Daily update August 31

Washington: Watchman fires at car
Longview Daily News

"What was initially reported as a "drive-by shooting" early Monday morning turned out to be a shot fired in a quite different circumstance. Longview police were dispatched a few minutes after midnight after a young man called from his home in Longview, reporting that someone in a brown van shot at his vehicle when he and two passengers were driving around in the area of the Mint Farm. "There wasn't any warning," the 22-year-old driver said Monday evening. "There aren't any 'no trespassing' signs out there." .... Police checked out the Mint Farm area and spoke with the night watchman of a truck-driving school, Duscha said. The watchman told police that he saw a vehicle driving recklessly in the parking lot and cutting cookies on the property. He said he thought the vehicle was going to run him over, so he fired his handgun, Duscha said. No one was injured." (08/30/05)

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2005/08/30/area_news/news04.txt

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New Jersey: Store owner shoots thief in legs
Trentonian

"A township liquor store owner hid inside in the darkness early yesterday and confronted a brazen burglar, hitting him with pepper spray, then shooting him in the legs. Though the suspect, Patrick Falcey, managed to escape from Sherwood Liquor Fair at Spruce Street and Arctic Avenue, police later surrounded his house in Trenton and he surrendered." (08/31/05)

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15127119&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6

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New Mexico: Shooting first under concealed carry
Los Alamos Monitor

" A fatal shooting at an Albuquerque Wal-Mart last week was the state's first by someone with a concealed-carry gun permit, authorities said. Police said Felix Vigil was attacking his ex-wife with a knife near the store's deli counter where she worked when an armed customer intervened and shot him. The woman, Joyce Cordova, was treated for multiple stab wounds and later released from an Albuquerque hospital. The armed customer, 72-year-old Due Moore, was interviewed after the shooting last Thursday and released. Police spokeswoman Officer Trish Hoffman said it appeared the shooting was justified. However, it will be up to the district attorney to decide whether Moore, a volunteer with the police department's cold case unit, will be prosecuted. .... Moore's fatal shot was the first fired by someone with a permit, according to state Department of Public Safety spokesman Peter Olson. The state has issued more than 3,100 permits since the gun law went into effect Jan. 1, 2004." (08/31/05)

http://www.lamonitor.com/articles/2005/08/31/headline_news/news12.txt

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West Virginia: W.Va. man not guilty in slaying
Herald Mail

"Three years, four months, 18 days and about an hour later, John W. Jenkins Jr. lifted his eyes skyward, then closed them after a court clerk read aloud these two words: "Not guilty." A Berkeley County jury of nine women and three men deliberated for less than two hours Tuesday before acquitting Jenkins in the shooting death of his second cousin, Steven Cole, 37, of Martinsburg, on April 12, 2002. .... Jenkins has maintained he shot Cole in self-defense after Cole pulled a gun on him and fired one bullet toward him. Jenkins was the first and only witness to testify Tuesday - the fifth day of the trial. He testified about his family, violent outbursts from Cole and the shooting. .... Jurors had five options - finding Jenkins innocent or finding him guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. They deliberated for an hour and 38 minutes." (08/31/05)

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=119014&format=html

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Daily update August 30

Arizona: Resident exchanges gunfire with 2 intruders in back yard
Tucson Citizen

"The shooting happened about 11 p.m. in the back yard of a home on South Avenida Don Arturo, near West Valencia Road and South Camino de Oeste, Barkman said. She said a woman and her two sons, both in their 20s, were watching television inside when they heard their dogs barking in the back yard. When one of the sons went to see why the dogs were barking, he was confronted by a man with a gun, Barkman said, adding that the other son got a gun, went into the back yard, and was confronted by the gunman and another who had joined the gunman. The gunmen and the armed son started shooting at each other and all three were wounded, Barkman said. .... She said it was too early in the investigation to say what the gunmen were doing in the yard." (08/30/05)

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/breaking/083005_shootings.php

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Georgia: Victim shot burglar
WSAV News

"A Savannah woman says she was a burglary victim twice before she turned the tables and shot the man she says was trying to rob her for a third time. We first told you Friday night about a shooting at Westlake Apartments on Greengate Court. Police say the woman's apartment was broken into several times last week. Friday night she says the same man tried breaking into her apartment again and she shot him. " (08/29/05)

http://tinyurl.com/cuuzx

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NRA offering new booklet
El Dorado Times

"The National Rifle Association's Disabled Shooting Services Department is offering a free disability awareness booklet.The booklet is a collection of articles by Dave Baskin, manager of the NRA Disabled Shooting Services Department, on a variety of related subjects, including hints for instructors working with the disabled, organizing wheelchair-accessible sporting clays events, rifle shooting as a physical rehabilitation tool and safety tips for disabled hunters.For a free copy of the booklet, call (703) 267-1495." (08/30/05)

http://www.eldoradotimes.com/articles/2005/08/30/news/news6.txt

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South Africa: Gun act failing dismally - DA
News 24

"The Democratic Alliance has asked for a special parliamentary debate on the problems relating to the implementation of the Firearms Control Act. Giving notice of a motion in the national assembly on Tuesday, DA MP Roy Jankielsohn said his party believed the government would have to reconsider whether it was able to properly implement the act.
Firearm owners had experienced a number of problems when trying to renew their firearm licences. .... The costs involved with training, obtaining competency certificates, and the licensing process was, for many people, unaffordable. This was especially true for pensioners. Backlogs with licensing and appeals were causing a great deal of frustration among applicants for both renewals and new licenses. In many instances, licences were refused with the only reason given as "a lack of sufficient motivation"." (08/30/05)

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_1762269,00.html

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Texas: DA opposed to new handgun law
Houston Chronicle

"Motorists arrested for carrying pistols in their cars without a concealed handgun license will continue to be prosecuted in Houston, despite a new law that purports to give them a legal defense, Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said Monday. .... "It is still going to be against the law for (unlicensed) persons to carry handguns in autos," the district attorney said, adding that the new legal defense can still be challenged by prosecutors.The new law, enacted during the regular legislative session last spring, seeks to clarify a longtime law that allowed Texans to carry handguns while traveling, a qualification that was subject to a number of inconsistent court interpretations over the years.The new statute says a person is "presumed to be traveling" if he or she is in a private vehicle, is not engaged in criminal activity (except for a minor traffic offense), is not prohibited by any other law from possessing a firearm and is not a member of a criminal street gang." (08/30/05)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3330553

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Arizona: Mesa is near to 2004 count of homicides
Arizona Republic

"Russell Wagner, 54, told police he shot Aaron Prescott, 19, after Prescott tried to enter his home about 2:30 a.m. He said he opened his door after hearing yelling outside and Prescott tried to enter through a screen door. Wagner claims he shot in self-defense and told investigators he didn't know Prescott, Detective Tim Gaffney said. Police questioned Wagner and released him." (08/30/05)

http://www.azcentral.com/news//articles/0830mesamurders.html

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Georgia: Pawn shop employee, burglary suspect exchange gunfire
Macon Telegraph

"A pawn shop employee escaped injury in an exchange of gunfire with a burglar late Friday night, Warner Robins police say. Warner Robins police Lt. Bobby Brantley said the suspect also was not hit and fled with a stolen handgun. The suspect was interrupted by the employee who arrived at the Northside Pawnshop at 1313 Green St. just before midnight. According to a Warner Robins police news release, the employee responded to the business alarm, which automatically calls his residence when the alarm is sounded. The employee was fired upon as he entered the store and he returned fire. The employee fled the pawn shop and called 911. The suspect also fled." (08/30/05)


http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/12510235.htm

Daily update August 29

New York: Bar security guard returns gunfire
Buffalo News

"A security guard at the Copacabana Bar, 751 Fillmore Ave., returned fire early Sunday after shots were fired at him, according to Ferry-Fillmore District officers. Bobby D. Lee told police that several shots were fired at him at 3:45 a.m. and that "he saw a weapon pointed at him and flash from the muzzle." He fired three shots from his gun, for which he has a permit, and the man fled east on Broadway." (08/29/05)

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050829/7056609.asp
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Too tight a line on gun possession
Seattle Times
staff

"The case, Washington v. Gurske, involved a man stopped for an illegal left turn while driving. Police discovered his driver's license had been suspended, arrested him and searched his truck. Behind the driver's seat was a backpack that contained three grams of methamphetamine. He was convicted of felony possession of an illegal drug and sentenced to an extra 18 months because his backpack also contained a pistol and ammunition clip. To fire the gun, he would have had to stop the truck, get out of the driver's seat, flip it forward, unzip the pack, find the gun and clip, and insert the clip. The court ruled unanimously that he was not armed." (08/28/05)


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002453659_guned28.html

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Organizing the militia
Sierra Times
William S. Lind

"The militia was the basis of America’s defense through most of our history as a republic. More, there are two contemporary models. One is volunteer fire departments, which small town and rural America depend on and which almost always perform well. The other is community policing, where cops walk the same beat in the same neighborhood for a long time, long enough to understand the neighborhood and prevent crimes instead of just responding to them. Neither volunteer fire departments nor community police serve as control mechanisms for the federal government. They respond to their local communities, not to Washington." (08/29/05)

http://www.sierratimes.com/05/08/29/194_105_124_70_45178.htm

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Israel: Quarter of a million Israelis own firearms
YNet News

"A quarter of a million Israeli citizens possess personal firearms, according to an Interior Ministry survey. The survey said that as of June 2005, 236,879 Israeli citizens had guns. At the same time, the survey pointed to a downwards trend in personal weapon possession. The study also found that a worrying number of guns were held without valid license, 34,000, due to a failure by owners to renew their licenses. .... In order to qualify for a license, an applicant must pass a number of conditions set, including an assessment of their medical and mental health, and whether they live or work in dangerous areas. A decade ago, there were almost no limitations on the ownership of guns." (08/28/05)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3134459,00.html

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So much for gun control
Edmonton Sun [Canada]
staff

"When we first read the headline in last Thursday's Sun - "Feds taking aim at gun violence" - we thought that there must have been some mistake. Gun violence? What gun violence? We have a very expensive national gun registry that was put into place to ensure that every firearm in Canada can be tracked. We have cumbersome regulations in place that make it more difficult for Canadians to buy guns. We have armies of bureaucrats shuffling paper to and fro to make sure that everything related to guns in this country is all very above-board and law-abiding. So there can't possibly be any gun violence in Canada!
OK, we made our point. There is still lots of gun violence in Canada, and the gun registry hasn't done a single thing to stop it." (08/29/05)

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Commentary/2005/08/28/1192061.html

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Daily update August 28

Source: Liberty For All
Alan M. Gottlieb

"Banning the lawful possession of anything has never stopped people from getting it, and it should be a no-brainer in the City of San Francisco, where citizens are well-educated and intelligent, that the proposed ban on the sale or manufacture of firearms and possession of handguns will not prevent criminals from arming themselves. The idea is evidently so bad that at least one of the original sponsors of the measure, City Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, has withdrawn her name from the ballot measure." (08/29/05)

http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/sept11/GunBan.html

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Pennsylvania:Two robbers killed in apparent home invasion
Centre Daily

"Two men who apparently broke into a house were shot to death, and two residents of the home were wounded by gunfire Thursday morning, police said. Police were called to the home around 3:30 a.m. and arrived to find the bodies of the alleged robbers near an entrance, said Reading Police Sgt. Joseph Cafoncelli. A man and a woman who lived in the house were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, Cafoncelli said. He would not release the identities of the injured or the dead. The men apparently broke into the rear of the house, duct-taped one resident and forced him to open the front door, police said."At this point, one of the people inside the house either wrestled with one of the persons, took a gun from them or had a gun of their own," Capt. Francis Drexler told WGAL-TV." (08/26/05)

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/12487299.htm

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Canada: Cops ticked off by 'Be Armed' T-shirts
640 Toronto News

"Some T-shirts being worn by young people in Toronto are irritating Toronto cops.
The shirts have a picture of a gun, with the captioon, "Rule 1: Be Armed.''The shirts aren't illegal, just in bad taste.Sgt. Rob Hargan says kids wearing them will be "hassled.''But 640 Toronto crime expert and host of The Beat Craig Bromell says that's about all police can do because there's nothing illegal about them.. There are suggestions that two of the shirts have been seized." (08/26/05)

http://tinyurl.com/bfmtd

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Uganda: President Museveni orders gun crackdown
New Vision

"President Yoweri Museveni has ordered a crackdown on guns in Kampala city following a number of grisly murders of prominent people. Museveni said the resurgence of murders was due to the “loose” storage of ammunition that allows armed forces to keep them in their “huts and houses” rather than in the armoury. “For many years, the army and the Police were not keeping the guns in the armouries. I have already directed that the whole thing be reviewed. We should go back to the practice that all guns are kept in the armoury,” he added. .... Museveni said, “We have been at war almost all times. We were keeping our guns in our huts and houses so that as soon as there’s anything, we go to the trenches. This is a practice that has outlived its usefulness because the country is peaceful.'" [Editor's note: Oh yes, clearly the 'country is peaceful' -MLS] (08/28/05)


http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/452432

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Georgia: Woman foils attempted robbery
WSAV News

"An attempted robbery was foiled after a woman shot the suspect.Police said a man was trying to break into an apartment on Greengate Court in west Savannah late Friday night. That's when the woman living in the apartment shot at the man.Police did not know how many times the man was shot." (08/26/05)

http://tinyurl.com/94l9f

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Utah: Man shoots sword wielding brother
Salt Lake Tribune

"A 24-year-old Taylorsville man, who shot his sword-wielding younger brother during a fight Thursday morning, was questioned by authorities and released after it was determined the man acted in self-defense. Eric Johnston shot 19-year-old Prentiss Johnston in the chest when Prentiss lunged at Eric with a 3-foot sword, Taylorsville police Sgt. Rosie Rivera said. The fight occurred just after 5 a.m. in the 2200 West block of Whitaker Drive. Prentiss Johnston was flown to LDS Hospital in critical condition where he was later upgraded to serious. .... No charges have been filed, but the case remains under investigation." (08/27/05)

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2978238

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Texas:'My first reaction was, Boom! with the pistol'
The Bryan-College Station Eagle

" Somewhat short of breath, Bryan resident Andy Fitts recalled Friday how he had only one choice the evening before when he watched a man repeatedly stab his good friend, then rush toward him, plunging a knife into his chest. Fitts said he could not do what he had planned in a matter of seconds: knock the culprit on the head with a gun - the only weapon he had quick access to. "My first reaction was, Boom! with the pistol," Fitts said, motioning as if he was shooting while saying he was unsure how many shots he fired. Police later would say 48-year-old Amos Ybarra was shot twice in the torso." (08/27/05)

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/082705/local_20050827017.php

The week in review August 20-27

Self defense stories this week from 16 states .... Arizona, North Dakota, New Mexico,South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana. Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana,California, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Illinois. (My personal favorite, the armed 72year old bystander in the New Mexico Wal Mart who took out the guy who was attacking his ex-wife with a knife.) In gun grabber stories, South Africa wins the 'unintended consequences award' this week for the chaos caused by its draconian new gun laws ...'experts say at the rate that renewals are now being handled, it will take literally thousands of years to complete the process'. (Or, maybe that was the intended consequence?).

Kudos to Alabama for filing legislation to broaden self-defense rights by 'preventing people from being taken to court by the family of a deceased intruder'. And kudos to CSN News for publishing the story that's been making the rounds of the gun blogs, on the persecution of gun shows by the ATF and Virginia police.

In other good news, the RRND news feed IS up and running again this week (check out the new version of RRND, you'll like it!) ....Unfortunately, the 2AM page template is not ready yet (it will be soon, I'm told) ... meanwhile, keep checking the 2AM News blog for daily updates.When we can move back over to the 2AM News site, I'll post an announcement here.

Til next week

For freedom!

Mary Lou

Daily update August 26

Wal-Mart gun policy saves New Mexico woman's life
Ohioans for Concealed Carry
by Jeff

"The Associated Press is reporting that the defensive shooter in the New Mexico Wal-Mart was a seventy-two year-old concealed handgun license holder. According to the AP police are indicating that "it appears that the shooting will be ruled a justified homicide' .... Wal-Mart's policy is made clear by this consistent behavior: Holstered firearms in possession of the law-abiding citizen are not prohibited in their stores. A New Mexico woman is alive today thanks to the fact this policy is enforced nationwide with Wal-Mart. .... This woman is alive today because Wal-Mart has taken the high road and made the right decision that has resulted in one innocent woman's life being saved. We all owe a debt of gratitude both to Wal-Mart for bucking the politically correct “easy” decision, and the unknown individual whose life will never be the same after being forced to defend someone he didn’t know." (08/26/05)

http://www.ohioccw.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3338


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Arizona: Attempted break-in ends in shooting death
Silver Belt

"Gonzales reported Perez had tried to break into his home, first banging on his grandmother's window, then ripping a screen on the window to his bedroom. According to the police report, Gonzales said he pointed the gun at Perez and stated he was going to shoot him. Perez left the window and went to the door and began banging on the door. Gonzales said he thought the door was going to come off the hinges so he opened the door and pointed the gun at Perez. Perez did not gain entrance to the home. "He tried to break into my home. He was banging on my grandmother's window and she doesn't need this. It was self defense," said Gonzales in his report to police officers. Gonzales was originally charged with misconduct involving a weapon, possession of dangerous drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The second degree murder charge was added Monday when it was determined that Gonzales called 911 after the shooting." (08/24/05)

http://www.silverbelt.com/articles/2005/08/24/news/news01.txt

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North Dakota: No charges filed against mobile home park shooter
In Forum

"A man police say shot two people at a mobile home park here will not face charges.
South Central District Judge Donald Jorgensen on Wednesday did not find probable cause to charge Larry McCorkell.Authorities say McCorkell, 58, shot two Bismarck men early Tuesday morning with a pistol after intervening in a dispute that started at a neighboring mobile home.Charges have been filed against the shooting victims, whose injuries are not considered life-threatening." (08/25/05)


http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8C6JH0G1

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New Mexico:Man shot dead at Wal-Mart
Albuquerque Tribune

"A Wal-Mart employee is recovering from stab wounds while her ex-husband is dead from gunshot wounds after the couple fought inside the Southeast Heights store. While working in the deli, Joyce Cordoba, 46, was approached by Felix Vigil around 5 p.m. Thursday, Albuquerque police spokeswoman Trish Hoffman said this morning. The divorced couple have a history of domestic violence, Hoffman said. Vigil, 54, jumped over the deli counter and began to stab Cordoba, Hoffman said. Due Moore, a customer who witnessed the stabbing, pulled out a gun a shot Vigil dead, Hoffman said." (08/26/05)

http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_local/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19858_4032728,00.html

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South Carolina: Store owner takes law into his own hands
Post & Courier

"Cecil and Jerry Reynolds were fed up with people breaking into their tire store. About 4 a.m. Thursday, Jerry "did what the law allows him to do," Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon Jr. said. Reynolds, 49, shot a man in the face with a 12-gauge shotgun. It happened outside Reynolds Tires when an alleged burglar drove into him with a stolen car. .... Ninth Circuit Solicitor Ralph Hoisington told sheriff's authorities that Reynolds will not be charged, Clark said.Historically, South Carolina case law has upheld the use of deadly force as a defense when a person's life, home or business is threatened.In 2001, then-Attorney General Charlie Condon instituted a home-invasion policy that protected citizens from prosecution if they were defending themselves against intruders." (08/26/05)

http://preview.charleston.net/stories/Default.aspx?newsID=37674§ion=localnews

Daily update August 25

Alabama: Gun trumps knife and baseball bat
Dateline Alabama

"A man armed with a fork found out the hard way it's not a good instrument for a robbery.
The man approached a clerk at a convenience store after spending 40 minutes in their bathroom."He stuck his hand under his shirt and said, `This is a robbery. I got a gun,'" Shreveport police Detective Russell Ross said.The clerk told the man she knew it wasn't a gun, sparking a brief argument before the man went around the counter, Ross said.
"They scuffled. And during the scuffle, she felt something sharp poke her," he said. "She reached over and grabbed a baseball bat she had behind the counter and started waling on him when she realized what he had under his shirt was a fork ... which was no match for a baseball bat." The clerk chased him out of the store and continued to hit him with the bat. "A customer saw what was going on, took a pistol from his vehicle, came over and fired his pistol into the ground," Ross said. Then, both the fork and the bat were dropped, Ross said." (08/25/05)

http://tinyurl.com/acswo

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Louisiana: St. Mary man killed after break-in
Daily Advertiser

"Deputies are investigating the death of a 31-year-old Jeanerette man, who was shot when he attempted to break into his ex-wife's home late Tuesday night, officials said Wednesday. St. Mary Parish Sheriff David Naquin said Anthony Sparrow died from multiple gunshot wounds he sustained during the confrontation. Naquin said the incident occurred shortly before midnight in the 1100 block of La. 318 in Jeanerette. Sparrow, who was armed with a gun, allegedly broke into the home and was confronted by another man, who also was armed. "It was apparent that there was an exchange of gunfire. The guy in the house wasn't hurt," Naquin said, and neither was the ex-wife." (08/25/05)

http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050825/NEWS01/508250333/1002

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Oklahoma:Shooting said to be self defense
Channel 5 News

" Osage County authorities said a shooting northwest of Sand Springs that left one man dead appears to be self-defense and no charges are expected. Investigators said Larry Cunningham was shot and killed after pulling a gun and firing a shot during an argument with men who had gone to the home of Cunningham's girlfriend to pick up a motor home." (08/25/05)

http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/4895699/detail.html

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Oregon: Man charged in road rage case
News Register

"A 23-year-old McMinnville man faces a trio of criminal charges after allegedly pulling a 9 mm handgun on a truck driver during a Tuesday traffic dispute. According to Newberg-Dundee police, Kevin Forsman was northbound in a white 1999 Honda Accord. They said he set off the chain of events when he used a left-turn lane to pass a log truck as he approached a red light coming into Dundee. At the light, the truck driver got out and approached Forsman to confront him about the traffic maneuver. Police said Forsman responded by pointing a Polish-made Makarov P-64 semi-automatic at the man, who returned to his rig and called authorities. Police tracked Forsman down at First and Edwards streets in Newberg. They seized his highly concealable pistol and his concealed-carry permit, then cited him on charges of menacing, reckless endangering and pointing a firearm at another." (08/25/05)

http://www.newsregister.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=197518

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Texas: Mom aquitted of shooting boyfriend
Houston Chronicle

"A woman who shot her boyfriend and then allowed her 9-year-old son to initially take responsibility was acquitted of murder today in a Harris County courtroom. Jurors apparently accepted Erika Lynn Ruiz's contention that she was protecting herself and her son from abuse when she shot Jose Flores Martinez once in the head in her southwest Houston apartment last year. .... Ruiz, a former Sharpstown High School security guard, told jurors that Martinez was physically abusing her when she grabbed a pistol from the bedroom and shot him as he continued approaching her. She said she thought he might assault her son, who witnessed the shooting.After police arrived, however, the boy told them he had fired the gun at the man he knew as "Pepe." After spending the night in police custody, however, the boy recanted and told police his mother had shot Martinez.Ruiz's son, now 10 and living in Kansas, testified this week that he saw Martinez assault his mother and slam her to the floor before she ran into the bedroom and grabbed her gun. She then backed into a corner, but Martinez continued advancing toward her, the boy said." (08/25/05)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3325090

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Stop endangering employees
American Enterprise Institute
John R. Lott Jr., April L. Dabney

"Gun-free zones may appear like the solution to violence, but consider an analogy: Suppose a criminal is stalking you or your family. Would you feel safer putting a sign in front of your home saying, 'This Home Is a Gun-Free Zone'? The answer seems pretty clear. Since law-abiding citizens will obey the signs, such 'safe zones' simply mean that criminals have a lot less to worry about. Indeed, international data as well as data from across the United States indicate that criminals are much less likely to attack residents in their homes when they suspect that the residents own guns." (08/23/05)

http://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.23059/pub_detail.asp

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South Africa: New gun law chaos
News 24

" No new firearm licences have been issued in the Western Cape since the new Firearms Control Act came into effect. And experts believe that at the rate that renewals are now being handled, it will take literally thousands of years to complete the process.
The latest statistics on this act paint a gloomy picture for firearm owners in the Western Cape. The police's Phuti Setati said that up to 15 August only 16 firearm licences had been renewed in the Western Cape and that no new licences had been issued in the province. " (08/23/05)

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1758060,00.html

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Daily update August 24

Pennsylvania: Men attempt to rob Brinks truck
NBC 10 News

"All of a sudden, there was a shot, she tells everybody to hit the floor, which they did, and I ran over to the counter to see what was going on," said Larry McGhee, a witness to the robbery. "Two black males approached the guard -- one on foot, one on a bike. They both were armed with guns," said Lt. Kevin O'Brien, of the Cheltenham police. Police said that the Brinks armored truck driver fired his gun twice at the two men who he said tried to rob him. Police said that the men didn't use the guns. Instead, the robbers used Mace on the driver of the armored car and grabbed two bags of money. "I saw the Brinks guy pointing his gun down the street, firing. (He) turned and grabbed a bag and threw it up in the truck and then turned again and fired," McGhee said. Police said the robbers dropped the money and jumped into a waiting Jeep. They left behind the bike and the money." (08/24/05)


http://www.nbc10.com/news/4892235/detail.html?rss=phi&psp=news

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Pennsylvania: Store shooting on Bristol Pike
ABC Local News

"It happened Tuesday afternoon around 2pm at Station Check Cashing and Pawn Shop on Bristol Pike in Croyden, Bristol Township. Melissa Sauer, an employee at the store, spoke exclusively to Action News about what happened. She says her boss was showing a customer how to work a DVD player when two men walked in. Melissa Sauer/Pawn Shop Employee: "They walked around the display cases and started... lifted up his shirt and started trying to pull out a gun and it kind of got stuck in his pants." Melissa says that gave her enough time to run behind and lock an iron security door to the back of the shop where she called police. "They were banging on the door for a couple of seconds and then gunshots, like 15 to 20 gunshots I heard." And investigators say the suspects were not doing all the shooting. Lt. Chick McGuigan/Bristol Twp. Police: "They exchanged gunfire with the owner. They both fled the store. One of them was wounded and one was not.'" (08/24/05)

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=3378396

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Indiana: Home invasion
WTHI TV News

"Violence paid a wake-up call to the sleepy town of Claremont, Illinois. Investigators worked the scene that claimed the life of 20-year-old Joshua Bennett, a soldier on leave from out of town, who was visiting his family. "I believe he was in the military and he was visiting his mother at the residence," said Richland County Coroner Randy Kistler. .... "there were 2 men that broke into the house," said Kistler, "and I'm not sure what happened after that." .... Not only was Bennett killed, but his mother was also stabbed.A third person in the house got a gun and shot one of the attackers. The other fled the scene, but was later captured and taken to the Richland County Jail." (08/23/05)

http://www.wthitv.com/newsdet.asp?id=9486

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Daily update August 23

Get your hands up, you varmint!
The Libertarian Enterprise
by Charles Stone, Jr.

"All through the 2000 presidential campaign, the 2002 mid-term elections on into the 2004 elections the millions of gun owners of this country have supported the GOP and George Bush almost exclusively. Some are starting to wonder if they made a mistake. Since the Bush administration took office, the only reference to gun rights or the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, has been a rather tepid Cabinet support of the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms as defined in the Bill of Rights. I say tepid, because at the same time they made their statements of support, the Attorney General and Solicitor General trumpeted their undying support of all the other myriad gun control laws currently on the books.. Apparently there will be no help for the gun owner from the new Attorney General either as he has stated that he would support a renewal of the totally misnamed "assault weapons" ban." (08/21/05)


http://www.ncc-1776.com/tle2005/tle333-20050821-04.html

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California: Man shot after breaking in ex-wife's home
The Highlander

" A California man was shot to death early Thursday morning after attempting to enter the home of his son and ex-wife. At approximately 5:30 a.m. Thursday, officers from the Horseshoe Bay Police Department were called to Granite Shoals Street in regards to a man breaking into a residence there. Upon arrival, officers found a 33-year-old white male, Brandon Joseph Steele of Palm Desert, Calif., dead from an apparent gunshot wound. .... The resident, Erica Renee Verette, 30, of Granite Shoals Street in Horseshoe Bay, confirmed she was the former wife of the victim .... Verette said her ex-husband had been drinking and became belligerent and uncontrollable earlier in the evening and she had called her father to take him back to Austin to stay the night. Officers pieced together information leading them to believe that the victim jumped out of the vehicle and called a cab to bring him back to HSB. After returning to the residence, the victim allegedly broke a window in the bedroom of the home and entered while the ex-wife and her boyfriend were there. According to the information officers received, the victim began screaming he was going to harm them. .... After Steele entered, the boyfriend, Raymond Rex Bumpus, 28, of Lampasas ,reportedly fired several times at the victim during the ensuing altercation." (08/23/05)


http://www.highlandernews.com/articles/2005/08/18/news/02fatalshot.txt

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The 20 most important tools -- No.7: The rifle
Forbes
by David M. Ewalt

"Forbes.com readers, editors and a panel of experts rank the rifle as the 7th most important tool of all time, in terms of its impact on human civilization. For as long as humans have created tools, they've made projectile weapons. Our ancestors made spears, slings and bows and mastered their use in hunting and warfare. But the rifle put all those tools to shame, boasting unprecedented accuracy, power, reliability, and range. Rifles have won wars, tamed continents and overturned empires." (08/23/05)


http://www.forbes.com/personaltech/2005/08/23/technology-firearms-rifle_cx_de_0823rifle.html

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AK: Bill would broaden protection rights in home
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

"If a 15-year-old intruder had been armed when Robert Locke found him in the bushes outside his Wasilla home Aug. 7, the boy would probably be dead today. And Locke, the owner of Sharpshooters Gun and Pawn in Palmer, might have been facing jail or a wrongful-death suit filed by the boy's family if that had happened. That's why Locke supports new legislation drafted by Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, known as the "Defense of Self" bill. If passed, the bill would protect homeowners or legal occupants from being sued if they kill someone they felt was threatening their life, property, or family. "If that kid would have been armed I wouldn't have hesitated for a minute to eliminate him," said Locke, who found the boy leaving his property with a pocketful of his wife's jewelry, cash and pain medicine when he drove into his driveway late that Sunday night. .... Although state law allows homeowners to use deadly force to protect themselves and family from intruders, it doesn't give them immunity from civil liability. Gatto's bill, modeled after similar legislation in Florida and Colorado, would prevent people from being taken to court by the family of a deceased intruder." (08/23/05)


http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2005/08/23/news/news8.txt

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Virginia: ATF, Virginia Police accused of 'persecuting' gun shows
CNS News

" The federal agency that regulates U.S. gun dealers stands accused, along with at least three Virginia law enforcement agencies, of trying to shut down legal gun shows through alleged intimidation of gun buyers and sellers. The law enforcement organizations also allegedly broke the law by sharing gun buyers' information with members of the public.
Annette Gelles, owner of gun show sponsor Showmasters.us, told Cybercast News Service that at least 30 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with nearly 500 Virginia State Police, Henrico County Police and Richmond City Police officers were assigned to the ATF operation targeting her gun show on Aug. 13 and 14 at the Richmond International Raceway and Fairground Complex, outside Richmond, Va." (08/23/05)


http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200508\SPE20050823a.html

Daily update August 22

Michigan: Waterford library's gun ban conflicts with Michigan law
Detroit News

"As Waterford Township officials prepare to revise the township's library rules, they've decided the issue of carrying guns into libraries isn't one they'll take further. The library board has worked with a city attorney for a couple of months to adopt new regulations --one of which would ban guns from the public facility. But board members soon learned that prohibiting guns from the library is in direct conflict with state law. While Michigan's law does not allow anyone with a concealed weapon into schools, bars, sports stadiums and other facilities, it does not include such municipal facilities as libraries. So it's legal for anyone with a valid permit to carry a firearm in those facilities. Now trustees must vote on changing the policy so it doesn't ban weapons, a move that Supervisor Carl Solden said he supports." (08/22/05)

http://www.detnews.com/2005/oakland/0508/22/B03-287833.htm

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North Carolina: Gas station clerk shoots suspect
Channel 14 News

"A convenience store clerk shot a man who was trying to rob the store early Sunday morning. Witnesses called police after a man entered the Express Mart on the 3400 block of Wilkinson Boulevard around 6:40 a.m. They said a confrontation was going on between the clerk and the man on the property. “We do know that the clerk fired shots in self-defense and one of the rounds did strike the suspect,” said Sgt. Steve Huber, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Freedom Division. The man fled from the store on foot, but police tracked him down just a few blocks away. With the help of a canine unit, they had the man in custody in under a half hour." (08/22/05)

http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=100605&SecID=2

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Ohio: Bloodied intruder flees, shot by business owner
Toledo Blade

"A South Toledo business owner apparently shot a man attempting to break into his sheet metal fabricating shop through a roof vent last night. The man fled, leaving a blood trail, a work glove, and tools on the roof, police said. Thomas Lloyd, 58, the business owner, told police he heard noises coming from the roof of the building that houses his residence and Great Lakes Standard Manufacturing Inc., 2970 Airport Hwy., at about 7 p.m. He got a shotgun, went to the shop area of the two-story building, and spotted a man entering feet first from the vent, police said. Mr. Lloyd repeatedly told the man, “Stop and get out or I’ll shoot,” but the man continued coming through the vent. Mr. Lloyd fired one shot, and the man reversed course, climbed back onto the roof, and fled, police said." (08/20/05)

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050820/NEWS03/50820005/-1/NEWS

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Florida: Minister wounds 2 in shootout
Jacksonvilleimes-Union

"Sixty-three-year-old grandfather Joe Dixon clutched a Bible as he sat in his Jacksonville home Friday and, after a sleepless night, asked himself yet again: "Why did I do this? Why did this happen? I'm a preacher. I'm a Christian. I try to do things right. I don't like to see people get hurt.".... The shooting on the football field at Grand Park on Henrietta Street came as more than two dozen children practiced -- Dixon's 9-year-old grandson and the brothers' 11-year-old sibling among them. After a pushing match that witnesses said involved the brothers and at least one football coach, police said the brothers took out guns and fired at an unidentified person with whom it's believed they wanted to settle a score. The gunfire sent cheerleaders, football players, parents and coaches scrambling. Dixon himself left, helping his grandson into his vehicle while noticing the gunmen walking back to their black Crown Victoria just a few yards away. Dixon, a Bethel Baptist Institutional Church preacher who has a concealed weapons permit, told his grandson to hit the floor of their Toyota Sequoia. Then he made the choice he lived over and over Friday."I went toward their car and told them, 'You're not going anywhere,'" Dixon said Friday, recalling how he showed the teens his gun.Then they started shooting, Dixon said, with one bullet hitting his vehicle.So he returned fire, with a bullet finding its mark in Dimitri's leg, who fell out of the now-fleeing Crown Victoria." (08/20/05)


http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/082005/met_19551328.shtml

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Califonia: pot club robbery ends in shooting
San Francisco chronicle

"A San Leandro neighborhood was on edge Saturday after a brazen daytime robbery and shootout at a medical marijuana club that led to the death of an 18-year-old Oakland man.
Alameda County sheriff's investigators were still searching for three suspects after five men -- several armed with semiautomatic rifles and pistols -- stormed the medical marijuana club at 16360 Foothill Blvd. on Friday and exchanged gunfire with the store owner. The shooting happened just before the pot club was due to open at noon, said sheriff's Sgt. Linda Thuman. The owner was inside with one other employee, she said, when they heard loud footsteps on the roof. Five men then forced the store owner at gunpoint to open the safe before they made off with an untold amount of money and pot, she said. As the men left, the owner got a gun from a hiding place, followed the men outside and demanded that they "freeze." That's when the intruders opened fire, according to Thuman. The club owner fired back, mortally wounding one." (08/21/05)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/21/BAGM9EB1AJ1.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

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Illinois: Alleged vandal was shot twice while on a senior citizen’s property
Morning Sentinel

"A man who allegedly beat on a house, garage and two vehicles and broke a satellite dish at 2:57 a.m. Tuesday in the 300 block of Kent Street was shot twice by the elderly occupant of the house, according to Wamac police. Jaime Matthew Evilsizer, 19, of Brookside Trailer Court was taken to St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment of wounds to his abdomen and thigh, police said. .... Wamac police said Evilsizer was shot by Roy J. Miller, 76, who lives on the property where Evilsizer allegedly was causing a disturbance. Marion County State’s Attorney Matt Wilzbach said Tuesday afternoon that he had just received preliminary verbal reports on the incident and was not sure what charges might be filed against Evilsizer. .... Wamac police said Evilsizer allegedly beat on Miller’s garage door and did some damage to Miller’s van, which was parked in front of the garage, under a carport. They said Evilsizer allegedly damaged Miller’s satellite dish beyond repair and then went to Miller’s front porch and started beating on the door.
They said Miller told the suspect to leave, but Evilsizer started beating on Miller’s truck, at which point Miller allegedly opened his front door and fired seven shots out the door, two of which struck Evilsizer on the abdomen and thigh." (08/17/05)

http://www.morningsentinel.com/news/2005/0817/Front_Page/001.html

Daily update August 21

The Second and sometimes the most important amendment to the US Constitution
Red State.org
By: feelfreetogetoverit

"The most important amendment to the Constitution is again showing that in the news today. In Gaza, there is an agreement for the land to go to the Palestinian state. Israelis are being literally carried out of their homes. The Framers of the Constitution knew that there could be a politician some day that would give in to the nature of power and start infringing on the rights of the citizens. Because of the second amendment there will never be a mass infringement like in Gaza." (08/19/05)

http://feelfreetogetoverit.redstate.org/story/2005/8/19/152148/164

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Congo: "Bikes for guns" deal lures weapons from Congo bush
Reuters

"Bicycles, rather than Western-backed demobilisation programmes, have succeeded in disarming thousands of gunmen in the lawless north of Congo's Katanga province, the head of a local organisation said.Frustrated by the slow pace of an official disarmament programme, Reverend Daniel Mulunda and his peace-building organisation, known as PAREC, have disarmed more than 4,000 militiamen, giving them bicycles in return for their heavy weapons, assault rifles and grenades." (08/19/05)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LEW855572.htm

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UK: Shooters seek handgun law change
BBC News

"The government has been urged to relax gun laws which make it illegal for Britain's top pistol shooters to train in England, Scotland and Wales. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has given special permission for pistol events to be staged at the London 2012 Olympics.
But British team members face having to do all their 2012 preparations abroad. .... Laws banning most types of handguns were introduced after gun enthusiast Thomas Hamilton killed 16 schoolchildren and their teacher at Dunblane Primary School in March 1996.
As a result, British shooters who compete in the rapid fire, 50m pistol men and 25m pistol women Olympic events can only train in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or Isle of Man." (08/19/05)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/olympics_2012/4162498.stm

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Gun-free zones only increase black market demand
Hamilton Mountain News
by staff

"Here we go again! Toronto's socialist mayor is calling to make his city into a "gun free zone" by requiring all the law abiding gun owners to turn over their guns so they can be locked up in a central depot. I'm just surprised that it took him this long to get around to floating this stupid idea. All that such "central gun lockups," and the resulting "gun free zones" they create, do is to increase the demand on the black market for smuggled guns, create attractive targets to attack, and create a "target rich environment" of helpless victims for criminals. A study done by Wright and Rossi found that criminals fear armed homeowners more than they do being caught by police. All you need to do to see the results of such "gun free zones" is to take a look at Washington, DC, where gun ownership is all but banned. It routinely vies with other cities with highly restrictive gun ownership laws such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago for the title of Murder City, USA." (08/19/05)

http://tinyurl.com/d9op3

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New Mexico: Police officers sue stun-gun maker
KOBT TV

"Police officers in New Mexico and four other states have filed lawsuits against Arizona-based Taser International. The officers allege serious injuries after being shocked with the electronic stun gun during training classes. All of the lawsuits have been filed in the past two weeks in Phoenix on behalf of officers in Florida, Kansas,New Mexico and Ohio.The officers allege they suffered 'severe and permanent' injuries.Those include multiple spinal fractures, burns, a shoulder dislocation and soft-tissue injuries. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Taser has marketed the weapons to 7,000 law enforcement agencies and promoted the gun's safety.The devices temporarily paralyze people with a 50,000-volt jolt." (08/20/05)


http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=21240&cat=NMTOPSTORIES

The week in review (August 14-19)

The weekly e-mail version of 2AM News Weekly Digest just went out, if you'd like to subscribe go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/secondamendmentnewsdigest

Self defense stories this week from California, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and South Africa, while victims disarmers in Michigan start a "tip line to fight illegal guns", gun grabbing LEOs in Kansas "join forces to fight gun crime" (by disarming victims, of course) and gun thug cops in California plan a "crackdown" on illegal gun transfers ... targeting the 2 "high crime areas" that are ... you guessed it, right next to police stations.

In New Mexico, university mascot Pistol Pete has been disarmed ... he'll now get to carry a lariot. In South Africa, gun owners are charged with negligence if their firearms are stolen ... even if the firearm was in a locked safe ... and, in Canada, as the psychotic gun grabber Mayor of Toronto unveils plans to set up a "central depot" for homeowners to store their guns ( "There's no reason to own a gun in Toronto ", he says) and Canadian politicians "express alarm about a rising tide of guns smuggled from the United States, statistics suggest federal border guards are seizing fewer firearms than in previous years". And the most appalling story of all this week , in Ohio, a Vietnam veteran is forced to register gun he keeps as reminder of service.

On the bright side, in North Carolina a bill encourages domestic abuse victims to buy guns, and, in Virginia, "The Nelson Board of Supervisors re-adopted the noise ordinance, adding an exemption that places no restrictions on 'sounds generated from the discharge of firearms,' except at commercial sport-shooting ranges."

Also on the bright side, the RRND news feed SHOULD be up and running again this week ... meanwhile, keep checking here for daily updates. When the RRND feed is fixed and we can move back over to the 2AM News site, I'll post an announcement here.

Til next week

Mary lou

Daily update August 19

California: Man shot in self defense in court
KGET 17 TV News

"A man who was shot in the thigh Wednesday by a homeowner made his first court appearance Friday in a wheelchair. Jonathan Heade pleaded not guilty to charges of cruelty to animals, assault with a deadly weapons other than a firearm, and possession of PCP. Investigators said a Bakersfield couple found Heade standing in their yard, beating their dogs with a belt. The wife confronted the man and told him to leave, but the man refused and then attacked her husband. That’s when police said the woman fired two warning shots in the air before hitting the suspect in the thigh. She will not face any charges." (08/19/05)

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=63CF1CD1-05F3-4CE2-A8EA-9D903721DE11

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Florida: Alleged burglar caught in act
Gadsden Courier

" Burglaries in the area have homeowners wary about leaving home, and law enforcement frustrated by being a few steps behind the criminals. Monday morning, everybody got a break. A homeowner, acting on a hunch, asked her supervisor if she could leave work to check on her home. She arrived home minutes after the burglar. He was still standing almost in her yard. .... "I saw him on the property. When I walked into my house I knew immedately we had been robbed. Things were all over the floor and the bedroom door that is usually locked was open," said the homeowner, whom we will not identify. "I immediately called 911," she said. Then she grabbed her .357 magnum and went outside. She fired one round in the air and yelled for the man to stop. She tried to call 911 again and the man ran away. This time she fired five or six more shots in the air and yelled for him to stop. "He ran into the woods," she said." (08/19/05)

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=582&NewsID=654777&CategoryID=3291&on=1

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Texase: Home invasion attempt foiled by homeowner with shotgun
ABC 13 News

" A southeast Houston furniture store owner says some suspects wanted his cash. But police say those suspects didn't get very far because the owner grabbed his gun and fired. The owner of the store asked us not to identify him for his own safety. On Thursday night, a woman who has been following him around a lot on deliveries came to his apartment on 75th near Harrisburg. Through a translator, the store owner told us, "She's been in five times, asking questions about how much it was to wire money from my in-store service."
But instead of answering the door, he ran for his gun in the bedroom. By that time, two armed men barged into his apartment. The store owner said the men shot once. He fell to the floor and returned fire. The victim unloaded his revolver, striking and killing one of the suspects. The second man took off along with the woman, leaving their dead accomplice behind." (08/19/05)

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/081905_local_invasion.html

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Texas: Jury finds woman not guilty of murdering husband
KTRE News

"A San Augustine county woman on trial for killing her husband has been found not guilty. Nina Conner was accused of shooting Williard Connor to death two years ago. She claimed it was self defense, calling her relationship with her husband an abusive one. She said she had to do it or she would have been dead. The jury agreed. "We were very pleased that the jury agreed with us that this extreme case of domestic violence justified the use of deadly force. It's a tragedy that a life was taken, but it came down to who's life it would be," says Defense Attorney Tim James." (08/17/05)

http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=3736130&nav=2FH5dSqR

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South Africa: Fried for negligence
Paarl Post

"GUN owners are prosecuted for negligence if their firearms are stolen from under bed pillows and car dashboards. And so will the owner of a safe that was not bolted to the wall when thieves walked off with it at the weekend. The pistol and ammunition in the safe are now also missing. “Several cases of negligence have been brought before the court,” Inspector Julia Claasen says. “Not only should the safe be secured to the wall or floor, but the key to the safe or the firearm should be carried with the owner at all times.' .... Police are also investigating possible negligence after a man lost his firearm to a thief while locking the door to Paarl Exhaust’s offices.The plaintiff said he had his firearm in a holster at his back when it was grabbed from behind, Insp Claasen said. The thief disappeared." (08/18/05)

http://www.paarlpost.com/cgib/article?newsid=1539

Daily update August 18

North Carolina: Bill encourages victims to buy guns
News 14

"Courts in North Carolina might soon be required to give something extra to battered spouses seeking a restraining order -- information on how to apply for a concealed weapon. But many people believe the measure could end up causing more problems by bringing guns into already volatile relationships. "It ups the violence level,” said June Kimmel, who is with the North Carolina Council for Women. “And I don't think we ought to be in the position of suggesting to people that they arm themselves, because that also gives them a false sense of protection that they don't really have with that gun." A gun-rights group called Grass Roots North Carolina pushed for the measure, which was overwhelmingly approved by legislators. The group's president, Paul Valone, said it's about helping victims help themselves." (08/18/05)

http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=100441&SecID=2

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Virginia: Nelson supervisors ease curbs on firearm noise
Times Dispatch

"A noise ordinance that originally appeared to have restricted the shooting of firearms in Nelson County was amended last night to satisfy hunters, target shooters and even the NRA. The Nelson Board of Supervisors re-adopted the noise ordinance, adding an exemption that places no restrictions on 'sounds generated from the discharge of firearms,' except at commercial sport-shooting ranges. 'That should alleviate all these worries people have about target shooting or sighting in rifles,' said Supervisor Thomas H. Bruguiere Jr. Hunting live game and nuisance or predatory animals is also exempted from the ordinance. The supervisors said the ordinance, first passed at an emergency meeting June 30, was just meant to control any disturbing noise that would affect neighbors." (08/17/05)

http://tinyurl.com/9mccj

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Daily update August 17

Texas: Man fatally shoots girlfriend's ex
KXAN News

"In the Hill Country, a man is dead after an alleged domestic dispute and apparent break in. Thirty-three-year-old Brandon Joseph Steele died Monday after being shot at a duplex on Granite Shoals Street. Authorities believe that he broke into his ex-wife's house through a bedroom window.The woman, her boyfriend and a 5-year-old child were in that room. Steele allegedly threatened them.The boyfriend told police that's when he shot Steele. The ex-wife claims he had come to the house earlier, intoxicated and belligerent. "This is a situation which has all indications of being a self defense issue. Unfortunately, there was a life taken in this event, so we have to proceed with it as if it is a homicide," Chief Bill Lane of Horseshoe Bay said." (08/17/05)


http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=3732591&nav=0s3ddQfa

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New Zealand: Act upholds the right to self-defence
New Zealand Herald

"All New Zealanders should have a right to defend themselves, their families and their property from criminals without being prosecuted, says the Act party. Justice spokesman Stephen Franks yesterday announced the party's self-defence policy, which emphasises that the law should ensure criminals are afraid, not their victims. Mr Franks presented a medal to Auckland man Michael Vaimauga, who was arrested for assault after he stopped a burglar breaking into a shop. Mr Vaimauga went through five court hearings before being discharged without conviction and ordered to pay $150 to the Salvation Army. The would-be burglar has never been charged. "The state has no right to punish citizens for defending themselves and their property when the state cannot defend them," said Mr Franks." (08/17/05)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10341312

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New Zealand: ACT accused of promoting vigilante action
STUFF

"Police Minister George Hawkins yesterday condemned the ACT Party for encouraging vigilante behaviour. Launching the party's self-defence policy in Auckland yesterday ACT justice spokesman Stephen Franks said New Zealanders should be encouraged not punished for helping to stop crime. .... Mr Hawkins said Labour supported police in their work rather than encourage people to put themselves at risk. "The Labour-led Government has given police the resources needed to slash crime in this country, by 8.2 per cent last year alone," Mr Hawkins said. "Political parties should be getting behind them rather than encouraging vigilantes to take the law into their own hands. .... Mr Franks called on judges and police to act independently to protect New Zealanders' interests and accused the Government of fostering dependence." (08/18/05)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3380819a11,00.html

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Tennessee: Memphis seniors fight back in home invasion
WMCTV News

"Two Memphis seniors took matters into their own hands and fought back against burglars, and an old Smith & Wesson will forever remind retired Naval Officer Bryant Green of his Tuesday morning ordeal. He said it all began when his doorbell rang at 10 a.m., "I got up quickly and did not see anyone." However, his 76 year old wife Gwyneth saw four men breaking into a backyard window of their West Crestwood house. Bryant Green came out the front door, crept around his house and into the back courtyard where he saw one of the suspects with a shotgun. Green said he and the young man exchanged a few rounds, but no one was hurt. Gwyneth Green said she watched from inside in mortal terror, "I could see the smoke from the shotgun the fellow had...I was trembling so I couldn't stand." The four med fled on foot and by car. ....At the moment, police do not have a detailed description of the burglars or the get-away car, but they might have fingerprints.
The Greens said they hold no bad feelings. They are just grateful to be alive and will not let this crime run them out of their home of 46 years." (08/16/05)

http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=3730137&nav=4XzRdP9H

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Daily update August 16

Canada: Store guns in central depot
National Post

"Gun owners in Toronto may soon be prohibited from keeping their firearms at home even if they are properly licensed and registered, Mayor David Miller said yesterday. "There's no reason to own a gun in Toronto -- collector or not. If you are a collector and you have a permit, the guns need to be stored in a way that they can't be stolen. And perhaps a centralized facility of some kind could accomplish that goal," Mr. Miller told the National Post. "The law requires gun owners to have proper storage, but obviously not everyone adheres to that." Following a spate of shootings in Toronto, the Mayor has asked city lawyers and the police to determine whether the municipality has the "legal ability" to require individuals to store their weapons at a secure facility such as a gun club." (08/16/05)

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=6bd4b477-9334-4132-8181-e5bafead1b47

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Virginia: Victims not
Fredericksburg Free Lance Star
by staff

"Since March, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, three residents of that city have killed criminal attackers. Authorities will press no charges against at least two of the shooters. One dispatched former NFL football player Mike Brim with a single shot after an armed Brim had followed the man, apparently a romantic rival, to a house and opened fire on him. The other self-defender was a pizza deliveryman who killed a robber. .... [T]he bearing of arms by the law-abiding cited above brings an obvious thought: Had the intended victims in Richmond dwelt in Washington or New York City ... they likely would have joined many of those cities' other crime victims on a slab. Does anyone not prefer the other outcome?" (08/16/05)


http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/082005/08162005/121457

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Texas: Strict Mexican gun laws creating black market for U.S. weapons
Brownsville Herald

"Mexico’s strict gun control laws are contributing to an illegal gun market and easier access to weapons, according to U.S. law enforcement officials that are close observers of a recent upswing in border violence. Since January, more than 600 people have been killed in an ongoing war between rival drug cartels using high-powered handguns and assault rifles fighting for control of drug smuggling routes on the Texas-Mexico border.
Federal gun seizures show that a majority of weapons used in violent crimes in Mexico were smuggled into the country from the United States or bought through other sources in a lucrative black market. Mexican law requires its citizens to apply for a permit from the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) before they can buy a handgun or rifle for hunting or self-defense." (08/16/05)

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_more.php?id=66588_0_10_0_M

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Daily update August 15

New Mexico: Pistol Pete mascot to lose pistol
Yahoo News

" New Mexico State University's mascot, Pistol Pete, is being disarmed. University officials have also stripped the word "Pistol" from Pete's name. The new logo shows Pete twirling a lasso. The old Pete toted a pistol. .... The decision to remove the pistol had more to do with a consensus when picking from several designs of the new logo, rather than any push for the mascot to stop brandishing a weapon, Boston said.He acknowledged there are mixed feelings among alumni, but said he has heard more positive feedback than negative." (08/15/05)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050815/ap_on_sp_co_ne/aggie_mascot

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South Africa: Police inspector held over shooting of son
The Mercury

"A 48-year-old Pietermaritzburg police inspector, with about 20 years' service, has been placed under arrest in connection with the death of his 23-year-old son in a shooting incident at the weekend. .... Preliminary investigations established that father and son had been involved in an argument earlier in the day, and it was alleged that the son returned to his father's home that evening and resumed the altercation. During the argument he allegedly produced a knife and tried to stab his father, who retaliated by firing a shot, killing him." (08/15/05)

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=283&fArticleId=2837072

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Canada: Fewer gund seized at US border
Grand Forks Herald

" As Canadian politicians express alarm about a rising tide of guns smuggled from the United States, statistics suggest federal border guards are seizing fewer firearms than in previous years, the Globe and Mail reported this morning. The Canada Border Services Agency said it has intercepted 318 guns so far in 2005, below the more than 1,000 seized guns that border guards have averaged annually during the past five years, and far fewer than the 1,500 seized annually in the 1990s. .... And while Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair was widely quoted last week as saying his officers have seized more than 2,000 guns so far in 2005, civilians in his statistics department say the chief inadvertently "misspoke."
Their official tally is only 1,151, consistent with the pace of seizures in recent years." (08/15/05)

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/12388173.htm

Daily update August 14

California: Officials plan crackdown on illegal gun transfers
San Diego Union-Tribune

"Gun owners beware: law enforcement officials want Los Angeles gun users to know that they can be arrested for giving or selling a gun to someone without a legal background check, especially if the gun turns up at a crime scene. Officials announced Thursday that state and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up to launch a crackdown on illegal gun exchanges. The effort will begin as a pilot program in two high-crime areas of Los Angeles, around the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street station in South Los Angeles, and around the Devonshire station in Northridge. Anyone who purchases a gun in those areas will now receive a warning letter from City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's office reminding them that giving the gun to anyone else without submitting a "dealer record of sale" form is illegal." [Editor's note: Eh? The high crime areas are around the police stations? ROFL-MLS] (08/11/05)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050811-1803-cnsguns.html

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Kansas: Law enforcement agencies join forces to fight gun crime
Wichita Eagle

"Four law enforcement agencies are joining forces to target Kansans who illegally possess or use firearms, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren announced Friday.The group of investigators will be based in Wichita, Melgren said, but will prosecute offenders in 67 counties in south-central and western Kansas. .... While the group contains a mix of federal, state and local officers, persons caught by the task force will be prosecuted in federal court, Melgren said. Federal penalties for firearm violations generally are stiffer than those set by state and local laws." (08/12/05)

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/12369431.htm

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Michigan: Tip line enlisted to fight illegal guns
Grand Rapids Press

"Silent Observer is promoting its tip line -- 774-2345 -- as an anonymous way of reporting illegal firearms and felons in possession of guns. "Those who live in neighborhoods don't want to be out on the front street as the informer," said Charles Gross, first assistant U.S. attorney. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan, Grand Rapids Police and Silent Observer were to hold a joint press conference today to announce the anti-gun violence initiative that includes the Silent Observer program." (08/12/05)

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-24/1123858052126770.xml&coll=6

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Ohio: Vietnam veteran forced to register gun he keeps as reminder of service
Buckeye Firearms News
By staff

"The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that just four people registered their guns on the first day of registration under the city's new Mentel Ban. One of the four is a man who fought for the very freedom the City of Columbus is now trying to steal away. .... There aren't words enough to describe the sad irony that occurred when Mr. Rakes registered his rifle. Men like him have fought for our country time and again to prevent the theft of freedom that is now pressing down on the citizens of Columbus." (08/12/05)

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2654

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Canada: Gun charges bring support for N.W.T. man
Canada Broadcast Company

"A gun lobby group is coming to the support of an Inuvik man charged with improper storage of a firearm. The charge stems from an incident during a search for a missing man. Last January, RCMP showed up at Willard Hagen's cabin looking for Gordon Moore. Instead, they seized 14 of Hagen's guns. Although RCMP have been instructed to use their discretion in cases like this, the officer charged Hagen with improper shortage of his guns. The charge was laid even though the cabin is remote, about 100 kilometres northeast of Inuvik. .... The federal Firearms Act says guns may be stored out in the open and unlocked in remote areas where hunting might reasonably occur. Hagen's cabin is only accessible by float plane and is used mostly by hunters." (08/12/05)

http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=gun-seizure-court12082005

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The week in review (August 7-12)

The weekly e-mail version of 2AM News just went out, if you'd like to subscribe go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/secondamendmentnewsdigest

A story from Virginia 'More Richmonders acting in self-defense', is clearly also true nationwide ... every week, stories pour in from across America of homeowners, store owners, clerks, abused wives protecting their lives and property ... this week alone, stories from Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois, and Michigan. Yet other stories, though, show that politicos and LEOs in many areas still don't 'get it' , as rappers in New York are arrested for 'gun possession' on their way back to the hotel after a concert, Wisconsin LEOs say that 'concealed carry is a very dangerous proposition' , the draconian gun ban goes into effect in Ohio, and Israeli settlers are forced to turn in their guns.

Several excellent commentaries this week ... don't miss Lady Liberty's 'Down with democracy!' and Paul Craig Roberts' 'Kelo's implications are horrendous', as well as an intro to the new NRA President .

And the RRND news feed is STILL not fixed, but we have high hopes it will be back online next week! Meanwhile, ddaily updates continue to be posted right here!

Til next week

Mary Lou

Daily update August 12

Minnesota: Victim turns tables on would-be robbers, killing one
Star Tribune

"Two men armed with a pistol attempted to rob a St. Paul man late Wednesday, apparently not expecting their victim to resist, police said. The would-be victim's response proved fatal to one man, and helped put the other behind bars. .... Strong allegedly called Sallah to set up a meeting near the 1500 block of Magnolia Av. E. When Sallah arrived at the spot, he called Strong, who said she would meet him shortly. Instead, Coleman and Guise arrived with a handgun. Sallah and Guise apparently fought to get control of the pistol, which fired a single shot that hit Guise. Sallah then used the pistol to to hold Coleman at gunpoint until police arrived." (08/11/05)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5554911.html

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Down with democracy!
Sierra Times
by Lady Liberty

"The Second Amendment is, without question, an individual right. Though the courts all too frequently issue rulings in disparate ways, and even constitutional scholars fight over it, the reality is that if it were not, the words "the people" wouldn't have been used. Such pre-eminent experts on the Constitution as the men who helped craft it later made clear that the Second was intended to apply to all citizens. Even so, a majority of Americans favor more gun control rather than less. In Washington DC, where draconian gun laws have seen the city become one of the most crime-ridden in the country, Congress is finally seeing the light and working to repeal some of the laws there. But even in the face of such clear evidence, there are those in the capital who are vehemently protesting any repeal of any gun control laws there; some polls have shown that the majority of DC residents agree with the protesters. The same is also apparently true in Chicago and in New York City." (08/11/05)

http://www.sierratimes.com/05/08/11/lady.htm

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Sign of things to come?
News Press
by staff

"A Fort Myers shooting that has received little attention is headed for what promises to be an interesting court case. It involves a Dunbar grocer who shot to death another man in the grocery store's parking lot. On its face, the case appears to be a perfect first test of Florida's controversial new self-defense law. .... During the confrontation, Nazario punched Hasan in the face. Hasan then shot him through the chest. ..... The first thing business owners are expected to do is to call police if they suspect a crime is taking place. Hasan apparently was on the phone at the time of the shooting trying to do just that."Police did not arrest Hasan at the scene, but waited to see whether the state attorney's office would press charges. Last week it did." (08/11/05)

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050811/OPINION/508110395/1015

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Thoughts on the Canadian gun registry
World Forum
by Drog

"Government computers are notorious for having poor security. So what happens if some hacker manages to steal the national gun registry files and sell them to a criminal organization, like the outlaw motorcycle gang Hells Angels? Instead of randomly breaking into houses looking for weapons, they would now know exactly which houses to go to to obtain their desired weapons. They would know the address of the house, the names of the occupants, and even (I think) the ages of the occupants. And once this registry has been stolen, there would be no putting the genie back in the bottle -- everyone in the registry would either have to move or live in fear. That's a scary thought." (08/11/05)


http://www.theworldforum.org/story/2005/8/11/142648/798

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Ohio: Gun ban goes into effect
People's Rights Organization

"The City of Columbus's draconian gun ban goes into effect today. There is a 90-day grace period, during which time gun owners can register their guns they feel may be affected by this ban with the city. PRO is recommending that people NOT register their guns, but move them out of the city until this matter is settled in the courts. There is a great deal of confusion about what guns this ban covers. Because a provision in the new law stipulates that guns that are registered cannot be later sold or willed to a gun owners' heirs upon her death, this is essentially a gun "surrender/confiscation" law, as well. It makes no sense to register lawfully owned guns for later surrender to the city with no compensation, so we urge you to move and store your firearms outside the city limits." (08/11/05)

http://www.peoplesrights.org/articletemplate.asp?id=69

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How I bought a rifle for self-defense in Russia
RIA Novosti[Russia]
by Vladimir Simonov

"When burglars killed a guard at my neighbor's summer-house, I started thinking about self-defense. The Federal Law On Weapons adopted under Boris Yeltsin in 1996 has enabled five million Russians to buy guns for this purpose. In Moscow alone, some 400,000 people legally keep 470,000 weapons to protect themselves, their families, and property against potential assault in these troubled times. The law in Russia is extremely conservative compared with that in the United States. Russians can only buy smoothbore hunting rifles of minimum 80cm, gas pistols, or revolvers shooting rubber bullets. Safe use of this arsenal for five years allows purchase of a twin rifle or carbine. Stub-barreled firearms are a taboo for Russian citizens." (08/11/05)

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20050811/41139012.html

Daily update August 11

Feinstein gun ban could come up in the Senate soon
Liberty For All
by GOA staff

"While the big news of the day is President Bush's pick for the Supreme Court (more on this below), Gun Owners of America is hearing rumblings that the Senate will soon be considering legislation to slow down the number of frivolous lawsuits against gun makers. Although GOA is supportive of this legislation, S. 397, we must remember that anti-gun Senators used this legislation last year to load it up with all kinds of anti-gun riders -- things like gun show restrictions, semi-auto bans and more. In the end, pro-gun supporters were forced to vote against (and kill) the lawsuit protection bill in order to defeat the anti-gun amendments." (08/11/05)

http://www.libertyforall.net/2005/aug7/Feinstein.html

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Alabama: Bill to justify deadly force
Daily Sentinel

"Rep. Albert Hall and Sen. Jeff Enfinger are sponsoring a bill that would expand citizens’ rights to use self defense in the state of Alabama. The bill has been pre-filed for the upcoming 2006 regular session of the legislature. Hall said that 60 co-sponsors have joined him in support of this bill. “Your home is the family castle and refuge; this bill will give the citizens a right to protect and defend their home from intruders and themselves from possible subsequent litigation,” Hall stated." (08/10/05)

http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b2d1b10cf959f085

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Oklahoma: Pawn shop burglary under investigation
KOTV News

"Tulsa police are searching for a group of men suspected of breaking into the Green Country Pawn shop near 31st and Mingo early Thursday morning.Authorities say the business owner was notified by his alarm company and went to check on things. He says he shot at four hispanic men as they escaped through a hole in the roof.The suspects all got away." (08/11/05)

http://www.kotv.com/main/home/stories.asp?whichpage=1&id=88260

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Daily update August 10

Washington: Victim holds car prowl suspect at gunpoint
KIRO TV News

" A man pulled a pistol on a car prowler here Tuesday morning and held him at gunpoint until police arrived, KIRO TV News reported. Police credit the man with solving a string of car prowls and helping to recover more than $4,000 in stolen property. Chuck Estes awoke Tuesday to find the roof of his wife's convertible slashed and her stereo system stolen. Estes told KIRO TV News South Sound Bureau Chief Richard Thompson that, "One thing I can't stand in life is a thief." Estes said he was driving through his neighborhood when he spotted a vehicle suspected in the theft from his wife's car. Estes had a .44-caliber Magnum Smith and Wesson pistol with him. He approached the suspect's car, drew his gun and ordered the teenaged occupant to put his hands on the dashboard. Estes called police who arrested the 16-year-old boy. They also arrested a 21-year-old man they say was an accomplice nearby. Police found Estes' stolen stereo equipment in the back of the suspects' car -- along with items police say were stolen from a dozen other residents of the neighborhood." (08/10/05)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/4831564/detail.html

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Virginia: More Richmonders acting in self-defense
Richmond Times Dispatch

"Richmond is armed and dangerous. And we're not just talking about the bad guys. Since March, there have been at least three fatal shootings of armed suspects by armed victims. In at least two of those cases, Richmond prosecutors say it was in self-defense. The Richmond commonwealth's attorney's office has concluded that the martial-arts instructor who fatally shot former NFL cornerback Mike Brim during a confrontation last April in South Richmond acted in self-defense. Prosecutors have also decided that a pizza deliveryman acted in self-defense in March when he fatally shot a teen who attempted to rob him in the Hillside Court neighborhood, also in South Richmond." (08/10/05)

http://tinyurl.com/bzkzf

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Tennessee: Victim strikes back
Commercial Appeal

"Forced at gunpoint to bank, man kills back-seat suspect He said they'd gotten him two weeks ago in his front yard, forcing him to the ground with a gun and stealing $400. But this time, 59-year-old Jacob Evans was ready. Tuesday, the same two robbers returned, telling him to withdraw $10,000 from his bank, or die, he said. Instead, Evans deposited six bullets in one of them." [Free registration, or use info@news-digests.com/news-digests] (08/10/05)

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_3990677,00.html

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Ohio: Homeowner stops burglar with bullet
WDTN News

"A man was shot in the leg after he terrorized residents in one Dayton neighborhood, according to police. It all happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning on Tampa Avenue and Paul Lawrence Dunbar Street. Officials told 2News that the suspect was banging on doors, trying to break into homes. One homeowner got fed up and fired a warning shot. When the crook wouldn't go away, this same homeowner fired another shot, hitting the suspect in the leg. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Police say he will be charged with attempted aggravated burglary. The homeowner isn't facing any charges at this time." (08/09/05)

http://www.wdtn.com/index.cfm?action=dsp_story&storyid=76162

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New York: Rappers arrested for gun possession post-concert
NewsDay

"Hip hop stars Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were among a dozen members of 50 Cent's "G Unit" record label arraigned Tuesday on gun possession charges. The 12 were arrested at 11:15 p.m. Monday at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue after a concert at Madison Square Garden, where
Lloyd Banks and Young Buck performed, along with two of the rap world's top artists, Eminem and 50 Cent. Police pulled over the van the entourage was riding in after it allegedly ran a red light. Officers found a loaded gun on StephenRoker, 29, and another one under the front passenger seat, authorities said. Everyone in the van was arrested and charged with
criminal possession of the weapons. .... A source said Roker and McFarlane were the group's security guards and that the guns were not licensed in New York. "G Unit" president Sha Money, who was in the courtroom Tuesday, said the van was pulled over after undercover officers followed the performers and their entourage from the garden. They were on the way to their hotel." (08/10/05)

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-rap0810,0,4680648.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-crime

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Daily update August 9

Is the NRA a second branch of Gun Control Inc?
The Libertarian Enterprise
by Don Wilson

"To the NRA (an open letter to THE NRA) .... Your organization may have stood for the RIGHTS of the INDIVIDUAL at its inception. The lack of a currant concern for the individual rights of all is astounding in its complacent acceptance in your membership. I joined and paid 5 years of dues money I now regret wasting. My membership is currently expired and will remain so as I am joining a gun organization intent on the RIGHTS of the INDIVIDUAL not PRIVILAGES. Find below a short list of what would change my mind bringing me back to the NRA." (08/08/05)


http://www.ncc-1776.com/tle2005/tle331-20050807-05.html

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Banning Gun Lawsuits: Prohibition of nuisance suits on target
The Monitor
by staff

"A few years ago, the strategy of gun-control advocates was obvious: File frivolous liability lawsuits against gun-makers and distributors, knowing that, whatever the ultimate merits of the cases, the manufacturers would be hard-pressed to keep fighting. Many would go out of business, profits would decline for others, and the high costs imposed by endless litigation would drive up the costs of guns and make it more difficult for many people to afford to buy them.It was a cynical strategy, but one that is about to end." (08/09/05)

http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=8561&Section=Opinion

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Missouri: Owner of salvage yard says he shot intruder
Kansas City Channel News

"Early Monday morning, a prowler was shot at A/3 Auto Tire and Wheel at 14th Street and Jackson Avenue -- and it wasn't police doing the firing. Paul, who asked that his last name not be used, said he couldn't sleep, so he came into work before dawn. "I couldn't sleep because they keep stealing from me down there," Paul said. "If you're going to catch a thief, you have to act like one." Instead of using the front gate, Paul climbed through a hole in his chain link fence. "I went in like an old rat, just the same way those scumbags do," Paul said. He soon found himself face to face with a man who was stealing from Paul's truck. He told KMBC he fired two warning shots into the air. "(The man) raised his hand up like he was going to hit me with one of the wrenches he stole out of my truck," Paul said. The owner said that's when he fired two shots at the prowler -- once in the buttocks, the other in the arm." (08/08/05)

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/4821813/detail.html

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Missouri: Man, 71, says he shot burglar
Kansas City Star

"A 71-year-old Leavenworth man told police Monday that he shot a man who had broken into his home. The homeowner, who lives in the 1100 block of Pawnee Street, told police that he heard someone breaking into his home about 8 a.m. Monday, said Leavenworth Police Maj. Patrick Kitchens. The homeowner said he saw a man standing at the top of a stairway near the garage. The homeowner told police he fired shots at the man, who fled out the door. .... Kitchens said the Leavenworth County attorney would determine whether charges would be filed against the suspect. Prosecutors could also consider charges against the homeowner, Kitchens said, although the decision to use deadly force could be justified if the suspect was committing an aggravated burglary." [To login, use info@news-digests.com/news-digests] (08/09/05)

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12335535.htm

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Texas: Ex husband shot as he tries to break through door
News Journal

"A 41-year-old man was shot to death early Sunday morning when he tried to break into the house where his ex-wife was staying with another man. Chief Deputy Miguel Larsen of the Titus County Sheriff's Office said officers found William Joe Baker lying on the front porch of Marty Crocker's residence on County Road 3435. According to a news release, Baker went to Crocker's home seeking his ex-wife, Anita Baker, 41. Crocker called the police, saying that William Baker was hitting the door and threatening to kill them. Larsen did not know the relationship between Crocker and Anita Baker. She and William Baker had been divorced almost a year, he said. While deputies were en route to the scene, Larsen said the emergency call was disconnected. Crocker called back moments later and told the dispatcher he had fired his semi-automatic rifle multiple times through the door, hitting Baker in the head." (08/08/05)


http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/08/08/20050808LNJShooting.html

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Ohio: Homeowner fires shot during attempted burhlary
WHIO News

"A Dayton homeowner defended his home and fired a warning shot when someone tried to break in, according to police. Now, officers said the shot struck the would-be burglar, who is telling them an unusual story about why he was trying to get into the home. The crime happened at a home on Tampa Avenue near Paul Lawrence Dunbar Street. Authorities said the homeowner fired a warning shot and struck the man after he refused to stop trying to get into the house. Officers said the first warning calls they got described an apparent burglary in progress. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man shot in the lower leg. Officers talked with the homeowner, who said he woke up to hear a man trying to kick in the front door of the home. Police said when the suspected burglar refused to stop trying to enter the home, the homeowner fired a shot through the lower portion of the door, trying to get the man to go away. .... Officers do not plan to charge the homeowner, saying he was defending himself and his wife." (08/09/05)

http://www.whiotv.com/news/4826507/detail.html

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Wisconsin: Area police stand against concealed carry
Green Bay Press Gazette

"Some local law enforcement agencies are joining the Wisconsin Anti Violence Effort against a new concealed-carry act even before it’s introduced.
“We are not anti-gun, anti-hunter or anti-NRA,” Green Bay Police Chief Craig Van Schyndle said at a press event held by WAVE at the Brown County Courthouse in Green Bay. “This is an officer-safety issue and a community-safety issue. Green Bay, Appleton and Brown County are very safe communities, and concealed carry is a very dangerous proposition.'" (08/09/05)

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_22121330.shtml

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Washington: Officials back shooting range
Herald

" The owners of the Kenmore Gun Range property shouldn't be pressured into building hundreds of homes or condos, despite occupying 80 tempting acres of mostly vacant urban land, county officials said. Instead, it should remain an oasis for shooters surrounded by hundreds of homes on culs-de-sac in the county's urban core between Bothell and Brier. "We promised we would be an outdoor recreation area forever," said Vic Alvarez, a board member of Wildlife Committee of Washington, which owns the gun club. "We provide a very necessary service not only to law enforcement and the military but to the community.' " (08/09/05)

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/08/09/100loc_gunrange001.cfm

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