The right of self-defense is the first law of nature; in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction. – St. George Tucker

Multiple dead, others injured in shooting at In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, officials say

Multiple people were killed and others were injured in a shooting Saturday afternoon at an In-N-Out in Twin Falls, Idaho, according to officials.

The shooter is dead, Josh Palmer, the city’s public information officer, said, and all shelter-in-place orders have been lifted.

“We believe that the threat to the community is over,” Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks told reporters Saturday evening.

The highly-anticipated burger chain had been open for only a week at its Twin Falls location, its new, beckoning storefront quickly becoming a local destination before the violence.

Video showed customers and In-N-Out workers, distinguishable by their red aprons and branded paper hats, running frantically into the parking lot as several shots were heard.

The incident joined a growing list of shootings in recent months that have sent people fleeing from ordinary places: a food festival, parades, places of worship and community gatherings across the country.

The suspected shooter “was nearby on the scene there, and we are working to try to ascertain his identity and the motivations behind that,” Hicks said.

Saturday’s shooting unfolded in one of Twin Falls’ busiest commercial areas, a stretch of the city’s north side filled with hotels, national retailers and restaurants that serve residents and travelers alike. Located approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise, Twin Falls is a regional hub for much of southern Idaho.

Twin Falls authorities have not provided the exact number of fatalities but earlier told CNN at least three people had been killed. It’s unclear if the shooter was included in that initial number.

Authorities believe there was one active shooter and are working “to determine now some of the other individuals who may have been involved in it,” Palmer told CNN.

Palmer advised the public to stay vigilant for more updates from police.

“I would caution people, we’re seeing a lot of misinformation on social media, so just be cautious,” he said.

The Twin Falls Police Department had urged residents to avoid the area, saying nearby roads and the Perrine Bridge, the primary crossing over the Snake River Canyon for miles, were closed.

Some of the state’s representatives in Washington, DC, said early Saturday they were thankful and praying for first responders.

“I’m grateful for the swift response of Idaho’s first responders,” said Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo on X.

Hancock Co. Prosecutor says deadly shooting of unarmed man falls under self-defense; no charges filed in road rage encounter

HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — Criminal charges will not be filed against a man who shot and killed an allegedly unarmed aggressor during a road rage confrontation in Hancock County.

The Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office says the road rage shooting falls under self-defense.

Previous reports detail the shooting, which took place on the afternoon of July 21. Police said the shooting was the result of a road rage confrontation and ended in the death of 37-year-old Kevin Powell of Indianapolis.

After the shooting, the gunman, who the prosecutor said was driving to work, stayed on scene and called 911.

“You know this is a tragic situation. There are no winners here,” said Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton. “It’s really a terrible situation. We hate to see things like this happen.”

According to investigators, two vehicles — a Volkswagen Jetta and a Dodge Journey — had been traveling along the same path from Marion County into Hancock County. Witnesses claim the Dodge began following the Volkswagen at an extremely close distance, less than a foot off the other car’s bumper.

When the two vehicles stopped in a construction zone, Powell reportedly exited the Dodge Journey and “aggressively approached the Volkswagen,” according to the prosecutor’s findings.

One witness allegedly heard Powell tell the Volkswagen driver, “You shouldn’t be driving on my road that fast, motherf*****.”

A witness described Powell’s demeanor as “very hostile.”

After berating the Volkswagen driver, Powell reportedly started back toward his Dodge, but then turned around and headed back toward the Volkswagen. The Volkswagen driver stepped out of his vehicle armed with a handgun.

The prosecutor makes no mention of Powell ever being armed.

“I wouldn’t do that. Don’t do that. Get back in your car,” the Volkswagen driver allegedly told Powell. But Powell reportedly kept advancing.

The Volkswagen driver then fired several shots, striking Powell more than once.

Powell retreated to his vehicle and succumbed to his injuries, investigators said.

Witnesses later told police that at one point, Powell allegedly was heard saying to the Volkswagen driver, “Oh, you gonna get your gun? You afraid? You gonna get your gun? Well, come on, get out.”

“At every point the driver of the second vehicle (Powell) was the aggressor and was intent on escalating the situation,” said Eaton.

Prosecutor Eaton claims one independent witness said, “If I was put in that predicament, if I was the guy in the Volkswagen, I would have been scared for my life.”

“Objective observers, without any connection to either party, said it was their opinion the driver of the Volkswagen would have been in fear for his life from the manner he was approached,” said Eaton.

Because Powell allegedly threatened bodily harm to the driver, and the driver reportedly never approached Powell and only stood his ground at his own vehicle, the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office determined the shooting to fall under Indiana’s self-defense law.

“The evidence in this case establishes that the Dodge driver followed the Volkswagen at an extraordinarily close distance; exited his vehicle and initiated the confrontation; aggressively approached the occupied Volkswagen; threatened bodily harm; challenged the Volkswagen driver to retrieve a firearm and exit the vehicle; briefly turned toward his own vehicle; and then renewed his approach despite repeated verbal warnings to stop and return to his vehicle,” the prosecutor’s office said.

In reviewing this evidence and consulting with Indiana’s Code on self-defense, Eaton said his office would not be filing criminal charges against the Volkswagen driver.

Before the deadly encounter, the shooter and Powell were total strangers.

“You know it’s tragic, because it’s avoidable. The driver of the second vehicle, there was no reason for him to get out of his car,” said Eaton. “The law in Indiana is clear. If you are in fear for your life, you do not have a duty to retreat and you are able to use deadly force and that’s what happened here.”

Why Gun Control Is a Non-Starter Even Without Second Amendment

Let’s play a little game; a thought experiment, if you will. Let’s say that there were no Second Amendment, that while owning guns was accepted and normal for generations, it wasn’t considered sacrosanct and thus not preserved in the Bill of Rights. Yes, for the pedantic among us, that would mean the Second Amendment would still exist; it would just forbid the quartering of troops against people’s will. Let’s not get bogged down in the details.

So, with that in mind, and assuming that past gun control efforts hadn’t come to fruition any more than they have in our version of the world, would violent crime make me inclined to support gun control now?

It would seem a simple question, and as one who has talked a lot about our right to keep and bear arms, it’s easy to say that I’d still say no. Yes, even if I had no grounds to argue it was a right.

Why?

Because the people asking me to support it don’t seem to care all that much about so-called gun violence.

I’ve covered the shooting in Tucson with a couple of posts. It’s gotten a little lost following Seattle, but it still happened, and while Seattle has shown that Washington state’s gun control policies failed, Tucson shows us something different.

The attack wasn’t a “random act of gun violence.” According to a news report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the suspect, who was arrested and faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with serious physical injury and discharging a firearm at a structure, should have been in jail at the time.

As NSSF pointed out, Pima County Attorney Laura Conover noted in an emailed statement that the suspect, 21-year-old David Leroy French, was previously charged for firing a weapon during an altercation, according to Arizona Family News. KOLD also reported that in October 2024, police said French fired a gun at the man and missed.

French could have gotten nine years — he got probation instead

While French could have faced up to nine years in prison, he did not serve any jail time. Instead, he was put on probation, and remained on probation at the time of the attack.

See, even without gun rights as a rallying cry, I would still see no reason to give up my guns when the problem is that so many of these incidents turn out to be criminals who should have been put in prison, but weren’t.

How are you going to tell me that lawfully obtained guns are the problem when you’re literally refusing to lock up those who criminally misuse a firearm? Just as I’d refuse to give up my car because of drunk drivers who won’t stop driving even without a license, I’m not going to give up my guns because of criminals who keep committing violent crimes when they should be worrying about not dropping the soap.

Luckily, the Second Amendment does exist. Gun rights do exist. The Second Amendment is the backbone of our defense of those gun rights.

Recently, I’ve been watching conspiracy theory videos for fun. The ideas of aliens from Atlantis building the pyramids, reptilians infiltrating the United States government, all sorts of things like that. No, I don’t believe in them, though the time since 2020 and Fauci’s diary might make me rethink some of this.

I bring this up because it’s harder and harder to tell myself that crap like this isn’t intentional. If you refuse to punish violent criminals, then use their violence to justify gun control, it’s hard not to see a connection there.

I’m not saying it’s on purpose. I will say, though, that if they were going to try and create more of a demand for gun control through increases in violent crime, I can’t think of anything I’d do differently.

The natural right of self-defense is what the Second Amendment is about. Not hunting. Anyone who interjects hunting into discussions of the Second Amendment is either trying to deceive or doesn’t know the amendment and its true purpose. -Bryan Preston

Herbert Jacobi

I’ve posted this elsewhere so it’s a recycle(sorry about that). If they admit to themselves that they were wrong, and seriously wrong, then they might start wondering about what else they might be wrong (umm, incorrect?) about.

And where does that lead, Immigration, Climate Change? Were they wrong about Israel\Gaza? Were they wrong about Trump (the horror, the horror). Were they wrong about Socialism, Communism, China, Net Zero. The Population Bomb exploded in their face, ditto Peak Oil, And so on and so forth.

Deep down they can’t admit the people they consider inferiors (intellectually, morally, ethically, spiritually fillintheblankly) might have been correct. Once the Cascade Preference starts you don’t know where it will end. The horror, the horror, indeed.

By the way as the old saying goes With Friends like that who needs enemies. I believe the correct appellation is he was a Fair Weather Friend.