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3 July, 2009



South Carolina Homeowner shot intruder: "A security alarm went off at a Holly Hill accountant’s residence in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, rousing the sleeping homeowner who grabbed his gun, confronted an intruder standing in his doorway and shot the burglar in the shoulder. L. Glenn Littlejohn, 71, of 1244 Peake St. interrupted the suspect, Roosevelt Elmore Jr. [above], at around 4:55 a.m. as Elmore stood in the doorway of Littlejohn’s home, according to police. Holly Hill Police Chief Robert Wunderlich said an unarmed Elmore allegedly forced his way though a doorway into the kitchen of the victim’s home. Littlejohn, after being awakened by the alarm, “grabbed his shotgun, went out the back door and went around to the side of the house where the suspect made entrance and confronted the suspect in the doorway,” Wunderlich said. He said Littlejohn shot Elmore in his right shoulder with a 12-gauge shotgun. The wounded Elmore fled the scene, and Littlejohn called 911, the chief said. Moments later, Wunderlich said, a 30-year-old male resident of Gilmore Avenue called law enforcement after observing a man with a gunshot wound standing on his front porch. Wunderlich said the suspect ran nearly 300 yards from Littlejohn’s house before arriving at the Gilmore Avenue residence. Holly Hill officers were able to follow a trail of blood in tracing Elmore’s escape route from Peake Street to Gilmore Avenue, he said. “He (Elmore) had several pellet punctures in the upper shoulder area,” Wunderlich said. Elmore was charged with felony first degree burglary, Wunderlich said."



Do minors have a constitutional right to possess guns?: "A fascinating gun rights case was argued today before the Supreme Court of Washington involving a tangle of state and federal issues. In 2007, Christopher Sieyes, a 17 year old, was charged and convicted with unlawful possession of a firearm. State law (RCW 9.41.040(2)(a)(iii)) prohibits minors from possessing firearms (with certain exceptions). While the case was on appeal to the Court of Appeals (Div. II), the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller, striking down D.C.’s handgun prohibition. The Court of Appeals asked the litigants in Sieyes to supply additional briefing to address Heller, and then the court transferred the case to the state Supreme Court. One of the major unanswered questions in Heller is relevant here—whether the Second Amendment applies to states. Since Heller, several federal circuits have ruled on this issue. The Second and Seventh Circuits have said the Second Amendment does not apply against individual states, while the Ninth Circuit says it does. This circuit split (plus the specific issue involved) all but guarantees that the U.S. Supreme Court will address this issue its next term."



CA: Victim disarmament bills have stores up in arms: “Two new pieces of legislation related to guns are making their way through Sacramento — and making gun store owners in the Mid-Valley frustrated at what they call political myopia. … AB 962 would compel those who sell ammunition to be licensed the same as gun dealers, and mandate a face-to-face transaction when someone buys ammunition. … SB 697, would mandate safety measures be included in every gun sold in California. That technology would be used to tell how many unfired cartridges remain in a gun, to avoid accidental shootings when thought to be empty. Guns would also have to have biometric technology to prevent them from being fired if someone other than the registered owner tried to do so.”



TN: Cities rush to ban guns in local parks: "The handgun battle is heading from Capitol Hill to City Hall. Local governments and advocates for firearms owners are gearing up for a summer face-off over how far to take a new state law that lets people with carry permits bring handguns into parks. City councils across Tennessee, including Nashville and Hendersonville, are moving to reaffirm their bans on handguns in parks following passage of a new state law. But people opposed to handgun restrictions are mobilizing to block their efforts. … A state law signed earlier this month by Gov. Phil Bredesen has touched off the debate. The law is meant to let handgun permit holders carry their weapons into every park in the state, wiping out local policies governing handguns.”



2 July, 2009

Maryland: Guard shoots man during attempted grocery store robbery: "An exchange of gunfire between a security guard and an alleged robber at the Mars Super Market on Maiden Choice Lane and Westland Boulevard, in Arbutus, Sunday evening left the alleged robber with several gunshot wounds, according to Baltimore County police. It also left the store, at the Maiden Choice Shopping Center in the 1000 block of Maiden Choice Lane, without some of its front windows — which were boarded up Monday morning. Neither the guard nor any customers in the store were injured, police said. At 6:52 p.m. June 21, Jamison Harvey Johnson, 40, entered the store and “announced the robbery,” said Bill Toohey, a police spokesman. Johnson then walked to the store’s customer service office, where he demanded and was given an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. An armed security guard employed by Mars who was inside the store followed Johnson to the store’s entrance and confronted him, police said. Johnson, whose address is listed as “unknown” in court records, then shot at the guard, Toohey said. The guard returned fire and Johnson then ran into the parking lot and got into a green Honda Accord, Toohey said. As the gunman drove away, he again fired on the security guard, who again shot back, Toohey said. Police began searching the area, using a helicopter and a K-9 unit. A man fitting Johnson’s description was spotted walking along Kenwood Avenue, in Catonsville, with several gunshot wounds by an officer involved in the search at about midnight, almost five hours after the gunfire occurred, Toohey said. The man was caught after a brief foot chase, police said, and taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he received treatment for gunshot wounds. Johnson was later charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and two handgun violations — one for the possession of a firearm with a felony conviction."



Mississippi Store Owner Kills Robber: "A Clarksdale, Miss. convenience store owner shot and killed an armed robber Wednesday evening. According to Captain Robbie Linley with Clarksdale Police, 31-year old Joey Barron held up a store with a handgun on the 1600-block of N. State Street. Barron took cash and some prescription drugs, and was then shot once by the store's owner. Barron was transported to the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center where he later died. The store owner will not face any charges."



VA: Gun rights advocates say Coliseum staff challenged free speech rights : “The Virginia Citizens Defense League is used to fighting for the right to carry guns. But now it’s having to defend the right to wear stickers about carrying guns. The group says officials at the Richmond Coliseum recently attempted to stop members from handing out blaze-orange ‘Guns Save Lives’ stickers before an appearance by radio and television talk-show host Glenn Beck. ‘It’s bad enough they’re trying to trample the Second Amendment. Then you come and attack the First,’ President Philip Van Cleave said, referring to the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of the right to bear arms and to free speech.”



AZ: Guns on campus OK’d by state Senate: “Saying it will make people safer, state senators voted Friday to let people with concealed weapons permits carry them onto college and university campuses where they are now forbidden. The 15-6 vote on the provision in HB 2439 came after backers said they believe that having people who are licensed by the state to have weapons should cut down on the number of massacres that occur on campuses. … He did not refer by name to the 2002 incident at the University of Arizona where three instructors at the College of Nursing were slain by student Robert S. Flores Jr. who then turned the gun on himself. But Huppenthal said the evidence shows that it makes sense, from a safety standpoint, to let people carry guns.”



KY: Guns at church draws big crowd : “A southwest Jefferson County church opened its doors to guns as the pastor makes a point about the Second Amendment to the Constitution. At the New Bethel Church, Reverend Ken Pagano said the church is celebrating the independence and freedom provided by the constitution by raising awareness about being a safe and responsible gun owner. Pagano said he felt he had a duty to teach that to his community and congregation. He decided to do so by allowing everyone to carry guns into the church.”



1 July, 2009

Kansas: Clerk kills would-be robber and critically wounds another: "A Kansas City, Kan., corner-store clerk fought back when two men tried to rob him tonight, shooting and killing one suspect and critically injuring the other, police said. Officers were called to the 5th Avenue Convenience Mart at Fifth Street and Quindaro Boulevard shortly before 7 p.m., Officer Mike Golden said. The clerk told them two men with long guns entered the store and demanded money, Golden said. When one of the suspects fired a shot, the clerk grabbed a handgun from behind the counter and shot both suspects. One ran halfway up the block before collapsing, dropping a gun in the middle of Quindaro. An ambulance took him to a hospital, but he died before arriving, Golden said. The second suspect made it slightly farther and went to the hospital in a private vehicle. The clerk, mildly injured in the scuffle, was checked by paramedics at the scene."



North Carolina: Business owner shoots intruder: "A store owner shot and wounded a man who broke into his business on West Fifth Street Monday morning, police said. The names of the men involved were not available. The shooting was reported between 3 and 4 a.m. at The Auction House, said Lt. Johnny Barnes of the Lumberton Police Department. The man who broke in threatened the store owner with a tire iron, Barnes said. The owner then shot the man in the leg, Barnes said. The wounded man was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Barnes said. The wounded man will be charged with breaking and entering, Barnes said. The district attorney will decide if any charges should be filed against the business owner, Barnes said."



North Carolina: Homeowner wounds would-be burglar: "A homeowner fired a shotgun after two people broke into his home on N.C. 54 early Monday and hit one of the suspects in the arm. The gun scared the two men away, and one of them, 36-year-old Randy Stewart, of Morningside Drive, Burlington, showed up at Alamance Regional Medical later, according to an Alamance County Sheriff's Department news release. The incident happened at about 12:30 a.m. Monday at a home on N.C. 54. The home owner, John Davis, told authorities that sometime after midnight he and his girlfriend were awakened by the dog barking. They heard noises outside the door of the home. When Davis got out of bed to investigate, the two suspects allegedly shattered the door and entered the house. "The victim was then confronted by the suspects as they proceeded through the kitchen of the residence," the release states. "At that point, Mr. Davis had armed himself with a shotgun. As the suspects advanced toward him, he fired the weapon." Both suspects left the home. The investigation is ongoing. The sheriff's department plans to confer with the District Attorney's office, but it is unlikely that Davis will be charged."



Oklahoma: Shop Owner Shoots Would-Be Robber: "A jewelry store owner in Oklahoma City opened fire on a would-be robber on Thursday, sending him to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Police said they were called to the scene of a shooting at Northwest 23rd Street and Villa Avenue. “When officers arrived at this location, they did find evidence that there was some type of shooting inside this door,” said Oklahoma City police Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow. “Shots were fired.” Police said they believe the clerk pulled out a gun from behind the counter just after the robbery began. They said the clerk told them they thought he hit the would-be robber at least once. No one else in the store was hurt. Officers said the would-be robber ran out of the store and got into a vehicle that was waiting for him. The driver of that car took the man to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition late Thursday. Police said they were looking for a maroon or dark red Chevrolet HHR with Oklahoma license plate number 762XNR. They said the driver was a black female wearing glasses and a pink shirt who had her hair pulled back. Police urged anyone who saw this woman not to approach her and to call police instead."



30 June, 2009

SC: Man killed in club shooting: "Colleton County recorded its seventh homicide early Saturday when a man was shot inside a rural night spot. Lamont Truesdale, 31, of Jacksonboro, was shot with a handgun at a place known as "Leon's" in the Round-O area. The call came in around 3:30 a.m. "When we got there, a male subject had been shot by another male subject, and he was still on the scene," said Sheriff George Malone. Elijah Martin, 58, of Cottageville was charged with murder and was being held in the county jail, Malone said. While the case is being investigated as a homicide, Martin has made a claim of self-defense, the sheriff reported. At least two guns were recovered. The shooting is not being investigated as gang-related or in connection to the other string of shootings in the county this year. Malone said he did not know if Leon's is a licensed club, but that several people were inside at the time of the shooting. [Another report says that the dead man had just robbed the club, so the self-defense claim could well have substance]



CA: Home invasion robber fatally shot: "A homeowner fatally shot a home invasion robber Sunday morning. Riverside County Sheriff's deputies responded at 8:11 a.m. to a shots fired call in the 3100 block of Chardoney Way, according to a sheriff's news release. When they arrived, they found a dead man lying in the street. Homicide investigators learned that the deceased and a female suspect attempted a home invasion robbery at the house. The suspect struggled with the homeowners and dropped his gun during the fight, authorities said. One of the homeowners picked it up and shot him. The suspect attempted to run away but collapsed and died outside the house. The suspect's identity has not yet been released. He has been described by the Riverside County Coroner's office as a 24-year-old Costa Mesa man. The female suspect fled before deputies arrived, authorities said. Sheriff's officials did not have a description of her. No one has been arrested and the incident is under investigation."



OR: Victims, bystanders wrestle suspect to the ground: "Police arrested a second gunman and a getaway driver suspected of being accomplices to a man already in custody after an alleged attempted robbery Tuesday, June 23, of La Tapatia Market, at 18330 S.E. Stark St. Employees and patrons of the Hispanic grocery nabbed one of the gunman, a 17-year-old male, and held him until police arrived. The second alleged gunman, Lindsen L. Charles, 36, of Gresham ran to a vehicle allegedly driven by Erica C. Perez, 32, of Portland, and fled east on Stark Street. Following accurate descriptions by witnesses and several leads, Charles and Perez were arrested at 3:47 p.m. Tuesday afternoon as they attempted to drive away from a residence in Fairview. Both of the suspects are being charged with robbery in the first degree with a firearm. The 17-year-old is facing alleged charges of robbery in the first degree with a firearm and attempted murder. The two men entered the market at 10:53 a.m. and demanded cash, said Sgt. Mike LeDuc, Gresham police spokesman. Employees handed over an undisclosed amount of money and the gunmen fled out the rear service entrance. Several patrons and employees chased after the robber and the 17-year-old fired a shotgun at an employee. The employee was not injured. In fact, he and several others wrestled the shotgun from the young man. Nobody was injured in the robbery.



Gun control: What is the agenda?: "Some years or decades ago, I researched and reported on the Sullivan Act, one of America’s first gun control laws. New York State Senator Timothy Sullivan, a corrupt Tammany Hall politician, controlled New York’s Lower East Side. Commercial travelers passing through the district would be relieved of their valuables by armed robbers. In order to protect themselves and their property, travelers armed themselves. This raised the risk of, and reduced the profit from, robbery. Sullivan’s outlaw constituents demanded that Sullivan introduce a law that would prohibit concealed carry of pistols, blackjacks, and daggers, thus reducing the risk to robbers from armed victims. The criminals, of course, were already breaking the law and had no intention of being deterred by the Sullivan Act from their business activity of armed robbery. Thus, the effect of the Sullivan Act was precisely what the criminals intended. It made their life of crime easier. As the first successful gun control advocates were criminals, I have often wondered what agenda lies behind the well-organized and propagandistic gun control organizations and their donors and sponsors in the US today. The propaganda issued by these organizations consists of transparent lies".



29 June, 2009

SC: Icecream robber caught: "A man from Bath was arrested for robbing Twisters Ice Cream Shop on 421 in Bath just after 6:45 Saturday night. Witnesses said the suspect walked into the store armed with a gun and demanded money from the employee. He was given an undisclosed amount before being confronted by the owner's son Shannon Labord. The suspect shot at Labord hitting the counter. Labord fired back and chased the suspect while firing several more shots to a near by trailer. 23 year old Joey Taylor was arrested. He is charged with armed robbery, assault and battery with intent to kill and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. No one was injured during the incident.



Would-be robber severely beaten after choosing wrong victims: "A burglar who broke into a Lehigh Acres, Florida home wound up bloodied and bruised. The homeowners say he picked the wrong couple to mess with. Deputies say two men broke into the home around 1 a.m. Monday. One of them pointed a gun right at the resident's face while he was still in bed. "He screamed at me, 'Don't move! Don't move!' with vulgarities involved - that wasn't happening in my house. He came to the wrong party," said the victim, who wished to remain unidentified. The victim is a retired special operations officer for the Coast Guard. His fiancé, who was also in bed, is a former maximum security corrections officer. The male victim and one of the suspects got in a fight as they were both trying to get control of the gun. When the victim and the suspect were fighting in the corner of the bedroom, a shot fired from the gun went through the wall, through the medicine cabinet, and right into the bathroom mirror. When that shot was fired, the other suspect ran out of the house. Meanwhile, the victim's fiancé grabbed their own rifle and turned toward the other burglar. She beat him so hard with the gun that the rifle broke in two. Then the male victim got a hold of the suspect's gun. "At that point I was going to take his life and he begged for his life, 'I don't want to die, I don't want to die, please don't kill me. Let me go,'" said the victim. That's when he took the suspect outside and bashed his head into a truck before he ran away."



Ejected shotgun round lets victim get away: "Iowa City police say an accidental ejection of a shotgun round may have allowed a potential shooting victim to get away unharmed. Officers responded to the 900 block of Cross Park Avenue at 3:18 a.m. Thursday after receiving a 911 call that five males jumped out of a van armed with a shotgun, according to a criminal complaint. The victim said William T. Wright, 18, of 2218 Davis St. in Iowa City, brandished the shotgun and pointed it at the victim, according to police. Wright, who also goes by Rudy, then racked the shotgun and was prepared to fire when a round ejected, causing a temporary distraction that allowed the victim to run away, according to police. An independent witness corroborated the victim’s statements, police say. The victim said he believed he would have been shot had the round not accidentally ejected, according to police. Wright was in Johnson County Jail Friday morning on a $10,000 cash-only bond. He faces charges of intimidation with dangerous weapon, a Class C felony, and going armed with intent, a Class D felony.



Gun Control: Sotomayor and citizen authority: “Let me emphasize again as I have over the last several years, that what it is about guns isn’t even about guns. It is about carrying our own burdens in independence from our own public servants. … Senators who intend to grill Sotomayor when the nominee hearings begin in July should be contacted with specific issues to be brought up. This is because gun owners understand that the Second Amendment is a reflection of the overall health of our nation; it is a reflection of whether officials (such as Justices) respect liberty and our little need for the State and how we prefer it that way.”



28 June, 2009

Michigan: Neighborhood watch president shoots, kills dog; its owner disputes the need: "Tensions are high on a Saginaw street where the neighborhood watch president shot and killed his neighbor's dog. Jose Barajas, Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association president, told police he shot Onyx, a 50-plus-pound pit bull and shar-pei mix, with a 40-caliber Glock after the dog broke its chain and charged him at 1223 Maple on June 18. Barajas said he was working outside the house next door when he heard a resident crying for help. Diana M. Fick, 52, said she was mowing her backyard about 7:30 p.m. when neighbor Samantha A. Griffus' dog lunged at her. Fick said Onyx perched atop the tailgate shell and jumped off toward her, breaking his chain. She said she screamed for the owner and used the lawnmower as a buffer to keep the dog at bay. Griffus didn't hear her, but Barajas did. When the dog turned on him, he said he shot it two times. Barajas "didn't have an option," Fick said "He popped him." Griffus, 19, said the dog was on a 10-foot chain attached to a tailgate shell on the lawn. She said Barajas had no right to shoot her dog because it hadn't left her property. Saginaw police investigated and cleared Barajas".



FL: More practice needed: "After her father's store, Bob's Coins & Jewelry, was burglarized twice, and after hearing about jewelry stores being robbed recently in Ocala, Vickie Buxton decided to take precautions. Buxton, general manager at the store, took concealed weapons classes and armed herself with guns she keeps at the business in case she encounters an intruder. She did not have to wait long. While working at the store, at 17860 S.E. 109th Ave., Suite 621, on Thursday, Buxton shot at a thief after the man entered the building with a hammer, broke a glass case and escaped with an official Vatican Treasury gold medallion worth $20,000. She said before the robber entered the store, "The vehicle sat in front for several minutes, and then it drove around the parking lot some more." Then, she said, the suspect approached the business and pulled a bandana up to his face. "I yell, 'Gun!,' meaning my employees know I'm going for the gun," she said. As the robber entered the store, Buxton said she told him, "I'm going to shoot." The man ignored her and smashed a display glass that contained coins. Buxton tried to fire a .380-caliber handgun, but the weapon misfired. The robber grabbed the medallion and as he was heading out the door, Buxton again tried to fire the gun, but it misfired a second time. Buxton successfully fired a third shot, which struck the back of the SUV."



Crooked Australian police lose 'gun fight' with collector: "A South Grafton man who successfully sued the NSW Police for destroying seven of his firearms is at least $10,000 out of pocket and angry at the waste of public money spent to thwart his quest for compensation. Kevin Hebron was awarded $12,500 compensation for the lost guns, which included an almost irreplaceable antique double-barrelled Italian shotgun, during a civil hearing at Maclean Court on Wednesday. The trouble for Mr Hebron, a keen target shooter and hunter, began in 2006 when he attended a pistol shooting event in Byron Bay. Prior to the event Mr Hebron's four-wheel-drive was parked in a private, locked carpark when police were called. They noticed a Glock pistol in the rear of his vehicle and believed he was in breach of firearm safety rules. They seized the pistol and contacted Grafton police, who confiscated the firearms stored at his home. Ironically for Mr Hebron, police returned the Glock pistol, which was in minor breach of firearms safety rules, but destroyed the other guns which had been legally stored at his home.... Despite agreeing to a sum that puts him out of pocket, Mr Hebron is delighted to put the battle behind him. “This is the end of the matter. I've had more than enough of the legal system,” Mr Hebron said yesterday of his court experiences. The absence of a paper trail for the destroyed weapons also dismayed Mr Hebron. “After the firearms breach matter was settled at Byron Bay, police told me I could go to Grafton and get my guns back,” he said. But when he arrived and presented the property receipt for the guns, he was told they had been destroyed. He said he couldn't get paperwork from either the police or the Firearms Registry about the destruction of the guns." [Some cop probably still has them]



CA: Hunter spearheads amendment to reopen MCAS shotgun range: "The lead issue shut down the public shotgun range at Miramar's Marine Corps Air Station, but good old politics might soon reopen it. As reported here a few weeks ago, the San Diego Shotgun Sports Association at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar could be reopening soon. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Lakeside, is “offering an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization Act that attempts to restart recreational shooting activities at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar,” according to a release from the congressman's office. “The gun range at MCAS Miramar, previously operated by the San Diego Shotgun Sports Association, was closed last year when lead shot was discovered beyond range boundaries." According to the release, “the Hunter amendment specifically encourages the Marine Corps to expedite its Preliminary Assessment and Site Investigation and also submit a report to Congress that includes a plan and timeline to reopen the range.” “For more than 50 years, San Diego families have enjoyed recreational shooting and received quality firearm instruction at the Miramar Gun Range,” Hunter said in the release. “Indefinitely closing the range would deny these families and our Marines one of the few locations available for trap and skeet shooting, as well as recreational marksmanship. I look forward to working with the Marine Corps to ensure the continuation of a shooting range at Miramar that accommodates anyone interested in these activities.” The Miramar Gun Range also provided free recreational shooting to Marines and their families when it was open, and Olympic hopefuls such as Susan Sledge of El Cajon and Brian Burrows of Fallbrook practiced at the only gun range in San Diego with international trap. It was a favorite shooting range for local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, too.



27 June, 2009

Iowa: Clerk's gun scares off would-be robber: "Dominic Mathew had always felt it was better to give an armed robber what they asked for. His philosophy changed after his Food Pantry store on Lower Beaver Road was held up several times, one time with a thief behind the counter and holding a gun to his neck. He got a handgun. On Tuesday, the third time the store was held up, he and a robber were in a face-off with their weapons. “The guy came in from the side (of the store)” and walked in the front door, Mathew said. “That’s where they usually come from. The guy came in with a hoodie on. It was awfully warm on Tuesday, too warm for a hoodie.” Mathew, 30, already had his gun drawn when the robber walked in, he said. The suspect lowered his gun immediately upon seeing the handgun. The would-be robber ran out the door. “I didn’t want to get to this point,” said Mathew. “But there have been a lot of robberies. Times are tough. A lot of people are out of work.” The armed robber who tried to steal from Mathew has not been caught".



North Carolina: One dead after botched home invasion: "Deputies say at least one gunman was killed in an early-morning home invasion near Wagram. Anthony Martin, of Kale Street in Wagram, was shot to death in the failed robbery attempt while two others masked men fled, according to Shep Jones. The sheriff's department did not have Martin's age. Investigators say one of the robbers was 40-year old William Anthony Strickland, according to Jones. The last-known address for Strickland is 9539 Springview Road in Charlotte. Jones would not say how Strickland was identified as a suspect. Jones said the trio entered the home of 62-year Edmond Cooper at 23296 Wagram Street at about 12:30 a.m. through the back door, which had been left unlocked. Debbie Cooper, Edmond's wife, was still up and a suspect knocked her out by striking her over the head. The men then entered the room of the Coopers' 15-year old son. The suspects used ziploc ties to restrain the juvenile. The three men then entered the hallway of the residence, according to Jones. "Edmond Cooper came out of the bedroom with a gun," Jones said. "He fired several shots, hitting one of the suspects." He said the two suspects left standing returned fire, while fleeing from the residence. "Mr. Cooper was shot in the hand," Jones said. Martin was dead when emergency personnel arrived on the scene, according to Jones. Edmond Cooper was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released."



Tennessee: Gunman Shot to Death During Home Invasion: "Dennis Nicholson told detectives that he was confronted by 22 year old Elijah Minnard at the home. Nicholson says Minnard had a shotgun, and 17 year old Jeremie Thomas, had a pistol. Police say the men forced Nicholson inside, and Minnard held Nicholson and 25 year old Lincoya Stephens at gunpoint upstairs while Thomas searched the downstairs area of the home. Police say Stephens grabbed the shotgun to try and disarm Minnard, but Stephens was hit in the leg by a shotgun blast. Police say Stephens and Nicholson still managed to get the gun away from Minnard. Officers say Stephens then pulled a pistol that was concealed in his waistband and shot and killed Minnard. Thomas, hearing the gunfire, went to check on Minnard. Stephens opened fire on Thomas, and he fled the house. Thomas was caught by officers a short time later. Detectives say Thomas told them he and Minnard went to the home to commit a drug-related robbery. No drugs were found in the residence. Stephens is hospitalized with a gunshot wound to his leg and has not yet been interviewed by detectives. Thomas is charged at Juvenile Court with two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of unlawful weapon possession, attempted criminal homicide, four counts of aggravated assault, and attempted aggravated robbery.



Kennedy bill could send your gun info into a massive federal database: "At long last, Teddy Kennedy has partially revealed the health care system he wants to foist on the whole country — and it isn’t pretty. It won’t be pretty for your pocket book … OR FOR YOUR GUN RIGHTS! But first, let us explain what TeddyCare is all about. At the center of the plan is what’s called a ‘universal mandate.’”



26 June, 2009

ND man shoots intruder: "Here’s the scenario: A man named Vernon Allen is sitting in his apartment late one night watching television. Shortly after midnight, a seventeen-year-old kid named Joel LaFromboise opened his door and walked in. Allen stood and asked the kid what he was doing. Asked him if he needed help. LaFromboise advanced on Allen in a manner Allen took to be combative. Allen grabbed his shotgun and pointed it at LaFromboise and again demanded that he leave. LaFromboise attempted to grab the gun from Allen. A struggled ensued, and LaFromboise ended up getting shot in the chest. At which point he staggered to his parents’ apartment, fell on the floor and died. Now the family of LaFromboise is calling Allen a murderer.... The family isn't sure why Joel LaFromboise wandered into at least three strangers apartments before his death. He does have friends in the area of Romkey Park, just down the street from the apartment complex at 1107 19th St. S. where he died. ... Police have said Allen will not face criminal charges at this time in connection with the shooting, which angers Joel LaFromboise's family."



GA: Aggressive trailer landlord shot: "Police say a tenant and her landlord got into an argument over water service being cut off.... The tenant, Shanon Eulo, says her landlord, Jesse Willis, turned off the water to her mobile home and demanded she get out. With the heat index way over 100º, heated words between Eulo's boyfriend and Willis escalated to gunfire. The shootout over the water to Shannon Eulo's mobile home happened on Homestead Avenue around 7:00PM Monday. Eulo said her landlord and next door neighbor, 46-year-old Jesse Willis, scared her when he confronted her, demanding that she move out. "He cut the water lines, so we have no water," Eulo said. Eulo's boyfriend, 36-year-old John King, repaired the broken pipes, and Willis broke them again. That started an angry argument. "My boyfriend finally hit him," Eulo said. Police say Willis went back to his house, got a .410 shotgun, and shot King's car three times, in the windshield, and the headlight. King came out of the mobile home with a pistol. "Jesse started lifting his gun up and my boyfriend shot him twice," Eulo said. Police agree John King shot in self defense, but arrested him because he is a convicted felon, and should not have a gun. John King is in jail. The landlord, Jesse Willis had surgery and is in good condition. He is charged with aggravated assault."



Guns, grades and government: "Texas is a gun-loving state. You don’t have to look too far for the proof. In 2009, a host of bills concerning gun rights made it to the floor of the Texas Legislature, and while other commentators have covered them thoroughly, it should give us a starting point to consider gun rights as a whole. Notable among this year’s legislative discussion was the passage of a measure okaying 21 year-old gun owners to carry concealed weapons onto state college campuses. The measure came two years after the Virginia Tech massacre, forty-three years after the infamous Charles Whitman shooting spree at the University of Texas, and a year after a UT student was arrested for carrying a handgun to campus."



The next generation of gun rights activists: "Now, more than ever, children are bombarded at school with anti-gun messages. Gun owners are ridiculed in the media and portrayed as either criminals or low IQ rednecks in television and the movies (except the ‘heroes,’ who are always affiliated with law enforcement or the military). Children are not taught the merits of self-defense, only to call the police and huddle under a desk until help arrives.These frequent messages attempt to mold young minds to oppose civilian gun ownership through indoctrination. If this is not countered by a pro-gun message at home, the future of gun rights will be lost.”



25 June, 2009

CA: Man wounded but fights off attacker: "An early morning shoot-out between two men in Orleans on Sunday resulted in one man shot several times in the legs and the other arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.... The deputy then went to Piola's neighbor's house to find 63-year-old Douglass James Tilden shot several times in the legs. The deputy retrieved a loaded handgun from the man's lap. A helicopter took Tilden to a hospital for treatment, and he is reportedly in stable condition. Sheriff's Office alleges that earlier, Piola went to Tilden's house and began firing at the residence. Tilden then reportedly went outside, armed with a handgun, and the two exchanged a total of 17 rounds. Piola was booked into Humboldt County jail on suspicion of attempted murder and for allegedly shooting at an inhabited dwelling. His bail is set at $500,000."



Australia: Man kills Lebanese Muslim attacker: "A 30-year-old Brooklyn man has admitted killing Mohammed Haddara on Saturday night but claims it was in self-defence. He told police in an interview and signed statement on Sunday night that he was abducted by Mr Haddara and another man and had his life threatened. He told investigators it was arranged that he would meet two men, including Mr Haddara, outside his home on Saturday night. But he claims that he was then forced into a car and threatened before he managed to escape the vehicle and was chased by Mr Haddara. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the Brooklyn man had been interviewed by detectives in relation to the shooting. "The man was not charged and was released pending further inquiries," she said... The spokesman said Mr Haddara and another man had tried to abduct the Brooklyn man but he wrestled the gun from Mr Haddara and shot him."



MD: Guard shoots man during attempted robbery of grocery store: "An exchange of gunfire between a security guard and an alleged robber at the Mars Super Market on Maiden Choice Lane and Westland Boulevard, in Arbutus, Sunday evening left the alleged robber with several gunshot wounds, according to Baltimore County police. Neither the guard nor any customers in the store were injured, police said. At 6:52 p.m. June 21, Jamison Harvey Johnson, 40, entered the store and “announced the robbery,” said Bill Toohey, a police spokesman. Johnson then walked to the store’s customer service office, where he demanded and was given an undisclosed amount of cash, police said. An armed security guard employed by Mars who was inside the store followed Johnson to the store’s entrance and confronted him, police said. Johnson, whose address is listed as “unknown” in court records, then shot at the guard, Toohey said. The guard returned fire and Johnson then ran into the parking lot and got into a green Honda Accord, Toohey said. As the gunman drove away, he again fired on the security guard, who again shot back, Toohey said. A man fitting Johnson’s description was spotted walking along Kenwood Avenue, in Catonsville, with several gunshot wounds by an officer involved in the search at about midnight, almost five hours after the gunfire occurred, Toohey said. The man was caught after a brief foot chase, police said.... Johnson was later charged with armed robbery, attempted murder and two handgun violations — one for the possession of a firearm with a felony conviction."



Canadian gun registry hasn’t “saved a single life”: “As Parliament breaks for summer, the opposition is mobilizing to stop a private member’s bill to scrap the long gun registry. Yet there is no convincing research showing that the gun registry has saved a single life. The homicide rate had fallen impressively before 2001, when the long gun registry started, but has remained relatively stable since. In 1991, the homicide rate was 2.7 per 100,000, in 1996, the homicide rate was down to 2.1 and by 2000, it had slid to 1.8. By 2005, the homicide rate had risen to 2.0. The gun registry had no impact on suicide rates either.”



24 June, 2009

MD: Woman kills husband in self-defense: “A Prince George’s County woman fatally shot her husband in an apparent act of self-defense Saturday after he attacked her at the Capitol Heights duplex where the pair lived in separate units, according to police and neighbors. … The circumstances of the incident are unclear, but police think that the shooting ‘appears to have been in self-defense,’ said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George’s police department. Wilson, police said, had violated an active protective order when he attacked his wife.”



Cities’ gun restrictions begin to topple: “It’s been a disappointing year for American cities seeking to curb violence via tough gun laws. Since last June, when the US Supreme Court struck down key parts of the District of Columbia’s gun-control ordinance, cities have seen the 20,000 local gun regulations enacted over the years begin to slip from their grip, one by one. Philadelphia’s ban on assault weapons and limits on handgun purchases are the latest to succumb, struck down Thursday by a state court. An appeal to the state Supreme Court is expected. In April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an ordinance in California’s Alameda County that banned gun shows, saying the Second Amendment of the US Constitution applies in the states.”



Seattle mayor will take anti-gun agenda to White House: “Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, newly-elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, will be using his new position to push an anti-gun agenda at a White House meeting planned later this summer, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms warned today. ‘Greg Nickels knows he will find a sympathetic ear in the Oval Office for his illegal gun control scheme,’ said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.”



More than 800 gun buyers on terrorist list : “More than 800 gun purchases were approved after background checks in the last five years even though the buyers’ names were on the government’s terrorist watch list, investigators said Monday. Being on the watch list is not among the nine factors, such as a felony conviction, that disqualify someone from buying a gun under federal law. More than 900 background checks between February 2004 and February 2009 turned up names on the watch list, and all but 98 were allowed to go through.”



23 June, 2009

Minnesota intruder shot, killed: "It`s been an emotional night for Sara Graham. "I thought he was drunk and trying to rob me; I did not know he was," says Graham. She begins to cry and can`t finish her sentence. She was sleeping in her apartment when a man walked in in the middle of the night. She yelled at him to leave, and he did. "No clue who he is," notes Graham. But the intruder came back, this time entering another apartment. The tenant told police the man refused to leave and tried to pick a fight with him. The apartment owner grabbed his shotgun, and when the intruder attacked again, the tenant fired. It was a fatal shot. The injured man fled back to Graham`s apartment, holing himself up in her daughter`s bedroom. But as Sara Graham surveys her blood stained carpet, she says her nightmare is just beginning. "He was screaming. He was crying. I`ll never forget it. I`d rather see it again than hear it all over again," she says. Moorhead police say they will not charge the shooter, apartment tenant Vernon Allen. Police say the dead burglar was a 17-year-old Moorhead boy."



Ohio Man Shoots Pit Bull Attacking Teen: "A man shot a pit bull in the leg Thursday evening to stop the dog from attacking a teenager. Police said the dog tore part of the 15-year-old boy's ear and bit his arm and leg, 10TV's Kevin Landers reported. According to police, the attack was the culmination of an argument among neighbors on Diane Place on the south side. The argument escalated into a fight involving the boy and others on the street. A witness told detectives they heard the owner of the dog say "sic 'em" before releasing the animal to attack the boy. "During the fight, the male released the dog and it bit one of the people they were fighting," Sgt. Thomas Nance told 10TV News. "Another man approached and shot the dog as it was attacking the 15-year-old." The boy was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital. His condition was not known Thursday night. Police were still investigating the cause of the argument. The dog was taken into custody by animal control officers."



NC: Robber shot with own gun: "A Fremont man is recovering in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the arm after what seemed to be a robbery gone bad Thursday. Shontionne Darden, 24, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery with a dangerous weapon and shooting into an occupied conveyance for allegedly attempting to rob the passenger of another car with a shotgun. According to the Fremont Police Department, Darden and two others, Joey Rowe, 20, and Lacie Hardy, 20, arranged to meet Qvontray Pitt, 23, at the 100 block of E. Branch St. Rowe told police officers they were planning on buying drugs from Pitt, but Chief R.K. Rawlings said there was no evidence that was actually the purpose of the meeting. Once stopped, Rowe walked to the passenger side of the vehicle Pitt was driving, which held three other occupants including a six-year-old in the back seat. While Rowe was talking to the passenger, Darden allegedly walked up to the car with a shotgun. Darden demanded Pitt's money and jewelry before Pitt grabbed the shotgun and a struggle ensued. During the struggle for the shotgun, shots were fired including one in the dashboard of the car, before the gun was dropped. According to the police report, Pitt picked up the gun and shot Darden in the arm as Darden was returning to the truck Hardy was driving. Darden was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to Pitt Memorial Hospital."



TX: Aggressive ex-boyfriend shot: "A Lufkin man was hospitalized Saturday night after being shot in lower chest with a .22 pistol. He was listed in stable condition Sunday afternoon. Doyle Eugene Wright drove himself to Memorial Medical Health System of East Texas after being shot by his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend on Moore Street, according to a report by the Lufkin Police Department. Wright told officers he did not know why Daniel Ray Hartman, also of Lufkin, shot him. Wright said he had gone to his ex-girlfriend's house to see her when Hartman pulled up in his truck. Wright told officers that he then went to talk to Hartman and was shot when he neared the truck. Officers went back to the scene and made contact with the woman, but had only arrived when Hartman pulled back in front of the house. Hartman, who was calm and cooperative with officers, according to the report, said both he and his girlfriend have been having problems with Wright calling and making threats against them. He told police that Wright cut him off in his truck while on Moore Street and then ran aggressively toward the passenger door. Hartman said he locked the door but was unable to roll the window all the way up. He said Wright then broke the half-rolled-up window and lunged into the truck, striking Hartman in the face. Hartman said he absorbed a few punches, but could not have fended off the much larger Wright, so he shot him with his pistol."



22 June, 2009

Florida: A masked suspect was shot and killed outside an Altamonte Springs home: "Deputies arrived on the scene just before 4 a.m. Friday on the 300 block of Magnolia Street just off of Ronald Regan Boulevard. A woman woke up when she heard someone trying to kick in the door of her home. Seminole County Sheriff's deputies say that's when her husband went to the door and shot twice at Donald Salaam. Salaam, 21, was hit once in the chest. The wife was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher when the shots were fired. Investigators say it appears the homeowner was justified. “Our homeowner didn't have an obligation to retreat. He is able to protect his property," said Lt. James Clark, of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. "The questions we’re trying to answer: If he was in fear for his life and the life of his wife. If he was, he would be justified in this shooting.” Detectives are trying to determine if Salaam acted alone. Seminole County deputies say Salaam has an extensive criminal history involving drugs, fleeing/eluding law enforcement. He was also investigated for a previous armed robbery."



Tennessee: Intruder held at gunpoint: "A Blountville homeowner held an intruder at gunpoint when he spotted him going into his travel camper Tuesday morning. The Reedy Creek Lane resident told Sullivan County Sheriff's deputies he first thought a relative had entered his camper, which was parked in his driveway. When he discovered the man was a stranger, he went to get his gun. He returned with his pistol to find the man inside his car, which was parked next to the camper, according to a sheriff's office spokesman. The homeowner held the man at gunpoint until deputies arrived to arrest him. Jeffrey B. Welch, 19, 679 Deck Valley Road, Bristol, was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, burglary of a motor vehicle, and driving on a suspended license."



NM: Not guilty of manslaughter charge: "A jury acquitted a Tomé man on Thursday in the December 2007 shooting death of 42-year-old Charles "Chucky" Diaz, a high-ranking Bandido gang member. After deliberating for nearly four hours on Thursday, the jury of five women and seven men found 46-year-old Jimmy Garcia not guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Garcia shot and killed Diaz in what he said was an act of self-defense. The defendant said that, on the day of the incident, he was raking leaves when he saw an unfamiliar car drive onto his property. Garcia said it wasn't until he approached the car that he realized that it was Diaz. "I asked him, 'What are you doing here? Where's Rose?'" Diaz said. "He said, 'I could do whatever the (expletive) I want.'" Garcia testified that, when he told him to leave, Diaz threatened that he was going to run him over. Garcia said that Diaz drove his car at him several times before he finally left the property. "He said, 'I'll be back,'" said Garcia about the last thing Diaz told him before leaving. "I was scared. I was hoping that he wouldn't come back." ... Garcia said it was at that time that he saw Diaz walking toward them at a fast pace with something in his hand. Garcia testified that he didn't know what the object was and believed it was either a hammer or a gun. "I was so scared — I just shot," he said. "I don't even know how many times I shot. I was scared ... I just wanted it to stop. I was totally convinced that this guy was going to kill me."



Massachusetts high court will review gun lock ruling: "The state’s highest court plans to review the constitutionality of a recently challenged state law that requires gun owners to lock their weapons, making it the first test in Massachusetts of a landmark US Supreme Court ruling that Americans have the constitutional right to own guns and stow them as they see fit. The SJC decided to review the law less than a year after a Lowell District Court judge dismissed firearms charges against a Billerica man whose handicapped son was accused of shooting a BB gun at a neighbor and who then showed police officers where his father kept other unlocked weapons. The Lowell judge cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in dismissing the case against Richard Runyan of Billerica, who in April 2008 was charged with improperly storing a semiautomatic hunting rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a drawer full of ammunition."