TX: Hispanic thugs shot at and arrested: "Three men have been arrested in connection with a northeast El Paso shooting. Police say these three, along with a man who has not been identified were threatening people at a restaurant on Dyer. That's when one of the men they allegedly threatened pulled a gun and shot the unidentified man in the face. The shooter has not been arrested, police won't say if that's because he acted in self defense. No word on the man's condition."


Gun Review: Mosin-Nagant: "With our editor’s continued blessing, I’ll be presenting reviews and profiles of exceptionally affordable yet dependable firearms. Aesthetically-challenged guns that will never command a collector’s premium. Guns that were often made by the tens of millions, in countries that either no longer exist or whose names cannot be pronounced by Western tongues. Guns that attract sneers and looking-down-the-nose condescension from the bespoke shotgun crowd at your shooting range. Guns, in other words, for Cheap Bastards. Or, in this case, paranoid cheap bastards.”


Chicago’s restrictive gun laws rarely enforced: "Mayor Richard M. Daley has long insisted that the city’s restrictive gun laws — including the handgun ban that was essentially nullified recently by the United States Supreme Court — have been a key crime-fighting tool. But court records show that relatively few people were convicted of violating the laws, and even top city officials have questioned how useful they are in deterring crime.”


TX: Rangers to investigate whether man shot deputy in self-defense: "Saturday night, Bandera County sheriff deputies shot and killed 57-year-old William Caviness in his home just moments after he shot at one of their fellow deputies. The deputy’s bullet-proof vest saved his life. Texas Rangers will have to figure out whether these deputies identified themselves when they went to Caviness’ home to serve a search warrant. His wife, who was inside the home at the time, said the deputies did not. ‘Let it be known that my husband was defending our home against what we thought were intruders, and that’s the truth,’ said Pamela Caviness, William Caviness’ widow.”

CA: Store owner fatally shoots burglary suspect: "A suspected burglar was fatally shot early Wednesday after a confrontation with a Lancaster store owner, officials said. The suspected burglar, identified as Robert Summers, 28, of Lancaster, was mortally wounded about 3:30 a.m. by the unidentified owner of a store in the 200 block of East Avenue K-8, officials said. Another suspect with Summers managed to escape. "The owner fired a handgun at the suspects, hitting one and possibly wounding the second," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement."


MN: Innocent verdict for brandisher: "It was a long wait, but it had a good outcome for a Marshall man accused of assault and terroristic threat charges. After more than five hours of deliberation, a jury found Berlon Curry of Marshall innocent of charges of second degree assault-liability for crimes of another and second degree terroristic threats-liability for crimes of another. Curry was found guilty of possession of a handgun without a permit, a misdemeanor charge. Curry had pleaded innocent to all three of the charges, which came as the result of a shooting incident in the parking lot of a Marshall apartment complex in March 2009. During Friday's portion of the trial, Curry's defense had argued that Curry did show a gun to another person in an attempt to scare him, but in self-defense after being assaulted."


La.: Teen robber shot: "The man told detectives that he was attempting to buy marijuana when Robertson flagged him down, got into the car and pointed his gun. The driver grabbed the gun and in the struggle, he was shot in the calf and Robertson was hit in the calf and thigh, authorities said. Robertson exited the vehicle and fled. The driver left the scene and initially didn't seek treatment for his wound. Robertson was arrested Thursday and booked with attempted first degree murder and attempted armed robbery. He is being held in the Sherman Walker Correctional Center on a $350,000 bond."


MO: Crazy guy fatally shot at convenience store: "A man was fatally shot Friday night after he allegedly started a disturbance at a south Kansas City convenience store. It was the second incident of violence this week at the Shell station at 5501 Bannister Road. Officers found the victim, thought to be in his 20s, lying in the parking lot with a gunshot wound, Graves said. His name was not released. Brennan Hudlemeyer said she had just stopped in the store to buy cigarettes and tea when the victim came in and started “acting crazy.” He said he was trying to get some change, started throwing things and demanded to know why he wasn’t allowed in the store, Hudlemeyer said."

AZ: Man justified in shooting thief: "​Gilbert resident Stefan Selvy was justified in shooting a man who had tried to rob him of some beer, police said on Thursday. Selvy, 21, spent a tense week on the legal hot seat after the August 26 shooting behind a Circle K that left 36-year-old Bobby Baughman, also of Gilbert, dead. Police arrested Selvy at the scene, booked him into jail and said -- initially -- that it might be 2nd-degree murder. After a "thorough review of all evidence," Gilbert police have exonerated Selvy, saying he was justified under Arizona law in plugging Baughman. The Maricopa County Attorney's office will have the final say, but a prosecution seems very unlikely if the police won't back up the case." [This updates an earlier post on this blog of Aug. 28]


TX: Woman fires at robbers in Walmart parking lot: "The woman had been shopping at Walmart and was getting back into her car when a man pushed a pistol to her stomach and took her purse. The Santa Fe-area resident, who has a concealed handgun license, reached into the center console of her car and pulled out a revolver, police said. The armed robber backed away and jumped into a waiting SUV that sped off. La Marque police Detective Danielle Herman said the woman managed to fire five shots, hitting the SUV’s tailgate at least once. At least one other person was in the SUV, but police did not have a description of the getaway driver, Herman said. The armed man was described as Hispanic, 25 to 35 years old"


CA: Shootout in drugstore: "The victims were behind the pharmacy counter about 12:30 p.m. when two individuals came in, one of them armed, and demanded drugs, said Sgt. Tim Curran with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. At that point, a male employee pulled out a semi-automatic handgun. It was unclear who fired first, but there were multiple shots as the would-be robbers fled, returning fire at the store's employees, said Curran. "After the gunfire, the suspects ran from the store, they were chased by the store employee," Curran said. "They ran off in opposite directions and it's unknown what happened to them." Employee Tania Guskaya, 27, was shot in the chest and was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later."




PA: Bouncer, 2 Women shot after bouncers attack bar patron: "A man accused of opening fire and hitting a bouncer and two women outside The Town Tavern on the South Side last weekend was ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing Thursday. Defense attorney Bill Bishop said Morgan [above] is licensed to carry a gun and only fired it in self-defense at closing time early Sunday morning on East Carson Street. "Had a drink and didn't finish the drink when the bouncers accosted them, used a lot of vulgar language and shoved them out the front door, then came out of the bar, punched Mr. Morgan in the face, causing his tooth to bleed -- actually, his tooth to go through his front lip," Bishop said. The bouncer who was shot -- Mark Ferguson -- walked with a cane as he arrived at Morgan's hearing at Municipal Court downtown. He declined to comment" [More here]

AL: Pistol-packing grandmother shoots intruder in bedroom: "A pistol-packing grandmother in Decatur hopes intruders will think twice before messing with her again. Police say 69-year-old Ethel Jones shot 18-year-old Michael O’Neal Bynum in the abdomen when she said she found him inside her bedroom. Bynum lived less than 200 yards from Jones, but she said she didn’t know him. … Jones said she sleeps with her gun under a pillow next to her. She said she was going to the bathroom shortly before 3 a.m. Monday when she thought she heard someone at her back door and then her front door. She grabbed her gun as a precaution and came out of the bathroom to find someone in her bedroom with a pen light. ‘I shot three times, and he ran away bleeding,’ she said.”


MO: Clerk Pulls Gun, Scares Off Would-Be Robbers: "A gas station clerk scared off two would-be robbers early Wednesday morning when he pulled a gun of his own, police said. Police said two men walked into the Shell gas station on Bannister Road near Interstate 435 about 6 a.m., pulled guns on the clerk and demanded money. Authorities said the clerk turned the tables on the robbers and pulled his own gun. The clerk then chased the two out of the store and fired at them as they drove away. The clerk told police that he shot out a window of the car as the men drove off. The clerk was not hurt and neither were any of the customers. Police said one or both of the suspects could have been shot. Authorities said the clerk likely will not face charges, saying he acted in self defense."


FL: Lawyer challenges “no guns in parks” ordinance: "There is a growing debate over your second amendment right — your right to bear arms — and whether you should be allowed to carry a gun in a county park. According to the county’s ordinance books, the answer is no. But a local attorney says the books are wrong. … Signs posted at some Lee County parks say ‘no guns inside the park’ and there’s an ordinance to back it up. Lee County Commissioners passed the ordinance in 2006. Even if you have a permit for the gun, the ordinance says that they are prohibited in all county parks. Fort Myers attorney Patrick Buckley says not only is the ordinance against your constitutional right, but he says it’s also against state law.”


SAF files amicus brief in Nordyke case arguing for strict scrutiny: "The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an amicus curiae brief in the long-running Nordyke v. King case in California, arguing that Second Amendment issues must be decided on a ’strict scrutiny’ basis, and that an ordinance in Alameda County banning gun shows at the county fairgrounds is unconstitutional because it would not withstand that standard of review.”

AR: Pharmacist Says He Shot Suspect In Self-Defense: "Fenwick says he feared not only for his life but for the employees he cares about. "He told us he was just here to check the store out and this is him here pulling the gun out of his pocket," Fenwick said pointing to his computer monitor. "He's going to wave it at Michelle, Trey and Judy right here and tells them to go to the back." Police say the man in the video is 50-year-old Timothy Friedman--a parolee from Minnesota who now faces charges in LeFlore and Latimer counties in Oklahoma. The suspect demands narcotics from the employees. Owner Jeff Fenwick is in the back on the phone when an employee comes back to tell him what is going on. The man heads for the door and Fenwick draws his gun. "As soon as he slowed down and made a turn…I don't know what he saw," Fenwick questioned. "I thought, 'I got to take care of myself and the people that work here at National Pharmacy'. So I shot him."


PA: Armed Businessman Fires at Would-Be Robbers: "Joel Salame, 30, and Dionicio Torres, 24, were arrested after allegedly fleeing Abreu’s notary shop Monday. Though Salame and Torres are only charged with one robbery, police expect to charge the two men with at least eight robberies. Abreu was tipped off that the men were surveying his business in order to rob it when they walked in Friday wearing glasses with no lenses, wigs and matching uniforms, he told the Reading Eagle. On Monday the two men came back to the shop. One stayed outside while the other entered the store through two unlocked doors and pointed a handgun at Abreu. Abreu fired his .38-caliber revolver at the man but missed, shooting the wall. Witnesses pointed to where the men ran and police arrested Salame and Torres soon after."


CA: Senate rejects open-carry gun ban: "The California Senate rejected a bill Monday that would have made it illegal to carry unloaded guns in public, but lawmakers will give the vote one more try. Monday’s 20-16 vote fell one short of the majority needed, but the Senate will reconsider the measure Tuesday. The bill, AB1934, was introduced after a series of demonstrations by gun-rights organizations during which they encouraged participants to openly carry unloaded weapons. California law lets gun owners carry a rifle or handgun in a holster if it is not loaded.”


War against ammunition heats up: "The movement against lead in ammunition has progressed much farther in Europe than here. For one thing, the culture prevalent in Europe (Switzerland being a notable exception) considers firearms ownership a privilege rather than a right; subject to easy and frequent government control. The environmental and animal rights movement is also well-entrenched throughout Europe and within the European Union bureaucracy.”

OK: Pharmacy robber shot and subsequently caught: "Fort Smith police believe the man responsible for an armed robbery at the National Family Pharmacy has been caught. Police said a man wearing a black, green and white shirt walked into the pharmacy with a gun and ordered employees to fill a bag with prescription pills. Cpl. Steven Dooly said as the man walked out of the store, the owner fired a shot hitting the man. At about 4:40 p.m. Dooly said sheriff's deputies in Latimer County, Okla., had a man in custody matching the description of the Fort Smith robber.Dooly said the man was wearing clothing similar to the man caught on video, matched the physical description and was complaining of a gun shot wound consistent with the pharmacy shooting."


AK: Robbers shot, one dead: "Anchorage police have identified the man shot during a late-night weekend robbery attempt in Spenard. Robert Kost of Anchorage, 23, was killed just past midnight Sunday at the 800 block of West 23rd Avenue. Another suspect was injured during the incident, and police say an investigation is in its early phases. Police say there were multiple shell casings found on the floor. “They demanded something they demanded money and valuables and other items of this nature,” said APD Sgt. Slawomir Markiewicz. “We know that several people came in. One was shot and killed. We are still looking for other people who came with him.” Officials say that officers arrived and found Kost already dead, lying just below the stairs of the building. Detectives are investigating whether his shooting was self-defense."


FL: 3 cleared in shooting: "Miami-Dade prosecutors on Monday dropped felony murder charges against three men involved in what police said was a botched robbery and double killing at a West Miami-Dade Shell gas station in 2008. Carlton Williams, 22; Norris Smith, 22, and Henry Richardson, 19, were cleared in the slayings of brothers Dion and Danzel Coppett. On March 28, 2008, the three defendants and the Coppetts had just left the Miami-Dade County Fair when they got into a fender bender with a Cadillac Escalade at the station, 10690 SW Eighth St. The five confronted the three men and one woman in the Escalade. Dion Coppett pulled a gun and he and his brother tried robbing them of jewelry, according to a close-out memo released by prosecutors on Monday. That's when Franswai Jones, who had a concealed weapons permit and was acting in self-defense, pulled a gun and shot the brothers dead. Jones also shot and gravely wounded Richardson, prosecutors said."


Have law-abiding citizens lost their constitutional rights?: "After carrying a duly licensed weapons permit for five years, I was notified that a renewal application was required. To make a long story short, I was denied my renewal based upon a conviction for ‘drag racing’ in 1968. From April 1995 until April 3, 2000, I was legally licensed to carry a firearm.”

CA: Hilton’s boyfriend pulled gun on knife-wielding home intruder: "Vegas nightlife impresario Cy Waits, 34, pulled a gun on an armed intruder at [Paris] Hilton’s Los Angeles home early Tuesday, a law enforcement source told the Daily News. Waits forced the trespasser, Nathan Parada, 31, to drop two knives and lay down on his stomach until cops arrived a few minutes later.”


British police arrest man for firing warning shots near trespassers: "Landowner Christopher Bayfield, 40, was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences after the father of a five-year-old boy called the police. Mr Bayfield is believed to have taken his gun, that he apparently uses for shooting pigeon, to investigate suspicious noises heard near his five-bedroom home. Upon discovering the children, he allegedly fired a shot up in the air and warned them to leave. A police spokeswoman confirmed Mr Bayfield's arrest, saying: 'We were called at 6pm on Thursday evening by a man who said his five-year-old son had walked on private land. 'We have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of firearms offences. This man has now been bailed and no charges have been made.' [More background here]

U.S. Virgin Is.: Robbers flee after being shot at: "Three men in dark clothing, armed with a handgun and a stun gun, robbed a man in Smith Bay at 1 a.m. Friday, police said. The attackers shocked a man in the neck with the stun gun as he arrived at a Smith Bay home, police spokeswoman Kishma Harrigan said. A witness to the crime had a gun and fired shots at the robbers, and the men fired back before fleeing, Harrigan said. Harrigan said she did not know exactly where the incident occurred. The man shocked by the stun gun did not seek medical treatment, she said. Schneider Hospital spokesman Sam Topp said that no one was treated for a gunshot wound in connection with the incident."




PA: Alleged teen robber shot by Wal-Mart shopper: "Police say Joshua Eastman, 28, of East Stroudsburg was unloading groceries at his car shortly before 12:45 a.m. today when Reneau Jean Jacques [above], 17, of 77 Symphony Circle, East Stroudsburg, pointed a handgun at him and demanded that he hand over his money. Eastman replied that he did not have any money - that he used a debit card to pay for his purchases. Jacques became more threatening, pointing the gun and using a more menacing tone of voice. Eastman dropped his wallet and started ducking down. Jacques fired a shot that went through the window of the door almost striking Eastman and causing flying glass from the car window to cut his face. Eastman pulled out a handgun he was carrying and fell to the ground. He returned fire under the truck's door with his pistol while the teen continued to fire his weapon. Eastman shot Jacques in the lower leg and foot."


Man let off over self-defense belief: "A drug dealer called an Arnold man last April, got into an argument with him about his daughter and threatened to kill his family, according to prosecutors. A few minutes later, a county sheriff's deputy driving an unmarked SUV coincidentally drove up to the house, parked outside and prepared to serve a warrant on the daughter, a 21-year-old heroin addict. Fearing the man outside was the same man who had just threatened him, Rodney Divine, 61, of 987 Shore Acres Road, walked outside with a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, crossed his front yard and opened fire on the deputy. No one was injured in the April 11 attack on Sgt. Carl Schanberger. Even though the charge carried a possible sentence of 30 years in prison, Hackner handed down a five-year suspended sentence and placed Divine on five years' unsupervised probation."


EPA denies bid to ban lead in hunting ammunition: "The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday denied a petition by five environmental groups to ban lead in hunting ammunition, saying the issue is not within the agency's jurisdiction. The EPA said it did not have the authority to enact the ban, aimed at protecting wildlife, under the Toxic Substances Control Act, as the groups had requested. But the agency said it's still reviewing another part of the petition, to ban lead fishing sinkers. "EPA is taking action on many fronts to address major sources of lead in our society such as eliminating childhood exposure to lead," Steve Owens, the agency's assistant administrator for chemical safety and pollution prevention said in a statement. But he said the agency "was not and is not considering taking action on whether the lead content in hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife."

AZ: Robber shot. Victim charged: "One man is dead and another man has been arrested following a robbery and an altercation in Gilbert Thursday night. It happened at a Circle K near Rittenhouse and Power Rds about 7 p.m. Thursday. 21-year-old Stefen Selvy had just purchased alcohol when 36-year-old Bobby Baughman robbed him in the parking lot, according to police. During the robbery, Baughman hit Selvy in the head with a wrench, and Selvy retaliated by getting a gun out of his vehicle and allegedly shooting Baughman. Baughman was killed. Selvy was arrested at the scene and booked on charges of second degree murder. Gilbert Police detectives are investigating the circumstances leading up until the shooting".


OH: Former inmate killed during robbery: "A Cleveland man turned the tables on four robbers late Thursday, grabbing one of their guns and shooting one of the suspects dead. The Cuyahoga County Coroner's office identified the dead man as Terrance Manning, 20, of nearby Central Avenue. He died shortly after midnight Friday at MetroHealth Medical Center. Manning was released from prison on Aug. 21 after serving two years on robbery and weapons charges. Police spokesman Sgt. Sammy Morris declined to release the name of the shooter for fear of reprisal. "As far as we can tell, this was just a man going to his apartment," Morris said. "He lives in the apartment with his family." "As one of the suspects attempted to unlock the apartment door, he switched the gun from one hand to the other," said Morris in a news release. "At this time, the victim grabbed the gun, and a struggle ensued between the victim and two of the suspects."


Ohio bill negates business gun ban: "Ohio businesses no longer could stop employees with concealed-carry licenses from bringing their guns onto the premises under a House bill that is backed by a bipartisan mix of 31 co-sponsors. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Uecker, R-Loveland, proposes allowing a licensee to store his or her gun in a locked car while it is parked on an employer's lot. Current law gives businesses the ability to ban guns from any part of company grounds. "Employees should not be discriminated against just because they choose to exercise their Second Amendment right," Uecker said. "This legislation will prevent intrusive company policies on personal freedoms and possible dismissal simply based on the merit that management does not agree with the individual's right." Uecker said 13 other states have similar laws."


CA: BB toting woman ordered to serve sentence: "A federal judge Tuesday refused to delay a jail sentence any longer for a Santa Cruz Mountains woman who has been fighting to overturn her misdemeanor gun-brandishing conviction with an argument that her Second Amendment rights have been violated. In a nine-page order, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton found that Stanford-educated medical doctor Barbara Saldinger is unlikely to prevail in her legal battle and that she should begin serving her 60-day jail sentence immediately.”

NC: Clerk wounds robber: "In one of the robberies, the store clerk returned fire despite his wounds, possibly pocking the side of one of two getaway cars with bullets. Deputies arrested Keith Mason, 17, and Kwame Bellamy, 19, both of Raleigh. The two teens are being held in the Johnston County jail with bail set at $500,000. Bellamy was injured in the exchange of gunfire with one of the store clerks, Amaon said. Both Shop-N-Go clerks, ages 18 and 62, were taken to WakeMed Raleigh Campus with injuries that were not life-threatening, Amaon said. Authorities identified the clerks as Herith Alkiefy, 18, and Wesley Davis, 62.... About 20 minutes later at the Shop-N-Go at 13597 Highway 39, which is about eight miles away near Zebulon, the pair came in with a gun and held up the clerk there, Amaon said. The clerk also was shot, she said, but exchanged gunfire with the robbers, wounding Bellamy."


MO: Home invader shot: "An ongoing dispute between two men turned violent overnight. Police are trying to determine if the shooting is a case of self defense. It happened in the 4000 block of Maffitt around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. A woman called police and said a man was trying to get into the home. He reportedly had taken off a screen and broken a window. A male inside the home confronted the alleged burglar outside the house and was able to get a gun away from the man and shot him. The 30-year-old shooting victim ran across the street and collapsed on the sidewalk. He was later pronounced dead. Homicide detectives were called to the scene to investigate. It's too early to determine if charges will be filed. This could be a case of self defense."


WV: Lawyer urges easing of gun prohibitions: "A Raleigh County attorney and gun rights advocate says he may be able to help restore the right to own guns to those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. His efforts don’t sit well with the leader of a local domestic violence awareness group, however.Under federal and state law, a person convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor domestic violence crime is prohibited from owning a gun. Jim Mullins, a lawyer in Beckley, has been running ads in local newspapers offering to help domestic violence offenders overcome that law. Under the law, it is possible to petition the court to restore the right to own guns, although it isn’t easy.”


HR 45 dead but gun registry looms: "Due to your grassroots activism, we’re happy to report that the momentum behind H.R. 45 has disappeared. Capitol Hill insiders are highly doubtful that H.R. 45 will even get a committee hearing before the election. … While this is certainly good news — and a fine example of the power of grassroots activism — a far more onerous prospect could be just around the corner.”

TX: Robber shot in drug deal: "Johnny Garza, 35, was found dead with two gunshot wounds to his back and head around 2 p.m. inside a residence in the 1000 block of Lamar Street, according to a police report. Police discovered Garza after they spoke to man at a convenience store in the 2500 block of East Houston Street, just wearing boxer briefs, who told them he had been stabbed at the home after going there to sell some marijuana, the report said. The man, who had cuts on his arms, hands and side, told police Garza took out a knife and attempted to rob him, that he tried to grab the knife and that Garza took out a gun, the report said.. The injured man said he took the weapon away from Garza and fired multiple shots. Police said the shooter has not been charged but that officers are still investigating the incident."


AL: Would-be shooter shot: "The Andalusia Police Department has interviewed the suspect in a shooting that occurred early Friday afternoon, but doesn’t plan to press charges. Thomas Ridgeway was airlifted from Andalusia Regional Hospital, where he was taken for treatment of gunshot wounds to the chest. Chief Wilbur Williams said the investigation revealed that Ridgeway went to a home on Murphree Stree in the West Haven apartment complex where he an Terrell Curry “had words.” Ridgeway allegedly went to his vehicle and returned to the apartment with a gun. Williams said it is believe the gun discharged in a tussle over it. Ridgeway drove himself to the hospital."


GA: Wife shoots husband in dispute: "A man suffered a severe gunshot wound Tuesday morning at a Windsor Forest home, and police believe his wife fired the weapon, according to Savannah-Chatham police. His wife, a soldier in the Army, also somehow was wounded and is believed to be the shooter. She was found nearby, said Gena Moore, metro police spokeswoman. Moore added the woman had run to get help. Although she was confirmed as the shooter, investigators have not determined her to be a suspect, Moore said. Both the man and woman were taken to area hospitals. The man suffered life-threatening injuries"


More candidates hunting votes with guns: "Jesse Kelly, a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, is wielding an assault rifle in his political ads. Russ Carnahan, a Democratic congressman from Missouri, is pictured in a home state newspaper pointing a pistol at a target. … So far, 2010 ‘has been a big year for guns in political ads,’ says Darrell West, director of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.Well, it is a scary world. And voters are looking for can-do leaders who can solve complex problems easily. But there is the question of whether a parade of politicians pictured with guns makes us feel safer, or even more frightened.”

Guns can save a lot of trouble: "There are numerous ways to communicate from one vessel to another when at sea: maritime radio, lights flashing Morris code, semaphore flags, flaghoist signals, and gale pennants and hurricane flags. But when facing down a Johnny boat full of pirates motoring through light chop toward our stern, the Captain improvised his own communication. He snatched the shotgun from my hands and held it over his head like a victorious minuteman. After the pirates got a good look, he grabbed the weapon by the forearm, again with one hand, and pumped a round into the chamber with a flick of his arm. Without aiming, he discharged a single shell from his hip over their heads. Without deliberation, the pirates veered away.”


TX: Bank allows customers to carry: "A bank in Chappell Hill is taking the second amendment out of the vault by letting their customers carry guns inside. At first glance, you might not notice anything unusual about the Washington County bank, but take a closer look. ‘If you’ve got a handgun carry license I don’t have any problem at all and I encourage you to bring it in the bank,’ Chappell Hill Bank President Edward Smith said. Chappell Hill Bank is one of the oldest banks in Texas, and it’s also one of the first banks to encourage the right to bear arms. ‘I’ve been looking at what’s been happening in this country; lawlessness, and we’ve been robbed several times, so I changed it to reinforce the second amendment,’ Smith said.”


Embracing the gun; States loosen laws on open and concealed weapons: "In the red rock and sand of the Arizona desert, just past the retirement villages … that have made this sun-worshipping city famous, sits the biggest public shooting range in the United States. … Residents have the right to carry handguns openly, and starting last month residents … also are able to carry concealed weapons just about anywhere, without the bother of getting a permit. The full embrace of firearms is just as fervent to the north in Montana, where nearly two-thirds of all households have firearms. Montanans feel so strongly about their right to own guns … that lawmakers passed a measure last year that challenges the federal government’s authority to regulate guns made and kept in their state.”


Canadian cops want gun registry scrapped: "A national survey conducted by an Edmonton police officer reveals that 92 percent of police officers in Canada want Members of Parliament to vote in favour of scrapping the long-gun registry in September. Constable Randy Kuntz, a 22-year veteran with Edmonton Police Services (EPS), says the survey he conducted last year should be embraced by M.P.s when they vote on Bill C-391 that advocates dispatching the registry. "The CACP is not some mindless group of misguided men and women who strive to oppress," says Kuntz. "There are many things they do very well as a unit. They simply have this one matter very wrong. The idea that the firearms registry is necessary and useful is wrong. They claim that they speak for all police officers on this matter. I think I have shown that they don't."

KY: Shot man threatened group, had weapon: "Alice and David Morris said Charles Pearl stopped his vehicle and approached their picnic table, swinging a tire iron in his hand. "He said, 'Which one of you hos wants your head knocked off first?' So everybody jumped up and I said, 'Hey buddy, come on, I don't know what your problem is but we don't need this around here,'" shooter David Morris said. Morris said he told Pearl to leave, but Pearl yelled profanities at him. When Morris came back, Pearl was still there, and Morris said Pearl approached him. "I came down with a clip in this hand and gun in the back. I laid it down, like that. He said, 'That doesn't scare me. I said, 'No, this will.' And bam. That's all I done," Morris said. Police interviewed more witnesses Monday, but no arrests have been made."


NY: Intruder shot by 80-year-old man during apparent break-in: "Stephen Boyechko had been napping with his wife, Pauline, when he was awakened by the sound of someone breaking into his home through a bathroom window, police said. Stephen Boyechko picked up his handgun, which Albright said he legally owns, and confronted the intruder. The suspect, who has not been identified by authorities, moved toward Boyechko and was shot twice, once each in the abdomen and the groin, Albright said. When they arrived, police found the intruder wounded in a hallway by the bathroom …”


IL: Off-duty cop shoots man who broke into his home: "An off-duty Chicago police officer shot and killed a man who broke into his South Side home Friday morning, police said. The intruder, who police said was armed, had not been identified as of late Friday. The officer thought he heard someone breaking into his home in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood and called 911 around 8:45 a.m., then he was confronted by an intruder ‘with something in his hand,’ said Wentworth Area Deputy Chief of Patrol Eddie Welch. The officer, who police did not identify, fired his service weapon several times, killing the intruder …”


San Francisco eyes ammunition registry; gun group vows lawsuit: "Today’s revelation that the City of San Francisco might consider an ammunition registry scheme brought a promise from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms that a lawsuit would quickly follow. CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said in a report in the San Francisco Examiner that Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier is working with the City Attorney’s Office to ‘craft legislation’ regarding an ammunition registry shows the city has learned nothing from its defeat in court over a 2005 gun ban proposition.”

Oregon: Shooter says he killed man in self-defense in his home: "A man was found dead of a gunshot wound inside a Northeast Portland home shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday. Police said the shooting was not gang-related. Officers were dispatched to 2700 block of NE Saratoga on a report of a shooting and found the man in his 30s inside a house, police said. Several people who were in the home were being cooperative in police interviews. The shooter told police the bullets were fired in self-defense. Police said the shooter will not face any charges but would not release any further details in the incident."


GA: Burglary suspect shot dead by Superior Court judge: "Deputies say the shooting happened around 4:00 this morning at Judge Overstreet’s home on the 2200 block of Cumming Road. That’s when investigators say Howard, possibly along with a second person, broke into Judge Carlisle Overstreet’s Augusta home. Investigators also tell News 12 Howard was masked when Judge Overstreet confronted him in the home. After the shooting, we’re told Judge Overstreet is the one who called 911. … 20-year-old John Howard was killed by one shot from the judge’s pistol. Investigators believe burglars broke in thinking nobody was home, but quickly found out otherwise"


SAF sues Chicago over gun range prohibition: "The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago’s new gun ordinance, asserting that ‘by banning gun ranges open to the public … under color of law,’ the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Joining SAF in this lawsuit are the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), Action Target, Inc., and three individual plaintiffs including a retired Chicago police detective.”


Chicago’s handgun law a childish act of arrogance: "Whatever spin Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and the city council wish to offer, it is their stubborn arrogance that has resulted in more gun rights lawsuits filed against the city …. The city’s childish stubbornness is going to cost taxpayers a small fortune. Mayor Daley and his anti-gun city council adopted what amounts to a ‘tantrum ordinance’ that essentially spits in the high court’s face. Sure, the city adopted an ordinance that — at least on paper — allows Chicago residents to own a handgun; but in reality, it is one huge ‘Catch-22′ that was deliberately crafted to discourage residents from exercising their Second Amendment rights.”

MD: Attorneys: State faces uphill battle in dog-shooting case: "While local animal lovers clamored and petitioned last week for county prosecutors to file additional charges against a federal police officer who shot and killed an off-leash Siberian husky earlier this month, seven criminal defense attorneys and former prosecutors openly questioned if the state would be able to secure convictions on the two misdemeanor animal cruelty and weapon charges already filed. "I certainly wouldn't want my dog shot, but if the man felt threatened ... (prosecutors) are going to have a real tough time proving anything beyond a reasonable doubt," said defense attorney Gill Cochran. They noted he has no known criminal record, is an Iraq war veteran, and has maintained from the beginning he fired in defense of himself, his wife, Wendy, and his German shepherd, Asia.


Freedom-Hating antigun Lawyers Work to Undermine laws: "Take the latest from the so-called Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), a handful of freedom-hating lawyers operating out of an office in San Francisco, California. Mimicking the Brady Campaign—probably not a good business plan, given that Brady Campaign is not exactly a thriving enterprise these days—LCAV is now ranking the states according to how “strong” their gun laws are. LCAV ranks California best in the nation, though its firearm-related death rate is higher than those of 16 other states, including Vermont, the gun owner-friendly laws of which LCAV ranks third worst in the nation. LCAV ranks Maryland 7th-best, just ahead of New York and Rhode Island, the firearm-related deaths rates of which are only 42 percent and 29 percent that of Maryland. Joining the declaration of ideological war by some in California against neighboring Arizona, LCAV ranks the Grand Canyon State worst in the nation."

Minnesota: No Charges Against Bouncer In Fatal Shooting: "The Hennepin County District Court is not pressing charges against a bouncer who shot and killed a man outside Grumpy's Bar and Grill. Sgt. Bill Palmer said 24-year-old Tirso Cruz Gomez of Minneapolis pulled a knife on the bouncer. The bouncer tried to get that knife out of Gomez's hand but couldn't. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said Gomez suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, which caused his death. The bouncer had to get stitches after being cut."


AL: Robber fatally shot: "A man who tried to rob a bail bonding company early Friday was shot and killed by an employee of the business. According to a Gadsden Police Department report, a man with a gun and wearing a mask entered the A Absolute Bail Bonding, 929 W. Meighan Blvd., about 12:40 a.m. and demanded money. The man knocked an employee onto a couch, went to the desk and began going through the cash bag. Another employee came from the back room with a .45 caliber automatic pistol and told the intruder to drop his gun. The intruder turned his gun toward the second employee, and that employee fired one shot, hitting the intruder in the head. Neither man has been identified. Coroner Michael Gladden said the police have an idea who the intruder was, but an autopsy is being done and forensics will identify him."

PA: Deliveryman shoots robber in self defense: "As he was being punched in the face and beaten with a glass bottle, a Chinese-food deliveryman grabbed his pistol and fired at the two robbers attacking him, striking one of them -- a 16-year-old boy -- in the shoulder, police said. The deliveryman had just stopped at a house in the 1200 block of North 13th Street around 10:30 p.m. when he was confronted by two men. The men grabbed him and demanded to give them money, police said. As they punched him in the face and hit him on the head with a glass bottle, the deliveryman fired a shot to ward them off. He then called police as the robbers ran away, police said. Within minutes, an ambulance was called to the Hall Manor housing development for a gunshot victim. The 16-year-old robber was found there with a non-life-threatening wound of his left shoulder, police said. He was taken for treatment and later charged with robbery and conspiracy"


TN: Drug buyer acquitted of killing dealer on self-defense grounds: "Mason Anderson, 18, was found not guilty of second degree murder. He was convicted of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony and was given a time served sentence since he had been in jail for a year. Meeks recounted Anderson’s version of the story to the jury, that while attempting to purchase marijuana from Self, Self pretended he threw marijuana into the car Anderson was a passenger in and then snatched the money from Anderson’s hand. When Anderson grabbed the money back, Self tried to enter the vehicle. Anderson told the jury Wednesday he knew Self carried a gun and thought he would be shot and pulled the gun to scare Self. Anderson told the jury that he “accidentally” shot Self when Self grabbed at the gun and it went off. “We know (Self’s) reputation, he had a reputation for violence in Lincoln Homes and with Clarksville Police,” Meeks said".


SC: Domestic altercation lands man in jail after wife fires shot in self defense: "North Charleston police arrested William Michael Staton and charged him with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature. Staton has two prior criminal domestic violence charges in North Carolina and an order of protection against him. The victim told police that Staton began to shove her and yell at her. The victim took her daughter and tried to leave the room, but Staton grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the room. She told police she repeatedly tried to exit the room, but Staton kept grabbing her hair and pulling her back into the room. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out her pistol and told Staton to let go of her. She told police that Staton refused to let go, so she fired a shot at his feet and then ran out the door with her daughter when he released her."


Obama bans over 100,000 rifles: "According to The Korea Times, the Obama administration has blocked efforts by the South Korean government to sell over a hundred thousand surplus M1 Garand and Carbine rifles into the United States market. These self-loading were rifles introduced in 1926 and 1941. As rifles, they are especially well-suited to community defense in an emergency, as in the cases of community defense following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Along with AR-15 type rifles, the M1 rifles are the quintessential firearms of responsible citizenship, precisely the type of firearms which civic responsibility organizations such as the Appleseed Project teach people how to use.”

OH: Would-be robbers flee from gun-toting owners: "Authorities are still on the lookout for a pair of would-be robbers who were forced to flee a Vinton County store Saturday after its owners and a customer opened fire on them, Vinton County Sheriff's deputies reported. At about 4:54 p.m. Saturday, two men wearing camouflage and carrying an assault-style rifle and shotgun entered the Zaleski General Store at the intersection of Ohio 278 and Ohio 677 and demanded money, according to a release from the Vinton County Sheriff's Office. Store owner Letha Toops retrieved a small handgun from under the counter and fired four shots into the floor in front of the would-be robbers, who then fled." [Risky. She should have shot the scum]


NC: Hundreds bear arms at rally: "Hundreds brought their guns to a Tea Party rally in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday to peacefully demonstrate that the Constitution protects the right to own and carry a firearm. Two hundred attended the Restore the Constitution Rally at the Guildford Courthouse in Battleground Park, openly carrying their pistols and rifles in recognition of a new law allowing people to carry guns at federal parks. ‘We want to remind Americans that they have a basic human right to keep and bear arms — both for self-defense and to preserve individual freedom — that is not only enshrined in the Bill of Rights, but is protected only by Americans’ willingness to actually exercise that right,’ wrote rally organizer Randy Dye in a statement.”

MI: Hung jury for fed-up man who chased and killed burglar: "A judge has declared a mistrial for a Detroit homeowner on trial for manslaughter in the shooting death of a man he caught breaking into his house. Hathaway ruled Tuesday that jurors were hopelessly deadlocked. A hearing on setting a new trial date is set for Aug. 30. Police say the 31-year-old Croff returned home Dec. 28 to find 53-year-old Herbert Silas and another man in his back yard. Authorities say Croff chased Silas to the next street, where they say the drunken burglar taunted Croff before Croff shot him."


GA: “Guns in church” case lands in federal court: "A minister’s fight to bring a gun to his Upson County church is now a federal case in Macon. State and Upson County officials had the case moved to the U.S. District Court in Macon on Friday. The case garnered national news coverage when it was first filed a month ago in Upson County Superior Court by the Rev. Jonathan Wilkins of the Baptist Tabernacle of Thomaston, which is partnering with GeorgiaCarry.org Inc. on the lawsuit. Wilkins said he has a constitutional right to be armed in church, which is now prohibited under state law. … Wilkins’ attorney, John R. Monroe of Roswell, said the case depends more on Wilkins’ First Amendment right to freely worship than his Second Amendment right to bear arms.”


Armed “wild frontier” not such a bad place: "Friends say Pantagraph commenters always claim it’ll be a wild frontier if non-criminal Illinoisans carry legal self-defense firearms. Nonsense. I’ve been to self-reliant, truly wild America, without law enforcement or crime because inhabitants carry guns. Affiliations, status, education, wealth or lack of it are meaningless. You’re judged by the look in your eye. I recall in a primitive saloon in wilderness Alaska just south of Yukon River, fishermen, loggers, gold-panners, hunters and trappers discussed guns with me. Rugged alpha men, they exuded manners, politeness, kindness and self-confidence. Outside were stray dogs they all cared for.”


IL: Lawsuit says Chicago’s latest gun ordinance unconstitutional: "A lawsuit filed Monday argues Chicago’s latest gun ordinance is unconstitutional. The suit was filed in federal court by a group known as ‘The Second Amendment Foundation.’ They argue that since the ordinance bans gun ranges from operating within the city limits a citizen cannot meet the training requirement needed for gun ownership without leaving the city. A ‘Second Amendment Foundation’ executive calls it a ‘catch 22′ scenario that discourages Chicago residents from owning a gun.”

GA: Car thief shot: "A Martinez man remains in critical but stable condition at the Medical College of Georgia after being shot during a confrontation on the 2000 block of Westfield Drive in Augusta. Authorities say 19-year old Milo Hayes III was shot by Brete Anthony Gunby after Gunby spotted Hayes allegedly attempting to break into a neighbor's truck. The 39-year-old says he watched Hayes enter his neighbor's truck and that's when he called 9-1-1. He then went outside with a pistol and told Hayes to stay put until the police arrived. Hayes pulled out an object from his pockets and that's when Gunby fired at him, according to the police report. Investigators say the shooting was self-defense."


MI: Road rage shooting trial ends with hung jury: "An Oakland Circuit judge declared a mistrial this morning in a road rage case after jurors told him they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in their fourth day of deliberations. Carl Mintz, 28, of Farmington Hills is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felony firearm in an April 12 incident in which he wounded another motorist in the arm during an altercation on Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills. Mintz said he acted in self-defense after Faith Said of Commerce Township got out of his car behind him, approached Mintz's vehicle in a threatening manner and made a motion as if reaching for his own weapon. [Nine jurors voted to acquit. I'd shoot too if I were a little guy and two big guys were coming aggressively towards me]