Trump Era NICS Checks for October, 2018, over Two Million

The number of National Instant background Check System (NICS) background checks for October of 2018 is slightly more than the number from 2017. In October of 2017, there were 2,030,391 NICS checks. In October of 2018, there were 2,086,895 background checks.

This does not mean more firearm sales for October of 2018 compared to October of 2017, because the character of NICS checks has been changing.

The number of NICS checks for carry permits and carry permit rechecks are now almost as numerous as the checks for firearms and any other purposes.

The permit and permit rechecks for October of 2018 numbered 1,028,214. That is only 30,000 less than all other checks combined. Most of those checks and rechecks come from two states, Illinois and Kentucky.

In 2017, the number of permit checks and rechecks done in October were 884,919. The permit checks and rechecks increased by 143,295 in October of 2018, with checks for firearm sales and all others decreased by 8.2%.

This does not necessarily mean that firearm sales dropped that much. An increase in permits likely increases sales where NICS checks are not required (25 states do not require an additional NICS check once the permit holder has had a NICS check for the permit). Because the permit checks and rechecks are concentrated in Illinois and Kentucky, it is unlikely that sales to permit holders account for more than a small fraction of the reduction in non-permit NICS checks.

I expect the number of NICS checks to be close to record numbers in November and December of 2018. Those months are traditionally high sales months for firearms.

In addition, the House of Representatives will be in the hands of Democrats in January. Several high profile Democrats have vowed to put forward extremely restrictive gun control legislation. From the wsj.com:

WASHINGTON—Democrats say they will pass the most aggressive gun-control legislation in decades when they become the House majority in January, plans they renewed this week in the aftermath of a mass killing in a California bar.

Their efforts will be spurred by an incoming class of pro-gun-control lawmakers who scored big in Tuesday’s midterm elections, although any measure would likely meet stiff resistance in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Democrats ousted at least 15 House Republicans with “A” National Rifle Association ratings, while the candidates elected to replace them all scored an “F” NRA rating.

“This new majority is not going to be afraid of our shadow,” said Mike Thompson, a California Democrat who is chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. “We know that we’ve been elected to do a job, and we’re going to do it.”

It is likely that such legislation would be killed in the Senate or vetoed by President Trump. However, there will be strong media backing for the bill. That translates into strong media coverage, and increased sales of firearms and ammunition. I do not expect the .22 ammunition bubble to reinflate, but fear sells.

The number of permits and permit rechecks are likely to increase as well. The trend of increasing permits has not stopped. The push for more restrictions will increase the number of people seeking permits.

With both numbers increasing, the number of NICS checks in November and December will be high.


©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

IL: Domestic Defense? Girlfriend Shoots 59-Year-Old Boyfriend

A 59-year-old man was shot multiple times in his chest and abdomen after being involved in a domestic altercation in the South Austin neighborhood around 9:05 p.m. Sunday, police said.
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AL: Semmes Homeowner Shoots at Man Attempting Breakin

SEMMES, Ala. (WKRG) - The Mobile County Sheriff's Office is investigating an attempted home invasion off Snow Road in Semmes. According to investigators, a homeowner shot at a man who was trying to breaking into the home.
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TN: Home Invasion, 1 Man Killed, I Invader Critically Wounded

Knox County authorities are searching for two suspects who barged into a mobile home Saturday night and opened fire, killing one man. Another man was critically injured after the homeowner returned fire, according to the sheriff's office.
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IL: Tragic, Officer Shoots, Kills, Security Guard

"He had somebody on the ground with his knee in back, with his gun in his back like, 'Don’t move,'" witness Adam Harris said.

Soon after, witnesses said, an officer responding to the scene fired at Roberson — killing him.

"Everybody was screaming out, 'Security!' He was a security guard," Harris said. "And they still did their job, and saw a black man with a gun, and basically killed him."
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MS: Natchez Homeowner Holds Suspect for at Gunpoint

NATCHEZ — A downtown homeowner held a man burglarizing his property at gunpoint Saturday morning until police arrived.

Natchez police said the suspect, Joshua McCloud, 28, of 224 Luck Road, Ferriday, faces charges on four counts of burglary, one within a dwelling and the other three for vehicular burglary, and a misdemeanor charge of malicious mischief.
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TN: Homeowner shoots are Masked Intruder

The resident of the home told police they came home from work at about 3:10 p.m. and found someone in the house wearing an “old man” Halloween mask.

The resident fired one shot from a handgun toward the suspect who fled the scene.
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NM: Gunfight, Business Owner Wounded, Suspect Killed

Police say they were called to Chavez Concrete Contractors around 9 p.m. on Friday near Jefferson and I-25. The owner reported someone was in his lot casing vehicles.

After that call, police said the business owner and the suspect had a confrontation and gunfire was exchanged.

Police said the business owner was shot and injured but he also shot at the man, killing him.

Officers found the man dead inside a construction vehicle in the lot.

"The business owner was involved in the gunfight with this individual that's deceased so we're talking to him about what happened," Ofc. Simon Drobik said.

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NY: Off Duty Officer Shoots Pit Bull, Says Three Charged Him

Meanwhile, police say the federal off-duty correction officer was walking in the vicinity and discharged his firearm when three unleashed pit bulls charged at him.

The pet owner says that while she had not been holding the leash of her third dog, it was one of the leashed dogs that was killed.

"It’s just so sad that my baby's dead. It's just so sad,” she says. “And she was a puppy. Her birthday was next month.”

News 12 is told that the off-duty corrections officer will not be facing any charges.
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TX: Armed Homeowner Shoots half-naked Intruder

An unidentified, half-dressed man who broke into a house early Saturday morning is in the hospital after the homeowner shot him, police say.
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AR: CCW permit holder Shoots two Escaped, Aggressive, Dogs

According to a police report, Hurns' neighbor told police both dogs were barking and lunging at her door on Cedar Ridge Court. The report stated Hurn, who told THV11 that he has a concealed carry license. He also said he tried to intervene by clapping his hands to scare the dogs away from the neighbor's house.

"She was scared of the dogs and unfortunately, in that conversation, the dogs came at me and I was scared to death,” said Hurn.
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Followup PA: No Charges for Charlier Smithgall in Pharmacy Robbery Shooting

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office released a statement on social media Friday.

“From our review of information and evidence obtained, we anticipate no charges against the store employee who fired upon the robber," the statement reads. “The facts establish that employee was a victim who faced the threat of imminent death.”
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TX: Driver Shoots Teens in Car After they Point Gun

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the teens were in a vehicle that was driven by a 15-year-old girl. About an hour earlier, the teens were in some sort of confrontation with another driver in an Audi SUV at a gas station near Beckford and Lima. The 18-year-old had been shouting at the driver before pulling a gun.

The sheriff said the Audi driver felt threatened and he pulled his own weapon, firing at the teens' vehicle, which then drove away to a nearby neighborhood.

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Tragic CO: Gunfight, Armed Robbery Victim Shot, Killed

An Evergreen man shot and killed in Aurora on Halloween was attempting to sell an Xbox to a teen who contacted him online when the teen opened fire, the victim’s wife said.

Jacob Clymer, 32, died on Oct. 31 after the daytime shooting in north Aurora. And his wife, Miranda Clymer, believes he saved her life that day.
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Followup AL: No Charges in Dothan Self Defense Shooting

A man shot dead Thursday night on Meadow Court in Dothan appeared to have been armed when police arrived, and authorities are treating the shooting as a matter of self-defense.

Dothan Police responded to a report of a firearm assault in the 500 block of Meadow Court Thursday around 10:20 p.m. A man had been shot to death in the front yard of a residence. Police later identified the man as Jay Greene Hollis, 24, of Dothan.
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VA: Armed Woman Shoots, Wounds Man, Claims Self Defense

The victim, Jimmy Tucker, 42, of Victorville, Calif. allegedly made repeated unwanted sexual advances toward the woman in her home, leading her to fear for her safety. When the woman told Tucker to leave her residence, deputies say he refused and threatened to kill her.

The woman allegedly fired multiple shots at Tucker, hitting him twice.
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KY: Hero Armed Citizen at Kroger Store Stops Mass Murder with Gunfire

Dominiic Rozier, Hero of Kroger Killing Spree

On 24 October, 2018, just before 3 p.m., at the Kroger store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, a man opened fire on people he did not know.

The suspect, Gregory Alan Bush was a prohibited possessor. He had mental illness, a paranoid-schizophrenia. He had been convicted of domestic violence against his parents and his wife. He was married to a black woman. That is the last time I will mention his name.  Mass murderers should not reap a reward of celebrity.

This is a case where an armed citizen stopped the ongoing mass murder.  There was another armed citizen at the scene, but he did not fire. Both legally armed citizens acted appropriately and with considerable thought and restraint.

The suspect started shooting inside the Kroger store. He fired multiple shots, killing Maurice Stallard. Then he left the store.

It is not exactly known when the second armed citizen encountered the suspect. It may have happened before or after Dominiic Rozier engaged the suspect.

Steve Zinninger says his father had drawn his pistol. The father saw the suspect, but the suspect was not shooting at anyone, pointing a gun at anyone, or threatening anyone. The pistol was at his side. He was not a deadly threat. The armed citizen had no reason to shoot him or engage him. Here is what the armed citizen's son reported. Synopsis from wave3.com video interview:

He saw the suspect, who had a gun at his side.  He had his gun out but the murderer said "I won't shoot you if you won't shoot me"; according to Steve Zinninger, son of the armed person who saw the suspect.

The suspect is also reported to have said: "Whites don't shoot whites." This indicated racism. It is not a reason to shoot a suspect.

This shows judgement and restraint on the part of Steve Zinninger's father.

At some point the suspect moved away and encountered a black woman, apparently Vicki Lee Jones.

Armed citizen, Dominiic Rozier, a black man and his wife, Kiera, witnessed the encounter. The suspect shot and killed Vicki. Dominiic Rozier had every reason to stop the suspect at that point. He had the ability, because he was armed.  From wave3.com:

“She was really close to me on the phone and I heard her say she’s trying to get home,” Kiera recalled. “She said, ‘These people are shooting. They’re crazy. I just want to get home, Lord, let me get home.’ [Bush] looked at her, and he kind of grinned and he just shot her. And that’s when I just froze.”

Kiera said she moved closer to her husband, Dominiic, who had his gun drawn and asked the suspect if he was okay.

“Before he pulled the gun my husband said, ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do this,'" Kiera remembered. “Before he could even say it, the guy had the gun pointed at me and another lady not too far from me.”

Dominiic and Bush then started firing at each other in the parking lot.

Notice the restraint used by Dominiic. He did the right thing. After he started shooting at the suspect, the killing stopped.  A few minutes later the police arrived, found the suspect, and arrested him. It is common for mass killers to give up after being confronted with deadly force.  From the nytimes.com:

After leaving the church, the police said, Mr. Bush headed to the Kroger. They said he entered the store just before 3 p.m. and fired multiple rounds at Mr. Stallard. He then exited and fired at Ms. Jones in the parking lot, Chief Rogers said, striking her several times.

Mr. Bush was stopped by an armed bystander who shot at him in the parking lot, and whose name the police have not released. Mr. Bush tried to flee, but he was caught by police officers. Chief Rogers said Mr. Bush was taken into custody four minutes after the police received the first call for help.

It is worth mentioning that the police did not shoot Dominiic Rozier. It destroys the myth that black men are not allowed to legally defend themselves and others with firearms. Rozier was not shot. He was not killed. He was not charged with a crime. He is being hailed as a hero. With a usual hero's attitude, he has stated that he was not a hero.

There is little media coverage about this mass murder being stopped by an armed citizen. That is what we usually see when an armed citizen stops a mass murder. The Media routinely downplay the event. It does not matter if the hero is black or white.

The old dominant media in this country is biased against self defense. They want the population disarmed. A legally armed man stopping a mass murder destroys their narrative.

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch 

LA: Woman Wounded in Armed Robbery, Fires Back at Masked Men

Sahim Hassan faced off with two men in masks. One pointed a gun at her but she was unfazed. She even tried to pull his mask off.

Chief Harris said the gunman told his accomplice to grab the money behind the counter. That's when Hassan pulled him away and made her way behind the counter.

When she was not looking, the gunman shot Hassan in the leg then ran out the door with his accomplice.

Hassan grabbed a .45 caliber pistol shot at the two men inside the store, limped to the door and shot at them at least three more times as the masked men ran across the street, Harris said.
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AL: Domestic Defense? Uncle Shoots, Wounds Nephew who was on the Lam

Investigators said Danny Fox walked away from his job site on Wednesday, November 7.

After the escape, deputies said Fox broke into his ex-wife's home. Later in the night, Fox broke into his uncle's house.

According to the sheriff's office, the uncle fired a shot at Fox when he discovered him in his home. The uncle told deputies it was dark and he didn't realize it was his nephew.
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NY: Gang Member Shot, Killed after Gang Chases Man in Target

A man chased into a Brooklyn Target store and threatened at knifepoint by six alleged gang members fatally shot one of his pursuers, cops said Thursday.

The men, all affiliated with the Bloods, confronted the shooter outside the City Point shopping center in Downtown Brooklyn around 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.

The shooter dashed into Target on the shopping center’s second floor with the group in pursuit, surveillance video obtained by cops shows.
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