PA: A viable alternative to a gun? "Somerset County District Attorney Jerry Spangler will not charge a man who fatally shot another man with a bow and arrow, saying today that changes in the state's Castle Doctrine factored into his decision. Mr. Spangler said the unidentified 38-year-old Center City man who confessed to shooting Tony L. Bittinger on Oct. 10 claimed he did so in self-defense. Mr. Bittinger was found shot through the chest with an arrow near the front steps to the man's house. Trooper Joseph Drzal said Mr. Bittinger, who had been romantically involved with the man's wife, made several threatening phone calls to the man before driving up to his home to confront him. There, he threatened the man with a heavy wooden club. The man told him to leave repeatedly. When Mr. Bittinger attempted to come up the stairs, the man shot him in the chest with an arrow. He died before first responders arrived." [Might be useful in NYC]


Loony British gun control: "A taxi driver shot dead three women on New Year’s Day after being allowed to keep six guns – even though he had previously threatened to kill himself. Michael Atherton, 42, was licensed to own the small arsenal despite being investigated three years earlier when officers were tipped off about his mood swings. On Sunday night, he opened fire at will, killing partner Susan McGoldrick and two of her female relatives before turning the gun on himself. Atherton, who is believed to have been recently suffering from depression, also wounded stepdaughter Laura McGoldrick, 19, in the late-night rampage inside the family home. She witnessed the bloodbath and survived only by escaping through a first-floor window and jumping to safety. The bloodsoaked teenager then raised the alarm. Relatives were yesterday devastated by the ‘senseless’ murders and questions were being asked about why Atherton was still a lawful holder of the guns."


In Smith and Wesson We Trust (and It Looks Like Santa Does Too): "It seems that a lot of adults now go to bed on Christmas Eve dreaming of what Santa might bring them as well: especially when the number one thing on their list is a Walther .380 or a Glock model 27 or a Springfield XD subcompact 9mm, all of which are splendid guns for concealed carry permit holders. As a matter of fact, judging from sales receipts and FBI reports regarding sales for December 2011, it seems that Santa delivered at least 1.5 million firearms for Christmas. Not only is this news in light of the fact that it required the FBI to do a record setting number of background checks in a month – 1.5 million in December alone – but also because it continues to highlight what has been a growing trend among people of all walks of life: namely, folks are less and less trustful of government’s ability to keep them safe."

SC: Robbery suspect shot by barbershop owner: "Richland County deputies say the owner of a barbershop shot a man who tried to rob his business. Investigators said two men planned a robbery when they entered All the Way Cuts and Styles in the northeast suburbs of Columbia around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The owner of the barbershop was able to get a gun and shoot one of the suspects, while the other ran away. He was arrested a short time later. Deputies say 22-year-old Ronald Capers [above] is charged with seven counts of armed robbery and two counts of attempted murder. He remains in the Richland County jail without bond. Authorities say the man who was shot in the chest remains in the hospital and has not been identified."


Gun sales continue record climb in Ohio: "Firearm background checks performed by the FBI have increased during the past year, a sign that gun sales have increased significantly. From Jan. 1, 2011, to Nov. 30, 2011, the latest information available, more than 406,000 firearm background checks were conducted in Ohio, up from 393,000 in 2010 and 292,000 10 years ago, according to information gathered by the Middletown Journal from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, an FBI agency. These background checks, mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, are used to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives from a licensed dealer. Local gun dealers are reaping the benefits of increased sales."

A candidate a gun-owner could love

Michele Bachmann might be struggling in the polls now but she could well beat all her fellow GOP presidential candidates in another competition.

The Minnesota Representative, 55, packs a punch when she goes hunting and revealed her favourite gun is a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle. She is going pheasant hunting with Iowa Rep Steve King on Friday and claims she learned about gun safety before she was even a teenager.

'Hey, I'm a pretty good shot,’ she told WHO-AM. ‘I learned how to hunt here in Iowa from my Dad - I went through gun safety when I was 12.’ ‘My favourite gun is an AR-15, because you can be so accurate with it. And I scored the best in my class - of any of the men too - in that class.

‘It's a rifle. I love that gun. I love it. It's a great gun.’ Mrs Bachmann refused however to be drawn by WHO-AM on the size of her magazine.

The AR-15 is the civilian version of the U.S. military’s M16 automatic or semi-automatic rifle, which was used during the Vietnam War.

The gun can be configured in many sizes to suit the individual with accessories including silencers, grenade launchers or telescopic sights.

More here




New York Lawmakers Reportedly Ask for Mercy for Tourist Arrested With Gun at 9/11 Memorial: "Meredith Graves, 39, had a .32-caliber Kel-Tec handgun in her purse when she went to the National September 11 Memorial, seen here, on Dec. 22 and tried to check it with a cop after she saw a sign reading “No Guns.” New York lawmakers are reportedly asking the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to show mercy to a Tennessee tourist who was arrested for bringing a gun to the 9/11 Memorial. City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., D-Queens, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, personally asked Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office not to push for the 3 1/2-year minimum sentence for Meredith Graves, 39, the New York Post reports. “By prosecuting this woman and seeking 3 1/2 years of jail, we are shooting our own [gun-control] efforts in the foot and giving the rest of the country ammunition,” Vallone said."

TX: Man Shot During Attempted Robbery: "A man is recovering in a hospital from a gunshot wound he received during an alleged attempted robbery at an auto salvage yard Thursday night. El Paso Police Department officials told ABC-7 they believe the man was one of several trying to rob a man who works at the A&M Salvage Yard in the 9700 block of Alameda. Police said an employee was within the security gate of the yard when he said he was approached by several men who then tried to rob him about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. The employee pulled out a gun and fired one shot, hitting one of the men. Police did not elaborate on the man's wounds, but said they are not life-threatening. The others fled, prompting police to launch a search. Police spokesman Detective Mike Baranyay said the employee told them he shot the weapon in self-defense. "If you feel threatened, you have a right to defend yourself," Baranyay said. "And obviously, if there's multiple subjects on one individual, that allows you to use a little more force to defend yourself."


Legal costs as a weapon against the anti-gunners: "A federal judge has ordered the City of Washington D.C. to pay more than $1 million in attorney’s fees to the attorneys who fought the Heller case. The Heller case was, of course, the case which overturned the city’s three-decade old gun ban. D.C. changed their laws when the Supreme Court told them to, but Dick Heller has since sued the city again because the laws they passed were so restrictive as to be a defacto ban. I’m not going to argue the idiocy of gun bans here. I’m simply going to note that judgements like this might actually be more effective than supreme court decisions in liberalizing gun laws. Cities are generally notoriously broke. They’re also generally lawyer-averse. What we have here is something which might actually break the dam in some of the major cities which still do their best to restrict self-defense."

Fancy Thinking NYC Is Part of America! It Isn't

Does this mean the terrorists have won? No; but it means the moonbats are winning:

Meredith Graves, 39, is facing at least three years in prison for thinking New York’s gun laws are anything like those in the Bible Belt.

Graves, a fourth-year medical student, showed up at the [9/11] memorial on Dec. 22 to pay her respects during a trip north for a job interview.

She didn’t realize that the loaded .32-caliber pistol in her purse would be a problem until she saw a sign at the site that read, “No guns allowed,” sources said.

“She remembered she had the gun on her,” a source said. She walked up to a security guard and said, “I have this gun. Where can I check it?”

Instead of checking her gun, authorities dragged her off to a cage in chains like a criminal.

Graves, who has a full legal carry permit in Tennessee, was locked up on a weapons-possession charge and held on $2,000 bond that she posted yesterday. … The Manhattan DA’s Office is pursuing a conviction on felony gun possession — carrying a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years.

Mayor Bloomberg, with the help of the five district attorneys, has crusaded against the flow of illegal guns, especially from the [hated by Northeastern liberal authoritarians] South.

Explains the victim’s mother-in-law, who lives in New Jersey,

“Everyone down there carries, and she just forgot. She was being honest, and this is the treatment they give innocent people.”

Still worse is the treatment they given the Constitution, which being federal is supposed to apply even in moonbat bastions like New York.

Source




FL: No charges in fatal shooting that took place after attempted motorcycle theft: "A 19-year-old with a criminal history is dead after police say he was shot while trying to steal a motorcycle. The man who pulled the trigger won't be charged by sheriff's deputies. It all started at 4:00 a.m. Thursday morning when police say the owner of the motorcycle heard them, grabbed his rifle, and opened fire. Benjy Young, 19, was killed. Police say Young was one of three men trying to load the man's motorcycle onto a pickup truck they had just stolen. Police say the homeowner acted in self-defense. "They turned to him and pointed something at him in a gesture, like a firearm," said Sheriff's Deputy Eric Davis. Ironically, Suskauer says the people who could pay for Young's death are his own accomplices. Because Young died in what police say was the commission of a separate felony - stealing a motorcycle and a truck - the two accomplices could face murder charges."




GA: Wendy's manager shoots robber dead: "A Wendy’s manager turned his gun on robbers early Thursday morning and shot a man dead, Savannah-Chatham police say. Robert Cody Dasher, 22, was held up at 12:55 a.m. at the Wilmington Island Wendy’s, located on U.S. 80 near Johnny Mercer Boulevard. Dasher was closing the restaurant when the robbery happened, according to a police report. His employee left the door open after taking out the trash. Two men, their faces covered and wearing black, accosted Dasher inside the restaurant, putting a gun to his head, forcing him into an office and robbing him. The robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, running east toward Johnny Mercer Boulevard. Police say Dasher went for his handgun, shooting William Martin Clark [above], 27, in the head in Blue Fin Circle, a commercial drive that runs off U.S. 80 to the Wendy’s. Dasher told police Clark pointed a pistol at him just before he shot him. Clark, who lived in the 800 block of Wexler Street, had two five-dollar bills and a silver revolver in his left hand when he was found dead in the street, police say. A black T-shirt was covering his face."


AZ: Shootout leaves two wounded, three arrested: "Three suspects, including a Page teen, were arrested following an afternoon shootout Dec. 20 at Chapman’s Trailer Park. Two others were wounded. They were treated and released from Page Hospital. The gun battle was the result of an alleged armed robbery at the Lake Powell Mobile Home Village. Joshua Patton, 24, of Phoenix, Michael Calderon, 21, of Phoenix, and Austin Joe, 17, of Page were charged with aggravated robbery, armed robbery and theft, according to Page police."

NV: One dead after attempted pawn shop robbery: "One man is dead after an attempted robbery at a Cash America SuperPawn in the Centennial Hills area on Wednesday morning. Sources say that a man entered the store, near North Durango Drive and Elkhorn Road, with a gun at about 9:30 a.m. One employee fired a gun in a confrontation with the would-be robber. Police were called to the scene, where they discovered a black adult male dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities have not released the identity of the employee or the suspect who was shot. Police are continuing to investigate the shooting."


OH: Robber shot in Craigslist robbery: "Police say one suspect arrived at the victim’s house around 6 p.m. and wanted to see if the X-box worked. He then called a friend to bring in the money. Within minutes, police say, two other men armed with guns stormed into the home and robbed the victim of $85. The victim also pulled out a gun and began firing as the suspects fled in a white 2001 Buick Regal. Around 7 p.m. Barberton Police were called to Summa Barberton Citizens Hospital to check out a male who had walked into the emergency room with a gunshot wound to his elbow. Officers found a 2001 white Buick Regal parked at the hospital. Shawn A. Davis, 20, of Seward Avenue, in Akron and Jeremy Culver, 18, of Chamberlain Road, in Fairlawn, have been charged with aggravated robbery related to the Triplett Boulevard robbery.


NY Times Hit Piece Targets NC Gun Owners: "Following an extensive interview between GRNC president Paul Valone and New York Times reporter Mike Luo, the Times is now trying to depict North Carolina’s population of concealed handgun permit-holders as rife with felons. To support his claims, Luo relies on flawed methodology, misuse of anecdotal data, and selectively ignored facts he learned during the interview. The current piece is at least the third time Luo has written biased and misleading articles on gun ownership. Although Luo claims to have done data-matching between criminal databases and permit-holders, he admitted confirming only a dozen matches with the NC State Bureau of Investigation. Data matching between large databases is subject to high rates of “false positives” depending on the number and type of parameters matched."


Self-Defense Upgrade to Wisconsin as Castle Doctrine Passes: "Until Dec. 7, Wisconsin was one of just 22 states without some form of “castle doctrine” or “Make-My-Day” law. But passage of Assembly Bill 69 on that date changes everything by improving legal protections for home owners who use deadly force in self-defense. “A person has a right to defend themselves and their family in their dwelling,” said Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), a lead sponsor of the legislation as reported on jsonline.com. “The fundamental issue is about protecting life, not property.” The bill passed the State Senate 26-7 on November 3, and was sent to Governor Walker for final passage into law on Dec. 7."

PA: Pistol Packin' Mama Kills Man Trying to Rob Her Son: "A Philadelphia man was shot dead Tuesday night after he made the mistake of trying to rob a man who had a pistol packin’ mama nearby, police say. A 23-year-old man was in the stairwell of his East Oak Lane apartment building with his girlfriend at about 9 p.m. when a 19-year-old man walked up to them, pistol-whipped the man and shot him in the leg while trying to rob him, according to police. The victim’s 46-year-old mother heard the commotion from her upstairs apartment, grabbed her legally registered gun, went into the stairwell and shot the suspect, police say. The 19-year-old robbery suspect died at the scene with one gunshot wound to the chest, according to authorities. The 46-year-old mother has not been arrested, but she is being interviewed, police say."


KY: Robbers chased off by gun-toting neighbor: "Around 11:30 Tuesday morning Steve Dennison's 16-year-old daughter was asleep in her bed, home alone, when two robbers busted through the back door. Dennison and his wife would normally be home during this holiday week but both were out running errands. Their quick thinking teen ran into her parents’ bathroom, locked the door, called 911 and called her parents. Within minutes police were on their way and a nearby family member ran to the house to help. "He walked up to the backdoor on the deck and he had a glock and he was standing at the door and he yelled I'm gonna shoot ya I got a gun, " Dennison said. The robbers then took off through the front door. They left behind a mess in the master bedroom and stole small electronics and jewelry. Dennison feels fortunate that’s all they got away with. He knows how lucky his daughter is that she was not hurt."


AL: Man shot by own father: "Officers on the scene said they were told that the victim apparently made threats toward other family members and was going to arm himself with a gun. It was at that point when officers say another family member took the threat seriously and retrieved his own firearm to defend himself. According to family friends, the victim was shot and killed by his own father. Investigators say the victim was shot with what appears to be a large caliber weapon. The Chief said statements taken from all those on the scene, as well as from collected evidence, make it "entirely possible" that it was self-defense. No arrests have been made, and Chief Johnson says findings will be turned over to the Elmore County Grand Jury for consideration to determine if a crime was committed."

IN: Kroger employee shoots, kills would-be robber: "According to Metro police, an employee at a northwest side Kroger grocery store shot a would-be robber in the face, Monday evening. The man died a few hours later. Witnesses told police a man in his 20's walked into the store and placed a hard object into the back of a female employee. The suspect then forced the victim to the office area where another employee shot him in the face. The suspect was taken to Wishard Hospital in serious condition, but later died. His identity has not been released pending notification of family. Homicide detectives, working along with the Marion County Prosecutor’s office, advise that an arrest isn't expected in this case."


IL: Disgruntled wife holds off husband with gun: "Wilmette police confiscated a handgun and steroids from a home after a woman allegedly threatened her husband over an alleged affair. The woman was not charged for threatening her husband with the weapon, because her husband declined to sign a criminal complaint and police determined she used the gun in self defense. The man was not charged with possession of the steroids, according to a police report. Officer arrived at the home in the 2500 block of Old Glenview Road at 5:26 p.m. Dec. 20 and recovered the .25-caliber pistol from a toiletry bag in the home’s second floor. The woman told police she and her husband had argued after she confronted him in Chicago earlier in the day with another woman. He denied an affair, but his wife told him to stay at a relative’s home in Northbrook. He used a brick to break a window and unlocked a rear door but was confronted by his wife, who was holding the pistol. He left, and called police 40 minutes later"

OH: Christmas thieves shot by homeowner: "An eastside homeowner shot two teens after they attempted to rob his E. 114th Street home Sunday afternoon. At 12:09 p.m., police responded to a call for a robbery with suspects still on the scene. Upon arrival, police found two suspects outside of the home, both with gunshot wounds to their legs. The preliminary investigation shows that, after hearing the alarm going off in his home, the homeowner grabbed his gun and walked through his house. That's when he found the two teens attempting to steal property from his house. The homeowner fired off multiple rounds, hitting both suspects. The two suspects were then caught outside of the home. Police later found out that two additional suspects acted as lookouts. They left the scene after hearing the gunfire."


OR: Couple wakes up to man beating them with tiki torch: "An Aloha couple woke up Christmas morning to a man hitting them with a tiki torch. It happened at a home on 209th Street. According to Ray, a man believed to be on drugs broke into the back door of the home while the couple was asleep, grabbed a bamboo tiki torch and took it into the bedroom where he beat the couple with it. The husband, who has not been identified, grabbed a handgun in self-defense and a bullet discharged during a struggle. No one was hurt, Ray said. The bullet went into a wall. Deputies arrived at the home and took the suspect, who has not been identified, into custody. They took the man to a hospital for a mental evaluation and planned to book him into the Washington County Jail."

Merry Christmas!


A well-equipped family at Christmas

The Left’s War on the Second Amendment Continues as Gun Sales Skyrocket

Walk into your local gun shop and you’re likely to be greeted by some of the hardest working salesmen and women in America. On Black Friday alone Gun dealers flooded the FBI with background check requests for prospective hand gun and long gun buyers, smashing the previous record by more than 30%. Deputy Assistant FBI Director Jerry Pender said the checks, required by federal law, surged to nearly 130,000 during the day, far surpassing the previous high of 97,848 on Black Friday of 2008. The actual number of firearms sold is likely much higher because multiple firearms can be included in a transaction by a single buyer. The FBI does not track actual gun sales.

Gun buyers are more diverse than ever. This however is not the kind of diversity the anti-gun left is happy about. Young professionals, people starting families and women, in greater numbers than ever, are purchasing guns. Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said he was “skeptical” of the Black Friday gun surge.

Refusing to accept the reality of the trend, he said “I think there may be no real significance at all.” This of course is the same Brady Center that that in the face of gun violence, has focused it’s efforts on restricting law abiding citizens’ access to guns, rather than campaigning for tougher penalties against criminals who use guns in crimes.

While Brady officials insist their motives are pure, a behind the scenes look at that organization raises serious questions. In May 2005, Florida passed a “Stand Your Ground” law that authorized persons attacked in their own home or automobile to use lethal force in self-defense without a duty to retreat; Brady Campaign workers were dispatched to Florida airports where they passed out fliers warning tourists that, under what they called the “Shoot First” law, tourists could be shot for simply being rude to a Florida resident.

Last year the Brady Campaign gave its “Visionary Award” to AP White House reporter Helen Thomas. Little more than a week later Thomas went on a video taped, anti-semitic rant that resulted in condemnation from the Obama Administration as well as her resignation from AP. The Brady Campaign has remained silent on the entire issue, refusing to condemn Thomas or her hate filled rant.

As the ‘12 Presidential Campaign looms, President Obama himself has been remarkedly silent on the issue of gun rights. He must know that waging an open war against the NRA and America’s 80,000,000 gun owners during this campaign season will only hurt his prospects for re-election. He’s also well aware of the two recent Supreme Court decisions District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, decisions that make it clear that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right.

In Attorney General Eric Holder’s brief filed with the Supreme Court in Heller he argued that “the Second Amendment did not protect an individual right to keep and bear arms,” that it only protected government militias’ rights to guns. He claimed that the Second Amendment posed no obstacle to implementing gun bans. His argument failed, but his anti-gun agenda continues.

While Obama and Holder have said little lately about gun rights per se, the “Fast and Furious” disaster has exposed the administration’s agenda. E-mails obtained by CBS News from the Department of Justice have spoken for them. On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF’s Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:

“Bill – can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks.”

That demand letter was “Demand Letter 3″, which would have required that gun dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas report all sales of long guns to federal authorities. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating Fast and Furious, as well as the alleged use of the case to advance gun regulations.

“There’s plenty of evidence showing that this administration planned to use the tragedies of Fast and Furious as rationale to further their goals of a long gun reporting requirement…”

What you can’t accomplish in one fell swoop, you may be able to accomplish by chipping away. Fast and Furious was clearly, at least in part, a covert effort by the administration to make its case against the Second Amendment; to chip away at established constitutional rights they simply don’t like. The 130,000 Americans who sought to buy handguns on Black Friday aren’t naive. Anecdotal evidence points directly to the Obama administration as a primary motivating factor in the skyrocketing numbers of gun sales.

If Mr. Obama is reelected, the battle will rage on.

Source




W.Va.: Homeowner chases off intruder with shots: " Justin Taylor told deputies just after midnight, someone was trying to break into his house with a gun. “But the guy (Taylor) inside the house also had a gun and came out shooting,” Richardson said. Taylor told deputies he grabbed a rifle and started firing several shots. It's unclear whether the man fired back before he got away. Deputies did find a gun they believe belongs to the man accused of trying to break into the house. They are still searching for him."

VA: One home invader killed; another captured: "Martin said there were four to five people in the house when the home invasion began. “There were four intruders, three actually made it into the house and one stayed outside,” Martin said. “The gentleman who we took into custody, Kayman Northington, was the first one into the house. After, two more forced their way in behind him.” Martin said once inside, shots were fired. The home owner had a gun pulled on him. “From what we are gathering from the witnesses, everybody started scattering and running,” Martin said. “According to witnesses, the bad guys came in and fired a shot. The home owner grabs his gun and fires a shot at one of the bad guys.” The home’s occupants were able to stop Northington, but the other intruders got away, Martin said. The gentleman that did get shot and was killed was wearing body armor,” Martin said. “That is a trend we are starting to see. According to Martin, the robbery was drug related. He said homeowners have a right to protect their home, and the homeowner in this shooting will not be charged."


CA: Intending killer gets shot himself: "Former Oakhurst resident Danny Henley, 53, was shot and killed after attempting to murder Oakhurst resident Derry Burnett shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. The incident occurred at Burnett's residence on Snowline Court off Highway 41, just north of the closed Snowline Restaurant. Henley reportedly broke into Burnett's shed and took a shotgun. When Burnett returned home, Henley confronted him and tried to shoot him but missed. Burnett retrieved a .45 caliber pistol from a vehicle parked on the property and fired at Henley from a relatively close range, Anderson said, hitting him twice -- once in the head and once in the chest. Henley was transported by Sierra Ambulance to a helicopter and then transported to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno where he died that night around 10 p.m. After an investigation by the Madera County Sheriff's Department, the sheriff is recommending that the district attorney look at the case as justifiable homicide (self-defense). Henley was under investigation for vehicle and metal theft, and had just been released from jail two days earlier on Friday"

CA: Man shot to death after forcing way into home: "A 29-year-old Magalia man with a prison record dating back to at least to 2003, was shot and killed Monday night after he allegedly forced his way into a home in the 15100 block of Jack Pine Way. ... Shanks, who was wearing a bandana over his face when he entered the home, originally went to the front door and demanded to be let in. The man then allegedly forced his way through a sliding door. The resident then shot Shanks."


MI: Double shooting at restaurant : "Police are looking at security camera video from a wild double shooting on Detroit's west side Wednesday. It happened at family owned Legends Coney Island at West Davison and Linwood Wednesday morning. A man on his way to work was waiting for his order at 2:30am, when a young man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt over his head ran in to rob the customer. That robber failed to see the back of the man’s jacket marked "SECURITY." He chose to rob a victim who is an armed security guard. Still, the robber shot the man in his legs. The victim pulled out his gun, firing and hitting the robber. The alleged robber's aunt tells Local 4 that he was hit three times in his stomach and once in his hand. Both men are expected to survive their wounds from the shootout. Three people were behind the counter at the time of the shooting. They’re protected by plexiglass and are thankful they weren't hit."

Obama Administration Endangered Lives to Justify Gun Control

Chris W. Cox

In all of my years fighting on behalf of the National Rifle Association to defend the Second Amendment, I never thought I would see a White House so vehemently opposed to gun ownership that it would be willing to arm violent criminals and endanger American lives in pursuit of a gun control agenda. Readers will recall that a little over two months ago, in this same space, I wrote:

“I would like to believe that President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder – no matter how much they oppose our Second Amendment rights – would never break the law and endanger human lives in their mission to score political points against gun owners…

“However, to believe all of this, I would have to ignore a lot of facts.”

And now, according to new documents obtained by CBS News, we are faced with the fact that the Obama administration helped transfer illegal guns to drug cartels in Mexico to build a case for gun control – specifically, gun registration – here in America.

“If these reports are true, even by Washington standards this reaches a new level of arrogance and corruption,” remarked Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). Unfortunately, Sen. Cornyn is not exaggerating.

On July 14, 2010, Mark Chait, who served as Assistant Director for Field Operations for the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (BATFE) sent an email to Bill Newell, BATFE’s special agent in charge of operation “Fast and Furious.” Chait’s email said:

“Bill, can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time? We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long-gun sales. Thanks."

Just six months later, after a press conference to announce arrests made in “Fast and Furious,” Chait emailed Newell again, saying:

“Bill--well done yesterday... (I)n light of our request for Demand letter 3, this case could be a strong supporting factor if we can determine how many multiple sales of long guns occurred during the course of this case.”

“Demand letter 3” is a letter sent to U.S. firearms dealers in the four southwest border states, demanding that they register sales of more than one semi-automatic rifle to the same person within five business days.

Under its “Fast and Furious” operation, Obama’s BATFE had been forcing licensed firearms dealers to sell semi-automatic rifles to shady straw purchasers, who would then supply them to drug cartels in Mexico.

Many of these dealers were extremely apprehensive because BATFE was, in fact, forcing them break the law. In fact, one licensed dealer emailed BATFE numerous times to express his concern, not only could these sales jeopardize his livelihood, but also that the guns he was being forced to sell could end up in the hands of criminals south of the border, where they might be used to harm or kill American Border Patrol agents.

BATFE reassured him that everything was fine and that he should just keep following their orders. As we now know, the dealer’s concerns were more than justified.

In April of this year, the Obama administration unilaterally imposed the “Demand letter 3” registration requirement. The National Rifle Association is currently funding lawsuits to end this unconstitutional edict.

“Very clearly, they’ve [the Obama administration] made a crisis and they’re using this crisis to somehow take away or limit people’s Second Amendment rights,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who is leading the House investigation into “Fast and Furious.”

“There’s plenty of evidence showing that this administration planned to use the tragedies of ‘Fast and Furious’ as rationale to further their goals of a long gun reporting requirement,” stated Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), who is leading the investigation on the Senate side.

Even Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, recently admitted to Congress that “Fast and Furious” guns would continue to show up at crime scenes in the U.S. and Mexico “for years to come” – just as two of them were found at the murder scene of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Ever since the “Fast and Furious” scandal first broke, Eric Holder and his colleagues in the Obama administration have refused to fully cooperate with congressional investigators. Now we know why. Because the truth is uglier than we ever could have imagined. Our own federal government willingly endangered American lives to build a case for weakening our Second Amendment freedoms.

Source




FL: Woman Protects Home By Shooting at Burglar: "Asleep in bed, the 67-year-old heard a crash in her living room in her home on the Westside. "I just grabbed the gun and started walking out and said who is it. And that's when I saw the guy standing right here in the middle of the living room," said Magnusson. "I'm going, 'you have got some nerve'. And he had this hoodie on." She said the man stood by her Christmas tree, staring at the floor, but there were no presents under the tree. He never said a word, said Magnusson, and neither did she. She didn't really have much to say anyway. "They always told me to cock it first. I didn't cock that thing or nothing. I just pulled the trigger. It was easy as pie," she said. She missed him and hit her window, but the robber took off. Magnusson plans to head to a range to practice her aim"

PA: "Stand your ground" invoked: "The shooting occurred after a woman contacted her husband to pick her up following an argument with the boyfriend with whom she was living in Upper Frederick. The husband, 34-year-old Joshua Levin, and the couple’s son, 19-year-old Zachary Levin, both of Berks County, arrived at the boyfriend’s residence in the 1700 block of Snyder Road at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday. The boyfriend, whose name was not released, has told authorities both men struck him with baseball bats and the pair refused to back off even when he showed them the .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun he had retrieved from his truck, according to authorities. The boyfriend, who had a license for the handgun, shot and killed Zachary Levin after the teen struck him with the bat. Zachary Levin died from a single gunshot wound to the chest."


KY: Man shoots burglar: "A Richmond man told troopers he shot a burglar in self-defense. Police got a call around 8:30 Saturday morning about a break-in that was happening on Hager drive. Steven Womack later told investigators he was holding the burglar at gunpoint until troopers arrived when the suspect suddenly tried to get out a window. Womack also told troopers when the burglar went to reach for something in his pocket, he shot him three times. The man who was shot, 38-year old Steven Murphy, was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover."


Lawsuit Forces City Of LA to Turn Over Documents on Issuance of Concealed Carry Licenses: "In a victory for self-defense civil right activists, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge has ordered the City of Los Angeles to produce documents relating to the LAPD’s policies and procedures for processing applications for a carry license. In 1992 and 1994, the City’s unlawful refusal to properly process carry license applications was challenged in two lawsuits. To settle the suits, LAPD agreed to a court ordered application processing procedure. The LAPD has repeatedly failed to honor its legal obligations under the settlements. It has not made carry license applications and a written copy of the carry license policy and appeal process available at all station houses. And it has ignored the recommendations of the Citizens Advisory Review Panel and has instead enacted a de facto policy of again issuing no carry licenses, despite whatever showing of good cause the applicants might make."

NV: Attempted Burglary Results in Shooting: "According to the Reno Police Department, at 6:35 Saturday morning a resident on Watt Street awoke when he heard someone in his home. He found the suspect hiding in the basement a fired two rounds, hitting the suspect both times. The suspect was still able to get away. That is when the resident called police, saying he had shot a man trying to break into his house. The suspect reached his vehicle and drove off hitting several parked cars and eventually crashed into a tree in a neighbors yard about a block away. Police recieved a second call from that resident, saying a man had crashed into a tree in his front yard, and was bleeding on his porch. The suspect remains in the hospital at this time. Police are not releasing his name at this time."


Get a Medical Marijuana Card, Lose Your Second Amendment Rights: "It isn’t just that the government on both the federal and state level doesn’t want you to be able to legally and conveniently obtain your medicine, if that medicine is pot. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) insists you inherently lose a key constitutional right merely by letting your state know you might want to take pot medicinally. Merely having a state medical marijuana card, BATFE insists, means that you fall afoul of Sect. 922(g) of the federal criminal code (from the 1968 federal Gun Control Act), which says that anyone “who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” is basically barred from possessing or receiving guns or ammo (with the bogus assertion that such possession implicates interstate commerce, which courts will pretty much always claim it does)."


Push on for stronger self-defense law in WA: "Washington State armed citizens are being lobbied to push for adoption of a proposed statute that will strengthen the Evergreen State’s lethal force self-defense law, a measure that was introduced in January and now waits for more co-sponsors. Leading the charge is veteran firearms instructor Marty Hayes, founder of the Firearms Academy of Seattle. His primary concern is a 2005 Supreme Court ruling in State v. Brightman, a case involving a man who, during the course of a fistfight over $20, pulled a gun and struck his opponent only to have the pistol discharge, fatally wounding Dexter Villa near Titlow Beach in Tacoma. Hayes suggests that the state high court ruling could make it more difficult for citizens to defend themselves, especially in their homes, from burglars if the homeowner cannot articulate that he or she was in genuine fear of grave bodily harm or death."

Documents: ATF used "Fast and Furious" to make the case for gun regulations

Documents obtained by CBS News show that the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discussed using their covert operation "Fast and Furious" to argue for controversial new rules about gun sales.

In Fast and Furious, ATF secretly encouraged gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the "big fish." But ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress it was a dangerous practice called "gunwalking," and it put thousands of weapons on the street. Many were used in violent crimes in Mexico. Two were found at the murder scene of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

ATF officials didn't intend to publicly disclose their own role in letting Mexican cartels obtain the weapons, but emails show they discussed using the sales, including sales encouraged by ATF, to justify a new gun regulation called "Demand Letter 3". That would require some U.S. gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles or "long guns." Demand Letter 3 was so named because it would be the third ATF program demanding gun dealers report tracing information.

On July 14, 2010 after ATF headquarters in Washington D.C. received an update on Fast and Furious, ATF Field Ops Assistant Director Mark Chait emailed Bill Newell, ATF's Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious:

"Bill - can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same (licensed gun dealer) and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks."

On Jan. 4, 2011, as ATF prepared a press conference to announce arrests in Fast and Furious, Newell saw it as "(A)nother time to address Multiple Sale on Long Guns issue." And a day after the press conference, Chait emailed Newell: "Bill--well done yesterday... (I)n light of our request for Demand letter 3, this case could be a strong supporting factor if we can determine how many multiple sales of long guns occurred during the course of this case."

This revelation angers gun rights advocates. Larry Keane, a spokesman for National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun industry trade group, calls the discussion of Fast and Furious to argue for Demand Letter 3 "disappointing and ironic." Keane says it's "deeply troubling" if sales made by gun dealers "voluntarily cooperating with ATF's flawed 'Operation Fast & Furious' were going to be used by some individuals within ATF to justify imposing a multiple sales reporting requirement for rifles."

The Gun Dealers' Quandary

Several gun dealers who cooperated with ATF told CBS News and Congressional investigators they only went through with suspicious sales because ATF asked them to. Sometimes it was against the gun dealer's own best judgment.

In April, 2010 a licensed gun dealer cooperating with ATF was increasingly concerned about selling so many guns. "We just want to make sure we are cooperating with ATF and that we are not viewed as selling to the bad guys," writes the gun dealer to ATF Phoenix officials, "(W)e were hoping to put together something like a letter of understanding to alleviate concerns of some type of recourse against us down the road for selling these items."

ATF's group supervisor on Fast and Furious David Voth assures the gun dealer there's nothing to worry about. "We (ATF) are continually monitoring these suspects using a variety of investigative techniques which I cannot go into detail."

Two months later, the same gun dealer grew more agitated. "I wanted to make sure that none of the firearms that were sold per our conversation with you and various ATF agents could or would ever end up south of the border or in the hands of the bad guys. I guess I am looking for a bit of reassurance that the guns are not getting south or in the wrong hands...I want to help ATF with its investigation but not at the risk of agents (sic) safety because I have some very close friends that are US Border Patrol agents in southern AZ as well as my concern for all the agents (sic) safety that protect our country."

"It's like ATF created or added to the problem so they could be the solution to it and pat themselves on the back," says one law enforcement source familiar with the facts. "It's a circular way of thinking."

The Justice Department and ATF declined to comment. ATF officials mentioned in this report did not respond to requests from CBS News to speak with them.

The "Demand Letter 3" Debate

The two sides in the gun debate have long clashed over whether gun dealers should have to report multiple rifle sales. On one side, ATF officials argue that a large number of semi-automatic, high-caliber rifles from the U.S. are being used by violent cartels in Mexico. They believe more reporting requirements would help ATF crack down. On the other side, gun rights advocates say that's unconstitutional, and would not make a difference in Mexican cartel crimes.

Two earlier Demand Letters were initiated in 2000 and affected a relatively small number of gun shops. Demand Letter 3 was to be much more sweeping, affecting 8,500 firearms dealers in four southwest border states: Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. ATF chose those states because they "have a significant number of crime guns traced back to them from Mexico." The reporting requirements were to apply if a gun dealer sells two or more long guns to a single person within five business days, and only if the guns are semi-automatic, greater than .22 caliber and can be fitted with a detachable magazine.

On April 25, 2011, ATF announced plans to implement Demand Letter 3. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is suing the ATF to stop the new rules. It calls the regulation an illegal attempt to enforce a law Congress never passed. ATF counters that it has reasonably targeted guns used most often to "commit violent crimes in Mexico, especially by drug gangs."

Reaction

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating Fast and Furious, as well as the alleged use of the case to advance gun regulations. "There's plenty of evidence showing that this administration planned to use the tragedies of Fast and Furious as rationale to further their goals of a long gun reporting requirement. But, we've learned from our investigation that reporting multiple long gun sales would do nothing to stop the flow of firearms to known straw purchasers because many Federal Firearms Dealers are already voluntarily reporting suspicious transactions. It's pretty clear that the problem isn't lack of burdensome reporting requirements."

On July 12, 2011, Sen. Grassley and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote Attorney General Eric Holder, whose Justice Department oversees ATF. They asked Holder whether officials in his agency discussed how "Fast and Furious could be used to justify additional regulatory authorities." So far, they have not received a response. CBS News asked the Justice Department for comment and context on ATF emails about Fast and Furious and Demand Letter 3, but officials declined to speak with us.

"In light of the evidence, the Justice Department's refusal to answer questions about the role Operation Fast and Furious was supposed to play in advancing new firearms regulations is simply unacceptable," Rep. Issa told CBS News.

Source




AK: Two robbers killed; two indicted: "An Anchorage grand jury indicted two people in connection with a home invasion robbery that ended in the death of two people. The robbery occurred shortly after midnight on November 10 at the 700 block of Muldoon Road. APD's investigation revealed the criminals burst into a trailer, pistol-whipped a resident in the face, and demanded money and drugs. The victim grabbed a gun and shot two of the three robbers, who died. The third got away, as did the getaway driver. They're identified as Brian Albert Pfister and Ursula Pico, respectively. On Thursday, December 15, the grand jury returned an indictment for manslaughter, roberry, conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary against the two"

Virgin Islands (USA): Masked intruder brandishing gun is killed: "An armed, masked man who broke into a two-story Estate Frydendal home's rear window Thursday morning died after the homeowner shot the intruder in the living room, according to reports to The Daily News. Five people were in the home, which is up the hill from Smith Bay, when a man broke in brandishing a handgun and went room-to-room, demanding the residents' money and rummaging through their belongings shortly after 8 a.m., according to reports to The Daily News. "If you see someone in your home wearing masks and gloves with a gun, I think that's as extreme as it gets," said St. Thomas Deputy Police Chief Dwayne DeGraff, referring to Thursday's intrusion. "It was somebody who wasn't invited. "The persons who live in the house were defending the property and their lives," he added. Several sections of the V.I. Code allow citizens to defend themselves and their property in extreme circumstances."


AR: No charges filed after father shoots son: "The Sharp County Sheriff's Department and Third Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce have announced there will be no charges filed in the Dec. 4 fatal domestic shooting at Cave City. The decision comes after the Arkansas State Medical Examiner's office performed an autopsy on the body of Bryan Brinkley, 37, who was fatally shot at his father's home near Cave City. In a post shooting interview with Sharp County Chief Deputy David Huffmaster and Detective Sergeant Ken Guidry, Brinkley explained his son had been having issues with drugs and alcohol and had become paranoid. Brinkley explained he had been assaulted by his son a few weeks prior to the incident. He said after the death of his former wife Mattie, in 2009, Bryan had wasted nearly $100,000 of his inheritance on drugs and gambling. He said, earlier in the day, his son had come to his house and cussed and shoved him, finally putting a 30-30 rifle to his head, threatening to kill him."


Some Christmas cheer

Pa.: Shootout At Delco Dollar Store: "A botched robbery led to a shooting at a dollar store in Wallingford, Pa., on Thursday. The incident happened on Thursday afternoon at a Delaware County strip mall on South Chester Road. The alleged robber entered the store and was confronted by employee, with the robber and victim struggling over a gun. Both people were shot in the incident, with the man who is allegedly the robber seriously wounded."


Law-abiding folks can't win in NYC: "A leader of a tea party group was arrested after he took a gun to LaGuardia Airport. Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler was taken into custody Thursday morning after he tried to check in for a Delta flight to Detroit with a locked gun box containing a Glock pistol and 19 cartridges of ammunition, Queens prosecutors said. Meckler, 49, declared the weapon, as required, authorities said. He's licensed to carry the gun in Grass Valley, Calif., where he lives, but that license isn't valid in New York, which has strict rules on carrying concealed weapons, they said. Meckler spent the day in jail and was arraigned in Queens late Friday afternoon on a felony weapons possession charge. He was released pending a Jan. 12 court date. The charge could carry prison time, but travelers who are arrested in such cases and appear to be trying to comply with the law typically pay fines."

Video: Holiday commercial sparks warm, fuzzy feelings about — not puppies — guns



Listen to this advertisement and you’ll reasonably assume that what’s for sale is something forlorn, lonely, cute and cuddly … a stray puppy, perhaps.

“They’ve been mistreated and misunderstood for generations,” the ad begins. “Abusive owners have done severe damage and given these beautiful creatures a bad reputation.”

That’s how it’s supposed to sound. The owner of PRK Arms in Fresno, Calif., brainstormed this brilliant way to sell guns — and, so far, it’s worked. According to a news report from Fresno’s CBS 47 news, the gun shop has seen more business this holiday season than ever before. Among the many new customers are a surprising number of women, who are buying guns in record numbers, according to gun store owners.

No surprise there, really. What woman could resist this pitch?

“You can make a difference by giving a gun a loving home,” the ad says. “These guns want nothing more than to adore and protect you. So, please, have a heart. … PRK Arms has the kinds of guns that need a loving home more than anything else — like AK-47s, Glocks and the biggest selection of AR-15s in Fresno.”

Not surprisingly, the ad has stirred controversy, with some anti-gun activists objecting to the ad’s supposedly misleading nature. But I’d argue that what the ad states is true: Guns are designed as much for defensive protection as for offensive harm. And I agree, too, with what one woman says in the video: Learn how to use one and the scary factor fades.

Obviously, the potential for mishap exists, and gun safety should always be the first priority of a gun owner. But that doesn’t mean guns have no place on a holiday shopping list. The “peace of mind” that comes from a security system — whether a motion-triggered alarm or a well-stocked gun cabinet — is surely a welcome present.

Source




Crazy Canada: "An attempted home robbery and an exchange of gunfire at a home on 178 Nairn Avenue Tuesday night. Police were called to the home in the Rogers Road and Caledonia Road area. Three suspects are said to have barged into the detached home carrying guns, while the homeowner also had one and there was an exchange of gunfire. Two people including the homeowner were taken into custody when police arrived at the home. One of the suspects was injured and took off before police arrived. He turned up at a nearby hospital a short time later suffering from a gunshot wound but is expected to make full recovery. The homeowner will likely face charges but police won't say what they are."


CO: Homeowner: "Don't Move or I Will Shoot: "Johnny Harbour is being recognized for his quick reaction and restraint after holding a burglar at gunpoint until Sheriff Deputies arrived. “I was asleep and heard a loud noise, it woke me up. Then I continued to hear the noise so I just automatically picked up my gun,” said Harbour. Harbour told 11 News the burglar got into his home around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night after ripping off a screen from a window. The window was accidentally left unlocked and the burglar squeezed in. “I didn’t know what to expect as I came around the corner,” said Harbour. What he found was a man standing right next to his refrigerator. "I just pointed the gun at him and told him, 'Don't move or I will shoot you,’” Harbour said. He then turned on the lights and told the suspect to raise his hands. “It was next to my kitchen table so there was a chair right there. I told him to pull that chair out, sit down, and don’t move and then I called 911, while standing there holding a gun on him,” said Harbour. Police arrested 22-year-old Jacob Pino."