After speaking with witnesses, officers learned that the man was involved in a verbal and physical argument with a woman and dragged her down the street while being armed with a machete.
Witnesses told police that the woman was screaming for help, and one neighbor came outside to tell the man to stop.
Police said the man who witnesses said was dragging the woman then approached that neighbor while he was still armed with the machete, and the neighbor shot him at least once.
On June 23, 2026, oral arguments were heard in the Tennessee Court of Appeals Western Section, before a three judge panel, on the Tennessee case of Stephen L. Hughes Et Al. v. Bill Lee Et Al. The case is a challenge to two parts of Tennessee statutes which infringe on rights protected by the Second Amendment. The first is the Tennessee Going Armed Statute, Tenn. Code Ann.§ 39�J7-l307(a),38. The statute makes it illegal for anyone, anywhere in the state to carry a firearm or club with the intent to go armed. The second is the Parks Statute, Tenn. Code Ann.§ 39-17-131 J(a), which prohibits carry in large areas of public land. The laws are leftovers from the Reconstruction era, when they were designed to keep freed slaves and other disfavored groups disarmed. Here is a link to a copy of the order of the three judge panel.
The case was filed as a civil lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the two statutes. The case was referred from the Chancery Court in Gibson County. Chancery Courts in Tennessee are equity courts. They do not hear criminal cases. The Gibson County Court referred the case to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which created a three judge panel Chancery Court, as required by Tennessee law, specifically to hear civil cases challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee statutes.
The Supreme Court created the three judge panel to hear the case in accordance with Rule 54, as meeting the requirements of a civil challenge that:
(1) challenges the constitutionality of a state statute, including a statute that apportions or redistricts state legislative or congressional districts; or an executive order; or an administrative rule or regulation; and
(2) includes a claim for declaratory judgment or injunctive relief;
The three judge Chancery Court, created by the Supreme Court, held for the plaintiffs the challenged statutes were facially invalid. They infringed on rights protected by the Second Amendment. From the last page of the opinion:
"For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment is GRANTED, and Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment is DENIED. As a result, the Going Armed Statute, Tenn. Code Ann.§ 39�J7-l307(a),38 and the Parks Statute, Tenn. Code Ann.§ 39-17-131 J(a), are hereby DECLARED unconstitutional, void, and of no effect.
The State of Tennessee appealed the decision. It is the oral arguments of the appeal which were heard on June 23, 2026. Judge Andy D. Bennet asked most of the questions.
Mr. Edwin A. Groves, Jr. submitted oral arguments for the state. The major argument appeared to be a claim the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction in the case. The claim was Chancery Courts cannot hear criminal cases. But, the case is a civil challenge to the validity of a criminal statute, no a criminal case. The Supreme Court appointed the panel. Judge Bennet appeared skeptical of the idea the Supreme Court would appoint a court without jurisdiction in the case.
Mr. Groves also claimed the Appelees could not win a facial challenge, because the laws could apply to "dangerous and unusual weapons" and/or that the intent to go armed could mean the same as going armed to the terror of the public.
Judge Bennet asked if the case is about the Second Amendment, because the Tennessee Constitution cannot have less protection than the Second Amendment. This clarified the merits of the case were about infringements on the Second Amendment.
John I. Harris, II. gave the oral arguments for the appellees. He first decreed this was a civil case, not a criminal case, and the three judge Chancery court had jurisdiction. Then he made clear the statutes in question infringed on Second Amendment rights. He cited law to the effect states may not use procedural mechanisms to defeat a right the federal courts would uphold.
Harris also stated the Supreme Court in Heller, Bruen, and Rahimi held the fringe issues of "Dangerous and unusual weapons" or "going armed to the terror" of the public did not invalidate the facial challenge, because they did not invalidate the challenge in the Supreme Court decisions Heller, Bruen, or Rahimi.
Analysis: It is difficult to understand why the State of Tennessee is challenging the three judge Chancery court on this issue. The Tennessee statutes clearly infringe on Second Amendment rights. The State is primarily arguing procedural issues. It is difficult to see how this benefits Governor Lee or the State of Tennessee.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
At around 5 a.m. on Sunday, Alaska State Troopers responded to Old Steese Highway after receiving a report of a burglary with shots fired.
According to investigators, two individuals were allegedly stealing copper, fuel, and other items when the homeowner arrived on the scene.
Troopers say the suspects fired shots at the homeowner, who then returned fire.
When officers arrived, they found a man who had been shot by someone in a white sedan as he was driving through the parking lot, Phoenix PD said.
Police said the victim was armed and returned gunfire, striking the suspect’s sedan. The suspect then fled the area.
First responders took the man to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.
When deputies arrived, they found 49-year-old Jeffrey Wade McTaggart dead in the backyard of the residence.
According to the sheriff's office, the person who admitted to firing the gun stayed at the scene and immediately called 911.
Investigators say that person told deputies an altercation had taken place and that the gun was fired in self-defense.
F-25142-26
34S - AGGRAVATED BATTERY BY SHOOTING
06-25-2026 12:23 PM (CDT)
3400 blk Franklin Av.
Victim Information: Known adult male, Known adult female
Suspect Information: Known adult male (apprehended)
Gist: Two known victims were outside alongside two additional individuals in front of the location when the suspect emerged and began shooting, hitting the victims. In response, the other two individuals returned fire, successfully striking the suspect. The victims were transported in a private vehicle, while the suspect was taken by NOEMS to a local hospital for treatment before being placed in custody.
A South Carolina Home Owners Association has sent an email to residents declaring:
Firearms--whether openly carried or concealed--are not permitted in an Forest Pines Common area, including:
a. Pool and pool deck
b. Clubhouse and restrooms
c. Mail kiosk
d. Parking areas
e. Sidewalks, landscaped grounds, and all HOA-maintained outdoor spaces.
The email was shown on WMBT television. The email goes on to say residents may lawfully possess firearms inside their private residences, and may even transport firearms to and from their vehicles, as long as it is not "displayed, handled, or carried" through the common areas more than what is "reasonably necessary". A serious question arises about the HOA authority to do this and/or what is required by state law in order to do this.
HOAs can make rules for people who live in the property covered by the HOA. The HOA cannot impose criminal penalties. They may impose fines or sanctions such as limiting access to HOA facilities.
Private property owners can ban people who are not owners from bringing firearms onto the private property. South Carolina Code § 23-31-235 (2025) concerns signs which are required to be posted in order to prohibit the carrying of concealable weapons, whether openly or concealed. In order to be enforceable by law, the signs must meet particular criteria. For buildings, signs must be posted at all entrances. If there is a door, the signs need to be eight inches by twelve inches tall. The letters on the sign need to be in black one inch tall letters. The sign needs to include a seven inch diameter circle with the black silhouette of a handgun and a diagonal line which runs from the upper left to the lower right of the circle. When a door does not exist, the sign has to be 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall.
From news coverage of the condominiums in question, and from using Googlemaps, there do not appear to be any official firearms ban signs at Forest Pine Condominiums. A resident reported there were no such signs anywhere in the Forest Pine properties.
Forest Pines Condominiums appears to be a fairly new development. The condominiums were built
about three years ago. A Google maps satellite view does not show the buildings. Using Googlemaps street view, Forest Pines is easily seen to the left when taking McCormick Rd from State Rd 26-992. It appears to be a cluster of two-three story buildings with about three to six two-three story units per building. One unit was listed as slightly less than 1,900 square feet. The size of the units are within a few square feet of each other. Because of the lack of signs, it appears the sanctions of fines or limiting access to common areas for violation of the firearms policy could only be applied to members of the HOA.
A Florida HOA was recently warned by Florida Attorney General Uthmeier HOA policies banning firearms from common areas were a violation of Florida law. The Florida HOA announced the policy in May of 2026. Florida law is not the same as South Carolina law. The South Carolina AG does not appear to have issued a statement on the Horry County HOA firearms ban as of this writing.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The incident happened before 1 p.m. when a male subject allegedly battered his ex-girlfriend and was confronted by her brother, Miami Gardens Police said.
During the altercation, a third man intervened, police said. The subject then pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds at the other two men.
The third man also fired his gun at the subject, striking him, police said. The subject then fled the scene but was later located at the CVS suffering from a gunshot wound.
At approximately 8:04 p.m., SPD officers responded to the area in reference to shots fired. Upon arrival, they encountered an adult male victim, who stated he had been shot at on his property and returned fire.
Officers received reports of an injured individual, Michael Ingram, suffering from a gunshot wound at Memorial Health University Medical Center. Ingram was found to be connected to the incident in W. 51st St. and was charged with aggravated assault.
According to the LPSO, after 4 a.m., deputies responded to a home in the 400 block of Mitchell Road. Deputies said two men allegedly entered a home, which was occupied by their two friends, with handguns.
When the situation escalated, deputies said there was a reported shooting among the parties, which resulted in one of the residents getting a facial injury and one of the suspects suffering from an abdominal injury.
Deputies said the two injured individuals were taken to out-of-parish hospitals for treatment, where they are in serious but stable condition.
Police received video footage showing Broussard’s vehicle being followed to Hawthorne Street, where Broussard’s grandmother resided.
Occupants of a Silver Malibu exited the vehicle to shoot at Broussard.
Brousssard returned fire, shooting the driver and rear seat passenger.
Both men were asked by a gas station employee to take their argument outside, according to the incident report. The argument continued outside in the parking lot where Moody changed shoes at the back of his vehicle and confronted Nixon, according to both witness testimony and review of surveillance video.
During the confrontation, Nixon allegedly pulled a gun and shot Moody in the leg. Moody then, according to the incident report, also pulled a gun and fired in Nixon’s direction while fleeing.
A 31-year-old man who was in the vehicle with Nixon and nearby the argument when the shooting took place was also struck by gunfire in the exchange.
Police said an apartment tenant told officers he saw a man in all black wearing a ski mask trying to take his TV.
The tenant said the suspect turned around, looked at him, and reached into his bag, trying to pull something out.
He then took his gun out and shot the suspect twice, the tenant told police. The suspect took off running from the rear side of the residence.
The tenant shot two more times towards the suspect, and the suspect dropped his back and kept running towards the apartment complex, police said.
Victor Davis Hanson (VDH) became a sincere supporter of the Second Amendment in 1987. He faced down three armed gang-bangers who threatened him and his family. VDH is a world class public intellectual. He has written hundreds of newpaper editorials, articles, and book reviews. He has written or edited 24 books according to his bio at the Hoover Institution. He is an avid supporter of the Republic and President Trump. He is recovering from recent cancer surgery.
On December 6th, 2025, prominent historian, author, writer, and public intellectual Victor Davis Hanson spoke about why the Second Amendment scares Alvin Bragg. The discussion starts about 13:30 minutes into the video posted on Victor Davis Hanson and The Daily Signal. The title is Victor Davis Hanson: Why The 2nd Amendment Scares Alvin Bragg.
At about 13:30, Victor explains why the authorities in the criminal justice system in "blue" states do not want people to be able to protect themselves. If people are able to protect themselves, they are not as dependent on the state criminal justice system. If people can protect themselves, it is not as important if the criminal justice system decides who is worthy of protection and who is not. People have a chance to protect themselves. In short, VDH tells us more power in the hands of individuals means less power in the hands of the State. VDH admonishes Alvin Bragg, and pointedly tells him this is the purpose of the Second Amendment. From the video:
.. because as long as you are allowed to defend yourself, everything else falls in place. You have no control over people if they have Second Amendment rights.
VDH continues to talk about the murder of Iryna Zarutska. He says no one was willing to get involved, probably because they see examples where prosecutors go after individuals who stop crimes, such as Daniel Penny in New York. Then VDH reveals a story this correspondent had not heard before. VDH seems a bit reluctant. He makes a decision. At about 17:30 into the video he relates how he used his great-grandfather's 16 gauge pump shotgun to stop an attack on his family in 1987 or 1988. He describes the shotgun as a Winchester pump in 16 gauge with an exposed hammer. This is probably a Winchester 1897 shotgun, because the earlier 1893 Winchester was not made in 16 gauge. He calls it an "1892". On well used shotguns, the 1897 can look like 1892. Later models of Winchester pump shotguns did not have exposed hammers.
Victor was sitting in his farm house, the same house as current farm house, in 1987. At 2 a.m. his eight year old son came down stairs and said someone was throwing rocks at his window and yelling. Outside Victor found three gangbangers who were armed and threatened him. Fortunately Victor was armed with his shotgun. When confronted, one armed gangbanger fell to his knees and started praying. Victor forced the gangbangers to take him to their car. He took their keys. He had them push the car about a quarter mile down the road. He threw the keys into a vineyard and told them the police were on their way.
More than 30 minutes later, the police showed up. Officially they said he should not have done what he did. Unofficially, they told him he did the right thing. Later the police department contacted him, informed him one of the three had just been released from prison, but they could not prosecute because the three denied doing anything, and they did not find any firearm.
From that day on, Victor Davis Hanson had a strong, personal understanding of the importance of the Second Amendment. The story finishes about 20:50 on the video.
An old joke says: A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. Once a person uses rights protected by the Second Amendment to protect themselves and their loved ones, respect for the Second Amendment becomes personal.
©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Officers were called to a home in the 3000 block of Wedgewood Drive on a reported shooting at about 9:06 a.m. after a caller told authorities that he had shot a man who had attacked him.
Police say that 44-year-old David R. Young of Columbus was treated at the scene but eventually died. He was identified by the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office.
According to their investigation, police say that Young was known to the residents of the home. He drove himself to the home Monday morning. A fight broke out near the front door and Young was shot.
The incident remains under investigation. A forensic autopsy has been scheduled.
MPD responded to a reported burglary in progress Sunday night on the 800 block of Gilman Road in Medford. The reporting party told a dispatcher that the suspect was attempting to break into the residence and that a homeowner had fired shots.
After the family inside the home was able to exit the residence safely, officers established a perimeter around the home. With the help of drone operators, MPD was able to communicate with the suspect, 21-year-old Nathan Roberson, who was still located inside the residence.
Roberson was found to be suffering from a gunshot wound. He was subsequently taken into custody and transported to a local hospital to receive medical treatment. He is currently in police custody while receiving medical care.
An unidentified man and woman were having a domestic dispute when the woman's son arrived at the house on Hickory Lane, fighting with his mom's boyfriend.
At some point, the son was pushed out of the home, while a member of the male homeowner's family approached the house. The door closed on the son's face when he started firing at the door, shooting the male homeowner through it twice.
The son was then shot by the approaching family member, sustaining multiple bullet wounds. Fultondale Police say that both men are now at UAB Hospital in stable condition.
The neighbor said he thinks someone was trying to steal Stout’s pickup truck.
“If anybody was messing with his truck I don’t blame him. I’d probably do the same thing I come out and somebody was trying to steal my truck,” the neighbor said.
Officers on the scene said they were responding to a shots fired call. First responders administered a blood transfusion to a victim before taking them away in an ambulance.
Huntsville police have not released the shooter’s identity or the condition of the person shot. According to jail records, Stout is behind bars, charged with murder.
Lori Price recently successfully defended herself from a black bear attack in Alaska. Her dog was severely wounded by the bear. Then the bear came after her. She used a 9mm Glock 43 to defend herself. Joe Allgood interviewed her for In Depth Alaska (video link).
On Sunday, June 7, 2026, Lori Price was hunting mushrooms, near Skilak Lake. Skilak lake is south of highway 1 on the Kenai penninsula, about 20 miles east of Soldatna, Alaska. She was almost ready to go home. She had two dogs with her, a chocolate lab, Liz and Chaos her German short-hair. The dogs were not very far away, but the woods was very dense. Both dogs wore bright colored GPS collars.
Lori heard a yip, an expression of alarm and fear from Chaos, then a loud roar from a bear. Immediately, she hears yelps of pain and fear from her dog. Lori charged into the woods, a dense combination of alder, Devil's club and other trees to get to her dog. As she dashed in she was screaming for her dog. In a tiny opening, she looked up, and a black bear, with the blood from her dog dripping from its face and teeth, was coming at her. Lori always carries a pistol and bear mace with her. The bear was only 4-5 feet away as Lori drew her Glock 43 and fired. The bear dropped.
Out of the corner of Lori's eye she sees the GPS collar for her dog. She saw Chaos lift his head and he was a bloody mess. In that instant, the bear got up. Lori reacted and shot again. The bear went down again. Lori's chocolate lab was trying to push past Lori, to get between her and the bear. Lori was holding her back. The German Short-hair, Chaos was dragging himself to Lori. Lori was gathering herself and the dogs to get away. The bear rose again, and Lori fired again She is sure she hit the bear the first two times. She is not certain about the third time. The bear took off as Lori ran down the hill with her dogs. She gets out of the woods, not far from where her 4 Runner is parked. Lori tries to call 911with some success, but the connection was patchy. She flagged down Captain Shawn and his wife Sandra from Homer, telling them she needs first aid for her dog. They grab their first aid kit. They jump into action. She asks them to hold Chaos as she grabs her 4 Runner to take Chaos to veternary care. Chaos is bleeding profusely. Lori had been able to get ahold of her husband. Her husband arranged for aid to be ready on standby, and to meet her to help get their dog to the vet. They get Chaos to vet. Then Lori drops off the chocolate lab and goes back to Skilak Lake to coordinate with Fish & Game. Lori tells them Chaos is petrified of bears, and never would have initiated an attack.
On the way back from Skilak Lake, the veterinarian called and said Chaos would live, and they could take him home that night.
Lori went on to thank her husband for insisting she practice drawing and firing her Glock pistol. She said she learned things such as it was necessary to have a good belt, wear it snug so she could confidently draw the pistol without fumbling for it. She said it was important to practice drawing bear spray as well. She practiced at home with a laser practice system.
Analysis: Lori Price's practice is what saved the situation. The bear was very close. She may not have had two seconds from the time she saw the bear to the time she fired. In an emergency, you do what you have trained to do. She shot the bear, saved herself and her dog. The bear was not found, but the odds are it will not recover. Lori's experience is a good lesson for other Alaskans to follow. Practice and be prepared. Laser systems are good ways to practice drawing and firing, with little expense. The system allows safe practice while drawing, and shows where the first shot would land. Fast recovery from recoil is best practiced on the range. Do not practice with a loaded handgun in your home, or anywhere you do not have a safe backstop. Do not practice with live bear spray inside a building, or where other people are likely to be affected.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A person is dead after being shot by a homeowner during a reported burglary early Friday morning in Blue Springs, according to police.
The Blue Springs Police Department says officers were sent to a house on Little Garden Lane, just north of Colbern Road, for a burglary after a homeowner called saying someone had broken into their home.
McDonald chased Breland to the upstairs bedroom.
Breland then armed himself with a handgun and a gunfight ensued. He was struck multiple times, and died from his injuries, police said.
McDonald was also wounded during the incident.
McDonald fled from the house, leaving a trail of blood through the house and into the street.
Officers say the preliminary report is that two suspects, one armed with a knife and one armed with a firearm, tried to rob a man outside a convenience store near 36th St North and Lewis.
Police say the victim pulled his own gun and fired a shot, striking one of the suspects in the head. They say after the suspect was shot, he ran across the street and collapsed. That suspect was transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to TPD.
According to the investigation, the shooter was parked and sitting in his car when the man approached him and told him to leave. The shooter agreed to do so, but JSO said that when the shooter did not leave quickly enough, the other man reapproached him and pointed a rifle at him.
The shooter then shot the man several times before leaving the scene and calling police, JSO said. Investigators believe the incident was isolated and said there was no threat to the community.
Police said the bail agents positioned their vehicles to block the man's vehicle and exited their vehicles in an attempt to take him into custody. The man then got back into his vehicle and tried to escape by driving away.
During that attempt, the man pinned a bail bond agent who was standing between the vehicles. The man then accelerated his vehicle, trying to push the bail agent's vehicle away.
Another bail agent broke the front driver-side window of the suspect's vehicle and tried to shift the vehicle's transmission into park. Police said the bail agent and driver fought, and the agent fired one round, with the bullet striking the suspect in the arm. The bail agents then got the man into handcuffs.
He pulled out a gun and attempted to rob the store. However, the clerk working in the smoke store also brought out his weapon, and police said the two got into a tussle.
As a result of the fight, the suspect ended up shooting the store clerk in the leg, police said. He then took the employee’s weapon and ran out of the store.
According to authorities, a male, around the age of 40, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, with what appears to be a rifle.
The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Deputies have identified possible suspects who had fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Four people have been detained for questioning, but at this time, none of them has been identified positively as the suspect.
One of those detained had also sustained a gunshot wound, which deputies say may have been the result of a homeowner attempting to defend himself.
Deputies immediately began life-saving measures until Shelby County Fire transported the man to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office determined the detained man acted in self-defense, and no charges will be filed. The shooting victim is now in non-critical condition.
SCSO said that Hall reportedly entered a woman’s property in the Pine Hill area of Winford, assaulted a woman, then tried to force her way into the woman’s home.
Hall suffered a gunshot wound. Sheriff’s deputies rushed to the scene, and Hall was taken by Emergency Medical Services before being airlifted to a Knoxville hospital. She was released from the hospital and taken into custody, SCSO said Monday night
Once inside, McDonald aggressively confronted the homeowner and her two children in the foyer and made threats. The homeowner repeatedly ordered McDonald to leave and warned him she would shoot. When he continued advancing toward her, she fired one round, striking him in the arm. McDonald then fled in a silver Kia SUV.
Deputies located McDonald’s vehicle a short time later at AdventHealth Hospital, where they conducted a felony stop and detained him. Deputies then took McDonald inside the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
When troopers arrived, they found Jeremy Oliver, 23, of Manchester, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, according to KSP.
Troopers provided emergency aid, including placing a chest seal, before turning care over to Clay County EMS.
Oliver was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in London and later transferred to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries, police said.
Investigators say preliminary information indicates Oliver went to his parents’ home while intoxicated and became involved in a verbal argument that escalated, ending with Oliver being shot in the torso.
Officers responded to the 5500 block of Hidden Creek about 7 a.m. after a woman reported that she had shot someone, according to the 911 call sheet. Police said the caller’s ex-boyfriend entered her house without permission and began assaulting her.
The woman used pepper spray to defend herself, then shot her attacker, according to police. The man was struck three times and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Two Second Amendment cases have been heard by the Supreme Court this last year. The opinions of the Supreme Court in those two cases are expected to be announced before the end of June, 2026. The two cases are the Wolford case, out of Hawaii in the Ninth Circuit, and the Hemani Case out of Texas in the Fifth Circuit.
Wolford is essentially a question of whether a state can define "sensitive" locations so broadly as to prevent people from being armed in most public places. Specifically Wolford asks if Hawaii has the authority to command property owners to actively choose to allow private carry on their property or the State will ban private carry on their property. The Hemani case is a fairly straightforward question: Can the government strip people of their Second Amendment rights if they are users of a substance (marijuana) which the government has deemed to be illegal, even if they are not carrying arms while impaired?
Both cases carry the potential for further clarification of the standard set forth in the Bruen decision on how courts are to decide Second Amendment issues. The Bruen decision was straightforward. If the case involved an infringement of Second Amendment rights, as provided by the text of the Second Amendment, the burden of showing such limitations was on the government. The government had to show there was a longstanding tradition of such limitations going back to the time period of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. To a lesser extent, some clarification might be drawn from statutes passed about the time of the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. Any legislative activity beyond about 1875, at latest, was considered irrelevant. If the government could show a longstanding tradition, then it was shown such a limitation was considered understood as part of the right to keep and bear arms at the time of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
In the Rahimi decision, the Supreme Court appeared to loosen the restrictions a bit. The decision allowed laws from the time of the ratification, which had a loose connection to the statute in question, to meet the Bruen test if the essential intent were the same. Both Wolford and Hemani present cases to the Supreme Court which could be used to narrow or broaden how lower courts interpret Bruen as seen through the lens of Rahimi.
The Supreme Court only hears about 70 cases in one year. Thousands of cases apply to be heard by the Court. In addition to the 70 or so cases heard on the merits, the Supreme Court has been burdened by numerous lawsuits against the Trump administration. These cases have taken much time of the Court as they react to frivolous challenges to Trump administrative decisions. The Supreme Court has issued at least 35 emergency orders as related to Trump administrative actions. The more "emergency" actions, the less time to spend on cases on the merits. The vast majority of these cases have been decided in the favor of the Trump administration.
Both the Wolford and Hemani decisions will be released by the end of June of 2026.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
A 45-year-old man was shot and injured after allegedly breaking into a west Fort Worth home early Saturday, police said. Multiple Forth Worth Police units responded to the 4900 block of Cedar Hill Road about 4:35 a.m. after a 911 caller reported someone was inside their house, the call sheet states.
HPD said that the homeowner called his neighbor to alert him of the burglary. That neighbor then got his brother and confronted the burglary suspects.
Lt. Crowson said the suspects ran down the street and that the two men followed them in a vehicle.
Crowson said that, down the street, after a confrontation with the suspects, one of the two men shot one of the suspects.
HPD previously reported that the suspect was able to jump a fence while wounded, but that he ultimately died at the scene.
At one point, police allege Lockridge got behind the counter and started swinging the machete at the clerk.
The clerk was able to leave the store and get a gun from his vehicle.
Authorities say Lockridge initially followed him outside but then went back inside the store.
When the clerk went back inside, Lockridge reportedly tried to attack him with the machete.
That's when police say the clerk shot Lockridge and called 911.
Brown said the individual reported being approached by two people in masks. That encounter led to gunfire. Investigators have recovered a firearm and said the suspected shooter was cooperating with the investigation.
At this point, investigators believe the person who was shot was one of the masked individuals, according to Brown.
A preliminary investigation determined that the 44-year-old suspect approached a 37-year-old woman with a firearm while she was taking out the trash, according to police.
The suspect was known to the woman, and she fled back into her house. Police said the suspect then shot the 41-year-old man who was inside the house with her, leading to a struggle over the firearm.
According to investigators, an intruder who was attempting to rob a home awakened a couple residing there at around 1:30 a.m.
Investigators said the female victim, the homeowner’s girlfriend, ran to her next-door neighbor’s home for help. Shortly after, the neighbor retrieved a firearm and came to the couple’s home.
“That neighbor fired his weapon, striking the subject in the head,” said Delgado.
Police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded shortly after.
“The subject was rushed to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead,” said Delgado.
Bear spray proponents claim bear spray can be deployed faster than handguns, rifles or shotguns can. This is not obvious or certain. The claim is simply made and assumed to be true. It is not true. The truth is all four systems can be reasonably fast *if* the users train and practice with the system. This correspondent believed handguns to be the fastest method. An experience trainer in Canada showed bear spray could be practically as fast as holstered handguns.
A reasonably fast response is to access and use a defense against bears system in under two seconds. Very fast is to effectively utilize the system in a fraction of a second.
Holstered bear spray and handguns can be about the same speed. Rifles and shotguns, with a chambered cartridge, held at the ready, are faster. All four systems, when trained and practiced with, held at the ready, are very fast. None of the four systems is fast if the user is not trained, has not practiced, and/or keeps the system in a location or state where it cannot be used quickly.
All four systems can meet both standards with a little training and practice if good carrying/ holstering systems are used. In practice, this is harder to do with long guns, because using both hands is nearly essential. Unless a person is dedicated as a guard, there are often times when at least one hand is occupied with other tasks. The temptation to set a long gun against a tree or wall, or inside a tent, or to sling it over the back is great. Bureaucracies may insist on carrying a long gun without a cartridge in the chamber. Handguns and
bear spray overcome this by being compact and light enough to use a holster. With about a half day's practice and training, the time to draw and use either system can be reliably reduced to under two seconds.
This correspondent was skeptical about the potential speed of bear spray draw and use. The Internet was searched for actual data. Data became available from Dave Evert. Dave Evert spent 23 years teaching the Bear and Cougar Encounter Courses and 14 years of teaching the Western Canada Wilderness Handgun Course, both of which he developed. Dave taught hundreds of students to quick draw and employ bear spray in under two seconds. From Dave:
But having watched perhaps a few hundred employees doing this, I can say that some were able to pivot, draw, ready to spray in one second; more of them in 1.5 seconds and all of them within 2 seconds. Some were phenomenal.
Dave emphasizes this requires a proper holster for the bear spray. His students practiced with inert training spray, a necessity for such practice. Dave insisted his students carry two canisters of bear spray in a specific cross draw configuration, because it gives redundancy and the potential to deter a persistent bear. Dave highly recommends a sharp fixed blade knife be carried opposite the bear spray (4-6 inch thick sharp blade, with a guard and non-slip handle) as a last line of defense.
The holsters for the bear spray are flap type, which require two hands to draw fast. One hand to retract the flap, the other to draw the spray. Dave is currently using a Kodiak holster https://kodiakcanada.com/
Dave also recommends handguns as a bear defense. In Canada, bureaucratic burdens make obtaining a carry permit for animal defense in the wild extremely difficult. Few are able to navigate the system and obtain an Authority to Carry (ATC). The law has this provision for people whose work requires them to be in the wild. The law has been interpreted by the bureaucracy in such a way as to make it impractical for most people to comply.
Dave's experience with bear spray is the same experience firearms instructors have noted for decades. It take's an afternoon's practice and training for novices to draw and hit a target at close range in under two seconds. With consistent practice, 1.5 seconds is achievable by most. Dedicated practice can bring the time to under a second. The same times can be achieved with long guns using tactical slings, if carried with a cartridge in the chamber. Practice is required, just as with handguns and with bear spray. In practice, it is important to keep your eyes on the target, not on the weapon in the holster.
Dave Evert had similar experiences with training for handguns. The choices were much reduced in Canada because the bureaucracy insisted on regulating both the choices of handguns and of holsters. Dave, as his individual choice, prefers a chest holster for a handgun.
The Gunsight academy week long course fits into the "consistent practice" category for handguns. The standard is to draw and shoot two rounds to the chest in 1.5 seconds at 5 yards. Draw and shoot 2 rounds to the chest in 2 seconds at 10 yards. This is achieved by most students in a week long, intense course.
How much time a person has to react is seldom controlled by the actions of the bear or other animal. The limit is almost always situational awareness. Much of situational awareness is the willingness to accept the reality of dangerous situations and need to act rather than saying to yourself "this cannot be happening". Do not ignore warning signs. Training helps people become more aware of surroundings.
In defense against bears, where there is little danger of hitting other people, if you perceive a dangerous situation, draw your weapon. This will cut a second off of your reaction time. With all four weapons (if long guns are carried with a cartridge in the chamber) this means most people can employ them effectively in less than a second, if you practice just a bit. With consistent practice, this becomes "muscle memory" and the time becomes a fraction of a second. With your weapon in your hands and ready for use, this gives you precious fractions of a second to evaluate and choose the correct response.
Bear spray is much more affected by wind, temperature, and precipitation than firearms. Wind and very cold temperatures limit the effectiveness of bear spray by reducing the range from roughly 30 - 44 feet to 5-7 feet for most wind, except a wind from you toward the threat. Such is the result found by Tom Smith, in his paper on bear spray limitations. Tom Smith is a noted bear spray proponent, and author of the bear spray studies. Firearms are effective to distances where a bear is not considered an immediate threat (beyond 100 feet), according to Stephen Herrero, in Bear Attacks Their Causes and Avoidance, p. 243:
To give a bear a reasonable chance to stop and to give yourself reasonable safety, the person expert with firearms should perhaps wait until a charging grizzly is from 50 to 100 feet away or even closer.
Stephen Herrero is also a co-author with Tom Smith of the original Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska paper.
Bear spray does not reach to 50 to 100 feet unless the wind is from you to the bear. Tom Smith admitted the original bear spay study authored by him and Stephen Herrero showed bear spray is not particularly effective at stopping charging grizzly bears (interview with Wes Siler for Outside). Wes recently expanded on this with another article "Bear Spray is a Placebo". Wes was a bear spray enthusiast who changed his mind.
Recent research on the effectiveness of bear spray and firearms, using data collected by Smith and Herrero and Internet searches, has more than doubled the original sample of 72 incidents where bear spray was used. The expanded data set is now 231 incidents where bear spray was present , and 173-186 times when bear spray was used, depending on the way the incidents are scored in the statistical analysis in the paper. This is the most extensive data set collected on bear spray used against bears to date.
Of the 231 times bear spray was present, bears were successfully deterred 67.1% of the time. From page 122 of the paper, based on 155 successful uses:
• 67.1% of incidents where bear spray was present it was used successfully to deter the bear
When the firearm type was identified, the results were strikingly similar.
P. 13 When present, rifles successfully deterred bears in 68% (n = 156) of encounters, shotguns 72% (n = 28), and handguns 71% (n = 50) of the time.
When rifles were present bears were successfully deterred 68% of the time, based on 156 successful uses.
When shotguns were present bears were successfully deterred 72% of the time, based on 28 successful uses.
When handguns were present bears were successfully deterred 71% of the time, based on 50 successful uses.
This shows the mere presence of a weapon is not enough. It has to be available. The training and practice of the user is of high importance. The slight difference between weapon types indicate the problems of access is very similar. It is a problem of training and self discipline, not weapon type. The numbers above show: the opinion that bear spray is easier to use is not supported by the data. In the latest research, the author makes this clear, by inserting a caveat about bear spray. The current paper restates this from previous claims, p. 30, bold added:
In contrast to firearms, bear spray, when properly carried (i.e., holstered in an easily accessible location), is more readily deployed and requires less skill and accuracy than all firearm types, thus contributing to their higher overall success rate than that of firearms. (Smith & Herrero 2018, Smith et al. 2007, and Herrero & Higgins 1999).
The data does not support the claim. As shown above, sufficient speed and accuracy can be found with any of the systems given a few hours training and practice. Without the training, all systems fail due to human factors, not the limits of the weapons system. Speed of draw and deployment take about the same amount of training for both bear spray, handguns, and long guns if a cartridge is kept chambered in long guns. Extreme speed and accuracy are seldom required for firearms to successfully be deployed in defense against bears. Two seconds is almost always sufficient for the first shot. In the vast majority of the cases examined by this correspondent, the victims had more than two seconds of warning. They often claimed they had no time to react. Their actions demonstrated they had more than two seconds they did not use to draw their weapons or come to a ready state.
They failed because they did not have a weapon or they failed to deploy the weapon. In a few cases, there were weapon malfunctions. This can happen with all weapon systems. The data shows it happens a little more often with bear spray than with rifles, shotguns or handguns. The total success percentages are all very close.
The major differences between handguns and bear spray becomes apparent in two ways. First, when success rates are compared where the systems are used, not just present. Second, in the number of fatalities.
This correspondent and colleagues have collected all the documented cases where handguns have actually been used in defense against bears. If readers know of any others, we welcome the additions. The current number is 173 incidents in North America where only handguns were used. There were three failures for a 98% success rate and no fatalities. There were 39 incidents where people were injured, handguns were present and used. In 21 of those incidents, the injury occurred before the handgun was fired.
In the latest bear spray data, there are 175 incidents where bear spray was used in North America. There were 17 incidents where bear spray failed when used. (P. 122). There were five incidents where there were fatalities. There were 41 incidents where there were human injuries. It is unknown how many injuries occurred before the bear spray was sprayed.
The criteria for failure in the bear spray studies is essentially the same as in our study about handguns. The major exception is this: bears are killed with handguns, stopping their behavior. Bear spray does not kill bears.
The bear spray data collection for the latest paper ended in 2020. The handgun data collected by this correspondent and others has been updated to January
of 2025.
There have been five more people killed in four incidents where bear spray has been sprayed in defense against a bear between 2020 and 2025. The recent case where Anthony Pollio was killed by a bear in Glacier National Park, will likely make the total six more in North America, for a total of 12 worldwide, 11 in North America.
Fatalities are scrupulously investigated and reported. They avoid the problems of inherent selection bias. World wide, one incident has been documented where a .22 rimfire handgun was fired in defense against a polar bear. The person was killed by the bear. There will be others, but once in 130 years is not bad. While the numbers are small, the message is clear: Bear spray works about 90% of the time. Handguns work about 98% of the time. Bear spray is not faster to deploy or easier to use. All the methods take about the same time to learn to use effectively. An afternoon's worth of training is effective. A minute a day of practice improves response time by a half second or more in a week or two. Do not practice with a loaded handgun outside of a safe place to shoot. Do not practice drawing an active can of bear spray.
The chances of being killed by a bear while using bear spray are much higher than that of being killed by a bear while using a handgun.
There have been three incidents where handguns alone were used in defense against a bear, and a person was wounded by gunfire. All three happened with 10mm Glock pistols. All three were self inflicted. All three said the injury from the handgun was less than the injury prevented by shooting the bear.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The Metro Nashville Police Department said the shooting occurred after a man walked in after store hours and asked for a haircut. After he was denied, he allegedly pulled up his shirt and flashed a gun at the employees. An employee then pulled out his own firearm and shot the man.
The man was shot in the arm and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
According to court records, the man told officers he was attempting to break up with Swanson, and as he left her home, she attempted to hit him with her vehicle multiple times. He said these attempts continued as he walked into the Kroger parking lot, court records state.
The Florida legislature has passed a bill including tax holidays for firearms accessories, and hunting, fishing and camping supplies. Firearms silencers/suppressors are included as firearms accessories. If Governor DeSantis signs the bill, it will go into effect on July 1, 2026. The tax holidays for firearms accessories are for the entire year.
The Florida Legislature passed HB 7031E, as amended by the Conference Committee Report, YEAS 29 to NAYS 6, on May 29, 2026. The bill passed the House a couple of hours earlier 88 YEAS to 11 NAYS. The bill is a major taxation bill for Florida. The bill includes Section 46 (Exemption for firearm accessories) and Section 47 (Hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday). Section 46 starts on page 62 of the 66 page bill.
The firearm accessories are for pistols, rifles and shotguns which fire projectiles using an explosive charge. According to the NRA, whether suppressors/silencers would be included in the bill was uncertain until the vote on May 29. An amendment had included them in the bill, but those tax holidays could have been stripped from the bill before the final vote. They were not. If Governor DeThe items will be exempt from taxes in Chapter 212 of Florida statues, which are primarily sales taxes.
The tax holiday for firearms accessories are scheduled to start on 1 July, 2026 and to continue through an entire year to June 30, 2027. The accessories include:
Alert readers may find some parts of firearms which are not covered.
The Hunting, fishing and camping sales tax holiday is not so generous. It only lasts from September 1 through December 31 of 2026. This tax holiday covers complete firearms as well as ammunition for firearms, bows, crossbows, arrows, bolts, quarrels, quivers, releases, sights or optics, and wristguards.
Fishing and camping supplies are included in the tax holiday, but limited in the price of the items covered. The price listed is the maximum cost of the item to qualify for the tax holiday:
Sales tax in Florida is generally 6%, with up to 2% added by cities or counties. The tax holidays apply to the entire sales tax, not just the state portion of the sales tax.
The Florida tax bill has to be sent to Governor DeSantis for signature. Major tax bills are seldom vetoed.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
The May, 2026 National Instant background Check System (NICS) numbers are in. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) adjusted background check numbers show expanding firearm sales as the number of total background checks done through NICS continues to drop. In May, the drop was almost 11 percent from May of 2025. From NSSF:
The May 2026 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,105,758 is an increase of 3.2 percent compared to the May 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,071,685. For comparison, the unadjusted May 2026 FBI NICS figure of 1,780,230 reflects a 10.9 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 1,998,440 in May 2025.
The 2026 adjusted background check numbers are designed to be highly correlated to actual sales numbers. They are not the same because the NICS checks are used for multiple purposes. The adjusted numbers take out the checks done specifically for firearms permits and permit renewals. They do not adjust for multiple firearms sold with one NICS check, or for firearms sold without a separate NICS check such as those in states where possession of a permit is allowed to be substituted for a NICS check. Most private sales do not involve a NICS check.
The NSSF Report over the last 12 months shows consistent increases in the adjusted NICS checks in 2026 since January. This is four months of increases in the adjusted NICS checks over the same four months in 2025. The NSSF has started to track NICS checks done for Form 1 and Form 4 applications to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) by month. There are very large increasin in these numbers since the $200 tax has been remove by the Trump administration. In April, the numbers were up 130%. In May of 2026, the numbers were up over 100%. From the NSSF:
• The May 2026 NFA figure of 146,551 is an increase of 100.4 percent compared to the May 2025 figure of 73,138.
The increase in numbers shows how much the exercise of Second Amendment rights has been infringed in previous years. Although the tax has been removed, there are still numerous infringements. People who wish to comply with the National Firearms Act (NFA) are required to submit fingerprints, photographs, and to wait for approval by the ATF before making or purchasing a piece of safety equipment such as a suppressor / silencer / gun muffler. They are required to go through the same procedure for short barreled rifles or short barreled shotguns. Several lawsuits are in progress challenging the constitutional validity of the continued bureaucratic infringements. Some states are moving to protect silencer/ suppressor owners.
Analysis: Firearms sales thrive during times of uncertainty. The constant attacks on President Trump in the old media probably aid in keeping firearm sales high. The conflicts being waged overseas in Ukraine and the Persian Gulf are likely contributors. Removing the $200 tax on NFA has helped. If current lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the continued infringements in the NFA succeed, there will be a boom in the sales of suppressors / silencers / gun mufflers and in the sale of short barreled shotguns and short barreled rifles. The Second Amendment is a very popular part of the Bill of Rights. The economy is doing pretty well. If peace is reached in the Middle East, prosperity is likely.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue took the victims to the hospital where one was pronounced dead. Police say the second victim was taken to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Officials say the incident began when the two men were involved in an altercation between the doorway of a hotel and a parking lot before gunfire erupted.
Police say the victim with life-threatening injuries is also one of the suspects, and that the two men shot at each other. There is no threat to the public, police say.
On May 31, 2026, before 11 a.m. a woman who had obtained a domestic violence injunction, escaped kidnapping in a church parking lot. Two armed Samaritans intervened and prevented an armed man from dragging the woman away. In a news conferenced Police Chief Leo Niemczyk identified the suspect as Jose Tsu Zamora, 64, who had been in a long term prior relationship with the victim.
Zamora is a convicted felon who is reported to have said to the victim, words to the effect: If I can't have you, nobody can. The suspect is reported as knowing the victim attended the church in Port St. Lucie, and intercepted the victim as she exited a vehicle. From cbs12.com:
Two male bystanders, who told police they were armed, intervened and confronted Zamora. Chief Leo Niemczyk with PSLPD credited the two bystanders for saving the woman's life.
Several people are reported as seeing the attempted kidnapping. One man is seen confronting the suspect, seconds later, another runs into the scene. The video appears to show what may be a holster on the second armed Samaritan.
Before 1987, it would have been unlikely two people in a church parking lot in Florida would have been armed and able to respond to a kidnapping by an armed man. The suspect was reported to have held a handgun against the victim's side as the kidnapping was attempted.
In 1987, Florida passed a shall issue concealed carry permit bill, which is credited with being the start of the shall issue revolution in the United States. Another change since 1987 is the increase in church security teams. News coverage has not mentioned if the armed Samaritans were part of a church security team.
As of 2025, over 20 million concealed carry permits were active in the United States. In 29 states no permit is needed for people to carry loaded handguns, either openly or concealed, in most public spaces.
John Lott and others have published peer reviewed papers which show an increase in concealed carry permits is correlated with a drop in violent crime. Other academics dispute this finding. Papers sometime claim to show a limited increase in very specific types of crime in particular states. Most of the literature shows either a decrease in violent crime or no measurable change.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
On Friday, June 5, 2026, at 10:23 p.m., deputies from the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the 1300 block of Heron Way in San Jacinto, regarding an assault with a deadly weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located evidence of a shooting and a subject with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
During the investigation, deputies learned the homeowner was visiting a neighboring residence when he heard screaming and the sound of gunfire from his residence. The homeowner ran to his residence and saw an unknown male intruder inside his home, armed with a shotgun. The homeowner armed himself and confronted the suspect inside the residence. During the confrontation, the suspect fired multiple rounds at the homeowner. The homeowner returned fire, striking the suspect. There were no additional injuries reported.
The homeowner was transported to the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station for further investigation. The suspect’s identity is being withheld pending notification to the next of kin. No arrests have been made at this time. The case will ultimately be submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for review. This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details will be released.
A heated conversation between the victim and Miller escalated.
Miller and an unidentified black male co-defendant fired at the victim, and the victim returned fire, according to MCSO.
The shooting left the victim injured and caused damage to his home.
The sheriff’s office said that the homeowner reportedly overheard the suspects stating, “we need to take care of him as well”, but they had discharged all their ammunition before fleeing the location.
People who have concealed carry permits are one of the most law-abiding groups in the United States. Police officers have crime rates far below the general population. People with concealed carry permits are more law-abiding than police officers.
The arrest rate for the overall adult population in the USA is about 2,100 - 2,200 per 100k in recent years. The arrest rate for police officers has been about 170 per 100k. This may be low because no one tracks police arrests officially. Officials may be reluctant to charge police officers. The conviction rate for concealed permit holders is about 17.6 per 100k in Texas, according to an academic paper by John Lott, Moody, and Wang published in 2025. From the paper:
Of the 43,932 total convictions in the Texas DPS 2023 report, only 284 — or 0.6 percent — were convictions of LTC holders, a conviction rate of
17.6 per 100,000.37
Convictions are not the same as arrests. Arrests for felonies tends to result in about 65% convictions. Arrests for misdemeanors results in about 45% convictions. A conviction rate is likely to be about half of the arrest rate. If we double the conviction rate to approximate the arrest rate, concealed permit holders have less than one fifth the arrest rate for police officers. Concealed carry permit holders have 1.7% of the arrest rate for the general population.
The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) sums up how law-abiding permit holders are for convictions of firearm related violations:
Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding. In Florida and Texas, permit holders are convicted of firearms related violations at one-twelfth of the rate at which police officers are convicted.
Minnesota tracks the number of carry permits which are revoked each year. A look at the Minnesota numbers shows revocations of permits are close to what concealed permit convictions are in Texas. The numbers and methodology may be significantly different in the two states. In 2024 the number of permit holders in Minnesota were about 400 thousand. The number of permit revocations was 47. That is a rate of revocation of 11.5 per 100k in 2024.
The crime rates of permit holders are much, much lower than that of the general population and much lower than that of police officers. In terms of other population groups, permit holders crime rates are about as law abiding as Asian Americans as a group. Both groups show high levels of civic responsibility and respect for the rule of law.
Analysis:
Very few people believe disarming the police is a good idea. Police officers, even retired police officers have the legal right to carry in most places where most people are prevented from carrying weapons. Police officers have the legal right to carry in all states and territories of the United States. The Congress created the LEOSA act as a way to protect the public with more responsible armed people on the streets. They also created it as a way to protect police officers. The same logic applies to people with concealed carry permits. Those people are much less likely to break laws than even police officers are.
It is common sense to increase the number of such protectors by 15X. There are about 700 thousand sworn police officers. There are about another 500 thousand retired officers. There are over 20 million Americans with concealed carry permits.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Graham then continued to assault the man, police said.
“An uninvolved witness in the Summit Avenue area observed the incident and believed the male was in immediate danger. In response, the individual retrieved a handgun and shot Mr. Graham,” the news release said.
The person who shot Graham stayed at the scene and “complied with officers during the investigation,” police said.
Police Chief Dennis Stevenson says a man reported firing his gun at another man, who was allegedly vandalizing his car. The suspect then ran off into the woods behind a nearby store and daycare.
The search took place just off Bowen Street. The daycare which police were searching near was unoccupied. Surveillance video from a nearby business showed the suspect limping with a wound to his right leg.
"Glock switch" images from ATF, public domain.
Murders committed with handguns patterned after the extremely successful Glock line of pistols, equipped with "Glock switches", are extremely rare, according to research done by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC). The research was published on May 27, 2026.
No database of cases where "Glock switches" are used to murder people is maintained by the federal government . The CPRC did what they characterize as "an exhaustive search" for incidents where such a "Glock switch" was used to murder people, from 2021 through most of May, 2026. They found 20 incidents where 43 people were killed over the more than five years studied.
Every murder is a tragedy. However, the number of murders committed with "Glock switches" is a tiny blip in the overall number of murders in the USA, over the five years examined by the CPRC. The CPRC carefully and correctly states they may have missed some murders committed with "Glock switches". It is the nature of crimes that some are not detected. It is the nature of the media that some events are not reported in a way which is easily found. The demonization of these devices works to insure most known events are reported.
Handguns do not make good automatic weapons. They are more difficult to master than rifles or shotguns, even when one shot is fired for every trigger pull. The yare much more difficult to control on full auto, especially a full auto with a high cyclic rate of fire. With modifications, expert users can use them effectively, with practice. Machine pistols, as they are called, have not been a popular item with military services because of these limitations.
"Glock switches" take an excellent handgun design and transform it into a bad machine pistol. As noted by the CPRC, the "Glock switches" are dangerous to the user and to everyone near the user, including the user's allies and confederates. "Glock switches" override the handguns disconnector, allowing the handgun to fire before it is fully locked. The difficulty of controlling a handgun in full auto, with an extreme cyclic rate, makes the danger of shooting in a direction which is not desired, a real possibility. This may be a reason the "Glock switches" are not used more commonly.
CRPC notes the total number of murders committed from 2021 - 2024 are about 80,657 murders in the USA, according the the FBI. The numbers for 2025 have not been officially released. Of those from 2021-2024, we know 29 were committed with "Glock switches". It is impossible to know if more or fewer murders would have been committed without the "Glock switches" being used. It is plausible, perhaps likely, the use of the switches prevented some murders because of the difficulty and danger of use, and the inherent lack of accuracy with such devices. If the first shot is on target, it is likely the second and following shots are not on target. The homicide rate in the USA has been falling since 2021. The murder rate in the USA is at an historic low, probably the lowest ever recorded in the USA.
As mentioned in the CPRC article, these devices are mostly used by criminal gangs. Most of the murders appear to be during gang wars. "Glock switches" are already illegal to produce or own for nearly all people in the United States. Only licensed machine gun manufacturers, law enforcement, and the military have the ability to legally possess them.
Analysis: The focus on "Glock switches" is another attempt at creating a crises where none exists. The purpose appears to be to pass legislation to make items which are already illegal to own, double or triple illegal. The desired effect seems to be to ban or make illegal ordinary Glock pistols. Glock type pistols may be the most popular pistol in American society, perhaps in the world.
Those who wish to disarm the population have never been worried about logic, facts, or cost/benefit ratios. Most people still value logic, facts, and cost/benefit ratios. The CPRC article sheds light on a subject primarily shrouded in myth and emotion. It is likely the emotion based laws against Glock pistols will run into difficulties as they are challenged in the courts. Commonly owned firearms which are used for legal purposes are protected by the Second Amendment. Glock pistols are common. They are overwhelmingly used for legal purposes.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Police said they believe Jordan was battering his girlfriend when the woman’s brother heard the assault, went upstairs and saw his sister being beaten.
“After several attempts to get the individual to stop, he produced a firearm and he shot the victim,” Price said.
No injuries were reported in the shooting. According to the police chief, a homeowner returned fire after allegedly being shot at. He said one individual was taken into custody. The suspect has not been identified.
Tennessee Capitol
Governor Bill Lee has signed Tennessee Bill SB1847 into law on May 22, 2026. The bill reforms the law on restrictions of the use of deadly force, allowing some uses of deadly force to protect property in certain circumstances.
Tennessee Bill SB1847 started out as a significant expansion of the legal use of deadly force in Tennessee. The bill would have made the use of deadly force in defense of property legal for a broad swath of issues, including trespass. In the Legislative process the bill was amended to specify the use of deadly force would be legally acceptable in fewer situations. From a previous AmmoLand article:
The new language allows residents to use deadly force to prevent “the other’s imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or aggravated cruelty to animals; “if the resident reasonably believes the property cannot otherwise be protected and the use of lesser force would expose the resident or a third party to “a risk of death, serious bodily injury, or grave sexual abuse.”
The bill passed both houses on April 23, 2026. The bill took a month to be signed by Governor Bill Lee. Legislatures have a sequence of events which are required before a governor signs a bill into law, vetoes the bill, or in Tennessee as in some other states, allows the bill to become law without the governor's signature. Those sequences allow the leadership of a legislature to speed up or delay the sending of the bill to the governor. The governor can choose when to sign a bill after it is received, within limits.
Tennessee's process is fairly straightforward. The bill is made ready for the signatures of the Senate Speaker and the House Speaker, to certify the bill is what the legislature passed. This can happen very quickly, if the leadership insists on it. For SB1847 it took a week until April 30. The Senate Speaker signed on the same day, April 30. The House speaker did not sign for a week, on May 7th. Sending the bill to the Governor for signature is said to be automatic. May 7th was a Thursday. SB1847 was sent to Governor Bill Lee on the 11th, the next Monday. The Governor has ten days, not counting Sundays, in Tennessee to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without the governor's signature. Governor Lee waited the full 10 days, not counting the intervening Sunday, and signed the bill on the May 22.
The bill is now signed and will become effective as of July 1, 2026.
Analysis: This correspondent expected SB1847 to be signed a week or two sooner than it was. The votes for passage were supermajorities. In the House, 62-24; in the Senate 23-5. In Tennessee, only simple majorities in both houses are necessary to override a veto. The amended bill is not a radical change. It gives people who are protecting themselves, others, and their property a little more legal protection than they had before. SB1847 moves Tennessee law a little closer to Texas law about the use of deadly force in protecting property.
The reasons for the delay in signing the bill have become insignificant. The bill has been signed. It will take effect on July 1, 2026.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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