At 1:07 a.m. on May 19, Eugene police responded to a report of shots fired at a home in the Churchill area in the 1600 block of Oak Patch.
Police say a man reported someone broke into his house and was shooting - and the caller said he was shooting back.
Officers responded and found two individuals had suffered gunshot wounds.
According to statements and evidence gathered at the scene, Hinerman allegedly made a U-turn, returned to the location, exited his vehicle, and approached the other driver. During the confrontation, Hinerman allegedly struck the other driver multiple times.
The second driver then pulled out a gun and shot Hinerman once in the abdomen. Hinerman was transported to a local hospital, where he died.
Following the shooting, the driver immediately contacted 911, remained at the scene and cooperated fully with investigators.
According to police, a man in his 30s was on foot in the parking lot, actively firing a handgun. Security guards moved in, treating the situation like an active shooter, and closed the distance.
Officers say the man then turned the gun toward the guards and fired at them. The chase ended when one of the security guards shot the suspect.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said the security guard, identified as Amin Abdullah, reached for his radio and put out the lockdown protocol, then engaged in a gun battle with the two suspects in the mosque’s parking lot.
“Individuals that did this heinous act ran past the security guard, most likely not knowing he was there. He immediately observed the threat to everybody at the mosque. He began to engage them with gunfire, both suspects returned fire,” said Chief Wahl.
The April, 2026 National Instant background Check System (NICS) numbers are in. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) adjusted background check numbers show firearm sales are slightly higher than April of 2025. Firearm sales are holding steady. Contrary to firearm sales as measured by the adjusted numbers, the numbers of background checks themselves is almost 12% lower than the number in April, 2025. From NSSF:
The April 2026 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,193,428 is an increase of 1.6 percent compared to the April 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,174,294. For comparison, the unadjusted April 2026 FBI NICS figure of 1,933,972 reflects an 11.9 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,194,006 in April 2025.
April has been a busy month. The conflict with Iran continued through the end of the month. National Firearms Act (NFA) applications NICs checks are up 130% over April of 2025. The massive increase in applications for NFA firearms is a measure of how much the insane, $200 excise taxes were infringing on the rights of Americans to own silencers, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns and any other weapons under the NFA. The removal of the tax infringements has unleashed a significant demand for these types of arms. From the NSSF:
• The April 2026 NFA figure of 190,086 is an increase of 130.3 percent compared to the April 2025 figure of 82,519.
To be sure, these are NFA application background checks. Not all NFA application background checks result in an authorization to purchase an NFA regulated arm. Some are duplicates; some are rejected, some are told a mistake was made and they need to re-apply. It is not clear the precise number which are approved. The 103k increase in NFA checks continues a massive increase in NFA applications in 2026. You can see in the NSSF graphic below, April 2026 is fairly close to a "new normal" for firearm sales, as measured by the adjusted background checks. Average the "Trump slump" years with the "Biden Jump" years, and you see a fairly steady amount in April.
Analysis:
The intense conflict in and around Iran, a response to an effective 47 year war with the United States, has dampened down as of this writing in early May. This correspondent predicted stability would return to world markets after April, firearm sales would continue to be up slightly in April, then decrease in May and June. The prediction still looks good for an uncertain future. The Trump administration's more aggressive stance on supporting the Second Amendment with the Civil Right Division of the Department of Justice is not likely to increase sales. A role back of illicit laws and infringement bodes well. Such a roll back assures prospective purchasers the Constitutional Republic is being restored, in spite of the deranged rhetoric on the Left. Firearm sales thrive on domestic and foreign instability. In the long term, a new "golden age" could increase firearm sales with increased wealth and recreational opportunities.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Investigators said a female tenant was awakened by her dogs barking and believed someone was trying to break into her home.
She initially thought it could be her husband attempting to get inside.
However, investigators said after unlocking and opening the door, an unknown man entered the townhouse and a struggle began. The woman, who was armed, fired her weapon.
Shooting: #DetroitPolice 8th Precinct is investigating a non fatal shooting in the 19700 block of Burt. The shooting occurred around 2:13PM. The victim was struck at least once while inside a vehicle. The suspect was described as a B/M in his 20s, 20-25 wearing all black. The victim also stated he returned fire, unknown if the suspect was struck.
Officers responded to Fuller’s Superette at 900 Hamilton Road around 10 a.m., according to investigators. A store clerk reported that a man entered the business and handed over a note that read, “Put all the money in a bag.”
The robbery was cut short, authorities said, when the clerk pulled a firearm from beneath the counter and pointed it at the suspect. Police say the man quickly grabbed his note and left the building.
In the continuing study of how effective handguns are when used as a defense against bears, this correspondent posted two articles on Ammoland showing the distribution of the number of cases vs the number of shots fired. The first article was for the statistics for all cases, which included brown bears, black bears and polar bears. The second article separated out the statistics for brown bears. Unsurprisingly, ursus arctos (brown bears, grizzly bears and Kodiak bears) showed more shots being fired per case than black bears and polar bears.
This article shows the statistics for black bears and polar bears. There were 63 cases where only handguns were fired in defense against black bears. In 57 of those case, the number of shots were known. In six cases, the number of shots fired was not shown in the documentation. In 1 case, the effect of shots could not be determined. In 1 case, the use of the handgun did not stop the bear attack. Here is the distribution:
1 shot - 25 cases 43.9% of the cases where the number of shots is known. 3 cases involved warning shots. In two cases warning shots were successful, in one case the warning shot was unsuccessful.
2 shots - 9 cases 15.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were involved in 4 cases. In 3 cases the warning shots were successful (1 temporary), in 2 cases they were unsuccessful.
3 shots - 6 cases 10.5% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were involved in 4 cases. In 2 cases they were successful, in 2 cases they were unsuccessful.
4 shots - 1 case 1.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. The case did not involve warning shots
5 shots - 3 cases 5.3% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were fired in one case and were not successful. This case is the only case where use of a handgun was unsuccessful in stopping the attack.
6
shots - 4 cases 7.0% of the cases where the number of shots is known., In the 1 case involving a warning shot, It was temporarily successful. After the husband left with the handgun (a .22 rimfire) to go get help, the bear returned and killed Darcy Staver in a predatory
attack.
The number of cases where six shots or less were fired is 48 or 84.2%.
7 shots - 3 cases 5.3% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were fired in 1 case. They were unsucessful.
8 shots - 2 cases 3.5% of the cases where the number of shots is known. There were no warning shot cases.
9 shots - 1 case 1.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. There were no warning shots recorded.
10 shots - 1 case 1.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. There were no warning shots recorded.
12 shots - 1 case 1.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. There were no warning shots recorded.
18 shots - 1 case 1.8% of the cases where the number of shots is known. There were no warning shots recorded.
There were 6 cases where an unknown number of shots were fired. In 1 case of those cases it is unknown if warning shots were fired.
The number of cases where only handguns were used to defend against polar bears is much smaller, only 12 cases. In 11 cases, the number of shots was recorded. In one case the number was not recorded. In the 12 cases there were two cases where shots fired from a handgun did not stop the aggressive behavior of the bear(s). One of those is the case where a .22 handgun was used in defense against a polar bear. That case is the only recorded case where a human was killed by the bear when a handgun was fired in defense against a bear. The other case is where warning shots were fired from a .44 magnum in an attempt to drive off polar bears, but the bears did not react to the shots. No humans or polar bears were injured in that case. With such a small number of cases, the distribution of shots does not have much statistical value.
Here is the distribution of the 11 cases:
1 shot - 3 cases 27.2% of the cases where the number of shots is known, no warning shots were recorded.
2 shots - 2 cases 18.2% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots fired in 1 case which was unsuccessful. No people or bears were injured.
3 shots - 3 cases 17.2% of the cases where the number of shots is known. No warning shots were recorded.
5 shots - 2 cases 18.2% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were fired and were unsuccessful in one case.
6 shots - 1 case 9.1% of the cases where the number of shots is known. Warning shots were fired and were unsuccessful. This is the case of a .22 rimfire handgun used in the Svalbard archipelago. One man was killed and one severely injured.
In 100% of known cases six shots or fewer were fired. There was 1 case where the number of shots fired was not recorded. No warning shots were used. In the experience of the government of the Svalbard Archipelago, warning shots are recommended. Most cases of warning shots are not recorded in publicly available materials.
If you wish to read about each case individually, they are available from the following links:
Last full list, published on June 2021, 104 incidents.
First update, April 11, 2022; Eleven additional cases, March 16, 2022; Second update November 21, 2023; Third update May 8, 2024; Fourth update October 22, 2025.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Further investigation determined the male was trespassing in several backyards throughout the day. The male shooter stated he attempted to get the suspicious male to leave the neighborhood when the male began to assault him. The male discharged his firearm striking the suspicious male. The shooter remained at the scene and provided information to investigators. .
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
Tennessee Capitol
The Tennessee reform of use of deadly force bill, SB1847/HB1802 is about to be or has been sent to Governor Bill Lee. The case is instructive about the intricacies of a bill becoming a law.
The Tennessee Legislature passed SB1847 on April 23, the last day of the legislative session. SB1847 includes the right to use deadly force to protect property under certain limited circumstances. In this correspondent's reading of the law, the legal ability to use deadly force under the bill is not very wide or broad. In the previous law, residents could use force to protect or recover property, but not deadly force.
The new language allows residents to use deadly force to prevent "the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or aggravated cruelty to animals; "if the resident reasonably believes the property cannot otherwise be protected and the use of lesser force would expose the resident or a third party to "a risk of death, serious bodily injury, or grave sexual abuse."
The initial versions of the law were more radical. They allowed the use of deadly force to prevent trespassing. They prohibited a person from using deadly force if the suspect was facing away from them. Both instances were radical changes in the use of deadly force law in Tennessee. In the final debates leading to the passage of the bill, both the trespass and "facing away" parts of the bill were removed in the last amendment before both houses passed the bill.
In legislatures across the United States, it is common to have a post-vote process to send the bill to the governor to be signed. An administrator or bureau checks the bill to be sure the language is what was voted on. Then the house and senate leadership sign declarations the bill language is correct. These are checks to insure the legitimacy of the bill. After the legislative leadership signs off on the bill, the bill is sent to the governor for signature. States vary significantly in how long a governor has to sign a bill, and what happens if the governor vetoes the bill, or refuses to sign it.
SB1147 passed with significant super-majorities in both houses. The final votes on the amended bill were: 62-24 in the house, 3 present and not voting; 23-5 in the Senate. The bill final votes occurred on April 23, the last day of the session. The bill was not enrolled (checked and made ready for signatures) until April 30, a week later. The Speaker of the Senate signed the enrolled bill on April 30. The Speaker of the House did not sign the enrolled bill until May 7, 2026.
In Tennessee the bill is automatically sent to the Governor after the signatures. In Tennessee, the governor has 10 days, excluding Sundays, to veto or sign the bill. If the governor does not veto or sign the bill during the 10 days, it becomes law. The 10 day clock does not start until the bill is officially received by the governor.
Analysis: The rules for sending the bill to the governor can be used to play legislative games, depending on whether the leaders of the legislature want to see the bill vetoed, want to discredit the governor, or want to insure the bill is made into law. This correspondent has seen legislatures accelerate the process so the governor receives a bill one or two days after the vote. Legislators have been known to delay the process to allow the governor to veto the bill without the concern of a veto override in some states. Sometimes the timing is a matter of convenience, to allow the Governor to arrange a bill signing ceremony, for example.
The two week span to send SB1147 to Governor Bill Lee is a mild cause for concern. It may mean the legislative leaders are not worried about a veto. The Tennessee legislature can override a veto with simple majorities in both houses. It would appear to be an easy thing to do, with the super-majorities which voted for SB1147. Ballotpedia shows of four vetos done in Tennessee from 2010 to 2020, only one was overridden by the legislature.
If Governor Lee officially receives SB1147 on May 8th, he has until May 20 to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Gist: Two unknown black males confronted third subject. One suspect struck third subject in face and produced gun. Third subject also produced gun and began shooting. During exchange of gunfire, one suspect was struck by gunfire and went to a local hospital via private conveyance
Officials first believed the shooting stemmed from a carjacking incident. Now, sources at the scene say the shooting victim had come to a resident's home with a car jack, and the resident came out and shot the man.
The man was driven to a hospital, then flown to another hospital via Lifeflight. Sources say he is expected to recover.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One person died and another was injured in a shooting connected to a reported burglary at a Sacramento business early Friday morning, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Police said officers responded just after 4:30 a.m. to the 8500 block of Thys Court after receiving reports of a burglary at a marijuana dispensary. Dispatchers also received calls reporting sounds of gunfire in the area.
In 1934, the National Firearms Act (NFA) was passed by Congress. The bill which became law was a consolation prize for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) administration. The primary purpose of licensing and registration of all handguns had been stripped from the bill because of lobbying by the NRA and Second Amendment supporters. One of the items left in the bill was an absurdly high tax on silencers/suppressors. The $200 tax was the equivalent of five months wages for a person earning minimum wage.
Silencers had never been involved much in crime. No serious reason is included in legislative history for the inclusion of silencers in the NFA. Their ban was part of the hysteria of the time. The new Attorney General, Homer Cummings, conflated guns and crime. The NFA was his grab for power within the FDR administration.
In 1934, when what was left of the National Firearms Act made silencers unaffordable except for the very rich, the law was relatively limited. It only applied to silencers which had crossed state lines. If you made your own silencer, it was not involved in interstate commerce, so the federal law did not apply. It was the middle of the depression, and people were too concerned with having enough to eat and a roof over their heads to be worried about a silly new federal law.
All of that changed over the next 50 years. The Interstate Commerce clause and the National Firearms Act of 1934 were expanded far, far beyond what had been the original boundaries. Short barreled rifles came to include pistols with shoulder stocks. Short barreled shotguns came to include revolvers with shot cartridges and a smooth bore. The Interstate commerce clause came to include almost everything. Bureaucracies came to be the dominant ruling force in most people's lives.
Many states came to mirror federal law about silencers and other items regulated by the National Firearms Act. This served two purposes. It tied state and federal law together so that court challenges had to overcome both state and federal defenses. It provided a way for state and local law officials to prosecute people for what had been made a crime by the National Firearms Act.
By 2000, inflation had eroded the insanely high $200 tax on silencer ownership to the merely extreme one week's minimum wage. The truth about silencers and their many beneficial uses was being exposed.
By 2020, the fight to restore Second Amendment rights was in full swing in the courts. In 2025, the $200 tax on silencers was eliminated by statute. In 2026 there are several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the inclusion of silencers, short barreled rifles and short barreled shotguns in the NFA.
If the federal law is removed, state laws which reinforced the NFA create a trap. If a law requires compliance with an NFA rule which no longer exists, hundreds of thousands could become felons overnight, without any action on their part. Fortunately, several states are taking action to prevent this legal disaster.
Texas eliminated their requirement to comply with the federal law on silencers in 2021. Mississippi passed a similar bill in 2023, which is contingent on the state of federal silencer law. Montana passed a bill eliminating the federal requirement in 2025. Here is the Montana provision:
45-8-336. Possession of silencer. (1) A person commits the offense of possession of a silencer if the person possesses, manufactures, transports, buys, or sells a silencer and has the purpose to use it to commit an offense or knows that another person has such a purpose.
South Dakota eliminated the requirement for federal compliance in 2026. Other states have bills in progress. They are:
Arizona, SB1069 in process.
Missouri, a bill is in progress, SB273.
Ohio, Senate Bill 214 in process.
Analysis:
The trend is in favor of removing silencers from the NFA and of eliminating unnecessary state regulation as well. It is plausible the Supreme Court will eventually issue an opinion to the effect silencers/suppressors are arms protected by the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court moves slowly. The court has a hundred times more demand on its time than it has time. Restoration of rights protected by the Second Amendment is happening, but it all takes time. The information above is not comprehensive. State laws are changing rapidly. Use the comments to add information about bills and statutes not mentioned in the article.
©2026 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Gun Watch
Officials say there were around 1,000 people at a block party near North 20th Place and Eagle Street at around 8 p.m. They say Lazayeus Bartley, 36, drove his truck through the crowd and started shooting.
Several people and vehicles were hit by the truck.
People in the crowd shot back at him, including Palatka Police officers.
Officers responded to the 3300 block of 76th Street around 2:45 a.m. for a report of shots fired and a person who had been hit by gunfire, according to the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. They found the 911 caller, who was struck by a bullet. They were taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, officials said.
Investigators said the suspect was trying to get into the vehicle of the caller. Both individuals shot at each other after a short verbal altercation, according to police.
Upon arrival, officers found 2 individuals lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
1 victim was pronounced dead at the scene and officers attempted to administer first aid to the other victim, but ultimately the victim was pronounced deceased.
During the investigation, multiple handguns were recovered.
Police made contact with an unidentified black female witness on scene.
She recounts one victim was speaking to the other, while said other victim was sitting in their silver SUV prior to the shooting.
They exchanged gunfire before the Silver SUV fled eastbound on 2nd St after being struck.
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