California, With Strict Gun Controls, Had Most Mass Killings in 2019

A database compiled by the Associated Press (AP), USA Today, and Northeastern University recorded that the United States suffered more mass killings in 2019 than any year on record, with 41 recorded incidents and 211 deaths.

The AP report stated: “California, with some of the most strict gun laws in the country, had the most, with eight such mass slayings.”

A December 28 report from Breitbart noted that California has universal background checks, gun registration requirements, gun confiscation laws, a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, an “assault weapons” ban, a one-handgun-a-month purchase limit, a ban on campus carry for self-defense, and a ban on teachers being armed to return fire if under attack. California also requires would-be gun buyers to acquire a safety certificate from the state before being permitted to purchase a gun.

Additionally, California has placed controls on ammunition purchases.

Despite the lack of any statistical evidence between strict gun controls and gun-related deaths (other than reasonable conclusions that strict gun controls lead to even more violence, e.g., Chicago and New York City), gun-control advocates renew their efforts to impose stricter controls on gun purchase after every mass shooting.

Speaking to reporters after a lengthy phone call last summer with Wayne LaPierre, the chief executive of the National Rifle Association, President Trump said that the United States has “very strong background checks right now,” adding that mass shootings were a “mental problem,” not the result of easy access to guns.

A December 23 AP report stated: “The majority of the killings involved people who knew each other — family disputes, drug or gang violence or people with beefs that directed their anger at co-workers or relatives.”

Interestingly, observed AP, while “firearms were the weapon in all but eight of the mass killings. Other weapons included knives, axes and at least twice when the perpetrator set a mobile home on fire, killing those inside.”

So even if gun control did help prevent mass killings — and evidence suggests otherwise — we would also need knife control, ax control, and controls on matches to prevent all of them.

While onerous gun control laws do not stop mass killings, having firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens often helps stop such shootings. This fact of life was brought home on December 29, when a shooter at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, west of Fort Worth, was taken down by armed volunteer security members seconds after he began firing……..

an individual right

This point: “….all nine of them agreed that the right was one held by individuals, not “the militia” is little reported on because it does not fit the controller’s fantasies. The difference among the justices was when the right was “in effect”. The majority held that people retained the right to exercise it at all times, not just while acting as a militia. The minority -wrongly and stupidly – believed that the individual right only pertained to service while serving in the militia.

Gun Control Activist Promotes False Data To Uphold Anti-Gun Propaganda

In light of the West Freeway Church shooting in White Settlement, Texas, gun control activists are blaming gun access and conceal-carry laws for the rise in gun deaths in the United States.

Gun control activist Shannon Watts claimed more than 3,500 Texans are killed by guns every year. Her tweet insinuated mass shooters and increased access to guns are to blame for the rise in this number.

“If more guns and fewer gun laws made Texas safer, it would be the safest state in the US. Instead, it has high rates of gun suicide and homicide, and is home to 4 of the 10 deadliest mass shootings,” Watts tweeted.

In fact, CDC data shows that since 1990, homicidal and suicidal gun deaths per capita in Texas have fallen bellow the rest of the U.S. population.

The graph tweeted by Watts also fails to differentiate types of gun deaths. According to the CDC, the “firearm-related deaths” referenced in Watts’s graph is not limited to deaths by mass shooter or deaths by homicides. Causes of death included in “firearm-related injuries” includes: suicides, homicides, terrorism, accidental misfire, and legal intervention involving firearm discharge.

For instance, in the West Freeway Church shooting that took place on Sunday, the shooter was shot and killed. This was considered a heroic act and saved many more lives, but it would be considered a “firearm-related injury” according to Watts’s data. So would a suicide, so would the death of a terrorist, so would the death of individual shot by a policeman or other legal authorities. This data simply does not take into account the entire picture or encapsulate the entire problem.

This narrative and messaging is completely on brand with Democrats and the mainstream media. They ignore the big picture and put a laser focus on the issues they wish to highlight, no matter how out of context these issues may be.

Supporters of Iran-backed militia storm the US Embassy in Iraq

Just me, but I wonder why there weren’t lots of militia uniformed, “protesters” piled up dead just inside that gate they crashed.
The moslems there won’t think any less of us than they already do, and since that culture only recognizes and respects strength and power; turning those protesters into bloody rag bags doesn’t bother me in the least and would provide a suitable example for anyone else considering similar actions.

Dozens of angry Iraqi Shiite militia supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday after smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, prompting tear gas and sounds of gunfire.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main building inside embassy. There was a fire at the reception area near the parking lot of the compound but it was unclear what had caused it. A man on a loudspeaker urged the mob not to enter the compound, saying: “The message was delivered.”

The embassy attack followed deadly U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. The U.S. military said it was in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it had blamed on the militia.

Dozens of protesters pushed into the compound after smashing the gate used by cars to enter the embassy. The protesters, many in militia uniform, stopped in a corridor after about 5 meters (16 feet), and were only about 200 meters away from the main building. Half a dozen U.S. soldiers were seen on the roof of the main building, their guns were pointed at the protesters.

Smoke from the tear gas rose in the area, and at least three of the protesters appeared to have difficulties breathing. It wasn’t immediately known whether the embassy staff had remained inside the main building.

The protesters hanged a poster on the wall: “America is an aggressor.”

Earlier, the mob shouted “Down, Down USA!” as the crowd tried to push inside the embassy grounds, hurling water and stones over its walls. They raised yellow militia flags and taunted the embassy’s security staff who remained behind the glass windows in the gates’ reception area and also sprayed graffiti on the wall and windows. The graffiti, in red in support of the Kataeb Hezbollah, read: “Closed in the name of the resistance.”

Also, hundreds of angry protesters set up tents outside the embassy. As tempers rose, the mob set fire to three trailers used by security guards along the embassy wall.

No one was immediately reported hurt in the rampage and security staff had withdrawn to inside the embassy earlier, soon after protesters gathered outside.

Seven armored vehicles with about 30 Iraqi soldiers arrived near the embassy hours after the violence erupted, deploying near the embassy walls but not close to the breached area.

There was no immediate comment from the Pentagon and the State Department on the breach of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

The U.S. airstrikes — the largest targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia in recent years — and the subsequent calls by the militia for retaliation, represent a new escalation in the proxy war between the U.S. and Iran playing out in the Middle East.

Tuesday’s attempted embassy storming took place after mourners and supporters held funerals for the militia fighters killed in a Baghdad neighborhood, after which they marched on to the heavily fortified Green Zone and kept walking till they reached the sprawling U.S. Embassy there.

AP journalists then saw the crowd as they tried to scale the walls of the embassy, in what appeared to be an attempt to storm it, shouting “Down, down USA!” and “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday’s strikes send the message that the U.S. will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardize American lives.

The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia had vowed Monday to retaliate for the U.S. military strikes. The attack and vows for revenge raised concerns of new attacks that could threaten American interests in the region.

US should attack Iran in response to attack on our embassy in Iraq

Once again, a U.S. embassy has come under an attack orchestrated by Iranian terrorists – but this time it is our embassy in Baghdad in Iraq rather than in the Iranian capital of Tehran as in 1979, when Iranian revolutionaries captured the U.S. Embassy and held 52 American hostage for 444 days.

Several dozen Iraqi Shiite militia members forced their way into the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad Tuesday setting fires and causing other damage, angered by weekend U.S. airstrikes that killed members of an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq.

We must maintain control of our embassy in Baghdad. A U.S. official told Fox News that 100 Marines are being sent to the embassy to increase security.

President Trump is wisely standing firm, tweeting Tuesday to explain the American airstrikes and to deliver a sharp warning to the governments of both Iran and Iraq: “Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many,” the president tweeted. “We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!”

The president’s tweet is a welcome display of U.S. resolve, but more than a tweet is needed to show Iran it cannot attack the U.S. embassy with impunity. It’s time for an American military response.

 

New Tennessee Gun Law Decreases Requirements For Concealed Carry Permit

new gun law in Tennessee will make it easier for people to obtain a  concealed carry permit.

The legislation signed by Governor Bill Lee earlier this year creates a new concealed carry handgun permit with less stringent training requirements than the traditional permit. The original permit will be known as an “enhanced” permit and keep the same eight-hour course requirement. The new handgun permit will require a ninety-minute course than can be completed online. No hands-on training is needed.

Clarksville gun store owner James Allen said the bill allows potentially unsafe gun owners to obtain a permit. He said training requirements under the new law are too lax.

“There’s no hands-on training on proper safety and how to hold a gun, how to shoot a gun and when to shoot a gun,” Allen said. “It’s a stupid law.”

State Representative Andy Holt of Dresden sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives. He said the nonrestrictive training requirements are no cause for concern because Tennessee already recognizes concealed carry permits from states including Georgia and Alabama that require no training. He also said the expansion of gun rights in the state makes all Tennesseans safer.

“At the end of the day, I still believe that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens equates into less crime…and I’m a proponent of less crime,” Holt said.

The law takes effect January 1.

College Students Know More About Firearms–and Rights–than Gun-Grabbing Politicians

In a matter of days, lawmakers in Virginia could pass some of the most radical gun control bills in the nation, the impact of which will be felt across the country.

As a recent college graduate who founded Students for Trump from my freshman dorm room, I remain active on college campuses today as co-chair of Turning Point Action. Everywhere I go, I meet young people who are closely following events in Richmond. Many of them are genuinely scared police are coming for their guns. During our lifetime, we’ve watched lawmakers chip away at our rights, and we are here to say, “Not today, Gov. Northam. Not today.”

Like many in my generation, I didn’t grow up with firearms. I was introduced to them in a high school ROTC program, which focused heavily on the Constitution. I learned the basics of firearms and self-defense. Perhaps more importantly, that class taught me the Second Amendment guarantees all the other rights in the Constitution.

As I visit with college students across the country, I am struck by how informed and educated they are about their rights. We may be young and inexperienced, but we know what’s going on around the world. In Hong Kong and Venezuela, we watch governments oppress their unarmed citizens. In our own country, we watch as state and local politicians exploit tragedies to pass more gun control laws. We watch New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg buy his way into power and influence across the country………..

Young people are fed up with politicians who exploit tragedies to push more failed gun control schemes. We’ve spent our youth watching politicians chip away at our rights. We will not stand idly by and let this continue. My generation is engaged, energized, and willing to stand up and fight for our rights in Virginia, and around the country. We are not only watching and listening to everything unfolding in Richmond, we engaged in this fight. Many of us are proud to be part of the NRA’s new student group, Students For 2A. We will never let a tyrannical government take away our rights.

Range Review: Ruger Lite Rack LCP II .22 LR

Ruger is one of the most diverse makers of firearms in the United States, with products ranging from rimfire and centerfire rifles for plinking and hunting to handguns for target shooting and self-defense. One gem among these various products is a small, semi-automatic pistol called the LCP. Launched in 2008, it was an immediate hit with the concealed carry crowd and has become a standard in its market.

As good as the LCP is, the original design wasn’t perfect. The LCP’s sights are really nothing more than tiny bumps machined directly into the slide. They work to get the handgun pointed in the right direction but seem more of an afterthought than a design feature. Another common gripe is the trigger. Many users think the trigger is too long and heavy. Not intended to be a target pistol (see complaint about sights above), the trigger is acceptable for concealed carry use but is heavy and long nonetheless.

Ruger heard these complaints and introduced the LCP II in 2016 (reviewed here). It addresses the concerns of sights by adding slightly bigger machined-in bumps. The trigger is improved by switching from a long and heavy double-action-only pull to a lighter and shorter single-action-only pull. Ruger also added a last round hold-open to the pistol to aid in reloading and as an indication that the magazine is empty.

Given Ruger’s success with the LCP and LCP II, it was inevitable that either pistol would be made available in something other than .380 ACP. Internet rumors have swirled for quite some time about different calibers. Many people, myself included, were guessing that a version in .32 ACP or possibly .32 NAA was soon to be released. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the first new offering is chambered in none other than .22 LR.

At first glance, the Lite Rack .22 LR version is nearly indistinguishable from the .380 ACP variant. Both pistols share the same overall size and shape. Grip texturing and overall cosmetic patterns like cocking serrations and placement of logos are also nearly identical.

Tested: Ruger-57 Pistol

With precious few guns on the market chambered to fire it, and even fewer load options for those guns, the 5.7×28 mm FN cartridge has seemingly been on life support for most of its 30-year lifespan, kept alive only through the patronage of a small but dedicated fan club and select military/government agency adoption. That’s a shame, because it’s an interesting little chambering, offering several intrinsic design advantages, and it is an absolute hoot to shoot. Caught in a self-perpetuating loop where a deficit of firearm options has led ammunition makers to deem it unworthy of their finite production resources—and vice versa—what the 5.7 mm has really needed to help resuscitate it was a major gunmaker willing to break the vicious circle by taking a chance on it. That it was Ruger to step up to the plate, with its December introduction of the Ruger-57 handgun, should not come as any great shock to those familiar with the Southport, Conn., company’s reputation for seeing opportunity where others just see risk.

Operating via delayed blowback, the Ruger-57’s barrel moves rearward with the slide only about 1/4″, but its long enough to allow the projectile to leave the barrel and for pressures to drop to safe levels.

Texas church shooting and Hanukkah stabbing spur calls for increased security at places of worship

Of all channels..NBC.

A shooting at a church in Texas and a stabbing at a rabbi’s home during a Hanukkah celebration in New York over the weekend have renewed calls for increased security and the right to be armed in places of worship.

In Texas, a gunman killed two people before a volunteer armed security team shot and killed him in the church near Fort Worth on Sunday. That led Texas politicians to praise a recent law that allowed guns to be carried in places of worship.

The issue of whether worshipers should be armed breaks along the usual fault lines in the wider debate on gun laws. Supporters of gun control legislation say the better solution is to reduce gun ownership, rather than to invite weapons of death into the pews. But in Texas, which has a strong gun culture, Republicans seized on the shooting Sunday as proof of their long-held belief that more trained gun owners can prevent casualties during mass attacks.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, praised the law that allows licensed handgun holders to carry weapons in houses of worship that don’t explicitly ban them. The law, which was passed after 26 people were killed at a church in Sutherland Springs in 2017, took effect in September.

On Monday, state Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Fox News that had that law not been passed, “I fear that we could have lost, you know, hundreds” in Sunday’s shooting.

Paxton, a Republican, said he hoped other states would pass similar measures.

“I think they’ll end up saving lives for years and years and years,” he said.

Jack Wilson, a member of the volunteer security team at the church, said he was concerned about the shooter’s appearance from the moment he came in wearing a wig and a fake beard.

“Most of the members there didn’t feel like it would happen, but we were prepared if it did, and, you know, had we not had the security team in place, it would’ve been much, in my opinion, probably a much more severe outcome than what happened,” he said.

In the New York attack, five people were stabbed at a rabbi’s home during a Hanukkah celebration Saturday in what Gov. Andrew Cuomo called “domestic terrorism.” Cuomo directed state police to increase patrols in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods across the state.

Four Jewish elected officials in New York asked Cuomo to go a step further Sunday, calling for him to declare a state of emergency and to deploy the National Guard to “visibly patrol and protect” Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods.

On Sunday, according to The Associated Press, several members of the community stood guard armed with assault-style rifles. Rockland County officials later said a private security company would help municipal law enforcement patrol the community.

Image: Armed members of Jewish community

Armed members of the Jewish community stand guard at a celebration in Monsey, New York, on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019.
Patrick Brosnan, founder of the security firm Brosnan Risk Consultants, praised the congregants who fought back.”You have to look this evil in the face,” he said. “You have to step up. There’s not enough law enforcement out there.”

Virginia Beach to hold special session to consider “Second Amendment Constitutional City” resolution.

The Virginia Beach City Council will hold a pair of special sessions next week to discuss — and vote — on becoming a “Second Amendment Constitutional City.”

“The City Council hereby expresses its strong support for the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and urges the members of the General Assembly and the Governor to take no action which would violate the freedoms guaranteed by either the Virginia Bill of Rights or the federal Bills or Rights,” reads a draft of a resolution requested by Mayor Bobby Dyer, Vice Mayor James Wood and Council members Jessica Abbott, John Moss and Rosemary Wilson.

The council is set to discuss the resolution at 4 p.m. Jan. 6 in the council’s conference room. After a short break, the council will reconvene at 6 p.m. in its chambers for a formal vote.

The previously unscheduled meetings, which Dyer called for on Monday, come amid a push by newly-empowered Democrats to pass gun control regulations.

Earlier this month, hundreds of people flooded Virginia Beach City Hall to ask the council to resist the proposed legislation. The crowd, which was advocating for a Second Amendment Sanctuary ordinance, was so large on Dec. 3 that police blocked the front doors of the building before the regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting even began…………..

Suspect Involved in Fatal Texas Church Shooting Identified as Keith Thomas Kinnunen:

And there you have it folks. A felon, who from his record should have been behind bars with a long time yet to go before release, is the deadhead. When you see so many times that these people have been through the criminal ‘justice’ system time and again and are still set free, it makes the idea that it’s part of a plan seem all the more plausible.

The suspect involved in a fatal shooting at a Dallas-area church on Sunday was identified by officials as 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, it was reported.

Law enforcement sources told local station KXAS Channel 5 that Kinnunen was the shooter. He had a criminal record in Tarrant County, including aggravated assault and theft of property charges.

Kinnunen was fatally shot by an armed member of the church’s security team in an incident that was captured on a church live stream. He stood up from the audience in the West Freeway Church of Christ at about 10:50 a.m. Sunday morning, went to a corner of the Church after saying something to someone there, and then pulled out a shotgun from his coat and opened fire, according to footage obtained by Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The footage showed Kinnunen apparently wearing a hooded jacket and holding a shotgun.

In 2016, he told police in Linden, New Jersey, that he was homeless and was traveling from Texas to take photos. He was arrested in September of that year when police found him with a shotgun, the paper reported.

The report stated that Kinnunen was also arrested in 2008 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Fort Worth. According to KXAS, he was charged with theft in 2013.

Texas AG Destroys Media’s Anti-Gun Narrative on CNN: ‘More People Need to Carry’ to Prevent Tragedies

Something happened today that rarely happens on CNN: a guest was allowed to make a conservative argument defending good guys with guns. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appeared on CNN Newsroom Sunday evening to comment on the church shooting that happened this morning near Fort Worth Texas, and he was amazingly allowed to argue against the left’s gun control agenda without being cut off or shut down.

Fill-in CNN anchor Jessica Dean first shared the disturbing live stream video from this morning’s shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ showing an armed intruder interrupting the church service and shooting two people before two armed parishioners stopped him and killed him before he could murder anymore of the 200+ people present.

Paxton praised the “heroic efforts” of the church members before arguing how important it was for citizens to be able to defend themselves:

What I will say is they were heroic efforts. And I have been saying this for years. We need to make sure that people with protect themselves. Oftentimes law enforcement can’t react quickly. They can’t be there in seconds when the shooters are suddenly shooting. And so it really is a remarkable thing the people reacted so quickly. And saved the lives of the other 239 people in the congregation.

After this, the CNN anchor gushed about gun violence and subtly tried to push for gun control:

I feel we have these conversations over and over again, sadly in this country. What can be done to curb this kind of violence? How do we stop gun violence in the country? What else can be done? You mention there have been other horrific shootings in Texas in this year alone. What can we do to protect people?

But Paxton pointed out that the red state’s laws protecting armed citizens was exactly why this shooter was stopped in his tracks:

But the reality is I think our laws in Texas allow, allow us to protect ourselves. So more people need to carry in our state in our churches, places of business so that if something like this horrible thing does happen, at least we have people that can react and save the lives of those around him.

As Dean wrapped up the interview, she asked Paxton to share a message to the Jewish community in New York and the churchgoers in this Texas community who may be afraid to attend their religious services now.

The Attorney General again was allowed to forcefully argue for the 2nd Amendment, by pointing out the obvious point liberals and the media seem to miss consistently: someone who wants to kill will not obey gun laws:

I do know there’s always discussion about imposing more gun restrictions. The reality is somebody like this is willing to kill somebody, is unlikely to follow a gun law. So we need to continue to be vigilant and we need to allow our citizens to protect themselves. Exactly what happened today and I’m so grateful for the quick reaction because what happened in other churches about a year ago, in other places around my state, when people were not armed, we had a lot more people die.

Jack Wilson, Texas Church Shooting Hero: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Jack Wilson, the security volunteer who quickly shot the Texas church shooter at West Freeway Church of Christ, stopping him and likely saving many lives, is a former reserve deputy sheriff who was the long-time owner of a firearms training academy.

“I don’t feel like I killed an individual. I killed evil,” Wilson told reporters, according to Fox4 News. “I don’t see myself as a hero. I see myself as doing what needed to be done to take out the evil threat.” He fired a single shot. It was a head shot, and he says it was his round that killed the shooter. “I only fired one round. It was the only shot I had, which was a head shot.”

The gunman, now named as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, died at the scene after being shot; ……….

1. Wilson Declared That ‘Evil Does Exist in This World’ & Revealed He ‘Had to Take Out an Active Shooter in Church’

2. Wilson Was President of On Target Firearms Training Academy, Inc., a Gun Range That Burned Down in 2016

3. Wilson Is a Former Deputy Sheriff Who Negotiated Contracts for a Major Defense Company

4. Wilson Is a Donald Trump Supporter Who Believes the ‘Survival of the USA’ Will Be Determined by the 2020 Election

5. People Praised Wilson’s Quick-Thinking

Biden Attacked Texas Governor For Signing Law Letting Churchgoers Carry Guns: ‘Totally Irrational’

Again, any wonder why I call them ‘demoncraps’?

“We have learned many times over that there is no such thing as a gun free zone. Those with evil intentions will violate the law and carry out their heinous acts no matter what,” Texas state Senator Donna Campbell, co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “It makes no sense to disarm the good guys and leave law-abiding citizens defenseless where violent offenders break the law to do great harm.”

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden attacked Texas Governor Greg Abbott earlier this year for signing a bill into law that allowed lawful gun owners to carry firearms in places of worship, repeatedly calling Abbott’s decision “irrational.”

Biden’s resurfaced remarks come as an attacker opened fire on a church congregation in Texas on Sunday, where he was immediately stopped by a good guy with a gun.

“Dealing with firearms, it is irrational, with all due respect to the governor of Texas, irrational what they are doing,” Biden told reporters on September 2. “On the very day you see a mass shooting … and we’re talking about loosening access to have guns, to be able to take them into places of worship, it’s just absolutely irrational. It’s totally irrational.”

Biden continued, saying that any weapon that was capable of carrying “magazines that can hold multiple bullets” should be banned – which is nearly all firearms.

“It’s no violation of the Second Amendment,” Biden falsely claimed.

Later asked if there could be any compromises with Republicans on the issue, Biden responded, “None. None on this. I think this is no compromise. This is one we have to just push, and push, and push, and push, and push.”

Macon man tries to rob restaurant, gets shot by employee

MACON, Ga. — A Macon man is in jail after trying to rob a Chinese restaurant at gunpoint Saturday night.

A release from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office says around 8 p.m., a masked man in dark clothing entered the China Inn on Vineville Avenue with a gun and demanded money from the employees.

The man fled on foot after a worker pulled out their gun, the release says. The suspect didn’t get away with anything, and no one was injured.

Later that night around 9:40 p.m., the sheriff’s office says they arrested 27-year-old David Vazquez for the robbery attempt.

The sheriff’s office says it was determined that Vazquez entered the store and pointed his gun at the employees. That’s when one worker pulled out their gun and shot at Vazquez.

As he was running away from the shots, Vazquez and the employees exchanged gunfire, and one of them shot him in the right leg.

The sheriff’s office says Vazquez went to the Medical Center, Navicent Health 20 minutes later to be treated for the gunshot wound. Afterwards, he was taken to the Bibb County Jail.

He’s being held without bond, and no charges are being filed against the clerk, according to the sheriff’s office.


Shot fired in Machesney Park home burglary

MACHESNEY PARK — Within minutes of a homeowner firing a gun at a burglary suspect, a man showed up at a Rockford hospital suffering from a gunshot wound.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. Thursday, a man interrupted a burglary at his home in 2000 block of Anjali Way and got into a struggle with the suspect, said Bob Redmond of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department. A shot was fired and the suspect fled.

It was not clear if the homeowner or suspect was armed with the gun, Redmond said.

While deputies were talking to the homeowner, a gunshot victim arrived at a Rockford hospital. It was not revealed where on the body the man was shot.

As late as 9 p.m., the gunshot victim was still being questioned by deputies.

His condition was not available.