Category: Self Defense

Armed robber killed when victim fights for control of his gun

CHICAGO — An armed robber is dead, apparently shot by his own firearm as the would-be victim tried to gain control of the weapon on Saturday afternoon, Chicago police said.

Police initially responded to calls of three men beating a man on the ground in the 1500 block of West Garfield around 2:51 p.m. First responders soon learned that the subject of the beating was also the robber, who had been mortally wounded by a gunshot, too.

CPD said a 43-year-old man was working outside when the still-unidentified robber walked up, displayed a gun, and demanded property.

A struggle for control of the firearm began, resulting in the robber suffering a single gunshot wound to his chest, according to police. He died a short time later at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

An officer at the scene said they found a gun and a ski mask at the scene.

Video shows store employee shooting at armed robbery suspect in New Orleans East incident

NEW ORLEANS — Surveillance video reveals the tense moments leading up to a fatal shooting during an armed robbery at a convenience store in New Orleans East.

The shooting happened in the 8400 Blk of S I-10 Service Road around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The store employee told WWL Louisiana that two young people walked in with guns and demanded cash. 16-year-old Cecil Batiz was killed in the incident. Police identified the other suspect as 18-year-old Teony Juarez.

Burglary suspect shot by Northern California homeowner, arrested following pursuit

A homeowner in Sacramento shot an intruder, who then went on to steal a car and lead police on a lengthy pursuit before being taken into custody, authorities said.

The attempted break-in took place about 3 p.m. Friday in a residential neighborhood in the 7200 block of Chandler Drive, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials said the would-be burglar arrived at the home and began trying to break windows in an attempt to get inside.

“The homeowner, who was home with his family, yelled at the intruder several times to stop,” the sheriff’s department said in a written statement. The intruder refused and continued trying to smash windows.

An alleged burglar was shot by a homeowner in Sacramento before stealing a car, smashing it through the door of a closed garage and leading deputies on an hour-long pursuit on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, officials said.
“The homeowner, fearing for his safety and that of his family, shot at (the suspect) from inside the residence, striking (him) in the hand,” according to the statement.

Authorities said the wounded suspect then ran to another nearby house, where no one was home, and managed to get inside.

He then found the keys to a car that was parked in the garage and drove it through a closed garage door, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies caught up with the just-stolen car and tried to pull it over, leading to a pursuit.

The chase continued for about an hour before deputies used a PIT maneuver to bring it to an end at Highway 99 and Arno Road, officials said. The suspect was then taken into custody.

Emelio Correa, 40, was treated for his injuries at a hospital before being booked into jail on suspicion of burglary, auto theft, vandalism and evading police, according to sheriff’s officials and county booking records.

Bail was set at $100,000 pending an initial court appearance.

Suspect killed, food vendor with Concealed-Carry License hurt in exchange of gunfire in Austin (Chicago neighborhood)

CHICAGO (WLS) — A food vendor with a Concealed-Carry License shot and killed a man who pulled a gun on him Friday night, Chicago police said.

Police said the shooting happened in the South Austin neighborhood’s 300-block of South Central Avenue just before 9 p.m.

A 30-year-old man approached a 35-year-old man, who is a food vendor, and there was a brief struggle, police said.

Police said the 30-year-old took out a gun, and the 35-year-old, who is a CCL holder, also took out a gun.

There was an exchange of gunfire, and the 30-year-old, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his body, was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The Cook County Medical Examiner later said 34-year-old Demitrius Manning was killed in the incident. Police had reported earlier the man who died was 30 years old.

The 35-year-old food vendor, shot in his right arm, was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said.

Police said the incident is being investigated as an attempted robbery.

There were two firearms on the scene, and Area Four detectives are investigating, police said.

Police did not immediately provide further information about the shooting.

Enterprise [Alabama] Police Department

On November 18, 2024, at 11:05 AM, EPD Officers responded to the 800 block of County Road 266 on a shooting call. At the scene, Officers located one male victim with injuries to his head and one deceased male individual with a gun-shot wound to the pelvic area. Witnesses advised the suspect attacked the victim with a metal pipe after a verbal altercation. During the attack, the victim fired a single shot at the suspect. The suspect, identified as Patrick John Cerqua, age 59, was pronounced deceased at the scene. This investigation is still ongoing and no further information will be released.

 

Man dies after he was shot in the head while attempting to steal car in Northeast Philadelphia

An investigation is underway after a man shot another man who was attempting to steal his car while he was at an ATM in Northeast Philadelphia Friday afternoon, Philadelphia police said.

Officers responded to Frankford Avenue and Pratt Street after 3 p.m. for a shooting. This is near SEPTA’s Frankford Transit Center Station.

Authorities said a middle-aged man identified as John Doe was shot in the head. Police told CBS News Philadelphia that a man using the ATM left his car running, and another man jumped in to attempt to steal it.

The owner of the car, a licensed gun owner, shot into the car one time, hitting John Doe, according to police.

John Doe was taken to Temple University Hospital where he later died Friday evening, according to the Homicide Unit. He was pronounced at 6:17 p.m.

Authorities said SEPTA Police took the shooter into custody and there’s no other impact on SEPTA service.

Man killed during attempted Decatur break-in

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — A break-in at a Decatur residence Monday evening left one dead and another injured.

According to a release from the Decatur Police Department, around 7:38 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting at a home int he 2000 block of E. Damon Avenue. They found a 35-year-old male and 66-year-old female inside, both with gunshot wounds.

Emergency medical personnel took both to the Decatur Memorial Hospital, where the man succumbed to his injuries. The woman sustained “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Decatur Police.

Officers secured the crime scene at the residence before conducting a search of the property. Detectives recovered a handgun and four shell casings, which matched the caliber of the gun.

Witness statements and video surveillance footage indicated the woman was at her home when the man entered the property unlawfully. During this, a family member of the woman arrived at the home and encountered the man. He attempted to continue into the residence, when the family member shot at him with a handgun multiple times, striking him.

Further investigation revealed the man was on Mandatory Supervised Release through the Illinois Department of Corrections. He had no known association with the residence, Decatur Police added.

The family member, identified as a 48-year-old male, has a valid FOID card and active Concealed Carry License.

Decatur Police and the Macon County State’s Attorney are continuing with the investigation.

Best Self-Defense Tools? Um…I Don’t Know…How ‘Bout a Gun

Ok, so to start, I get that the article in question appeared in the New York Post, published in, of course New York City, where all things “guns” are strictly verboten, so a New Yorker is naturally going to get creative. But therein lies the problem: When trying to determine or write an article about the best self-defense tools available, there is clearly, one option that trumps all others. The others are nice, maybe even kinda cool. But none of them are a gun. A firearm in virtually any of its many designs and configurations is the best self-defense tool ever created by man and, some bumper sticker enthusiasts might argue, perfected by Samual Colt. In the game of rock, paper, scissors, if you added nuke, which would beat all the others combined, the gun plays that same role in a discussion of self-defense tools.

But, for shits and giggles, let’s play along for a minute.

So the Post article, “How to stay safe with some of the best self-defense tools on the market,” was a nice New York-safe (sort of, more on that in a minute) article by Emma Sutton-Williams. A quick look at Ms. Sutton-Williams’ bio reveals she is an ardent electric scooter rider, a proud dog mom to a designer breed of Mini Sheepadoodle (not sure what that really is though speculating it’s a super ineffective version of a tiny sheep dog mixed with some version of poodle and is likely infinitely cute and hypoallergenic) and is a Julliard-trained violinist (impressive). She is no doubt quite talented, rather smart, exceptionally cultured, fashionably attractive, a solid writer and likely has zero familiarity or knowledge of firearms.

So, she got creative and looked at the typical non-gun items that can be used to knock an attacker senseless or simply attack his (or her) senses. Here was the author’s premise:

“In a world where chaos has taken root, propelled by social media and broadcasted entertainment, we constantly feel its toll on our society. The atmosphere is charged with a fearful undertone, robbing us of tranquility, even joy, if we let it. The world has stopped listening to one another, causing a wake of public shaming, name-calling, and acts of violence.

“In an effort to make our readers feel as safe as possible, we researched the best self-defense tools and techniques to feel protected and empowered. Knowing how to shield yourself is crucial whether you’re walking alone at night or navigating crowded public spaces.”

The Post is doing a little what The Truth About Guns is doing. We want our readers to feel safer, too. We just take a more direct, reliable approach to promoting that safety.

Continue reading “”

ANTI-GUNNERS MORE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC DISARMAMENT THAN SAFETY—CCRKBA

BELLEVUE, WA – A recent report by ABC News that gun control groups are vowing to “double down” against incoming President Donald Trump if he pursues national concealed carry reciprocity only proves anti-gunners are more interested in citizen disarmament than in public safety, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said in response.

“National concealed carry reciprocity simply would mean American citizens would no longer leave their right of self-defense at a state border,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “The gun prohibition lobby needs to come clean and admit they don’t care if law-abiding citizens can’t defend themselves while traveling. They’re not interested in public safety, only public disarmament.”

A national reciprocity bill passed the U.S. House in 2017, but was never brought up in the Senate, and Democrats have opposed the idea. Now, however, with Capitol Hill under Republican control, and Trump on record as vowing to sign legislation if it hits his desk, anti-gunners—including Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence—are promising a fight to keep people traveling from one state to another vulnerable to criminal attack.

“The gun ban crowd can couch their arguments any way they want,” Gottlieb observed, “but when you boil it down, what they really want is for good people to be vulnerable to violent crime. Anti-gunners argue that reciprocity will make it easier for criminals to cross state lines, but that doesn’t pass the smell test because criminals are already doing that.

“Any notion that legally-armed Americans are somehow a threat to public safety when they journey to another state is manufactured paranoia,” he said.

“And,” Gottlieb added, “when armed citizens go to other states, they must obey that state’s gun laws. The argument that states will see their own gun laws eroded by reciprocity is yet another myth invented by anti-gunners to dissuade people from supporting reciprocity. Each state’s laws would remain intact, and they know it.”

Armed Intruder Shot by Homeowner During Break-In Attempt in DeSoto, Texas

On Friday, November 8, 2024, at approximately 7:54 p.m., police were dispatched to an active disturbance in the 400 block of Raintree Circle, DeSoto, Texas. The caller, an adult female, reported to dispatch that an unknown adult male armed with a pistol was in her backyard. During the 911 call, dispatch could hear screaming as the suspect attempted to force entry through the rear garage door. Multiple neighbors also called 911, reporting gunshots in the area. Police arrived on scene at the victim’s residence by 7:57 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers encountered the victim in front of her home. She informed them that she believed she had shot the suspect, who was likely at the back of the property. Police searched the premises and found the suspect lying on the ground inside the garage, with a pistol nearby. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Octavio Flores Mondragon, had sustained two gunshot wounds, one to the chest and another to the face. Officers secured the scene and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived. The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

The victim stated that she noticed a dark truck following her as she entered her neighborhood, and it pulled in behind her when she parked in her driveway. Concerned for her safety, she ran inside her home and called the police. She armed herself with her pistol as the suspect tried to break in, firing multiple shots to stop him. She then met officers at the front of her home when they arrived.

The suspect faces charges of Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Another Felony, a first-degree felony. No motive has been determined.

The pistol found beside the suspect is believed to be the firearm he had during the incident. [ya think?]

Country Singer Jay Allen Robbed at Gunpoint in East Nashville

Country singer Jay Allen has reconsidered his stance on gun ownership after being the victim of an armed robbery at an East Nashville grocery store.

The singer and former The Voice contestant opened up about the scary experience on social media, assuring fans that he’s “ok (besides being out a few bucks.)”

But what really distressed him wasn’t the loss of the money — it was the feeling of vulnerability and terror that stuck with him, even after the danger had passed.

“Even with having a muscular stature and being covered in tattoos, it didn’t matter,” Allen reflects. “He had a gun, and I didn’t. I felt helpless, taken advantage of, and mad at myself more than anything.”

In the wake of the incident, Allen says he made a big decision: To purchase a firearm for protection.

“I’ve always been on the fence about guns, but today I’m a proud new gun owner,” he continues. “It’s strictly for self-defense, and I will NEVER feel that way again.”

Allen also shared a closeup shot of his new pistol, as well as video of himself at a gun learning to use it.

I have only been to Minnesota twice. The first on a summer family vacation decades ago, and second, on a layover when flying to Alaska. Other than necessity required by the latter, I have no plans to ever visit that tyrant run state again

Is Your Private Vehicle a ‘Public Space’ When There’s a Gun Involved?

It’s an odd question stemming from an equally strange case, but that’s the question the Minnesota Supreme Court will soon answer after hearing oral arguments on Monday.

Back in 2022, a guy named Kyaw Be Bee was arrested for the misdemeanor charge of carrying a BB gun, rifle, or shotgun in a public place after police discovered a BB gun underneath the driver’s seat of Bee’s car. The deputy had become suspicious of Bee and another man when he spotted them standing near a vehicle in a parking lot around 2 a.m. Bee and his companion strolled back to their own vehicle when they became aware of the deputy, and once they drove away the deputy pulled them over, which is when he discovered the BB gun.

Bee’s attorney argued in a pre-trial hearing that a private vehicle should not be considered a public place and a judge agreed; dismissing the misdemeanor charge after reasoning that a private vehicle is not a public place, even when it’s on a public road.

Prosecutors appealed that decision and the Minnesota Court of Appeals found in their favor, ruling that private cars on public roads should be considered public spaces. Bee’s attorneys then appealed to the state Supreme Court, which heard from both sides yesterday.

“To focus the law on the method of transportation upon a public roadway, instead of the geographic area of the roadway itself, ignores the clear statutory text, renders portions of the statute ineffective, leads to absurd results and is therefore not reasonable,” Saint Paul city attorney Lyndsey Olson, who argued for the state, told justices Monday.

However Drake Metzger, an attorney for Bee, said the statute is “unambiguous” about what makes a space public.

The law defines public space as “property owned, leased, or controlled by a governmental unit and private property that is regularly and frequently open to or made available for use by the public.”

Lawmakers included exceptions for hunters; target shooters; people’s homes or business; and gun shows and shops.

What the law doesn’t address is whether or not a private vehicle is considered a public place; it simply says that if a gun is being transported in compliance with the law, the statute does not apply.

“At the end of the day, the inside of a motor vehicle is not a public space under this definition,” Metzger said Monday.

Metzger also argued that his client could have been charged with carrying without a license based on how the BB gun was stored in the vehicle, but accusing Bee of having a gun in a public place when it was in his car just doesn’t make sense given the language of the statute.

Olson, arguing for the state, saw it differently.

“I don’t think that this is saying that being in a motor vehicle inherently means that you’re in a public place,” Olson said. “It depends on the geographical place that the vehicle is on.”

Bee could have been charged with another crime as well, Olson said, public safety is at the root of gun laws.

“The consequences of a particular interpretation excluding vehicles on public roadways from public space could risk public safety by allowing the gun possession within vehicles without restriction,” she said.

The problem with Olson’s argument, at least from my perspective, is that it requires “interpreting” the statute instead of simply reading and adhering to the text. As Metzer says, the law in question defines what constitutes a public space, and while it does include some private property, that property must be “regularly and frequently open or made available for use by the public”. Your car, my truck, and (presumably) Bee’s vehicle aren’t open for use by the public, even when they’re on a public road, so how could they reasonably be considered public spaces?

Even if the Minnesota Supreme Court finds in favor of Bee (which, given the makeup of the court, is probably unlikely), as his own attorney pointed out, the state could still have charged Bee with improper storage of the BB gun. Whether that statute is constitutional under the text, history, and tradition of the Second Amendment is another question for another day, but when it comes to the question of whether a private vehicle is a public space, I think the answer is and should obviously be “no.”

Texas homeowner shoots person during possible attempted break-in, police say
Fort Worth police said officers responded to a shooting call at approximately 12:05 a.m. on Berke Road.

FORT WORTH, Texas — One person was shot twice by a Fort Worth homeowner during a possible attempted break-in, police said.

The Fort Worth Police Department said officers responded at approximately 12:05 a.m. Wednesday to the 4300 block of Berke Road for a shooting call. When officers got to the home, they located a person who had been shot twice. Fort Worth police said Wednesday they believe from their investigation that the person was shot by the homeowner during a possible attempted break-in.

“He just protected our family. Yeah, he did what he had to do,” said Christina, whose husband shot the man. “It was self-defense, what I’m afraid of is for the guy getting out maybe through bond or something and coming back.”

That lingering fear is why she asked us not to use her last name as she told us what happened.

“In this neighborhood, we see a lot of stuff going on but we never thought we were gonna go through something like this,” she said. “Something so scary.”

She says it all started just before midnight, she, her husband and three young kids had already gone to bed.

“We were already asleep. I started hearing our dogs barking,” she said. “So I woke up my husband, I’m like, hey, something is going on.”

They looked out the window and saw a man on their property acting erratically.

“He already had tore down some part of the wooden fence,” Christina said. “He was just going back and forth in the backyard to our driveway.”

She called 9-1-1 and her husband grabbed his gun.

“He came to our driveway and with a plank, a wooden plank from our fence, he broke our daughter’s bedroom window,” Christina said.

Her husband screamed at him to go away.

“Instead of him leaving, he came and tried to open the door, our kitchen door. So that’s when my husband had to fire his gun,” she said.

Fort Worth police were there minutes later.

“The suspect was taken to the hospital he was shot a couple of times,” said Fort Worth Police public information officer Tracy Carter. “This guy is lucky to be alive. The homeowner did what any of us would have done, we’d wanna protect our family.”

According to Fort Worth city jail records, Jeremy Black, 35, was booked Wednesday morning on suspicion of burglary of a habitation in connection to the incident.

Police say Christina’s husband isn’t facing any legal action, but the family is still shaken up.

“It was really scary, especially for my children,” Christina said.

“Officers are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, and Gun Violence Detectives have been notified,” Fort Worth PD told WFAA by email.

Mother, son stabbed to death during home invasion; younger son shoots suspect in California

TULARE, Calif. — A home invasion ended in a tragic loss for a family already in mourning in California.

Surveillance video from last Thursday morning allegedly shows a burglar trying to break into a home on Berkeley Way in Tulare, California.
It appears he sees the camera then turns and moves on another home nearby.

That’s where police said Fabian Gamez, 30, tried to enter through the backyard, when he was confronted by the owner, Melissa Quinn, 58.
Gamez attacked Quinn with a knife, then her son Raymond Garza,38, tried to intervene and Gamez began stabbing him, detectives said.

The mother and her eldest son both died from their injuries.

“Losing them, not just one but both at the same time, is a huge hit to the family. They were our protectors and if anything happened they were the first to defend their family members,” said Michael Garza, who is Melissa’s second son and Raymond’s younger brother.

He says their youngest sibling heard the commotion, came out and shot the intruder.
He was able to keep the suspect from getting away until police arrived.

There were more than six people in the home, including Melissa’s father she cared for and Raymond’s children, ages 7, 9 and 19.

The two youngest kids also lost their mother in 2019 and are now coping with the trauma of another tragedy. “They are scared, what my nephew had to see his dad dying on the floor after being viciously stabbed by the intruder,” said Michael.

ABC Fresno affiliate KFSN found Gamez has a history of run-ins with police.
Detectives believe he’d been canvassing the area Wednesday night.
“Detectives now believe that he may have been burglarizing in the area,” explains Sgt. Rosa Moreno, with the Tulare Police Department.

Gamez pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of first degree murder and one count of residential burglary with special circumstances.

The victims’ loved ones say they will continue to fight for justice as they honor the mother and son.
“They were the limelight of any event they’d show up. Their personalities were always glowing,” said Michael.
The family now left with only memories and heartbreak.
Melissa leaves behind six grandkids and two sons.
Raymond leaves behind his three young children. He was their only living parent.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.

Gamez will be back in court next month.

Hawkins: Self-Defense Is the ‘Central Component’ of the Second Amendment

The Second Amendment references a militia, “the security of a free State,” and two specific rights–the right to possess arms and the right to carry them–and all of this is bound together by a general, overarching right to self-defense.

To put it simply, the Second Amendment is multi-faceted.

It is multi-faceted in the following ways: It makes clear the importance of the people being able to come together in militia, noting that such a militia must be “well regulated.” In other words, that militia must be well ordered. It warns that “the security of a free state” rests on the reality and performance of such a militia and then points specifically to the people’s right to “keep” arms and to “bear” arms, that is, the right to possess arms and to carry them.

Despite the numerous and different aspects of the Second Amendment, it remains simple to understand because all the aspects of it are held together by a central component, and that component is self-defense.

In the majority opinion for McDonald v. Chicago (2010), United States Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito wrote, “Self-defense is a basic right, recognized by many legal systems from ancient times to the present day, and in Heller, we held that individual self-defense is ‘the central component’ of the Second Amendment right.”

I like to present it this way when speaking to groups and organizations around the country: “Self-defense is the hinge on which the door of the Second Amendment swings.”

What does this mean for the American people? It means that while the Second Amendment protects guns, it protects other tools that can be used for self-defense as well. The “central component” of the Second Amendment is not a 9mm pistol or a .357 Magnum revolver, but the right to defend one’s own life and liberty with whatever tools are in common use for such defense in each period of America’s existence.

For example, the Massachusetts Supreme Court recently struck down that state’s ban on switchblades and issued an opinion which said, in part, “While both Heller and Bruen involved handguns, Second Amendment protections subsume more than just firearms.”

Your life is your most valuable possession, and the Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment in place to protect your right to defend that life. The vast majority of Americans believe a firearm is the best way to protect their lives, and the Second Amendment has them covered. A number of other Americans believe a knife or other tool is the best means for protecting their lives, and the Second Amendment has them covered as well.

Victim uses firearm to stop knife attack in North Haven

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A man was arrested after threatening someone with a knife in a parking lot on Thursday, police said.

Police said at around 11:35 a.m., Obadiah Claud, 45, charged the victim with a knife and the victim took out his legally possessed gun to try to stop the attack.
Claud fled in his car when the victim took out the gun, police said.

Detectives found Claud’s car in West Haven and arrested him at a local business nearby.
Claud was charged with threatening in the second degree, illegal possession of a deadly weapon, and breach of peace in the second degree.

According to police, this was not a random incident and there is no threat to the public.

Claud is being held on a $50,000 bond.

Man who shot, killed teen at weekend high school party will not face charges

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – Police and prosecutors say the man who shot and killed a 17-year-old boy at a high school party over the weekend will not face criminal charges as he was acting in self-defense.

Investigators have learned that the deceased, Willie Ivy III, came to a home in the 4900 block of Manistee Drive for a high school Halloween party being advertised on social media. Partygoers were told to bring their own alcohol and marijuana and were patted down for weapons before entering the home.

Police say the “party quickly got out of hand” and the parent of the household member hosting the party “retreated to her bedroom and locked the door” without notifying police of the situation.
[That, right there, is the sort of parental negligence that, in my opinion, was the proximate cause of this. If the police had been called, it’s probable that none of this would have happened. – Miles]

When Ivy and his friends arrived, police say they went to the back door to avoid being patted down.

Two of the nine other people shot tried to stop the group from entering, but they forced their way into the home, according to a press release from the Fort Wayne Police Department. Ivy then pulled out a handgun and began firing shots as he walked through the back door, kitchen and living room.

Evidence shows that nine of the shooting victims, who ranged in age from 14 to 20 years old, were struck by bullets from Ivy’s gun.

Police say a partygoer, acting in self-defense, then returned fire from his own handgun and fatally shot Ivy, the release says. That man will not face criminal charges “as his actions were justified under established Indiana self-defense law.”

Police say the investigation is ongoing and other criminal charges may be filed at a later date. Fort Wayne Police Captain Jeremy Webb says the department is investigating charges for the homeowner, which the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office will review

Homicide charges in fatal shooting of Bolivar student dismissed on basis of self-defense

The Polk County Prosecutor’s Office is dismissing a homicide case on the basis of self-defense, according to a press release.

Corey Keith Nielsen, 34, was charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Bolivar High School student on July 27. All charges have been dismissed.

According to the initial report, the 17-year-old was driving a pickup truck with nine people on the road near the Morrisville property where Nielsen, his wife and four children were staying. Someone in the bed of the truck ignited an “aerial type firework” and threw it into Nielsen’s yard. Nielsen fired multiple rounds from a semi-automatic rifle at the pickup, striking the truck multiple times. Later investigations showed that the 17-year-old was struck once in his torso.

A review of the finalized investigation and a deliberation by a panel of local community members culminated in the decision that Nielsen acted in defense of others under Missouri law. The prosecutor’s office also consulted with other county prosecutors.

The panel indicated that Nielsen was likely justified in his actions under Missouri’s self-defense laws: “The fireworks were large enough to have presented a significant risk to the lives and safety of the family, and under Missouri law, such a threat may warrant a defensive response. It does not matter what the intent of the group was; even if they did not intend to cause physical harm, Mr. Nielsen would be judged on what dangers he reasonably perceived in the situation.”

After reviewing the case, the panel was provided the same jury instructions a trial jury would receive, and the “vast majority” of the panel said they would rule that Nielsen acted in self-defense.

“The Polk County Prosecutor’s Office has therefore dismissed the charges against Mr. Corey Nielsen, as this office feels there to be no likelihood that a jury unanimously find Mr. Nielsen guilty of a crime,” the Polk County Prosecutor’s Office said in the press release.

CCL holder shoots carjacking suspect in Gresham

CHICAGO (WLS) — A 16-year-old suspect was shot after trying to hijack a man on the city’s South Side, according to Chicago police.

The crime happened at about 5:20 a.m. near 82nd Street and Ashland Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood.

A 47-year-old man was inside his Toyota Camry when a group of four people jumped him and demanded his car.

Police said someone “discharging a chemical agent” on the victim. Police did not specify what the chemical was.

The victim, who has a valid FOID and CCL, shot at the suspects.

One of the suspects, 16, was shot in the left knee and his left arm was grazed by a bullet. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay.

The other suspects fled in the victim’s Toyota Camry and headed eastbound.

The victim was treated on the scene. No other injuries have been reported.

No charged have been announced. Chicago police are investigating.

Retired police officer shoots suspected vehicle thief on West Side

CHICAGO (WLS) — A man suspected of trying to break into a car on the West Side was shot by the car’s owner Thursday morning, Chicago police said.

The incident occurred at about 2:26 a.m. in the 300 block of North Mayfield Avenue.

Police said a 53-year-old man was trying to break into a vehicle when he was confronted by the owner.

Some sort of a struggle ensued and the owner, who sources said is a retired police officer, shot at the suspect.

The suspect was hit in the right shoulder and taken to Mt. Sinai, where he is listed in good condition.

Area Four detectives are investigating.”