Oregon: Oldster shoots intruder: "Authorities say a Chiloquin man shot and wounded a neighbor who tried to enter his house. Sheriff Tim Evinger of Klamath County says 24-year-old Calvin Lee Brown used a pair of 18-inch wooden handles to break Monte Rompal's bedroom window, prompting the 77-year-old man to fire a shot. Evinger says deputies later found Brown at a nearby house - asleep and drunk with a bullet wound to his left upper arm. Chiloquin Ambulance took Brown to Sky Lakes Medical Center, where he was in stable condition Thursday. Evinger says Brown will likely be charged with attempted burglary and criminal mischief. District Attorney Ed Caleb says it's unlikely Rompal will face charges.


Florida: Aggressive drunk shot dead "Charles Podany wanted to protect his neighborhood from speeders. On Feb. 29, 2008, he bicycled through Thonotosassa's Bay Hills Circle community and asked a fast-driving man in a pickup truck to slow down. The encounter turned deadly after the driver's drunken friend began beating Podany, 49. As Casey Landes, 24, landed on top of Podany and readied his fist to strike again, Podany shot him in the head with a .40-caliber Glock. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Robert Foster agreed Tuesday to toss out Podany's manslaughter charge after his attorneys argued Podany fired in self-defense under Florida's "stand-your-ground" law and deserved immunity from prosecution. The law allows people to meet force with force when they feel threatened. Defense attorney Stephen Romine said Podany's case met the stand-your-ground test: Podany wasn't engaged in unlawful activity; he had a right to be there; and if he hadn't acted, he may have been seriously injured or killed. Foster heard testimony on the defense motion two weeks ago, including from Evin Aguayo, the pickup driver and Landes' best friend. Aguayo, 21, told investigators that Landes was the aggressor in the confrontation and that Podany never hit back. "It wasn't even a fight, it was one-sided," Aguayo said. Podany is 5 feet 8 and weighs 180 pounds. Landes was 6 feet 1 and weighed 192 pounds. "He's outsized, outmuscled," Romine said. "It's not going to be a fair fight in any capacity and the guy is just relentless trying to beat him." Aguayo told deputies his friend thought it was "cool to beat up an old man."


Texas: 2 teens killed trying to break into home: "A man shot and killed two teenagers and wounded another when they tried breaking into his home early Friday, police said. A fourth teenager was arrested and is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery. Three of the four male teenagers who tried breaking into the home were armed, one with a handgun and two with pellet guns that looked like more powerful weapons, San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said. One of the three college-aged people who lived in the rental home opened fire on the teens with a .40-caliber Glock pistol, killing two 16-year-olds and wounding another suspect. A 17-year-old suspect fled the scene but was captured and arrested after returning to the scene to check on his friends, police said. He's expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Williams said. The wounded suspect was taken to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin with non-life threatening injuries, Williams said. Officials say the wounded suspect is also expected to be charged. Police did not identify the suspects or those who lived in the home. None of the residents were injured. One was a Texas State University student. Williams said the shooter appeared to be acting in self-defense and "there doesn't appear to be a crime" related to the shooting. The suspects are from Luling, about 20 miles southeast of San Marcos, Williams said. It does not appear they know those living at the home, he said."


Gun-toting rabbis in New York are going on synagogue defence courses: "The self-defence classes are run by the International Security Coalition of Clergy, a group set up by Gary Moscowitz, a Queens rabbi and former police officer. Practising with toy pistols, fellow rabbis and other worshippers are taught basic techniques such as bringing down an assailant by the neck or using a table as cover from gunfire. More advanced combat moves include performing a running somersault while drawing a gun. Mr Moscowitz, who also passes on his knowledge as a karate black belt, admitted few people took him seriously until police exposed an alleged plot by Muslim converts to blow two synagogues in the Bronx. He said he had since been inundated with calls and had set up a 100-hour synagogue self defence course as a result. "Jews are not like Christians. If I turn my cheek, I'm coming around to make a kick." Stuart Rosenberg, who provides martial arts training for the group, said: "Our idea is you can't be spiritual if you're dead. You have to be able to fight back to live another day." Mr Moscowitz stressed that the important Jewish festivals of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are approaching, adding that the FBI regularly issued synagogues with terror alerts. The rabbi has called for a New York state law that would allow at least five people at a house of worship to carry a gun if they have been trained."

USA: Gun News

In Chicago, a proposed ordinance will mandate five days in jail for any person caught with an unauthorized gun. Second offenses would result in 15 days mandatory jail time, third offense gets 30 days. The proposal goes to the city council next week.

In Missouri, a bystander pulls out his concealed-carry 9 mm and plugs a woman who threatened two lives. It all started with the alleged theft of a bag of meat and progressed to a victimized woman holding on to the hood of a car for her dear life.

A gun buyback is planned for Nassau County NY on September 12. Unlicensed handguns in working condition can be traded for $200 each with no questions asked. Odd that it's called a buyback since it implies that the guns were originally owned by the government.

In New York City, with some of the toughest gun control in the nation, Mayor Bloomberg has proposed making it also illegal to carry a gun while drunk.

In the sportsmen's paradise, the Louisiana legislature has granted a tax holiday this weekend for customers purchasing firearms, ammunition and hunting supplies. State and local sales taxes will be waived. It's time to stock up.

In Tennessee, a new state law allows guns in public parks but it's not a clear-cut authorization. Local and county ordinances are tied into the new requirements which have confused many people. State legislators may have to revisit the issue for clarification.

Texas: Robbery suspect shot and killed in Houston card room: "A suspected robber was killed and another man was injured in a gun battle after three masked gunmen ambushed a card game in southwest Houston on Thursday, police said. Around 2 a.m., witnesses said the masked men waited for someone to leave the game, which was held inside an unmarked office park unit behind a shopping center. The gunmen burst in through the open door and began robbing patrons, one of whom pulled his own pistol, said Sgt. Juan M. De La Cruz, a Houston homicide detective. A gunfight ensued. One suspect was killed and one of the patrons suffered a non-life threatening wound and was taken to a nearby hospital. Police, who found multiple 9-millimeter shell casings at the scene, say the other two suspects fled. Police recovered card tables, cards and cash, and one of the patrons said everyone at the game knew each other. Police said they didn't immediately know who rents the space, which like many in the complex has no signage. De La Cruz said the gambling matter would be turned over to the vice squad, but it wasn't clear whether the game was illegal. In Texas, there's nothing wrong with money changing hands in poker and other games as long as someone isn't taking a cut. Identities of those involved were not immediately released, and no arrests were made.


Arizona: Armed homeowner holds youth suspected of burglary try: "A Chandler homeowner, armed with a gun, took one of two juveniles into custody after they broke into his home. The homeowner's 13-year-old son was the only person at the house, in the 800 block of West Elgin Street, when two juveniles knocked on his front door on Monday. The boy did not open the front door. The juveniles forced their way through the back door, police said. The boy ran to a neighbor's home, and his neighbors called police. The boy's father got home before authorities arrived, grabbed his gun and took one of the juveniles into custody. Police apprehended the second juvenile when he jumped from the second story and attempted to flee from the home. Both juveniles, who are Chandler residents, were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, police said. Their names and pictures are being withheld by police."


Tennessee: Clerk Shoots Would-Be Robber: "No charges have been filed yet in a deadly Wednesday morning shooting in Northeast Memphis. Witnesses said a store clerk had to protect himself from a would-be robber, who was armed with a taser. Tonight, the man police say was trying to rob the store is dead. Before crime scene tape and squad cars covered Lana's parking lot Wednesday morning, a strange looking man caught Gary Belcher's attention. "He had the most coldest look on his face," Belcher said. Belcher said he was picking-up trash when a man passed him and walked inside Lana's Market on Macon Road. Then, he said, he heard two gun shots. He ran into the store where he saw his friend, the store clerk, standing behind the counter. "He had a gun in his hand and he was saying, 'help me Gary, help me.' I couldn't see the guy. At about that time, I [saw] a hand come up behind the counter, he was behind the counter and trying to grab for the gun," Belcher recalled. Belcher said the would-be robber used a taser on the clerk before he was shot, "He tasered [him] all over his head and his back nowl" Memphis Police said the robber later died at the hospital."


Utah: Homeowner shoots suspected prowler in foot: "A Hyrum man shot a suspected would-be burglar near his home early Saturday morning. The 42-year-old homeowner shot a 20-year-old man once in the foot about 2:30 a.m., said Cache County sheriff's Lt. Chad Jensen. Deputies responding to a prowler call found the 42-year-old standing in a back doorway, holding the 20-year-old at gunpoint next to a tree on the 500 block of Eagle Ridge Drive. The man said he'd fired one shot, but neighbors reported hearing several. The suspected prowler, who "appeared to be very intoxicated," was taken to Logan Regional Hospital, treated for his injury and released to deputies. The incident is under investigation."

MO: Alleged Meat Thief Shot

(Independence, Missouri) Last Saturday, the manager of Sunfresh Grocery allegedly saw a woman, Loucinda M. Carroll, 41, steal a bag of meat.

The manager followed the suspect to her car and started writing down the license plate number. The suspect started the car and drove toward the manager, striking her. The manager fell onto the car’s hood and held on as the suspect accelerated through the parking lot toward an exit onto Sterling Avenue.

Hearing screams for help and seeing the manager clinging to the car’s hood, the bystander blocked the exit with his vehicle. He approached the suspect and told her to get out of her car.

The woman tried to drive around his vehicle. The bystander, who told police he feared for his life and the life of the manager, pulled out a 9mm handgun and yelled again for her to stop. He then fired through the driver’s side window, striking the suspect in the left shoulder and neck.

The woman continued onto Sterling and then traveled north about 250 feet to East 23rd Street, turning west, with the manager still on the car’s hood. About 200 feet later, the car slowed and the manager jumped off the car unharmed.

Carroll ended up at her son’s home in the 1000 block of Stone Arch Drive in Independence. He called for an ambulance. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, police said Wednesday.

The bystander has a valid concealed weapon permit from Utah and won't face charges under Missouri law.

Heh. You can't make this stuff up.

Washington: Fatal shooting at campsite was self-defense: "An Olympia man who was killed Saturday near his campsite at Wynoochee Lake was apparently shot by another camper in self-defense, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department said Monday. The deceased man was identified as Westin Wolff, 25, of Olympia, said Rick Scott, Grays Harbor undersheriff. But Scott did not release the name of the alleged shooter. “It appears at this juncture that the shooting itself was a legitimate act of self-defense,” Scott said. Police said the shooting occurred after an argument about 1:30 a.m. Saturday near the shore of Wynoochee Lake, which is in Olympic National Forest northeast of Aberdeen. The conflict involved two different groups of campers, police said. Wolff was one of a party of three young men, and the other party was a family, Scott said. He declined to release any of the circumstances that led to the shooting, saying the investigation is ongoing. He said he hoped to complete the investigation this week, and then the case will be turned over to the Grays Harbor County prosecutor."


California: Authorities say shooting of three was self-defense: "Authorities say a man who shot and killed two men and wounded another in a Sacramento apartment early Monday was acting in self-defense. Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran says authorities declined to arrest the 26-year-old man after witnesses reported that the three men confronted the man outside his apartment, then broke in and continued the attack after he had retreated inside. Investigators say during the attack, the man retrieved a handgun and shot all three attackers. Two of the attackers died at the scene. The third, a 23-year-old, was taken to a hospital. He is expected to survive. Curran says the district attorney's office will make a final decision on whether to file charges against the resident of the apartment."


Texas: Business owner shoots at intruder: "A man sleeping at his business in the 6700 block of Weber Road fired several shots at a man who busted the front door glass about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said. Police later found a maroon Chevrolet Suburban backed up to the shop’s door with a large flat screen TV on the ground, police said in a news release. Police suspect the man attempted to re-enter the store to get another TV when the owner shot at him, the release said. A witness heard the shots and a man shout that he was shot. About an hour later, a 33-year-old man walked into Bay Area Hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound on his hand, Capt. Todd Green said. He was placed under police guard pending possible burglary charges, Green said. The owner’s weapon was taken by police for evidence processing."


Nevada: Armed homeowner fends off possible home invasion: "A Gardnerville woman fended off someone who was trying to break into her house early Thursday morning. According to the Sheriff's Office, the Pin Oak Drive resident was awakened by her dog, who was barking insistently inside her home at 3:20 a.m. The woman said she looked out of the windows, and when she didn't see anything, she armed herself and let the dog out into the backyard. She said a man approached her quickly in her backyard, but then she pointed her handgun at him and shoved him backward before retreating into her home. She locked the door and called 911. When she returned to the back door, the man began knocking on her rear window. She yelled that she'd called the Sheriff's Office, and the man ran to the far side of the yard and jumped over the fence. The man was described as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall, thin with blonde hair. She estimated he was in his late teens or early 20s, wearing black earrings, a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark shorts with yellow writing down the side. When deputies arrived on the scene, they searched the neighborhood, but did not find the man. They did find a window screen had been removed from the home's rear window and a fingerprint on the glass."

AZ: Suspect wounded during attempted robbery at Phoenix pawn shop: "A late Sunday morning shooting at a Phoenix pawn shop left one suspect critically wounded as police seek a second suspect who fled in a stolen vehicle, Phoenix Police Sgt. Andy Hill said. Police were called to the business about 11 a.m. after two masked men armed with handguns entered the store, police said. On their way into the business, one suspect pointed a gun to the neck of a 15 year old employee seated near the front door. Inside the store were two adult employees, a male and female behind the counter, and a customer, Hill said. When one suspect pointed the gun at the 15 year old, the pawn shop manager pulled his own handgun and fired several rounds at the suspects, police said. It appears the men intended to rob the shop, Hill said. One suspect, 21, was hit in the head, while the other fled in the customer's 1996 custom green Suburban with an Arizona license plate of AFC5540, police said. The suspect who was shot was listed in extremely critical condition at a local hospital. No other injuries were reported."


OH: Homeowner kills one robber: "Bradley Fugate said he had just opened the front and back doors to let some cool air into his Huffman Avenue home Monday, Aug. 31, when two men came in the back door and put guns to his head. “I didn’t know who they were, and they kept asking 'Where’s the money?’ ” Fugate said. “My brother, we kept trying to talk in circles to keep them calm. The black guy, he kept laughing.” That man, Danny L. Brown, 30, pushed Fugate’s niece down onto a bed while rummaging through a safe in the bedroom, Fugate said. “That was enough for me and it allowed me to get my gun from where I keep it in the bed and I raised up and fired,” Fugate said. “We got into the kitchen and he turned around and raised his gun up at me. That’s when I shot him in the head. It was a fatal shot.” Fugate said he fired two shots at the other robber, Shawn Jones, 40, who was able to get away in a cream-yellow Cadillac... Bradley Fugate is not facing any criminal charges at this time, police said."


NC: Homeowner shoots burglar: “A Hillsborough homeowner took matters into his own hands when would-be burglars entered his home. It happened last Friday around 11:30 p.m. at a home on Faucette Mill Road. The homeowner told police he heard someone forcing his door open so he got his gun and found three people standing in his living room. Police said he fired one shot and hit 19-year-old Christopher Williams in the chest.”


MI: Second Amendment March making a bang: “The Second Amendment March, which advocates for protection of the right to bear arms, will hold a Town Hall Style Meeting from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 at James Clements Airport in Bay City. The meeting will focus on what is happening in Michigan and nation-wide with gun rights and laws … The march is set to take place on April 19, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The Michigan march will be held April 13, 2010 in Lansing.”

TN: 60-Year-Old Shoots Teen Robber: "Police said a 60-year-old man shot a teenager who tried to rob his home Saturday night. Metro police said the break-in happened on Lindy Murff Court in south Nashville. The 60-year-old resident shot one of the two robbers in the chest. Later, the two robbers showed up at the Shell station on Haywood Lane in Antioch, asking for help, police said. The wounded man claimed he had been robbed and shot during the robbery. Paramedics rushed the wounded man to the hospital, and he is expected to survive. The other man has been arrested. Police have not released their names."


MS: Burglar fatally shot while entering closed business: “Jackson police say an armed burglar was shot and killed Sunday while trying to break into a closed business.Shortly before five J.P.D. officers responded to Gipson Discount Foods on1434 Highway 80 West near Terry Road. There, they found a man dead from a gunshot wound to the chest at the rear of the grocery store. J.P.D. Assistant Chief Lee Vance says the unidentified man was breaking in when an employee who lives in the building heard the noises. According to investigators, the thief was armed with a large caliber hand gun and a knife. The employee opened fire with a shotgun.”


CO: City looks into selling guns: "This conservative city is taking an unusual step to try to stem its fiscal woes: It's entering the gun business. The Colorado Springs City Council is expected in coming weeks to approve the final details of a program that would allow the Police Department to sell confiscated firearms to federally licensed gun dealers. Police have stopped melting down the hundreds of guns they collect from crime scenes, drug houses and civilians who don't need them anymore. The sales are projected to bring in about $10,000 a year, only a slight dent for a town that faced a deficit of one-quarter of its $200 million annual budget this year. But every bit helps, said Vice Mayor Larry Small, who proposed the gun sales. "Every penny counts," Small said. Colorado Springs is home to the Army's Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. People here are comfortable around firearms. Yet, the idea of law enforcement as gun sellers has raised some eyebrows. The Police Department objected, only to be overruled by the council, which in February voted 8-1 to direct the department to draw up the program it will consider soon."


Open carry challenge: "Saturday, August 22, I headed out for a busy day. First was a gun show in a nearby town. Instead of the old senior center where it is usually held, it was in an elementary school. Many hundreds of guns on the 70 or so tables, but I was required to be disarmed by federal law. I left. I had no desire to cause problems for that town or their gun club. Nobody objected to my sidearm, or even seemed to notice as I got gas and a cup of coffee at a local convenience store. Then I headed for WalMart in Gillette, WY, where I’ve carried many times without problems. Not so this time.”

Online Gun Sales in Canada

Likened to an eBay for guns, an online gun auction website launches tomorrow in Canada. Gun collector Dennis Hingsberg conceived of GunAddicts.com to serve an estimated 1.6 million Canadians involved in hunting and recreational shooting.

According to the Canadian Firearm Program's numbers for 2009, nearly a million Canadians have a possession and acquisition licence (PAL), which is needed to sell or receive a firearm.

And those people have more than 7.3 million registered firearms.

Any exchanges on GunAddicts will follow federal gun rules, Hingsberg said.

The buyer sends his PAL number to the seller, who verifies with the RCMP that the licence is valid. If there are no problems, the seller ships the firearm.

If someone tries to circumvent the laws – say, buy or sell a gun without a PAL – the site has "full right to disclose personal information to the necessary authorities," Hings- berg said. But firearm sellers say they're doubtful the site would be co-opted for illegal sales.

"I've never come across someone using a bogus PAL to get a firearm," said John Hipwell, co-owner of Manitoba-based gun seller Wolverine Supplies.

The launching of GunAddicts includes a promotional giveaway of a Czech-made semi-automatic CZ-858 tactical rifle (similar to the banned in Canada AK-47).

Of course, anti-gun people are having cows.

CO: Auto lot owner warned he'd kill any burglars: "A business owner cleared by a grand jury in the fatal shooting of a burglar at his Colorado Springs auto shop last April had warned police after an earlier burglary that he was prepared to kill to protect his property. Jovan Milanovic, 30, called police on Easter to report a burglary at Southwest Auto Sales on Platte Place and told an officer that he was “pissed off” enough about a spate of break-ins that he would shoot any thieves who returned, according to a police report released Thursday. A week later, after lying in wait inside the business, the mechanic fatally shot 20-year-old Robert Johnson Fox after Fox and an accomplice scaled a fence and climbed into the auto lot. Fox’s friend, who escaped uninjured, told police that the shooter and another man ran toward the pair, one of them shouting, “I’m going to (expletive) kill you!” Fox, of Colorado Springs, had a knife strapped to his ankle and others in his pockets, but Milanovic did not report seeing the weapons and said Fox did not approach him or the two other men. Police did not release the report to the public until after a grand jury convened by 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May ruled last week there was insufficient evidence to indict Milanovic, who was never arrested."


La: Post-storm killing ruled self-defense: "In the only reported homicide in Jefferson Parish during Hurricane Katrina's immediate aftermath, a Harahan man was acquitted Friday night of second-degree murder for shooting a man outside a River Ridge home. A Jefferson Parish jury, which heard three days of testimony about drunken men with firearms in the chaotic post-Katrina days, deliberated about three hours before finding that Patrick Barker, 42, acted in self-defense when he shot Dennis Devooght Jr. four times on Sept. 8, 2005. Two of the jurors believed Barker was guilty of the charge. Barker never denied shooting Devooght, 34, as they stood outside a home in the 8600 block of Melrose Place. But he insisted he fired his 9mm semiautomatic pistol only in response to threats Devooght made with his pistol. Barker was tried on a charge of second-degree murder and faced a mandatory life sentence in prison. The shooting happened at the foot of Anthony Shephard's driveway after an evening in which Shephard and Devooght drank a bottle of whiskey, according to testimony. All the men were armed. Barker told detectives: "I pointed my gun at him and said, 'Slowly put the handgun on back of the truck.' He got this mean look and his hand went straight for it (his pistol). And I shot him."


NC: Court restores felon’s gun rights: "The North Carolina Supreme Court says a 2004 law that bars convicted felons from having a gun, even within their own home or business, is unconstitutional. The state’s high court ruled Friday in the case of Barney Britt of Wake County that the General Assembly went too far five years ago when it toughened restrictions on felons owning guns as part of a broad anti-domestic-violence bill. Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson said in a dissenting opinion the decision could encourage challenges against state bans on felons and the insane owning guns. Britt was convicted of felony drug possession in 1979. He completed his sentence in 1982, and his right to own a gun was restored five years later.”


Virgina Tech shooting 2009: Another reason for Right to Carry while hunting: "“The 2009 tragic shooting of two Virgina Tech students visiting a campground in the nearby Jefferson National Forest legitimizes the belief that the ruling handed down last January for ‘right to carry’ within National forests should have been a given. The rule allows Right-To-Carry permit holders to carry concealed firearms in national parks and wildlife refuge areas in states that recognize their permits. In the past, the Bureau of Land management and Forest Service lands allowed the carrying of firearms, while lands managed by the Department of Interior did not. In recent years, the right to carry has risen from 10 states to 40 states which is an all-time high.”

CO: No charges in "Make My Day" killing at apartment complex: "The man who shot and killed an 18-year-old last month at the Greentree Apartments was acting in self-defense under Colorado’s “Make My Day” law and will not face charges, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Eric Blancas was shot in the chest July 26 by 35-year-old Joseph Fleming, a resident of the apartments on North Carefree Circle. A group of people “with potential gang involvement” were arguing outside the apartments when Fleming grabbed his shotgun for protection, the District Attorney’s Office stated. Attempting to let a friend inside, Fleming “was rushed by several members of the group,” beaten and stabbed. Blancas was in the group that rushed into Fleming’s apartment and were attempting to take Fleming’s gun. “Concerned that they would kill him or his family with the shotgun, he tried to discharge all of the cartridges into the floor,” the DA’s office said in a release. In the struggle, one of the shots struck Blancas, killing him. Fleming was hospitalized. “In reviewing the facts surrounding the shooting, the District Attorney’s Office determines that pursuant to Colorado law, Joseph Fleming, 35, was justified in his use of deadly physical force to defend himself and his family and to defend against an intruder."


Canada (BC): Stolen shotgun used to blast abusive ex-boyfriend: "A gun stolen during a break-and-enter last August in Coldstream was used by a Kelowna woman to shoot an abusive ex-boyfriend, Kelowna provincial court heard this morning. Christine Connelly turned in herself and the sawed-off shotgun to police after the Oct. 7, 2008 shooting, which she claimed was an act of self-defence. The victim, who showed up at Kelowna General Hospital with a leg wound early that day, was unco-operative with police so Connelly was not charged directly with the shooting. She was, however, charged with three related weapons offences, and was sentenced on one of them this morning. Court heard that in the early morning of hours of Oct. 7, Connelly was scared when a man with whom she had a previous violent relationship showed up at her house and took off with some of her belongings. He re-appeared at the door and began kicking at it. Fearing for her life, Connelly fired a single blast through the door, hitting the man in the upper left leg. Staff at Kelowna General Hospital called police when he showed up there later, although he was unco-operative. Later that day, however, Connelly, who’s in her mid-20s, phoned police to disclose what happened. She told the investigating officer she found the gun in a box in an alley. “She was involved in a pattern of severe abuse from this individual and she was afraid for her life,” explained defence counsel Blaine Weststrate. He noted that Connelly was acting as a “responsible citizen” when she turned herself in, and “Crown wouldn’t have a case if she didn’t call police.”


Police Run Roughshod Over Lawful Handgun Owner: "No good deed goes unpunished — that’s a lesson George Boggs of Fayetteville, North Carolina, learned earlier this month when he voluntarily turned his handgun over to the local police for safe-keeping while he went into the hospital following an automobile wreck. When Mr. Boggs (who maintains a valid concealed-carry permit for the handgun) later attempted to retrieve his firearm, the police said, sorry, we’ve sent it out for ballistics testing and can’t give it back to you yet. Apparently the police in North Carolina believe themselves empowered to retain a law-abiding citizen’s firearm, and test it to see if it matches any firearms or ammunition on which the police have records that were used in crimes, regardless of whether they have any suspicion whatsoever that the firearm is illegal or has ever been used in the commission of a crime. And, the police do this even if the person has voluntarily and temporarily left a firearm with the police for safe keeping. In this case also, the owner of the handgun did not want the firearm fired because it had never been fired since he purchased it new, and he believed its value would be diminished. Tough luck, according to the law enforcement authorities"


LA: Gun dealers prepare for “Second Amendment Tax Holiday”: “The Second Amendment is one thing a gunsmith never forgets. Now the state’s Legislature is creating Louisiana’s first ‘Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday.’ The holiday is scheduled to run from 12:01 AM on Friday, September 4th through 12 midnight, Sunday, September 6th. During this three-day period all fire arms, ammunition, and hunting supplies will be exempt from the state sales tax. Hunting supplies include archery items, hunting apparel, and miscellaneous hunting equipment.”

Alabama man acquitted of murder charges in shooting death during dispute over $20: "After five hours of deliberations today, a Mobile jury found a 27-year-old accused of shooting a another man in a scuffle over $20 not guilty of murder. Christopher Cunningham, 27, went on trial earlier this week over the March 2008 shooting death of Daniel McGee, 25, outside an apartment complex near the intersection of Florida and Emogene streets in midtown. The defendant said he shot McGee in self-defense after the latter threatened to kill him and struck him with a pistol as Cunningham sat in a car. Defense attorney Jeff Deen said McGee's death was tragic, but his client had a right to defend himself when he believed his life was in danger. Cunningham testified before that when he shot McGee, McGee's gun fell inside Cunningham's car and he picked that up and emptied it into McGee. Deen pointed out that Cunningham had never been in trouble with the law, in contrast to McGee, who had an arrest and conviction record that included robbery, assault, illegal possession of a gun and drug-related cases."


CA: Sheriff considers allowing armed self-defense: "“California has long been a gun control breeding ground. It has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, and though has a process for obtaining a license to carry a concealed handgun, it is a ‘may issue’ permitting process meaning California sheriffs can issue licenses but only if they want to. Most don’t. That may be changing for on sheriff as budget cuts have forced him to realize that some people really are on their own and need to be able to protect themselves.”


CA: Escondido man wants people to take unloaded guns to weekly rallies: “A retired Navy petty officer in Escondido is organizing weekly rallies for next month during which people are encouraged to bring unloaded guns to highlight the right to openly carry the firearms. Gerald Reaster, 69, said he is asserting his Second Amendment rights and the freedom to carry unloaded firearms openly without a license, as allowed by state law. A permit is needed, however, to carry a concealed weapon. ‘I am a disabled vet, a member of the American Legion, a good patriot. The older I am, the more I see the need for self-defense,’ Rester said. He plans to gather a group of like-minded people to show up at the rallies with their unloaded guns.”


Political parties and your right to bear arms: "“Let’s play a little game called Name That Party …. Choose the political party to which the following people belong: 1) The original sponsor/author of the bill that repealed Alaska’s license to carry requirements: Dem or Rep? 2) In response to the repeal of Alaska’s licensing requirement, what is the political party of the person who said the following: ‘I am a strong gun advocate and very concerned that every time someone misuses a gun, particularly a handgun, we lose in the court of public opinion:’ Dem or Rep? 3) What is the political affiliation of the group [which] wrote the following in their DC v. Heller Amicus Brief: ‘the individual right guaranteed by the Second Amendment is subject to reasonable restrictions and important exceptions:’ Dem or Rep?”

TX: Business owner shoots burglar: "A local businesses owner prevented himself from becoming a victim of burglary. Police say just after midnight Wednesday, the business owner of this t.v. repair shop fired his gun at a suspected burglar. He told police he happened to be sleeping at the business, when he heard glass break and someone come through the front door. The business owner also happened to have a gun and shot the 33-year old intruder, who got away. Then, around 1 a.m, the gunshot victim walked into the Bay Area Hospital Emergency Room. The suspect is under guard at the hospital until he is well enough to be booked into the City Detention Center.”


ND: Homeowner fires at intruder: "There is no suspect in the burglary attempt that occurred August 18, in Eagle Run at 1139 38 1/2 Ave. W., where the homeowner, Jason Fonder, fired a single shot at an intruder discovered in his residence. Also home at the time were his wife, and two-year old daughter. There were no injuries and nothing was taken.”


IL: Shootings rampant despite gun ban: “You cannot legally buy a handgun in Chicago, yet the city is the nation’s most murderous city. You can own one, but only if you’ve owned it since before 1982, and it’s registered every year with the Chicago Police Department. Gun-control advocates and gun-rights advocates don’t — or can’t — agree on how a city with a handgun ban can lead the nation in murders. To proponents of owning guns, it means the ban doesn’t work. ‘Laws are only for law-abiding citizens anyway,’ said John Riggio, owner of Chuck’s Gun Shop and Pistol Range in Riverdale. ‘Criminals, by definition, don’t follow the law.’ But to proponents of regulating guns, it means the ban isn’t big enough.”


Gun groups to sue over Montana-made and retained firearms: "The Montana Shooting Sports Association (MSSA) and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) have formed a strategic alliance to litigate the principles of the Montana Firearms Freedom Act (MFFA), passed by the 2009 Montana Legislature and signed into law by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. The MFFA declares that any firearms made and retained in Montana are not subject to any federal authority, resisting Congress’s dramatically expanded use of the interstate commerce clause to justify Washington’s regulation of virtually all of the private economy.”

MI: Driver recounts firing at robbery suspects: "Almost striking two masked men as they darted away from a N. West Avenue gas station, Daniel Szymanski turned left and stopped to pinpoint their direction of travel. Before his son, a back-seat passenger, could call 911, one of the men stuck what appeared to be a shotgun in the passenger window just inches from the face of Szymanski's wife. "I wanted to kill him immediately," said Szymanski, a corrections officer at the Jackson County Jail who legally carries a gun and pointed it at the masked man, believed by police to be accused armed robber Devon Glenn, 18. The man dropped back and Szymanski, 55, got out of the car. As the suspect ran away, he pointed the shotgun — a deceivingly real-looking fake — at Szymanski and Szymanski fired, sending the masked man quickly fleeing over a fence. Glenn and two others — Georval Pennington, 18, and Kyle Ybarra, 16 — were later arrested on armed robbery charges. They were arraigned Aug. 4 and their cases are pending. Pennington's preliminary examination was scheduled for today. Ybarra is accused of driving Glenn and Pennington to the gas station at 1612 N. West Ave., according to a Jackson police report obtained this week. Glenn, armed with the Airsoft gun, and Pennington went into Buddy's Mini Mart while Ybarra waited in a vehicle nearby, according to the police report. Neither Glenn nor Pennington got back into the vehicle after Szymanski fired his gun. Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer said Szymanski acted appropriately by shooting at the man."


Gun registration not supported by history: “As for those on ‘our side’ who feel a compelling need to volunteer that the Heller decision combined with Militia Act intent now makes mandatory gun registration ‘legal,’ remember that the Constitution is the ’supreme law of the land.’ They and those who would exploit their ‘reluctant’ admissions would do well to remember that some of us know you don’t need to wear black robes and speak all the ritual judicial incantations to understand the intent behind our right to keep and bear arms — and our commitment to preserving and restoring it.”


Can’t suspend civil rights: "Seattle’s officially lame-duck Mayor Greg Nickels and the District of Columbia’s delegate-for-life Eleanor Holmes-Norton have something in common that has already gotten one in a lot of trouble and the other may be asking for some. Both seem to believe that constitutional rights can be suspended. Nickels lost the gun owner vote in Seattle and has now lost his job, coming in third in the primary election last week, because he’s spent the last 14 months waging a quiet war on gun rights and Washington State’s model preemption statute. He had threatened to ban all firearms … from city property by executive order. Advised that he lacked the authority, he promised to do it, anyway."


The media gets it wrong, again, on guns: "In Portsmouth, New Hampshire recently, a man carried a handgun a few blocks away from the site where President Obama was scheduled to hold a town hall a couple of hours later. Was it a danger or not? The man carrying the gun, William Kostric, even had permission to have the gun on private church property while he was protesting Obama’s appearance. … Obviously no one wants to see a president even remotely threatened and people need to be sensitive to such things. But worrying over a law-abiding citizen legally carrying a gun several blocks and a couple of hours away from an indoor event that the president will attend is overdoing it. … Yet, the most amazing thing about the news coverage was how much the media missed. Far from being a hothead, Kostric and a friend had been roughed up by a union member. … Kostric and his friend notified the police of the incident, but the police officer shrugged and went away. Kostric’s gun did however defuse the volatile situation with the union member — once the union member saw Kostric’s gun in its holster he backed up and moved away.”

MI: Teen tries to rob Detroiter, ends up shot by victim: “A 17-year-old would-be armed robber had the tables turned on him this morning when his intended victim pulled out his own gun and shot the teen, police said. Now, instead of the money he allegedly sought to steal, the teen will get a lengthy hospital stay — and, if he recovers and is convicted, a lengthy prison sentence. … ‘The 17-year-old came up behind a 32-year-old man behind the apartment building and tried to rob him at gunpoint,’ Roach said. ‘But the 32-year-old had a CCW (a license to carry a concealed weapon), and had his own sidearm with him. He pulled his weapon and they exchanged gunfire.’ When the shooting was over, the 32-year-old had only suffered a minor injury to the head, while the alleged bandit was seriously wounded.”


Ark. shooting suspect claims self defense: "The man arrested after the shooting death of a Cabot man near Mayflower is claiming self defense. Authorities arrested 43-year-old Audie Taylor in the Saturday morning shooting of 37-year-old Sean Michael Engle outside a camper near Mayflower. Faulkner County Sheriff's Maj. Andy Shock says Taylor told police he was at the camper when Engle came to the door with a club-like weapon and threatened him. Engle was shot below the ribs with a .22 caliber pistol. Taylor is in custody on $10,000 bond on a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. No charges have been filed in Engle's death."


Now a gun ban dreamland, is crime in Britain out of control? “Great Britain has long been held as the shining example of what can be accomplished via gun control. Handgun ownership is all but unheard of and rifles and shotguns are tightly controlled and citizens require a ‘good reason’ to be issued a permit to own one. Historically, self-defense has not been considered a good enough reason.Now, the Daily Mail reports that while law abiding citizens have been nearly universally disarmed, the criminals have not and flaunt their power. According to the Mail, ‘the level of violent crime in Britain has risen by 70 per cent. Gun crime is up by more than half and there are more than 100 serious knife crimes each day, with fatal stabbings having reached the highest level on record.’”


SCOTUS: Second Amendment cases up early: “The Supreme Court will consider two new cases on the scope of individuals’ Second Amendment right to have guns at its first Conference for the new Term, on Sept. 29 … Both petitions challenge a Seventh Circuit Court ruling that the Amendment does not restrict gun control laws adopted by state, county or city government, but applies only to federal laws. The cases are National Rifle Association v. Chicago (08-1497) and McDonald v. Chicago (08-1521). The so-called ‘incorporation’ issue is the most significant sequel issue raised in the wake of the Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, recognizing for the first time a personal right to have a gun for self-defense, at least in one’s home.”

TN: Man charged despite apparent self-defense: "When a prominent black businessman shot and killed a reputed outlaw in an East Knoxville parking lot Saturday, it was a clear case of "self defense" triggered by years of threats, a defense attorney hired to represent the accused said today. Reginald Stacy Sudderth, 43, of Louisville, was killed just after 7 p.m. in a parking lot at 2515 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., according to the Knoxville Police Department. Sudderth stood trial in 2006 for his alleged role in a bloody series of events in Blount County surrounding the death of an 18-year-old man but was ultimately acquitted. His killer, 41-year-old Troy D. Whiteside of Knoxville, has been charged with second-degree murder and is free on a $750,000 bond. According to Isaacs, Sudderth approached Whiteside while Whiteside was at a clothing store Saturday evening on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and threatened him. Sudderth was kicked out of the store but apparently waited outside in the parking lot for Whiteside to leave. "Mr. Sudderth was escorted out of the business where he encountered Mr. Whiteside," Isaacs said. "After Whiteside exited the building, Mr. Sudderth exited his vehicle, approached Mr. Whiteside, and threatened Mr. Whiteside." Sudderth "appeared to be reaching for a weapon" when Whiteside shot him, Isaacs said. Immediately after the shooting, Whiteside left the scene and flagged down a KPD officer, Isaacs said. He then "cooperated fully with law enforcement investigators" and gave a statement, he said. Whiteside, a Republican who has been active in financially supporting various political candidates, owns or has owned a number of business in the Knoxville area."


TX: Guard who shot 15-year-old robbery suspect says he had no choice: "The Dollar Store owner hired Paige after the store was robbed at gunpoint four times by the same group of teens. Police say one of the teens tried again on Tuesday, but this time he didn’t get away. “I told him to drop his pistol and he turned his pistol toward me and I fired a shot,” said Paige. Surveillance video shows the suspect walking into the store, pointing his gun at the clerk and demanding money. Paige says he sprung into action when he heard the clerk screaming. That’s when I came around the corner with my 12-gauge shotgun,” said Paige. Paige said that he asked the 15-year-old suspect to drop his gun and lay on the floor. “He kept reaching for his gun. I told him, 'Don’t reach for the gun or I’m going to shoot you.' He reached for his gun and I shot him again on his shoulder and still no reaction,” said Paige. The teenage suspect has two bullet wounds, but he's expected to be OK. No one else was hurt."


Plaxico Burress: Two years for fumbling a Glock: "If this is true, there is no such thing as a ‘Constitution.’ That once august document known as The Supreme Law of the Land has no more legal heft than an old dog-eared Daffy Duck comic book. Former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg in a nightclub last November and, because of New York City’s anti-self defense laws, shot himself in the foot as well. For committing the act of harming no one, except himself, Mr. Burress gets two years in the state slammer.”


The liberal fear of guns: "“Liberal columnist David Sirota is scared, and he believes that the First Amendment is intended to eliminate his fear. In a column entitled ‘Freedom from Fear — and the Second Amendment,’ Sirota argues that because some people get scared when they see guns and think that the gun owner is going to shoot them if they say the wrong thing, the Second Amendment is a threat to the First Amendment. The purpose of the Constitution was to call into existence the federal government and, at the same time, to protect us from that government through the grant of very limited powers to the government.”

NC: State senator shoots intruder: “State Sen. R.C. Soles shot one of two people who he said were breaking into his Tabor City home about 5 p.m. Sunday, officials said. Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten said Kyle Blackburn was taken to Loris Community Hospital in South Carolina. Late Sunday night, a spokeswoman at the hospital said that Blackburn was in good condition. The shooting occurred on Soles’ property when two men went to the senator’s house and tried to kick in his front door, Batten said.”


ID: GOP leader pulls .357 Magnum on delinquent homeowner: “The Republican Party chairman of Boise County in Idaho was arrested Thursday for aggravated assault after he pulled a gun on a man whose house he was photographing. Charles McAffee, 33, was among Idaho’s anti-tax tea-party activists, and is a member of the Idaho Republican Party Central Committee. He was arrested after pulling a handgun on a homeowner whose mortgage his employer sought to photograph for being delinquent. His employer is a contractor for Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo called McAffee’s behavior ‘horrific and absolutely inexcusable.’”


Open carry as a political act: “We’ve seen Chris Matthews foaming at the mouth while the calm ordinary citizen made him look like a raving loon. Anti-gun editorialists have opined how horrible the icky gunnies were, and how it detracted from the message of the protestors. (Rather missing the point that *I* think the activists made rather effectively, but then I’m not a trained newsie, so I am undoubtedly missing many of the subtle nuances.) Then there’s the spectacle of (supposedly) pro-gun editorials fretting about how counterproductive and unwise this open carry protest was. Perhaps I am old fashioned, but I much preferred the REAL pro-gun editorials gleefully countering every silly point made by both overt and closet hoplophobes. MSNBC got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, when not-so-clever editors carefully cropped video to ‘prove’ their pet theory that all pro-rights advocates are white supremacists … despite the inconvenient truth that the activist toting the AR15 they wanted to use as their poster boy was black. Oh yes, I forgot to mention the Secret Service putting out a statement that the President was never in any danger from legal armed citizens … first sensible thing I’ve heard out of the Praetorian Guard in years. I wonder if any of the hoplophobes running around screaming the sky is falling have realized that they have quite successfully spent the last week showing the public that open carry is legal and safe.”


Gun owners helped oust Seattle mayor: “Seattle gun owners can take much credit for the ouster of anti-gun Mayor Greg Nickels in this week’s primary election, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said this morning following what amounted to a concession speech at his press conference. Nickels came in third in the city’s ‘Top Two’ primary, signaling that voters in Seattle were fed up with his bully pulpit style, and perhaps more than anything, his arrogance, said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.”

Chicago man who shot intruder released without being charged: "A man who was questioned after fatally shooting another man who allegedly held a knife to his throat during an attempted robbery Wednesday morning in the South Side’s Englewood community was released without being charged. Maurice Willis, 36, of the 1600 block of W. 61st St., was found in a trashcan at 1244 W. 61st St. and was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:55 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The officer approached the 59-year-old man on the porch and the man allegedly said, “Yep, I shot and killed a man in the basement,” according to police. The man and the officer entered the man’s basement apartment, where the suspect showed the officer the weapon he allegedly used -- a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver -- and Willis, who had multiple gunshot wounds to his face and chest and was sticking halfway out of a city garbage can. The man told police the incident began when he was entering his basement apartment and Willis ran up behind him and held a knife to his throat. The man told police he said words to the effect of, “OK, don’t hurt me, I got money here in the mattress,” according to police. He then went to the mattress he produced the revolver and shot Willis, police said... A source said Willis was recently arrested for aggravated battery."


MN: Duluth man kills father-in-law in self defense: "Police say a Duluth man killed his father-in-law in self defense Friday night. Mora Oliver, 44, died around 8:30 p.m. in Dacula after an argument erupted into gunfire, Gwinnett County Police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said. Oliver was riding in a van with Danilo Arevalo, 21, on Jones Phillips Road near Indian Shoals Road. The two men began to argue and Oliver pulled a handgun, police said. Oliver tried to shoot Arevalo, Schiralli said. The men then began to struggle over the gun. That’s when Arevalo grabbed the gun and climbed out of the van, police said. Officers say Arevalo was trying to flee the area, but Oliver ran after him and continued to fight. “The suspect in an attempt to defend himself shot the victim killing him instantly,” Schiralli said Saturday morning. Arevalo immediately called 911 to report the shooting. Oliver, of Lawrenceville, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives interviewed Arevalo, of Duluth, but decided not to file charges."


NC: 15-year-old robber shot dead: "A 76-year-old who was robbed inside his home Saturday afternoon chased down and fatally shot a 15-year-old suspect, according to his family. Now, the District Attorney will determine if C.L. McClure, a retired building fireproofer who spends most of his days gardening and fishing, according to his family, will face criminal charges in the shooting death of Marcus Antonio Steven Fluker. According to police, four men broke into the house, on Grier Road in north Charlotte, about 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Fluker was the youngest. C.L. McClure was in his basement hobby shop eating ice cream when the attackers entered, his son said. The robbers, one of whom had a handgun, tied him up with duct tape and held his wife at gunpoint as they ransacked the house, making off with some jewelry and McClure's wallet. After they left, McClure broke free. “He checked on my mother,” Larry McClure said, “and he assumed he knew their route. He thought they might have been driving, and he wanted to get a tag number.” His son said he grabbed his gun, got into his dark, green van and guessed the thieves would head toward nearby Ginger Lane. Police say the robbery victim caught up with the suspects on Ginger Lane and fired the gun, striking Fluker at least once. Larry McClure said his father told him that he was in his van when he saw one of the robbers, who he thought was armed. C.L. McClure said he fired his pistol when the robber turned toward him, Larry McClure said. Officers took C.L. McClure to police headquarters uptown for questioning, but he was released Saturday without being charged. In North Carolina, it's legal to kill someone in defense of yourself or another. N.C. law also protects homeowners who shoot to defend their property."


TX: Shootout leaves clerk wounded but robbers flee: "Gladewater police on Friday were investigating a robbery where a store clerk was shot, according to Chief Farrell Alexander. Imtiaz Hussain, 43, of Gladewater was shot in the hands Wednesday at the SuperStop Laundry convenience store, Alexander said through a news release. Alexander said two men entered the store with handguns. After one of the suspects demanded money, Hussain retrieved a handgun, and one of the men shot him. The release said Hussain returned fire but did not hit the man. "He was holding the gun in both hands, and the bullet actually hit the bottom of the gun and destroyed the grip," Alexander said. The men fled the store immediately after the shots were fired, Alexander said."

Indiana Special Deputy Shot Intruding Neighbor: "An off-duty Marion County special deputy and code enforcement officer shot and killed his neighbor during a dispute on Indianapolis' east side Wednesday, police said. Bruce Jacobs, 53, called 911 to report that he had just shot his neighbor, Edward Light, 48, near 20th Street and Forest Manor Avenue just after 5:30 p.m., said Sgt. Paul Thompson. Light was pronounced dead in Jacobs' back yard. Thompson said the gun used in the shooting was not issued by the city and that Jacobs was not acting in an official capacity. Jacobs was detained by police for questioning Wednesday night, but was not arrested." [More details here. The guy shot was a schizophrenic off his meds]


MI: Woman said she had no choice but to shoot: "A 70-year old Bedford Township woman said Friday she had no choice but to shoot a man coming at her with a shovel. “I didn’t want to hurt him but I didn’t want him to hurt me,” Virginia Hawes said today in an interview. Battle Creek police said Hawes shot Nicholas Beltz, 24, in the leg in her yard about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. “He kept coming at me. I pointed the gun at his head but I didn’t want to shoot him in the head. I wimped out.” Hawes said Beltz threatened her after she called police because his girlfriend, Emily Bannister, said she was being assaulted. She said she warned the man to stay off her property and she went inside and retrieved her .38 caliber revolver when Beltz took a shovel away from her grandson. She came back outside and said the man continued to approach her until he was within three feet of her and she fired. Warrants have been issued for Beltz and Bannister for domestic violence and a report on the incident was sent to the prosecutor today."


How the repeal of all gun laws will free America: "“Most Americans do not make the connection between American Gun Control and today’s scandals of bank bailouts, corporate takeovers, immense failures, government intrusion and indifference, massive disrespect for the electorate, and other harassment of the sovereign. There is a connection. For a long time, I have urged the repeal of all gun laws. Since the very inception of gun control in this country, abuses of powers has served the public servants more than the electorate, and few of the promises have ever come true.”


AZ: Man was making a point of his legal right to bear arms: "“Neatly dressed in a white shirt, black tie and gray slacks, a man who identified himself only as Chris joined the healthcare debate outside the Phoenix Convention Center on Monday with a pistol at his side and an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle on his shoulder. Arizona is an ‘open-carry’ state, which means anyone legally allowed to have a firearm can carry it in public as long as it’s visible. A permit is required if the weapon is concealed. ‘Because I can do it,’ Chris said when asked why he brought guns to the rally outside President Barack Obama’s speech to the national VFW convention. ‘In Arizona, I still have some freedoms left.’”

WI: Good Samaritan flees: "Police are searching for an armed suspect after two would-be robbers were shot and killed this week while reportedly robbing a convenience store at N. 12th and W. Chambers streets. Police say Kenneth J. Whitaker, 28, and Robert L. Givens, 22, were attempting a robbery when a customer in the store interrupted the crime by firing deadly shots at the pair. After firing his gun, the customer fled the store.... As it turns out, police say the alleged hero customer is a known felon who could face serious charges and prison time if convicted for the use of the gun. Chances are he fully understood his predicament and didn't stick around for that reason, but there's no confirmation from witnesses about whether the customer's actions during the robbery were totally in self defense. Police are still trying to find the other people in the store at the time."


FL: Court OKs force against retreating attackers: “Florida’s ’stand-your-ground’ law allows the use of deadly force for self-protection even if an attacker or intruder is in retreat …. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal issued that explanation for last month releasing Jimmy Hair from jail, where he had spent two years awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge. Hair, 28, was charged with fatally shooting Charles Harper …. Harper had forced his way into a car in which Hair was a passenger and then tussled with him. The car was parked outside a Tallahassee nightclub where Harper earlier had argued with the driver. … spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill McCollum, said no decision had yet been made on whether to ask for a rehearing.”


IL: Appeals Court: Government Can Require Gun Registration: "An appeals court in Chicago has ruled that the federal, state or local government can require all citizens to register their firearms under penalty of law. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals said that, even after the Supreme Court's high-profile gun rights decision last year, the Second Amendment is no obstacle to mandatory gun registration. The case arose out of the Chicago-area town of Cicero's mandatory registration requirement for firearms. A local man named John Justice was raided by the Cicero police on suspicion of violating business ordinances including improper storage of chemicals; the police discovered six unregistered handguns during the raid... In a 3-0 opinion published last Friday, the judges said that this was a different situation from the District of Columbia v. Heller case, which led the Supreme Court to strike down D.C.'s law effectively prohibiting the ownership of handguns."


More liberal inanity on guns: “In separate op-eds, liberals Marie Cocco and E.J. Dionne are exclaiming against those people who have the audacity to exercise their right to keep and bear arms at political rallies. Cocco says that the ‘gun guys’ were ‘displaying their perfectly state-permitted firearms.’ State-permitted! How about that? The right to keep and bear arms isn’t a right at all. It’s a state-granted privilege, one that the state can revoke at any time.”

Congo: An African village’s armed self-defense story : “Their community leader called a town meeting, and told everyone to bring whatever weapons they owned. People showed up with rifles made before World War II, homemade shotguns, bows and poison arrows, knives, and even the wooden pestles that are used to pound yams into flour. Using these weapons, the villagers drove off two attacks by the rebels, saving themselves from torture and death. Perhaps best of all, not a single civilian was killed in the first repulsed attack. Compare that with the hundreds of people who the rebels had killed in the previous weeks when they attacked other villages. Hearing the news, hundreds of other villages have reportedly formed self defense groups.”


Another triumph for strict gun control laws: "A German pensioner went on a shooting rampage that left three people dead and a fourth seriously hurt before surrendering to armed commandos after a three-hour siege, authorities said on Wednesday. The gunman, named in media reports as 71-year-old Hans P, shot the four at a house in the small western town of Schwalmtal late on Tuesday, police in nearby Duesseldorf said in a statement. Police said they rushed to the house reportedly belonging to the man's daughter and her ex-husband after shots were heard about 4.30pm. They found two people outside, one dead and one seriously injured. Pictures showed the portly, grey-haired pensioner being taken to a police van by masked commandos with his hands behind his back. Authorities gave no indications on the possible motives but media reports said it was over the planned sale by auction of the house as part of his daughter's divorce settlement. The Bild daily reported that the pensioner was lurking - armed - inside the brick house when his daughter Barbara, 44, arrived with two surveyors and two lawyers to look around the property. When they entered, he opened fire, shooting dead two of the group, Bild said. Two others managed to escape despite being shot, but one later died, the paper said on its website. "I think it was meant to be me," 44-year-old Hubert K, the pensioner's former son-in-law, told rolling news channel NTV. "He didn't want me to get anything [from the sale of the house], from my property, which was mine." "He hated us because my dad split up with my mum," the man's grandson Christian, 18, told Bild."


The tyranny of the bigoted: "One of the greatest threats to the free exercise of civil rights is the promulgation of catch-all offenses such as ‘disorderly conduct.’ With no clear definition of what constitutes behavior that is ‘disorderly’, many in law enforcement use such laws as a way to control and punish citizens for otherwise legal and constitutionally protected behavior. … The Madison WI Police Dept appears to be one such agency. On August 8th, they received a call from a ‘concerned citizen’ who reported a ‘man walking … with a holstered gun on his hip.’ They found 28 year-old graduate student Travis Yates legally and peacefully wearing a properly holstered sidearm and cited him for disorderly conduct because ‘his actions disturbed other citizens.’ … Never mind the fact that this is EXACTLY the type of open carry that Attorney General Van Hollen stated was constitutionally protected and NOT grounds for a disorderly conduct charge.”


Anti-gun bigotry may be losing traction: “As the Obama health care program continues to descend from debate to debacle, increasing attention is being given to a handful of activists who have attended protest rallies openly carrying firearms, leaving some television reporters and commentators having to acknowledge there is nothing illegal about it. When I wrote about MSNBC’s Chris Matthews joining in the vitriolic attacks on gun owners here, and about anti-gun bigotry here, it brought the hoplophobes out of the proverbial woodwork. At least a few of these folks were not shy about displaying their prejudices, to the point of race baiting, which — thanks to an incident in Phoenix on Monday — has now left them with feet firmly inserted in mouths.”