GUN NEUROSIS AT YALE

In the wake of Monday's massacre at Virginia Tech in which a student killed 32 people, Dean of Student Affairs Betty Trachtenberg has limited the use of stage weapons in theatrical productions. Students involved in this weekend's production of "Red Noses" said they first learned of the new rules on Thursday morning, the same day the show was slated to open. They were subsequently forced to alter many of the scenes by swapping more realistic-looking stage swords for wooden ones, a change that many students said was neither a necessary nor a useful response to the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

According to students involved in the production, Trachtenberg has banned the use of some stage weapons in all of the University's theatrical productions. While shows will be permitted to use obviously fake plastic weapons, students said, those that hoped to stage more realistic scenes of stage violence have had to make changes to their props. Trachtenberg could not be reached for comment Thursday night.

"Red Noses" director Sarah Holdren '08 said she first heard about the changes in a phone call from a friend as she arrived at the Off-Broadway Theater on Thursday morning. At the theater, technical director Jim Brewczynski told her about the new regulations. The pair then met with Trachtenberg, who initially wanted no stage weapons to be used in the show, Holdren said, though she later agreed to permit the use of obviously fake weapons.

In a speech made before last night's opening show of "Red Noses," Holdren said that Trachtenberg's decision to force the production to use wooden swords instead of metal swords will do little to stem violence in the world. "Calling for an end to violence onstage does not solve the world's suffering: It merely sweeps it under the rug, turning theater - in the words of this very play - into `creamy bon-bons' instead of `solid fare' for a thinking, feeling audience," she said. "Here at Yale, sensitivity and political correctness have become censorship in this time of vital need for serious artistic expression."

Holdren said she is primarily worried about the University's decision to place limitations on art, rather than the specific inconvenience to her production. "I completely understand that the University needs to respond to the tragedy, but I think it is wrong to conflate sensitivity and censorship," she said in an interview. "It is wrong to assume that any theater that deals with tragic matter is sort of on the side of those things or out to get people; they're not - they're out to help people through things like this. I want my show and all shows to be uplifting to people. That's why I'm upset about this - it's not because my props were taken - it's about imposing petty restrictions on art as the right way to solve the problems in the world."

Brandon Berger '10, who plays a swordsman in the show, said the switch to an obviously fake wooden sword has changed the nature of his part from an "evil, errant knight to a petulant child."

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Fred Thompson gets it

Some people think that power should exist only at the top, and everybody else should rely on "the authorities" for protection. Despite such attitudes, average Americans have always made up the front line against crime. Through programs like Neighborhood Watch and Amber Alert, we are stopping and catching criminals daily. Normal people tackled "shoe bomber" Richard Reid as he was trying to blow up an airliner. It was a truck driver who found the D.C. snipers. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that civilians use firearms to prevent at least a half million crimes annually.

When people capable of performing acts of heroism are discouraged or denied the opportunity, our society is all the poorer. And from the selfless examples of the passengers on Flight 93 on 9/11 to Virginia Tech professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who sacrificed himself to save his students earlier this week, we know what extraordinary acts of heroism ordinary citizens are capable of.

Many other universities have been swayed by an anti-gun, anti-self defense ideology. I respect their right to hold those views, but I challenge their decision to deny Americans the right to protect themselves on their campuses - and then proudly advertise that fact to any and all.

Whenever I've seen one of those "Gun-free Zone" signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago.

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Excerpt from Belmont Club: "Malevolence lives in the mind much more than it does in inamate things. Recently the quarter-century crime statistics of two towns, one in Georgia and the other in Illinois were compared. One had forbidden the ownership of guns and the other had made their possession mandatory. The results as you may or may not have guessed, are that crimes in Guntown had dropped while crimes, especially violent crimes in the Gunfree-zone had soared. Like the Virginia Tech incident, people will debate the meaning of these statistics. But like the Virginia Tech case it ought to raise the question of whether, in regulating things, we are regulating the wrong object."

Why one man got a gun license:



What I said to my "concerned" friends that asked was, "I like to collect permissions to do things." I lied. Being freaked out that anyone they knew would take gun training and get a concealed weapons permit, they tacitly agreed to believe that lie. It kept everything smooth and "non-political," which I how a lot of my friends and I like it these days. All part of the little lies we tell because we cannot face reality in the world and in our relationships.

I took pistol training because one day it dawned on me that if I ever actually needed a gun it would be too late to shop. It dawned on me after an unarmed mother and daughter were shot to death hiking in the mountains around Seattle. (Mother Daughter Shot While Hiking) It dawned on me after an enraged Muslim had bluffed his way into the Jewish Community Center of Seattle last summer and shot six women and killed one. (Six Women Shot One Killed at Jewish Federation) That was the week I went and signed up for gun training. After the training I felt I would be qualified to get a gun.

I would get it because it was my right to get it. I would get it because I could. I would get it because Washington, no matter how deeply mired in denial and dementia Seattle may become, Washington itself is still a "must issue" state. And how long that would last in the demented rush to disarm and make all citizens effective wards of the state for their "protection" was anybody's guess, but the mindless jerking knees to control citizens' weapons after criminal sprees makes that anybody's guess.

Tracking the killings of over 30 unarmed, effectively disarmed, and therefore helpless students at Virginia Tech this week confirmed me in my decision. It took many bullets for this tragedy to unfold. It would have taken just one going the other way to stop it. That and the training to know what the situation was and how to react.

Unless you are morally, spiritually, and politically blind to human reality, you know that this is the truth. Just one weapon on one person in the hundreds that ran and scattered in front of the maniac could have written a much different ending to this sordid and vile rampage. But there was none because the regents and officials and politicians responsible were mired in yet the persistent liberal utopian dream of a world that never was and never will be. In a very real sense, those students that died were sacrificed to the flaccid and unexamined politically correct beliefs of those charged with their education and their security.

There will be massive lawsuits. There SHOULD be other public consequences of dramatic proportions for those that failed and those that constructed the failed policies. Otherwise the whole thing will drift off into the vague whisps of woulda and shouda and the whole massacre will be repeated, somewhere else somewhere down the line. For those that live in the happy world, the real world never instructs because they always avoid any consequences.

The people who sit around and dream up their "perfect world policies" never suffer any consequences to a great enough extent to give the others of their ilk pause. It's a consequence of decades of dementia among those that gain positions of trust and tenure at our colleges and then hire other similarly demented people to chum up with them. It's the "old liberals' network" that is every bit as protective as the "old boys' network" it so preeningly replaced.

We've handed off our colleges to weaklings and the intellectuallly insane. No surprise when fresh insanity breaks out and kills our kids. No surprise at all. And the kicker is that these people with these mindsets stand ready to do it again in exactly the same way at some other location. What happens in the real world doesn't dent their wooly womb at all. Their school is not now and never will be The Gun School.

In the real world, the Gun School I attended wasn't what anyone here who would never consider taking gun training would think. Everyone I spoke with here when I was taking the training expected a place surrounded by pickups around it sporting Confederate Flag bumper stickers and gun racks. It didn't matter that The Gun School existed a half a mile from Microsoft in the deepest heart of soft and fluffy nerd land. They had their internal image of 'gun nuts' and they were sticking to it. Reality cannot hope to displace insular group fantasies decades old.

In reality my class at The Gun School was composed of about 14 people and it met four times for three hours. It was basic gun safety and handling. Everyone who want to get a gun needs to take such a class. A gun is not a pick-up and go play kind of thing. As we are all aware, it is the kind of thing that will, to say the least, hurt you or someone else real fast and permanently if you get stupid with it. It can hurt you even worse if a maniac has one and you don't. Then you're just a target for their rage and an instrument of their twisted pleasure. You're going to go and you'll go cheap.

Of the 14 people in my class, seven were women -- of which four were lesbian couples -- who one and all told me they were there because of the killings of the mother and daughter who had been shot while hiking near Seattle. They had, I noted, the regulation number of anti-Bush stickers on their cars.

Two somewhat elderly Jewish couples took another four chairs. They were, I discovered, lifelong and committed Democrats and both drove the same model Prius. They were there because of the shootings at the Jewish Community Center. One of the wives, a grandmother type, said almost in passing, "It could happen again."

Then there was the programmer from a company he declined to name ("My coworkers and manager would think it really weird if they knew I was here.") and one man in his 20s who "just wanted to learn how to shoot." He drove a muscle car with no bumper stickers proclaiming his ideological persuasion. And then there was me. The only thing vaguely ideological about my car is the license plate that says LEM for "Law Enforcement Memorial." When I registered the car I had my choice of "theme license plates" that would let me celebrate the woods, the streams and a host of other ecologically correct Washington themes. Way down at the bottom was a new one that gave the extra fee to a memorial in honoring Washington police who have died in the line of duty. These days it somehow seemed more fitting to me, but then again I'm strange in my Seattle set. I go to things like The Gun School. When they ask me about why I have a plate on my car honoring law enforcement -- a function without which their happy perfect world could not exist -- I tell them I think it will give me an edge if I'm ever stopped for speeding.

Like my reasons for going to The Gun School, I'm lying, but it helps keep their happy world intact and, really, once you're armed you always want to keep everything very polite.

But am I armed? Maybe. Maybe not. As far as institutions with demented policies and hardcore fantasies like Virginia Tech are concerned, it really is none of their business. They'd be better off today as would the students they sacrificed if they'd had that attitude to begin with.

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Alabama jury rules self defense : "That's the verdict Friday in a Madison County murder trial. Today's verdict could set a precedent for future cases involving the use of deadly force in the state of Alabama. Leamon is now a free man, and his attorney says today's verdict is a victory for all Alabama homeowners. After two days of deliberations, the jury reached their verdict just before noon today. Steven Leamon claimed that he fatally shot Christopher Griffin because the victim was trying to kick through his front door in the middle of the night. The shooting happened at Leamon's Huntsville home back in November of 2005. Leamon's attorney Roy Miller says Griffin intended to rob his client. This could be a precedent-setting case as a result of Alabama's "lethal force law" which was passed by state lawmakers last year. That law allows home and business owners to kill an intruder without penalty if they believe they are in imminent danger."


Virginia man shoots big thug: "A man fatally shot on Harvard Street in February had been attempting to break into an apartment, and the man who fired will not be charged, Commonwealth's Attorney Jack Doyle said in a letter released Thursday. It was about 2 a.m. Feb. 28 when Keith Foreman tried to break into a ground-floor apartment at 416 Harvard St., Doyle wrote in a letter to police, after his review of the case. He said a man and a woman were inside the apartment at the time. One of them called out to the intruder, but he "continued in his effort to pry open the window," Doyle wrote. The man in the apartment fired a weapon, striking Foreman once. Later that morning, Foreman's body was found nearby. Foreman had a 1993 conviction related to a break-in at another home on Harvard Street in which a purse was stolen. He also was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1994, Doyle wrote in the letter. He fought with a man who died six days later of his injuries, The Pilot reported at the time. Foreman was 6 feet tall and 308 pounds when he died. The shooter had a reasonable fear that both he and the woman in the apartment were in danger, Doyle wrote".

Tennessee gets slightly more rational after massacre

In a surprise move, a House panel voted Wednesday to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments - including parks and playgrounds. "I think the recent Virginia disaster - or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it - has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects."

As amended, the legislation still wouldn't allow guns on school property, however. Niceley's bill aimed to let people holding handgun carry permits take their weapons onto state park property, which is now forbidden. But when Niceley brought the bill before the Criminal Practice Subcommittee, a branch of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Rob Briley, D-Nashville, promptly proposed an amendment to expand its scope. "We've been piecemealing this thing year after year," Briley said. "Why don't we just let you take your gun anywhere you want to?"

Tennessee's handgun carry law includes a listing of places where permit holders are forbidden to take their weapons. Briley has proposed an amendment that repeals a provision prohibiting guns "in or on the grounds of any public park, playground, civic center or other building facility, area or property owned, used or operated by any municipal, county or state government, or instrumentality thereof."

With very little debate, the amendment was quickly approved on a voice vote with only Rep. Janis Sontany, D-Nashville, chairman of the subcommittee, audibly shouting, "No!" She then asked Niceley if he had any comments before the bill, as amended, faced a final vote in the panel. "I'm in shock, and I can't talk," replied Niceley, though quickly adding he thought Briley's proposal was "a good amendment." The panel then approved the overall bill, sending it to the full House Judiciary Committee for a vote next week. Briley is chairman of the committee.

Niceley said afterward that Tennessee should join other states that basically allow licensed people to take their handguns "anywhere they want." The Briley amendment does not go that far, having no impact on separate provisions of the law that, for example, forbid guns on school grounds, in courtrooms or in establishments that serve alcoholic beverages.

But Briley, Sontany and others said afterward that it would allow permit holders to take their guns on most other state, county or city government property - including the Legislative Plaza, where signs are now posted to prohibit weapons except those carried by law enforcement officers.

Briley said in an interview that he and a handful of other legislators in subcommittees have borne the brunt of harsh criticism from some gun owners for opposing past efforts to "nibble away" at restrictions on where handguns can be taken. "This has been on the backs of just a few people," he said. "Now it's time for other people to stand up and say, 'We want these protections in the law' - or not."

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Florida man shot in home invasion: "An unidentified man was shot once in the chest Thursday evening after he allegedly burglarized a home in the 2700 block of Hollywood Avenue, Escambia County deputies said. Sgt. Ray Robinson said the homeowners returned to their house on Hollywood and found the suspect inside. One of the residents retrieved a shotgun, while the other called 911, Robinson said. The suspect attempted to leave the home and pushed one of the residents, knocking her to the ground. At that time, the other resident fired one shot that hit the suspect in the chest, Robinson said. The man who was shot was transported to Baptist Hospital. His condition was not known."


Tennessee man shot in home invasion: "A man was shot and injured Tuesday night in what law officers say appears to be another "home invasion" case, the second such case reported here in a week's time. In the Tuesday night case, which occurred on Peppermint Drive, a man named Brian Woods was shot in the leg, allegedly by a homeowner after two men broke into a home and tried to rob the residents. Woods was found on the porch of a nearby house, wounded and screaming for help following the alleged break-in, law officers said. He was treated at the scene by Putnam Ambulance medics and then airlifted to a hospital in another city. According to a report by Putnam Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. David Gibbons, the residents of one house reported that around 9 p.m. Tuesday two men entered the basement of their home and tried to rob them. "One subject was armed with a shotgun and the other with a SKS rifle," the report says. "The homeowner took the rifle away from one of the subjects and fired, and both subjects fled the scene."

John Lott on the Virginia killings

FEW tragedies make their victims feel more helpless than multiple-victim shootings. Imagine the terror: unable to escape, simply waiting for the killer

With 32 murdered, the Virginia Tech attack this week left more people dead than the two previous most deadly shootings: the 1991 Luby’s Cafeteria massacre in Texas, which left 23 people dead, and the shooting at a California McDonald’s in 1984 in which 21 people were killed.

Of course, these horrors are hardly unique to the US, and Australians need no reminding. In 1996 Martin Bryant killed 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania. In the last half-dozen years, European countries including France, Germany and Switzerland have experienced multiple-victim shootings. The worst in Germany resulted in 17 deaths; in Switzerland one attack claimed the lives of 14 regional legislators.

Within hours of the Virginia attack, publications such as The New York Times and leaders of gun-control groups were calling for more gun-control regulation. But perhaps it is time for a different approach. After all, following the Luby’s massacre, Texas and many other states began allowing their citizens to carry concealed hand guns.

There is an important reason to believe that the Virginia attack may also be different. All these attacks shared something in common: citizens were already banned from having guns in those areas. The problem with gun-control laws is not that there isn’t enough regulation, rather that it is primarily the law-abiding, not the criminals, who obey these laws.

Virginia Tech has rigorously enforced its gun-free zone policy and suspended students with concealed hand-gun permits who have tried to bring hand guns on to school property. But whether it is the three-year prison terms that can await those who take guns on to property of K-12 schools in most states, or the suspensions and expulsions at universities, these penalties are completely meaningless for someone intent on killing.

Bill Landes of the University of Chicago law school and I examined multiple-victim public shootings in the US from 1977 to 1999 and found that when states passed right-to-carry laws, the rate of multiple-victim public shootings fell by 60 per cent. Deaths and injuries from multiple-victim public shootings fell even further, on average by 78 per cent, as the remaining incidents tended to involve fewer victims per attack.

Law enforcement - usually the most effective means of stopping crime - had little effect on multiple-victim shootings simply because more than 70 per cent of these killers, such as Cho Seung-Hui, the killer at Virginia Tech, die at the scene of their crimes. Culpability is negligible. No other gun-control law had any beneficial effect. Indeed, right-to-carry laws were the only policy that consistently reduced the frequency of these attacks.

To the extent that attacks still occurred in right-to-carry states, they overwhelmingly happened in the places where concealed hand guns were still banned. The impact of right-to-carry laws on multiple-victim public shootings is much larger than on other crimes, for a simple reason: increasing the probability that someone will be able to protect themselves increases deterrence. Even when any single person might have a small probability of having a concealed hand gun, the probability that at least someone in the crowd will have a gun is very high.

While right-to-carry laws - now operating in 40 states - do reduce violent crime generally, the effect is much larger for multiple-victim shootings. Normally about 2 to 6 per cent of adults in any state have permits, and for most crimes that means some deterrence. But for a shooting in a public place where there might be dozens or hundreds of people, it will almost ensure that at least someone - someone who is unknown to the attacker - will be able to defend themselves and others. People won’t have to wait helplessly for the killer to get them.

Police are extremely important in deterring crime but, as this latest attack showed again, they almost always arrive after the crime has been committed. Annual surveys of crime victims in America by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics continually show that, when confronted by a criminal, people are safest if they have a gun. Just as the threat of arrest and prison can deter criminals from committing a crime, so does the fact that victims can defend themselves.

Other countries wonder how millions of Americans can be allowed to legally carry concealed hand guns. They must be crazy. Won’t blood flow in the streets? Many Americans also initially shared the same fears, but not any longer. The permit holders have proven to be extremely law-abiding. There is a reason no state that has allowed citizens to carry guns has reversed course.

Most people understand that guns deter criminals. Suppose you or your family are being stalked by a criminal who intends to harm you. Would you feel safer putting a sign in front of your home saying “This home is a gun-free zone”? Would it frighten criminals away? Good intentions don’t necessarily make good laws. What counts is whether the laws ultimately save lives. Unfortunately, too many gun laws primarily disarm law-abiding citizens, not criminals.

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McCain stands firm

Republican presidential candidate John McCain declared Wednesday he believes in "no gun control," making the strongest affirmation of support for gun rights in the GOP field since the Virginia Tech massacre. The Arizona senator said in Summerville, S.C., that the country needs better ways to identify dangerous people like the gunman who killed 32 people and himself in the Blacksburg, Va., rampage. But he opposed weakening gun rights and, when asked whether ammunition clips sold to the public should be limited in size, said, "I don't think that's necessary at all."

GOP rival Rudy Giuliani, too, voiced his support for the Second Amendment on Wednesday, but not in such absolute terms. Once an advocate of strong federal gun controls, the former New York mayor said "this tragedy does not alter the Second Amendment" while indicating he favors the right of states to pass their own restrictions.

Other candidates in both parties have stayed largely silent on the issue in the immediate aftermath of the killings, except to express their sorrow. McCain has opposed many gun controls in the Senate over the years but broke from most of his party - and his past - in supporting legislation to require background checks for buyers at gun shows. In one such vote, he relished taking a position at odds with the National Rifle Association.

In a speech Wednesday to a crowd of 400, McCain was unequivocal in support of the right to bear arms. "I do not believe we should tamper with the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States," he said. A woman shouted that George Washington's troops used muskets, not automatic weapons. "I hope that we can find better ways of identifying people such as this sick young man so that we can prevent them from not only taking action with guns but with knives or with anything else that will harm their fellow citizens," McCain said.....

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Australia: Would-be robber shot in buttocks by security guard: "A man was shot in the buttocks and leg after he and an accomplice allegedly threatened a security guard with a gun at a Sydney factory last night. The 24-year-old security guard was leaving the complex in Arncliffe in Sydney's south about 7.15pm (AEST) when a car pulled up next to him and one of two masked men pointed a gun at him, police said. When the guard drew his own gun, the car's passenger got out and ran off. The car then sped away while being peppered with gunshots. Some two hours later, police were called after two men appeared at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, one with gunshot wounds to the buttocks and right leg. An 23-year-old was in hospital under police guard while a 24-year-old Belmore man was being questioned by police"


Arizona Store Owner Holds Suspected Burglars At Gunpoint: "Two Florida men were arrested in Ash Fork after Yavapai County sheriff's deputies found them being held at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Texaco gas station, a sheriff's office spokeswoman said. Deputies were called to the Texaco around 12:30 a.m. Monday on reports of a burglary in progress. When they arrived, they said they found the owner of the store holding 49-year-old Juan Luis Ruiz and 38-year-old Angel Borges Sanchez at gunpoint. The owner told the deputies he'd found the men at the diesel pumps with the service panel off. The men had keys to the panel that no one but a technician should have had, deputies said. According to deputies, the men said they'd had trouble getting their credit cards to work, but neither man was found in possession of credit cards or any other form of payment. Ruiz and Sanchez were arrested on charges of felony trespass, possession of burglary tools and third-degree burglary. Bond for each was set at $25,000."


Philadelphia Man Acquitted After Pulling Gun at Football Game: "A Philadelphia judge has found a pistol-packing parent of a "peewee" football player was justified in pulling his gun on a substitute coach who was beating him during a sidelines altercation during a game in the Burholme section of Northeast Philadelphia last October ... . The defense conceded that defendant Wayne Durkotch pulled out a gun, but said it was in self-defense after he was beaten to the ground by the coach. Defense attorney Brian Quinn: "He is someone who has a permit to carry, he's licensed to carry. He only pulled the gun when he was in fear of dying. He was getting beat. He acted responsibly. Once he pulled the weapon, he put it away right away after the situation cleared. He waited for the police as he should have done." But coach Jermaine Wilson, who was filling in as coach that day, testified that parents including Durkotch were hollering and cursing him and that Durkotch had pushed him, and that's when he started hitting Durkotch. The judge has found Durkotch not guilty of all charges, but the judge said he was extremely disappointed to see all of this happen around children, who are five, six, and seven years old."

ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR GUN-FREE ZONES

If the teaching staff had all been armed, many lives would have been saved

The background -- from January 31, 2006

A bill that would have given college students and employees the right to carry handguns on campus died with nary a shot being fired in the General Assembly. House Bill 1572 didn't get through the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety. It died Monday in the subcommittee stage, the first of several hurdles bills must overcome before becoming laws.

The bill was proposed by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, on behalf of the Virginia Citizens Defense League. Gilbert was unavailable Monday and spokesman Gary Frink would not comment on the bill's defeat other than to say the issue was dead for this General Assembly session.

Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. "I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus." Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, would not comment Monday because he was not part of the subcommittee that discussed the bill.

Most universities in Virginia require students and employees, other than police, to check their guns with police or campus security upon entering campus. The legislation was designed to prohibit public universities from making "rules or regulations limiting or abridging the ability of a student who possesses a valid concealed handgun permit ... from lawfully carrying a concealed handgun." The legislation allowed for exceptions for participants in athletic events, storage of guns in residence halls and military training programs.

Last spring a Virginia Tech student was disciplined for bringing a handgun to class, despite having a concealed handgun permit. Some gun owners questioned the university's authority, while the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police came out against the presence of guns on campus.

In June, Tech's governing board approved a violence prevention policy reiterating its ban on students or employees carrying guns and prohibiting visitors from bringing them into campus facilities.

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The result

A shooting spree by a lone gunman has left at least 33 people dead at a Virginia university in the bloodiest mass shooting in US history. The killer first opened fire in a dormitory at Virginia Tech, the state's biggest university, killing at least two people. Two hours later he was able to continue his rampage in an engineering classroom on the other side of the campus. A lone male is believed to have been responsible for the carnage, before turning the gun on himself.

There were unconfirmed reports that the killer was an Asian man in his twenties who may have been motivated by jealousy, believing that his girlfriend was being unfaithful. By lunchtime, local time, the death toll had risen to 33 and a further 26 had been injured.

University authorities and police struggled today to explain why they allowed students on to the campus after the first shooting and failed to issue proper warnings. The internet was buzzing with postings purporting to be survivors' tales, including a dramatic description of students barricading themselves inside a classroom while the killer tried to shoot his way in.

Speaking from the White House President George W. Bush told a press conference: "Our nation is shocked and horrified." The massacre began at 7.10am, local time, when a gunman entered a dormitory at Virginia Tech, the largest university in the state. He killed two people, a man and a woman, on the fourth floor of the West Ambler Johnston Hall, one of the largest halls of residence with sleeping quarters for 895 students. At 7.15am the first emergency call was made. Police cars and ambulances rushed to the scene and armed teams fanned out around the hall, on the southwest side of the 2,600-acre campus, trying to find the gunman amid swirling snow.

Police and university authorities believed that the incident was "domestic" and was contained. They said later that there was reason to believe that the gunman had fled. By this time around 14,000 students and staff were on their way to the campus. The university sent e-mails to all Virginia Tech members but decided against shutting down the campus. Charles Steger, the president, said: "We concluded that once they got to the classroom, that was the best place to lock them down."

The e-mail had few details. It read: "A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating." The message warned students to be cautious and contact police about anything suspicious. But at 9.40am gunfire began again. Shots came from Norris Hall, an engineering building filled with classrooms. One student, Jamal Albarghouti, filmed the scene on campus with his mobile phone, images that were broadcast on CNN even before the full scale of the massacre had been revealed....

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Missouri: 3 men charged in botched kidnapping: "Three men face second-degree murder charges in an attempted kidnapping that left a fourth suspect dead. According to police, the four men plotted to kidnap another member of their gang and demand a $50,000 ransom. Police said the suspects lured the man to a house Saturday claiming they wanted to buy drugs from him, then bound him with duct tape and called his brother, demanding the ransom be paid within 30 minutes. The kidnap victim, a man in his 20s, managed to escape without injuries and call police after shooting one of his captors, police said. Police Sgt. Richard Sharp said the shooting was considered self-defense and the man has not been charged. However, Marlyn L. Standifer, 18; Robertico Cooper, 19; and Antwan Wooden, 21, were charged with second-degree murder, kidnapping and armed criminal action. Standifer and Cooper were in custody, but police were still looking for Wooden, who also is wanted in an unrelated shooting death in January. According to court records, the shooting happened when Antwan Wooden, Standifer and Cooper went to meet the victim's brother, who had gone to the police station. Court records say the victim was left alone with Keith Wooden, 24, the older brother of Antwan. The hostage worked his hands free from the duct tape and took Keith Wooden's gun from him, court records say. When Wooden lunged at him, the victim fired, court records say. He then fled the house. Wooden was pronounced dead at the scene."

South Carolina Woman Shoots and Kills Alleged Burglar : "Beaufort Police are investigating a shooting that left a 17 year old Yemassee man dead. It happened around 11pm Saturday at the Wilderness Cove Apartments. Police said Alphonso Bright was shot and killed when he forced his way into the home of a 20 year old Beaufort woman. Officers said Bright asked Aileen Sugano if her boyfriend was home. When she told him no, he left, only to come back moments later and push his way inside. Police said he grabbed a bag of marijuana and some cash that was on the table. They said Sugano pulled a gun out from under the couch and fired a shot that hit Bright. Then she called 911. Bright died later at the hospital. Sugano is charged with possession of marijuana. Beaufort Police are still investigating the shooting."


Nevada Resident Shoots Suspected Car Thief : "According to police, a resident on Winter Street shot a man Saturday night after finding him in his car. Police say the suspect in the vehicle approached the resident. The resident was armed with a shotgun and police say he fired one round, striking the suspect in the upper chest and upper arm. The suspect was transported to Renown Medical Center where he listed is in serious condition. The investigation is on-going."


Florida domestic: "An argument between a Cottondale woman and her estranged husband resulted in a shootout Saturday night. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 11:40 p.m. from Paul Barber Jr., 52, stating that a man and a woman had been shot at his home, located in the 3400 block of Omaha Trail in Cottondale just west of Marianna. When deputies arrived, the front door had been kicked open and Julian Shiver, 44, and Felisia Shiver, 45, were lying on the floor. According to reports, Felisia Shiver was visiting Barber when her estranged husband arrived. He wasn't let in so and (sic) he allegedly kicked the front door open. The confrontation grew into an argument where Julian Shiver pulled out a handgun and shot Felisia Shiver at least once in the head. Maj. John Dennis said Barber pulled out a shotgun and the two men exchanged gunfire. Reports said Barber struck Julian Shiver twice in the torso. Both Julian and Felisia Shiver were taken to Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Ala., and have undergone surgery. Dennis said Julian Shiver is in stable condition, and Felisia Shiver is in critical condition. As of now, Julian Shiver could faces charges of attempted murder and armed burglary."

FL: Case poses early test for "Castle Doctrine" law: "Norman Borden hopes to become a trailblazer -- the first defendant in Florida to have a murder charge dismissed because of the state's fledgling 'Castle Doctrine' law. ... Borden, 44, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and three other felonies in connection with the shooting deaths of Christopher Araujo, 19, and Saul Trejo, 21, and the wounding of a third man, Juan Mendez, who was 20 at the time. ... Public Defender Carey Haughwout argued that Circuit Judge William Berger should dismiss the indictment against Borden at a future pretrial hearing, saying that a preponderance of the evidence establishes his right to use deadly force. ... Borden and a friend were walking his dogs in his Westgate neighborhood in suburban West Palm Beach around 3 a.m. in October when he exchanged words with either Mendez or Araujo, according to witnesses. Araujo got behind the wheel of a Jeep, accompanied by Trejo, Mendez and a juvenile and drove toward Borden, with more yelling back and forth. After the juvenile got out of the Jeep, the men drove at Borden and his friend again. Trejo had a bat, according to Borden's attorneys, and he or Araujo also may have had a gun. This time, Borden opened fire on the Jeep until he had fired 14 rounds from his 9mm handgun. Then he went home and called police."


Ohio shootout leads to car accident : "A Warren man exchanged gunfire early Tuesday morning with someone who then tried to steal the man’s car, a police report shows. Martin Bonish, 55, 1625 Youngstown Road S.E. told police a man walking by his home as he was pulling into the drive about 12:45 a.m. opened fire after a brief conversation between the two. Bonish, licensed to carry a concealed weapon, returned fire, which is when the man jumped in Bonish’s still-running car and tried driving away, according to the report. But the man, who was trying to back out of the drive, hit a street sign and then accelerated forward across the street, through a fence and into a junk vehicle in a nearby parking lot, the report states. The man hopped a fence and got into a car that drove up to the crash, the report states.


New Hampshire: Shooter acted in self-defense : "Prosecutors dropped charges against Frank Meisel, accused of shooting his stepbrother, saying he acted in self-defense when he fired his .38-caliber revolver into the chest of David Richardson. Richardson, 53, went to Meisel's business, Windham Autobody at 47 Roulston Road, threatening to hurt him about 10 a.m. on March 1, police said. Meisel, 43, of Cluff Road in Salem fired his weapon after Richardson had swung a large bat at his head and threatened to hurt him, said Rockingham County Attorney James Reams. Police had charged Meisel with misdemeanor simple assault after the altercation, saying they would either upgrade or drop the charge, based on the investigator's conclusion. "Everything we had was consistent with self-defense," Reams said yesterday. Police had been to the garage hours before the shooting when Richardson, who lived about a half-mile away, showed up drunk and got into a fight with Meisel. Neither of the men were seriously hurt or wanted to press charges. Police told Richardson not to return to the garage, but he showed up a couple of hours later, armed with a large club. The arguments were the result of Richardson wanting to borrow money, police said. Meisel's account of what happened was supported by his bookkeeper, who saw both fights between the men, according to police."

SC: Man glad he didn't "freeze up" for intruders: ""A judge has refused to grant bond to two men accused of breaking into a Charleston Highway home in February, including the man deputies say was shot by the homeowner. ... That decision from the bench came after 1st Circuit Assistant Solicitor Bryan Jeffries asked the court deny bond to the trio accused in the Feb. 20 invasion of the Charleston Highway home of 80-year-old Newman 'Ted' Jackson. ... Prior to Wednesday's hearing, Jackson talked about that night and his decision to pull the trigger, which apparently stopped the incident from going further. ... But it was that moment of decision Jackson was questioned about, the moment he decided to fire. A man brandishing a weapon that looked like an automatic kicked open his bedroom door moments after he'd retrieved one of several handguns he owns. 'When he saw my gun, he said, 'Whoa!,' like that,' Jackson said. 'He was going at 90 mph to get out of there.' It was decision time. 'I thought for a second, 'What if he gets clear and then turns around and shoots up my house with that submachine,' Jackson said. 'Oh, hell no. 'Boop!' I shot.'"


IL: Gun-haters try to shut down range: "A judge toured a shooting range today that lies within a glide path of Scott Air Force Base and poses a potential danger to planes and participants, according to St. Clair County officials who want to close it. But the president of the Caseyville Rifle & Pistol Club told St. Clair County Associate Judge James Radcliffe as he toured the enclosed site on the edge of Mascoutah that if rules are followed it would be impossible for a bullet to leave the confines of the range. ... The operation of the range is currently the focus of an eminent domain lawsuit brought by the county on grounds that the operation of a shooting facility so near to a flight path poses danger from bullets hitting aircraft, and people on the ground being killed by a crashing airplane."


West Virginia woman shoots dog she claims attacked her: "A woman in a trailer park shot a dog that she claimed was attacking her while she got out of her car Wednesday night. The woman, who lives out on Howells Mill Road, reported to Cabell County Sheriff's that two German shepherd dogs approached her near her vehicle and became very aggressive. Officers said the woman apparently shot one of the dogs with a .38 revolver, leaving it wounded and causing the other one to run off at the time of the report. No arrests were made and the owners of the dogs were not present at the time. The woman and neighborhood witnesses told officers that the landlord has warned the owners about leaving their dogs without a leash. Officers notified Animal Control about the two dogs."

No charges in California property protection shooting

Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully will not prosecute the man who police said shot a 17-year-old boy breaking into his car and then fired several more times as the boy and two other men fled. Sou Saechin, 42, was arrested April 4 on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for firing three or four shots at the fleeing suspects, according to Sacramento police. He was not arrested for shooting the boy and, had he not fired at the group as they took off, "it is unlikely that an arrest would have occurred," Sacramento Police Sgt. Matt Young said.

Saechin confronted the boy and his two alleged accomplices outside his south Sacramento home after hearing a noise about 3 a.m., police said. The three were trying to break into Saechin's Honda Civic, parked in the driveway of the family's Rock Creek Way home, to steal its air bags, authorities said.

One of the alleged burglars -- a 17-year-old boy who has not been identified because he is a juvenile -- reached into his sweat shirt and appeared to step toward Saechin, who feared "he was about to be attacked," according to a news release issued by Scully's office. Saechin shot the boy once in the chest with a .22-caliber rifle, police said. He is recovering in a Sacramento-area hospital; his injuries are not life-threatening.

Although Saechin then broke the law by firing at the boy and his two alleged accomplices as they tried to flee in a car, authorities will not prosecute the father of four because "he didn't hit the car," Scully said. Had he injured or killed anyone in shooting at the car, Scully said, she likely would have charged him. "Fortunately, he didn't hit anything," Scully said....

Scully said she had to choose between prosecuting Saechin and prosecuting the alleged car burglars. She said she needs Saechin's testimony and that the suspects -- Marco Virelas, Larry Tran and the 17-year-old boy -- are "the ones I believe pose a risk to the community." "For me, I can't (prosecute both Saechin and the suspects), and the answer is pretty easy," Scully said. Scully's office said her office would prosecute the two adult suspects on burglary-related charges, and noted that both have prior criminal records.

Source





Tennessee robber makes 2 mistakes : "Sometimes an apology's just not good enough. A would-be robber found that out the hard way today when he came back to say he was sorry after trying to rob a Northwest Knoxville store, authorities said. "Within 10 minutes, he came back to apologize, and he was in custody," Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. Police said the move was the second mistake of the day for William Jones, 33. The first came when he tried to rob the R&H Market, 1601 Beaumont Ave., with a toy gun just before 1 p.m., authorities said. The owner, Nihad Saah, pulled a real pistol, and Jones ran, police said. "I didn't want to hurt him," Saah said. "But I worked too hard for my money for somebody to just come in here and take it from me." Police still were searching the neighborhood for Jones when he came back to the store. Saah and some customers kept him there until officers arrested him".

Antigun Laws Help Stalkers Victimize Women

What do you do when the police can't protect you? Police may be the single most important factor for reducing crime, but there is something the police themselves understand: They almost always arrive at the crime scene after the crime has occurred. Expecting people to trust the police to protect them and to behave passively is a recipe for disaster.

The last couple of weeks have seen a couple prominent murders where restraining orders did women little good. Numerous news organizations, such as ABC News, have run headlines asking "How Do You Stop a Stalker From Killing You?"

Unfortunately, despite acknowledging that "many women find themselves on their own," the media are drawing the wrong lessons. To simply advise that women "Get the hell away from him" often doesn't go anywhere near far enough. With her tragic murder last Monday on the campus of the University of Washington, Rebecca Griego learned this the hard way. Twice she had filed for restraining orders against her abusive and physically violent former boyfriend, Jonathan Ghulam-Nabi Rowan, but the police didn't know where he lived and could never serve him. It wasn't like they didn't try, for in January they couldn't even locate Rowan for an outstanding warrant for a drunk driving conviction.

Rowan made Rebecca's life hell. In police reports as well as her request for a restraining order, she described Rowan as a "suicidal alcoholic" who had "punched," "slammed" and "thrown" her to the ground. To no avail, she moved a couple of times and changed her cell phone number. Nevertheless, on March 7 and 14, Rowan called her at work, threatening both her and her dog. He then called and threatened Rebecca's older sister.

But restraining orders often aren't worth the paper on which they're written, even when they are served. For a stalker intent on killing his victim or committing suicide after the attack, the penalty for violating a restraining order is irrelevant. With Seattle police's response time of seven minutes for the highest-priority emergency calls, the police simply can't be there to protect you even with a restraining order. Seven minutes can seem like an eternity.

With such rampant failures in the system, there is one piece of advice that could have saved Rebecca's life: Practice self-defense and a get a gun. Indeed, the University of Washington goes in the opposite direction and tries to protect people by declaring the campus a "gun-free zone," with the school's code of conduct banning the "possession or use of firearms ... except for authorized university purposes."

Gun-free zones may be well-intentioned, but good intentions are not enough. It is an understandable desire to ban guns; after all, if you ban guns from an area, people can't get shot, right? But time after time when these public shootings occur, they disproportionately take place in gun-free zones.

It is the law-abiding good citizens who would only use a gun for protection who obey these bans. Violating a gun-free zone at a place such as a public university may mean expulsion or firing and arrest, real penalties for law-abiding citizens. But for someone intent on killing others, adding on these penalties for violating a gun-free zone means little to someone who, if still alive, faces life in prison. Unfortunately, instead of gun-free zones ensuring safety for victims, ensuring that the victims are unarmed only makes things safer for attackers.

One of us conducted research with Bill Landes at the University of Chicago that examined all the multiple-victim public shootings in the United States from 1977 to 1999. We found that when states passed right-to-carry laws, these attacks fell by 60 percent. Deaths and injuries from multiple-victim public shootings fell on average by 78 percent. To the extent that attacks still occurred, they overwhelmingly happened in the special places within right-to-carry states where concealed handguns were banned. The University of Washington is a good example of this. There is no evidence that there are any more accidental gun deaths that occur from right-to-carry laws. Permit holders also tend to be extremely law-abiding.

Ironically, earlier this year University of Washington President Mark Emmert began consideration of making the school's ban somehow apply to students living off campus as well. Students are sitting ducks on campus, but the change would make them vulnerable off campus as well.

Not only did the gun-free zones fail here, but it is extremely unlikely that Rowan could even legally own a gun. As a non-resident alien, Rowan needed an alien firearms license to even own a gun, something that rarely is granted.

There is an even simpler point to make. It is the physically weakest, women and the elderly, who benefit the most from having a gun to protect themselves. The U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey has shown for decades that resistance with a gun is by far the safest course of action when one confronts a criminal. Good intentions don't necessarily make good rules. What counts is whether the rules ultimately save lives. Unfortunately, too many rules primarily disarm law-abiding citizens, not criminals.

Source







OR: Homeowner chases burglars off with pistol "An East Multnomah County man faced with at least two burglars in his home turned the tables on them by grabbing his own gun and opening fire while chasing one of them down the street. But it wasn't a bullet that stopped the one suspect who didn't get away -- an asthma attack tripped him up. ... Newsome [pic above] and one to four other suspects allegedly forced their way into the home of a 21-year-old man at Southeast 160th Avenue and Powell Boulevard north of Powell Butte at about 12:30 p.m. Once inside, the suspects -- at least one of whom was armed with a handgun -- confronted the victim. A verbal and possibly a physical struggle ensured between Newsome and the victim, during which the victim managed to get his own gun, a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. With that, the suspects fled the scene with the victim chasing after them."

TOUGH TIME FOR OHIO OLDSTER

"The West Sunset Drive man who set a trap to catch the person he said was stealing from him faced another burglar Saturday morning. This time, the 78-year-old William Kenneth McComas lost the struggle for the gun and sustained muscle strains and bruises on the back, neck and head. He was treated and released from WRH Health Systems, where he was transported by Rittman Emergency Medical Services. A few hours after the incident, Casey Wood, 18, of Fairlawn Avenue, and Charles Mattingly, 21, of Fourth Street, were arrested, police Chief Larry Boggs said. Wood is being held on a burglary charge with a $10,000 bond, while Mattingly faces a charge of receiving stolen property and $5,000 bond.

Saturday's incident is the second time in a week McComas faced an intruder, but police say it appears to be unrelated. On March 31, McComas waited in the dark with a handgun and a telephone for a man he suspected of stealing from his home. Chris Lively, 26, of Front Street, was arrested in that incident. McComas held a gun on Lively until the police arrived a few minutes later.

The most recent incident began about 6:30 a.m., by McComas' recollection. He heard someone hitting the newly installed unbreakable glass on his kitchen door. He said he looked out the window to see if there was a car in his driveway, but saw none and went back to bed. Moments later, the wood on the kitchen door gave way to a kick, and an intruder burst into McComas' bedroom door.

Later at the police station, McComas identified the man who he saw in the bedroom as Wood. He recalled performing Wood's father's wedding some years before and remembered meeting the young man, he said. The police press release said Wood and Mattingly entered the home, but McComas said he remembers seeing only Wood. When Wood burst in the bedroom door, he called McComas by name and shouted to give him his money and billfold, McComas said.

McComas said he pulled a firearm out from under the bedcovers, but was holding the barrel. The intruder struggled for the gun. McComas let go because he was afraid the younger man would shoot him, McComas said. He said his body was twisted during the struggle, resulting in the bruises and muscle strains.

The man threatened to kill him and claimed to be on crack, McComas said. The intruder left with about $500 in cash, medication and the handgun, McComas said. McComas dialed for the police as Wood walked out the door. He recalled Wood turning around, spying the phone and calling out, "I love you, Kenny." Four police officers arrived two minutes after getting the call at 6:38 a.m., Boggs said.

More here





Georgia store clerk shoots would-be robber: "Macon Police are investigating an attempted armed robbery at the BP Station on Eisenhower Parkway. The incident happened Tuesday morning at 8:30. The store clerk told officers he shot the would-be robber after he allegedly entered the business, displayed a weapon, and demanded money. The suspect then ran from the business. Shortly after the robbery, police received a call from the Houston Coliseum Hospital Emergency Room about a gunshot victim. When police arrived they found the gun shot victim was the armed robber from the BP Station. The 20-year-old Macon man is being treated for a gun shot wound to the wrist. He is in stable condition."


Pink Pistols: The gay group that's getting armed: "On a crisp Sunday morning, Nicki Stallard closes one mascara-coated eye and focuses intently on her target. Her long fingers are wrapped around the handle of a Colt .45; black go-go boots hug her muscular legs, which are firmly set in shooting stance. As she rapidly fires off rounds of ammunition, shells fall to the ground, rolling under her stacked platform heels. Nicki Stallard isn't your average lady. She was born a man. Stallard, who has been living as a woman for the past year and a half, is the coordinator of the San Jose chapter of the Pink Pistols -- a national organization that encourages gay, lesbian and transgender people to arm themselves to prevent hate crimes. Part social gun club, part political platform, the group's slogans are, 'Armed gays don't get bashed' and 'Pick on someone your own caliber.'"

May I be Frank? "'I do not carry guns on planes, I carry two guns,' Jackson, Miss., Mayor Frank Melton told WLBT Channel 3 reporters, according to the Jackson Free Press, which related the mayor 'admitting that he had carried a weapon on almost every commercial flight for years.' ... Unauthorized carrying of firearms aboard commercial airliners is a federal felony. Would you or I be 'asked?' ... And then there's this little matter of the Second Amendment. It's not like Frank is asserting his right to keep and bear arms as a matter of Constitutional principle. He just wants his guns, and the hell with everybody else. You see, Frank is not only a member of Michael Bloomberg's cabal of anti-gun mayors stumping for more citizen disarmament laws, but he also wrote an executive order to ban gun shows in Jackson, Miss., along with closing down gunshops. Which brings me back to my original question. May I be Frank? Or at least enjoy all the privileges and immunities that have been afforded him? If the answer is 'no,' then there's only one word for such inequity, and it's something no American should ever tolerate: Tyranny."


ID: Red's fight draws national support: "When Ryan Horsley created a petition to demand that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives discontinue the way it treats licensed firearms dealers, he never thought it would receive this kind of response. Within three weeks of posting it online, he received more than 2,200 signatures from people throughout Idaho and the United States. It includes the names of business owners, political figures, concerned citizens and those who are just simply fed up with the bureau's treatment of local gun shops. 'I wasn't expecting this type of response, but this really is not a Red's Trading Post issue. This is an issue that affects everyone,' Horsley said. 'We keep losing local gun stores left and right because of things like this.'"


Ohio cab driver shoots assailant: "A man is critically injured and a cab driver is undergoing treatment after an early-morning shooting on Vine Street on Monday morning. Police said the cab driver told them he was dropping off a fare across from Veterans Hospital in the 3200 block of Vine Street when the man began assaulting him. The cab driver said the man took money from him during the assault. The cab driver told officers that he pulled a gun and shot the man in self-defense. The man was transported to University Hospital with life-threatening injuries. His name has not been released.

Arrogant Texas cops

Keith Patton was driving home one night in February when police officers pulled over his red Ford Explorer for a traffic stop. His license and insurance form were in his gym bag on the floor near the back seat. Under the bag was a .357 Magnum. Mr. Patton, 51, an oil-field geologist, software tester and martial arts instructor from suburban Katy, told the police about the gun, which he said he had bought hours before from a co-worker for target shooting. Moments later, he was handcuffed and on his way to jail, facing a charge of unlicensed carrying of a weapon.

The arrest might have been routine elsewhere, but this is Texas, where a code rooted in the days of the highwayman recognizes the right of travelers to be armed, and the Legislature has repeatedly endorsed that principle. Defiant police officers and prosecutors, however, saying they retain law enforcement discretion, have continued arresting and bringing cases against motorists like Mr. Patton found with unlicensed handguns.

The conflict has led to a legal standoff and a new effort by legislators to resolve the issue. It has also inspired an unlikely alliance between the gun lobby, which has long drawn support from the political right, and civil liberties advocates, long identified with the left, in defense of pistol-packing travelers. In a report issued in February, the Texas affiliate of the National Rifle Association joined the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition "to spotlight unlawful, unnecessary governmental encroachment on average law-abiding citizens."

The report, "Above the Law: How Texas prosecutors are placing their own judgment over that of the Legislature and the law of the land," found that district and county attorneys had instructed police officers to "unnecessarily" interrogate drivers and arrest them or take their weapons, "even if they are legally carrying the gun."

"It's all the self-interest of the job," said Scott Henson, a civil liberties advocate and blogger who wrote the report. Mr. Henson contends that police officers are opposed to citizens' carrying guns and that prosecutors depend on gun charges to strengthen weak cases and prompt plea bargains.

Like many other states, Texas bans the carrying of concealed handguns without a license. Obtaining a license requires a background check and a gun-safety course. By long-established law, however, Texans can cite "traveling" as a defense to possession of an unlicensed handgun. But while traveling was widely understood to denote a journey of some distance, it was never defined. (Travel on planes and other interstate conveyances banning weapons falls under federal jurisdiction.)

In 1997, the State Legislature tried to clarify the law by removing unlicensed carrying of a weapon as an offense while traveling. But it left unresolved whether traveling required making an overnight stop, crossing county lines or other conditions. In 2005, lawmakers sought to remove the ambiguity by declaring that anyone in a private vehicle who was not engaged in criminal activity or otherwise barred from possessing a firearm was "presumed to be traveling," and thus exempt from restrictions on concealed handguns.

Terry Keel, a former member of the Texas House of Representatives who sponsored the bill, explained its intent in a statement entered into the record: "In plain terms, a law-abiding person should not fear arrest if they are transporting a concealed pistol in a motor vehicle."

But the measure hardly ended the controversy. Almost as soon as it became law in September 2005, the Texas District and County Attorneys Association signaled its displeasure by advising members that the act did not rule out arrests of otherwise law-abiding drivers carrying weapons. The association said it was up to the courts to determine whether a person was, in fact, traveling. "Therefore," it declared, "officers are still acting within their lawful discretion if they arrest a person who might qualify for the traveling defense or the new traveling presumption." Or, as Charles A. Rosenthal Jr., the district attorney of Harris County, which includes Houston, argued, "The presumption of innocence does not make the person innocent."

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Australia: Grandmother sends gun-toting burglar packing: "An elderly woman helped turn the tables on an armed robber who raided a house with a gun and baseball bat in Melbourne's west yesterday. The dazed burglar was last seen limping from the Sunshine West house with one shoe missing after being tackled by the grandmother, her two daughter-in-laws and son. Five children aged three to 12 were at the Mounsey St house when the heavily built man, aged about 30, knocked at the door and pushed his way inside, brandishing the weapons. The woman, in her 60s, jumped on the robber and started to beat him. Her daughter-in-law, 38, picked up the intruder's baseball bat and turned it on him as her son managed to briefly hold down the man. They and another daughter-in-law snatched back handbags he had grabbed and the grandmother went to a neighbour's to phone police. The 184cm man broke free and fled before police arrived. His bat, imitation pistol and one shoe were recovered at the scene."


MA: South coast is up in arms: "Local gun owners say their firearms are primarily for hunting and target shooting -- but they also like the feeling of protection that they get from keeping a gun in the house. 'The nice thing about a firearm is that it's an ultimate equalizer,' the supervisor said. 'There are some women who are very good at this sport. You put a 300-pound guy on the other end and a woman's going to lose. But put a gun in her hands and that takes his advantage away.' Lately, the supervisor -- like many local gun owners -- has been spending a lot of time discussing Charles D. Chieppa, a New Bedford homeowner who used a legal Walther P38 semiautomatic to kill a suspected burglar in 2004. A jury found Mr. Chieppa not guilty of second-degree murder last Tuesday. Many gun owners reacted to the ruling with both surprise and satisfaction. But the supervisor said the verdict also made him and colleagues at the range think about what would happen if they ever drew their weapons on a real person, not just a paper target."

ANTI-GUN NUTS DISHONOUR A HERO



City officials said today a statue honoring slain Navy SEAL Danny Dietz will be erected July 4 despite opposition from a Littleton group claiming it glorified violence because he is depicted holding an automatic rifle. The parents of Dietz offered a brief statement at the city's community room and expressed surprise that there would be anyone who would oppose a statue honoring their son. "The last few days have been pretty difficult for our family, but not nearly as difficult as losing our son," Cindy Dietz said. "We understand that a small number of people don't want us to erect this sculpture. Ironically, D.J. died defending their right to disagree." As they finished, a group of police officers watching applauded for the couple.

State Sen. Steve Ward was incensed about the controversy as he watched the couple's speech. "This is pathetic," he said. "What's next? Take the bombs bursting in air out of the Star Spangled Banner?" Danny Dietz, 25, was killed June 28, 2005 in Afghanistan after his four-man reconnaissance were searching for al-Qaida fighters. Within hours, a Special Forces helicopter was shot down, killing eight other SEALS and eight soldiers. Only one member of Dietz's four-member team was rescued.

Kelli Narde, spokeswoman for the City of Littleton, said she was also surprised by the opposition to the sculpture and felt awkward about approaching the Dietz family about a possible public flare up. She also said she tried to set up a private meeting between the Dietz family and those raising objections.

Among those opposing the statue were Emily Fuchs, who is a member of the city's Fine Arts Committee and Linda Cuesta, whose child was at Columbine High School when two teenagers shot and killed 12 students and a teacher in 1999.

Cuesta told the city council last month it would be a mistake to put the statue in a place where kids would pass it every day. But Cindy Dietz said she didn't understand that logic. "This has nothing to do with Columbine," she said. Narde said the city has already lined up an admiral in the U.S. Navy to be at the dedication on July 4 and that much of the work at the foundry has been completed on the statue. Cindy Dietz herself has been to look at the castings at least six times to make sure the it is in the likeness of her son

Source. And Michelle Malkin has more.





Oregon: Juvenile Shot During Break-In: "A 16-year-old Jefferson boy is recovering from a gunshot wound after he was found in another man's home. Just before 3:30 a.m., deputies were called to a home on High Street on reports of a robbery and shots fired. Michael Vogler, 59, told the police that he had confronted a male in his house with a gun. At some point the male suspect assaulted Vogler and tried to get the gun away from him. During that struggle, one shot was fired. The juvenile ran into the garage of the home, dove head-first through a window and ran from the area on foot. Vogler had minor injuries to his head and neck as a result of the assault. At about 6 a.m., Albany Hospital staff contacted the sheriff's office to report that the juvenile had come to the emergency room with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen and a cut on his elbow. The juvenile was treated and released to his parents to recover from his injuries. The investigation is continuing and criminal charges for the juvenile will be forthcoming. The extent of those charges has yet to be determined."

California shootings offer contrast

Forget protecting your property. It's anybody's who wants it

An off-duty Sacramento County sheriff's deputy fatally shot a man who she said had crept into her Roseville home late Tuesday night and tried to sexually assault her. Hours later, in a south Sacramento neighborhood, a father of four shot and wounded a teenager who he said was trying to break into his car. Sou Saechin, the 42-year-old father, was trying to protect the family car, his wife said Wednesday. Sacramento police arrested him on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. The deputy, who authorities say was acting in self-defense, remains free.

Their cases illustrate where the legal lines are drawn when it comes to using deadly force to protect yourself or your property. "The law does not want people to use deadly force unless they absolutely have to," said Ruth Jones, a professor of criminal law and procedure at McGeorge School of Law. "In the situations when someone is at risk of physical injury to themselves or others, you can meet that kind of deadly force with deadly force of your own." However, Jones said, "merely protecting your property is insufficient reason to use deadly force."

News of the two shootings generated heated debate on the Internet and on radio talk shows throughout the day Wednesday. Nearly all of the dozens of comments posted on sacbee.com sympathized with both Saechin and the deputy. Many readers thanked the deputy for, as one person wrote, "saving the county the money it would have cost to prosecute the thug." Some online readers called Saechin a "hero." Many others said they would have done the same thing and pleaded for the law to be changed.

Conservative talk show host and freelance Bee columnist Tom Sullivan sympathized with Saechin's case and made it a topic of his radio program Wednesday. Late in the afternoon, Sullivan bailed Saechin out of Sacramento County jail, saying in an interview on KCRA that he believed Saechin feared for his safety and the safety of his family.

The deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting, sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran said. She has been with the department about three years. She told investigators she came home about 10 p.m. Tuesday to find the intruder in her home on the 1600 block of Sierra Gardens Drive. Police identified the intruder as Charles David Williams, 40, of Roseville. Investigators do not know Williams' motive for entering the home, but they don't believe that he knew the deputy, Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said. Gunther said Williams tried to sexually assault the deputy when she confronted him; the deputy shot him in the master bedroom. According to police, he was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Officers would not say if Williams had been arrested in Roseville before, but Officer Jerry Wernli said the department has "had contact with him in the past."

Police are not releasing the deputy's name because she is the victim of an attempted sexual assault. Williams' body lay in the home for more than 17 hours while police investigated the scene. The neighborhood just off Douglas Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in Roseville, is typically rather quiet, neighbors said.

Charles and Patricia Rachoff, who have lived in the neighborhood 17 years, said they were watching television and their front door was open when the shooting took place, but they heard nothing. "The dogs didn't even bark," Patricia Rachoff said, referring to the deputy's two small dogs. "And they always let you know someone is on the property." Rachoff said the deputy rents a room from the homeowner, a male law enforcement officer.

Laurie Kubicek, an assistant professor in the division of criminal justice at Sacramento State University, said when people find intruders in their homes, the law is "going to presume they have a reasonable fear for their safety." "It's 'the home is your castle' principle," Kubicek said. The same protections do not apply to someone trying to defend property that is threatened outside a home, legal experts said.

In the two years the Saechin family has lived on Rock Creek Way, their pickup truck's catalytic converter has been stolen and another car has been broken into, said Ian Saetane, Saechin's wife. Four homes on their block have been burglarized -- including one across the street. So when Saechin saw the home's motion light flicker on about 3 a.m. Wednesday, he went outside to investigate and saw three boys trying to break into the family's Honda Civic, his wife said. Moments later, Saetane heard gunshots. "He was just trying to protect our property," a tearful Saetane said. She said her husband was trying to scare the alleged thieves away when he fired his gun and that "he didn't want to kill anyone."

Saetane said her husband was fearful he may have hit one of the alleged thieves, so he went inside and called police. Officers responded to the scene and arrested Saechin. The boy who was hit -- who was not identified but is a juvenile, according to Sacramento police Sgt. Matt Young -- was dropped off at an area hospital, apparently by his alleged accomplices, with injuries that weren't life-threatening, police said. It is "very possible he may be arrested," Young said.

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Tennessee drama: "There's been a shooting this afternoon in Chattanooga. Police say a 38 year old man was shot twice trying to invade a home on West 39th Street just before 3pm this afternoon. Investigators say the man came to the door with a gun drawn. They say the home owner acted in self-defense and fired with his own weapons, fatally wounding the would-be home invader on the porch of the home. Officers say more than likely charges will not be filed in this case. So far, names have not been released."

WA: No murder charge in death: "A Mexican national with alleged ties to drug trafficking won't face murder charges for his part in a gunbattle that ended with an Everett man's death. Snohomish County prosecutors believe Hector Francisco Diaz, 28, was protecting himself when he opened fire and repeatedly shot Raymond O'Gorman in a south Everett apartment in November. During an apparent robbery attempt, O'Gorman came to the apartment, pointed a pistol at people inside and ordered them to lie on the floor. A short time later, Diaz, armed with a .357 handgun, shot O'Gorman five times, according to court records. O'Gorman also fired a round, from a .45-caliber pistol, prosecutors wrote. 'It appears that it was a justifiable homicide and Diaz was acting in self-defense when he shot O'Gorman,' Snohomish County deputy prosecutor John Adcock said."


The NRA vs the Second Amendment: "In today's Washington Examiner Robert Levy, one of the lead attorneys in the Parker v. District of Columbia case which recently resulted in a clear victory for an individual rights interpretation of the Second Amendment, wonders why the National Rifle Association is pursuing a strategy that would prevent the Supreme Court from ruling on the case. The problem, Levy contends, is the D.C. Personal Protection Act which would make Parker a moot case and result in the end of the appeals process:"


Should Congress or courts decide DC gun ban's fate?: "Could the National Rifle Association and its allies in Congress be undermining the best pro-gun case ever likely to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court? More than four years ago, three attorneys and I filed Parker v. District of Columbia, a Second Amendment case on behalf of six local residents who want to defend themselves in their own homes. For reasons that remain unclear, we faced repeated attempts by the NRA to derail the litigation. Happily, the case survived. On March 9, in a blockbuster opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturned the city's gun ban -- holding that 'the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms.'"

WV: Man killed near Princeton in self-defense: "A Virginia man was shot and killed in Mercer County after he apparently approached his ex-girlfriend’s friend with a knife, police said. About 2:36 a.m. Sunday, police were called to Kirby Addition Road near Princeton where Luther Vane Byrd, 37, of Bluefield, Va., was found dead with a knife in his possession, Mercer County Sheriff’s Detective L.B. Murphy said. Milton Justice, 57, of Princeton had just exited a home where Byrd’s ex-girlfriend stayed since they parted and she moved out, he said. When Byrd approached him in the driveway, Justice fired a .38 special at least once from inside his vehicle, striking Byrd in the head and killing him, Murphy said. “We believe [Byrd’s ex-girlfriend did not have] an intimate relationship with shooter, but they were friends,” he said. “Luther was jealous of that.” Justice has not been charged with a crime since it appears he killed Byrd in self-defense, he said."



SAF hails Virginia AG for proposed "gun sting" legislation: "The Second Amendment Foundation today applauded Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell for requesting legislation that would outlaw 'simulated straw purchases,' thus prohibiting the kind of vigilante gun sting operation mounted last year by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In a letter to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, McDonnell noted that 'The recent activities by the City of New York in Virginia brought this issue to my attention. New York's actions were met with much concern by law enforcement and this office, and have resulted in much civil litigation against Virginia businesses.'"


Rudy Bumpo: "Rudolph Giuliani has a problem with guns. Seems that when he was cleaning up New York, Sheriff Giuliani took a hard line on hoglegs. His constituents didn't have a problem with this, or just about anything else Giuliani did to fight crime, since New York, in those days, resembled Deadwood on a slow night. As part of his campaign to make the streets safe, Giuliani's administration sued 30 American arms manufacturers, and his police commissioner proposed a nationwide system of registration under which citizens would be required to demonstrate good moral character and a reason for owning a gun. (Interesting to imagine how the same government that can lose track of 600,000 people under deportation orders would handle that one.) Now that Giuliani is among the frontrunners for the Republican presidential nomination, the question is: Will his antigun record be a deal-breaker, especially with the kind of people who tend to vote in primaries."

TX: Burglary suspect shot by homeowner: "A man in his 30s is in unknown condition at University Hospital after a homeowner shot him during a home invasion Sunday morning, authorities said. At 8:10 a.m. James Benton, 63, grabbed a 9 mm gun after he heard three men kick in the front door of his home in the 9600 block of South Bend, police said. He yelled at the men, but one suspect kept coming, he told police. Benton said he feared for his life and shot the suspect once in the chest. The other two suspects ran out and fled in a van. Benton had a camera mounted outside that showed the van backing into his driveway before the men forced their way into his house."


TX: Country singer shoots man in self defense: "Billy Joe Shaver's attorney says police have issued arrest warrants for the country singer after he shot and wounded a man outside a Texas bar. Attorney Joseph Turner of Austin says Shaver -- who lives in Waco -- left a bar in Lorena on Saturday night. Turner says a drunk, aggressive stranger with a knife followed Shaver into the parking lot. The lawyer says Shaver shot the man in self-defense. Turner says police in Lorena -- about 80 miles north of Austin -- issued arrest warrants last night on charges of aggravated assault and possessing a firearm in a prohibited place. He says Shaver attempted to surrender to Austin police last night but was not arrested because the police did not have a record of the warrants. Lorena authorities could not be reached for comment this morning. The victim was reportedly shot in the cheek, but was talking and alert afterward and was hospitalized."


Illinois legislature may as well "invite the criminals": "After the Illinois State House of Representatives passed out of committee a string of anti-gun bills aimed at further eroding gun rights in the Prairie State, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) suggested that Chicago-dominated lawmakers ought to just put out a welcome sign for criminals at the state border. Anti-gun schemes headed for floor debate include gun rationing, restrictive handgun dealer licensing and a ban on semiautomatic sport-utility rifles. Such a ban could put several Illinois-based firearms manufacturers out of business, or force them to move their businesses to other states."

Texas man kills intruder: "Dallas Police said a man shot and killed an intruder who kicked down his door. Police said an intruder tried to break into a unit Monday afternoon at the Chenault Creek Apartments in the 2900 block of Dilido Road. Police said the intruder was taken to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas where he died. His name has not been released."


Texas homeowner uses gun to stop burglar: "A suspected burglar is behind bars after he's caught by a homeowner armed with a gun. The attempted burglary happened just before 7 a.m. Sunday morning in the 700 block of Monette, near Airline and Gollihar. 6 News talked to residents in the neighborhood, who said they're glad to hear that a new law will give them the ammo they need to protect themselves from intruders. Police said a 21-year-old was arrested after he was caught trying to burglarize this house. Neighbors said they were stunned by the incident. "It's not common around here," Farley Frazier said. Police said it happened when one of the residents heard a doorbell, went outside to look and didn't see anything, and went back inside and to bed. Then moments later the homeowner was awakened by the sound of footsteps upstairs. "They got their gun, and went looking and they found two individuals upstairs," CCPD officer Allen Shelton said. Police said one of the men jumped from an upstairs window, but the homeowners were able to hold this suspect at gunpoint until police arrived. "He was smart enough not to do anything after he was told not to, otherwise it would not have been good for him if he had," Shelton said. Farley Frazier, who lives right across the street, said he's glad a new law signed by Governor Perry this week will soon give homeowners the right to shoot and ask questions later... "That law hasn't gone into effect yet, but you still have the right to defend yourself and your home, and if you're in fear for your life, or serious bodily injury, you can defend yourself, and they easily had that here," Allen said."

OH: Off-duty patrolman, two others foil robber: "An off-duty patrolman and a man not in the mood to be robbed turned the tables on a would-be robber Friday evening at the Famicos University Towers apartment building. The two had an assist from a tenant who happened to be driving by and gave the cop a ride to catch the fleeing, bleeding suspect. Robert Porter, 20, is recovering from a gunshot wound that shattered a bone in his left forearm. Patrolman Felton Mathis tells it this way: He was working security at the building at 1575 East Blvd. At 6:40 p.m., he saw two men fighting in the rear vestibule off the lobby. A shot rang out. Mathis took cover and saw them struggling over a .357 Magnum. The gun fired again as the victim, a tall, muscular man, took control of it. Porter, with his forearm dangling, took off running. Mathis disarmed the victim then ran after Porter, who had a head start." Mathis didn't have a police car, but he noticed a tenant driving toward him. "I asked him if he'd drive me in the direction of the suspect and he said sure," Mathis said. Off the crime-fighting duo went. Mathis jumped out of the car at 1465 East Boulevard and found Porter in a rear parking lot. "He was wounded pretty bad so he stopped running," Mathis said. Huron Hospital staff would not say what condition Porter was in Saturday. He'll be charged with attempted aggravated robbery. The victim later told Mathis, "I thought I was gonna die"


Utah 14-year-old attempts to rob bar: "A 14-year-old boy carrying a revolver tried to rob a bar in East Millcreek on Saturday night but instead took a beating. The boy entered the back door of the Catfish Cabana Club, at 3820 S. Highland Drive, held out a revolver and yelled, ''This is a robbery,'' according to sheriff's deputies. That's when the bar owner grabbed the gun and wrestled the boy. The struggle spilled into a back parking lot and ended with customers and the bar owner pinning the boy to the ground until deputies could arrive, Salt Lake County sheriff's Lt. Rob Norton said. Another teen with the would-be robber ran as soon as the robbery went awry, Norton said. Deputies used dogs to search for the teen, who did not appear to have a gun, Norton said. The captured boy was booked for aggravated robbery and held in juvenile jail. ''We've seen a lot of kids with guns in recent years,'' Norton said. ''But the fact that such a young boy attempted a strong-arm robbery is particularly alarming.'' Nobody was hurt in the robbery, except the boy, Norton said. He was bleeding from his head after the struggle."

Alabama woman holds suspected burglar: "A mother who had just dropped off her daughters at school Wednesday morning held a suspected robber at gunpoint after she returned home to find him in her south Mobile driveway, Mobile police said. Lelia Richardson left her Parkway Drive home at about 7 a.m. to take her two daughters to school, police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant said Thursday. When she returned about 50 minutes later, she saw an unfamiliar car under her carport and the door to her home open. The door frame was busted and splintered from where someone had apparently kicked it in, Richardson said. "That's when I knew exactly what was going on," Richardson said. "I called 911 before I got out of the car and then I got my pistol ... just in case he tried to do something to me." Richardson pulled into her driveway and blocked in the unknown car and a man she had "never seen before in my life" walked out of her home, she said. "I saw him coming out of the house, and he walked up toward me to see who I was and that's when it all happened," Richardson said. Richardson asked the man who he was, and he told her that he lived there, she said. "I said, 'Not unless you moved in during the last hour,'" Richardson said. The woman drew her pistol -- "I always carry it for protection," she said -- and told the man not to move until police arrived. "He told me, 'Please don't shoot,' and he said he was going to put everything he took back in (the house)," Richardson said. "And he did. He put it all back in my den." Richardson kept her weapon drawn while the man returned her things, she said, and kept her pistol on him until officers arrived and arrested him... Jedadhai Powell, 20, of Mobile, was charged with third-degree burglary and second-degree marijuana possession, Gallichant said."


Man in N.C. hospital after being shot: "An Axton man is in fair condition at a North Carolina hospital after he was shot Thursday night, an official said. Herbert Howard Cline, 23, suffered a gunshot wound to his back following a dispute in Axton, said Lt. Kimmy Nester of the Henry County Sheriff's Office. Cline was taken to Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County and then was transferred to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Investigators have talked with a person who admitted to firing shots in self-defense after seeing Cline pull a weapon, Nester said. That person has not been charged because authorities are still investigating the shooting."


Nebraska shooting investigation leads to burglary charges : "The investigation into the shooting death of 37-year-old David Allen of North Platte unexpectedly led police to solve a string of recent burglaries. Allen was allegedly shot to death by Tiffany Howell, 19, at 2801 West Ninth Street in North Platte March 21. The police said Allen entered the trailer house of Howell's boyfriend and that Howell shot him several times with a Ruger Mini-14 .223-caliber rifle. Howell ran to a neighbor's house, dropping the rifle in the back yard. While investigating the shooting, police discovered at least 24 items that they suspected had been stolen from various businesses recently. The police, who had been investigating the burglaries, realized that the merchandise stored at the crime scene might be stolen loot from the burglaries. The owner of the trailer, who rented the trailer to Howell's boyfriend, told the police that Mitchell T. Pappas had asked him if he could store the merchandise there. The investigation revealed that the merchandise was allegedly stolen from area businesses. The police investigated and learned that Pappas had allegedly been bragging about doing the break-ins. Pappas was charged with burglarizing Kohler Trailer Sales, 3821 Rodeo Road on November 10; Troyer Enterprises, 702 N. Bailey on November 20 and Racing Components at 302 West Eugene on December 14, 2006. Pappas could face a maximum 60-years imprisonment if convicted of all three crimes. He is being held in the Lincoln County Jail on a $50,000 bond.