Category: Self Defense

Florida bill would allow armed volunteers to protect churches, synagogues, mosques
Sen. Don Gaetz said he ‘hoped (the bill) would never have been necessary.’

It’s rare when Sen. Don Gaetz says he filed a bill that he “hoped would never have been necessary.”

“But pastors in my area came to me with the request that I help them,” said Gaetz, R-Niceville, of Senate Bill 52.

The bill he spoke of, entitled “Security Services at Places of Worship,” would provide an exemption from licensure requirements for certain volunteers who provide armed security for places of worship.

“I hope the bill will help in assisting churches who feel like they have to protect themselves and their parishioners,” Gaetz said.

Here’s why: A string of recent shootings across the country and a major Florida court ruling on gun rights have reignited the national debate over firearms.

Recently in late August, two children were killed and and 17 people, including 14 children, were wounded after a shooter opened fire at a Catholic church in Minneapolis.

And last week, on the same day conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed at an event at a Utah university, two teenagers were wounded after a 16-year-old student fired shots inside his Colorado high school. He later killed himself as authorities confronted him outside.

In Florida, the state’s 1st District Court of Appeal declared unconstitutional  a state law that bans the open carrying of firearms. A three-judge panel said the ban was incompatible with the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of Sept. 18, there have been 305 mass shootings in 2025.

Gaetz’s bill will allow volunteers who meet certain requirements to provide security for places of worship if the security plan is approved by the local sheriff’s office; the volunteer has a valid Florida concealed carry permit and does not receive compensation for the security work; and if they pass a level 2 background check.

A level 2 background check is a state and federal-level fingerprint-based check, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The bill language says “place of worship” but also includes the words “church, mosque, or synagogue.”

“I was approached by Protestant ministers,” Gaetz said, adding that he has not spoken to Roman Catholic clergy, imams or rabbis.

But “I took the liberty of defining a house of worship in a way that would include all denominations,” he explained.

Antisemitic incidents in the United States have increased in the past couple of years, according to the Anti-Defamation League. In 2024, these incidents rose for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 9,354 total incidents, the highest level ever recorded in 45 years of record keeping.

There will be a companion bill in the Florida House, Gaetz said, and he expects it to be filed in the coming days. The 2026 legislative session convenes Jan. 13, and committee weeks begin Oct. 6.

If passed, the measure will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Americans Prefer Communities With Guns
Gun bans aren’t gaining traction.

With so many laws on the books regulating gun ownership and enforcing myriad gun control measures, it’s more than a bit surprising that Americans prefer law-abiding citizens be allowed to have firearms in their neighborhoods. This includes those who identify as Democrats. A new survey conducted by Napolitan News Service reveals 53% of voters “prefer to live in a community where people are allowed to own guns, while 38% say they would prefer to live where guns are outlawed.” This includes 76% of those who self-identify as Republican and 63% of Democrats.

By an almost 2-1 margin, men say they want to live in an area where their friends and neighbors are allowed to own guns. Women, however, appear to have mixed feelings, with 44% saying they prefer to have firearms outlawed. Forty-three percent of women want to live in a location where guns are allowed.

When asked about gun violence and so-called “mass shootings,” 56% of those polled would rather have the laws already on the books enforced over passing new legislation. Concerning matters of race, it’s clear that blacks and Hispanics are more concerned about “mass shootings.” Only 3% of whites said it was “very likely” that a close family member might be killed in a random shooting, but 11% of blacks and 9% of Hispanics felt more personally threatened.

Sending Thoughts and Prayers

After the recent killing of innocent schoolchildren in Minnesota, controversy erupted over the frequently used phrase “sending thoughts and prayers” to the families of those tragically killed. This poll reveals that only 26% of voters were bothered by this phraseology; 71% said those comments were not offensive.

Perhaps less shocking is that 77% of elites, that is, people with a postgraduate education who make more than $150,000 annually and live in highly populated urban areas, “favor banning private ownership of guns.”

Twenty-two states currently have constitutional carry laws. These gun-friendly states follow the Second Amendment more closely by permitting citizens to have the legal right to both open and concealed carry without having to get a license. These locations tend to be more rural, while urban areas – where much of the gun violence occurs – are more likely to restrict gun ownership.

The most gun-friendly states in the United States include Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona, with Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri coming in the second tier.

Guns in the Hands of Law-Abiding Citizens

Recently, it was revealed that FBI statistics “massively undercounted defensive gun use for years,” according to Liberty Nation News. Author Graham Noble zeroed in on a report from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) that showed “massive errors” in FBI data during Joe Biden’s administration. “If your agenda is to turn public opinion against gun ownership and spread the fear of gun violence, the last thing you want is people knowing guns can be, and often are, used to deter or prevent crime,” Noble astutely noted.

Conveniently leaving out the many times guns were used to stop crime in order to advance a political agenda is diabolical. The CPRC counted 561 active shootings in which 202 armed civilian interventions were reported. But the FBI recorded only 374 “active” shootings in which 14 armed civilians intervened. A spread that wide cannot be attributed to a simple error.

The fact is that more people surveyed feel safer in communities where law-abiding citizens have their firearms at the ready. And it shows that, instinctively, Americans know that guns in the hands of a good guy are the best defense during an active crime involving handguns.

Homeowner shoots, kills intruder in apparent self-defense in Pierce County

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Sunday morning in what appears to be a case of self-defense, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. when the homeowner called 911 to report the shooting.

Deputies arrived at the scene to find a 36-year-old man with a single gunshot wound on the back porch. Despite attempts to save his life, the man was pronounced dead.

Prior to the shooting, the suspect was captured on multiple homeowners’ security cameras walking around various properties in the area.

The 51-year-old homeowner has been cooperative with authorities, and no arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

Detectives and forensic teams are actively working at the scene to gather more information.

How 9/11 Made Me Understand Importance of Gun Ownership

The idea of 24 years sounds like an awfully long time. This day, 24 years ago, seems almost like yesterday to me. Especially in the wake of what happened to Charlie Kirk yesterday.

I was home from work. I’d been having a series of migraines and took a week off to deal with that. I woke up and turned on the TV, only to see one of the towers of the World Trade Center burning.

My wife was out with my then-infant son. He was two months old that day and had a checkup, so she was unaware of anything happening. I wasn’t. I saw the second plane hit. I saw the reports of what happened at the Pentagon and of a plane crash in Pennsylvania.

My nation was under attack, and no one had a clue what was next.

All of these reports kept staggering in, adding to the horror we all felt, and I honestly didn’t know if or when it was going to stop. My nation was under attack, and I, not that long out of the Navy, was powerless to do anything. Would the attacks come to our front doors?

I was powerless.

At the time, I didn’t own a single firearm. I had nothing with which to defend my home.

I wasn’t anti-gun. I just hadn’t bothered to get one. Guns were expensive, and I had a young family and wasn’t exactly making the big bucks. There were always other things to buy.

It was clear, at that moment, that needed to change.

No, it turned out that there wasn’t another wave coming on that fateful day. Four planes were all there was, though that was more than enough.

In the coming days and weeks, America changed for a time. We were a nation more or less united. We had an enemy, someone to focus our ire on other than one another. We went to war, then stayed there. An entire generation grew up in the shadow of conflict. First in Afghanistan, then Iraq. Millions put on the uniform and served. Thousands never came home. Tens of thousands came home battered and broken in some way.

But many of us became aware that the bad guys could hit us at home, and that those brave men and women couldn’t be a complete and total shield for the United States.

We’d have to step up.

I carry a gun these days, not just for pedestrian crime from violent Americans or illegal immigrants, but because the Jihadists who hated us then hate us now. I refuse to feel that kind of powerless in the face of such evil ever again.

Since that day, we’ve seen other terrorist attacks on American soil. The nature of radical Islam hasn’t changed, nor has its desire to bring down the freest nation on Earth, the one they call “The Great Satan.” They just haven’t accomplished anything on that scale since that day.

Now, they attack on a more personal level, and should that happen, I refuse to just be a victim.

I might die, but I’ll die fighting, trying to protect others and the nation I love so dearly.

Without our gun rights, I’d be left with harsh language and skills with weapons generally too archaic to take seriously, even as terrorist networks arm their future martyrs across borders without regard for local laws.

Luckily, I do have them, so rather than challenge them to a fight with longswords or spears, I can just shoot them as God and Sam Colt intended.

6 shot, 2 fatally, following robbery attempt at Oakland pawn shop, police say

OAKLAND, Calif. — Two people were shot dead and four were injured during a robbery attempt at a pawn shop in East Oakland on Wednesday evening, according to police.

UPDATE: 2 suspects killed in ‘gun battle’ with Oakland pawn shop owner after attempted robbery

Just before 7:45 p.m., several people were shot in the 7100 block of International Boulevard at the Cash 4 Gold pawn shop, according to the police officers’ union.

According to the preliminary investigation, individuals armed with weapons entered the pawn shop and an exchange of gunfire took place between these individuals and the workers inside the establishment, the department said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located multiple people who were struck by the gunfire. Medical personnel confirmed that one person was deceased. Five other people who were struck by gunfire, including the business owner, were taken to an area hospital, where a second person was confirmed dead, the Oakland Police Department said. The remaining three suspects were in stable condition as of 10:30 p.m., and the owner is expected to survive, according to Oakland Police Officers Association spokesperson Sam Singer.

Singer said a robber allegedly pulled a gun on the store owner, who then pulled a gun on the robber and four accomplices.

A “major gun battle” ensued, said Singer.

The store owner allegedly shot and killed the two people and wounded the other three.

Detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the department said. The Oakland Police Department will be holding a press conference on Thursday.

Robber shot by bystander, 2nd suspect killed in Dania Beach: BSO

A robbery attempt in Dania Beach left one suspect injured and another one dead on Saturday night, deputies said.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, at around 6:52 p.m., deputies received reports of a shooting near the 600 block of Stirling Road.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they learned that the suspect had been shot after they robbed a bystander and a business in the area of the 800 block of Stirling Road.

Deputies said the suspect was found in the parking lot of the business, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

His condition and identity have not been released.

As deputies continued to investigate the incident, they learned that a second subject tried to run over the bystander during the shooting, which prompted the bystander to fire shots at the vehicle.

Video shows the window of the driver’s side door and shattered glass scattered on the ground alongside bloody clothes

The vehicle was later found near the 100 block of Phippen Waiters Road, and the driver suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The driver was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

His identity has not been released.

Deputies have not said if the bystander who fired those shots will be charged.

An investigation into the incident remains active.

Not so strangely, because the Israeli government is scared that their Arab citizens would arm themselves and go off on their own murder sprees, there is no RKBA, and possession of guns by the general population has always been severely restricted, the Israeli government apparently having decided that a few dead Jewish citizens are better than possibly more dead from an internal Arab uprising.

Israel Bus Attack: Armed Civilians Helped ‘Neutralize’ Terrorist Killers

By Dave Workman

An unknown number of “armed civilians” is being credited with helping “neutralize” two terrorists who opened fire at a Jerusalem bus stop Monday morning, perhaps underscoring the benefit of armed citizens who can fight back.

Various news agencies are reporting the tragedy, which so far has claimed six lives and left at least a dozen wounded. The Times of Israel is reporting that the Palestinian terrorists were residents of the Wet Bank. They opened fire on people waiting at a bus stop. An off-duty soldier immediately returned fire, and so did “a number of civilians.”

Fox News’ report only indicated one armed citizen was involved, but the Associated Press is also indicating more than one armed civilian was involved.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says the incident “underscores the importance of an armed citizenry.” Continue reading “”

You will fight how you have been trained, so train like you will fight.
(Even if you haven’t trained, and in that event you will likely fight like a clown act in a 3 ring circus)
HINT
Church security teams attend BFA training in Middletown

On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, church security team members from as far away as Texas attended a training class in Middletown, Ohio, sponsored by Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA).

Protecting Houses of Worship is an all-new training class designed to introduce participants to the unique security needs of churches. Training includes the history of active killing events, including current tragedies, plus “stop the bleed” medical training, active killer response tactics, and realistic threat scenarios.

“It’s a sad reality that we have to have something like this in our churches, but we want to make sure that we are ready, prepared, and we’re in the right mindset for any situation that comes toward us,” said Kyle Eaton, the safety and security team leader at Quest Church in Middletown.

Unfortunately, churches are soft targets. They’re highly vulnerable because during services, they host large groups of people in an open room, sitting close together, and unable to quickly move away from a threat.

And to make matters worse, many churches will not acknowledge their vulnerability. They probably install smoke detectors and sprinklers to suppress a fire or install AEDs and first aid kits to deal with medical emergencies, but refuse to consider active killer threats or take steps to protect church members.

But for congregations with a more realistic mindset, Protecting Houses of Worship can provide a solid starting point to form or train a security team.

If your church is interested in hosting a class, contact BFA. There is no live fire or loaded firearms in this class. SIRT laser pistols (provided) allow all participants to safely practice effective response tactics in a realistic church setting.

 

 

The False Choice of Protecting Kids or Our Second Amendment Rights

There is no widespread support for repealing the Second Amendment, but every time there’s a high-profile shooting some anti-gunners inevitably use the tragedy to push for getting rid of our right to keep and bear arms.

I’ve seen numerous posts on social media demanding that we give up those rights in order to protect innocent schoolchildren, as well as several letters to the editor in various newspapers, like this one that recently appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal. ….

It is now way past time for each of us to ask ourselves a question: Which is more important for me — the right of a child to live or my right to keep and bear arms given to me by the sacred Second Amendment to our Constitution?

I’ve been hearing variations of this question for as long as I’ve been reporting on Second Amendment issues, but its very premise is nonsensical. The Second Amendment has existed since 1791, and there has never been any widespread effort to amend or repeal it. Does that mean that every generation that’s come before us, including the one that enshrined the right to keep and bear arms in the Constitution, believed those rights were more important than the lives of children?

The Second Amendment largely exists to defend lives, and most of us understand that even if the Second Amendment were repealed tomorrow, evil individuals would still be targeting innocent victims.
Continue reading “”

What We Didn’t Learn About Mass Murder

For every problem there is a quick, cheap, and simple solution.. that doesn’t work. A mentally ill person attacked a church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We’ve been there before. Why are we attracted to solutions that fail time after time?

We love our children. Let’s put up a plastic sign that tells honest people to keep their guns outside our schools. It turns out that murderers are attracted by plastic signs that advertise disarmed victims. We would rather put up another sign than admit that criminals ignore our regulations.

We love to concentrate on our spiritual life at church. It is a rare moment to escape from the pressing cares of the world. Let’s pass a regulation so that honest citizens won’t bring their guns to church. It turns out that our honest neighbors were never a violent problem. Narcissistic mass-murderers look for disarmed victims. These murderers almost always attack “gun-free” zones. Why do we want to make it easier for violent murderers to find their victims?

We hate the idea that our laws don’t work. That is why we require mandatory background checks before someone may buy or own a firearm. Background checks don’t work on criminals because criminals don’t buy their guns at gun shops any more than they buy their drugs at the drug store. Background checks look backwards, and mass-murder is a one-and-done carrier choice.

In hindsight, mass murderers look crazy. Unfortunately, we seldom see mental health professionals diagnose and report a violent patient. We have seen several mass-murderers who were receiving mental health counselling. Experience taught us that mental health treatment isn’t aways a cure. We shouldn’t count on talk-therapy to protect the people we love.

Maybe you once wanted to hurt your neighbors. I’ll bet that feeling left as quickly as it came. Since sober reflection works to stops most of us, we passed mandatory waiting periods in the hope that gun-control regulations would stop violent murderers. It turns out that violent murderers are not like us. They are persistent. They spend years pleasantly planning their violent revenge. Waiting periods don’t stop mass-murderers, but they do disarm honest people who have an urgent need for armed defense. I don’t want our laws to disarm people who flee domestic abuse.

Politicians sold us ammunition capacity restrictions in the hope that less capable murderers would lead to fewer victims. That doesn’t really work in practice. Our honest neighbors defend themselves with a firearm about 2.8-million times a year. The victims are usually the first responders who stop violence. Making the victim less capable doesn’t make us safer when a crazy man attacks a church. We’ve seen what honest defenders can do time after time.

We are wiser as we grow older. That was why we passed age restrictions on firearms purchases and ownership. It also turns out that young people are frequent victims of crime. Disarming the co-ed as she walks home from her job at the convenience store doesn’t make us safer. It does make her an easier victim, and that is what criminals look for.

We know what works. The mass-murderers told us what they wanted. Also, we conducted the experiment with armed defenders a few million times. We’ve never had a mass murderer attack a school that publicly posted a policy of armed school staff. If we want to stop the attack before it happens, then we take down the no-guns signs that attract mass murderers. In public spaces where our neighbors are allowed to defend themselves, we see them save the next dozen victims who would die if we waited for the police to defend us. Unfortunately, defending your school, your church, or your home is harder than passing a law and putting up a plastic sign.

We know how to save lives. Our doctor tells us to eat moderately and exercise regularly. Armed defense isn’t hard, and it works. Like following our doctor’s advice, the difficult news is that we have to do it every day.

Is Europe Still Safe? Migrant Sex Crimes Surge While Children Face Arrest For Self-Defence

14-year-old girl in Dundee ©Screenshot via Right Angle News Network/Unsplash

From the streets of Dundee to the courtrooms of Düsseldorf, Europe is grappling with a troubling wave of migrant-linked sex crime cases. In a shocking twist, it is often the victims, not the perpetrators, who find themselves punished.

The arrest of a 14-year-old Scottish girl for brandishing a knife in self-defence has sparked outrage and raised an unsettling question across the continent: is Europe still safe, or has justice turned against those it is meant to protect?

Teen Arrested After Standing Up to Alleged Attacker
In Dundee, police arrested a 14-year-old girl who pulled out a knife when confronted by a man near St Ann’s Lane. Officers charged her with carrying a ‘bladed weapon’.

The teenager insists she acted only to protect herself and a friend from a migrant man who was allegedly recording them. Campaigners online said she had been punished for survival, not for committing a crime.

One social media user wrote: ‘She chose not to be raped by an invader, therefore, she was arrested by her own police.’

Her arrest has ignited a fierce debate in Britain. Critics ask whether the justice system is protecting young girls or leaving them exposed.

Continue reading “”

Alleged attempted robber shot during online sale meetup in Dunwoody

DUNWOODY, Ga. – Dunwoody police are investigating after an alleged attempted robber was shot, according to police.

Officers said the shooting happened at the Columns at Lake Ridge Apartments in the 3900 block of Lake Ridge Lane around 3:30 p.m. Saturday. A man who lived in the complex made arrangements to meet two other men there to sell something he’d listed online.

When the three men met, an attempted robbery took place. Then, gunfire was exchanged, according to police. One of the alleged robbers was shot. That person was arrested when officers arrived.

The other man left the scene and police are searching for him.

Nobody else was injured, according to police.

Sheriff Jim’s latest

Remember The Combat Triad.

Owning a gun is only the beginning.

When Jeff Cooper was working on the lesson plans that have become the curriculum at Gunsite Academy, he developed the Combat Triad. These were three equal elements that combine to make us a harder target against criminal attack. They are Marksmanship, Gun Handling and Mindset. These are the three areas that give us the life-saving skills to overcome violent encounters.

Marksmanship begins with a person obtaining a defensive firearm that is compatible to his particular needs. We have to realize that accurate shooting is not a skill that we are born with. Rather, it comes from getting training to develop the necessary skills and then continual practice to keep those skills fresh. In short, we have to learn to hit targets at various distances and to do so as accurately as possible. A friend of mine said that we have to remember that there is a lawyer attached to every bullet that we fire. In other words there are a lot of reasons that it is important to develop the skill level that allows you to hit your target and not endanger non-combatants.

Gun handling first requires us to learn to handle our defensive handgun safely at all times; see the above comment about a lawyer attached to every bullet that we fire. Beyond that, we must learn to make a fast draw stroke, find our sights and get on target quickly. But gun handling also involves learning quick reloading and effectively dealing with any malfunction that is characteristic of the chosen firearm. Different guns may be run differently and maintained differently; it is up to the user to know these things about his chosen defensive tool.

Mindset has to do with spotting trouble and knowing effective ways to deal with it. The best pistol shot that you know of is in trouble if he doesn’t understand how to recognize a serious problem and have a plan for dealing with that problem. If I see the potential criminals while they are still a ways down the street, I am keeping an eye on them and have already spotted close cover options and several exits, I am way ahead of the game. Mindset consists of alertness, ways to avoid trouble and ways to deal with it effectively if it is forced upon us. Through mindset we learn to use the skills developed in marksmanship and gun handling to their greatest advantage.

We need to continually remind ourselves that this whole process is not a “one and done” kind of deal. Instead, it is an ongoing education and ongoing practice deal. What we were taught or what we could do 20 years ago is really of little value if we haven’t kept up with our training and practice.  So it is important to continually think of our defensive skills in terms of the combat triad. Marksmanship, Gun Handling and Mindset – the recipe for survival.

92 Ohio school districts now allow staff to carry blasters

Ohio has been doing this since 2022, a year that saw 22 school districts arm their staffs after the passage of a new law allowing the practice. Fast-forward to 2025 and that number is 92.

The main argument for arming these teachers is that in rural areas like Eastern Ohio where Benjamin Logan Local School District is located, it takes too long (about 10-15 minutes) for police to arrive during an active shooter situation. With armed staff, this isn’t as much of a problem.

These armed staff members are required to take basic firearms training before they can carry in school.

Believe it or not, 30 states allow school staff to carry firearms.

From Newsweek:

 

 

 

Here’s what the comments look like on Twitter when it comes to the above report on Benjamin Logan:

 

Mother with baby fatally shoots suspected home invader in Joliet

JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) — A mother with a baby fatally shot a suspected home invader in the south suburbs on Friday night, police said.

Joliet police said officers responded to a report of a home invasion in the 7000-block of Hadrian Drive around 10:30 p.m.

Police said the woman, armed with a gun, heard someone break into her home. That’s when she took her child and hid in a bedroom closet on the second floor.

Police believe that when the suspect entered that bedroom, the woman opened fire, striking him in the head. The suspect was pronounced dead on the scene.

Responding officers found the woman and her child in the adjacent bedroom, police said.

The suspect was wearing gloves and had a screwdriver at the time. The woman did not know who he was, and his identity has not yet been released.

Found, from two weekends ago…

Kentucky Attorney Defends Himself Against Masked Intruders

An attorney living in an upscale suburb of Louisville, Kentucky is speaking out after his home was invaded over the weekend, forcing him to fire a shot in self-defense.

The armed citizen spoke to Louisville television station WDRB about his encounter with the intruders last Saturday evening, though he understandably wanted to remain anonymous while recounting his run-in with the masked men.

“I was in bed at 6:30, believe it or not, and the dog started barking. … They were barking in an unusual manner,” he said. “So I reached into the drawer of the table next to my bed and pulled out my .44 Magnum pistol and I went out the entrance to the bedroom.”

That’s when he came face-to-face with two masked intruders in the middle of his home.

“And I said, ‘What’s going on?’ And they turned around and took off, and I tried to shoot ’em,” he said. “I missed but I tried.”

The suspects escaped through a back door, jumped over a rear railing and disappeared into a wooded area near a nearby park. A man walking his dogs told the homeowner he was nearly run over by the men, who were speaking Spanish and fled the scene in a waiting SUV.

The homeowner believes the suspects were part of an organized group — possibly a transnational burglary ring — that carefully scoped out the home in advance.

“Until I talked to the police and then I got a better idea of their M.O., I knew they watched for houses they thought were vacant,” he said. “There’s no doubt they had my house under surveillance for a period of time … to establish there was nothing going on inside.”

He said the suspects were dressed in dark sweat suits and wore masks. They didn’t steal anything, but he believes they were targeting high-end valuables that can’t easily be traced.

“They go to the master bedroom and steal property — money, jewelry, clothes, shoes, things that are of value but are not readily identifiable,” he said. “They don’t take guns, because guns have serial numbers and can be traced.”

The armed citizen says that after speaking with others in the neighborhood, he believes that this crew has been operating in the area for at least two years and is responsible for the theft of at least $100,000 in belongings.

He’s also using his own experience to encourage others to “have a plan” if their home is invaded, including having “some kind of protection” as well as keeping doors locked and equipping their home with an alarm system.

Those are all smart suggestions, but I would also add that in some states, the armed attorney might not have been able to access his pistol before the masked intruders walked in to his bedroom. Gun control activists love to impose one-size-fits-all storage requirements on firearm owners that require them to keep their guns locked up at all times unless they’re actively being carried or are “under the control” of an authorized user, even if there are no kids in the home.

Kentucky, thankfully, doesn’t have a mandate like that in place, but if he lived in a state like Massachusetts or New York he would have been required to keep his pistol locked up while he slept or else face fines or even time behind bars. I’m all in favor of gun owners storing their firearms in a way that they’re off limits to young children or any other household member who doesn’t need access, but this incident is a chilling reminder that mandating how firearms must be stored can put residents at risk if intruders decide to pay them a visit.

Police: Man fatally stabbed Elkton teen in self-defense; no charges warranted

ELKTON [Maryland] — Police and prosecutors have elected not to file criminal charges against a one-armed man who fatally stabbed a 14-year-old boy on the street of an Elkton neighborhood last month — concluding that he acted in self-defense while attacked by the teen and several companions — including one who struck the victim multiple times with a shovel.    [Ya think?]

Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellymer provided that update Thursday afternoon during a press conference at the Railroad Avenue headquarters of the Elkton Police Department, which has been conducting the ongoing investigation.

On Tuesday, two days before the press conference, police privately told the mother of Jordin Collins — the teen who was fatally stabbed — they had concluded self-defense and that they would not be filing charges against the stabber, a man in his 30s with an amputated left arm. Authorities are identifying him only as “Ty.”