Friday, November 30, 2007



Robbery victim shoots suspect: "Police say it was a robbery attempt gone bad Sunday night in east Charlotte, and they say a would-be suspect is hospitalized as a result. The incident happened about 11:20 p.m. in the parking lot of the McDonalds restaurant on Albemarle Road at Farm Pond Lane. According to police, two armed men confronted another man in the parking lot and tried to rob him. The would-be victim, however, pulled out a gun and shot one of the suspects in the stomach. Police say the victim then ran off. The wounded suspect was taken by MEDIC to Carolinas Medical Center with wounds that police say are not life-threatening. Robbery detectives are investigating the case".


Colorado robber shot: "A robbery suspect was shot and killed after trying to rob a liquor store, Spring Police said. It happened just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening at a strip mall off of Jet Wing and Fountain. The robbery suspect was taken to Memorial Hospital, but he was pronounced dead just minutes later. While the investigation is still on-going, Springs Police said the owner of the liquor store, in his 70's, shot the suspect in the chest. This is the 3rd robbery to happen in the Springs in the past 24 hours. In fact, robberies are on the rise in November. "During the course of this year, we average 25-30 robberies a month, but now, that's how much we've had in the past 2 weeks," said Detective Don Chagnon with Springs Police. In November there have been close to having 60 robberies. Detective Chagnon said he doesn't know why robberies are increasing."


Guns as a litmus test: "Make no mistake: all politicians-even those ostensibly on the side of guns and gun ownership-hate the issue and anyone, like me, who insists on bringing it up. They hate it because it's an X-ray machine. It's a Vulcan mind-meld. It's the ultimate test to which any politician-or political philosophy-can be put. If a politician isn't perfectly comfortable with the idea of his average constituent, any man, woman, or responsible child, walking into a hardware store and paying cash-for any rifle, shotgun, handgun, machinegun, anything-without producing ID or signing one scrap of paper, he isn't your friend no matter what he tells you. If he isn't genuinely enthusiastic about his average constituent stuffing that weapon into a purse or pocket or tucking it under a coat and walking home without asking anybody's permission, he's a four-flusher, no matter what he claims. What his attitude-toward your ownership and use of weapons-conveys is his real attitude about you. And if he doesn't trust you, then why in the name of John Moses Browning should you trust him? If he doesn't want you to have the means of defending your life, do you want him in a position to control it?"

Thursday, November 29, 2007



Missouri: Pistol-Packing Grandma Stops Would-Be Burglars: "A 63-year-old grandmother with a handgun stopped two burglars at her backdoor in Carthage. The Jasper County Sheriff's Department said a woman and a 16-year-old boy were arrested after the foiled break-in Friday and charged with first-degree burglary. The grandmother was at home with her grandchild when the burglars broke down her back door. She grabbed a handgun and stopped the pair, but they ran away when the woman went back inside to call the sheriff's department. Deputies arrested the suspects about three hours later in Carthage. Lt. Aaron Richardson of the sheriff's department said first-degree burglary charges have been filed against Faith Barrick, 39, of Carthage, and a 16-year-old male accomplice.


Pennsylvania campground shooting: "The lead state police investigator in the Aug. 17 shooting death of an Allegheny County man at a Derry Township campground said Monday that evidence collected to date indicates the shooting "points to self-defense." Trooper James Simpson of the Greensburg barracks said police are still awaiting a final autopsy report and the results of a few forensic tests. But at this point it appears the shooting of Sherman Shawn Prince, 40, of Mt. Oliver, during an argument with two other campers at the Lazy Acres Campground, near Keystone State Park, might have been justified. Prince's family members maintain that he did not own a gun. However, Simpson said evidence collected at the scene and through forensic tests to date indicate that he was pointing a loaded .22-caliber handgun at the face of Anthony Verdiglione of McKeesport when he was shot. Prince was shot by a friend of Verdiglione, Dale O. Miller, 43, of McKeesport. Police have said that Miller and Verdiglione have cooperated throughout the investigation. Police said a second confrontation occurred among the three men outside of Miller's camper where a witness said Prince pulled out a small handgun and pointed it at Veriglione's face. Verdiglione swiped at the gun in an attempt to strike it from Prince's hand, but missed, according to the search warrant. "Miller, who had been standing behind Verdiglione, then brandished his own weapon (a .38-caliber handgun) and discharged the same, striking Prince one time in the head," Simpson wrote in the search warrant affidavit."


Georgia Businessman Wounded, Suspect Killed In Shootout: "One suspect is dead and another man wounded after a shoot out during a home invasion robbery in East Point early Tuesday morning. Police said two men burst into an apartment at 3029 Dobbs Way around midnight and held several people at gunpoint. The armed men started ransacking the apartment. At some point a woman who lives at the apartment, but was outside during the attack called her father for help. The father, who police describe as a well-known local businessman, rushed to the apartment with his own gun. When he entered the apartment a gun battle broke out with both the home invaders and the father trading shots. One of the suspects was shot and killed. The father also was hit and wounded. The apartment residents then attacked the surviving robber and held him until police arrived.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007



Missouri: Pistol-Packing Grandma Stops Would-Be Burglars: "A 63-year-old grandmother with a handgun stopped two burglars at her backdoor in Carthage. The Jasper County Sheriff's Department said a woman and a 16-year-old boy were arrested after the foiled break-in Friday and charged with first-degree burglary. The grandmother was at home with her grandchild when the burglars broke down her back door. She grabbed a handgun and stopped the pair, but they ran away when the woman went back inside to call the sheriff's department. Deputies arrested the suspects about three hours later in Carthage. Lt. Aaron Richardson of the sheriff's department said first-degree burglary charges have been filed against Faith Barrick, 39, of Carthage, and a 16-year-old male accomplice.


Pennsylvania campground shooting: "The lead state police investigator in the Aug. 17 shooting death of an Allegheny County man at a Derry Township campground said Monday that evidence collected to date indicates the shooting "points to self-defense." Trooper James Simpson of the Greensburg barracks said police are still awaiting a final autopsy report and the results of a few forensic tests. But at this point it appears the shooting of Sherman Shawn Prince, 40, of Mt. Oliver, during an argument with two other campers at the Lazy Acres Campground, near Keystone State Park, might have been justified. Prince's family members maintain that he did not own a gun. However, Simpson said evidence collected at the scene and through forensic tests to date indicate that he was pointing a loaded .22-caliber handgun at the face of Anthony Verdiglione of McKeesport when he was shot. Prince was shot by a friend of Verdiglione, Dale O. Miller, 43, of McKeesport. Police have said that Miller and Verdiglione have cooperated throughout the investigation. Police said a second confrontation occurred among the three men outside of Miller's camper where a witness said Prince pulled out a small handgun and pointed it at Veriglione's face. Verdiglione swiped at the gun in an attempt to strike it from Prince's hand, but missed, according to the search warrant. "Miller, who had been standing behind Verdiglione, then brandished his own weapon (a .38-caliber handgun) and discharged the same, striking Prince one time in the head," Simpson wrote in the search warrant affidavit."


Georgia Businessman Wounded, Suspect Killed In Shootout: "One suspect is dead and another man wounded after a shoot out during a home invasion robbery in East Point early Tuesday morning. Police said two men burst into an apartment at 3029 Dobbs Way around midnight and held several people at gunpoint. The armed men started ransacking the apartment. At some point a woman who lives at the apartment, but was outside during the attack called her father for help. The father, who police describe as a well-known local businessman, rushed to the apartment with his own gun. When he entered the apartment a gun battle broke out with both the home invaders and the father trading shots. One of the suspects was shot and killed. The father also was hit and wounded. The apartment residents then attacked the surviving robber and held him until police arrived.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007



Georgia: Brinks robber shot: "A suspect and a security guard were shot during an attempted robbery at a shopping mall Monday, while a lunchtime crowd ducked for cover, officials and witnesses said. The guard's injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, said Bill Ball, general manager of the Arbor Place Mall. Police said the suspect's wounds were more severe. The events unfolded while a Brinks guard was entering the mall to service some of the ATM machines, Ball said. Douglasville Police Chief Joe Whisenant said it happened a few minutes after noon. He said the security guard was inside on the second floor when the would-be robber approached and put a gun to the guard's head. They scuffled and both men fired, with the guard hit in the leg and the suspect in the mouth, Whisenant said. Both men were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. The suspect underwent emergency surgery Monday afternoon, the chief said. Whisenant said the suspect is 41 years old and from DeKalb County on Atlanta's eastern side. He also said that money, the apparent target of the robbery, was recovered. Douglasville police put the mall under lockdown, not letting anyone in or out, for a brief period during the immediate aftermath of the shooting."




Indiana: Pawnshop worker shoots at robbers. Gets one: "At least one employee of an Indianapolis pawnshop fired a gun at two would-be robbers Monday morning, and a suspect was arrested after arriving at a hospital with a gunshot wound, police said. Police weren't sure whether the arrestee, Nurdeen Anderson [above], was shot at the pawnshop, but they said they believe he was one of the two men who tried to rob it. Authorities said two men armed with handguns entered the Universal Gold and Silver pawnshop at 4320 E. 10th St. at about 11:30 a.m. and tried to rob it. Two employees in the store also were armed, and at least one of the workers fired at the would-be robbers, police said. The would-be robbers exited the store. About 20 minutes later, Anderson, 26, arrived at Methodist Hospital with a gunshot wound to the neck, police said. Police said Anderson, who was treated at the hospital, matched the description of one of the men who robbed the pawnshop, and they arrested him on a charge of attempted robbery. Information on his condition wasn't available. Authorities said they were trying to determine who the other would-be robber was. Police said they believe no charges would be filed against the pawnshop's employees.


Thompson visits gun show: "White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down an aisle of rifles, shotguns, and pistols at a gun show yesterday ``a day in paradise,'' and criticized his leading Republican opponents for past positions on gun control and abortion. Talking to reporters after the gun show visit, Thompson singled out Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, and Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts. Giuliani ``never met a gun-control bill he didn't like until he started to run for president and now I understand he very much approves of the Supreme Court taking jurisdiction of this Washington, D.C., case which most Second Amendment advocates think will establish that the Second Amendment means what it says and grants individual rights to people to possess firearms,'' Thompson said"

Monday, November 26, 2007



Tennessee: Store robber shot: "A convenience store robbery in Southeast Memphis ended in a shooting. Police say the shooting victim had just tried to rob a clerk at the store. It happened just after 9 p.m. at the "Fast Check" on Winchester near Knight. That's just east of the airport. Police say when two crooks tried to rob a clerk at the store, the store owner shot one of the robbers. They say the other robber is on the run. The shooting victim was taken to The Med in critical condition."


Deer Attacks Arkansas Grandfather: "A deer attacked an 84-year-old man in Colt, AR on Thanksgiving Day. J.W. Mitchell has lived in Colt for a long time. It's a town of about 300, and who knows how many deer. Mitchell and the deer usually keep to themselves. That changed Thursday. Mitchell says the deer was attacking his dog, Buddy, in the backyard. Mitchell says the seven point buck turned on him when he went outside to help. Mitchell suffered injuries to his arms and wrists, but says it could have been worse. "Yes it could have. If I hadn't of had that stick there's no telling what he would have done," says Mitchell. Mitchell uses a walking stick made out of metal from an old swing-set. He was carrying it during the attack. A neighbor came over with a shotgun, and killed the deer."


MS: Castle doctrine lauded by gun advocates: "Kathy Adkins moved from target to target, using a .38 revolver and a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with deadly efficiency, putting holes in the dead centers of paper targets meant to look like people. Adkins, 48, owns a real estate firm in Jackson and has been taking firearms training since March. Instructor Cliff Cargill said he has had many new students since the Legislature passed a bill last year giving residents expanded legal rights to protect themselves in their homes, cars or businesses."

Sunday, November 25, 2007



A British comment on the Second Amendment:

Each time the news of an American shooting, especially a school shooting, reaches across the Atlantic, the British media emit a collective high-pitched hysterical scream. The guilty parties always seem to be America's gun culture and the Second Amendment, which allows Americans access to weapons, `the right to bear arms'. `It's barmy', the media sagely conclude.

Rationality is urgently needed to combat this clearly emotional outburst. First, cut out the fetishisation. Firearms, like any other tool, are not in and of themselves dangerous. Handled responsibly, they are no more dangerous than many other household items, and are far less dangerous than cars. Let's get guns in perspective. According to the Centers for Disease Control in the US, 11,624 homicides were committed using firearms in 2004. Compare this to deaths by unintentional poisoning (20,590), unintentional falls (18,807), or death by unintentional suffocation, drowning and fire (12,531). A Million Mom March against oysters or ladders? Not likely.

Second, let us put to bed the myth that the number of available guns bears a direct relationship with homicide rates. Yes, the United States does have higher gun ownership and a higher homicide rate than the UK, but strict gun controls operate in the Philippines and Mexico and both of those countries have higher homicide rates than America. Meanwhile, Israel and Switzerland have higher adult gun ownership rates than America, and far lower homicide rates. Nationally, Washington DC, which banned handguns, has a murder rate of 80 per 100,000. In Arlington, Virginia - just across the Potomac and with almost no controls on guns - the rate is 1.6 per 100,000. In Glasgow, the rate is 5.6 per 100,000.

Third, there is a direct relationship between gun rights and democracy. A democratic, egalitarian society allows its citizens to own guns. A fearful society takes guns away from those it most fears. In Britain, real controls over firearms came only with a scare about Bolshevism. The 1920 Firearms Act introduced a registration system and allowed local police forces to deny a licence to anyone who was `unfitted to be trusted with a firearm'. The 1968 Gun Control Act in the United States reflected fears about groups like the Black Panthers, who had formed militias and marched through the streets. First, they feared the working class, later they feared racial minorities, now there is a fear of just about everyone. These are the real reasons for gun controls. It is really about who is behind the gun, not the gun itself.

Source




Missouri: Would-be robber shot: "A would-be robber remained hospitalized in critical condition this afternoon after he was shot by one of his intended victims. The man was shot about 1:30 a.m. after he followed several people to their car in a Westport parking garage in the 4000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. As the people were getting into their car, the man, who had earlier asked them for money, pulled up his shirt and revealed a gun in his waistband, Kansas City police said. One of the car's occupants retrieved his own gun from inside the vehicle and fired. Police later determined that the wounded man was carrying a BB gun".


Michigan homeowner shoots intruder: "An intruder was shot and wounded by a resident wielding a handgun during a home invasion that took place about 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 401 W. Sixth St., the Monroe Police Department reported. The suspect is receiving medical care at Mercy Memorial Hospital. Lt. Charles Abel, public information officer for the city police, said the man received more than one gunshot wound and has undergone surgery as a result... A call came to Central Dispatch as a home invasion in progress. While police were on the way, according to reports, the man who lives in the house was confronted by the intruder. The resident fired multiple shots with a handgun, and the intruder fled. When police checked the neighborhood, they found the suspect wounded and lying in the roadway near W. Seventh and Smith Sts. The Monroe Fire Department ambulance service took him to the hospital. Lt. Abel said a duffel bag also was found near the suspect, with items that possibly were stolen elsewhere."



Utahns exercise right to openly carry firearms

Among the things that make Utah a special place are its gun laws. Love 'em or hate 'em, they often make living, working and even dining in the state a visceral experience, harking back to the heady days of Deadwood and Dodge City. Most Utahns are aware their state issues an easily obtained concealed-weapon permit. By passing a background check and basic course in gun safety, anyone over 21 can qualify to carry an undercover gun.

But in how many places, outside parts of Africa and the Middle East, can you legally stroll down the street with a semi-automatic carbine slung over your shoulder, let alone a handgun on your hip? "Any citizen over 18 can protect themselves by openly carrying a firearm," says Brian Nelson, an emergency vehicle equipment salesman who lives in Layton. Nelson is the spokesman for the Utah branch of OpenCarry.org, a national network organization whose motto is "A right unexercised is a right lost."

Last month, Utah OpenCarry.org began a monthly "lunch group" to talk about gun rights while openly carrying handguns. Twenty-five members met at the Golden Corral in Layton on Saturday. Joe Smith, a computer programmer from Lehi, joined the group for lunch with his wife, Tiffney, and 9-week-old son Paxton. Why does Smith feel the need to pack a 9mm Hi-Point semi-auto on his hip? "Right here," he says, nodding toward his wife and son. "They're the reason."

More here





Tennessee: Store Video Shows Bold Robbers In Action: "A violent robbery caught on tape. Cops say the bad guys were bold and were ready to shoot and kill to get what they wanted. But a store worker was able to turn the tables on the thugs. And the clerks were saved by sheer luck. It happened at the Fast Check Convenience Store off Winchester Thursday around 9:30pm. Two robbers busted in, one got away with cash, the other took a few bullets after one clerk chased the robbers out of his store. "One of the victims inside the store heard click click," says Lt. Darren Goods with the Memphis Police Department. The click was the gun... jamming. Both clerks know are lucky to be alive. It lasted just a few seconds -- a few seconds that could have ended someone's life. Lt. Goods calls them robbers with a sinister motive, "Their purpose was to take-over style robbery. Lets take any and everything we can, lets get as much money as we can. Both armed with guns. And lets get out of here as fast as we can." What's worse say police, several customers - including young teenagers - were inside the whole time. One lady walked into the middle of it. Police say somebody has to know these brazen robbers. The one robber hasn't been charged yet. He's still critical but stable at The MED."


Ohio: Robber shot at Mexican market: "A store clerk shot a robbery suspect inside a Mexican market on Glenway Avenue tonight, and police were hunting for a second suspect. The incident happened about 8:45 p.m. when two suspects, wearing scarves over their faces, entered the Tienda y Carniceria. A woman behind the counter shouted for her husband, while trying to protect a 3-year-old child who was with her. The male clerk scuffled with the robber and was struck in the face with a gun. Both apparently fired shots. One robber was wounded in the shoulder and was taken to University Hospital. The second fled the store and was being hunted by police. Police said he was a heavy-set Hispanic male with a shaved head, wearing a black sweater, black jeans and white tennis shoes."

Friday, November 23, 2007



The New York Times and the civil right it does not like

The editors of the New York Times are, unusually for them, calling upon the Supreme Court to construe one of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution to give individuals no rights against the government. Hint: It is not the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, or Eighth amendments. You do the rest of the thinking. The most appalling thing about the editorial is its final sentence:

A decision that upends needed gun controls currently in place around the country would imperil the lives of Americans.

There is not a shred of sustainable evidence that this statement is true in any meaningful sense. Literally, of course, it might be: the specific life of some American might be "imperiled" because an otherwise law-abiding person owned a handgun. However, the empirical case for the impact of gun control on lives or crime is so astonishingly thin that the editors are far more guilty of "lying" on this subject than, say, the Bush administration was about WMD in Iraq (to pick a basis for comparison than the editors should understand).

Source







Texas: Dallas Man 'Justified' in Shooting Two Burglars on His Property, Grand Jury Says: "The owner of a West Dallas machine shop will not face charges for shooting and killing two burglars on his property. A Grand Jury determined the actions of James Walton were justified. Walton shot the two men while they were each committing separate burglaries at the shop where he works and lives. He told FOX 4 that he is relieved the ordeal is over. Police responded to at least 42 calls for burglaries and thefts at Walton's place before the shootings."


Florida: Suspect's case closed after owner held him at gunpoint : "An 18-year-old arrested in October for trespassing on another man's property and breaking into his vehicles won't get to press charges against the owner, who held him at gunpoint until lawmen arrived. The teen, Michael Joseph McCreary, had his case closed last week by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. He had approached deputies on Nov. 14 with his mother to file a complaint for aggravated assault and battery against the owner of the property on Reinke Drive - Victor E. Mikell - for using excessive force in detaining him in an Oct. 28 incident. McCreary said Mikell hit him with the butt of a rifle, held the barrel at his head, drug him into a driveway and threatened to kill him while he waited for law enforcement to arrive. But Mikell told investigators he had "heard shots" coming from the back of his property and went to investigate. That's when he found McCreary and two other men fleeing after allegedly breaking into vehicles and stealing property from Mikell's wooded land. Mikell said he raised his rifle to his shoulder and yelled at McCreary to stop or he would shoot, and McCreary stopped. But he soon became belligerent and acted like he might take off again, Mikell said, so he hit McCreary in the stomach with the butt of the rifle and marched him to the driveway, where he kept him face-down on the ground until lawmen arrived."

Thursday, November 22, 2007



Good neighbor policy

Now that cloning of humans is becoming an increasingly likely prospect, I have an important question: Can I get a copy of Joe Horn to move in as my next-door neighbor?

Horn is the Pasadena, Texas, resident who called 911 when he saw two burglars breaking into his neighbors' home. While he stayed on the phone with a 911 operator, the burglars ransacked the house. After long, painful minutes of waiting, with no sign of the police, it looked as if the burglars were going to make good their escape. Horn told the operator that he was going out to confront the burglars with a shotgun. That's exactly what he did. The burglars ended up dead.

A few of the usual ninnies are whining about how terrible it is that Horn shot criminals over "mere" home invasion and property. Asks one letter-writer in the pages of the Houston Chronicle, "Does not human life trump some cash, or an iPod, in Texas?."

Well, no -- at least, it shouldn't. When we're talking about thieves caught in the act, we're talking about people whose lives are worth less than lint. I certainly wouldn't execute them once they've surrendered and been taken into custody, but when they attempt to escape, as these two did when confronted by Horn, shooting them is perfectly justified -- and a step toward neighborhood beautification.

Yep, when the science is perfected I'll be first in line for a Joe Horn clone to install next door.

Source

Fuller coverage of the Joe Horn episode

The Pasadena man who killed two suspected burglars as they left his next-door neighbor's home did not intend to kill them when he stepped outside with his 12-gauge shotgun, his lawyer said Friday. In portraying Joe Horn as a victim of circumstances, lawyer and longtime friend Tom Lambright called the 61-year-old computer consultant "a good family man" who has been devastated by the Wednesday afternoon burglary and shooting.

Killed in the incident in the 7400 block of Timberline were Miguel Antonio DeJesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, both of Houston. Each had a minor previous brush with the law. Records show DeJesus was charged with failure to identify himself to a police officer in July 2004. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 days in jail. Ortiz was charged with possession of marijuana in July 2005, but it was later dismissed.

"He (Horn) was just doing what everyone is supposed to do," Lambright said at a news conference in front of the Houston police memorial near downtown. "He called the police. He was cooperating with them as best he could, trying to give the police the direction of the burglars. He knew there was danger going outside."

Horn ignored repeated instructions from a 911 dispatcher to remain in his home. He told the dispatcher, "I'm not going to let them get away with it. I can't take a chance in getting killed over this. OK? I'm gonna shoot. I'm gonna shoot."

While lawyers and legal experts across the city continued to debate the legality of Horn's actions, he has left town with his family, Lambright said. "Hopefully he will see a doctor and maybe get a sedative," he said. "He is not well mentally. This has devastated him. Not in his wildest dreams could he fathom this event." Lambright said Horn, whom he has considered a friend for 41 years, wept inconsolably during their conversations. "Joe is the absolute opposite of what everyone thinks he is," Lambright said. "He is not a cowboy. He is not physical. He's 61 years old and overweight. He's not confrontational. He's just a good guy." Lambright read a written statement in which Horn said the killings would "weigh heavily on me for the rest of my life. My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased." Lambright said Horn was a hunter, but kept the shotgun in his pickup "for security."

Horn lives with his daughter and granddaughter and does not keep firearms in the house, his lawyer said. Lambright said Horn was upstairs working at a computer about 2 p.m. when he heard the sound of breaking glass next door. Horn called 911, engaging in a protracted conversation with the dispatcher, who repeatedly advised him to wait inside until police arrived. "Mr. Horn, do not go outside the house. You're going to get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun," the dispatcher told Horn at one point. "You wanna make a bet," Horn responded. "I'm gonna kill them. They're gonna get away."

Lambright contended that Horn was startled to find the burglars just 15 feet from his front door when he stepped onto his porch. "He was petrified at that point," the lawyer said. "You hear him say, 'I'll shoot. Stop!' They jumped. Joe thought they were coming for him. It's a self-defense issue." Attorneys and legal experts said Horn's defense probably will be based on state law that allows people to use deadly force to protect neighbors' property. "If you see someone stealing your neighbor's property, you can get involved and help to stop it," said Sandra Guerra Thompson, a law professor at the University of Houston Law Center.

Others disagreed. The statutes that allow people to use deadly force to stop a burglary appear to require that the incident be occurring at night, said Craig Jett, a Dallas criminal defense attorney and president of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association. "It can't be during the day," Jett said.

Experts said that a grand jury may sympathize with Horn. Some people believe that you should be able to protect your neighborhood, said Anthony Osso, a Houston criminal defense attorney. Osso said that Horn's defense might be that he wanted to prevent the robbers from leaving until police arrived, but they tried to flee and he shot them. "His best scenario is that he went out to use the threat of deadly force," Osso said. "But they came at him on his own property."

Osso said Horn's 911 call does not tell the whole story about the shooting. Investigators will need information about where the suspects were shot and if they had stopped when Horn ordered them not to move. "Some people on the grand jury will sympathize with him," said Adam Gershowitz, a law professor at South Texas College of Law. "Maybe he shouldn't have done this, but he was acting in a way a lot of people feel." But that does not mean he won't be charged, Gershowitz added. "There's a reason we don't let people take the law into their own hands," he said. "We have a police force for that. As an established society, we believe we are better off with an authorized police force that has standards and training rather than untrained vigilantes."

A transcript of the 911 call suggests Horn intended to do what he felt necessary to stop the burglars. Despite a concerted effort by the dispatcher to persuade him to let police deal with the break-in, Horn was insistent on trying keep them from getting away. "I don't want you going outside, Mr. Horn," the dispatcher said. "Well, here it goes, buddy," Horn said. "You hear the shotgun clicking, and I'm going." Seconds later three shotgun blasts are heard.

Source





TX: Elderly homeowner shoots intruder: "Police said a 76-year-old homeowner heard his dogs barking at around 3 a.m. at his home in the 3700 block of Fordham. He opened the front door and found a suspect prowling around the front yard. When the door opened, the 28-year-old suspect ran inside. The two began fighting, and the homeowner managed to get a shotgun from under the bed. He fired one shot, and the suspect was struck in the hand, shoulder and face. Police arrived, and he was transported to Baylor


Gun-free zones offer criminals, lunatics no-risk targets: "The recent shooting of a Miami Carol City High School algebra teacher identified as Sergio Miranda will no doubt bring wails from gun control extremists that the nation needs tougher gun laws -- when it really serves as another failure of so-called 'gun-free zones.' By all accounts, Mr. Miranda and a colleague were minding their own business outside the school during a lunch break when two gunmen approached in what has been described as an attempted armed robbery that went bad. ... Our sympathies lie with [those] who have been victimized by a law that was perhaps well-intentioned but is so disastrous in its implementation that it may one day be viewed as one of the worst legislative atrocities foisted upon this nation."

Wednesday, November 21, 2007



Top US Court to review guns law

The US Supreme Court today agreed for the first time in 70 years to review the right to own guns and consider whether Washington can ban private handguns, a court spokeswoman said. The handgun ban in the US capital of Washington was granted review, said court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg, in what will be a rare review of the US constitution's second amendment. Arguments are expected in February or April with a ruling at the end of June, just before the November 2008 presidential election.

The city, trying to stem a wave of violence in its poorer neighbourhoods, lodged the case with the nine Supreme Court judges seeking to maintain its three-decade ban on individuals owning handguns. Washington, which is also home to the president and the government, has interpreted the amendment to mean that there is a collective right to bear arms for those who are part of a police force or a security force. Since 1976 it has therefore banned residents from carrying handguns, but they are allowed to keep a rifle or hunting gun in their homes, providing it is locked and not loaded.

For millions of Americans though, and especially the powerful gun lobby represented by the National Rifle Association, the second amendment guarantees the right of every American citizen to own any gun, with few limits. The amendment declares that: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

In 2003, Washington resident Dick Heller, who lives in one of the city's tougher districts, lodged a suit against the local authorities saying his constitutional right to bear arms was being violated. Although his case was initially rejected, he won on appeal to a federal appeals court in March. Washington officials in turn then lodged a case with the Supreme Court in September insisting that it must rule on the extent of access to handguns, the weapon of choice in two-thirds of robberies and assaults. Handguns are used in half of the 15,000 murders across the country every year, according to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

"Faced with the evidence that handguns pose a particularly serious threat to public safety, the council chose to ban handguns because it concluded that less restrictive regulations would be ineffective," the city said in its petition to the court. "Whatever right the second amendment guarantees, it does not require the district to stand by while its citizens die."

To date the Supreme Court has rarely considered the issue of the right to bear arms. In the 19th century, it determined that the founding fathers meant the amendment to remain the remit of federal laws and left all the states in the union free to draw up their own gun laws. Then in 1939, the court upheld a law requiring that arms transported from state to state should be registered. But all states have formulated their own restrictions, which vary wildly.

Source





California man disarms and kills intruder: "An Indio man disarmed and fatally shot a would-be intruder early Tuesday during a struggle that left the resident with a gunshot wound in his foot, authorities said. Police sent to a home on Hamilton Court in the Indian Palms Country Club at 1:30 a.m. found the body of 31-year-old Genaro Chavez Munoz lying partially in the front window of the residence, according to Ben Guitron with Indio police. The preliminary investigation indicated that the homeowner was awakened by the sounds of someone trying to enter his home through the front window, according to Guitron. "The homeowner managed to disarm the intruder and shot him several times, killing him in the process," Guitron said. Police believe there may have been other suspects outside the residence who ran away after the shooting, he said. The homeowner, whose name was not being released, was taken to John F. Kennedy Hospital. Guitron said no charges would be filed against him at this time, but that the investigation was ongoing."


PA: Man hogties home invader: "A Brookline homeowner turned the tables on a would-be burglar who broke into his home. Dorjian Anderson, 31, and a single father of seven, says 23-year-old Christopher DePaolo kicked open his door. When the suspect got to the top of his steps, he and Anderson got into a fight. Eventually Anderson grabbed some extension cords and hog-tied him. He and a friend held DePaolo at gunpoint until police arrived."

Tuesday, November 20, 2007



WA: Homeowner shoots suspect taking weapon from house: "A teenager was shot in the arm this morning by a Yakima resident who returned home to find his West Valley home being burglarized by two juveniles who were stealing weapons from the house, Yakima police said. The homeowner was returning home about 10:30 a.m. when he saw a brown Honda Accord he didn't recognize parked in the driveway. Inside, the man saw two teenagers, one of them carrying his rifle. Police said the homeowner opened fire with a .45 caliber handgun that he was carrying, injuring one of the burglary suspects. It was unclear whether the rifle was pointed at the man, but police said he was defending himself when he opened fire. The wounded teenager was taken to a Yakima hospital, where his condition was not immediately available. However, police said the gunshot was not life-threatening. The other suspect was arrested by police at the house.


Georgia: Homeowner sends burglars to hospital: "Investigators say two armed burglars invaded a home Friday night around 8:30pm on the 3000-block of Tate Rd. A struggle occurred between the homeowner and one of the men. The homeowner was shot in the arm, but was able to get the gun away from the burglars to shoot back. The two burglars drove themselves to the hospital where they were arrested. The two men have been identified as Montrelle Teasley and Marcus Turner. Both will be charged with armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime. Teasley is a juvenile, but will be charged as an adult."


SAF engages in worldwide struggle against gun grabbers: "The Second Amendment Foundation and the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA) met in Palermo, Italy, on October 4 and 5, 2007, to plan for a looming battle over global gun control. SAF joined the WFSA in 2006. The WFSA was formed in 1997, and is an officially recognized United Nations non-governmental organization, or NGO. SAF was represented by Julianne Gottlieb. The WFSA has 38 members including most of the major hunting and sport shooting organizations and the firearms and ammunition manufacturer associations. The WFSA Board meets twice a year."


Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?: "It has long been said that, 'God made all men, but Samuel Colt made all men equal.' No other personal weapon in history has been relied upon more by men and women alike, regardless of physical condition, build, or skill in self-defense techniques."

Monday, November 19, 2007



Ohio Man Tries To Break-In Home, Gets Shot: "A Dayton homeowner shot a suspected burglar Saturday morning. Police responded to the 4000 block of Pleasantview early Saturday morning. Police said a man tried kicking in the back door of the home and that is when the homeowner shot him. The burglar was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition"


Texas shooting may have been self-defense: "The Walker County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of a man who was shot and killed by another man in Riverside Tuesday night. Jerry Wayne Bratton, a 40-year-old white male from Crockett, was killed just before 8 p.m. when another man — whose name county officials are not releasing — shot him in front of the Valero store off state Highway 19, just over the Trinity River bridge. Lt. Charlie Perkins with the Walker County Sheriff’s Department said that when police responded to the scene they found Bratton lying on the ground with one gunshot wound to the torso. “There was some altercation between the victim and the suspect and the victim was shot,” Perkins said Friday. Walker County Criminal District Attorney David Weeks said his office had been brought into the investigation early to determine if the suspect shot Bratton in self-defense. “There are certainly some elements of self-defense that we’re going to present in detail to the grand jury,” Weeks said. “There was enough evidence there that I thought there were no felony charges appropriate at this point.” .... Witnesses to the incident — who spoke on the condition of anonymity — said Bratton taunted the shooter with a knife."


The foolishness and immorality of gun control: "I sent a pro-gun commentary from a British newspaper to a liberal friend of mine, and he replied that if we just banned the manufacture of firearms on a worldwide level there wouldn't be any crime or genocides like the one going on in Darfur. He then suggested that I had joined a militia group."


Will your gun save your life?: "The scenario: You are in the grocery store parking lot. Evening has fallen, but the street light illuminates the area. You are putting your new purchases in the trunk of your car, anticipating being in the warmth of your own home in fifteen minutes, after a long day at work. Thoughts are going through your mind of what to make for dinner and what you will be .... And then it happens!"

Sunday, November 18, 2007



FL: No gun charges for armed reporter: "Prosecutors have dropped the case against a TV reporter who was arrested carrying a loaded gun near a high school while working on a story on school violence, authorities said Tuesday. Jeffrey Weinsier of WPLG, an ABC network affiliate, was arrested last month after police said he carried a weapon onto the grounds of Miami Central High School and refused to cross the street when asked by an officer. A cameraman caught the encounter on videotape, which the state attorney's office used in deciding not to pursue the charges, Assistant State Attorney Maggie Gerson wrote in a memo released Tuesday. Weinsier had been charged with armed trespass on school property, possession of a weapon, violation of carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest without violence. But he was not on school grounds when police approached him and ordered him to leave, Gerson said. 'Since the defendant was not trespassing, anything that was found on the defendant after he was arrested will be suppressed as a matter of law,' Gerson wrote."


TX: Intruder shot: "Dallas police were investigating Wednesday the shooting of a home intruder. Investigators said the man had a gun and entered an apartment in the 9700 block of Forest Lane around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. A man in the apartment shot the intruder, according to police. "The complainant goes to the apartment to buy or rob drugs," Sgt. Gil Cerda said. "He knocks on the door. There are three people inside the apartment. They are suspicious. He comes in with a gun and they shoot him. Our shooter was brought in for questioning and we are looking at a Grand Jury referral." The intruder, 24, was taken to a local hospital where he was remained on life support Wednesday"


Bloomy's anti-gun hysteria perpetuates social bigotry: "A new series of anti-gun posters now showing up around New York City are an affront to law-abiding gun owners, while also serving as an attempt to scare younger people from pursuing legal gun ownership, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. The signs have two messages: 'Guns Open Doors for Young People ... Prison Doors' and the other says 'JAIL' in capitol letters, with the 'L' being the image of a Beretta semiautomatic pistol."

Saturday, November 17, 2007



Michigan Store Clerk Shoots Alleged Robber: "It happened around 7:30 p.m. at Nick's Short Stop party store in Clinton Township located at Cass Road and Romeo Plank. The 17-year-old clerk said he was protecting his brother who was being held up by a knife. "I just want people to understand we are the victims and I hope he is OK," store owner John Acho said. Acho said he wants to make sure people know his nephew was acting in self-defense. Police said the robber had a knife. "I hope he is OK, but he had no right to come in here and rob the store and try to hurt people," said Acho. Police said the clerk fired several shots at the 22-year-old robber, hitting him once in the chest and once in the arm. The robber is hospitalized in grave condition, according to officials."


Missouri: Disabled man pulls gun, ends violent armed robbery spree: "A disabled man defending himself with a firearm from people trying to break into his trailer appears to have stopped a crime spree early Thursday morning..... the sheriff’s office received a call from a man and his wife on Reporter Road who told deputies that they had caught a juvenile breaking into their mobile home about a mile north of Waynesville and were holding him at gunpoint. They said another man who had tried to break into their home had already fled. King said the couple told him they were confronted in their home about 6 a.m. by a man in his 30s and a 16-year-old male. The older intruder pulled a handgun, but apparently didn’t anticipate that his intended victim — a disabled man in his 40s who takes medication for serious back pain — might not be an easy target. “The homeowner pulled his weapon and the suspect fled,” King said. “The suspect had a pellet gun; the homeowner had a real gun.” The deputy left the Fort Wood Inn and headed toward the Reporter Road address, but while driving on Highway T on his way to Reporter Road, at 6:09 a.m., he saw a small silver passenger car matching the description of a car that had fled the Fort Wood Inn. The sheriff’s department had only one deputy on duty in the early morning hours, so sheriff’s dispatchers called Waynesville police to assist with securing the juvenile being held at gunpoint by the homeowner; King responded from his home, took custody of the juvenile from Waynesville police, and transported him to the county jail where he awaits filing of charges.


Ohio store owner shoots suspect during robbery attempt: "A suspect entered the Northfield Food Mart around 7:15pm Thursday evening attempting to rob the store owner. In defense, the store owner pulled out a weapon and shot the suspect. The injured suspect attempted to exit the store and was quickly apprehended. Police are in early stages of their investigation.... The suspect was taken to Bedford Hospital and then lifeflighted to MetroHealth Medical Center. There is no word on his condition, however, there are reports that he may have been shot in the head.

Friday, November 16, 2007



Pennsylvania Mother Turns Tables On Carjackers: "Police said Wednesday a mother wrestled away a gun from a carjacker who tried to take her car with her 7-year-old daughter inside. Chopper 10 was over the scene at Bellfield Avenue and Route 1, where police were using metal detectors and a search dog. Bellfield Avenue was shut down for the investigation. Firefighters arrived with lights so police could continue the investigation. Police said the 37-year-old woman was leaving work at the Sunny Days Early Child Development Services facility on Township Line when she said she was approached by two men who got out of a black Jeep. After a brief conversation, one pointed a gun at her and demanded her SUV. Police said the woman pleaded with the gunmen to allow her to retrieve her 7-year-old daughter out of the backseat. As she helped the child out, she grabbed the gun from the carjacker's lap. The woman then began to back away, with the gunmen following in an attempt to retrieve the gun. Police said the gun went off in the struggle. While neither the mother nor daughter were injured, it was unknown if their attackers were hurt. The gunmen got the weapon back, and one jumped into the victim's SUV and drove up Belfield Avenue, while the other was picked up around the corner on Township Line in the black Jeep they had pulled up in, NBC 10 News reported. Police said they were looking for at least three men, their black Jeep, and the victim's 2007 White Over Black Toyota FJ Cruiser."


Texas: Big guy shot while trying to seize child: "A 20-year-old Fort Worth man was shot in the chest Wednesday night while attempting to take his 15-month-old son from a residence in Burleson after a fight with another Fort Worth man, according the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Ashton Lamar Miles Brown, 17, is accused of shooting Damarcus King, who was transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital. Brown was arrested on a charge of a felon in possession of a firearm. Details on King’s condition were not available. According to reports, King, the father of the child, had sent threatening messages to the mother. King said he would harm the mother and grandmother and then take the child from the East Renfro Street home. Brown was inside the residence with the mother and child when King arrived at the home. When King entered the residence, a fight began between the two men. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, King is three years older, six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Brown. During the fight, Brown fired a shot from a 9 mm handgun, which struck King in the chest. The shot entered and exited King’s chest cavity area. Despite the wound, the fight continued while King and Brown stumbled over a love seat. King went out the front door and collapsed in the front yard, where he remained until paramedics arrived for treatment. Both men have prior arrest records."


Tennessee: Robbery suspect shot, killed at car wash: "A robbery suspect was shot and killed in South Memphis tonight. According to Memphis police, multiple suspects attempted to rob the After Hours car wash at 770 Polk near Crump just before 7 p.m. A person inside the store had a gun. He fired, hitting one of the suspects and killing him, police said. Police were still investigating the incident late tonight, and were uncertain if any charges would be filed against the shooter."

Thursday, November 15, 2007



DC Gun Ban Hasn't Curbed Crime

Post below lifted from Newsbusters. See the original for links

It's a few steps shy of proclaiming, "Gun Ban an Abject Failure at Curbing Crime," but today's Washington Post Metro did trumpet on the front of its November 13 Metro section that the 31-year old D.C. handgun ban has not proven to be a crime deterrent. With his somewhat subdued headline, "Crime Data Underscore Limits of D.C. Gun Ban's Effectiveness," staff writer Paul Duggan unearthed the political calculus for the 1976 gun ban, as well as the Post's role as chief journalistic cheerleader for the law the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals found unconstitutional earlier this year.
In making by far their boldest public policy decision, the District's first elected officials wanted other jurisdictions, especially neighboring states, to follow the lead of the nation's capital by enacting similar gun restrictions, cutting the flow of firearms into the city from surrounding areas. "We were trying to send out a message," recalled Sterling Tucker (D), the council chairman at the time.

Nadine Winters (D), also a council member then, said, "My expectation was that this being Washington, it would kind of spread to other places, because these guns, there were so many of them coming from Virginia and Maryland."

Duggan quotes other politicians who eagerly supported, and continue to support the ban, noting that at the time even they admitted the ban would do nothing to make citizens safer:
"The bill should not be looked at as a panacea to solve all gun-related crime problems that we have in the city," warned then-council member John A. Wilson (D), after the council passed the measure, 12 to 1, and the mayor signed it into law in July 1976. "But maybe it will save some senseless accident at somebody's home," Wilson said. Marion Barry (D), a council member then as now and a supporter of the bill, put it bluntly at the time: "What we are doing today will not take one gun out of the hands of one criminal."

But it wasn't just the overwhelmingly liberal Democratic city council that cheered for the liberty-limiting gun ban. Duggan notes that the Post editorial page cheered the ban and urged a more comprehensive national one be instituted by Congress:
There was no more ardent supporter of the ban in 1976 than The Washington Post editorial page, which asserted: "One shortcoming of local laws . . . is that they can't work well when guns are moving freely in immediate adjacent areas." That is why, the editorial said, a federal handgun law was needed.

Duggan's article has some shortcomings, among them: no quotes from gun rights groups or scholars like John Lott, the economist who found a correlation between states with minimal gun control and low crime. Even a quote by liberal constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe, who himself now admits the 2nd Amendment guarantees the individual's right to keep and bear arms, would have provided a good balance to the pro-ban sound bites from yesteryear. That said, it's not every day you see in the pages of a major liberal newspaper the admission that the very same paper has been a cheerleader for a gun control policy that's only disarmed law-abiding citizens while leaving the city more dangerous in its wake.





Texas: Two burglars fatally shot: "Pasadena police say an elderly man today shot and killed two men he believed were burglarizing his neighbor's house. Captain "Bud" Corbett says the man heard noises he thought sounded like broken glass and determined the commotion was happening next door. The man called police and then saw two men coming through a gate in the backyard of the neighbor's house. Corbett says the elderly man had a shotgun and confronted the pair -- told them to stop -- and shot them when they refused. One person was found dead about two houses away. The other was found dead across the street. Police were interviewing the elderly man."


Indiana Woman Shoots Stalker To Death After Break-In: "An accused stalker was shot to death Monday night by the object of his obsession after he broke into her Hessville home, police told the Northwest Indiana Times. Hammond resident Ryan Lee Bergner, 41, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to his abdomen shortly after 10:30 p.m. at a local hospital. According to the Times, Bergner went on a date with the 51-year-old woman last June, and his behavior became obsessive, offensive and violent... On Monday night, the woman was watching television in her living room when she said she heard Bergner break a bathroom window near her back door and called 911. A friend had given the woman a pistol for protection earlier in the day. After the 911 operator told her to lock herself in her bedroom until police could come, she ran upstairs to do so and retrieved the gun... Hiding in her closet on Monday night, the woman said she heard Bergner enter the bedroom, then watched as he opened the closet door. She said she told him to stop, but he kept coming. She fired the gun three times. She said he then proceeded to choke her violently before collapsing to the floor.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007



Nevada: Man shot, killed attempting to carjack security guard: "A suspect is dead after messing with the wrong person Tuesday morning. North Las Vegas Police say a man tried to carjack a security guard at about 6 in the morning near Gowan and I-15. The intended victim and the suspect got into a shootout. The security guard was taken to the hospital with a minor wound. The suspect was taken to UMC where he later died. Police say the security guard may not face any charges, because it appears he was acting in self defense."


California: Store clerk shoots fruitcake wielding knife: "A liquor store employee shot a 27-year-old man Wednesday night after the man attacked the clerk with a knife. At about 8 p.m., Daniel Perez had entered AA Liquors at 1305 Niles St. and asked a clerk and his wife to kill him, according to a news release by the Bakersfield Police Department. Perez pulled out a knife and hit the male clerk on the left thumb, according to police. The cut was minor. The clerk took out a gun and shot the suspect in the right arm. Perez then went to a cooler, stole a beer and exited the store, police said. Officers arrived and ordered the suspect to lie down, according to the news release. Perez did not listen and was arrested after a police dog dragged him down, according to the news release. The suspect hit the dog several times with the beer bottle. Perez was taken to Kern Medical center with a gunshot wound to his right arm that had entered his chest. The wound was non-life threatening, police said."


Groups assail governor on guns: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a quick-trigger, guns-a-blazing action hero in Hollywood, is being blasted by firearms groups as a Second Amendment wimp in the Capitol. Schwarzenegger's signing of bills to require microstamping of semiautomatic pistols and to ban lead bullets in condor country has prompted gun groups to paint him as one of the state's most anti-gun Republican governors. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might as well change his last name to Kennedy because he is acting just like radical, anti-gun U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, his uncle-in-law," read a recent statement by Gun Owners of California, a nonprofit advocacy group."

Tuesday, November 13, 2007



Ohio market owner shoots at gunman: "Upset after he’d just been robbed of about $400, Wade Nassar grabbed his gun, ran around the counter of his convenience store, flung open the door and emptied his gun at the fleeing robber. “I meant to kill the dude,” Nassar said today, a day after he celebrated his 61st birthday at his Clermont County home. This isn’t the first time Nassar’s N&M Mini-mart – on the southwest corner of West Ninth and Elm streets – has been robbed, but it is the first time Nassar was mad enough to fight back. “I grabbed my gun and I’m shooting right behind his ass,” Nassar said. At about 11:30 a.m. today, Nassar saw a black man – Nassar guessed he was about 32 years old – enter his store and try to buy a $1.80 box of Kleenex. That’s when, Nassar said, the man stuck his hand in his jacket pocket to intimate he had a gun and demanded money. Nassar opened the cash register and gave the man about $400. “I didn’t give him all of it,” Nassar said. As soon as Nassar gave the man the money, he ran out the door and east on Ninth Street. When the robber took off, Nassar said he reached behind the counter, grabbed the .22-caliber handgun he keeps there and ran to the front door, opened it and started shooting, getting off five shots. “How I missed him I don’t know,” Nassar said. “If I (would have) crossed the street, I would have killed him.” Police heard the shots and responded. They may not have been too thrilled about Nassar shooting his gun on a downtown street in an area across the street from a school. "I think we are very fortunate that no one was hit that we are aware of,’’ said Cincinnati Police Lt. Mark Briede Nassar said “nobody was in the street” when he fired. Police confiscated Nassar’s gun – Nassar said he was registered to carry it – and took the Kleenex box to see if they can get a fingerprint from it of the robber."


Tennessee homeowner fights back, shoots would-be burglar: "A 63-year-old man took matters into his own hands when two men tried to break in his South Knox County home late Sunday night. The homeowner, Horace Garland, says they suspects didn't get very far inside his home. "I heard them. They were hollering or something when they were coming onto the porch." He says he even warned the men that he had a gun. "I guess they didn't believe me or something." Garland says he jumped out of bed, dove behind his bedroom wall and was ready with his pistol when the men came inside. "I shot one of them, and the other, he stayed around there and he hollered, 'Quit shooting!' and I let him come in and get him," Garland says. He shot Jeremy Johnson, 21, in the neck. The other man was Johnson's step-brother, Timothy Lee Sellers, 26. "He was the one sticking the gun around the side and shooting," Garland says. "He shot through the wall there at me." Garland's girlfriend was also in the room. "I shook for two hours... she was the same way. We're too old for this stuff." When asked if he'd do it again, Garland says he would in a heartbeat. "I didn't mind it a bit or until it was over. I'm glad I didn't kill him." Garland says he's still shaken up, and he doesn't know who either of the men are who broke in his home or what they were looking for. He's only lived in his neighborhood for about a month. Both suspects confessed to the break-in and are charged with aggravated burglary and attempted aggravated robbery. Garland won't face any charges since detectives say he acted in self-defense."


Louisiana woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver: "A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish. Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release. West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest. Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged."

Monday, November 12, 2007



Florida: Boy, 15, shot dead during burglary in North Miami: "An auto repair shop owner confronted two teens early Saturday in North Miami, shooting and killing one of them as they both attempted to burglarize the business that also doubles as the owner's home. The 15-year-old North Miami boy, Paul-Marc Petit, of North Miami, died from a gunshot wound. The other suspect, who is also 15, was apprehended and charged with felony murder, burglary and theft. He was not identified by police. The owner of Knight Auto Repair, 685 NW 121 Street, whose name was not released by police, is not expected to be charged in connection with the shooting because he was acting in self-defense. Police said the shop owner spotted the two burglary suspects on his property about 2 a.m. The teens were not armed. ''He heard noise,'' said Sergeant Trevor Shinn of the North Miami Investigations Unit, ``They were removing property from the vehicles. There was a confrontation, he shot at them.'' Police arrived to find the boy lying in front of the residence with a gunshot wound. They notified emergency rescue workers, who were unable to save the teen, according to a statement issued by the North Miami Police Department spokesman Lt. Neal Cuevas"


Florida: Angry hog finally shot: "A Youngstown man with a .22 rifle was the last line of defense between his family and an angry porker. The 300-pound swine terrorized a home along County 2301 on Saturday morning, but ultimately, the hog was killed and taken away to become bacon, ribs and other meats. “It charged my mom. She was getting very upset,” said the 47-year-old who shot the hog. The man’s name is being withheld at the family’s request because of fear of retribution. “It even came after me one time and nipped me on the leg.” Officials with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the family contacted their neighbors to see if the hog belonged to anyone, but no one claimed the curly-tailed creature. After the family called for help, two officers from Bay County Animal Control arrived, but they could not catch the hog either. “We chased the pig all over the place,” the man said. “The pig was street-wise.” ... The officers told the deputy to shoot the hog, but the deputy refused, Sumerall said. The officers then requested the deputy contact Sumerall, who concurred with the deputy’s decision. “We’re not shooting an animal that is not a threat to anyone,” Sumerall said. However, Sumerall told the officials the homeowner could shoot the pig. Homeowners have a right to safely kill game on their property, and hogs always are in season, Sumerall said."


Tennessee Man Shot By Two Women: "A deadly shooting in Camden, Tennessee on Thursday. 29-year-old Jason Robinson of Holladay suffered a shotgun wound to the chest and died about an hour after being shot yesterday afternoon. The police chief says an argument started when Robinson told his girlfriend Sonja Moore that he had an affair with her friend Benita Murphy. All three were at Moore's home at the time. The women told police Robinson was beating them. Officers say both women show signs of abuse. The women said Murphy got the shotgun to defend herself and shot Robinson when he kept attacking them. No charges have been filed at this point."

Sunday, November 11, 2007



Teacher not allowed gun in school

A US judge ruled today that school officials can forbid a teacher from carrying a gun on school grounds. Shirley Katz sued the Medford School District in Oregon, arguing that its policy against firearms violates a state law that allows people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns into public buildings. The high school English teacher said she had a right to carry a handgun, as a defence against intruders or her former husband.

But Circuit Court Judge Philip Arnold ruled that the Legislature has forbidden local governments from passing ordinances - local laws - to regulate firearms. He says an ordinance is different from a school employment policy, so state law does not prohibit the district's policy.

Katz, who has a concealed weapons permit, filed a lawsuit challenging the school policy. The South Medford High School Teacher says she wanted to carry her 9mm Glock automatic pistol to class because she feared an attack by a Columbine-style intruder or her former husband. "On any given day, we would be naive to not acknowledge there are guns in schools," Katz has said. "I am just the first one with a concealed-carry permit" to come out in public.

Katz's demand for the right to carry her pistol onto school grounds appears to be rare. School security consultant Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services in Cleveland, Ohio, has said he had never heard of a similar case while working in 45 states.

Katz has said she bought her pistol in 2004 and took training classes after her husband at the time, Gerry Katz, grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her - an allegation he denies. They have since been divorced and share custody of their six-year-old daughter. A restraining order she had against him has expired and not been renewed. Shirley Katz will not say whether she has ever brought her gun to school, but has said she feels that in light of school shootings around the country, students and staff would be safer if properly trained teachers were armed.

Source







Judge dismisses suit against gun club: "St. Clair County's nearly three-year effort to seize and close a shooting range next to Scott Air Force Base suffered a legal setback Thursday morning. St. Clair County Associate Judge James Radcliffe dismissed the county's eminent domain lawsuit against the Caseyville Rifle and Pistol Club in Mascoutah. The judge's reason: The May 2005 County Board resolution authorizing the lawsuit is too vague to withstand possible review by an appellate court, Radcliffe said. "That was not an adequate ordinance for an eminent domain case," he said. County leaders have been trying to shut down the gun club -- which had moved from its old site in Caseyville to accommodate the developer of a 400-home subdivision -- since early 2005."



Massachusetts: Clerk shoots suspect during botched heist: Police said they followed a trail of blood to capture a city man who was shot by a convenience store clerk during a botched robbery attempt yesterday morning. The clerk had been pistol-whipped during the crime, and had a cut to his head, said Detective Bureau Capt. Robert T. McFarlin. The clerk, a 44-year-old native of Iraq, will not be charged, he said. As described by police, two males entered Wheeler's convenience store at 597 Dickinson St. around 11:20 a.m. One had a stun gun and the other a semi-automatic handgun. A struggle ensued, and the clerk took the handgun and shot one of the suspects in the leg. Police followed the blood and found Abraham Ramos, 20, of 227 White St., in a garage at 146 Draper St., McFarlin said. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg."

Saturday, November 10, 2007



TX: Store employee kills robber: "Authorities say around 3 p.m. Saturday, Jesse Jermane Pearson triedto rob Carl's Corner Convenience Store. Just minutes later, a store clerk reportedly chased him and about two miles from the store, Pearson was fatally shot. 'He waited until all of the other customers left and he came up to pay and instead of pulling out money he pulled out a big switch blade,' says Alex Hamil, the Carl's Corner Convenience Store Clerk who was held up at knife point Saturday. ... But Pearson would not get far. ... Barely two miles down the road Pearson's Toyota Tercell broke down .... Pearson allegedly ran toward Martin. That's when Martin allegedly grabbed his deer rifle. Hamil tells us that Pearson allegedly jumped in Martin's Jeep Cherokee and took off. 'And he tried to hit him with the car and that's when Jace shot him,' says Hamil. Moments later, Lubbock Police and Sheriff's Deputies arrived on the scene to find Pearson sitting in the driver's seat of the Martin's Jeep bleeding from the left side of his body. Pearson died en route to the hospital."


FL: Victims scare off robbers: "Two holders of concealed-weapons permits surprised armed thugs who approached them in west Orlando this week. Both men opened fire rather than surrender their wallets.... "What time is it?" one of the strangers asked. Soto looked down at his watch and said, "It is 6:10." Raising his head, Soto heard the stranger say, "Hey, run them," as the man drew a black snub-nose revolver from the pouch in his sweat shirt. As Soto pulled a 9 mm Keltec pistol from his right front pants pocket, he heard the robber's gunfire and felt a bullet graze his left shin, breaking the skin. Still standing, Soto fired two or three times before both robbers turned and ran, the report states. "They tried to rob me and my homeboy," Soto said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Man, put it like this: If I didn't have a concealed-weapons permit, it would have been a lot worse." When the robbers fled, one stopped, turned and fired an unknown number of shots. Soto shot back and fired two to three more times, and Amezaga drew his .357 Magnum Sig Sauer pistol and fired eight or nine times at the robbers. Crime-scene technicians later collected 15 shell casings ejected by both of the men's handguns, the report said. Both men were unsure whether they hit either robber. Police did not determine where the 15 bullets fired by the men struck in the neighborhood."


Finns think that more laws will help them: "Finland is under pressure to tighten its gun laws after an 18-year-old student shot dead eight people at his school before turning his gun on himself. The massacre has shaken the nation of hunters which has never seen the need for security in its schools. When the European Union proposed raising the legal age for possessing a firearm to 18 earlier this year, there were protests from Finland, which argued that hunting was a popular leisure activity and crime rates were low. But yesterday the Trade Minister, Mauri Pekkarinen, said that the carnage in the small lakeside town of Tuusula meant the government should reconsider the law allowing anyone aged 15 or over to apply for a gun licence."

Friday, November 09, 2007



New York: Fired upon in her home, woman shoots back: "A gunman fired a shot Tuesday night into a Winspear Avenue house, and the occupant retaliated by firing a shot back, police reported. No injuries were reported. The incident happened in the 400 block of Winspear in the city's University Heights neighborhood at about 6:10 p.m. Northeast District Police said three men dressed in black hooded shirts repeatedly pounded and kicked on the door, and demanded that the woman inside open it, police said. One of the men then fired a shotgun through the door, near the peep hole. When the woman used her own shotgun to return fire, the three men drove away, police reported. The woman's shot struck a neighboring house at 494 Winspear. Police believe two of the men had shotguns, while the third man had a handgun."


Georgia: Gunfire as a convenience store owner fought off an armed robber: "A little after seven o'clock Wednesday night, a man entered the Mini-Mart at 2422 Stuart Avenue, showed a gun and demanded money. That's when store owner Mike Patel pulled out his own gun and fired one shot at the would-be robber"


Alabama: Newlywed Fight Ends in Gunfire: "A man ends up in the hospital after his wife of 4 months shoots him in the knee. Kim Brown told the Escambia County Sheriff's Office that her newlywed husband tried to attack her in the shower, so she shot him in the knee. Brown kicked David Crockett out of the house a few days ago and he had been sleeping in his vehicle in the backyard. This morning, deputies say Crockett forced his way into the house and tried to sexually assault his wife. During the attack, Brown grabbed a gun and shot Crockett. Crockett was taken to Baptist Hospital. He will be charged with Battery, False Imprisonment, Attempted Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence."

Thursday, November 08, 2007



Strict Finnish gun-storage regulations no help at all: "Seven students and a school principal have been killed by a pupil who opened fire with a handgun in a school in a small town in southern Finland hours after posting a video on YouTube predicting a massacre. The gunman, 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen, later died in a Helsinki hospital. He had been taken there with a gunshot wound to the head after turning his weapon on himself during the shooting in Tuusula, 50km south of the capital. Witnesses described chaos and panic as Auvinen shot dead his headmistress, five boys, two girls, and wounded a dozen others as they tried to flee the carnage.... Police said the gun used in the massacre was legal and registered to the gunman on October 19. [Pistol licences are fairly easy to get in Finland but guns must be kept disassembled, stored in safes etc.]


California Neighbor Shooting: "Murder and assault charges were dismissed today against an ex-Marine and his wife, who were accused in the fatal shooting of a neighbor whose girlfriend sought their help at a University City condominium. William Bennett Porter, 23, was charged with murder and an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the Aug. 3 shooting that took the life of 47-year-old Larry Kermit King. His 22-year-old wife, who works as sales representative for a laboratory supply company, was charged with assault with a semiautomatic weapon. "We're just really happy that this was resolved," a teary-eyed Nicole Leanne Porter told reporters outside the courtroom. Her husband said he was happy "to get my life back on track" and anxious to get back to work as a weapons and tactics instructor in Twentynine Palms. Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey told Judge Charles Rogers that the decision to dismiss all charges against the Porters -- who claimed self-defense -- was based upon a thorough follow-up investigation conducted by her office into all of the circumstances surrounding the shooting. "As a result of the investigation, we do not believe these charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore we believe that the right thing to do is to dismiss the charges," McClutchey told the judge....He said the couple defended themselves against a man with a history of terror and violence".


VA: Ice cream store manager not indicted: "A Richmond Grand Jury will NOT indict the Baskin-Robbins store manager with felony reckless discharge of a gun. Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Herring says he will not pursue any further charges. David Fielding Shot and killed Jerome Davis during a robbery at the Baskin-Robbins on Forest Hill Avenue on September 6th."

Wednesday, November 07, 2007



Absurd Canadians: "An Ottawa teen believes cops were too quick to pull the trigger on a mischief investigation that involved shaping his hand into a gun and yelling bang in a mock gunfight. Henrick Vierula told the Sun he doesn't deserve to be charged with multiple criminal offences after participating in a phenomena known as a "flash mob" at the Rideau Centre on Friday. "The whole thing is ridiculous," said Vierula, 19. Vierula and other participants were to shape their hands into a gun, point them at each other, yell "bang" and collapse to the ground."


Arizona Homeowner Shoots Armed Invader: "A homeowner shot one of three armed men who forced their way into his house overnight, Phoenix police said. The man, his wife and their three children were sleeping in their home at 11th and Apache streets, just north of Interstate 17, when the three invaders barged into the house around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Police said one of the invaders, all of whom were armed with handguns and rifles, hit the homeowner in the head with a gun. A scuffle ensued and several shots were fired. Police said the homeowner shot one of the invaders, but it was unclear whether he had his own gun or fired one of theirs. The gunshots woke up the neighbors, who called police. Officers arrived quickly and shot out the street lights and lights on the outside of the house so the invaders wouldn't be able to see well enough to escape. Police caught the two uninjured invaders in the back yard; the third was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening. The homeowner and his family were not hurt, according to police. Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the invasion and said they don't know if the armed men knew the family.


North Carolina Robber Found Shot To Death: "A man who robbed a convenience store on Wednesday night was found shot to death Thursday morning, deputies said. The robbery happened at the Handee Mart at 1016 South Main St. around 8:30 p.m. Deputies said a man wearing a blue, hooded jacket and khaki pants walked into the store showed a black handgun and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk then pulled out his own gun and fired at the man and he ran away. Deputies said when they responded they could not find the man. Around 10 a.m. Thursday, a passer-by noticed a body lying near South Main Street about 100 yards away from the Handee Mart, deputies said. Deputies said the man had been shot. They said based on the description provided by the clerk, they believe the body is that of the man involved in the robbery. A weapon was also found with the body. The man’s identity has not been released pending positive identification of the body, deputies said. Deputies said charges will most likely not be filed in the case, but the final decision on that will be made by the solicitor’s office."

Tuesday, November 06, 2007



Tennessee: Charges against wife dropped in shooting of husband: "Criminal charges against a Bartlett woman who fatally shot her husband last month were dropped today after a review of the case pointed to self defense. Dorothy ‘Bobbi’ Lovell, 42, was charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting her husband, Alan Lovell, 46, with a .357-caliber Magnum on Oct. 12. He was a ticket agent and well-known boxing referee. She and her 21-year-old son, Kody, told police Lovell had held them hostage for nine hours in their home at 6954 Scepter Cove. They said Lovell had acted irrationally and had pointed a gun at them several times and would not let them leave. Bartlett police said they had been called to the home several times in the past on complaints of Lovell’s aggressive behavior. Asst. Dist. Atty. Gen. Thomas Henderson said late today that after reviewing the police investigation of the shooting the evidence did not support a manslaughter charge and appeared to be self defense. The case was dismissed in Bartlett City Court."


Texas purse snatcher caught: "A suspected [black] purse snatcher didn't know what he was in for when he picked a woman in a Home Depot parking lot for a victim. As soon as he grabbed her purse, the woman's husband grabbed a shotgun and opened fire. It happened at the Home Depot on the Eastex Freeway near Little York. With as much activity during business hours there, you never know who may be waiting in the wings, night or day, ready to strike. "I was just standing here and the guy just came up and pushed me real hard with a force, like it was a car that hit me. And he was just yanking my purse and my arm got twisted up in my purse and he just was just yanking it," said victim Sandra Hulsey. Sandra may have looked like an easy target standing there as her husband, Norman, loaded wood into the couple's pickup truck. It turned out the suspect who shoved Sandra and tried to steal her purse didn't know who he was messing with. "I had a board in my hand right here and I thought he was going to beg for money...is what I thought," said Norman. "He grabbed her and I already had that door open so I just grabbed my shotgun." He fired a shot. "The sound of the shotgun and that dude burning off -- it was funny," said eyewitness Freddy Butler. Butler chased after the accused purse snatcher. who took off running and ended up asking a police officer for help. "He displays a weapon and it scares the suspect," said a deputy on the scene. "The suspect runs up the police car and saying, 'Let me in. They are shooting at me'." Police took the suspect into custody."


Florida man shoots cricket bat-wielding attacker: "The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting which happened around 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Cypress Grove Park in Orlando. The victim, Francis Singh, 36, is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center and is currently in stable condition. Deputies say Singh and another man, identified as Devan Bascom, 37, began arguing with each other. During the argument, Singh produced a cricket bat and assaulted Bascom. Upon feeling threatened, Bascom defended himself with a small caliber semi-automatic handgun and shot Singh once in the abdomen. No arrests have been made in the case, which has been filed with the State Attorney's Office. The investigation reveals that the shooting was in self defense."

Monday, November 05, 2007



Connecticut Man Shoots Home Intruder: "State police said they received a call Sunday from a man who said he had encountered an intruder at his house. John Nagy told police that he may have shot the intruder at his home, located at 44 Berkshire Road in Southbury. Nagy told police that he was awakened at about 2 a.m. by a noise in the basement area of the house. Nagy said he went to investigate the basement area armed with a weapon. He stated that he encountered a man who had entered the basement. The man advanced in the direction of the Nagy, and Nagy said he shot his gun in the direction of the intruder and left his home to wait for police. Nagy told state police that he believed that the intruder was still in the basement. State troopers entered the home with a state police K-9 to search for the intruder, police said. The intruder was located by troopers in the basement of the home suffering from an apparent single gunshot wound... Initial investigation by state police determined that the man was in fact the operator of a vehicle that had been involved in a one-car crash on River Road in Southbury. The man fled the crash scene on foot and walked for about a half a mile and then entered the Nagy's house, where he encountered the homeowner. Nagy was not injured in this incident, police said."


MI: Man acquitted of murder but faces "gun possession" charges: "A 29-year-old legally blind Lansing man who said he shot his girlfriend in self-defense after she attacked him with several knives, was found not guilty of murder Wednesday. ... During the five-day trial, which ended Tuesday, Milton testified that Brown, 26, threw knives at him in her apartment during an argument, and then came after him in the parking lot. Milton said he fired the gun to scare her. ... The jury did find Milton guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a maximum of five years in prison on those charges. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said it was a difficult case that came down to whether Milton committed murder by firing the second shot. 'This is why we have juries -- to resolve these issues,' Dunnings said, adding, 'We never disputed that he fired the first shot in self-defense.'"


Florida: Attempted-robbery suspect shot dead near Lake Worth: "One of three men who allegedly tried to rob the El Rancho night club early Sunday morning died after being shot in an altercation with the owners. The would-be robbers were patrons at the club on Lake Worth Road earlier Saturday night, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials. They returned at around 2:30 a.m. The men fled the gunfire inside and one man, who has not been identified, died on the sidewalk a few storefronts away, officials said. The other two men could not be found."

Sunday, November 04, 2007



Florida victim pulls own gun, kills would-be robber: "For the second time in two days in South Florida, victims have opened fire on armed robbers. And both gunmen ended up dead. In the latest incident overnight, a man sitting in a car alongside a woman was confronted by a man dressed all in black, wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. He demanded money -- and to see the woman strip naked, Miami police said. The man in the car, a security guard from a nearby Food Giant, pulled his own gun and exchanged gunfire with the man in the mask. The robber ran, threw his gun down in the mud and collapsed. The intended victims were unharmed. The would-be robber was dead."


California: Cops shoot fruitcake robber: "The young Sacramento cops charged through the drugstore's front door and into chaos. Customers were screaming, baskets and boxes of medicine littered the aisles and a pharmacist lay on the ground, bleeding. Then things really got tense. In the rear of the store, one of the cops – with just four years on the force – was confronted by an outraged man holding a large knife to a young woman's neck, police said. The officer had just seconds to think. He drew his .40-caliber handgun and fired, striking the alleged hostage-taker in the face and freeing the young woman. "Pure heroism," is how the officer's supervisor, Sgt. Eric Forbeck, described it Thursday. "People take it for granted every day, but when things like this come up, these officers step up to the plate and take care of business." ... The suspect, identified by Sacramento police as 24-year-old Sacramento resident Matthew Q. Rosatelli, could face charges including attempted robbery, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was in serious condition at UC Davis Medical Center on Thursday night and is expected to survive. Rosatelli's father, Jim, told The Bee his son's actions were "hard to comprehend." His son has battled depression and is taking medication, Rosatelli said."


Texas burglar chased off by gunfire: "Bridge City police continued their search Thursday for a man who reportedly tried to burglarize a home with the homeowner still inside. Meanwhile, the homeowner is recuperating from surgery after accidentally shooting himself in the foot; an injury he received while trying to keep the burglar from entering the home. The quiet town of Bridge City is not known for such residential burglaries and BCPD Chief Steve Faircloth said he cannot remember the last time the city had a home robbery. Police received the call of a residential burglary in progress at about 12:51 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 300 block of Rachel. According to a press release, the suspect forced open the front door of the home and the homeowner fired several shots at the suspect with a semi-automatic pistol. The suspect then left the scene on foot and has not been identified. There is no indication the suspect was shot during the incident. “This continues to be investigated thoroughly and vigorously,” Faircloth said. Faircloth said nothing was taken during the crime. The suspect is described as a white male with thin build and a long goatee. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket and jeans."

Saturday, November 03, 2007



Georgia neighbor shoots at burglars: "A witness fired shots at some burglars at a boutique in Atlanta Tuesday morning, police said. Police said the burglars broke out a window at the Urban Fusion boutique on Peters Street around 4 a.m. While the burglars were trying to carry out merchandise, a person living in an apartment across the street saw them and began firing shots. The men dropped the merchandise and ran away, police said. Police haven’t said who the shooter was."


Oklahoma man cleared in shooting: "Oklahoma's “Make My Day” law was the deciding factor in the fate of a Colcord man who fatally shot a 17-year-old this summer, according to District Attorney Eddie Wyant. Jack Doughty, 62, stood accused of shooting David Gudde in the early morning hours of July 1. According to police reports, Doughty operated a fireworks stand out of his Delaware County home in June and early July. Doughty told authorities that he was awakened around 4 a.m. on July 1, by what he believed to be intruders. Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle. Doughty told investigators that he chased the intruders as they ran outside, firing two more shots to “alert neighbors”. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Gudde lying on the ground outside Doughty's home. An Oklahoma law passed in 1988, protects residents from being prosecuted for using deadly force against suspected threats to themselves in their homes and on their properties. After investigating the incident, Wyant said he will not file charges against Doughty because is actions were in accordance to the “Make My Day” law."

Florida Man Shoots, Kills Girlfriend's Ex: "Police said a man shot and killed another man who showed up Thursday night at a Sunrise apartment where his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend live. According to Sunrise police, a man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's apartment and got into an altercation with her and her live-in boyfriend. At some point, police said, the boyfriend fatally shot the man. Police are trying to determine whether the shooting was an act of self-defense. No one has yet been charged.