Texas Judge David Fleisher Finds no Probable Cause for 17-Year-Old Carrying Glock 19

On February 5, 2025, an officer responded to a "suspicious person with a weapon" call near a Jack in the Box located on the 5900 block of Gulf Freeway. The video does not say what department the officer was with. The address is in downtown Houston, so the officer is probably from the Houston Police Department. The officer noticed a young man and started questioning him. The young man stated he had been inside the Jack-in-the-Box watching his brothers sell "waters" outside. A man, with a knife in hand, had rushed at his brothers. The young man said he had pulled out a pistol, then moved between his brothers and the man, and told his brothers to run.

The officer searched the young man and found a loaded Glock 19. The young man said he had purchased the pistol from a friend for $150. The young man told the officer he was 17 years old. The officer arrested the 17-year-old for criminal possession of a handgun.

This is the information brought to the court in the initial hearing before Judge David Fleisher, an elected Harris County Criminal Court Judge. Houston, Texas occupies much of Harris County.  Judge Fleisher has gained a reputation across the nation for including a hearing on probable cause with the initial court appearance.

The response from Judge Fleisher is interesting. He says: "He [the young man] is going to the defense of others".

At this point, a lawyer in the back of the courtroom stands up and rushes to the defense of the young man. Judge Fleisher and the lawyer tend to talk over each other, but the lawyer lays out several documents. The documents are a memo from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), saying possession under the age of 21 is not a crime, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruling the limitation of carry to people under 21 is unconstitutional,  the United States District Court, Northern District holding the prohibition on carrying under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, and a motion to quash the indictment.  Judge Fleisher laughs at the level of preparation, and rules there was no probable cause to search. Judge Fleisher says he was going to rule no probable cause existed, in any case.

The lawyer may have been stretching the law. The DPS memo limits the exemption from the law to 18-20 year old people. The youth in this case was 17 years old.

This case shows the sea change in the respect for the Second Amendment in the seventeen years since the Heller decision and particularly the 32 months since the Bruen decision. Heller clarified the Second Amendment as a fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms. Bruen reinforced the Heller decision and clarified the right to bear arms a right to carry arms routinely in case of confrontation, including outside the home.

When this correspondent received initial law enforcement training in the 1970's, an instructor said: don't worry about searching someone for weapons.  The instructor claimed they had never had a case, where they found a weapon, where the judge had dismissed the case for lack of probable cause.

Times have changed for the better. If the young man had been 18, carrying a Glock would not have been a crime, as the founders intended when they wrote the Second Amendment.

Given the circumstances, the Glock will not be returned. This correspondent's first impression, given the price of $150 cited, was the Glock was probably stolen. Many people do not bother to report stolen guns. If the Glock had been on the official list of stolen firearms, the young man might have been charged with possession of stolen property.

Judge Fleisher has heard another case involving a 17-year-old and an illegal possession charge. Because there was evidence of the pistol being fired, the other 17-year-old was treated much differently. In that case, the officer did not make an illegal search. The pistol was seen in plain sight inside a car.

Link to second case on youtube

Those who wish for the population to be disarmed claim more guns = more crime. There is no conclusive evidence of this. Most of the evidence indicates more guns = no difference, or a drop in violent crime, with a slight increase in property crime.

For those interested, here is a link where Judge David Fleisher explains his mission on an ABC news interview.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

NICS February 2025 Firearm Sales and NICS Checks Down

 The National Instant background Check System (NICS) for February 2025 shows a drop in both Firearm sales and in overall background checks. Firearm sales are down about nine percent from 2024. NICS background checks are down about five percent from February of 2024.  Handgun and "multiple" sales moved up a bit from January to  February while long gun and "other"  sales dropped a bit. In the graphic below, the lines are for 2024. The bars are for 2025.

President Trump has been in his second term in office for over a month.  The rapid pace of corrections produced by the Trump administration signals a strong turn away from the destructive and radical policies of the Biden administration. During the first Trump term, firearms sales dropped a bit, largely because prospective gun buyers believed President Trump was not nearly as hostile to the Second Amendment as a President Hillary Clinton would have been. In President Trump's Second term the contrast is even greater.

This month is another month where over 1 million firearms were sold, according to the NSSF adjusted figures based on the FBI NICS numbers. According to the NSSF numbers, February 2025 is the 67th consecutive month where over 1 million firearms were sold.  Sales of firearms generally slump a bit in January, after the Christmas sales in December. While February is three days shorter than January or December (except for leap years), February sales track higher than January, on average. February NICS checks have been higher than those in January in 20 of the 26 years recorded in NICS.

Significant change tends to disrupt existing systems and markets. It takes time for them to readjust. The significant reforms desired by President Trump and called for during his campaign will create some disruption and pain as they are implemented. It is best to implement the changes at the start of an administration, so the pain will be felt earlier and the beneficial effects can start to be observed before the next election. President Trump and his cabinet are working to move members of the workforce from unproductive jobs in the Federal government to productive jobs in the private sector.

During the last 16 years, about 210 million firearms have been added to the stock of private firearms in the United States. Firearms are very durable goods. With modest care they can last for hundreds of years. Improvements in ammunition and firearms metallurgy have added to the potential useful life of firearms. Smokeless powder makes the maintenance of firearm bores easier, as has the transition from corrosive primers to non-corrosive primers. Those improvement occurred at about 1900 and 1950, as rough markers. Since the 1960's stainless steel has taken an increasing portion of the firearms market. Surface treatments which are tougher and more protective than blueing or controlled rusting, such as cerakoting, more durable plating technologies, parkerizing and black nitride are likely to increase longevity. Composite stocks tend to be stronger than wood stocks, per pound. It is not as clear composite stocks will last longer, but it seems plausible.

Longer lives for firearms would be expected to dampen demand. To counter that trend, firearms are cheaper, on a constant dollar basis than every before.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

FL: Jacksonville Gunfight, Man Shoots Suspect who Followed him Home

Jacksonville, Fla. — An early-morning shooting on Jacksonville’s Westside sent a man to the hospital.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was called to a home on Dylan Michael Drive around 4 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators said the victim was followed home from a nightclub. When he got home, the suspect showed a gun. The victim, who was also armed, fired several shots, hitting the suspect in the arm.

More Here

Iowa Bill to Restore Second Amendment Rights to Young Adults

The Iowa Legislature has advanced House Study Bill 262 out of committee, by a vote of 17 -4. The bill repeals legislative bans on the possession, acquisition, or carrying of handguns or handgun ammunition by adults aged 18-20. Several appellate court decisions have made clear young adults, 18-20 years old, are members of the people who have a right to keep and bear arms protected by the Second Amendment. 

Iowa falls under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On July 16, 2024, a three judge panel of the Eighth circuit unanimously confirmed the rights protected by the Second Amendment apply to young adults 18-20 years old.  The case is Kristin Worth v. Bob Jacobson, challenging the Minnesota law banning the carry of firearms by all people under the age of 21.  On August 21, 2024, a petition to rehear the case by an enbanc panel of the Eighth Circuit was denied.  A petition appealing the case to the Supreme Court of the United States was filed on January 23, 2025. 

The Minnesota law remains in effect until the end of the appeals process.

The Iowa legislature can read the arguments presented in Worth v Jacobsen.  The are proposing changes which will bring them into conformity with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. From HSB 262:

Current law generally prohibits a person under the age of 21 from acquiring a permit to carry weapons, acquiring pistols and revolvers, and carrying dangerous weapons. This bill lowers the minimum age to 18 and makes conforming changes, including to scope of liability provisions.

Two decades ago, Iowa was a state where infringements on rights protected by the Second Amendment were routinely accepted. As the ability to communicate and organize became easier and less expensive, gun owners in Iowa communicated more and organized. Iowa became  a leader in restoring rights protected by the  Second Amendment. On November 8, 2022, Iowa reformed their constitution to explicitly and strictly protect the right to keep and bear arms by a 2-1 margin.

Analysis: 

Those who want to have the people disarmed are losing more court cases than they are winning. The inferior courts seem to be taking the Bruen decision more seriously than they did the Heller decision. Now that President Trump has won his second term, expect more judges who take the Constitution seriously to be appointed to the bench. 

As experience with 18-year-old people carrying guns, Constitutional Carry, guns in schools and guns in churches all continue into decades without ill effect, judges will become more and more skeptical of the false narrative "guns are bad".  Law schools will be teaching the Second Amendment as a fundamental right, instead of an embarrassing mistake. The nation has already restored more rights protected by the Second Amendment than this correspondent thought possible, 50 years ago. 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

TX:Houston - Burglary Suspect Shot by Shop Owners

Houston police said the mechanic shop off W. 18th Street and Ella Boulevard was broken into a few days ago. The suspect wasn't caught, and the owners had allegedly been keeping an eye out.

Around 2 a.m. Friday, police said the business owners spotted someone on their surveillance cameras and rushed to the business to confront him.

Some sort of a fight broke out, and that's when the owners shot the man, HPD said.

 

More Here

Governor DeSantis Supports Second Amendment Restoration in Florida (perhaps you can insert the video from the Florida channel or the clip shown on X)

 

 

 

 

Link to youtube video of State of the State address, 2025

On March 4, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis gave his State of the State address to the Florida legislature. In the address Governor DeSantis vocalized his support for restoring Second Amendment rights. Second Amendment statements start about minute 24 into the speech:

The free state of Florida has not exactly led the way on protecting Second Amendment rights.   We have some of the more "weak" laws on the country compared to our other states who consider themselves conservative. I would ask you to protect peoples Second Amendment Rights. Look back in instances where legislation may have been passed in recent years, such as shifting the burden on red flag laws, such as taking away the rights of young adults to be able to purchase firearms, such as limiting somebody's ability to both keep and bear arms.

Governor DeSantis asked the legislature to protect peoples Second Amendment Rights. He particularly mentioned Red Flag laws, pointing out those laws do not provide proper due process. He stated Florida should not ban young adults from being able to purchase long guns.

In this video on the Florida channel, Governor DeSantis was speaking with reporters, directly after the State of the State address. Governor DeSantis discusses open carry, starting at 8:25. An abbreviated clip can be seen on X.

In the press session, after the speech, Governor DeSantis expounds on Second Amendment issues. Governor DeSantis makes arguments often made by Second Amendment supporters. He stresses the Second Amendment protects open carry. He believes most gun owners will not open carry very often, but they want to have the right to open carry to be recognized and protected.

 "We see other states that have laws that respect that - I'm for it, I've always been for it. If you talk to most gun owners - very few will actually open carry. They just want to know they can, it's a constitutional right. I'm for open carry."

 "Reevaluate recent legislation [things] like red flag law[s] [...] You can go in and say, 'this person's a danger, they should have their firearms taken away...' then the burden shifts, where you have to prove to a court you are not a menace or a threat. That's not the way due process works... I think it's a huge due process violation."

If Florida restores open carry to the state, beyond the very limited legal open carry now allowed, only three states will effectively ban open carry. They will be California, Illinois, and New York. Governor DeSantis notes most states have open carry and problems with it are, essentially, non-existent.

Analysis: The movement to restore limited, Constitutional government has long been intertwined with the restoration of Second Amendment rights. This correspondent recalls a conversation on an Internet discussion and news aggregation site, about 15 years ago. One of the participants wrote, essentially:

I have often wondered if the Second Amendment would be the key to restoring the Constitution, not in a bloody revolution, but because the violation of Second Amendment rights is so blatant it cannot be denied.

The comment has proved to be prescient. Second Amendment supporters have been a key faction of the coalition to restore Constitutional government. The struggle to preserve the Republic will never be over. There is a long, long way to go.  In the roughly 60 years this correspondent has been aware and involved, public awareness of the issue has never been more informed.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to video on Youtube of State of the State by Governor Ron DeSantis.

AK: Delta Junction Assault, Self Defense Shooting

On 3-13-25, Delta Junction AST received a report of an assault from a residence Delta AST responds to regularly near Artic Grayling. It was reported two males were in an active physical altercation. Delta AST responded and contacted one of the males on the road who advised he had gotten shot. He was transported to FMH. Based off of the parties involved statements, it appeared one male shot the other in self defense.

 

More Here

The WACO Raid by the ATF: Timeline, Misinformation, and Coverup

From FBI image, public domain

he Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has posted a "history" of the botched service of a search warrant on the residence and buildings of the Branch Davidian religious sect, on unincorporated property near Waco, Texas on February 28, 1993.

This correspondent closely followed news of the botched raid and siege as current events. The research on this assignment refreshed emotions from three decades ago, when the nation reeled under a situation which exposed the Clinton administration's use of naked force and its disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law. The events of the raid, its planning, botched execution, and the horrific handling of the aftermath by the FBI, have come to be known, as "Waco".

Many books have been written about the events which resulted in over 84 deaths, most caused by a combination of governmental agency arrogance, incompetence, and lies, with heaping helpings of coverup in the aftermath.

The botched FBI response lead directly to an FBI armored assault on the Branch Davidian buildings after a 51 day siege.  The assault resulted in the destruction by fire of the buildings and the death of 76 Branch Davidians, including 25 children.  There is ample evidence the FBI deliberately used tear gas grenades which were notorious for their incendiary effects, and which had been banned from use because of the danger. The public was shown footage of armored vehicles battering the buildings as they blocked escape routes, while FBI loudspeakers bizarrely broadcast "THIS IS NOT an ASSAULT."

"History" was placed in quotes because the timeline of events is hotly disputed. The ATF, FBI, and the Clinton administration Department of Justice were far from transparent about the events which occurred at the ATF warrant service/raid. To further complicate the situation, the FBI took over the standoff from the ATF. The FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) actively interfered with and sabotaged the FBI hostage negotiators, or, possibly, the FBI management was so incompetent they had different factions who failed to coordinate and work with each other.  The FBI and ATF actively refused to cooperate with investigators. Enormous amounts of evidence was destroyed during the siege, the assault and after the fire.

The ATF "history" timeline includes unproven assertions and leaves out uncomfortable facts, while including unrelated events to demonize the Branch Davidian sect.  Some examples:

The ATF warrant application is full of mistakes in law and in facts.

The Davidians had co-operated with local authorities.

The ATF "history" includes complaints of child abuse, but the ATF had no authority to investigate or prosecute child abuse. Child abuse is a state matter.

The ATF was widely regarded as a "rogue agency". The motive for the Waco raid is highly suspect. The ATF's reputation had suffered significantly during the Ruby Ridge episode. Congressional budget hearing were to commence shortly. The code selected for the beginning of the raid was "Showtime".  From davekopel.org:

A BATF memo written two days before the February 28, 1993 raid explained "this operation will generate considerable media attention, both locally [Texas] and nationally." [14] The BATF public relations director, Sharon Wheeler, called reporters to ask them for their weekend phone numbers. The reporters contend, and Wheeler denies, that she asked them if they would be interested in covering a weapons raid on a "cult." Wheeler, on the other hand, states that she merely told them, "We have something going down." [15] After the raid, the BATF at first denied there had been any media contacts. [16] Journalist Ronald Kessler reports that the BATF told eleven media outlets that the raid was coming. [17] The Department of the Treasury has refused to release the pre-raid memos which deal with publicity, asserting that they are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. [18]

The ATF asserts the Davidians fired on them first. This has been hotly contested by the surviving Davidians. Considerable evidence supports the Davidian version of events. At the ATF timeline, it is said the shooting started with Davidians firing at the helicopters used during the raid. (9:47). At the ATF "remembering Waco" page, it is asserted that David Koresh was waiting outside the double doors. The first shots were supposedly fired by Davidians, through the doors, at the ATF agents.  This may seem a small contradiction by the ATF.  Questions of who fired first and where, become critical in law.

ATF agents, after the disaster of the botched raid, were interviewed by Texas Rangers. Only a fraction of those interviews have been released to the public.

The double human and public affairs disasters of Ruby Ridge and Waco crystallized a building movement to restore Constitutional restraints on governmental agencies. The two obvious bungled disasters led to a significant drop in trust for the FBI and the ATF. The ability to easily transmit information was rapidly building. Ruby Ridge and Waco might have remained narratives controlled by the deep state and Media complex if email, Internet discussion groups, and talk radio did not exist.

This correspondent's limited second hand information comes from a friend who talked to one of the high level FBI agents involved in the siege. When questioned about the siege tactics, the agent said all of the Davidians deserved to die because they "defied the government".

As seems common in federal political prosecutions, numerous charges were brought against Davidian survivors on relatively flimsy evidence. This has been confirmed in the lawfare used against President Trump.

At the trial of the Davidian survivors, nine members of the jury wanted to dismiss all charges. Three members of the jury want to convict all eleven defendants of conspiracy. They settled on a compromise they believed would result in minimum sentences, including time served. The jurors were not lawyers. The judge used their decision, including some dubious interpretations of law, to impose very harsh sentences on the eight defendants who had been found guilty of what the jurors believed were minor charges. (The Ashes of Waco, P.297). In 2000, the Supreme Court found Judge Smith had acted in error. The sentences of five Davidians on firearms charges were reduced by Judge Smith from 30 years to five years. The sentence of Graeme Craddock was reduced from 20 years to 15 years. Craddock was deported to Australia after 13 years in a Texas prison.

The founding of the United States is based on legitimate defense against a government. Many states have provisions which allow citizens to use deadly force against police who they believe are illegitimately placing them in deadly peril.

There is no such direct provision in federal law, although it is implied.

The premises in the initial warrants for Waco were suspect from the beginning. The lack of any credible investigation into claims of justifiable defense by the Davidians was obvious to anyone watching the proceedings. The nightmarish behavior of the FBI, including deliberate destruction of evidence, called the legitimacy of the agency into question.  The Clinton administration was well on its way to becoming a one-term presidency. The Republicans won control of the House and the Senate in 1994, the first time in 40 years.

In 1995, the Oklahoma City bombing was seized by the Clinton administration and the old media as a way to discredit complaints about Waco and Ruby Ridge. The investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing has its own set of difficulties, muddled evidence, and weird circumstances. President Clinton, with massive amounts of aid from the deep state and media, won another term as President. o

In the trial of the surviving Davidians, Judge Smith essentially ruled, if federal agents are shooting at you, your only option is to lay down your arms and surrender.

Today, over thirty years later, with the second election of Donald Trump, the credibility of the ATF and the FBI lie in shreds.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PA: Reading Knife and Gun Fight, Knife Weilder Shot, Arrested

"When we arrived there, we did in fact locate a stabbing victim with one stab wound. Throughout the investigation, he indicated that he had shot the person that attacked him," said Reading Police Patrol Captain Aaron Demko.

Demko says officers found the other person involved at Reading Hospital. He's been identified as 32-year-old Jerry Santos. Police say he had a gunshot wound to his legs.

"The suspect (Santos) in this has been charged currently," said Demko. "No other charges were filed at this time, just against the suspect that stabbed the victim."

More Here

NM:Albuquerque Private Security Guard Shoots Suspect, Stops Rampage

We have learned that a violent carjacking near Montgomery Park turned deadly when a suspect crashed his Subaru inside Montgomery Park then he ran through the park and attempted to steal a brightly colored car which was occupied by a homeless TikToker named TophiaChu, her mother, and her brother. The carjacker fatally shot her brother, and critically wounded her mother who was in the backseat of the car before taking off in the vehicle with the dead victim and shot mother still inside.

While on scene, we observed the famous colorful sedan of TikToker TophiaChu within the crime scene perimeter as APD was investigating the scene.

The suspect sped towards Montgomery Blvd and crashed into a Jeep near Marla NE. The Jeep’s driver, realizing there were injured and deceased people in the stolen car, panicked and began screaming for help. A security guard from a nearby apartment complex witnessed the chaos and heard the pleas for help, intervened, and fatally shot the suspect, bringing the violent ordeal to an end.

More Here

Kansas Senate Sends SB 137 Allows Police to Sell Guns to Gun Dealers

On February 27, 2025, the Kansas Senate voted 39 to 1 to pass a police and firearms sales reform bill. The bill allows police to sell/transfer (trade) forfeited firearms to a federally licensed firearms dealer. From legiscan.com:

Session of 2025 SENATE BILL No. 137

AN ACT concerning the Kansas standard asset seizure and forfeiture act;
relating to the disposition of forfeited property; authorizing the sale or
transfer of forfeited firearms to a licensed federal firearms dealer;

The Kansas legislature appears to be correcting a weird quirk in Kansas law, K.S.A 60-4117 (5)(b) allowed for four ways to dispose of forfeited firearms:

1. Destroy them

2. Used for official purposes in the agency which seized the firearms

3. Traded to another law enforcement agency for use withing the agency

4. Given to the Kansas bureau of investigation for law enforcement, testing, comparison, or destruction by the Kansas bureau of investigation forensic laboratory.

Senate Bill No. 137 adds the option of selling or transferring the forfeited firearms to a properly licensed federal firearms dealer, as shown below, bold added:

b) When firearms are forfeited under this act, the firearms, in the
discretion of the seizing agency, shall be destroyed, used within the seizing agency for official purposes, traded to another law enforcement agency for use within such agency, sold or transferred to a properly licensed federal firearms dealer or given to the Kansas bureau of investigation for law enforcement, testing, comparison or destruction by the Kansas bureau of investigation forensic laboratory.

In 2014, Kansas enacted a law requiring police to auction off guns which had been used in crimes. In the first six years of the law, in Wichita, Kansas, the police department received $196,000, as reported in the Wichita Eagle in 2021:

Since 2015, Wichita’s gun sales, totaling 2,082 weapons, have generated $196,000 for a fund that pays for miscellaneous police equipment. However, the middlemen who transact the sales got more than half of the $425,000 in total sale proceeds, according to an analysis of records that The Wichita Eagle obtained through the Kansas Open Records Act.

It is unknown how exactly how many firearms are seized under forfeiture laws in Kansas. Indications are more firearms are seized through forfeiture than are seized when used in crimes. The number could be significant.

The United States Department of Justice has published numbers which distinguish administrative and civil forfeitures from criminal forfeitures. Over the years FY19 to FY23, there were 157,788 total forfeitures of firearms to the federal government. Only 31% of the total were Judicial-Criminal forfeitures. 69% were for civil forfeitures. There are differences between the way the federal government confiscates/seizes firearms and the way it is done in Kansas. Kansas passed a forfeiture reform bill, SB 458, in April of 2024, about a year ago. The reforms limit police power to seize property through civil forfeiture. The reform could reduce the number of firearms seized under civil forfeiture in Kansas.

Although the number of firearms seized by Kansas police through civil forfeiture may drop, none of those firearms are currently allowed to be sold/transferred back into the normal stream of firearms commerce. The number of firearms sold by police in Kansas could rise substantially, along with the amount of money provided to the police budget.  The police have good reasons to approve of SB 137. The bill increases the amount of money available for police equipment and simplifies the administration of police sales of firearms.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

CA: Security Guard Shoots, Kills Suspect who Drove Vehicle through Entrance of Dispensary

According to Det. Samuel Marullo with LAPD's West Bureau Homicide division, the security guard, who was employed by the dispensary, was working inside the business when the suspect deliberately drove his vehicle through the entrance inside the store.

A preliminary investigation revealed the security guard saw the driver, wearing a ski mask, and believed a robbery was about to occur. That's when he shot at the suspect, striking him at least one time before officers arrived and took the suspect into custody. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

More Here

CA: Beverly Grove Domestic Defense, Brother Kills Brother Attacking Mother

The shooting was reported just before 1:30 p.m. Friday near Alfred Street and Oakwood Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The 61-year-old suspect used a baseball bat to break into his mother's home and then attacked her, police said.

The suspect's brother arrived at the scene and witnessed the attack, police said.

"When he arrived, he saw his mother on the floor. He saw his 61-year-old brother on top of her, choking her," LAPD Detective Samuel Marullo said.

At that point, the suspect's brother fired a warning shot and later fatally shot his sibling with a shotgun.

More Here

NM: Albuquerque Gunfight, 30+ rounds, Self Defense, Victim Wounded, Attacker Killed

Officers with APD’s University Area Command responded to reports of a shooting Friday just before 11 p.m. at 1333 Columbia Dr., S.E.  An adult male was located inside a vehicle with a fatal gunshot wound. He was determined to be deceased at the scene.

A second adult male was located with several gunshot wounds. That man was transported to the hospital and is expected to survive his wounds.

Homicide detectives interviewed several witnesses as they work to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The preliminary investigation suggests a justifiable homicide, but detectives are exploring all evidence.

 

More Here

Wyoming Repeals Gun Free Zones

On February 27, 2025, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon allowed Wyoming Bill 172, the "Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act", to become law without his signature. Governor Godon objected to the bill, but said it would become law.

The Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act does essentially what the name implies. It repeals most of the areas where the legislature has allowed local political entities to infringing on rights protected by the Second Amendment. From a previous AmmoLand article:

Section 1 W.S. 6-8-105 is created to read:6-8-105. Exceptions for state issued concealed carry permits; penalty. 

(a)This section shall be known as and may be cited as the “Wyoming Repeal Gun Free Zones Act.” 

(b) Persons lawfully carrying concealed weapons in Wyoming under
W.S. 6‑8-104(a)(ii) through (iv) may carry a concealed weapon in the
following places: 

(i) Any meeting of a governmental entity;

(ii) Any meeting of the legislature or a committee thereof;

(iii) Any public building not otherwise prohibited under W.S. 6-8-104(t) or regulated under this section.

(c) Persons lawfully carrying concealed weapons in Wyoming with
a permit issued under W.S. 6-8-104(a)(ii) may carry a concealed weapon
in the following places: 

(i) Any public school, public college or university
athletic event taking place on public property that does not sell
alcoholic beverages;

(ii) Any public elementary or secondary school facility;

(iii) Any public college or university facility.

Wyoming’s proposed bill explains how a local board of trustees in a school district may adopt rules for employees to carry concealed weapons in schools. The bill leaves certain restrictions in place. It only applies to concealed carry, not open carry.

Over the last century local governmental units have been allowed to flaunt unconstitutional laws infringing on the exercise of Second Amendment rights.   Local governments are not sovereign entities inside state borders. State governments create them and allow them to have certain powers derived from state law.

With the landmark Second Amendment cases in Heller and McDonald, the Supreme Court of the United States, started the process to bring these unconstitutional infringements to an end. There is no constitutional power granted to state and local governments to infringe on rights protected by the Second Amendment.

Following the clear direction of the US Supreme Court, the Wyoming legislature has restricted the ability of local governmental entities to infringe on rights protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Wyoming legislature is also doing their job to follow the limitations enshrined in the Wyoming State Constitution. From the Wyoming Constitution:

 The right of citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the state shall not be denied.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon objected to the bill, claiming it infringed on the powers of local governments.  Governor Gordon is exactly correct about what the bill does. Local governments only have power within legitimate bounds. The US Constitution and the Wyoming Constitution create those bounds. Neither local governments or State governments can legitimately violated the limits on governments protected by the Bill of Rights, specifically, in this case, the Second Amendment.

Bill HB 172 will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Variations of this bill have been in the Wyoming legislature for the past ten years. In 2024, Governor Gordon vetoed a nearly identical bill.

Several states continue to defy the Supreme Court's clear guidance on the Second Amendment, including Hawaii, California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Numerous court cases are in progress as a few courts of appeal join in the defiance.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

IN: Terre Haute O'Reilly Auto Parts Armed Samaritan

Police said the incident happened around 8 p.m. at O’Reilly Auto Parts in the 1900 block of South Third Street.

According to THPD, officers responded to a shots fired call and learned that a person had entered the store to dispute a trespass order against them. When the individual was told to leave, they refused, leading to a brief altercation.

The suspect then returned to their vehicle, allegedly grabbed a gun, and reentered the store, pointing the weapon at an employee. A nearby customer, who was legally armed, shot the suspect multiple times to defend the employee.

More Here

IN: Evansville Gunfight when Felons are Frustrated

Officers were called to multiple reports of gunshots in an area of Rhode Island Drive around 8 p.m. Wednesday, and found Jonah Greenlee with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Investigators say they interviewed witnesses and victims at the scene, who told them they were packing up to move when a black SUV stopped in front of their house and began yelling about their moving truck blocking the roadway.

Victims told police that the man in the SUV yelled "I got something for you" before walking toward their house with another man and shooting.

One of the victims told police they drew their own gun and returned fire. Police say the description of the two suspects matched Jonah Greenlee and Christopher Greenlee.

More Here

Book Review: Nunaga - Ten Years of Eskimo Life

Nunaga: Ten Years of Eskimo Life by Duncan Pryde 285 pages, 1971, Walker Publishing Company, Inc. New York, 1972 American edition. 

Nunaga is extremely well written, a riveting story of a young man from Scotland who goes to Canada. He answers an ad for fur traders by the Hudson Bay Company.

In 1955, an eighteen year old Duncan Pryde was seeking fortune and adventure. He found both, and earned a reputation for genius with the Eskimo language. He lived the Eskimo life for years, becoming adept at survival in the arctic with dogsled, snow knife, rifle and harpoon, using Eskimo techniques. He fathered children with Eskimo women as part of Eskimo nomadic wife culture. The original version of the book is said to have been cut back considerably because of too much sexuality.

This correspondent does not recall exactly when he first read Nunaga. It was decades ago.  The book includes an episode where Duncan Pryde shoots a polar bear, at very close quarters, in defense. He used a Savage model 99 in 250/3000 caliber, as I recall.  

Studies of defenses against bears have come to occupy this correspondent's time. A copy of Nunaga was obtained to evaluate the polar bear shooting. It was worth the time to determine if the event was included in the Polar Bear/Human Information Management System (PBHIMS), obtained by AmmoLand with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The PBHIMS was created with taxpayer dollars to gain understanding of polar bear and human interactions, including conflicts in the Arctic. This famous event, from a credible source in a very popular and widespread title, was somehow missed.

After nearly dying in a canoe trip along a icebound shoreline, Duncan and his companion find a narrow access to shore in a dense fog. With great risk, they mange to enter and find a safe, but small beach.  There is a steep, but climbable access to get off the beach. Duncan's companion goes up to see if he can observe  a Dew Line outpost they had spotted earlier. Duncan decided to stay on the beach in a tent.  Some time later, Duncan hears a sound. He thinks it is his companion. He speaks, then yells, expecting to be answered. He looks out of the tent, to see a large polar bear six feet away, next to the canoe. The polar bear sees him.  Here is how Duncan Pryde described the event p. 264: 

It pawed at the ground and I pawed at the inside of the tent, trying to locate my rifle.  Finally my hand closed over it and I eased my shoulder back inside the tent so I could get both hands on the gun. I levered a cartridge into the chamber, and in the silence between me and the bear, the click was the loudest sound in the world.

The bear turned toward me and reared up. I still wasn't sure what it would do, but it was so close if it decided to come my way, there would be little time for me to do anything. I swung the rifle up and fired. I shot it right through the heart with a .250/3000, and it flopped over against the canoe with a high pitched scream like a woman's.

Nunaga is an epic biography of real life high adventure in the arctic, as it transitioned from dogsled to snowmobile. Duncan eventually was elected to the Northwest Territories council, as representative for the Eskimo's in the area, from 1966 to 1970. Nunaga is full of Duncan Pryde's ten years in Eskimo culture. It is foundational reading for anyone attempting to understand what has happened in the Canadian arctic. He is remembered as the foremost expert on the Eskimo language, pronunciation, and grammar. 

One of the things this writer found of interest, is Duncan Pryde's evaluation of accounts by Farley Mowat, the widely debunked author of the fraudulent work: Never Cry Wolf. Pryde mentions Mowat on page 33: 

When Farley Mowat claims in his books and articles that he went to the Arctic and in a matter of a month or two was able to speak a basic form of Eskimo and discuss shamanism and religion, I just can't believe him.  I know that when he came to Baker Lake he didn't communicate at all in Eskimo.

It was another data point about the lack of credibility of Farley Mowat, who  said, "I never let facts get in the way of a good story."

Duncan Pryde has plenty of credibility. His credentials are legion. Pryde joins with numerous others who have impeccable reputations, to point out exaggerations and fabrications published by Mowat. 

If you are interested in fact and real life Arctic adventure, Nunaga is a fascinating read.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

CA: Grand Terrace Residence Shoots at Three Intruders, 1 Dead, 1 Wounded, 1 Arrested

SUMMARY: 
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at about 9:18 p.m., Grand Terrace deputies responded to a residence in the 23000 block of Grand Terrace Road, in Grand Terrace.  The victim reported approximately three suspects broke into his home and he armed himself with a firearm.  In fear for his safety and in self-defense, the victim fired rounds at the suspects and the suspects fled the location in a white sedan.

At approximately 9:28 p.m., Loma Linda deputies responded to the 76 Gas Station on Redlands Boulevard, in Loma Linda, for the report of a man who had been shot and was laying on the ground, accompanied by a 15-year-old male juvenile.  Deputies detained the juvenile, and the adult male was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  Through investigation, deputies determined the decedent, and the juvenile were involved in the residential robbery.  

Later, at about 10:05 p.m., the San Bernardino Police Department responded to another hospital where the third suspect, identified as Marquez Jackson, was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. Jackson underwent surgery for his injuries and remains hospitalized.  Jackson  will be booked for robbery and murder upon his discharge from the hospital.  

The Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division – Homicide Detail also responded and assumed the investigation.  The juvenile was also arrested for robbery and murder and booked in at Juvenile Hall.  

More Here

MS: Jackson Gunfight with Car Burglars, Victim and Burglar Wounded

Detective Tommie Brown said the son of the 28-year-old resident went outside to walk his dog. The resident followed his son and noticed four individuals inside his vehicle.

Brown said gunfire was exchanged between the resident and the suspects. The resident was shot once and is expected to be okay.

According to Brown, an individual later arrived at the hospital with three gunshot wounds. The individual is believed to be one of the suspects.

 

More Here

FL: Lake City Domestic Defense, Langston Sykes Breaks into Home, is Shot, Killed

Lake City Police Department officers say they found a 31-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound at a home on Southwest Leslie Glen around 11 p.m. Friends and family identified the man on social media as Langston Sykes, aka Lanko. He was an MMA fighter with the ring name “Blaze.”

Officers say he broke into the home while multiple people, including children, were inside. Friends and family say his ex-wife and children lived there.

When the man rushed toward the victims, officers say another adult fired multiple shots.

 

More Here

Franklin Armory 2025 Shot Show: Binary 1022 Trigger, Pistol, Rifle

Image of 22-EZ 

At the 2025 Shot Show, the Franklin Armory booth was displaying new products. The 22-EZ binary trigger group for Ruger 10/22 type rifles, pistols, and the Franklin Armory 10/22 type pistol and rifle, with the trigger group installed, caught my attention. Binary triggers offer an interesting choice for a fire control system. They offer the selection of a controlled rate of fire above the ordinary pull or release trigger while retaining the usual mode.

Franklin Armory patented the binary trigger. The reasoning was simple: triggers which functioned by pulling the trigger for a single shot were clearly legal. Triggers which functioned as a release trigger, by releasing the trigger for a single shot were clearly legal. Therefore a trigger which fired once by pulling the trigger, and once by releasing the trigger had to be legal. A Franklin Armory employee at the booth said the ATF admitted binary triggers were legal.

The binary trigger group offered by Franklin Armory for 10/22 type firearms is a sophisticated example of engineering. The beauty of the product is very little or no fitting is required. All the critical areas are in the trigger group and have been done in the manufacturing process. The binary 22-EZ trigger group for 10/22 type firearms is listed at $369.99.

When the lever is pointing to the back, the selector is on safe.  When the lever is pointing straight down, the selector is in the normal, semi-auto pull trigger, one shot mode. When the lever is pointing forward, the trigger is in binary mode. It will fire one shot when pulled and one shot when released. An important point is: the user can exit binary mode or semi-auto mode when desired. If the trigger is pulled and a shot fired, but the trigger is not released, the selector can be moved to semi-auto and the trigger will not fire when released.

Image of FR 22 Pistol showing lever

A binary trigger can be used to attain a significant rate of fire. Extremely fast shooters, such as Jerry Miculek can fire eight shots from a revolver in under a second. Because the timers start with the first shot, that rate of fire is about 420 shots per minute. Most people, shooting as fast as they can, can shoot four shots from a semi-auto in a second. A binary trigger would double that rate to about eight shots per second, or 480 shots per minute. This is at the low end of most full auto firearms. Here is a video from Franklin Armory which shows the binary trigger in use.

Shooting firearms with a high rate of fire can be fun at the range. In practical matters, full auto is a specialized tool. A shooter can burn through a lot of ammunition and money very quickly. This is where a binary trigger on a .22 rimfire makes sense. .22 Rimfire is the cheapest and most common ammunition on the planet. At the 2025 Shot Show, Franklin Armory showed two rimfire .22 firearms which will be on the market soon. Both are 10/22 type firearms. Pistol and rifle versions will be available. Both were shown at the Shot Show. The  F22™ Pistol has an eight inch barrel and a pistol brace. It uses an SB Tactical Chassis and an SB Tactical 1913 brace.  The barrel is threaded 1/2-28, which is standard for .22 caliber firearms.

 

The F22™ Rifle has a Hogue® OverMolded™ stock, an extended magazine release, and an enhanced firing pin.

The price listed for the F22™ Rifle is $809.99.

Besides fun at the range, the binary trigger may offer practical self defense possibilities. Ammunition is inexpensive enough that considerable practice is affordable. Practice would be essential to become proficient with the binary trigger. Effective use of the binary trigger could be a difficult transition for those whose trigger finger reflexes have been ingrained with decades of experience. The easiest transition might be firing two shots together, with a simple pull and release of the trigger, instead of only one shot.

For indoor use, the .22 rimfire offers a much lower sound signature and muzzle flash than most centerfire cartridges. Using high grade .22 rimfire cartridges, such as the CCI Velocitor or the Aguilla Interceptor would give 2 shot energy close to the energy of a single shot standard 9mm out of a pistol.

For hundreds of years, flintlock ignition was considered adequate, with first round failures in the 10-25% range. The percussion ignition system was found to be 26 times as reliable in British Board of Ordinance trials in 1832.  The failure rate of percussion ignition was about .5% or one failure for two hundred shots. Repriming a percussion arm is  a bit faster and simpler than repriming a flintlock.

Quality .22 rimfire, in a quality rifle or pistol, has achieved failure rates of 1 for several thousand rounds. It may not be as reliable as centerfire, but quality ammunition is reasonably reliable. Most failures of .22 rimfire are ignition failures. A quick pull and release of the charging handle on a semi-auto usually clears the malfunction.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

VA: Newport News Armed Samaritan in Gunfight with Two Robbers

“Two males came inside the store and demanded money from my employee. They went behind the counter,” said the manager. 

The employees were held at gunpoint. The one in red runs behind the counter, and the man in black starts to fill his pockets and bags with cash. 

Suddenly, a third man comes from the drink refrigerators and starts shooting. 

“He saw both males were behind the counter, demanding the money [from] my clerk and not sure who started fighting first. But they start fighting each other,” said the manager. 

 

The manager says 10 to 20 shots went off. And the aftermath is shattered glass countertops and a bullet hole in a drink fridge. 

 

“And after that, just the other two persons left, and then the third person left,” said the manager. 

 

The man in black tried to leave, but the third man ran after him, punched him, and took his gun. Due to his injuries, the man in black is seen on footage lying outside the market’s front doors. He was found by officers and taken to a hospital in critical condition.

 

More Here

LA:Shreveport Gunfight on Buckelew Street, No One Hit

Shots rang out on Tuesday and a man came out of his house to find his car riddled with bullet holes. While the man was trying to figure out what happened he saw Jackie Hightower come out of his house with a gun and started shooting again in the man's direction.

The unnamed man ran in to his house to get his gun. When he came back out he saw Hightower aim the gun at him and he demanded that Hightower stop shooting. The man then fired a single shot at Hightower and Hightower went back in his house.

Shreveport Police were called and were able to get Hightower out of the house with few issues and he was placed under arrest. Hightower is behind bars for these charges:

More Here

TX: Laredo Gun and Knife Fight, Both Wounded, Both Arrested

Monday night, March 3, around 10:00 p.m., the Laredo Police Department responded to a call about a stabbing at the 3000 block of San Eduardo Ave.

When officers arrived, they found out that several people were involved in a fight, and shots had been fired. Police later identified one of the men as Jorge Diaz Jr., 21, who had gunshot wounds but his injuries were not life-threatening.

Police said the investigation revealed that Diaz Jr. tried to slash the tires of a car owned by Allias Alejandro Briones, 23. According to police, when Briones confronted Diaz Jr., he showed a knife. Briones then pulled out a gun. A third person stepped in between the two, but Diaz Jr. reached over and stabbed Briones twice in the shoulder and chest.

More Here

80 Years of Wisconsin Deer Hunting

 

Bob Ringstad at his Wisconsin home since 1953. 

Bob Ringstad never missed hunting deer in Wisconsin for 80 consecutive deer seasons, from 1945 to 2024.

This correspondent became friends with Bob Ringstad a few years ago. At 92 he is intellectually very sharp. His knowledge of history and North American archeology is impressive. His knowledge of hunting and firearms, accumulated over eight decades, is marvelous.

This correspondent has talked with Bob a number of times and interviewed him about his long hunting experience in the Wisconsin deer habitat of the North Woods.

Bob's father was a veteran of WWI and the first state forester in the North District of Wisconsin. At a point in his career, he shared an office at the ranger station in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, with the district game warden. The game warden confiscated many guns. Accountability was less formal in those days. The Warden's boss in Madison told him he did not want inexpensive guns to be shipped to the headquarters in Madison. He told the Warden: If the gun is worth less than $15, just break off the stock and throw the rest in the trash. $15 in 1945 would be worth $250 - $1,800 today, depending on the method of calculation.

If you are a thrifty person, this would be a difficult assignment.  It might have been borderline illegal, as a waste of official resources. Guns tended to accumulate in the office. Bob's father asked the Warden what he was going to do with all the guns cluttering up the office they shared. Bob was with his father at the time. Bob was 12 years old.

The Warden said: How many do you want? You can have them all! Bob chimed in: I'll take them! His father said: No, no, and no! The Warden said a deal is a deal. The compromise was Bob took home a lever action model 94 Winchester in .30-30.

The year was 1945. Bob shot his first deer, a forkhorn buck, that deer season. His father beamed with pride.

A few years later, Bob wounded a buck in the morning and followed the blood trail for miles, nearly all day. As sundown approached, Bob came across a master hunter and woodsman, Louie Surley. Surley asked him: What are you doing, kid?

Bob replied: "Following a wounded buck."

Louie replied: You are late. The buck went through here about 3 p.m. Louie took him back to his camp and sent him home. He told Bob: Come back before 8 a.m.  I will show you where the deer went, and we will get him.

It snowed 8 inches that night. Louie knew the swampy area the buck was headed for. With 8 inches of fresh snow, they never found the deer. Louie became Bob's deer hunting mentor, as he had with several young hunters in the area.

Bob married at 20. His wife, Joan, was 19. Bob was running raccoons at night on the weekends with a pack of dogs. They had rented a house in town. When the moon came up, the hounds would bark and howl. Bob was working in Minnesota. Joan got the complaints. Joan told Bob the dogs had to go. Bob said he would find a solution.

Bob mentioned the problem to a friend. The friend knew an older couple who were thinking about selling their farm and moving into town. After a 65 hour week's work in Minnesota, Bob knocked on the farmhouse door, about suppertime on a Friday night.

He purchased the 80 acres and farm, for $7000 in 1953. He borrowed the money from a credit union.  He could have had another 40 wooded acres for $200. He decided to take a tractor instead.  He lives in the farmhouse on the farm today.

Bob always took deer season off from work. He was a highly skilled large crane operator, in demand. In 1960, he was hired by the firm he was with for 20 years. When he was hired, the agreement was, with the owner, he would always take off deer season.

Several times, the owner's sons tried to push him to work during deer season. He always told them no. Once, he understood he was fired, so he applied for unemployment after deer season. The owner called him and said: What is going on?  When Bob explained the situation, the owner told him: Get back in here, and get back to work!

The evening before the start of the 2024 Wisconsin deer season, Bob was considering which rifle to use. His son suggested Bob use Bob's left handed Savage model 110 chambered in .243. Bob had used the rifle effectively for many years. Bob looked and looked for ammunition. He found ammunition for other rifles but not the .243. Bob went to his reloading set-up and reloaded five rounds of .243, using one of his favorite recipes for the rifle. He finished before midnight. In the morning, from a stand on his farm, he shot a buck between 300 and 325 yards away. It took one shot. This correspondent told him he has enough ammunition for another four deer seasons.

Bob estimates he shot 40-50 deer during his 80 Wisconsin deer seasons, all of them bucks. He says he could have shot many more deer, but limited himself to bucks with noticeable antlers.

Bob is a marvelous friend with a keen intellect. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects. He lives alone in his house, but actively mentors some of the neighbor children. He is an active supporter of the Second Amendment. He is often on the Internet, running a Linux system computer set-up, or talking to people on other continents with his HAM radio. He could easily shoot four more bucks in another four deer seasons, with the ever reliable and accurate Savage 110  chambered in .243.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AL: Security Guard Shoots Bingo Hall Employee, no Arrest

The sheriff's office said preliminary investigation revealed that the verbal altercation between the two men led to the security guard firing at the employee, who was struck.

The sheriff's office said the security guard remained at the scene and was cooperative with deputies.

There have been no arrests or charges filed in the case and it is still under investigation.

More Here

MN: Bill to legalize Eating Beaver

 

National Park Service image, public domain

 

According to the startribune.com, about five months ago, the Minnesota House-Senate conference committee inserted a ban on eating beaver into the 2024 omnibus environment and natural resources bill. The ban only applies to nuisance beavers which are taken because they are doing damage. Beaver which are taken as part of the normal trapping season may legally be consumed by humans.

Landowners who have beavers which are doing damage to their property do not need a permit to take beavers to stop the damage. From dnr.state.min.us:

You can take some animals which are normally protected by Minnesota Statute without a license or permit if they are doing damage. If you are the landowner, manager or occupant of the property where the animal is causing damage, you can take the following animals.

The list includes beavers. State Senator Grant Hauschild has introduced a bill to rectify the beaver eating ban, which has become the subject of considerable humor and jokes across the country. From kstp.com:

A bill introduced by DFL State Senator Grant Hauschild aims to answer at least one of those questions by once again allowing Minnesotans to eat any nuisance beavers they killed.

Here is the proposed legislation. The only change noticed by this correspondent is the proposed removal of the prohibition on human consumption of beaver at the end of the bill.

S.F. No. 811

From mn.gov (bold added):

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 97B.667, subdivision 3, is amended to read: Subd. 3.  Permits and notice; requirements. (a) Before killing or arranging to kill a  beaver under this section, the road authority or government unit must contact a conservation  officer for a special beaver permit if the beaver will be killed within two weeks before or  after the trapping season for beaver, and the conservation officer must issue the permit for  any beaver subject to this section. A permit is not required:

(1) for a licensed trapper during the open trapping season for beaver; or

(2) when the trapping season for beaver is closed and it is not within two weeks before  or after the trapping season for beaver.

(b) A road authority or government unit that kills or arranges to have killed a beaver  under this section must notify a conservation officer or employee of the Fish and Wildlife  Division within ten days after the animal is killed.

(c) Unless otherwise directed by a conservation officer, the road authority, local  government unit, the landowner, or their agent may dispose of or retain beaver killed under  this section. Human consumption of a retained beaver is prohibited.

In the change proposed for 2025, the prohibition on eating beaver (bold lettering) would be removed.

Analysis:

This is another situation where language was slipped into a large bill without a good explanation. It doesn't seem any single person is willing to take responsibility for placing the offending language in the omnibus bill.  A similar case occurred in Wisconsin in 1999. An administrative change was put into the law, which made it illegal to possess a firearm on or near the waters of the state. It took 25 years for the absurd provision to be noted and removed from the Wisconsin administrative code.

 

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

NC: Charlotte Gunfight with Security at Club

Around 2 a.m., officers responded to ‘Flirt’ on the 4800 block of Wilkinson Blvd about an assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.

Police say the victim got into an altercation with armed security when he was shot. According to the report, the shooting was justified.

 

More Here

WI: Detailed Update on 2022 Bear Attack/Home Invasion

250 lb black bear where it was shot. Chad came around the corner nearest the bear's head.

 

On May 20, 2022, Chad and Lacey Liske were getting ready for bed in their home near Medford, Wisconsin. Part of their routine was to take down their bird feeder, to prevent damage by bears. Their home was invaded and they were attacked by a 250 lb black bear. The incident was initially reported about on AmmoLand on May 23, 2022. The Liske's contacted AmmoLand with a detailed account this year.  Their account is consistent with the AmmoLand report, but includes many interesting details not available at the time. The Liskes had three children at home during the fight. Their account, with a few editorial inclusions for clarity, including pictures from the Liskes, is presented below:

From Chad and Lacey Liske:

On Friday, May 20, 2022 at about 11:00 PM my wife and I were finishing watching a TV show and about to begin our routine before bed. That routine consisted of taking our two dogs out for one last potty break and bringing in the bird feeder for the night. The bird feeder is located about 14 feet away from our living room window. About two weeks prior to this incident our bird feeder was taken down by a bear sometime during the night. Because of that visit, we had been bringing the bird feeder in nightly.

This night was slightly different as we usually go to bed at about 10:00 – 10:30 PM but it was Friday and we were up a little later. After I turned the TV off and was just about to get up off the couch, I heard some metal clanking sounds that I believed to be the bird feeder. I looked out the front window but could not see anything. I went to the front door and turned on the outside light and opened the door to peek out toward the bird feeder location. At first, I could not see anything but then I saw the red colored feeder moving around. I assumed there was a bear at the feeder. I closed the door and started walking towards the living room where my wife said she saw the bear. She said, "I can scare it." She walked to the living window and slid the lower portion of the double hung window all the way up. She yelled at the bear to startle it away. At the same time, I was walking into the living room, I looked towards the front window, as I got closer, and as my wife yelled, I saw a flash of black run off towards the woods. Turns out the bear that ran off was a juvenile bear. The next thing I saw as I was standing next to the window near my wife was a bear head burst through the screen on the window. The window is four feet off the ground and about 24” x 30” at the open portion of the window. The bear did not stop at just poking its head through but instantly crawled its way into the living room. My wife had stepped back and I was instantly confronted by the bear. My wife had cleared away and I was in a fight with the bear as it stood up on its hind legs. I recall the bear being about the same height as, me as we were face to face during the battle. My wife was shouting out, “what do we do?” and I yelled out, “get a gun!"

 

Window where bear busted the screen to break into house.

Right away my mind jumped to protecting my wife and kids at all costs. I made the decision to grab the lower jaw of the bear’s open mouth with my right hand. I believed that if I could control the head, I could control the body of the bear. I recall the bear biting down on my right hand and I could hear a crunching sound. I continued wrestling with the bear in the living room area of our house. 

My wife started to go and get a gun from the safe in our bedroom closet but stopped as she believed I had my concealed handgun on my hip and she needed to get it from me. She turned around and saw me on the floor with the bear on top of me and saw that I was in my blue colored pajamas already for the night, recognizing that my gun was not on my hip. My wife realized again she needed to head to the bedroom to get a gun and started heading that way. I do not recall how we fell to the floor or even how I got back up off the floor, but remembered thinking being on the ground for a fight was the worst place to be, especially when you are on the bottom. I recall being back up standing, struggling with the bear near our deck sliding door and my wife yelling out that she could not remember the code to get into the safe to get a gun. I yelled out the code to her over and over as I fought with the bear.

(The pistol was a Sig P320 X-Carry 9mm, loaded with Federal HST 147 grain cartridges, in a dedicated, small handgun safe, editor)

 Chad's right hand was damaged in the fight with the bear.

My wife came to the realization that in the panic of the moment she could not remember the code and as she recalls, she only heard part of the code I was shouting. She knew she would not be able to get a gun so she made the decision to grab what she knows best, her knives. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed out two knives from the knife block on the counter. Without even thinking about which knives she grabbed, she ended up with the 8” Wusthof chef’s knife and the large Wusthof carving knife.

 

Knives Lacy used to combat the bear.

Then my wife grabbed her knives she headed toward the bear and me. The bear had its left side toward the kitchen and my wife as we were standing, still in a struggle. My wife came up to the side of the bear and hesitated, saying, "I'm afraid if I stab it, it will hurt you worse". I remember yelling to her, “just do it!” My wife raised the chef’s knife that was in her left hand and forcefully struck the bear in the left side of its body. She sunk the knife about 3 – 4” into the bear’s side and must have struck bone as the tip of the knife was bent. 

My wife stabbing the bear caused the bear to release me and I instantly ran towards the bedroom closet to get my 9mm handgun from the safe. I panicked as I knew my wife was now alone in the room with an injured bear and I knew what I had just endured and I needed to get back in a hurry. 

Right after my wife stabbed the bear, the bear turned and made a quick, reactive bite to her right forearm. Fortunately, the bear released right away and started moving around the outer perimeter of the dining room and kitchen as it worked its way toward the hallway that I had just ran down. My wife stood in the middle of the room with both knives still in hand, ready, and watching as the bear kept its distance from her.

As I ran back towards the last spot I knew the bear to be, the dining/kitchen area, I rounded the corner of the hall and was met instantly by the bear as it was heading my way. Using my left hand, I was able to point the gun at the bears head and fire one round as the bear was about 1– 2 feet from me. The bullet hit its mark and the bear instantly dropped to the floor, dead.

Chad had the Sig in his left hand, because of the wound in his right hand. He has always been able to shoot well with either hand. Chad started shooting at a young age, hunting alone at the age of 12, in northern Wisconsin. He had 20 years experience in law enforcement at the time of this incident. (editor)

 

 

My wife was able to collect herself and called 9-1-1 to report what had just happened and request an ambulance for our injuries as well as law enforcement. While her call connected with the 9-1-1 Dispatch, she could hear them, but they could not hear anything she had reported. I called 9-1-1 from my cell phone and reported a shortened version of what happened as I thought they had more information from my wife’s call. I also asked for law enforcement and an ambulance.

 

Chad in hospital.

We were transported by ambulance and received treatment from our local hospital and were released in the morning to return home. 

We are grateful that our injuries are minor compared to what they could have been. My wife received a bite to her right forearm. I received bites to my right hand, right bicep, left forearm, left shoulder/back area and various scratches. I also received a minor laceration to the left side of my head at some point throughout the struggle.

We are also extremely grateful that 3 of our children were in bed sleeping at the time, while one was away for the night at a friend’s house. Our youngest child, whose bedroom was just down the hall from the gunshot, woke up and yelled for me after the incident. I went to her room and told her everything was alright and to go back to sleep, which she did. Our other two children that were home remained sleeping the entire time and did not awaken until family arrived to take them from the home for the night.

Even though we endured this terrifying incident, we feel that God was truly watching over our family and protecting us in many ways. We are so thankful for our family, friends, and coworkers who helped us with everything after the incident, for all the prayers from our community and for the EMS, hospital staff, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources staff.

The bear was checked for rabies. It was not infected. The bullet fired by Chad appears to have gone through the brainstem and out the head into the neck, via the spinal column.  The head was removed to check for rabies. The body was sent to a taxidermist. When queried, neither was able to find the bullet. It may have fallen out of the neck after the head was separated from the body.

The Liskes fared better than Patrice Miller. Miller was killed in her California home by an invading black bear. Miller did not have a gun, even though the bear had attempted to break in many times previously.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

AL: Domestic Defense in Ohatchee, Gunfire and Vehicle Ramming

In an altercation that occurred on Six Foot Road on Saturday, Donald Nicholas Hughes, known as Nick, and Cassie King were arrested after a heated confrontation that involved ramming vehicles and gunfire. According to Moses, it was reported that the couple was involved in a significant disturbance where King is said to have rammed Hughes’ truck while he was inside.

The situation further intensified when Hughes reportedly pulled a firearm and fired multiple shots at King’s truck as she attempted to leave, with a passenger also present in the vehicle, Moses said.

More Here

GA: Atlanta Gunfight, Disgruntled Employee Shoots Owner, Son Shoots Attacker

Late Thursday afternoon, Atlanta police said two victims were shot at J.M.R. New & Used Tires at 2995 Jonesboro Road SE.

Investigators said three people were involved in the incident: the owner of the tire shop, his son and a third person.

They confirmed the owner and the third person were killed in what appears to have been a disgruntled employee situation.

Police said an employee shot and killed the owner before the owner’s son fatally shot the employee.

More Here

OH: Canton Man Wounded in Gunfight

Police officers applied two tourniquets to the victim's leg after he was found lying in the middle of the street in the 400 block of McGregor SW. A handgun was found next to him.

They were notified at 11:09 p.m. about the shooting, which reportedly occurred nearby in the 400 block of Collins Court NW.

Another man told police he fired at the victim after gunfire toward his sister.

More Here

BLM Ranges near Phoenix: Steel Targets Only?

On January 4, 2025, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 6492, also known as the Explore Act. The Act contains H.R. 1614, the previous Range Access Act. The act, as passed, requires bureaucrats in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to consider the establishment of a target shooting range in each National Forest district or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) district.  This is not a difficult requirement. In Arizona, there are only four BLM districts. Each district is much larger than some of the smaller eastern states.  BLM recently constructed three shooting ranges north of Phoenix, Arizona.

The experience of long term desert shooters with the building of three ranges on BLM land north of Phoenix is a cautionary tale.  A significant amount of money was spent to build well designed ranges which have minimal utility. The only shooting allowed at the ranges is shooting at steel targets at fixed distances, mostly at long ranges.  No shooters are allowed to go down range.  The only targets which may be used are the steel targets provided, at the fixed ranges provided. The steel targets are painted once a week. This does not appear to be the original plan put forward by stakeholders when they met with BLM planners, prior to the construction of the ranges.

Here is a slide show/video supplied by Tony Urso showing what uses experienced desert shooters expect of a range open to the public. The show is about 11 minutes long. It is very well done.

 

The use of steel targets in fixed positions, along with the prohibition against shooters from going down range in front of the firing line at any time prevents many normal and expected uses of public ranges.  Chronographs are generally not usable, because most need to be placed ahead of the firing line. Shooting at close targets, under 25 yards is not possible. Shooting to test ammunition/firearms for accuracy is extremely limited, because a shooter cannot determine where they hit the target with precision.  Shooting to sight in a rifle or pistol is virtually impossible for the same reason. 

Steel targets were chosen as a method to prevent people from going downrange. From the blm.gov/blog: 

Because the sites are operated as self-service shooting facilities, they need special management to ensure public and staff safety. Each of the sites has steel targets installed to prevent visitors from going downrange to place their own targets.

Shooters are not allowed to paint the provided steel targets. 

Here is a video presentation from the Bureau of Land Management showing how the targets are made. It show a glimpse of the BLM ranges north of Phoenix.

 

Tony Urso noted that when these ranges were opened, about 4000 acres of land which was suitable for recreational shooting, adjacent to the now official ranges, were closed to the public as a "safety measure".  Local managers have the authority to regulate adjacent lands for reasons of safety.

The BLM blog states an estimated 71,000 visits were made in 2023 to the 4 BLM constructed ranges near Phoenix. There are three ranges to the north of Phoenix,  west of Lake Pleasant, in a rough north-south line about four miles long. The three sites are: 

Baldy Mountain Recreational Shooting Site

Church Camp Road Recreational Shooting Site

Saddleback Mountain Recreational Shooting Site

The Box Canyon Recreational Shooting Site is in Pinal County, southwest of the City of Maricopa. Reports from users of the Box Canyon site would be welcome.

Sites are available six days a week, or about 312 days a year.  The average estimated usage would be 71,000 divided by 4 X 312, or approximately 57 people per site per day. Some sites will be more popular than others. Weekends are probably more crowded than weekdays. 

The lack of suitable facilities for pistol shooters is obvious. Pistols are designed for close range use. Steel targets should not be shot at from close range because of the danger of back-splatter, bounce-back, and ricochet. Pistols are the most popular firearm being purchased by the public. 

All four sites ban shooters from going down range or from bringing their own targets. Those are site specific rules which were not published in the federal register.  The mandatory use of steel targets is a local rule which can be changed. It is a local prohibition arising from an over-abundance of caution, which precludes most traditional uses of ranges.  These are the only public ranges this correspondent is aware of, which limit use to steel targets only, to prevent shooters from going downrange. 

Analysis: The limitation to use only steel targets is an overreaction to potential dangers. The enabling legislation foresaw shooters would bring, set up and remove their own targets. From the BLM site, rule 6: 

You must only use authorized stationary targets as specified in the operating plan for each site. These targets may be made of cardboard, paper, self-healing, steel, and biodegradable clay (clay targets). All other items, such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, bowling pins, plastic bottles and other items which may leave debris, are not authorized to be used as targets. Exploding targets are prohibited. All user-supplied steel targets must be specifically designed for use with firearms and must be used at a distance of 100 yards or greater. Target frames must be designed to be reusable. The use of wooden pallets and other items not specifically designed as target frames are not authorized. All user-supplied targets, target frames, and debris must be removed from the site and disposed of properly after use and before leaving the site.

This correspondent's experience as a bureaucrat leads to the question: was the decision to limit targets to provided steel targets primarily for the protection of the BLM decision makers? The idea seems to be: if you prohibit people from going down range, the liability of the decision makers will be minimized.  This is a pernicious idea, which greatly diminishes the utility of the ranges. Thousands of people have been shooting on BLM land for decades.  Accidents and injuries are minimal. 

The idea of prohibiting people from going downrange to set up and remove targets is not a good innovation. The public BLM ranges should allow for users to go downrange and to use their own targets, especially for pistol shooting.  Shooters at public ranges normally self-regulate this conduct. Volunteers at public ranges could do the same. 

As a shooter, this correspondent would have preferred less money spent on the installation of expensive chain link fencing on rough terrain. The money could have been used to provide for shade structures on the line. Shade, in Arizona summers, has high utility. 

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony 

Presentation of needs of experienced Desert Shooters on Youtube.

Presentation by BLM Video showing the making of targets and a bit of the Church Camp Range.

Range Access Act statement

by BLM March 28, 2023 

H.R. 1614, Range Access Act
H.R. 1614 would require the BLM and USFS, after determining if allowable under law and management plan, to establish and manage a developed shooting range in each district managed by the agencies that does not already have a range, within five years of enactment and subject to available appropriations. The bill allows the agencies to enter into an agreement with another entity to establish and maintain the shooting range. The two agencies are also required to coordinate with several groups on the construction of the ranges, including Tribes, State and local agencies, and shooting clubs, and to consult with these groups on ways to maximize private funding for the construction. Additionally, under the bill, both BLM and the USFS are to cooperate with these stakeholders and partners to ensure that any shooting range constructed under the bill will not impact any nearby non-Federal shooting ranges. 

The bill further requires the agencies seek to ensure that there is a designated shooting range meeting the requirements of the bill or located adjacent to BLM- or Forest Service-managed lands and available for public use prior to closing an area to recreational shooting, except in emergency situations. The bill also specifies that agencies may not require a user to pay a fee to use the shooting ranges. Finally, H.R. 1614 requires submission of an annual report to Congress on progress toward meeting the requirements of the law.  

Analysis 
While the BLM recognizes the sponsors’ interest in increasing access to designated shooting ranges and the need to do so in some places to ensure public safety and minimize user conflicts, the BLM cannot support the bill at this time due to the significant challenges in developing and maintaining the proposed number of shooting ranges, which would also involve removal of lead ammunition, clean-up of hazardous materials, and berm management. The BLM notes in some locations, exercising BLM’s authority to charge a user fee may be warranted for the purposes in the bill, given the large number of designated shooting ranges envisioned. In addition, the bill does not acknowledge the importance of public input and assessing community interest in development of designated shooting ranges in its districts.

Important loophole:

From HR 6492:

(c) Restrictions

(1) Management

The management of a target shooting range shall be subject to such conditions as the Secretary concerned determines are necessary for the safe, responsible use of—

(A) the target shooting range; and

(B) the adjacent land and resources.