HABITUAL ROBBER ONLY WOUNDED

Pity the store owner wasn't a better shot

A suspected robber is recovering at Vanderbilt Medical Center after being shot by a store owner who is also a former Army Ranger. The incident happened in north Nashville at a family run country store. Owner Brad Lewis, his fiancee, and another clerk were working late checking inventory when they heard a crash at the front door of their business around 1am.

The owner's brother says Brad tried to protect his loved ones. "[Brad came out and saw] the perpetrator who had made his way into the store. He had a hood over his head, hands in pocket and told Brad to give him all his money. At that point Brad feared for his life, and that's when he started firing,� said Bryan Lewis, Owner's brother.

Police say convicted felon Ralph Wade Flemming, 35, was hit twice, once in the leg and once in the arm. He ran across the street where he collapsed. He was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Flemming is familiar with police having been arrested 69 times in Davidson County. Police say he may not have been working alone. "We have not found a car, and we don't know if he walked or was dropped off. Maybe someone was waiting on him and heard the shots and fled,� said Metro Detective Robert Swisher.

Police say the store owner had a permit for his handgun and will not be charged. His brother says it is the first incident at the store since opening in February. Just a few hours after the shooting, the store was back open for business.

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Such a great help that guns are illegal in Britain! "Police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal shooting in a garden in Glasgow. James Differ, 42, from Kirkintilloch, was seriously injured in Gartloch Road, Garthamlock, on 21 April. He died later in hospital. Strathclyde Police said a 45-year-old man has been arrested and is being held in custody. The man is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court in Glasgow on Friday."





Florida: Bill now law: "With a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association at his side, Gov. Jeb Bush signed a bill Tuesday intended to make it clear that people have a right to defend themselves on the street, meeting 'force with force' without fear of being prosecuted. The measure, which passed the Legislature overwhelmingly earlier this year, says people are under attack don't have to retreat before responding, as long as they're in a place they legally have a right to be."

GREAT NEWS FROM FLORIDA

"It is either a Wild West revival, a return to the days of "shoot first and ask questions later," or a triumph for the "Castle Doctrine" -- the notion that enemies invade personal space at their peril. Such dueling rhetoric marked the debate over a measure that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) could sign as early as Tuesday.

The legislation passed so emphatically that National Rifle Association backers plan to take it to statehouses across the nation, including Virginia's, over the next year. The law will let Floridians "meet force with force," erasing the "duty to retreat" when they fear for their lives outside of their homes, in their cars or businesses, or on the street. NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said in an interview that the Florida measure is the "first step of a multi-state strategy" that he hopes can capitalize on a political climate dominated by conservative opponents of gun control at the state and national levels. "There's a big tailwind we have, moving from state legislature to state legislature," LaPierre said. "The South, the Midwest, everything they call 'flyover land' -- if John Kerry held a shotgun in that state, we can pass this law in that state."

The Florida measure says any person "has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm." Florida law already lets residents defend themselves against attackers if they can prove they could not have escaped. The new law would allow them to use deadly force even if they could have fled and says that prosecutors must automatically presume that would-be victims feared for their lives if attacked. The overwhelming vote margins and bipartisan support for the Florida gun bill -- it passed unanimously in the state Senate and was approved 94 to 20 in the state House, with nearly a dozen Democratic co-sponsors -- have alarmed some national gun-control advocates, who say a measure that made headlines in Florida slipped beneath their radar".

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HOME INVADERS PICK TOUGH TARGET

A remote Cape Cod farmhouse became the scene of a bloodbath early yesterday after two masked gunmen burst into a West Barnstable home and pistol-whipped its occupant, only to have the victim's son beat one intruder to death with a baseball bat, sources said. Barnstable police responded to 56 Boxwood Drive after a panicked 911 call saying the suspects had forced their way into the home and began to beat Pete Somers with the butt of a handgun and attempted to tie him up, sources said.

Somers' son, Joel, who was upstairs, grabbed a baseball bat and rushed downstairs to help his father. By then, the elder Somers had fought off one attacker, who then fled. The younger Somers apparently began to beat the second masked gunman, Osnel D. Azor, 23, with the baseball bat. Azor died a short time later at Cape Cod Hospital.

Law enforcement sources said it is unlikely that Joel Somers, who was recently released from jail, will face charges for the fatal beating. Yesterday, Cape & Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe confirmed Azor was an intruder. ``He did not belong on the property - had no authority or right to be there,'' O'Keefe said. Another law enforcement source said Azor, who lived in Dennisport, had a long rap sheet. Still, it remained unclear why the gunmen targeted the Somers family, police and prosecutors said. ``Police are conducting a series of interviews and they will continue to do so until they have a clear picture of what went on,'' O'Keefe said.

The Somers' neighbor, Arnold Eliason, called the rental ``a party house,'' saying: ``My gut feeling was there was monkey business going on.'' Both men told neighbors they worked in construction. The Somers, formerly of Franklin, had moved to the dead-end street in September, according to their landlord, J.E. Vandell of Yarmouthport. ``They seemed like good tenants,'' Vandell said. ``They maintained the house nice and paid the rent on time.''

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Augusta: Beer thieves hit with shotgun: "The Aiken County Sheriff's Office said today that it will seek warrants for the arrest of two Trenton. S.C., men in connection with a convenience store burglary Monday night. Efrem L. Nipper, 37, of Jacob Mackie Road, and Trah Best, 25, of Lloyd Road, will face charges of second-degree burglary, sheriff's Lt. Michael Frank said in a news release. Robert McFerrin, the owner of Twin Lakes Food Mart at 1230 Bettis Academy Road, shot both men with a shotgun after they kicked open the front door of the store and tried to remove seven cases of beer at about 10:45 p.m., police said. "Although the victim was defending his property, we still have to check with the Solicitor's Office for guidance in this case," Sheriff Michael Hunt said in a statement. Deputies found one of the men lying on the ground. He had a gunshot wound to the left shoulder, Lt. Frank said. The Aiken Bloodhound Team traced the second man to a car, which he had driven to Edgefield County. He called 911 to report that he had been shot, police said".


Minnesota: Last gun shop may face its final battle: "Mark Koscielski, the owner of the only remaining gun shop in Minneapolis, is entering the final stages of a fight with the city that could shutter his business, at least at its current location. Koscielski awaits a hearing next month before the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Earlier this month, the city sent Koscielski an order telling him to cease operating the gun shop on the 2900 block of Chicago Av. S. by April 18 because it is out of compliance with zoning laws. It's the latest chapter in a 10-year legal battle with the city for Koscielski."


VeriChips: the taking of free will: "In October, 2004, the FDA approved an implantable microchip for use in humans. A tiny subcutaneous RFID tag, now made by several American companies like Applied Digital Solutions, VeriChip, and Digital Angel are mass-producing RFID chips and stocking chip warehouses and implantation centers. Upper level governmental officials are getting 'chipped' to demonstrate public acceptance of the technology, and they are very quick to highlight the humanitarian uses of tracking devices in humans. ... And gun owners -- heads up! On April 13, 2004, Applied Digital Solutions announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, VeriChip Corporation, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FN Manufacturing, a leading gun manufacturer, to develop a first in the world of firearms. Their objective is an integrated 'User Authorization System' for firearms using VeriChip RFID technology. You shall be chipped in order to keep and bear. You had to know that was coming considering the 30-year, non-stop efforts to deny you of your 2nd Amendment rights."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. � Police say one person is dead and two others are injured after an apartment break-in early Sunday morning on Mereview Court in southwest Charlotte. Police say someone kicked down the door of the apartment and several people were inside. The suspect then fired a gun, hitting one person in the chest. That person was taken to Carolinas Medical Center. Police say someone inside the apartment, who also had a gun, fired a fatal shot that hit the suspect. The suspect died on the back steps. They say another person inside the apartment was hospitalized with stab wounds.


Gun controllers: A specious species: "Every time a state enacts right-to-carry, doomsayers predict scenarios like shoot-outs over parking spaces and traffic stops that turn deadly for law enforcement. That there are now 38 RTC states without such horrors does not deter the gun control addict, for theirs is not a crusade based upon logic or statistical reality. It is the purpose of these writings to expose gun controllers' defective reasoning, to give you the tools for addressing the issues surrounding gun control, and to promote and protect your right to carry."



NEWARK, N.J. -- "She's 87, and "a nice lady." She's also facing a weapons charge after trying to enter the Essex County Courthouse with a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson. Rebecca Solomon of Newark was running late for a hearing at landlord-tenant court, and said she forgot to take the gun -- which was still in its original box -- out of her handbag last Wednesday. A metal detector at the courthouse flagged the weapon. "I asked the guard if he could just keep it until I got back from court," Solomon told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Monday's newspapers. "He said, `I can't do that, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call my supervisor."' Although the senior has a permit to own the gun, she does not have one to carry it in public. She was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun. "We had no choice," said Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura. "We felt bad about it. But there was nothing we can do." The sheriff said he hopes the prosecutor's office examines the case and either downgrades the charges or dismisses them entirely. "She didn't mean any harm," the sheriff said. "And she's such a nice lady." Solomon said she bought the gun -- and a box of bullets -- for protection. Within the past year, her home has been broken into three times, she said."

Oregon: Senate panel rejects victim disarmament bill: "A Senate panel shot down a bill Thursday that would have authorized school districts to bar concealed weapons permit holders from taking guns to schools. The Senate Judiciary Committee defeated the measure on a 4-3 count, with Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, joining the committee's three Republicans in voting it. The measure was a priority for Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, the committee's chairwoman and the Legislature's most outspoken gun control advocate."


Public rejects bans to fight terrorism: "A new poll conducted by Zogby International shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans reject the notion that gun bans would reduce the threat from terrorism. The poll was conducted from Mar. 30 through Apr. 1 for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). Zogby conducted interviews of 1,009 likely voters selected at random around the country with a margin of error of plus/minus 3.2%. ... Rejection of gun bans as a tool against terrorism ran pretty consistently across all sub-groups in the poll, according to Zogby."

Even the NYT recognizes it: "Despite dire predictions that the streets would be awash in military-style guns, the expiration of the decade-long assault weapons ban last September has not set off a sustained surge in the weapons' sales, gun makers and sellers say. It also has not caused any noticeable increase in gun crime in the past seven months, according to several metropolitan police departments. The uneventful expiration of the assault weapons ban did not surprise gun owners..."


Knives to be banned? "The number of weapons offences involving knives in the city has spiked, prompting city police to prepare reports for Crown attorneys on the skyrocketing statistics. Police hope the reports, which will be provided when someone convicted of a weapon offence is sentenced, will show judges that the use of knives is a dangerous trend in London. "We're hoping to send a message," deputy chief Tony McGowan said yesterday. Police hope the statistics will convince judges to impose stiffer sentences for weapons offences, he said. In 2003, London police investigated 165 offences involving knives, compared to 190 in 2004 and 63 in the first three months of this year -- a 50 per cent increase compared to the same time period in 2004. If the trend continues, police are on pace to investigate 250 offences involving knives this year, McGowan said. "It's disturbing," he told the police services board at its monthly meeting yesterday. "We recognize that weapons are a significant issue we're facing as a police service and that the community is facing.""


Gun lessons at school: "In Arizona, Governor Janet Napolitano has just signed into law Senate Bill 1271. This law makes her state the first in the nation that will authorize school districts to offer classes in marksmanship and gun-safety as high school electives: The voluntary, one-semester elective is among the first in the nation, according to advocates. But many administrators in the [Phoenix] Valley say their budgets and schedules are over-taxed as it is, and offering an elective that doesn't relate to life skills or state standards isn't in the cards. Al Korwin anticipated that tepid response. The Phoenix gun-law publisher initiated discussion of the bill, which Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, introduced in January. Korwin said he knew schools would be uncomfortable with the course because "a lot of teachers are fearful of guns." Rex Powers isn't one of them. The Wickenburg High School art teacher and coach of one of the country's few high-powered-rifle teams has seen the self-discipline that working with firearms instills in students. But Powers fears losing time available to teach other courses. "It's a good idea because we live in a state where there are a lot of firearms, and learning how to handle them responsibly is important," Powers said. "But we have enough on our hands. As long as it's voluntary, it's great. If it's going to cost the school district money, I'm not really for it.""

NYC shootout: "In what some police officers described as a shootout that �looked like it was a movie,� a suspected gunman who allegedly took part in an attempted home invasion robbery last Monday was shot four times by his intended victim, police from the 69th Precinct said. The victim�s name was not re-leased. The suspect, Negus Martin, 21, of Brooklyn Avenue, and another man, had apparently followed the victim as he entered his home on Flatlands Avenue near Rockaway Parkway at about 7:45 p.m. on March 21 and, wielding handguns, forced their way inside, also menacing his wife. As they forced the man and his wife to go to the basement, the victim�s wife distracted Martin, police said, giving the victim a chance to swing around, grab the gun from Martin�s hand and force both suspects back to the front door. As the second man aimed his weapon in his direction, the victim drew his own licensed 9mm handgun and fired, wounding Martin, who fell to the outside steps of the house. The second suspect aimed his gun at the victim again while helping Martin to his feet and the victim fired �several more shots� at the two suspects, who fled in a waiting car, according to police. Neither the victim nor his wife was wounded in the shootout. Less than an hour later, Martin walked into Kings County Hospital with four gunshot wounds to his chest and arms.... According to local authorities, there were no charges filed against the victim who shot Martin".


Black teenage pizza robber killed: "A 16-year-old Niagara Falls High School student with a criminal history was shot to death Wednesday night during a robbery in what Niagara Falls police called a "justified homicide." Anthony M. Sheard, of 13th Street, who would have turned 17 in two weeks, was shot in the head by a 54-year-old deliveryman for Mr. Ventry's Pizza. Police said Sheard and another person had tried to rob the deliveryman at gunpoint at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday in an alley on the 1300 block of Pierce Avenue... Sheard, who was carrying what appeared to be a gun, was shot once in the head while struggling with the deliveryman. "We believe the deliveryman acted in self-defense," Police Capt. Ernest Palmer said. "We know he saw a gun. Later, the gun we found at the scene turned out to be a Walther PPK look-alike gun that was actually a CO2 pellet gun." Police did not release the name of the deliveryman, citing fears he could be targeted for retribution. They said Sheard recently had been arrested on charges of felony gang assault and was accused of breaking another person's jaw. The deliveryman told police he struggled with the two masked robbers who tackled him in the alleyway near the pizza shop where he worked. "We found mud on his clothes, scrapes on his hands, and the contents of his pockets strewn about" the alleyway, Palmer said. Palmer said the deliveryman, who was registered to carry a concealed weapon, shot Sheard with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun."

Guns in right hands deter crime: "Depending on who you ask, the constitutional "Right of the People to keep and bear Arms" means: Plan A: The right of soldiers and National Guardsmen to carry rifles when ordered to do so. Plan B: The right of approved citizens to apply for permits to carry (shudder!) concealed, loaded pistols. Plan C: The right of every responsible person to buy and carry such weapons as he or she sees fit. Loaded or unloaded. Concealed or openly. At home, in the car or on foot. On the other side of this issue is "gun control." Gun control is either a total or partial negation of the right of the people to keep and bear arms."


Fairness in firearms testing: "Good news! At the urging of freedom's friend Len Savage, Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia's 11th congressional district has introduced H.R. 1603, 'The Fairness in Firearm Testing Act.' This brief, clearly worded bill would require the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to video-record ALL tests it conducts on firearms and to make copies of the unedited recordings available to owners of the tested items and defendants in cases involving those items. ... Gun owners have been aware of such dirty ATF tricks for decades. ... If Rep. Gingrey's bill passes as written, the ATF will have a much harder time destroying American lives. If the bill doesn't pass (or gets weakened), then the ATF and a compliant court system will do everything they can to make sure We the People never again witness how that agency operates behind the scenes."


Activist judge circumvented: "Following the recent Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling, Reps. Larry Howes, R-Walker, and Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, introduced new legislation supporting the Citizens Protection Act. "Once again activist judges are attempting to write the laws for Minnesota," Howes said. "This bill is essentially the same one that was approved by the Legislature last year but, hopefully, it won't be necessary. I'm optimistic the state Supreme Court will rule in favor of current law." The state Court of Appeals upheld a Ramsey County District Court ruling that stated legislators violated the state constitution's requirement that no law embrace more than one subject. The conceal and carry amendment was added on to a natural resources bill in 2003. Howes said the new legislation will be properly handled as a "stand-alone" bill. Sen. Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, introduced the same bill in the Senate Friday. "I reintroduced this bill, because I think we need to have a fair standard applied across the state for people who want a permit," Ruud said. The legislators say the Citizens Protection Act is needed because it creates a uniform gun permitting system that features safeguards for those who apply""

NRA takes parting shot at major media: "The National Rifle Association may have fond feelings for Houston, but that affection apparently does not extend to the mainstream news media. .... as the convention attendees prepared to return to their homes around the country, members of a closing-day panel on news coverage encouraged them to find alternatives to mainstream media � which panelists variously described as elitist, biased and ignorant. "We all know the media is biased," said Cam Edwards, an NRA online talk show host who also has worked as a radio reporter in Oklahoma City. 'An anti-gun bias is prevalent in the media. But they won't admit it.'Edwards, who acknowledged he also has some biases, said there should be more stories about gun owners who successfully defend themselves, and less coverage of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. "


Michigan: Moms, daughters take aim and fire at DNR event: "One of 6-year-old Kristen Carroll's feet dangled above the ground as she perched on her seat Saturday and focused on shooting a .22-caliber rifle at a paper target 25 yards away. "Watch where your gun's pointing," warned her mother, Michelle Carroll, as the ponytailed youngster in her bright orange sweat shirt and pink capri pants wiggled momentarily. Only one of Kristen's shots hit the target at the Rose Lake Shooting Range near Bath. But she pointed excitedly at her mother's bull's-eye after the two wrapped up practice at a mother-daughter shooting and hunter safety event sponsored by the state Department of Natural Resources."


Philippines: Half of gun owners fail to renew license: "Almost half of the country's nearly one-million legal gun owners failed to renew their firearms license, the Philippine National Police said Monday. Sr. Supt. Arturo Cacdac Jr., chief of the PNP's Firearms and Explosive Division, said records showed that out of 915,000 licensed firearm holders, 415, 320 did not renew their licenses. PNP chief, Director General Arturo Lomibao, said those who fail to renew their gun licenses should surrender their firearms to the police. "Starting May, we will send notices to holders of expired licenses," Lomibao said.He also ordered organizers of gun shows and shooting competitions to stop displaying assault weapons in their exhibits.High-powered firearms, Lomibao added, are for the exclusive use of the military and law-enforcement agencies."

Ted Nugent to fellow NRAers: Get hardcore: "With an assault weapon in each hand, rocker and gun rights advocate Ted Nugent urged National Rifle Association members to be 'hardcore, radical extremists demanding the right to self defense.' Speaking at the NRA's annual convention Saturday, Nugent said each NRA member should try to enroll 10 new members over the next year and associate only with other members. 'Let's next year sit here and say, 'Holy smokes, the NRA has 40 million members now,'' he said."



Arizona: Guns in bars bill reaches governor: "Carrying your loaded gun into a nightclub, bar or restaurant that serves alcohol could soon be legal as long as you don't drink under a bill that emerged from the Legislature on Monday. But don't load those holsters and head for the dance floor just yet. Gov. Janet Napolitano still has to sign the bill. And her cryptic statements so far indicate she is leaning on the side of Arizona's tourism and hospitality industry, neighborhood groups and major public-safety organizations who have all strongly opposed the measure. The Senate gave final passage to Senate Bill 1363 by a vote of 17-12. The National Rifle Association, the main force behind the bill, says its membership has practical reasons for wanting the law changed. Law-abiding gun owners don't want to have to leave their weapons at home or in the car, where they are useless for protection, when they dine in restaurants that serve alcohol."



Australia: New call for victim disarmament: "A gun-control group has called for a total ban on semi-automatic handguns to prevent them falling into criminal hands with deadly consequences. Speaking at the launch of a new national anti-handgun advertising campaign, National Coalition for Gun Control chair Sam Lee said the future looked bleak in relation to guns. 'What we are going to see in the future is more high-powered handguns on the streets because gun manufacturers are developing what are called quick-draws, which means they can be quickly grabbed and aimed at someone,' Ms Lee said.The campaign launch comes just days after the fatal drive-by shootings of two men at The Rocks in Sydney. 'It is our belief that a handgun was used in this shooting and these lives could have been saved,' Ms Lee said."

Feisty deacon: "Police say a deacon from Mount Olive Bapist went to the Normandale Compass Bank to deposit the church's offerings when a man approached him. The man then allegedly knocked the deacon down, took the money and started running away. The suspect, however, was in for a surprise. The deacon was carrying more than a money bag to the bank... he was carrying a loaded gun. He began firing at the suspect, who slipped, fell to the ground and dropped the cash. When the robber went to retrieve the bag, the deacon threatened to shoot him if he touched it. The suspect ran away".


Illinois: Legislature shoots down victim disarmament bills: "Illinois lawmakers Thursday mowed down a series of major gun-control bills favored by Gov. Blagojevich and Mayor Daley during a marathon day of legislative sausage-making. ... Facing today's deadline to pass bills, the House and Senate churned well into the evening Thursday, with the biggest news of the day involving the fate of the gun initiatives. By a 37-21 vote, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a National Rifle Association-backed package that would require purchasers at gun shows to undergo criminal background checks, force the State Police to destroy those background records after 90 days and scrap most local gun-control laws outside Chicago. That bill moves to the House, but its fate there appeared in doubt after House members rejected an identical NRA-backed bill by a 63-50 vote with 71 votes needed for passage."

Guns are the key to L.A.�s crime crisis: Mayoral candidates Villaraigosa and Hahn have both pledged to hire more police officers. Yet there is a more effective solution to LA�s crime that costs the public nothing. The winner of the May 17th election should direct Police Chief William Bratton or his successor, to issue a permit to carry a concealed weapon (CCW) to every eligible applicant. (Felons, children, drug addicts, the insane, etc. are ineligible by law. Furthermore, applicants must attend a gun safety class and pass marksmanship qualifications.) urrently, Chief Bratton routinely denies applications from people who are not celebrities and do not work for the government, regardless of how much these �ordinary citizens� need protection.... There is little to fear from CCW holders, since they tend to be among the most conscientious of citizens. Researcher David Kopel notes, �In Florida, where 315,000 permits have been issued, there are only five known instances of violent gun crime by a person with a permit.This makes a permit-holding Floridian the cream of the crop of law-abiding citizens... The time is now for Los Angeles residents to have the means for self-defense in public when their police cannot.


Ohio: Gun law marks its first year: "Friday was the first anniversary of the Ohio concealed handgun law, marking the end of a year that was significant because of two things that didn't happen. Ohio didn't return to Wild West shootout days as feared by some, and fewer people applied for licenses than proponents of the law had expected."


Michigan: CCW law may change after nearly four years: "It will be four years this summer since it became easier in Michigan to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Now some state lawmakers are considering changes. Some gun rights advocates want lawmakers to allow concealed weapons in public areas, such as schools, hospitals and churches, where firearms mostly are banned. Other possible changes include moving the permitting and application process from the counties to the Secretary of State's office and allowing permits to be renewed without turning in new fingerprints."

Smart kid: "A 13-year-old boy shot and wounded an armed intruder Thursday outside a north Medford home, prompting police to order lockdowns at four nearby schools while officers searched for the injured suspect. The wounded man ran from the scene of the 12:30 p.m. shooting and had not been located as of 10 p.m. Thursday, police said. The teen shooter told police that he was alone at his grandmother�s home in the 2200 block of Crater Lake Avenue when he looked outside and saw a man attempting to break into a travel trailer situated in the back yard. The boy confronted the intruder, who allegedly pointed a handgun at the teen, Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. The youth told police he ran inside a garage and armed himself with a handgun. He then went back outside and shot the intruder, who fled toward Crater Lake Avenue, Moran said."


Oregon: Gunfire breaks out during robbery: "You can see the bullet holes in siding and in windows, as well as chalk marks for the casings, left over from an early-morning gunfight between a group of armed suspects and the neighbor of a home they invaded. ... The neighbor, who doesn't want to be identified, says his wife woke him up when she heard a crash. He grabbed his gun. 'I was toward the end of the driveway. They were running out at the end of that driveway. It was just the street length across from him. He was shooting right at me, so my instinct was to shoot back.' After breaking down his front door, police say the armed men pistol whipped the owner and then took some of his licensed medical marijuana plants. Fortunately, neither the homeowner nor the neighbor was seriously injured."

Ohio: Advocate gets court date to challenge gun law: "Bruce Beatty got just what he wanted yesterday -- a court date. The Luckey, Ohio, resident held a party in Ottawa Park to challenge Toledo's prohibition on concealed weapons in parks. 'I'm totally prepared to go to court and fight it,' he said. Mr. Beatty contends that Toledo's prohibition violates Ohio's concealed-carry law, which went into effect April 8, 2004. The state law specifically prohibits concealed weapons from schools, government buildings, and places of worship, but does not mention parks."

Fat old lady fixes robber: "Janet Grammer decided in an instant: Thursday wasn't her day to die. So when a would-be robber burst into a Jacksonville convenience store shortly before 1 p.m. and fired two shots while demanding she clean out the cash register, the 64-year-old clerk and mother of 10 knew one thing. "I figured either I was going to have to pull the trigger or I'd be dead," said Grammer. So she did. Faking a moment's hesitation, Grammer reached under the counter for a .38 special and came up firing, her first shot hitting the man in the chest at point-blank range. The force knocked him down and jolted the gun from his hand, she said. As the man staggered for the door of Apple Gate Food Store at Wesconnett Boulevard and 105th Street, she fired two more rounds, police said. The suspect left a trail of blood before running into nearby woods.... A man fitting the robber's description went to the Orange Park Medical Center a short time after the robbery attempt as a police helicopter and canine units scoured the neighborhood for the robber. The man told doctors he shot himself. He was taken by helicopter to Shands Jacksonville, according to police, who did not identify the man but confirmed he was in custody. The incident would have been the store's third robbery in two weeks without Grammer's quick thinking, said store owner George Rubboz. "I'm telling you, she is the lady," he said. Grammer said she's handled guns before, during a 10-year stint as a security guard years ago in Charleston, S.C."


Illinois: Daley defeated: "Following the Illinois Supreme Court's lead, the Senate last night rejected Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's proposals to allow lawsuits against the gun industry. Another key measure to Daley's efforts to reduce violence on his city's streets -- limiting handgun purchases to one a month -- also failed 20-to-34. Both the House and Senate did approve proposals that would require criminal background checks of purchasers at shows as well as in gun shops. Daley -- who went to Springfield this year seeking that legislative action -- has sought tougher gun laws for years. But opponents say the measures Daley wanted would be used to harass dealers and drive them out of business".


Slip slidin' away "Leaders in the civilian disarmament movement ridicule the notion that gun control laws are intended to result in, uh, civilian disarmament. There is no 'slippery slope,' they say, and suggestions to the contrary are unfounded. ... In other words, the 'slippery slope' argument is a myth. There is no hidden agenda. There is no proof that success in some gun control measures leads to other attempts at restrictions. The whole argument is a fiction. If you believe in it, you're living in a paranoid world where you think people are trying to take away your rights.Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

Gun controllers hate women: "Gun controllers hate women. They know that personal firearms have the reputation as "the great equalizer," enabling women to defend themselves in life-threatening situations against assailants that are undoubtedly bigger and stronger than they are. It appears that at least a few have found a way around having to deal with this contradiction to their agenda: labeling any woman who wants effective self-defense as "sick" and "paranoid" and engaging in "the fantasy of killing a bad-guy, antisocial, murderous, rapist intruder." Welcome to the modern version of the old misogynistic rape advice, "just lay back and enjoy it" that is now being promoted by the anti-self-defense advocates. In an attempt to promote their agenda, they resort to minimizing the threat to women, telling us that "it's all in your imagination." Just how imaginary is it? According to crime statistics, about 1 in 4 women will be raped during her lifetime. Some small percentage of them will be murdered in the course of the rape. A larger percentage will experience attempted murder. Women on the average are about 30 pounds lighter than men. They have about 60% of the muscle mass, which means that not only are they smaller, but they have considerably less muscle mass per pound. Women have a serious strength disadvantage when dealing with just a single male assailant. So what can a gun controller offer to offset this disparity?"


Jeweller opens fire: "Emboldened by a successful robbery only last week, Anderson Lewis walked into a Penal jewelry store yesterday with his cutlass hoping for a bigger pay-off. He was shot three times by the jeweller and died at the scene. Lewis, of Alta Garcia Trace, Siparia, was identified three hours after his death by the man he robbed last Wednesday. The bungled robbery took place at around 3pm, in the Singer Building, High Street Penal, four buildings away from the Penal Police Station. The first floor of the building houses a hair dressing salon, dental lab, and Ramroop Jewellery Store. Lewis is said to have entered the jewelry store posing as a customer. The police were told that the store owner Wesley Ramroop attended to two other customers and escorted them out of the business. Lewis reportedly announced a hold up, grabbed jewelry and money before Ramroop returned. Lewis is said to have confronted Ramroop, demanding more money. Ramroop pulled his licensed handgun and began firing."


Store clerk shoots purse-snatcher: "According to police, Barbara Winters, 70, was opening her car door outside a Fort Lauderdale liquor store when Steven Wendal, 15, snatched her purse and took off. That's when the store clerk, Kingsly Brown, shot Wendal, police said. "I really was in shock. I commended him for using that kind of resolve to protect a customer," Winters said. "He deserves to be shot at. He is a kid. He is a stupid kid. Kids do stupid things. He deserves to be shot at." Wounded, Wendal raced a mile and a half through neighborhoods, knocking on doors for help. His trail of blood stopped on Kathleen Rouse's porch. "I didn't know what to think. I was shocked and he wanted me to take him to the hospital and I said, 'No, I will call 911.' And he said, 'It's going to take too long for them to get here,'" Rouse said. The 911 call led police to arrest Wendal. Although Wendal was not armed when Brown shot him, police said the clerk might not be charged. "We don't have a final say on that but we don't anticipate charges," Veda Coleman-Wright, of the Broward Sheriff's Office, said."

Arizona: We'll shut down the border with machine guns: "Eyewitness News 4 has learned an armed militia along the border near Douglas may take matters into its own hands this July. Casey Nethercott, the leader of the group said Friday that he doesn't yet want to go into detail on his plans. He supports the Minutemen, but his backup plan is a much more aggressive approach. .... 'When this Minuteman thing is over, if it doesn't work, we're going to come out here and close the border with machine guns,' Nethercott said."



Ohio: Area has many who carry guns: "These days you see the signs declaring several public buildings gun-free, but not outside John Rossington's.A blue-and-white sign is posted at the door with a drawing of a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and the words "Protected by 2nd Amendment Security."'It's everybody's right," said Rossington, the owner of Ohio Auto Parts on East Mansfield Street. "It says so in the Constitution."Rossingon got a permit because he wanted to take the required training course taught by friend and New Washington police officer Louis Katona III. He said the gun-free zones signs on some public buildings are "absurd.""If someone is carrying (a gun), do you think they'd admit it?" Rossington said.He said he didn't mind people coming into his business with a gun, as long as they have no intent to harm anyone without cause."



Oregon: Bill lets school districts disarm victims "Facing long odds, the Legislature's leading gun-control advocate is setting her sights low in this year's session. But Sen. Ginny Burdick hopes lawmakers will at least take a new step toward keeping all guns out of schools. The Portland Democrat says she hopes to soon push for a vote in the Senate on a bill that would allow local school districts to prohibit holders of concealed-weapons permits from taking firearms into schools. 'I think the public strongly supports this measure,' Burdick said in an interview last week. Oregon is one of 13 states that don't bar all guns from schools."

Armed teachers can save childrens' lives: "We have just lived through another horrendous school shooting. Sadly, the residents of Red Lake, Minnesota have found themselves in the same unenviable position as those in Littleton, Springfield and Erfort, Germany. ... I would suggest that we do one simple thing: Remove the restrictions that prohibit Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders from carrying their personal firearms while on school property. This is a deceptively simple act. Nothing more or less is needed to increase exponentially the safety of our schools."


Safety first: It's for the children: "As a concealed permit holder, I believe that proper respect for the firearm at all times is essential. It is the responsibility of ALL gun owners to exercise caution and obey all safety rules at all times. I believe that these safety rules should be instilled in all family members who have guns in their homes AND in children who may come across guns in someone else's home. I strongly encourage proper gun safety education for children."


North Carolina: Resident shoots masked intruder: "A man shot an armed intruder at his east Charlotte home Saturday night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said, sending the masked man to the hospital. A man wearing a bandana on his face entered a home in the 6300 block of Montego Drive near The Plaza through an unlocked door about 11:30 p.m., said Capt. Earl Mathis. Three adults and two children were home at the time, Mathis said. The suspect followed one of the residents into a bedroom to get money. The resident shot the intruder multiple times, Mathis said. The intruder, whose identity police did not release, was rushed to a hospital for surgery. He was expected to recover."

Arizona: ASU to step up irrelevant weapons ban after fatal shooting: "Arizona State University will step up enforcement of its campus weapons ban and set up a committee to better investigate code of conduct violations in the wake of last weekend's fatal shooting involving a football player..... Wade, 21, has been jailed without bond since Saturday when he was arrested in the shooting death of former ASU football player Brandon Falkner, 25, outside a Scottsdale nightspot. .... The university already bans the possession of weapons on campus, but Crow said the revised weapons policy will require students and employees to inform the ASU Department of Public Safety of any violations of the weapons policy. Failure to do so will result in sanctions under existing employment and student policies.Crow also said that any student or employee making a threat of violence, if that threat is verified, will be sent for mental health assessment and may be removed from campus and all programs."



Missouri: Police say killing was self-defense: "A robbery attempt in a house in the 5300 block of Maple Avenue early Wednesday turned into a wild fight that ended up with all three participants shot, one of them fatally, St. Louis homicide detectives said. Darryl Blockton, 21, was slashed with a butcher knife and fatally shot after he had shot and wounded Jerelle Gatlin, 31, and Gatlin's girlfriend, Twanna McNeil, 27, with a shotgun blast, police said. ... Detectives said Gatlin fired several shots at Blockton during a struggle over a shotgun and pistol, and McNeil also fired a couple of shots at Blockton and slashed him with a butcher knife. No criminal charges will be brought against the couple because Blockton was the aggressor and the couple acted in self-defense."


Not everyone has a blast with gun use: "Last Friday was the second installment of 'Blow Away Your Stress,' an activity open to all students who wish to blow off steam by firing guns at targets. ... Although I strongly support the right to bare [sic] arms, using AK-74s as a means of leisure is a little disconcerting. I prefer to think of guns as a means of self-defense rather than emotional release. Still, knowing how to fire a gun isn't a worthless talent. Learning how to load and fire a gun may just be more relevant in our lives than studying about, say, Polish cinema or Italian architecture. Students at Webster get a broad liberal arts background, but one of Webster's tenets is 'real world experience.' Nothing is quite so matter-of-fact as knowing how to take aim and fire. Perhaps all students could benefit from taking time away from their studies of formal logic and learning how to protect themselves."

An aggressive home invader escapes with his life (undeservedly): "A Hempfield man shot an intruder who invaded his home early Saturday, state police at Greensburg said. The unidentified homeowner fired two warning shots before shooting Gregory R. Powell, 43, of Greensburg in the legs, police said. The unidentified family --- a 37-year-old male, a 33-year-old female and 5-year-old and 8-year-old girls --- were not hurt in the 3 a.m. home invasion, Trooper Jared Slater said in a press release issued 13 hours after the incident. Powell allegedly broke into the residence by using an iron fireplace poker and his fists to break out a pane of door glass. The family called police. The homeowner, armed with a handgun, warned Powell not to enter the residence. According to police, Powell entered and charged at the man, who then fired two warning shots. After Powell continued to "menace" the man, he was shot in the legs, according to police. Police said Powell then broke out another pane of door glass and escaped from the house. He was arrested at the scene"


Desperate Brits: "After a neighbour was robbed and beaten at home, a Sussex businessman decided to take crime prevention into his own hands. The wealthy, self-employed father of two bought a stun gun during a working trip to France, which he sent in the post to his home close to Brighton. Customs officers say that they have seen a six-fold increase in the number of stun guns being seized at ports and airports. Last year, Customs intercepted 672 stun guns, which can paralyse victims with a 50,000-volt shock. Those found carrying the weapons all told officers that they wanted them for their own protection. A Scotland Yard investigation into a French company selling arms on the internet found that many of its British customers were not underworld figures but respectable mortgage-payers from the shires. Raids on customers� addresses took officers to stockbroker belts, gated private estates and properties costing several millions. The weaponry seized included shotguns, ammunition and automatic pistols. A number of the weapons� owners are still under police caution while prosecutors consider their next move".


Women of Hawaii should be allowed to carry firearms: "Honolulu police report an 18-year-old woman was kidnapped and gang raped by five men on Monday, March 28, 2005, at about 9 p.m. near the University of Hawaii. ... No one deserves to suffer that kind of attack. Everyone deserves the right to protect themselves. That right was ensured by America's founding fathers, who made the right to bear arms the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution, following only the right to free speech and religion. So why is it that in Hawaii, as a law-abiding citizen, I cannot carry a firearm with me to protect myself and my family?"

THE NEW GUN-RIGHTS DEBATE

With more than four out of five states allowing law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons, that argument is finished. Now, the nation's long-running argument over guns turns on how much to loosen the rules - should guns be allowed in judge's chambers? Bars? In workplace parking lots? The work in state legislatures following the latest spate of fatal shootings shows how much the debate has changed. The 1999 Columbine school shootings sent moms marching into the streets for tougher gun laws, but this year, many state legislators are looking at ways to broaden access to weapons and ease training and other requirements.

The push for concealed weapons began in the late 1980s, when all but 10 states refused to allow residents to do so, or only allowed it in special circumstances. But starting in 1989, those barriers fell. Now it's up to 46, with 35 states allowing just about anyone who is not a felon to get a permit. The late 1990s saw a rise in gun control legislation. In 1999, after 15 were killed, including the gunmen, at the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, gun control gained a sharp edge and legislators' attention.

Violence hasn't subsided this year, from courthouse shootings in Atlanta and Tyler, Texas, to the school killings at Red Lake, Minn., the most deadly since Columbine. But the reaction has spurred something far different, drawing on the idea that if the victims had weapons they might not be victims. "At the scene of these crimes, despite all the good intentions of the police, the prosecutors, the courts, the judges - they're all coming in later," said Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association. "The country as a whole is taking another look, across the board, at the idea that maybe it makes good sense to allow people to protect themselves in as many situations as possible." Current legislation in some cases is a direct response to the recent shootings, though often predates it. In recent weeks:

-Florida legislators passed a measure allowing people to "meet force with force" to defend themselves without fear of prosecution, extending the right from their homes to anywhere they're legally allowed to be. Gov. Jeb Bush said he intends to sign it.

-Arizona's Senate approved letting people carry guns into bars and restaurants, as long as they're not drinking. The House has yet to act.

-North Dakota legislators approved removing the shooting test needed for a concealed-weapon permit, though the bill awaits final approval from the governor.

Even schools and workplaces, the scene of some of the most horrific violence, saw restrictions fall. A new Virginia law lets people with concealed handguns onto school grounds, as long as they and the gun remain in their car. A 2004 Oklahoma law lets employees with permits keep guns in cars in job parking lots.

Anderson, in New Mexico, said restrictions are outlawing the way he grew up, when he learned about guns before he was a teenager. In his view, restrictions make crime more likely, and his view seems on the rise. "There should be the possibility that any house on the street should have a weapon," he said. "Do I think every house should have one? No. But the bad guy should think so."

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Wisconsin: Victim not charged: "A man visiting from Arkansas will not face any criminal charges for killing a Racine man in self-defense. The 64-year-old has been released from jail. Police said a group of young people tried to rob the man at a gas station on 12th and North Sunday morning. They began beating the man with his cane, police said. That's when the Arkansas man grabbed his gun and shot 20-year-old Kendall Moss."



ATF hysteria over museum: "[Marcellus] Area residents want federal authorities to return a 1918 German .50 caliber machine gun to the local VFW Post's war museum after it was taken during a search earlier this year. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms took the Maxim machine gun as part of a broader investigation into the person who donated the weapon to the post, the Three Rivers Commercial-News reported. Museum curator and Vietnam veteran Wilber Breseman was outraged by the Feb. 23 search. ... Four ATF agents and one state trooper arrived at the post with a search warrant for concealed weapons. Mark Hady, the ATF's resident agent in charge, said the donor was under investigation for illegally dealing in firearms."