolli’s rampage as it was getting started. Note that it took nearly an hour for Finnish security forces to arrive... In Vermont (one of the safest five states in the country), citizens can carry a firearm without getting permission, paying a fee, or going through a government-imposed waiting period. And yet for ten years in a row, Vermont has remained one of the top-five, safest states in the union — having three times received the “Safest State Award." Finland is about to embark on another internal debate over guns. The country should, if it really wants to be safer, have a serious look at relaxing its gun-control laws, not strengthening them."


Gun tax break debated: "Two Oklahoma lawmakers, both Democrats, have introduced a bill to make guns exempt from sales taxes during the third weekend of August. At least two other states, Louisiana and South Carolina, have passed similar measures in recent years. Oklahoma would even copy the name used in those states, calling it a Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday... "There's a recession and people are struggling, but they still need to protect their families," said Paul Abel, the legislative director for the Oklahoma Rifle Association. "In fact, there's more and more and more need to protect ourselves." Sales taxes vary from community to community, but they often approach 10 percent. With a quality handgun costing several hundred dollars, the additional sales tax can make a significant dent in a family's pocketbook, Abel said."

GA: Self Defense Shooting Leaves One Man In Hospital: "Ronnie Crawford, 49, was shot early Wednesday morning after Richmond County Sheriff’s Office investigators say he attacked his roommate. The incident happened around 1:00 p.m. at the Augusta Lodge, on Gordon Highway. Investigators say say 64-year-old Martin Smiley told Crawford to leave, when an argument started. That’s when they say Crawford went after Smiley with a cane. Smiley shot at him, hitting him in the hand and thigh. Smiley will not be charged, but Crawford, who is a convicted felon, will."


NC: Elderly mother Shot Son In Self Defense: "Joel Hill at the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office say 50 year old Michael Varnadore got into an argument with his mother Mary Jean Varnadore Monday night that resulted in a shooting. The report says Varnadore shoved his 70 year old mother onto a bed at her home on Star Circle in Cowpens. Deputies say the mother shot Varnadore in the leg. They say Varnadore was treated and released for Upstate Carolina Medical Center and was arrested and charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature."


Louisiana: One home invader shot, other escapes: "18 year old Jeremy Bell was shot to death in an altercation with Martin Gobert. Shreveport police Gobert say was the victim in this case. Detectives believe Bell forced his way in Gobert’s front door after his cousin, Jerome Hughes knocked to draw him out. When Gobert came to the door, police say Bell forced his way in and began beating him with an assault rifle in an attempt to rob him. After a struggle, Gobert is believed to have wrestled the weapon away from Bell and turn it on his attacker. Hughes fled, and is still on the loose. Detectives have recovered evidence from the crime scene including the rifle believed to have been used in the shooting, and have issued a warrant for Hughes’ arrest, charging him with one count of home invasion. The bond is set at $250,000. Martin Gobert was beaten severely enough to require hospitalization, but he is expected to recover. Shreveport Police detectives have not charged him in connection with the fatal shooting."


Court restricts Taser-happy police: "A federal appeals court this week ruled that a California police officer can be held liable for injuries suffered by an unarmed man he Tasered during a traffic stop. The decision, if allowed to stand, would set a rigorous legal precedent for when police are permitted to use the weapons and would force some law enforcement agencies throughout the state — and presumably the nation — to tighten their policies governing Taser use, experts said. Michael Gennaco, an expert in police conduct issues who has conducted internal reviews of Taser use for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other agencies, said the ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals prohibits officers from deploying Tasers in a host of scenarios and largely limits their use to situations in which a person poses an obvious danger. "This decision talks about the need for an immediate threat...Tasering for "passive resistance" is out the door now... The unanimous ruling, issued Monday by a three-judge panel, stemmed from a 2005 encounter in which a former Coronado, Calif., police officer, Brian McPherson, stopped a man for failing to wear a seat belt while driving".

OK: Man Found Not Guilty Of Shooting After "Standing His Ground" Speaks: "Mark Abshire was charged with shooting with intent to kill in 2007 and his life turned upside down until his trial a few weeks ago. The jury found Abshire not guilty, that he was acting in self defense. It started after vehicles had sped through the neighborhood for the second time and a neighbor's wife, hollered at them to slow down. Two cars came back to Abshire's house, cussed his wife and attacked his neighbor. He says he sprayed pepper spray, pulled his gun and told them to leave. A third car pulled up, so now he was facing six angry, drunk men while his wife was on the phone to the sheriff. "When we told them they need to leave, they were still screaming we messed with the wrong people and didn't know what we'd done," Abshire said. "One guy started reading the house numbers off my house and said we don't care if the police are coming, we'll burn your f-ing house down and kill everybody in it." Mark says he turned to look at his wife, when Robbie Case tackled him, knocking him to the concrete, cracking his teeth. "Starting pulling me by the throat into the ditch, choking me while he friend was kicking me, I finally managed to get his hand off my throat, drew my gun and shot him," Abshire said. He fired again; Case was hit in the chest and the back and paralyzed. Abshire was arrested and sat in jail 18 days before being charged with shooting with intent to kill." [Why was he charged? Hostile police?]


TX Police: Homicide Was "Likely" Self Defense: "Orange Police say it appears the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy in Orange nearly 2 weeks ago is a case of self defense. Authorities say Jayrious Green was shot and killed late Saturday night on December 19 in the 1800 block of West Barkins Street. Police say it appears Green was planning to sell drugs to a 28-year-old man but decided he would try to rob his customer instead. Officers say a struggle resulted with Green eventually getting shot by his own gun."


Utah: Mountain Lion Shot after Killing Family Dog: "Elain Jorgenson walked outside her house to feed her dog only to discover her 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier mauled to death, bloodied and in nearly an unrecognizable state. She turned around and took two steps back to find a Mountain Lion hissing at her. Reeling in shock, she turned and ran into the house calling out her husband. “So I’m yelling at him ‘please get the gun’; he shoots it, we call 911 to let them know what happened.” The couple is from Peoa, a small town just northeast of Park City, nestled in the mountains. Wildlife experts call this an isolated incident, but warn those to be safe and try to keep pets inside as much as possible this winter. “This situation was a young juvenile cat, first winter on its own in my estimation…looking for food in the winter,” Jorgenson says."


Revolvers versus pistols again: "It’s my belief that in hunting, a revolver is superior to an automatic. If you have a dud or a misfire, you simply pull the trigger once more and a new cartridge rotates into place. An automatic can get you killed when you’re 2 feet from an angry bear or when a 300-pound hog comes charging out of the brush. The old revolver works every time and will never let you down. Fortunately, I have never had to fire a gun at another human being, and I hope I never do. Unfortunately, there are antisocial people out there who can and do harm their fellow humans. Some occupations are dangerous, and so are some neighborhoods, and there can be times when you need a handgun for self-defense. If that’s the case and you feel you must carry a gun with you, that’s where the automatic pistol earns its keep. They are convenient to carry and, with proper training and lots of practice, a most effective self-defense weapon."

NE: No charges for Omaha biz owner in fatal shooting: "Prosecutors won’t file charges against an Omaha business owner who shot and killed a suspected burglar over the weekend. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine says he believes the shooting was justified. The owner of Bazar Latino who shot the man has not been named.Police say 23-year-old Jesus Franco was found dead Saturday morning. His body was in the snow about 30 feet from a south Omaha business that had reported a burglary. The owner told officers he fired his gun during a confrontation with a suspected burglar, who then fled.”


FL: Man kills daughter’s boyfriend: "The Seminole Sheriff’s Office said a man shot and killed his daughter’s boyfriend on a Seminole County street. The Sheriff’s Office said the shooting happened just after 3 p.m. at the intersection of Dodd Road and Biscayne Drive. Officials said the man was Orlando Regional Medical Center where he died. Several witnesses at the scene said the two men were arguing before the shooting and that they believe the father shot in self defense. ‘He pulled out a gun that he had with him, that he carried most the time, and shot him from the hip in the stomach,’ Dykey Phillips said.”


La. Judge: Pair can claim justifiable homicide in drug-related killing: "A state district judge has ruled two Hammond men may claim they were justified in killing a Clinton man during an alleged drug deal this summer. Twentieth Judicial District Judge George H. Ware Jr. said the state will have the burden at a trial of proving beyond a reasonable doubt the slaying of Jeral Wayne Matthews Jr., 21, was not justified. An East Feliciana Parish grand jury indicted Anthony Manzella, 19, for first-degree murder and Andrew Robertson, 23, for principal to second-degree murder in Matthews’ July 24 death. A third man, Johnny Barnes, 27, of Jackson, also was indicted for principal to second-degree murder. Clinton police said in July that Manzella and Robertson came to a house in Clinton to buy drugs from Matthews and Barnes, but during the transaction Matthews allegedly struck Manzella in the head with a rifle butt. Manzella responded by pulling a .40-caliber handgun and shooting Matthews, Clinton Police Chief Eddie Stewart said. District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla argued earlier this month a section of the law dealing with justifiable homicide precludes its use as a defense when a drug deal results in a person’s death. Manzella and Robertson are invoking the reasons of self-defense and preventing a violent felony — an armed robbery — to justify the homicide, the opinion said. The ruling means self-defense will be a viable response to the state’s claim that Matthews was murdered, said J. Garrison Jordan, Manzella’s attorney. “It’s clearly a self-defense situation,” Jordan said Monday."


Proposed WA semi-auto ban blames law-abiding gun owners: "A proposal to ban so-called ‘assault weapons’ in Washington State shifts the blame for recent violent crimes from the perpetrators to every law-abiding gun owner in the state, holding them and their firearms responsible for crimes they did not commit, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. ‘This is a proposal by three vehemently anti-gun rights state lawmakers who are exploiting two recent murders in an effort to push a political agenda they have had for several years,’ said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.”

Louisiana: One dead, one wounded in shooting at fireworks stand: "One person was killed and another seriously wounded Friday night as a fireworks stand operator shot at three suspects who attempted to rob him and another person. According to Capt. Matt Davis with the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, two people – and man and a woman – were closing the Crooks’ Fireworks stand at the corner of South MacArthur and Jeff Davis drives around 6:20 p.m. when they were approached by three young adults. Davis said all three were armed with handguns. One of the two operators opened fire with their own weapon. One suspect was killed at the scene, another was wounded and the third escaped. The wounded suspect was taken to a local hospital in serious condition, and the third suspect was captured a short time later, said Davis. Davis said the injured suspect was in surgery, and his wounds were not believed to be life-threatening. Police still were on the scene late Saturday, and officials were not releasing any names yet. Officials also would not say late Saturday which stand operator had fired on the suspects."


Indiana: Pizza Hut employee shoots would-be robber: "A Pizza Hut delivery person shot a man who allegedly tried to rob the store Wednesday, according to police. A police report said Spencer Simmons, 44, attempted to rob the Pizza Hut on Broadway Street at about 11 p.m. Wednesday. The report said Simmons pointed a .25 Raven Arms semi-automatic handgun at the store’s cashier and demanded money. The cashier loaded about $720 into a small bag. Simmons wasn’t aware that a delivery man, Michael Shaker, had heard the commotion and snuck to the back as well, the report said. “Seconds later, Simmons left the register area, and walked to within six to seven feet of his location,” the report said. According to the report, Shaker gave Simmons a verbal warning but Simmons “lifted and swung his gun up towards” Shaker. Shaker fired one round from his personal 9mm Kel-Tec, hitting Simmons in the back of his head, the report said. Sgt. Bill Casey, a spokesman for the Anderson Police Department, said Simmons was transported to Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis but did not know the man’s condition Thursday. Charges have not been filed against Simmons, but he is in the custody of police at the hospital, Casey said. Casey added that Shaker was licensed to carry a handgun."


New Mexico: Alleged intruder shot and killed at apartment complex: "Las Cruces police say they are investigating a fatal shooting. Just before 8 a.m. Sunday, police were called to the Telshor Manor Apartments where two suspects attempted to break into an apartment. Investigators say a resident of the apartment was apparently startled awake, grabbed a handgun and opened fire at the intruders. At least one of the bullets struck one of the intruders as he was located outside on the west side of the apartment complex. Police say that man was pronounced dead at the scene but his identity has yet to be determined. They are still searching for the other intruder, who fled the scene."


Texas: Would-Be Burglar Shot, Killed: "Kirby police Tuesday said a man at home heard something unusual at his sliding glass door in the 2800 block of Von Braun Avenue around noon. “That caused him to go to investigate,” Kirby police Chief Kevin Bois said. “He saw at least two people trying to make entry into the home.” Bois said the man did not want to be a victim of burglary like he was two years ago, so he grabbed his 9 mm handgun. "(An) armed homeowner (was) ready to defend his property and that’s just what he did,” Bois said. “So unfortunately we had a tragic outcome.” Bois said the resident shot and killed an unidentified 17-year-old man. Another teen was also shot and underwent surgery at Brook Army Medical Center. Police apprehended the third teen who they say acted as a getaway driver."

TN: Black robber shot -- has Extensive Criminal History: "Thieves picked the wrong house to invade over the weekend. Two people came into Marcus Grier's home on Stockton Drive. The thieves were armed and told Grier to give them his money. But he is a registered gun carrier and had the gun on him. So, Grier fired at the two and shot at least one of them. A short time later a man named of Leon McKinney showed up at Erlanger Medical Center with gunshot wounds to his chest and legs. The second suspect is still at large. Leon McKinney is recovering at Erlanger Medical Center from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and legs. He is in serious condition. His is a name familiar to law enforcement. He's spent his adult life in trouble with police. His criminal history dates back to 2004, when he was only eighteen years-old. He's been charged with 21 offenses since, not including the most recent robbery-related charges. In July of this year, McKinney was accused of robbing a friend. She told police he held her at gunpoint and demanded money and when she tried to push him out, she said he fired at her. Court records show his history is even more violent. He pleaded guilty to attempted first degree murder in 2006. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but was released for good behavior after serving only eleven months and twenty-nine days."


OH: Alleged Home Invader Wounded: "Occupants of a west-side home told police that the wounded man in the house had forcibly entered with a companion and a gun and was shot in self-defense. Police are sorting out what happened on Hadly Avenue Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, the victim of the gunshot was in critical condition at Mt. Carmel West and police were looking for a second person who was said to have run away. It wasn’t immediately clear if the occupants of the home had their own weapon or if the weapon used in the shooting was that of the home invaders."


Girls Just Wanna Have Guns: "Asked what they‘d like to receive for Christmas gifts this year, women respondents to a Consumer Reports Money and Shopping Blog survey they’d be “thrilled to receive boots, purses, pajamas and guns.” As further proof the gun sales boon is not wavering, data released this week by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,223,252 checks were conducted in November 2009, ranking the month in the top 10 for most NICS checks in the history of the system. Want more proof? The number of women participating in hunting and the shooting sports is increasing at an historic clip. Between 2003 and 2008, women who hunted with firearms increased an impressive 3.5 percent to 2.9 million, according to a new report released just last week by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA). During the same period, women who participated in bowhunting rose 1.5 percent to 600,000. In the past year alone, the number of licensed female hunters in Louisiana increased a whopping 12 percent, reaching record numbers for the fairer gender in The Bayou State. Further, the number of woman taking firearms self-defense instruction and applying for concealed-carry permits has shot off the charts for most of 2009. Female enrollment in the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “First Shots” Program has set new records all year... “The mama instinct is big-time,” said Mark Rutan, a salesman at Pinellas Park Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park. “Mamas want to protect their babies, and they will.”


You must be ready to kill: "Call it Reality and define it this way: If you are forced to shoot someone, they will probably die. And while I for one hope that shooting someone just makes them stop attacking me or someone else, The Reality is that–especially if I shoot them where everyone else says I should–if I do have to shoot them, then they will most likely stop their attack because they die as a result of the gunshot(s). So if you or me or anyone else wants to have a better chance of surviving not just the fight, but what will happen after the fight is over, we need to reach some sort of accommodation with this ahead of time. Because according to the last set of statistics I’ve seen, we’ll need to deal with Reality between 60 and 70 percent of the time, and no less than half the time, that we have to shoot someone in self-defense. Understand this: In the eyes of the Law, the gun is Lethal Force. Not ‘Stopping Force’–Lethal Force. Shoot someone, and it doesn’t matter to the Law that you just wanted to stop them; you have still employed Lethal Force. Deliberately shoot to wound, it won’t matter; you have still employed Lethal Force. (Shooting to wound isn’t guaranteed to just wound, either; people regularly die after being wounded in the arms or legs.) You don’t have to like it. You just have to acknowledge it".

NC: Wounded robbery suspect arrested at hospital: "A Black Mountain man who authorities say was shot by a clerk while trying to rob a convenience store was arrested at the hospital Thursday morning. The shooting was justified because the Kounty Line employee believed his life was in danger, said Lt. Ross Dillingham of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office. Warrants were issued charging Roy Lee Tyson III, 32, of Rattlesnake Mountain Road, with two counts of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony fleeing to elude arrest. The shooting occurred about 6 p.m. Wednesday at Kounty Line at the intersection of Heywood and Hendersonville roads, Dillingham said. The suspect entered the store and approached the clerk to make a purchase, Dillingham said. When the clerk went to open the register, the man leaned over the register. “From where the clerk was standing, it looked like he had his hand in his waistband on a gun,” Duncan said. The clerk was able to draw a gun, a .357 Magnum, and fire one round at the suspect, Dillingham said. “I got him right in the chest,” the clerk said. “I'm the one that pulled the trigger.”


MO: Police Call Fatal Shooting Self Defense: "A confrontation that turned deadly Tuesday night near 34th Street and Euclid Avenue may have been a case of self defense, police said. Investigators said Reginald Waxter Jr., 31, was shot and killed Tuesday night near the 3400 block of Euclid. Police said Waxter approached another man and pulled him out of his car. Waxter pulled out a gun and shot the man in his leg, but the man was able to return fire. Officers said robbery might have been the motive, but they said the two men knew each other and had a history of personal conflict so there might have been other motives. Waxter died a few hours later at a hospital. Charges are not expected to be filed".


Typo in Law Establishes Mandate to Lock Gun-Toting Train Passengers in Boxes: "It may sound absurd. But President Obama signed a bill into law Wednesday that requires passengers who carry firearms aboard Amtrak be locked in boxes for their journey. It's a mistake in the law's wording. But for now, the clerical error is the law of the land. Earlier this week, Congress sent the president a massive spending bill that funded dozens of federal departments. Tucked into the transportation section of the legislation are safety requirements for Amtrak customers who carry firearms on board the government-backed train system. The bill Congress passed mandates that passengers with firearms declare they have weapons with them in advance and stow them in locked boxes while on the train. The bill text was correct when the House approved the legislation last week. The Senate followed suit Sunday, but somewhere along the line, the language that referred to putting the guns in locked boxes morphed into stuffing "passengers" into locked boxes."


New Year's gun rights resolution: Boycott an anti-gun company: "They say 13 is an unlucky number. I'll try to capitalize on that in today's 13th suggestion for Examiner.com's New Year's resolution special project. Let's make it unfortunate for any business that disrespects our right to keep and bear arms: I will boycott an anti-gun company. Which one? That shouldn't be hard to find. NRA lists "anti gun corporations/corporate heads" on their "National Organizations With Anti-Gun Policies" page (misrepresented by the antis as a "black list," typically disrespectful of a time-honored civil rights strategy). We have every right not to patronize a concern that gives aid and comfort to our enemies--which, face it, is what those who would rob us of our rights under force of state arms are."

A Gunowner's Ode to Christmas

What do firearms and this blessed holiday have in common? Well, for one, liberals don't like to talk about either

by S.E. Cupp



Christmas is coming. And for many Americans, that means opening gifts around the tree, big family dinners and Midnight Mass. No disrespect to Norman Rockwell - but Christmas always reminds me of shooting. Sure, I love seeing my family, gorging on the kind of food and drink that are usually impermissible during the other 11 months of the year and finding some fabulous little trinket under the tree. And every year I bring a batch of 'Cupp-cakes' to my local police and fire precincts.

But enough of Capra. If I'm honest, it's also about the gun. Almost a decade ago, my friends and I had a lovely Christmas brunch at Les Halles in New York City-a superb French brasserie where, rightly so, nearly everything on the menu once had parents. After enough pork belly, crispy duck and rabbit ragout to swell our ankles and give us heart palpitations, we exchanged gifts. In a small, unmarked envelope addressed to me was a gift certifi cate for a shooting lesson. I was thrilled. I went down to the West Side Rifle and Pistol Range, in the dank and gritty basement of a building on 20th Street, to cash in my gift. After the lesson, we took to the targets. I squeezed the trigger of the .22 at the paper bullseyes in front of me, and I was officially hooked. Over the years that followed, I took up skeet shooting and hunting, and eventually bought my own 12-gauge shotgun.

In recent years, the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas has been marked by a trip upstate for deer hunting, and (hopefully) a freezer full of venison follows. And every Christmas, I go back to the West Side range for an hour to shoot that .22, which always feels a little smaller and lighter in my hands. It's a simple Christmas pleasure, a total escape and my annual gift to myself.

And I'm not alone. For manyAmericans, the holidays wouldn't be the same without their guns. Maybe they're putting a turkey, a rabbit or some venison on the table for their families, or they're gathering the old gang together for thean annual winter hunt. Or maybe they're donating a deer to one of the country's countless collection and processing centers that feed hundreds of thousands of homeless and hungry every year. In New York state alone, since 1999 the Venison Donation Coalition has processed 337.51 tons of venison, or the equivalent of 2,700,800 meals served.

Between land conservation, deer population control and feeding the hungry, hunters are some of our most important humanitarians. And shooters, too. Studies prove that right-to-carry states have less crime, not more. According to the American Rifl eman's celebrated 'Armed Citizen' column, gun owners use firearms for protection as frequently as 2.5 million times a year, saving lives. And all of this is in jeopardy. President Obama is no friend to gun owners and hunters.

That's evidenced not only by his frightening legislative promises to make it nearly impossible to own a gun or even buy ammunition, but also by his nomination of anti-gun public health advocate David Michaels to the OSHA post and his appointment of Cass Sunstein, who thinks deer should be able to sue you, as regulatory czar. And with the economy down, the Obama administration is looking to squeeze some much-needed cash out of hunters and gun owners, via sweeping fines, taxes and fees. But it won't work.

In Idaho, lawmakers hiked the fee on out-of-state hunting licenses this year to raise money for the Fish and Game Department. As of October, revenue from tag sales was down 9 percent. States that want to raise revenue should be making it easier and cheaper for hunters, not harder and more expensive.

The Obama administration's elitist antagonism of American gun owners and hunters is just bad socio-economics. And it feels particularly mean-spirited as Christmas approaches. But good luck telling the grinches and scrooges of the liberal Left that, for many of us, Christmas just isn't Christmas without our guns. After all, Christmas, like the great American pastimes of shooting and hunting, is something you whisper about under your breath in liberal circles. On that note, I'm off to the range.

Source

Kansas Homeowner Shoots Man Trying to Break Into Pickup: "Wichita police are trying to determine if a shooting late Monday was in self-defense. It happened in the 1300 block of N. Emporia at around 10:30 Monday. A man told police he heard a crash outside. He got his handgun and went outside, where he found a 47-year-old man trying to break into his pickup. Police say the suspect then stumbled toward the homeowner. The homeowner shot the man once in the hip and called 911. Investigators interviewed the homeowner at city hall after the incident, and he was later released. Police say the case will be turned over to the district attorney in the next few days. The DA will determine if charges are warranted. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition."


CO: Acquittal makes shooting defendant's day: "Police and prosecutors did not think the “Make My Day” law gave a Colorado Springs man the right to shoot and wound a neighbor who smashed the man’s window with a beer bottle. But an El Paso County jury decided otherwise last week. As a result, Timothy Allen Barfoot is a free man. The verdict capped a nine-day trial in which public defenders representing Barfoot mounted a self-defense case based upon the 1985 “Make My Day” law that allows deadly force against someone who breaks into a home. According to the arrest affidavit, Barfoot told investigators that the incident started when he heard a man and woman arguing outside his apartment. About two minutes later, he heard pounding on the door of the next-door apartment and man shouting, “Let me in the (expletive) apartment.” Then he heard glass shattering next door. Barfoot said he looked outside and saw Manuel wrestling on the ground with a woman later identified as Manuel’s mother. Barfoot told police he yelled at Manuel who then started stumbling toward him. He said Manuel threw a beer bottle that shattered Barfoot’s window. After getting his Beretta .380-caliber handgun, Barfoot said he showed the weapon to Manuel, who he said continued to advance toward the window. Barfoot said he fired until the gun was empty and then called police."


Tennessee: Homeowner kills burglar; second suspect charged: "A homeowner fatally shot a 19-year-old Rockwood man during a burglary, and authorities have charged an alleged accomplice in the break-in. Michael S. Johnson died at the Roane Medical Center of injuries sustained about 7:55 p.m. Sunday after he entered through a window of the home at 419 Old Valley Road, according to a report filed by Roane County Sheriff’s Office Detective Greg Scalf. Authorities arrested Preston D. Harvest, also 19, of Harriman and charged him with attempted aggravated burglary and vandalism. He was being held today in jail in lieu of $52,000 bond. According to Scalf’s report, the homeowner alerted authorities that someone had broken into his home and he believed he shot the intruder. Responding officers located Johnson and Harvest, but the report did not state where they were found. “Mr. Harvest admitted to RCSO deputies at the scene that he and the shooting victim had planned on burglarizing the resident’s home earlier that day, and added that later they had come back to the home and had attempted to force the homeowner’s front door open,” Scalf wrote in the report. Harvest said he waited outside as Johnson entered the home through a window. A few moments later Harvest said he heard gunfire. Scalf said crime scene investigators determined there was physical evidence confirming the homeowner’s version of what occurred and that Johnson was shot inside the home."


TN: State appeals guns-in-restaurants ruling: "The state attorney general’s office is appealing a recent court ruling that overturned a law allowing licensed handgun owners to take their weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol. Attorney General Robert E. Cooper’s office filed notice to the Tennessee Court of Appeals today. Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled on Nov. 20 that the law, passed by the General Assembly last spring over Gov. Phil Bredesen’s veto, was unconstitutionally vague. The law, which was in effect for about four months, allowed handgun carry permit holders to take their guns into restaurants and bars that served alcohol as long as they didn’t drink and the establishments’ owners didn’t post signs prohibiting them.”

Minn.: Police announce they will not charge homeowner who killed intruder: "He took the life of a Moorhead teenager who broke into his home and tried to assault him and today Moorhead Police announced they will not be pressing charges against Vernon Allen. Police say Allen acted out of self defense and that all the evidence, gun and interviews, was consistent. In June 20th, 17-year-old Joel LaFromboise entered three different homes in Moorhead. In the last one, Allen's, he walked in disoriented and took a swing at Allen. Allen retreated and LaFromboise took another swing. Allen then grabbed a gun from his room. The teenager took the gun's barrel tried to pull it away. Allen then shot him in the chest. Police have been criticized for taking a long time with this case and others have accused them of being racist. They say it had absolutely nothing to do with either: it has to do with evidence and what can or cannot be proven in a court of law."


Philippines: Meat dealer shoots man to death in self-defense: "In what he claimed to be an “act of self-defense,” a meat dealer at the Carbon Public Market shot dead a 19-year-old man yesterday dawn in the said area who was reportedly hurling stones at passing vehicles. Roberto Gonzaga, Sr., 43 years old, a resident of Tabunok, Talisay City, who has been in the meat-dealing trade in Carbon for the past 23 years, allegedly shot to death one Warren Dominguez, 19, of barangay Ermita at past 2 a.m. along M.F. Escaño Street as an act of self-defense. Chemar Entera and Jay Abadinas, both 18 years old, and neighbors of the victim told the police that they were walking on the roadside when they saw the victim throwing empty bottles and stones at vehicles passing by the area. A white Isuzu Elf delivery truck, with plate numbers YGW-678, driven by Gonzaga, who was with his wife on the way to the market, passed by and was also allegedly hit by a stone that the victim had thrown. It was also found out that the stone hit the left side mirror of the vehicle. Gonzaga, in an interview with reporters yesterday, said he first admonished the victim by asking him what’s wrong with him or what his problem could be. However, the victim without any word allegedly moved in an attempt to attack him which prompted Gonzaga to shoot the victim four times, hitting him twice in the right chest."


ID: Pharmacist who tackled armed robber fired: "A northern Idaho pharmacist who tackled a gun-toting robber and received a special award from the city of Coeur d’Alene has been fired for violating company policy. Jerry Gunderson said he was dismissed from the Shopko pharmacy late last month because he resisted the robbery. Gunderson later received a Citizen Appreciation Award from city leaders. Gunderson said he has since found another job at a different pharmacy. ‘It’s done, it’s in the past, I’ve moved on,’ said Gunderson. ‘My boss loved me, I know that. Someone 3,000 miles away decided to fire me.’”


Gun sales surge, violent crime drops: "When Obama was voted into office as president, the gun surge began. People started stocking up on their guns and ammo, mostly out of fear that Obama would start instituting anti-gun laws. Unlike what liberals would assume, though, there was also a drop in violent crime… at the same time as gun sales were skyrocketing. Preliminary statistics released by the FBI for the first half of 2009 show that violent crime continues a downward trend that began in 2006. The figures show crime falling in all categories–robbery, aggravated assault, motor vehicle thefts, etc.–with murders down a remarkable 10 percent from the previous year. The FBI statistics undermine a favorite argument of anti-gun groups and some mainstream media that “more guns equal more crime,” especially when you consider that the decrease in violent crime from late 2008 through the first half of 2009 occurred at the same time that firearm sales were surging. The most popular firearms selling at that time were handguns and modern sporting rifles (AR-style rifles)–two types of firearms that anti-gunners never miss an opportunity to demonize."