Category: Self Defense

KDJ’s ‘Gun Myth’ Fact-Check: Liberals Vs. Americans, Part 1

I was looking up gun statistics for my article “Liberties Under Assault: 2nd Amendment Edition,” and I tripped on two articles tackling “gun myths.” One was from the Bolshie-riffic prags at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), and the other was by sane people at gunfacts.info. So I thought I’d dig into both and see which site actually knows the difference between an AR-15 and an “assault rifle.”

FACT-O-RAMA! An AR-15 is a semi-automatic firearm, and an assault rifle is a non-existent boogeyman boom-boom stick that haunts tree-huggers in their sleep and makes them wet their non-binary Underoos.

Before we get started, I just want to apologize for the phrase “fact-check” in the headline. I abhor the phrase “fact-check” because it is frequently used by commie websites that employ each other’s articles to verify or debunk alleged “facts.” Meaning, the pinko skanks at USA Today will post “Fact-Check: Did Biden Make Millions Selling Influence to our Enemies Across the Globe? The New York Times says ‘No.’” It’s akin to Stalin saying, “If you don’t believe me, ask Beria.”

However, I will be doing a real fact-check on gun myths. Let’s get this “myth” brawl underway.

In this corner, wearing rainbow trunks, weighing in at 51 kilograms, Johns Hopkins University.

MYTH: URBAN HOMICIDES FALSELY INFLATE STATISTICS ON U.S. GUN DEATHS.

FACT: “The common trope is that places like Baltimore or Detroit or Chicago are the reason we have so many gun deaths in this country,” Cass Crifasi, PhD ’14, MPH, the Center’s director of research and policy, told the Chicago Tribune. And yes, those places … have unacceptable rates of gun homicides. But the places with the highest rates of death are not Maryland, Michigan, and Illinois. They are Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming, Missouri, and Alabama. The places with weaker gun laws have higher rates of death. More people died from guns in Texas than Illinois, when suicide and accidental shootings are included.

Hold on, let’s look at that last phrase, “when suicide and accidental shootings are included.” That’s just a lefty pivot. Nice try, jackpuddings. We see how you are trying to manipulate the game.

Yes, roughly two-thirds of gun-related deaths are suicides, but that isn’t what this is about. The left needs to lie and squirm like the lizard people they are and add “suicides and accidental shootings” in order to “prove” that red-state dwellers, meaning conservatives, are more gun-happy than city folk, and as you’re about to see, that just ain’t true.  But again, they’ll say what they must to confiscate your guns.

JHU claims that most shootings are taking place in red states. What it fails to mention is that they are happening in blue cities in red states. And since JHU mentioned my home state of Michigan, check out this map of shootings in the Great Lakes State.

If you take Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit out of the picture, shootings drop significantly. And since JHU brought it up, I’ll add that the Yoopers in the Upper Peninsula (UP), of Michigan aren’t very violent. I suspect those snowbillies in da UP are not shooting people, accidentally or otherwise, just themselves, eh?

BLAST-O-RAMA! Out of a possible 100, with 100 being the safest cities in the U.S., the aforementioned Michigan cities scored the following: Detroit: 1, Lansing: 5, Grand Rapids: 7, Flint: 17 (don’t drink the water, and honestly, that score of 17 seems dubious). The mayors of Detroit, Flint, and Grand Rapids are Democrats. The mayor of Lansing has no party.

Hey look, I’m correct. Suicide in rural Michigan is a problem. But again, we are talking about guns used to kill people illegally. It’s nice of the Punchinellos to drag suicide into a “gun violence” debate and try to use depression to prove a point.

Let’s look at the other states mentioned:

  • The suicide rate in Wyoming is more than double the national average. This is where the “gun deaths” come from. Even the sitzpinklers at USA Today listed Wyoming as #43 in a list of the most dangerous states. Debunked.
  • Mississippi’s suicide rate clocks in at 27th in the nation, but the state ranks highest in murder rate. One-quarter of the murders take place in Jackson, which is run by a Democrat mayor. Democrats run five out of Mississippi’s ten most dangerous cities, (Republicans run four, and one is run by an Independent). Debunked.

FACT-O-RAMA! Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes once suggested that people throw, “bricks, rocks, and bottles” at police chasing black suspects.

  • Six out of Louisiana’s eight most dangerous cities are run by Democrats. One is run by a Republican and one by an Independent. Debunked.

Conclusion: We can see that the beta cucks at JHU had to twist their data in a pathetic and vain attempt to prove that conservatives and guns are “dangerous.” A vast majority of gun crimes committed in red states took place in blue cities.

FACT-O-RAMA! As of this writing, there have been 763 defensive shootings in 2023.

And in this corner, wearing red, white, and blue shorts, weighing in at 188 lbs, gunfacts.info.

Myth: Gun violence is widespread in America

Fact: Misuse of guns is highly centralized in major metro areas, within poor neighborhoods (typically street gang infested) and thus highly among young black males.

According to these maps from gunviolencearchives.com, we can clearly see that most shootings take place in the eastern third of the U.S. The shootings make a significant drop in eastern Texas (roughly San Antonio) and don’t pick up again until the west coast.

Check out this map. It’s interactive. You can zoom anywhere in the U.S. and see that most shootings take place in bigger towns and cities (derp).

Conclusion: Gunfacts.info knows what it’s talking about. Shootings aren’t happening everywhere. Most take place in bigger cities. Unlike the milquetoasts at JHU, gunfacts.info doesn’t need to twist data to support laughable narratives.

Winner, Round One: Gunfacts.info!

Check back for round two in a few days! Until then, keep yer powder dry.

Well, that is part of it.

For Most U.S. Gun Owners, Protection Is the Main Reason They Own a Gun
Nearly half of U.S. adults who do not currently own a gun say they could see themselves owning one in the future

Gun owners in the United States continue to cite protection far more than other factors, including hunting and sport shooting, as a major reason they own a gun.

And while a sizable majority of gun owners (71%) say they enjoy having a gun, an even larger share (81%) say they feel safer owning a gun.

A Pew Research Center survey, conducted June 5-11 among 5,115 members of the Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel, finds:

72% of U.S. gun owners say protection is a major reason they own a gun. That far surpasses the shares of gun owners who cite other reasons.

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The previous president loosened restrictive gun control laws and the ‘experts’ are puzzled

Homicides in Brazil at the lowest level in over a decade, report says

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian researchers say the number of violent deaths last year reached the lowest level in more than a decade, puzzling some experts because there has been an explosion of firearms circulating in the country in recent years.

About 47,500 people were slain in Latin America’s largest nation in 2022, said a report Thursday by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, an independent group that tracks crimes. Its statistics are widely used as a benchmark because there are no official statistics on a national level.
While the number of killings in 2022 was down 2.4% from the previous year, it remained roughly even with levels recorded since 2019. The last time Brazil had less violent deaths was in 2011, with 47,215 killings.
The fall in homicides has left many public security experts somewhat puzzled, as it has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of firearms held by Brazilians. Some studies have suggested that more guns circulating among the population lead to more homicides.

During his 2019-2022 term, then President Jair Bolsonaro worked to loosen regulations on gun ownership. The number of firearms registered with the Federal Police reached 1.5 million in 2022, up 47.5% from 2019.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office in January, has sought to undo Bolsonaro’s pro-gun policies. Days after coming to power, Lula required gun owners to register their weapons with police, and the government has said it will present new legislation Friday.

Experts have come up with at least three reasons behind the dual trend.
Samira Bueno, executive director of the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety, said he feels the main factor is the relative truce among gangs since 2018. An explosion of violence in 2017, when his group registered 63,880 killings, was largely attributed to a rivalry between the First Capital Command gang and the Red Command gang.

Carolina Ricardo, director of the Instituto Sou da Paz, a non-profit group that monitors public security, said another factor is that more Brazilian states have implemented ambitious public security policies along with social measures such as working to keep children in school.
Brazil’s aging population could be a third factor, Ricardo said. “In general, who dies and kills are young people,” she said.
But Ricardo also expressed concern about the prevalence of homicides using firearms.

“Although homicides have not increased, the percentage of deaths by firearms in Brazil is still very high,” she said. According to Thursday’s report, firearms were responsible for 77% of all homicides last year. Ricardo said that is much higher than the world average of around 44%.

Addressing other areas of violence, the report said that while homicides declined, violence against women rose and there was a record number of rapes as defined by Brazilian law, affecting mostly children. Brazil’s legal definition of rape is broader than that of the U.S. and doesn’t necessarily require sexual penetration.

There were nearly 15,000 victims of rape in 2022, up 8.2% from the previous year. Nearly two-thirds of the victims were children aged 13 or younger, the report said. Feminicides went up 6%, with 1,437 killings.
In Rio de Janeiro, Roberto Camara has witnessed first hand the rise in violence against women, offering self-defence courses to women who have suffered domestic violence.
He started with a few students and now trains up to 60 women every month.

On Thursday, seven of them attended one of his classes in a small room in the center of Rio. Some came with their toddlers. The demand “keeps on growing,” Camara told the Associated Press. “I can’t attend everyone. We don’t have the structure to attend that many people.”

Gas station customer who shot suspected thief won’t face charges

The QuikTrip gas station customer who police say shot and killed a larceny suspect Wednesday will not face charges, Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz has learned.

The case, which authorities are investigating as a self-defense case, began Wednesday morning at the gas station off Mount Holly-Huntersville Road and Bellhaven Boulevard.

Police said a suspected thief, 32-year-old David Leonhardt, fired a shot at that customer while at a gas pump, and even tried carjacking him.

Detectives said that’s when the customer shot and killed Leonhardt.

Police said minutes before the shooting, that suspect was seen stealing things from the gas station.

Alleged intruder killed by woman near Tucson was sex offender

A man deputies say was shot to death while trying to break in to a woman’s home in a rural area near Tucson last week was a registered sex offender who lived nearby, records show.

Jayson Magrum, 43, was shot dead Aug. 11 when the Pima County Sheriff’s Department says he was trying to get into a house in Three Points, about 30 miles southwest of Tucson.

Sandra Tracy, 54, was home alone when the incident occurred.

She told deputies she grabbed a gun and fired a warning shot through the window hoping it would scare the intruder away, according to an initial news release from the department.

She fired a second time, striking Magrum.

Responding deputies tried to revive Magrum, but he died at the scene.

Magrum listed a residence in the same block of West Pyle Road where the alleged attempted break-in occurred, records shows.

BLUF
America needs only look to the recent past to see how the federal government handles a “public health crisis.”…  The tendency of the government to assume police-state authorities is enough to warn Americans when their elected officials want to invoke a “public health crisis.”

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS PROPOSES PUBLIC HEALTH GUN CONTROL REMEDY

Vice President Kamala Harris believes gun control is a public health issue, giving Americans more reasons to be wary of gun control efforts.

The problem is, crime isn’t a disease, as much as gun control advocates want to treat it as such. Criminal activity is a behavior and science has yet to bring about a medical remedy that prevents an individual from committing crimes. That’s not stopping Vice President Harris from tossing out debunked data, purposefully confusing suicides with criminal firearm misuse and conveniently glossing over the Biden administration’s failures to address the real problem of crime.

“I — as Vice President of the United States, I am acutely aware of the fact that gun violence is the leading cause of death of the children of America,” Vice President Harris told Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund’s Annual Gun Sense University Conference in Chicago last week. “It’s — it’s the number one cause of death — not some disease — well, although this is a form of a disease, to be sure.  Gun violence is the leading cause of death of our children.”

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Lucky the lady was slow on the trigger.

Oopsie! 15-year-old robber with pellet gun ran away when woman pulled out a real gun

CHICAGO — A 15-year-old boy who pointed a pellet gun at a woman during a robbery attempt in Uptown ran away when his would-be victim pulled out a real firearm, Chicago police say.

It happened around 12:31 p.m. Tuesday in the 5000 block of North Winthrop, not far from the Argyle Red Line station.

But the woman had another idea. She pulled out her own firearm, and the group ran away, police said.

Cops took the 15-year-old into custody a few minutes later and confiscated his pellet gun.

Charges are pending.

The ‘double homicide’ was two of the crims winning free trips straight to the morgue.

Double homicide began as vape shop robbery that ended in deadly shootout

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — A double homicide at a Shreveport vape shop began as a robbery that ended in a shootout between at least one customer and the robbery suspects, police say.

Two of the robbery suspects — 19-year-old Anthony Lee and 18-year-old Martavious Henderson — were struck by gunfire and ultimately succumbed to their injuries.

Now detectives are sharing surveillance camera videos and photographs in hopes someone can help them identify the third robbery suspect as well as the two customers who were in the store at the time of the robbery.

Police say these surveillance camera images show two customers who engaged three robbers in a...
Police say these surveillance camera images show two customers who engaged three robbers in a shootout Aug. 12, 2023, outside a Shreveport vape shop, killing two of the suspects. Now detectives are asking for help identifying the customers.(Source: Shreveport Police Department)

Lee, Henderson and another male were armed when they entered the business in the 1900 block of Centenary Boulevard about 4:55 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 12). At one point during the holdup, two of the three robbers jumped the counter and took a handgun and other items from the store clerk.

During the vape shop robbery Aug. 12, 2023, two customers escaped the business and went to...
During the vape shop robbery Aug. 12, 2023, two customers escaped the business and went to their vehicle, described as a blue Chevrolet 1500 extended cab pickup. There, they armed themselves then engaged the robbery suspects as the three left the business, killing two of the suspects, police say.(Source: Shreveport Police Department)

While this was going on, the two customers escaped the business and went to their vehicle, described as a blue Chevrolet 1500 extended cab pickup. There, they armed themselves then engaged the robbery suspects as the three left the business.

The third robbery suspect escaped on foot and has not been identified. He is described as a Black male who stands about 5′6″ to 5′8″ tall and who has a slender build. He was wearing gray shorts and a black hoodie.

People in Shreveport’s Highland neighborhood are shaken up by the double homicide Saturday evening on Centenary Boulevard near Olive Street.

“I’m going to tell you, it was scary. It was very scary,” one resident said.

Police said one of the slain men was found outside the shop while the other was inside.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I was taking my son to work. I was at the stop sign when it happened. When everything happened, yeah. We was in the car.”

He said he didn’t know if the incident occurred inside the store.

“It had to been because one in and one out. It had to been because the young man that was on the other side, it looked like he was running. But as he got closer to the end of the building, he got slower and slower. So I knew then he got shot. We heard gunshots and everything; but who did it, I don’t, I can’t tell you.”

The double homicide began as a vape shop robbery that ended in deadly shootout.
Police early on described both Lee and Henderson as suspects.

Neighbors said people in the community are upset.

“Maybe because they were children; I mean, that’s the only way I can see it. But when you doing wrong. You can’t say how it’s going to come back on you. And it just so happened the day they did whatever they did, it came back on them the same day.”

Even before police said so, neighbors also believed it could have been a robbery gone wrong.

Whoever those lil kids were, they actually went up in there and tried to rob them. And you know people going to protect their goods. You know so, that’s what I feel. I don’t know if that happened, but that’s what it seemed like.”

Rideshare driver with concealed carry license shoots robbers in North Lawndale, Chicago

CHICAGO — A rideshare driver shot and wounded two robbers early Saturday in North Lawndale, police said.

The 26-year-old driver had dropped off a passenger about 1 a.m. in the 1500 block of South Millard Avenue when two people – a man, 20, and an 18-year-old woman – walked up to him and announced a robbery, according to Chicago police.

The male suspect took the victim’s cell phone, then fired shots as the two robbers tried to flee the scene, police said.

The driver, who has a valid concealed carry license, returned fire, striking the man in the leg and grazing the woman in the arm, police said. The driver was not injured.

The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, while the woman declined medical attention, police said.

Detectives are investigating.

 

I respect your second amendment.    
[leaves out the ‘but’ like they always do]

I also respect understanding ways our society works. We need to reform background checks, we need better ID scanning systems to ensure the guns don’t go into the wrong hands.

I’ll protect the American people at all cost, that starts with-
Preventing mass shootings, you don’t need an AK-47 to hunt, defend yourself or your home. You could simply defend yourself with a simple firearm.

I as your president of the United States of America, have no rights to interfere with your private life but I will protect Americans.

Respecting the Second Amendment should stand without further contradicted commentary.

Our society possesses a level of violence, and neither existing nor new gun laws will lead us to a utopian state where laws alone rectify criminal or violent actions.

Background checks have demonstrated limited effectiveness, given the rise in gun-related crimes since their introduction. Numerous mass shooters acquired firearms by providing false information on their 4473 forms (background check applications) and passing due to insufficient government scrutiny of buyers’ backgrounds.

Additionally, some potential mass shooters who harbor intentions of carrying out mass violence might lack a criminal record or documented mental health issues to identify during background checks.

Everyday criminals affiliated with gangs have no concerns about passing a background check to acquire firearms, which they then use for activities such as targeting rival gangs or engaging in various criminal acts.

Criminals frequently steal firearms or obtain them through straw purchases. The access to firearms for individuals should be a straightforward and uncomplicated procedure, without unnecessary restrictions on where they can carry those arms.

Imposing gun restrictions inadvertently empowers criminals while penalizing law-abiding citizens.

Orthodox Jewish camp in Schoharie County sues to keep its guns in place
Administrators at TheZone summer camp have concealed-carry permits and are requesting an injunction to a new state law

GILBOA — New York’s gun rights activists are a diverse lot, ranging from rural hunters and Second Amendment supporters to Black pastors in urban churches who say they want to protect their flocks from armed white supremacists.

Now, the operators of an Orthodox Jewish summer camp have joined the gun rights debate, with a lawsuit seeking an injunction that, despite a contested state law, would let them continue to be armed for self-defense.

Eliyohu Mintz, CEO of TheZone summer camp, and camp Administrator Eric Schwartz cited numerous anti-Semitic threats as a reason they should be allowed to continue to carry concealed weapons despite a recent tightening of state gun control laws.

“New York State’s fabrication of ‘gun free’ zones through the enactment of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act in 2022 calculatedly leaves our most vulnerable people — children — defenseless and at the mercy of violent and predatory evildoers,” reads a legal action seeking an injunction against the new rule.

Mintz and Schwartz, who both have concealed-carry gun licenses, have gone to Federal Northern District Court seeking permission to keep carrying their guns at the summer camp.

In their injunction request, they name Schoharie County District Attorney Susan Mallery; Sheriff Ronald Stevens and Steven Nigrelli, the acting State Police superintendent, as defendants.

Oorah Gun Case by rkarlin on Scribd

Milwaukee teen shot, killed 16-year-old who attempted to rob him at gunpoint

MILWAUKEE — In what’s been reported as an act of self-defense, an 18-year-old allegedly shot and killed a 16-year-old who was trying to rob him and at least one other person at gunpoint near N 87th St & W Silver Spring Dr on Friday morning.

As reported by the Milwaukee Police Department and our news partners at TMJ4, authorities were alerted to a double-shooting near Valhalla Memorial Park around 10:40 a.m. on Friday, August 11. Investigators found that the suspect, an armed 16-year-old, attempted to rob at least two people at gunpoint.

However, one of the victims — an 18-year-old — was also armed at the time. The two individuals allegedly exchanged gunfire, leaving the 16-year-old robbery suspect with a fatal wound that eventually claimed his life.

The robbery victim was also hurt in the exchange, though the extent of his injuries were never deemed life-threatening. He was transported to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment and evaluation. No further details on his current condition have been revealed.

Milwaukee police officials say they are also looking for another suspect. However, none of the people involved — the late suspect, the suspect at large, or the victim — have been identified at this stage of the process.

Phoenix man shoots home invader in self-defense

PHOENIX — A Phoenix homeowner shot a man accused of breaking into his home early Thursday morning, the city’s police department said.

Officers were called to a home near 45th Avenue and Shaw Butte Drive shortly before 1 a.m., where they found a man suffering from a serious but non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Investigators learned that he was “shot after he entered into the house of the victim.” Authorities said they believe the shooting was self-defense, and did not arrest the homeowner.

Police have not identified the suspect.

Another in the ‘You Can’t Make This Up’ category.
I advise a different sort of ‘loud noise maker’, something along the lines of that lady’s .357.

Police in Democrat-Run Oakland Urge Residents to Use Airhorns if Targeted by Criminals

Police in Democrat-run Oakland, California, are urging residents to use airhorns as a way of sounding an alarm when criminals strike amid a surge in crime.

Crime has risen to a point where police are not only advising the purchase of airhorns but also the placement of “security bars to…doors and windows,” CNN noted.

Burglaries in the city are up 41 percent “and robberies by more than 20 percent.”

Mayor-elect Sheng Thao speaks during a press conference at City Hall in downtown Oakland, California, on November 23, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)

Oakland resident Toni Bird indicated that she followed the advice of police and now has three airhorns.

Bird said, “The types of crime that we’re seeing feel much more violent and the consequences feel much more severe. And it feels like the people that are being targeted are people who are vulnerable.”

On Sunday, July 30, 2023, a 75-year-old Oakland woman was home alone and armed with more than an airhorn when two alleged armed intruders entered her home.

The woman had a .357 Magnum revolver, which she used to fire one shot at the alleged intruders, KTVU reported. The alleged intruders fired multiple shots then fled the scene.

The woman was not injured and her daughter described her as “Superwoman.”

Indiana police say Salem woman shot and killed man as he held gun to husband’s head

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Police said a southern Indiana woman shot and killed a man who was holding a gun to her husband’s head.

According to a news release from Indiana State Police, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department said the incident started around 6:30 p.m. Monday in the 7700 block of Organ Springs Road in Salem when officers responded to a 911 call.

Police said officers found 45-year-old Michael Chastain in the front yard with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Saint Vincent Hospital in Salem, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said Chastain drove through the front yard, grabbed the homeowner, forced him to the ground and pointed a gun at his head. The homeowner’s wife saw it happen and shot Chastain with her handgun.

The investigation continues, and the case will eventually be turned over to the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office, according to the news release.

Investigators with Indiana State Police told WDRB News that Chastain is well-known in the area, and has a criminal background. He dated the homeowner’s daughter, but she no longer lives at the home, so police aren’t sure why he targeted her father.

Homeowner acted in self-defense when shooting suspect breaking into garage, Fort Dodge police say
Police say the shooter called 911 on Wednesday, May 31 and claimed a male was breaking into the garage of his home.

FORT DODGE, Iowa — The Webster County Attorney’s Office says a man acted in self-defense when shooting someone in May who was trying to break into their garage, Fort Dodge police said in an update.

Police say the shooter called 911 on Wednesday, May 31 and claimed a male was breaking into the garage of his home on 6th Ave South shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday. He told them he had also shot the alleged intruder.

Officers and medics on the scene pronounced the man dead. He was later identified as 44‐year‐old Fort Dodge resident Bryan W. Gambill.

“Both the Webster County Attorney’s Office and the Fort Dodge Police Department concluded that no charges would be filed in this case because the homeowner was acting in self‐defense,” Fort Dodge PD said on Monday.

75-year-old woman shoots at home intruders in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. – A 75-year-old woman opened fire on two intruders who broke into her Oakland home and came under fire herself, authorities said.

The home invasion robbery happened around 2 a.m. on July 26 at a residence near the Oakland Zoo in the hills on Ettrick Street in the Chabot Park neighborhood, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Officers said two armed men forced their way into a home and began searching. The elderly resident was the only one at the home when the intruders broke in.

Fearing for her safety, the 75-year-old woman pulled out her .357 Magnum and fired one round toward the suspects, police said. The suspects returned fire at the woman and fled the scene.

Fortunately, the woman was not injured during the shooting, and there were no reports of physical injuries, according to the police.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable what she was able to do,” the woman’s daughter told KTVU. “It’s amazing. She is a Superwoman. We’re all just lauding her and just amazed at her wherewithal.”

Calvin Walker, a neighbor said, “She had the presence of mind to reach into her nightstand and get a weapon. And she had it under her covers, and when she saw an opening, she fired a shot.”

The men fired back – about 17 to 20 shots – before leaving with valuables, including jewelry.

“We went over afterwards and we saw gunshots all in the walls,” Walker said.

Oakland City Councilmember Treva Reid represents the area and is family friend of the victim.

“It’s a miracle that she’s alive after the number of shots that were fired in her home,” Reid said.

Neighbors say the victim did the right thing. “This woman is a hero,” said neighbor Dave Lederer. “She kept her wits about her.”

Her daughter said this should serve as a warning “I believe that this is a message also for the criminals, that people in Oakland, we’re tired of the lawlessness. People are standing up. People are fighting back,” she said.

Neighbor Lynn Baranco agreed, saying, “They’re really – they’re playing with their lives because all these people out here are armed.”

Armed Staff Versus School Resource Officers- The Quality of Quantity to Defend Our Students

You must be present to win. That trite phrase might apply to the local bake sale. It certainly applies to protecting our students at school. It is too easy for school boards and school principals to say they did something when they certainly did not do enough. We can agree that protecting our students is inherently a difficult problem. We are trying to stop evil narcissists who want to become celebrities by killing our kids. Formulaic answers don’t work for long because these murderers learn and adapt. The actions that protected our children yesterday might not work tomorrow. There are better solutions today and we need to recognize them.

The threat is changing over time. Greg Ellifritz did an excellent job looking at armed attacks at schools after the Covid lockdown. Only 20-percent of the attacks are now in the classroom. That means we need to do more than lock the classroom doors. Half of the armed attacks on our schools occurred before or after school when students were out of the classroom and on school grounds or on their way to school. That number is increasing, and that means that a single School Resource Officer at school for a few hours a week isn’t enough. Murderers might be adapting to the security measures that schools have already put in place like locked doors, metal detectors, and revised policies when someone pulls a fire alarm or triggers a smoke detector. We have to adapt as well.

We are changing every day. Schools are embedded in our society. Every problem we have in our culture eventually comes to school. We’ve heard calls to defund the police. Some urban administrators removed police officer on campus since they neither wanted to report nor wanted to file a complaint against the students committing crimes at school. As you’d imagine, more innocent students are victimized by violent crime when crime is tolerated at school. The social justice movements that removed School Resource Officers left students vulnerable to both common criminals and to celebrity-seeking murderers who search for easy victims.

Administrators prefer visible solutions. It is hard for school administrators to get public credit for solutions that the public can’t see. The parents seldom notice the reinforced glass in the windows and doors. In contrast, the parents can’t miss seeing the uniformed police officer standing in the parking lot when children are dropped off.

Unfortunately, public visibility works both for us and it works against us as we try to protect our children. A visible deterrent like an SRO helps stop low-level threats. The drug dealers move across the street and out of the school parking lot. The visible School Resource Officer is equally easy for a murderer to locate. The attacker can wait until the SRO either drives his police car away from campus, or the murderer can shoot the SRO first. We’ve seen both happen when schools were attacked.

Any single defender has a fatal flaw. There is an obvious reason that one adult can’t supervise an entire campus. They can’t be everywhere at the same time. The School Resource Officer can’t be up on the ball field when they are down in the parking lot. They can’t be behind the gymnasium if they are in the central courtyard. A midsized school might have half-a-dozen hallways and an equal number of separate buildings. That means a single defender is probably minutes away from an attack. That delay leads to more dead children.

The solution is obvious, if invisible. The researchers who study school security told us what to do over a decade ago. Murderers stop killing our kids when they face an armed defender. The defender’s response time predicts the body count. The SRO can’t be on the bus before school and on the bus after school, but the bus driver can. The SRO isn’t at the choir practice before school, but the choir director is there. After school, the SRO can’t be at the ball field and in the music room at the same time, but the coaches and band director are certainly there.

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