Police say last Thursday, an Infiniti pulled into the South City apartment complex at Mississippi Boulevard and Lauderdale.
Surveillance video shows four suspects, all armed with guns, getting out and walking through the complex and shooting both victims multiple times, police said.
As they got back into the Infiniti, police say Patterson was shot by someone inside the apartment complex. He fell out of the car onto the ground.
The Trump tariffs are unlikely to have much effect on ammunition prices in the United States of America.
President Trump has entered office at full throttle. He has been enacting significant parts of his trade policies much faster than most previous presidents. One of his stated goals is stopping unfair trade practices against the United States. Part of that effort has been widespread use of tariffs to bring other countries to the bargaining table.
Ammunition supplies inside the United States have been fairly stable for many months. Prices have been steady or dropping. The shortages associated with the Obama years were not duplicated during the Biden years, although future importation permits for Russian ammunition were blocked by Biden executive orders. There was a failed attempt to prevent Lake City ammunition from being sold to the public. In spite of these efforts, most ammunition was generally available at prices somewhat lower than previous spikes.
Most of the ammunition consumed inside the United States is manufactured inside the United States. There are exceptions. During the .22 rimfire shortage, Aquila Ammunition quadrupled their production capacity in Mexico. About half of that capacity is exported to the United States. There are several other manufacturers who export .22 rimfire to the the United States, such as Armscorp from the Philippines, Ely from the UK, and Fiocci from Italy. Altogether, rimfire imports are estimated at about 10% of the consumption in the USA.
Imported centerfire cartridges and shotgun shells have found niches in the United States market. At present, many of the imports offer price advantages compared to American made products. Some European producers, such as Fiocci, Sellier & Bellot, Prvi Partizan and others offer cartridges which are not produced by American manufacturers, such as .30 Luger, 7x57 rimmed, and 9.3x72mm rounds. General tariffs on European manufactured goods could have an effect on those prices... someday.
Most countries in the world have signed up for trade talks with the United States. There is a current 90 day pause in implementing the Trump tariffs, with the major exception of China. There has been a ban on the importation of Chinese Ammunition since 1994. As AmmoLand contributor John Farnam noted, China exports a considerable amount of nitrocellulose. The United States has only two major manufacturers of Nitrocellulose this correspondent is aware of. This is a critical vulnerability. At present, the nitrocellulose made in the USA is just enough for our needs. At times, the supply of gun powder has not met demand. The production of primers is just starting to meed demand at present. Some prices for primers have been reduced.
Analysis:
If readers desire specialty ammunition, or have found a particular import to work especially well, this might be a good time to stock up. When inflation is taken into account, .22 rimfire ammunition is about as low as it has ever been. The American ammunition market is likely near saturation. There are always specials, sales, and discounted or discontinued product. The next two months, at least, promise to offer a continuation of the prices currently available on imported products.
The tariffs deals may not be the same everywhere. Mexico may get a different deal than the Philippines. Italy may obtain better terms than the Czech Republic. If you need specialty cartridges made overseas, this is probably a good time to buy.
This correspondent would love to see a nitrocellulose plant built in Montana to meet demand. Such plants are expensive and take time to construct. There are significant safety and environmental concerns. If one of the current nitrocellulose plants were shut down, there would be significant gunpowder shortages in the United States of America. Another nitro-cellulose plant in the United States seems a worth while endeavor to subsidize, as it aids in the defense of the United States.
Antimony is not as critical as the nitrocellulose plants. Only small amounts of anitimony are necessary for lead alloys used in bullets. Antimony is a small amount of the cost of ammunition, according to Dan Wolgin, CEO of Ammunition Depot. If the cost of antimony doubled (highly unlikely), it would barely be noticed.
This is a good time to purchase ammunition, especially .22 rimfire, in the United States of America. If you have not stocked up, consider doing so now.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Shreveport Police officials say a man in his 30s was shot multiple times. He was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sometime after 5 p.m., KSLA was told he was alert and conscious.
Police also say the suspected shooter was detained for questioning.
Officials on scene say the ex-boyfriend showed up at the house, and got into an argument with the woman’s current boyfriend. SPD says both men exchanged gunfire, and the ex-boyfriend was struck.
Thursday, April 17, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department responded to a shooting on Chestnut Bluff and Maury City Road. According to the sheriff’s department, John King III was shot and killed in the 6000 block of Chestnut Bluff-Maury City Road.
We learned on April 18 that it appeared to be domestic violence-related, and no charges were filed at the time.
Wednesday, we spoke with District Attorney General Frederick Agee. He told us this was self defense and that his office would not be pursuing any charges.
“She is six months pregnant and there were two other children in the household,” said Agee. “She had no other choice but to defend herself. That is why people have guns. In this case, she used her firearm appropriately to defend not only herself, but her children.”
According to Metro Dispatch, officers were sent to the 600 block of South 7th Street at approximately 6:14 p.m. to respond to reports of a shooting.
A neighbor reportedly called 911 stating that she saw a woman shoot a man who was attempting to break into a home.
Detectives later learned that the woman, who left before police arrived, had an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend and shot him as he was attempting to break in.
The Arkansas Capitol
The Arkansas legislature is sending an improvement of the state constitution's right to keep and bear arms language to the ballot for the next election. Here is the current Arkansas Constitution Article 2, § 5:
Right to Bear Arms
The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense.
The current language is problematic because it only mentions "common defense" and does not specifically mention individual rights, although individual rights are implied. Arkansas became a Constitutional Carry state on April 4th, 2013. On April 12, 2023, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee signed SB480 into law, clarifying that Arkansas was a Constitutional Carry state.
SJR11 passed the Senate on Thursday, April 10, 2025, on a vote of 28-7. Arkansas SJR11 would change the Arkansas Constitution Article 2, § 5 to read as follows:
SECTION 1. INTENT OF AMENDMENT. It is the intent of this amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to protect the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed under the Arkansas Constitution.
SECTION 2. Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, § 5, is amended to read as follows:
§ 5. Right to keep and bear arms.
(a) The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for:
(1) their Their common defense;
(2) Lawful hunting and recreational use; and
(3) Any other lawful purpose.(b) The right to keep and bear arms under subsection (a) of this
section includes without limitation the possession and use of:(1) Ammunition;
(2) Firearm accessories; and
(3) Firearm components.(c) The right to keep and bear arms under subsection (a) of this section is a natural, fundamental, and individual right that shall not be infringed
The House approved the measure on April 15. The vote was 86 to 10, with 2 not voting. SJR11 was enrolled and sent to the Governor on April 16, 2025.
The Arkansas legislature adjourned on April 16, 2025.
In Arkansas, it is easier than most states to pass a state constitutional amendment. From Ballotpedia:
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Arkansas State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Arkansas House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Arkansas State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Analysis:
The legislature has approved the constitutional amendment to be on the ballot. There are strategic reasons for placing a Right to Keep and Bear Arms measure on the ballot. Such measures enhance turnout by patriotic Second Amendment supporters, who tend to vote for Republicans. These amendments typically pass with high percentages of 60% to 75% of those voting. The next Arkansas election is scheduled for November of 2026, concurrent with the Federal mid-term elections. Whether President Trump will be able to make structural changes in the United States Government will depend, in large part, on his ability to have Republicans keep control of the House and Senate in the mid-term elections of 2026.
It makes sense for Republicans to place SJR11 on the ballot for 2026. This correspondent predicts it will pass with more than 70% of the vote.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The precursor to the Federal Firearms License (FFL) required by the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA1968), was the Federal Firearms License required by the Federal Firearms Act passed in 1938. The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 is *not* the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. The NFA of 1934 is an act requiring taxes and registration for machine guns, short barreled shotguns (sbs), short barrelled rifles (sbr), silencers, and an "any other weapon" for firearms which do not look like firearms.
The Federal Firearms Act (FFA) of 1938 was an act which required people to have a license to ship and receive firearms, ammunition components, and pistol ammunition, except for .22 rimfire, across state lines and international boundaries, for commercial purposes. The fee for a manufacturer was $25, for a dealer, $1.
The license required for a dealer under the FFA is a direct precursor to the Federal Firearms License required today. Both were/are requested on a Form 7. Both were/are issued as a Form 8.
Before the Form 8 was issued in August of 1938, people wanted a license to bridge the gap from the time the FFA went into effect until the Form 8 became available. It appears the gap was for one month, starting on July 30th, 1938. The Form 8 was issued in August, 1938. Form 8 has been modified extensively over the years. There are a few very early FFLs which were issued by letter. The wording is very similar to the Form 8. Here is an image of a sample letter in Pennsylvania.
Application for a license was sent to the collector of income taxes for the local district of the Internal Revenue service. There were 64 Internal Revenue districts in the United States, including territories, in 1938.
The license issued under the FFA was good for one year, and had to be renewed each year. It was issued to a person, and was good wherever that person did business. A primary business location was requested, but some licenses were issued with a P.O. box as an address. Records of transactions were required. If firearms had serial numbers, the serial numbers were recorded. Records were required to be kept for six years. Licenses were "shall issue". If the requester met the minimal requirements, the license had to be issued. One of the requirements was that the requestor had not been convicted of a crime of violence. Ten crimes were defined as meeting the criteria. From Title 26 of the IRS, 1939:
The term "crime of violence" means, murder, manslaughter, rape, mayhem, kidnaping, burglary, housebreaking; assault with intent to kill, commit rape, or rob; assault with a dangerous weapon, or assault with intent to commit any offense punishable by Imprisonment for more than one year.
"Interstate commerce" meant selling, buying or shipping across state lines or international boundaries for a business purpose. The term had not been ballooned to include nearly everything as it has been today. A requirement of the license was local and state laws had to be obeyed.
Violating the provisions of the act or knowingly supplying false information to obtain a license, was punishable by a fine of $2,000 or imprisonment for five years. If a license was revoked for cause, a person had to wait for two years before they could re-apply for another license. In 1938, a dollar was worth 1/35 of an ounce of gold. Many obtained the licenses from necessity or for convenience. In 1939, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue recorded there were 32,847 licenses. Because the licenses had to be renewed every year, the numbers dropped considerably during World War II. In the 1950's they regained their former numbers. The number of licenses issued under the FFA in 1951 was 31,203. The IRS transferred the administration of the NFA and the FFA to the Alcohol Tax Unit of the IRS effective on April 1, 1951. This correspondent has not found a report of the number of FFL licenses issued after 1951.
This correspondent recalls his pastor, about 1965, said he had obtained an FFL to make direct purchases across state lines easier. Many gas stations and small stores sold firearms and ammunition. Many of them had FFLs. The dollar fee was not burdensome in the 1960s. The dollar a year FFA FFL license was easy to apply for and obtain. Many people obtained a license for a year or two, then allowed it to lapse. The last year the FFA was in effect was 1968. In 1968, 36,050 firearms records inspections were made at the premises of dealers. How many licenses had been issued under the FFA has not been found. It would not surprise this correspondent if the number were in the hundreds of thousands.
In the IRS report for 1969, 77,573 new Federal Firearms Licenses were issued during the last days of 1968 and the first six months of 1969, to comply with GCA 1968. This is likely a fraction of the licenses issued under the Federal Firearms Act. The license required by GCA of 1968 cost $10 per year, and imposed more burdensome record keeping. The Commissioner of the IRS, in the annual report for 1970 (June 30, 1970) stated materials were developed to inform 200,000 target shooters and 100,000 collectors of their responsibilities under GCA 1968. It is unknown if these numbers are indicators of how many licenses were issued under the FFA. The IRS listed the numbers in their report. This indicates the IRS believed there was a connection. In 1971, the IRS reported they processed 150,000 firearms dealers licenses a year. It seems likely the number of dollar a year FFL licenses issued under the FFA in 1967 or 1968 numbered at least as many.
There is no reason to believe the FFA of 1938 had any significant impact on crime. Administration of the act was placed under the Internal Revenue Service because the Roosevelt administration considered administration of a tax as a viable way to "get around" the prohibitions of the Second Amendment. The Roosevelt administration knew they had the power to tax, but not the power to infringe on rights protected by the Second Amendment. Courts have since ruled Constitutional rights cannot be singled out for selective taxation.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. in the parking lot of a pawn shop in the 900 block of West Irvington Road, just east of Interstate 19, police said Saturday in a news release.
Michael Alex Montano Mendoza, 39, was fatally shot when investigators say he assaulted an employee while looking at an item that was for sale in the parking lot. The employee, an unidentified 24-year-old man, shot Mendoza during the fight, the news release said.
Mendoza died at the scene of the shooting.
Thompson submachine gun Library of Congress
In 1960 the Internal Revenue Service had 17,000 Thompson submachine guns destroyed rather than collect $3.4 million in tax stamp revenue. The only reason given was to keep them out of the hands of "undesirables".
After WWII, machine guns started showing up in the United States from the war overseas. There are many ways this could happen. Most commonly a US GI would bring back a war souvenir. In the annual reports published by the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) it was recorded action was taken to insure these firearms were registered as was required by the National Firearms Act of 1934. In 1952, John B. Dunlap was Commissioner of the IRS. From the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 1952, p. 18:
Firearms program.—In September 1945 an intensive investigative program was started for the purpose of bringing about the registration of machine guns, machine pistols, and other firearms coming within the purview of the National Firearms Act. This program was necessitated by the fact that a large number of these firearms brought or sent to this country by members of the armed services were finding their way into the hands of criminals, by either illegal sale or theft, and were being utilized in the commission of violent crimes.
As of June 30, 1952, a total of 107,321 investigations had been conducted, resulting in the registration with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of 16,285 firearms. During the fiscal year 1952, 175 cases involving violations of the Firearms Act were submitted to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
The thrust was to get the NFA firearms registered in the proper hands. Over sixteen thousand were registered. Only 175 cases were prosecuted.
Skip forward a few years to 1960. A different Commissioner of the IRS, Dana Latham, was in office. He was the eighth Commissioner of the IRS under President Eisenhower. He had a different view of the NFA. When this correspondent stumbled upon the paragraph describing the events of interest to the IRS, the assumption was Latham would brag about bringing in 3.4 million dollars of tax stamp revenue. It was the wrong assumption. From the Report of the Commissioner, 1960, page 55:
Firearms Program
There were only 3,654 firearms registered during the fiscal year 1960, as compared with 52,156 firearms registered during 1959, due primarily to a substantial reduction in the number of firearms imported. As a result of investigational work under the National and Federal Firearms Acts, and the Act of August 9, 1939 (49 U.S.C. 781), 590 persons were arrested, 157 vehicles seized, 1,115 firearms seized, and 587 criminal prosecution cases completed. A signal example of the effectiveness of the program in limiting the availability of firearms to undesirables occurred during this fiscal year. On the basis of information that the prospective purchaser of some 17,000 scrapped surplus Thompson submachineguns intended to reassemble them, the Service interceded with the Department of Defense, which then determined that the interests of the general public required the complete destruction of the weapons and amended its regulations accordingly. The prospective purchaser failed in its attempt to prevent destruction of the weapons through an injunction suit, carried twice to the Circuit Court of Appeals.
The main purpose of the IRS is to collect revenue. Most people would assume an IRS Commissioner would be glad to accept 3.4 million dollars in tax stamp revenue for the sale to the public of 17,000 reassembled Thompson submachineguns. Latham thought differently.
Not only did Latham reject the the tax revenue, he directly interfered in the business of the Department of Defense (DOD) and pressured them to renig on their contract to sell the scrapped Thompsons. The DOD had to retroactively change their regulations to do so. The federal government had to defend the action in court. The case went to the Circuit Court of Appeals twice. The government won.
This was not an underhanded, under the table deal which Latham wanted to keep quiet. He showcased it in his Annual Report. It appears, on the surface as a prosecutable offense, a severe and deliberate wastage of government assets. It shows quite a contrast to Commissioner Dunlap, who was able to have over 16,000 "bringbacks" registered into the system.
Today, Dunlap is forgotten. Dana Latham is not. In 1976, an award was named after him by the Los Angeles County Bar:
In 1976, the Los Angeles County Bar Taxation Section decided to honor the memory of Dana Latham by establishing the Dana Latham Memorial Award.
This correspondent was only nine years old when Dana Latham reveled in his wastage of tax dollars and destruction of federal property. This correspondent has been unable to find published articles form the period which expose the actions of the IRS in this case.
Three years later, in 1963, 240,000 surplus M1 Carbines were decommissioned and sold to NRA members for $20 each, without magazines. Dana Latham was no longer the Commissioner of the IRS.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Note, the person who was attempting the car-jack was not the victim.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man was shot and killed on North Hairston Road Friday night, according to DeKalb County Police.
Just after 6 p.m., officers responded to the scene near Sister 2 Sister Cafe Halal. Once there, they said they found a man who had been shot and who later died from his injuries.
After further investigation, officers said they determined the victim was trying to carjack someone else's car and was shot during the crime.
According to law enforcement, this incident appears to be a domestic violence dispute.
“The Crockett County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call, indicating that a male subject had been shot in her residence,” said Stephen Sutton, public information officer for CCSD.
The preliminary investigation revealed the male subject was armed with a knife and a gun. Allegedly, he assaulted the female subject and she shot him.
Officers said they learned two men, one identified as 42-year-old
Ezekiel Canty of Wilkes-Barre, were arguing, which then turned into a
physical assault between the two.
The victim grabbed a bat and, while walking towards Canty, Canty shot him in the abdomen, police stated.
Deputies of the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office are investigating an assault after a man was dropped off at Betsy Johnson Hospital’s Emergency Room with multiple gunshot wounds Wednesday morning.
“It appears that the shooting occurred at 4444 N. Spring Branch Road in Sampson County,” said SCSO Capt. Marcus Smith. “The incident was a domestic assault and evidence gathered thus far indicates the shooting was in self-defense to stop the assault.”
Release posted on04/16/2025 at 7:12 AM
Two men entered a home at 3401 40th St. N. at about 2a.m. today.
The homeowner fired shots and injured one of the suspects. That suspect was taken to the hospital where he later died of his injuries. He hasn't been identified.
The second suspect fled the home.
This is very early in an active ongoing investigation and there are no other details to release at this time.
“That’s when the suspect had busted the bay window on the front of the house, and actually was about three quarters of the way into the house, and making threats that he was going to kill him,” said Long.
That’s when the father pulled the trigger and the man, identified as Abdil Aquil, fell out the window.
“The father of that home, the husband of that home, is the hero. Without the actions that he took, I really believe, 28 years of doing this job, I believe we would’ve had a homicide,” said Long.
Aquil wasn’t hit, and Long says it took three deputies and a Taser to get him in custody.
On April 10, 2025, the Missouri House of Representatives passed gun law reform bill HB 328. The bill is essentially the same as Senate Bill SB 77, put forward by Senator Schnelting. The bills remove the ban on carrying weapons aboard most public transportation for people with concealed carry permits. Similar bills were filed in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
In 2022, the Senate leadership killed the bill for lack of attention. The 2024 version of the bill, HB 1708, did not pass the House. The bill has an excellent chance of passing if it can be brought to the floor for a vote. The House vote on April 10, 2025, was 106 to 45 with 2 present. Here is a Summary of HB 328:
HCS HB 328 -- CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS (Taylor (48))
COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on General Laws
Currently, it is a crime to board a bus with a dangerous or deadly weapon or carry such a weapon in a terminal. This bill allows a concealed carry permit holder to lawfully carry firearms on public transportation. Individuals with a permit can also carry a firearm while traveling by bus. This bill does not apply to property of Amtrak or any partnership in which Amtrak engages. The bill expands the listed items that satisfy the requirement that an applicant for a concealed carry permit demonstrate knowledge of firearms safety training to include, for active duty military service members, receipt of a pistol marksmanship recognition. The bill lowers
the age requirement from at least 19 to 18 years of age or older for concealed carry permits. This bill is similar to HB 1708 (2024).
Senator Schnelting has placed SB 77, the senate twin of HB 328, on the informal calendar for the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety committee, where he is the vice-chair. This means he can bring the bill to the committee when he thinks the time is appropriate.
Missouri has a reputation of being a state which honors the Second Amendment. It seems strange this ban on the exercise of Second Amendment rights on public transportation has survived this many years, in spite of the best efforts of Senator Schnelting.
Many bills die for lack of attention by legislative leadership. The Missouri legislature is scheduled to adjourn the 2025 session on May 16 of 2025. With less than a month to go, the legislative leadership will have to give support to this bill for it to pass this year.
This correspondent has not found any statements about this bill from Missouri Governor Republican Mike Kehoe. He was sworn in as Governor on January 13, 2025. He has been the Lt. Governor of Missouri for four years before he was elected as Governor.
If the Missouri law is challenged in court, it has a good chance of being struck down as unconstitutional. In Illinois, in the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, a law banning carry on public transportation has been declared to be unconstitutional by the District Court. The summary judgement is being appealed to a three judge panel of the Seventh Circuit at this time. Missouri is in the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
A ban on the carry of weapons on public transportation is being challenged in the District of Columbia. Montana eliminated its ban on carry on busses of the Montana Urban Transportation District when challenged by the Montana Shooting Sports Association.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The following information was gleaned from the Frisco police reports written about the incident on the day it happened.
On April 2, 2025, two young men, Austin Metcalf of Frisco Memorial High School and Karmelo Anthony of Centennial High School were involved in an altercation. The altercation reportedly took place at the Memorial High School Tent in the visitors bleachers at David Kuykendall Stadium, located between the two schools. It was about 10 A.M. and raining.
The two schools are about 7 miles apart in Frisco, north of Dallas in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
From a witness of the altercation, as recorded in the police report:
"Austin had told Anthony that he needed to move out from under their team's tent and Anthony grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside and proceeded to tell Austin, "Touch me and see what happens." No one really though Anthony really had any weapons in his bag and Austin proceeded to touch Anthony and then Anthony told Austin to punch him and see what happens. A short time later, Austin grabbed Anthony to tell him to move and Anthony pulled out what (redacted) recalled as a black knife and stabbed Austin once in the chest and then ran away.
Karmelo Anthony was approached by School Resource Officer E. Cortez, on the track at the north end of the stadium, not far from the bleachers, shortly after the event. From the police report:
The suspect at this point was on the track on the north end. There was a chain link fence that separated me from the suspect. I gave the suspect instructions to keep his hands in the air. During this time, the suspect said verbally out loud, "I was protecting myself". It should be noted that I had not questioned him about the incident when he made that statement.
From the beginning of the interaction of the police with Karmelo Anthony, Anthony has claimed self defense. This is similar to the situation with Kyle Rittenhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Kyle Rittenhouse turned himself in to the police and always claimed self defense. Police approached Karmelo Anthony shortly after the event. Kyle Rittenhouse attempted to turn himself in to the police shortly after his self-defense shootings, but in the chaos of the ongoing riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the police told him to go home. Kyle Rittenhouse turned himself in to the police at his home town.
From what we know so far, there are significant differences in the two cases.
The Kyle Rittenhouse events occurred in riot torn Kenosha Wisconsin, where the rule of law had broken down. Karmelo Anthony's confrontation occurred at a high school stadium with significant police presence.
Kyle Rittenhouse openly carried his AR15 rifle. Everyone who he shot knew he had the rifle when they attacked him. It appears Karmelo Anthony concealed the knife he had. Witnesses on the scene claim to not have known Karmelo was armed.
Kyle Rittenhouse retreated and ran from the people who attacked him. Karmelo Anthony appears to have issued a challenge to engage in a physical confrontation.
The events where Kyle Rittenhouse defended himself were all on video, often from multiple angles. The jury could see what happened from multiple angles. Most of the video was available just days after the events. No video of the altercation between Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf has been released. One commentator has indicated there is video from several devices and it will eventually be released.
The people Kyle Rittenhouse shot had long criminal histories. Austin Metcalf was a model student without any criminal history.
Karmelo Anthony's family immediately opened a GiveSendGo account which has had hundreds of thousands of dollars donated so far. Kyle Rittenhouse's family opened a GoFundMe account which was taken down by GoFundme after tens of thousands of dollars had been donated. The Kyle Rittenhouse defense team was later able to open a GoFundMe account which had hundreds of thousands of dollars donate to it.
Kyle Rittenhouse was pilloried and vilified in the Media. Karmelo Anthony and his claim of self defense has been treated with caution and respect.
A jury trial cleared Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges. It is far too early in the Karmelo Anthony case to know what the outcome will be.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Kyle and Karmelo Anthony of
Differences
Kyle all on tape.
Kyle openly carrying an AR15
Kyles opponents pursued him
Kyle attempted to disengage and retreated.
Kyle
Claim of video(s) relayed by Jason Whitlock
Police Chief calling for people to stop spreading false information about the case.
I ask everyone to be cautious of the inaccurate information that is circulating related to this incident, and to only trust information that comes from official releases and verified sources. Beware of those taking to social media to deliberately spread misinformation, hate, fear, and division. Yesterday evening a fictitious account was created using my name perpetuating misinformation. This is a criminal offense and a 3rd degree felony which will be investigated.
(skip)
I ask that you lift up the Metcalf family in prayer and pray for all of the families that have been impacted by this senseless act of violence.
Police reports from the day of the incident.
The Jones County Sheriff’s Department continues to investigate a burglary in progress on Monday, April 14th, that led to a suspect being shot by the affected homeowner.
40-year-old Marcus Crosby was arrested by Jones County Investigators at South Central Regional Medical Center following a burglary in the 600 block of State Street in northern Jones County.
Crosby has also been charged with a burglary of a nearby home on Ole Miss Drive.
A 15-year-old boy, wearing a white hoodie, approaches Kyle Mirick, who was standing outside Staggerlee's liquor store. Police said that the teen was attempting to rob Mirick. This caused Mirick to retreat and pull out his own gun, appearing to fire back, injuring the teen, who then falls to the ground. Mirick would then stagger into the street, collapse, and die.
"A preliminary investigation reveals there was a dispute between two men that occurred at a smoke shop," police said. "The suspect fired shots and the victim returned fire."
At 8th Street and Walnut Street, a block north of Busch Stadium, there was a black sedan with a broken rear window. Police detained a suspect and seized a firearm.
During the argument, Gable pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking two people who were attempting to deescalate the fight. One victim was airlifted to a hospital in Mobile, Ala. The other victim was Eddie Shed, a deacon and head of security for the church hosting the event. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gable was also shot during the incident and was taken to a local hospital by personal vehicle. He has since been given no bond for the murder charge and a $250,000 bond for the aggravated assault charge.
DOJ press release on April 7, 2025 included a review of Final Rule 2022R-17F, the definition of what it means to be "engaged in the business" of dealing in firearms. From the atf.gov:
“Today’s repeal of the Zero Tolerance Policy and the comprehensive review of stabilizing brace regulations and the definition of ‘engaged in the business’ marks a pivotal step toward restoring fairness and clarity in firearms regulation,” said Acting ATF Director Kash Patel. “We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure our policies are balanced, constitutional and protective of Americans’ Second Amendment rights.”
The leadership of the Biden administration, using the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had proposed a radical restructuring of the definition of "engaged in the business", based on minor changes made in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The BSCA went into effect on June 25, 2022.
The BSCA made a minor change in the wording of the definition. The words were changed from "with the principle objective of livelihood and profit" to "to predominantly earn a profit". This minor wording change was used as a pretext by the Biden administration to radically change firearms law in the United States. From AmmoLand:
Some of the most radical changes proposed in the new ATF rule are to completely redefine “personal collection,” “personal collection of firearms,” “personal firearms collection,” and “hobby.” Three of the long-term exceptions to “engaged in the business” have been:
a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms;
The changes proposed by the "Final rule" change the exceptions above to exclude any which involved self defense or selling a firearm for more than the price it was acquired for. The definition proposed by the Biden administration ATF would have required huge numbers of gun owners who previously did not need an FFL to obtain one or risk committing felonies for actions long accepted as personal and private.
The review by the Trump ATF is expected, at minimum, to reverse the "Final rule" and return to the longstanding definition of "engaged in the business".
Analysis:
The Trump administration could go further and create a rule to reduce some of the onerous firearms regulation of Federal Firearms Licensees. This would conform to the overall objective of deregulation of the economy, and restoring freedom inside the United States. Some possible interpretations of "to predominantly earn a profit" are:
The stated purpose of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA 1968), of keeping firearms out of the hands of bad actors, has failed miserably. It makes no sense to pass sweeping laws placing significant burdens on huge numbers of innocent citizens, in the hope of restricting access to a few bad actors. The unstated purpose of the GCA 1968 was to create the precursor of a universal gun registry, a concept firmly rejected by voters and the Congress.
Elimination of many of the restrictions of GCA 1968 are in process in the courts. Legislative action will be required to eliminate the entire ill-thought and counterproductive edifice. Similar actions are in process to reduce the sweep and silliness of the National Firearms Act of 1934.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
A family member who called FOX 2 said that the two brothers were fighting over something to do with their mother, who had died earlier in the day.
Fitzgerald said that during a fight, the gun fell out of one of the brother's waistbands, the other brother picked it up and opened fire. He said that other family members then returned fire to defend the first brother who was shot.
Two people, including the brother who is thought to be the original shooter, have been arrested. Fitzgerald said they were "still sorting out" the rest.
Preliminary information shows
that the younger brother was shot in the chest, and the older brother
was shot in the right shoulder. Both are listed in critical condition.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - One man is hospitalized but expected to survive after a shootout Friday afternoon near College Town, according to a spokesperson from the Tallahassee Police Department.
The shootout happened at about 3:50 p.m. on West Virginia Street, according to police.
A video circulating on social media shows a man in a black tank top shooting at another person who attempts to shield themselves from the gunfire behind a car. In the video, it appears the man returns fire as a woman nearby flees the scene.
According to FMPD, the caller said they fired one shot at an intruder who was armed with a firearm and trying to gain entry into their residence.
Upon arrival, police and emergency medical services attempted life-saving measures on the injured person, but the person died on the scene.
Police then said that every party involved in the investigation has cooperated, and no one is now in custody.
The suspected shooter was immediately located and detained at the scene.
Emergency medical personnel gave first aid to the victim. Investigators said the preliminary findings suggest the incident was likely a case of self-defense.
“No arrests have been made at this time,” the release stated. “This investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional details will be released as they become available.”
Investigators noted that the caller reported he had been shot, however, they quickly realized the shooting victim matched the description of a suspect who broke into around 30 vehicles near 27th and Askew.
Law enforcement officials said they found the man had been confronted by one of the break-in victims who shot at him. The man was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
HPD patrol officers responded to a home invasion call at an apartment complex at the above address and were told by witnesses that three males attempted to get into an apartment. One masked male knocked on the door while the two other suspects forced entry through a window. The persons inside the apartment called 9-1-1.
One of the suspects pointed a gun at one of the tenants, who knocked the gun out of the suspect’s hand. A struggle ensued during which the suspect pulled out a second gun from his waistband. The male wrestled the gun away form the suspect and shot him. The two other suspects fled the scene on foot.
Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the suspect deceased.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and it was determined the case would be reviewed by a grand jury.
Authorities said the wife of a Weezer band member fired her weapon at officers while ignoring the order to put down her weapon, the Los Angeles Police Department said Thursday, shedding more light into Tuesday’s shooting in Eagle Rock.
Jillian Shriner, wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, became injured after she was shot by police officers, who were searching for three people involved in a hit-and-run crash on a freeway.
"Our investigation revealed evidence such as a shell casing and video footage showing she repeatedly ignored police commands to disarm and that she fired her weapon at LAPD officers,” Jennifer Forkish, LAPD Director of Communications, told NBC News.
The adjusted firearm sales for March of 2025 are the eighth highest in the 26 year history of the National Instant background Check System (NICS), administered by the FBI. The numbers before 2016 are not as accurate, because the National Shooting Sports Foundation, (NSSF) started adjusting the number to account for the large number of firearm permit checks and rechecks in 2016.
No permit rechecks were entered before 2016, and total permit checks were less than 10 million a year. Permit and permit rechecks peaked at about 20 million a year in 2021. Illinois alone had almost 8 million permit and permit rechecks in 2021. In 2022, Illinois reformed their check and recheck law. The number of permit and permit rechecks in Illinois dropped to 4 million. The number of NICS checks in March of 2025, 2.58 million, is the lowest number of checks done in March since March of 2017, when the number of checks was 2.43 million.
The adjusted NICS chart for 26 years shows the number of gun sales has been on a downward slide since 2020. The numbers are reasonably high if the 2020 election year and the four years of the Biden administration are seen as an historical anomaly. The perception of losing the Republic to a perpetual "deep state" oligarchy was the greatest in those four years out of the last hundred or more years.
The March, 2025 numbers show 68 consecutive months of firearm sales over one million, as adjusted by the NSSF. Overall firearm sales for March of 2025 are about 96% of those a year ago, in March of 2024. Handgun sales are down a little, long gun sales dropped a little more. Sales of "other", which are believed to primarily be receivers which can be made into either handguns or long guns, dropped about 15%. NICS checks for the sales of multiple firearm on one 4473 form were essentially unchanged.
The first quarter of 2025 has added about 3.18 million firearms to the privately owned stock of firearms in the United States of America. The number added to private stock is adjusted downward from NICS checks because about 13% of NICS checks are for sales of previously owned firearms. The total number of private firearms in the private stock at the end of 2024 was approximately 516 million. The firearm sales for March of 2025 bring the estimation of the total stock of private firearms in the United States of America to about 519 million.
Prediction of future sales trends is a perilous exercise. This correspondent believes sales will continue on a downward slide. The Trump administration is popular among the middle class, where most firearms are sold. Fear of despotism has receded from a majority of people, even as a minority of the left attempts to create a climate of fear of President Trump. This is much harder to do in a diverse media landscape. The media has shifted from a top-down concentrated mediacracy, integrated with the power establishment, to a diverse set of multiple outlets competing for space on multiple platforms. This is much closer to the media which existed at the founding, where most platforms were small, diverse, and connected to a political ideology. The ideology connected to a particular source was well known to its readership. In such a media landscape, a marketplace of ideas exists and competes for attention. It is difficult to control a narrative and shape public opinion in such a diverse media marketplace.
The world political landscape is shifting. More people feel secure under a Trump administration than they did under a Biden administration. As a new economic order is shaped, uncertainty about near-future economic outlooks is likely to result in lower discretionary spending for a year or two. If, as seems likely, the Trumpian economic system results in a more prosperous United States, sales will rebound. Expect domestic sales to gain market share over imports.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Colorado Springs police responded to a shooting early Tuesday morning just before 3 a.m. in the 2100 block of East Willamette Avenue by North Union Boulevard and East Platte Avenue, according to an online police blotter entry.
Police said a person drove past an occupied house twice and fired shots, which hit the home. One of the residents came outside and shot back at the vehicle, police said.
"He drew his weapon, and he shot. And I moved as fast as I could. I returned fire," Villalobos said. "I'm thinking about going home, see my wife, my grandkids. You know, that's what I'm thinking. I'm not thinking about shooting the guy. I was very hesitant to do so. It's getting rough in Chicago, and, Mayor Johnson, you ain't got enough police force."
Cellphone video captured by a neighbor shows the suspects ducking.
The shooting happened right in front of Dvorak Park. One neighbor said he ducked for cover inside his home, hearing the barrage of gunfire outside.
After reviewing video footage of the shooting, police determined the car burglars arrived outside the victim’s home just after 4 a.m. The suspects pulled on the locked car doors and then left. About 10 minutes later, they returned.
Police said one served as a lookout while the other broke into the sunroof of the vehicles.
New research from the College of William and Mary and the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) shows armed civilians are more effective than police at stopping active shooting attacks on the public. Armed civilians are more likely to stop the attacks without being injured or killed. Armed civilians stop more attacks than do police. Police in the United States stop almost as many attacks as are stopped by armed civilians.
For decades, Second Amendment advocates have considered it to be common sense that armed civilians would be more effective at stopping active shooter attacks on the public than police. To people familiar with firearms, shooting, and defensive tactics, who thoughtfully considered active shooting attacks on the public, such outcomes seemed obvious. Those without such a background sometimes considered the opposite to be true. Such persons would cite lack of training, lower skill levels, and a general distrust of the ability of non-police to make good decisions in such fast moving crises situations.
The paper was published on April 3, 2025, by authors John R. Lott, Jr. and Carlisle E. Moody. From 2014 through 2023, using FBI data and a number of other public sources, researchers were able to identify 512 active shooter incidents which conformed to the FBI definition. Of the 512 incidents, 158 were stopped by police and 179 were stopped by armed citizens. There were 177 where the shooter stopped or was stopped without intervention by armed civilians or police. These cases include incidents where the attacker committed suicide before police arrived, were subdued by unarmed people, were not apprehended, or were arrested in a different location. About 8% of adults have concealed carry permits, while about 7.2% of likely voters self report they carry firearms all of the time and another 8.4% of voters self report they carry some of the time.
Two armed civilians attempting to stop active attackers were killed, a probability of about 1% of an armed civilian being killed per successful stopping of an attack. One of the two deaths was where responding police shot and killed the armed civilian after the active shooting attack was stopped. Twenty-six police were killed while attempting to stop active shooting attackers, a probability of about 17% of a police officer being killed per successful stopping of the attack. This is explained in part by active attackers deliberately targeting uniformed police officers. No police were killed by responding armed civilians.
Incidents where armed civilians stopped the attack averaged about half as many people being killed as in the average active shooter incident. Incidents where police stopped the attack averaged about 17% more people killed than in the average active shooting incident. This is explained, in part, because armed civilians stop active shooting incidents much more quickly than police do. If an active shooting incident continues long enough for police to respond, it is likely more people will be killed before the police arrive.
Analysis: The results of the academic paper validate the intuitive understanding of Second Amendment advocates. The results should calm the fears of those who believed armed civilians would cause more difficulties than they would solve. The explanations for such lopsided results are not hard to understand.
Armed civilians tend to be those who carry weapons because of personal considerations. They have consciously decided to carry, mostly for purposes of defense of self and others. Many police officers carry because it is a job requirement for them to carry. The incentives of the two groups are different. People who have decided to carry for defense of self and others have strong incentives to develop marksmanship skills and to study defensive situations and tactics. This correspondent and numerous others have noted many armed civilians have skills which exceed that of the average police officer. Many armed civilians have experience as former police and military. Having taught hundreds of students in concealed carry classes, this correspondent believes people who carry firearms for defense of self and others tend to be of higher intelligence, income levels and education levels.
Armed civilians have three major advantages over police officers in stopping active shooting attacks on the public. First, they are likely to be inside the situation rather than outside responding to it. This gives them an enormous time advantage. They can respond much faster than police. Second, they are not obvious to the attacker, giving them a tactical advantage of surprise. Third, because they are much closer in time and distance from the attack than police, they have significant advantages in tactical knowledge of the situation.
It is understandable for people who are not interested in firearms or in carrying them for self defense to misunderstand the dynamics of armed civilians responding to active shooting attacks against the public. The paper discussed shows those fears are misplaced.
Approximately 8% of adults are armed civilians who routinely and legally carry firearms for defense of self and others. This is about 22 million people in the United States of America. There are about .67 million sworn and armed police officers. There are about 33 armed civilians for every armed police officer. There are about a hundred armed civilians for every police officer on duty at any given time. It is not surprising armed civilians stop more active shooting incidents than police do, and stop them faster and with less deaths and injuries than police do.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
JACKSON, MI — A man is in critical condition after he was shot in the neck while breaking into a Jackson home.
The 40-year-old homeowner called police around 5:44 a.m. Monday, April 7, to report an ongoing home invasion in the 300 block of North Gorham Street in Jackson, police said in a release. A man had broken a basement window and was walking up the basement stairs when the homeowner confronted him.
The homeowner confronted the suspect and suspect walked towards him, according to the sheriff’s office. The homeowner fired a shot at the ground as a “warning shot” and held suspect at gunpoint until deputies arrived.
One suspect fled, while the other was shot after allegedly attacking Humphrey with a rock. Humphrey, who had a head injury, stated he fired a "warning shot" before the situation escalated.
Deputies discovered Humphrey was a convicted felon, prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was arrested for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm 2nd Degree.
President Trump with Pen Public Domain
For decades, this correspondent has considered the possibility of presidential pardons for persons convicted of non-violent offenses which are infringements on the rights protected by the Second Amendment.
In his Youtube video of March 30, 2025, Mark Smith explains his idea for pardons with some details about what is politically possible during the second Trump administration. Mark persuasively argues the Second Trump administration would be open to pardons for people who have been victimized in prosecutions which are persecutions of people peacefully exercising their rights. Mark's plate is full with his coverage of Second Amendment court battles.
An individual or organization will be needed who can act as an organizational hub to verify cases and present a list of candidates to the Trump administration. All Second Amendment supporters could nominate candidates to the list of those who should be granted a presidential pardon for non-violent actions which arguably should have been protected by the Second Amendment.
Mark mentions some qualifications for the list. Not all people who have been persecuted in this manner will qualify for a presidential pardon.
The person has to have been convicted of a federal crime. Far more people have been victimized with state and local prosecutions than for federal crimes. Many are victimized by the process, but never convicted.
The conviction must be for a non-violent crime. Mark specifically mentions things like possession of a short barreled rifle, or a silencer, without a tax stamp. This correspondent would add possession of a firearm in a gun free school zone, or perhaps a "straw purchase" of a firearm for someone who has no legal disability from owning a firearm, such as the Abramski v. United States case.
Cases in which a plea bargain was made to avoid prosecution for a violent crime should be avoided. Simple cases are better than complex cases.
Highest priority should be those who are in prison. Second priority should be those who were unjustly convicted and denied their rights. Many can remember injustices going back several decades. No president before Trump has had the courage to pardon people prosecuted and convicted for peacefully exercising rights which should have been protected by the Second Amendment.
We must be careful about ongoing cases. We do not want to "moot" cases which promise to restore Second Amendment rights in the courts. If a pardon is granted, the court may drop the case as moot, where a controversy no longer exists.
This correspondent is not volunteering to create and administer such a program. It is likely to become a full time job. Perhaps an existing organization could add it as a part of their program. It is likely contributions to such a project could fund the necessary time and expense.
Such a list should be open to viewing and search by the public, to avoid duplicate efforts.
Here are some obvious and recent candidates:
Matthew Hoover in the AutoKey case
Kristopher Justin Ervin in the AutoKey case
Patrick Tate Adamiak for selling legal gun parts.
Jeremy Kettler on selling silencers under legal sanction by Kansas
Gabriel Metcalf, Gun Free School Zone, appeal in progress.
Here are a couple of older cases, there are a large number of them.
Robert W. Stewart, Jr., political prosecution, from 2001, State restoration of rights considered invalid by federal court.
David Olofson, transfer of malfunctioning rifle.. so called machine-gun, 2009.
Readers are welcome to suggest additional cases in the comments. Please follow the guidelines above.
Federal cases only, non-violent, and which have already been convicted of a federal crime, where the Second Amendment is implicated, and a pardon is appropriate.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
"At this time, we can confirm that one individual is deceased, and another person is in custody in connection with this incident," the office said Sunday.
An online inmate database for the Crawford County Detention Center showed Edwards was booked Sunday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree murder. He lives at the home that investigators were focused on Sunday. The home is owned by Edwards' mother, according to public records.
On Monday, online court records showed charges of second-degree murder filed against Edwards.
According to the probable cause statement, officers were called to the home for a report of a break-in and later received another call for a shooting. Edwards told officers on the scene that he shot and killed the man after the man "came at [Edwards] with something in his hands."
The probable cause statement said Edwards' mother told police the man who was shot and killed lived at the home for many years but was recently evicted. She told police the man had forced his way into the home on April 2, and came to the home a day later and was yelling and beating on the doors and walls. She installed a camera on her home and said she was the one to call the police about the break-in on Sunday when she saw the man's car in her driveway.
MARTINSVILLE, Ind — A would-be burglar is dead after they were shot Sunday afternoon in Martinsville.
According to a release from the Martinsville Police Department, around 1:30 p.m. on April 6, officers were called to the 500 block of West Pike Street, near State Road 39 and West Morgan Street, on a report of an attempted burglary.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Around 10 o’clock Sunday morning, a shooting broke out in the Highland Park neighborhood of Franklin County.
According to Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith, former law enforcement officer Johnny Turner was checking on his daughter after learning that she was being threatened by her roommate.
Smith says shortly after arriving to their shared mobile home, the
interaction between Turner and the suspect accelerated. The suspect
began firing a semi-automatic weapon from his doorstep.
Turner fired back, then sought cover behind a parked car.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at a business strip parking lot at the above address and spoke with two security guards who stated they had exchanged gunfire with two suspects. The guards stated they had attempted to escort the suspects out of the business, a club, but the suspects had refused. When the suspects did leave, they initially drove off, then turned around, parked in a different area of the parking lot and began firing at the security guards. One security guard returned gunfire, fearing for the safety of himself, his fellow security officer and remaining patrons. The suspects then fled in an unknown direction.
As officers were gathering statements, two males with gunshot wounds arrived at an area hospital. Both males had non life-threatening injuries. Responding officers found firearms in plain view in their vehicle as well as several bullet holes in the vehicle. Further investigation connected the suspects to the initial shooting and both were charged for their role in the shooting.
Neither security guard was injured in the shooting.
On August 6, 2019, David Dell'Aquila and others filed a civil class action lawsuit against Wayne LaPierre and the NRA Foundation, and the Brewer law firm, for fraud by soliciting donations for specific purposes and then spending them for other purposes specifically benefiting LaPierre and others. Over the next five years the complaint was amended twice. In its latest form, the defendants are the NRA, and Wayne LaPierre. The NRA Foundation's advertising agency Ackerman McQueen is accused of fraud. The plaintiffs class are those who donated to the NRA about 2015 to present. CEO LaPierre is accused being at the center of the fraudulent scheme. A number of alleged improper personal expenditures are specified in the amended complaint. For example:
On March 26, 2025, Judge William L. Cambell, Jr., Chief Judge for the United States M.D. Tennessee, issued an opinion ruling for the plaintiffs. After five and a half years of legal maneuvering, the judge ruled the third amended complaint was legally viable; the case could move forward, and would not be dismissed by the court. It is likely that discovery in the case will be granted reasonably soon, as a motion to stay discovery pending the motion to dismiss was rendered moot by the opinion for the plaintiffs. From the opinion of the court:
As discussed above, Plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged a RICO claim. With regard to Defendant’s second argument, Plaintiffs point to allegations that the NRA “agree[d] to participate in the conduct of the affairs of the NRA Foundation enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity,” specifically, that NRA had a “decades-long arrangement pursuant to which the NRA solicited funds through the [NRA Foundation] under false pretenses, transferred those funds to the NRA, and laundered them through Ackerman [McQueen] to support Mr. LaPierre’s extravagance.” (Doc. No. 171 at 16; TAC ¶¶ 58-76, 147-153; 177). For purposes of the motion to dismiss, these allegations are sufficient to plausibly allege that the NRA “objectively manifested an agreement to participate” in the RICO enterprise.
The paragraph above does not indicate the plaintiffs will prevail in this case. The order of the court merely indicates the plaintiffs have shown there is a legally viable case which should not be dismissed. There is a long legal battle ahead, with many possibilities, including a settlement of the case before trial. At stake are many millions of dollars of alleged fraud on the part of the defendants. Much information is already available from the proceedings in the NRA legal battles in New York.
This case is separate from the New York case, as a lawsuit attempting to recover damages done to those who donated to the NRA, who allege fraud and a RICO claim, as shown in the above paragraph from the opinion.
This correspondent is not an attorney. It appears there are several possibilities for appeal in this case. The defendants have incentive to keep the case moving, as long as the cost of the defense is less than the cost of a settlement. The defendants may win the case, or they may choose to settle the case. A jury trial has been asked for by the plaintiffs. It is uncertain how long the case will continue.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
At 5 a.m. in the 6900 block of South Crandon Avenue, a 38-year-old man
was outside when unknown gunmen opened fire. The victim also returned
fire. The victim was shot in his rear and was transported to the
University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. The offenders
fled in an unknown direction in a dark-colored vehicle. The victim has a
valid FOID and CCL license. No other injuries were reported.
Through the initial investigation, the complaint said, officers determined the shooting took place within the 70 block of Prospect Drive. Officials spoke with the owners of the nearby residence, who told police that Murphy had approached and began to fire shots in their direction as they were on the porch.
Another individual who was on the porch then fired back, hitting Murphy in the shoulder.
Constable deputies said the homeowner saw two people breaking into their vehicle and fired a warning shot from the bedroom window.
The suspects fled on foot and shot back at the homeowner. The homeowner was not injured.
Sometime later, a 17-year-old appeared at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. Deputy constables said the teen was identified as one of the burglary suspects.
The teen is expected to face a burglary of a motor vehicle charge.
The Wichita Police Department says the shooting happened just after 9:00 p.m. Friday in the 3700 block of N. Rock Road.
WPD says after an initial investigation that around 6:30 p.m., a 32-year-old man threatened his 33-year-old girlfriend with a knife, causing minor injuries, but police were not called.
A few hours later, the man returned to the hotel and threatened hotel staff as well as his girlfriend. The woman then shot the man in self-defense and he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Image of grizzly bear by Troy Nemitz, used with permission.
Timothy Treadwell was a controversial figure who insisted on approaching and viewing brown bears at close range for about 13 years. He did not carry a firearm or bear spray or any deterrents. From backpacker.com:
Wes: Timothy thought he was the dominant bear in the ecosystem. I think he was past the point of accepting any input on that. I think he had convinced himself that they would never hurt him, and he was untouchable.
Treadwell was repeatedly warned about the danger. From akfatal.net:
Despite that, Treadwell refused to carry firearms or ring his campsites with an electric fence as do bear researchers in the area. And he stopped carrying bear spray for self-protection in recent years. Friends said he thought he knew the bears so well he didn't need it.
U.S. Geological Survey bear researcher Tom Smith; Sterling Miller, formerly the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's top bear authority; and others said they tried to warn the amateur naturalist that he was being far too cavalier around North America's largest and most powerful predator.
(snip)"I told him to be much more cautious ... because every time a bear kills somebody, there is a big increase in bearanoia and bears get killed,'' Miller said. "I thought that would be a way of getting to him, and his response was 'I would be honored to end up in bear scat.' ''
Timothy Treadwill was killed and eaten by brown bears in October of 2003. His death overshadowed the first fatal failure of bear spray to stop an attack.
Vitaly Aleksandrovich Nikolayenko was a prominent Russian brown bear researcher (Asian version of the American brown or grizzly bear) who routinely and closely approached bears without a firearm. He did this for 33 years, from 1970 to December of 2003. In December of 2003, he followed a bear which had come out of hibernation in the winter, until the bear attacked him, killed him, and ate him. His use of bear spray had failed to stop the bear. His was the first recorded fatal failure of bear spray. The killing was the culmination of several lucky escapes over the years of his association with brown bears. From wikipedia:
Despite making a life's work of harassing poachers and monitoring bears, Nikolayenko was a polarising figure within the naturalist community, which had an institutionally unfavourable view of his proactive approach to monitoring bears.
Nikolayenko had a cabin capable of keeping bears out and carried bear spray.
Both Timothy Treadwell and Nikolayenko studied brown bears. The other bear researcher whose attitude seems close to Treadwell's is Nikita Ovsyanikov. Ovsyannikov is well known Russian bear researcher who studied polar bears.
Polar bears are not as aggressive as brown bears. They tend to test new prey to see if it is dangerous before attacking. Brown bears often attack without warning. As with Treadwell, Ovsyanikof refuses to carry firearms. He seems willing to die rather than shoot a polar bear. From an interview in Outsideonline.com:
I never considered having firearms. From the beginning, my philosophy was that my presence and my ambitions there in no way should result in the polar bears losing their lives.
Osyanikov had an armored cabin to live in. He carried a big stick, and, later bear spray. Osyanikov sometimes had a dog with him. As with Treadwell, nearly all of his study is in a food rich environment where there are large numbers of bears, and the bears are used to social interplay with other bears. It is clear most bears on Wrangel Island have been conditioned to fear and avoid humans. Even when most aggressive bears catch Osyanikov's human scent, the bears run away. Osyanikov has an attitude similar to Treadwell's:
"Do not ever consider approaching a large predator if you feel uneasy managing a close interaction on the strength of psychological superiority alone." "If you do, you risk both your own life and the life of the animal."
Osyanikov used his stick to wack mature bears on the nose and shoulder, to dominate them and keep them from attacking. He does not consider this "provoking" the bears. Osyanikov views gathering firewood at night in a village as "provoking" a bear, after the bear kills and eats a woman on Wrangel Island. From the PBHIMS database, incident 230:
In November 2003, a native woman was killed by a female polar bear in the village on Wrangel Island…the woman was killed because she seriously violated all safety rules and actually provoked the bear to attack. Before the night whe[n] was killed, the woman had slept in her house all day and went out to collect wood for her stove in the late evening, in darkness. It was an autumn with an ice-free sea and many hungry polar bears were hanging around the village.(editors note, it was October 13, 2003, Osyanikov mentions both October and November)
(snip)
The the female bear that was hanging around the village at that time, the woman was a dark, slowly moving creature, stooping down to the ground- an image of prey. On the fourth walk the bear decided to attack. The woman was killed, and the female bear started eating the body.
In addition to dealing with polar bears, Osyanikov had the advantage of traveling by ATV. He observed bears from towers out of their reach, sometimes observed from the cabin. He had another person with him during numerous observations. Most of the bears on Wrangle Island seem to be conditioned to fear humans, possibly because of the Russian military presence on the island.
All three researchers have/had an obsession with large bears. None of them had easy access to handguns for defense against bears. Timothy Treadwell did most of his observations in National Parks before 2010, when the Federal ban on firearms in parks was removed. Two of them were killed and eaten by bears. The Russians had sturdy cabins to stay in at night. The did not venture out after dark. All of them stressed it was their intimate knowledge of individual bears and the bear social structure which allowed them to approach bears so closely without being attacked.
This observer believes the fear of humans by polar bears on Wrangel Island is what primarily saved Osyanikov. In one instance, where he was certain he was going to be severely mauled or killed, when the bear caught his scent the bear ran off.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Posts
All Comments
T
