Category: Self Defense

Read the whole thing. The deadhead’s friends and family treat him like some sort of hero, and complain about intended victims being armed.

Dad of 20 was shot and killed when he tried to rob someone getting off the bus, cops say
D’Anthony Reaves, 44, had 12 biological children and eight stepchildren

An Atlanta father of 20 was fatally shot last month while allegedly attempting an armed robbery, police say.

On July 19, D’Anthony Reaves, 44, was killed outside the Greyhound bus station on Forsyth Street around 5:30 a.m. He was shot twice in the face and once in the arm, according to police.

In a Wednesday update, Atlanta homicide detectives said their investigation determined the case should be classified as a felon killed by a private citizen. Police said Reaves was in the middle of an armed robbery when he was shot.

Reaves was shot by someone getting off a bus, his family told WSB-TV. The Independent has contacted Atlanta police for comment.

Reaves was a father to 12 biological children and eight stepchildren, ranging from ages 10 to 31. Ten of them attended his funeral at North Avenue Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta on August 2, which boasted a line of mourners stretching to the parking lot.

“Seeing everybody come out as one big community was really nice, and we really appreciate all the extra support because we’re gonna need it,” Sha’Miracle Brown, one of Reaves’ daughters, told Fox 5 Atlanta, adding that their father was well known across Atlanta communities.

“My dad was like a crazy dancer, but I will always remember the music standpoint. Because some of us make music, all of us are musically inclined, and some of us play instruments. So my dad passed that musical gene down to all of us,” Brown said.

“He loved his kids. You could ask anyone, any single person, and they would say we were his pride and joy. I don’t think there’s a room we could walk into that he did not mention us or our accomplishments or our accolades.”

Reaves’ family plans to start a foundation to support his children and help fathers leave the streets and rebuild their lives.

“We’re fixing to open up the D’Anthony Reaves foundation so we’ll be able to serve his kids so they’ll be taken care of,” Deoinetea Hightower Reaves’ brother told the outlet. “We got the Power for the Fathers represented for him as well, where we help the fathers get off the street and get their lives back together.”

Hightower added that he is pushing Greyhound to end its policy allowing guns across state lines and urging Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to tighten gun laws to keep firearms away from young people.

Further details about the shooting were not available.

Second Amendment rights must apply to our military service members | PHIL WILLIAMS

Gun control laws continue to fail.

And where gun control laws make the least amount of sense are on U.S. military installations ― policy that must change.

The world turned its attention recently to an active shooter incident in Manhattan. A depraved individual drove to the heart of New York City, walked calmly into a downtown high rise, killed five people and took his own life. No one knows why a bad guy took up arms and committed heinous acts of terror.

Just weeks before the New York shooting, we saw the heroism of a former Marine named Derrick Perry in Michigan, who pulled his concealed-carry firearm and saved innocent bystanders from a knife-wielding madman who had just stabbed multiple people at random. A good guy who took up arms and stopped heinous acts of terror.

In reality, it is not guns that are bad. It is bad people with guns who are bad. Let’s keep in mind that both New York and Michigan have stringent gun control laws. Gun control did not stop the loss of life in Manhattan. Gun control laws did not stop the violence in Michigan.

More recently, another episode of gun violence erupted at the U.S. Army’s Fort Stewart, Georgia. Army Sgt. Quornelius Radford, using a personal weapon, opened fire on fellow soldiers, wounding five. He was stopped by other servicemembers who have since been decorated for their bravery.

But none of the responding soldiers could be called “good guys with guns.” Why? Because the U.S. military has the most draconian gun control laws in the nation.

Let that sink in.

Fort Stewart is home to the legendary 3rd Infantry Division, whose exploits include those of Audie Murphy. It’s the same Fort Stewart with two Armored Brigade Combat Teams, and its nearby sister installation Hunter Army Airfield, which houses the 1st Ranger Battalion. Soldiers who are trained as experts in the use of firearms, yet they cannot have their own firearms on post. Unless of course they are a bad guy who snuck it in with intent to do harm.

What about red state Alabama whose state motto resounds “We Dare Defend Our Rights?” All personal firearms on Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal must be registered or be subject to confiscation. Outside the gate, Alabama citizens may freely open carry a firearm, and concealed carry no longer requires a permit. But on Redstone Arsenal, where soldiers have far more firearms training than the average citizen, that freedom is curtailed. The same is true for Alabama’s Fort Rucker.

Consider the disparity in treatment here. Outside the gate, civilians freely exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms. They do so with no prerequisite training or conditioning. There are no mandatory gun safety course. There are no annual weapons qualification requirements for civilians.

But on an Army installation, soldiers have all of the above: Basic training with firearms, advanced training, reflexive fire training, annual qualification and awards for marksmanship. And yet, they must face the complete curtailing of their Second Amendment rights.

In 2016, President Donald Trump called for the military gun control policies to be rescinded. Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley opposed the idea. Go figure.

Firearms are not scary. People are scary. Period.

Aside from noise and a general lack of familiarity, most people are more concerned about the manner in which firearms are used, maintained or handled, which are issues of purely HUMAN fault. Those are issues for which the U.S. military is more than qualified to address.

I bear the surgical scars from someone being lax with firearm safety. Despite getting shot by one of those evil firearms I was able to separate the causation from the instrument. It was not the shotgun that shot me in and of itself. Rather, it was the knuckleheaded laxity of the guy who shot me and who should have known better.

And soldiers? They know better than most.

Soldiers know how to handle firearms. Breach load, bolt action, magazine fed and pump. Holographic sights, iron sights, and no sights. Holstered, unholstered and slung. Long guns, sidearms and scatter shots. They are trained to carry them in combat. Trusted in every respect. Except when they are in garrison on the Army installations to which they are assigned.

“You don’t forfeit all of your rights when you enter the military,” Carpenter said. “Outside of a military situation, the service member has just as much Second Amendment right as anyone else.” Referencing the recent shooting at Fort Stewart, Carpenter also said, “All those rules aren’t going to prevent someone from doing what the guy did today,”

Guns are not scary. People are scary. GOOD people with guns are what often stands between potential victims and bad people with guns. And our U.S. servicemembers are among the best. We trust them with our lives and swear them to an oath before taking up arms. It is time that we looked them in the eye and told them that we trust them with their rights.

Let’s restore the Second Amendment for our military. They’ve earned it.

Phil Williams is a former state senator from District 10 (which includes Etowah County), retired Army colonel and combat veteran, and a practicing attorney. He previously served with the leadership of the Alabama Policy Institute in Birmingham. He currently hosts the conservative news/talk show Rightside Radio on multiple channels throughout north Alabama. The opinions expressed are his own.

Concealment merely hides you. Cover stops bullets.

Discover Cover: Having something between you and the bad guy that can stop incoming rounds is vital in a gunfight.

When folks begin to develop their personal-defense plans, I think one important subject that is often overlooked is the use of cover. For our purposes, cover is anything that will stop a bullet. In addition to the obvious safety value, moving yourself to cover can also disrupt the criminal’s attack plan and cause them to lose some of the advantage they might have had.

And, the good news is that cover is all around us, wherever we might be: Trees, cars, brick walls, that large neighborhood mailbox; the list is huge. Then there are all of the available cover opportunities waiting to be found in the average home: bookcases, large appliances, heavy furniture, even that mattress and heavy box-spring on the bed. It is an excellent exercise to identify all of the good cover nearby during one’s regular daily routine, whatever that might be.

A good dry-practice exercise (with an assuredly unloaded gun) would be to move through your home and actually make use of that cover as if dealing with an actual attack. In the home, on the outside property and at work, there is really no excuse for not taking the time to identify available cover as merely just a defensive exercise.

In Col. Jeff Cooper’s awareness color code, we talk about Condition Orange: the potential threat. For whatever reason this situation is not currently a threat, but it certainly could become one. Our first thought should be to just get away from this potentially bad situation. But, that might not be possible or practical. While keeping an eye on the situation, this is an excellent time to identify the closest cover or areas of cover and decide which one to use if things go bad.

The biggest mistake is to wait until an attack occurs to try to decide what to do. At that point, there are too many other things that require our immediate attention. We might overlook the best cover or exit.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all cover is not equal. Actually, it is your attacker’s choice of firearms that is the problem. Some things that will stop pistol bullets won’t stop bullets from a rifle. And even among handguns, we know that a .44 Mag. will get through things that will stop a 9 mm hollowpoint. That is one of the reasons we look for several cover options instead of just one.

Interior sheetrock walls may offer concealment, but they provide poor cover. The same can be said of most modern automobile bodies, with the exception of the car’s engine. If you have to take cover behind a vehicle, it is very advisable to do so at the front end. And, for goodness sake, don’t then peek up over the hood; crooks will be expecting that move. Instead, get low, on your knees if you have to, and peer around the front of the vehicle, eyes level with the headlights or even the bumper.

I know a highway patrolman who engaged an armed felon as they chased each other around a vehicle. The patrolman went prone and, looking under a car, could see the crook’s feet. His .357 Mag. round went through both of the outlaw’s ankles, effectively stopping the fight.

It is often a good idea for the armed citizen to disengage and get away from the fight if possible. The use of cover allows them to consider and identify an exit while dealing with the attack. However, we never want to turn our back on the attacker while making an exit. Besides the potential for injury, we might also lose track of their location.

We can practice using cover during dry-practice sessions in our home or around it. On the live-fire shooting range, we might set up objects that simulate cover. A barricade post, a wooden cabinet or some such object can give us the opportunity in order to practice our pistol presentation and then quick movement to this simulated cover if your range allows. And we can also practice our live fire from kneeling or prone while using that cover.

Another excellent practice situation would be to find a facility that has an outdoor range with vehicles to use as cover to practice (Gunsite Academy, for instance).  We can practice quickly exiting and taking cover (where the RSOs will permit it). And, again, get live-fire practice on targets from prone or kneeling from behind the vehicle’s engine compartment. Just keep in mind that all safety rules apply, all the time. We are not out there to look cool, but rather to be safe and learn something.

Identifying and using cover should be an integral part of any personal-defense plan. Such a practice is an great idea to keep an eye out for whatever cover is available wherever you happen to be. In a lot of our defensive-shooting classes, we teach students to incorporate movement into the pistol presentation—some call it getting off the “X”—and going to the closest cover is the best use of that movement.

Homeowner fatally shoots armed intruder in Kanawha County; investigation underway

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va (WCHS) — Law enforcement were on Lick Branch Road in Kanawha County for most of Friday after they said a man fatally shot an armed intruder on his property.

“It is very scary,” said Mindy Nichols who near where the shooting happened. “You’re out here in the country. People are kind and then this happens. I don’t know. It just kind of startles you.”

It was just after 12:30 p.m. when police said the homeowner arrived to his property where he was met with the armed suspect who did not live there inside of his home.

“That individual came to the door and met the homeowner at the doorway and the individual had several weapons on him,” said Sgt. Joshua Lester with the Kanawha County Sheriffs Department. “A fight ensued between the two and the homeowner pulled a firearm and fatally shot the intruder that was in his home.”

Police said the homeowner was working on his property, which is not his primary residence when he was met with an intruder on the porch who was armed with a baseball bat and a knife. Police said the struggle moved from the porch down into the yard, where the homeowner pulled a gun and shot the other man.

“We’ll have to kind of retrace all the steps. They’ll have to find where the firearm was fired,” Lester said. “They’ll have to find all of the discharge from that and any evidence that pertains to that, the weapons that were involved. They’ll look at that. They’ll look at the placements of where that evidence fell versus injuries to the victim as well as the suspect.”

More good advice from fellow shootist Sheriff Wilson

Taking Care Of Your Guns
Your life may depend on it, so take good care of it.

As a young man I spent a lot of time around older shooters and old lawmen trying to learn as much as I could. One of the things that most of them had in common was how well they took care of their guns. Many of them were shooting guns from the pre-WWII era, but those guns were still in very good shape. When they shot them, they cleaned them and generally wiped them off at night with an oily rag. They generally understood how their guns worked and could replace worn parts when that became necessary.

The armed citizen doesn’t need to be a firearm expert, but they do need to know how their choice of a defensive firearm works. It is also important to know what type of failures are common to a specific type of firearm, how to spot them and what to do about it.

Many semi-automatic pistols should have their mainspring replaced on a regular basis; some gunsmiths advise that every 1,000 rounds would be a good interval. One should also learn how to check the extractor and ejector for excessive wear. Semi-automatic pistol shooters quickly learn to spot the malfunctions that are caused by a faulty or worn magazine. And for goodness sakes, a bad magazine belongs in the trashcan, not among your practice gear.

Revolver shooters need to make sure that each chamber in the cylinder lines up properly with the barrel; spitting lead is a good indication that this is not the case. In some revolvers the ejector rod can come loose and tie up the gun; preventing that is an easy fix if one knows what to look for. Some revolvers have an external screw on the front of the grip frame that puts tension on the mainspring and keeps it in place; this should be snug and tight to prevent misfires.

I think that we often fail to realize the wear and tear that guns can receive from the mini-explosions that we call shooting. Gun parts wear just a little bit every time we pull the trigger. If an armed citizen will take the time to visit with a good gunsmith, they can quickly learn wear-related and other problems that might occur in their particular firearm. Then regular cleaning sessions and just taking the time of give the gun a good once over can often catch the problem before a misfire or failure to fire occurs. Simply put, you may have to bet your life on it, so it is a good idea to make sure that gun is in good working order.

 

Gun-Free Zones Like Fort Stewart Invite Mass Shootings

On Wednesday, another mass shooting unfolded — this time at Fort Stewart military base in Georgia. A male Army sergeant, who illegally carried a gun on the base, wounded five soldiers before others tackled and disarmed him.

Typically, only authorized designated security forces such as MPs are armed on duty. Any other soldier caught carrying a firearm faces severe consequences, ranging from a rank reduction, court-martial, potential criminal convictions, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of pay, and even imprisonment.

So why would a soldier risk such harsh penalties? Because if you’re the attacker, planning to murder fellow soldiers, gun control laws won’t stop you. If you expect to die in the assault, as most mass public shooters do, extra years added to your sentence mean nothing. Even if you survive, you already anticipate multiple life sentences or the death penalty.

But for law-abiding soldiers, those same rules carry enormous weight. Carrying a gun for self-defense could turn them into felons and destroy their futures. These gun control policies disarm the innocent while encouraging a determined killer to attack there as they will know that they are the only ones who will be armed.

Yes, military police guard entrances, but like civilian police, they can’t be everywhere. Military bases function like cities, and MPs face the same limitations as police responding to off-base mass shootings.

Consider the attacks at the Navy Yard, both Fort Hood shootings, and the Chattanooga recruiting station. In each case, unarmed JAG officers, Marines, and soldiers had no choice but to hide while the attacker fired shot after shot.

Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, then commander of Third Corps stationed at Fort Hood, testified to Congress about the second attack there: “We have adequate law enforcement on those bases to respond … those police responded within eight minutes and that guy was dead.” But eight minutes was simply too long for the three soldiers who were murdered and the 12 others who were wounded.

Time after time, murderers exploit regulations that guarantee they’ll face no armed resistance. Diaries and manifestos of mass public shooters show a chilling trend: They deliberately choose gun-free zones, knowing their victims can’t fight back. While we don’t yet know if the Fort Stewart shooter made that same calculation, his actions fit a pattern seen in dozens of other cases. It’s no coincidence that 94 percent of mass public shootings happen in places where guns are banned.

Ironically, soldiers with a concealed handgun permit can carry a concealed handgun whenever they are off base so that they can protect themselves and others. But on the base, they and their fellow soldiers are defenseless.

These are soldiers trained to handle firearms. We trust them with weapons in combat, yet we deny them that same trust on their own bases.

In 1992, the George H.W. Bush administration started reshaping the military into a more “professional, business-like environment.” That shift led to tighter restrictions on firearms. In 1993, President Clinton rewrote and implemented those restrictions, effectively banning soldiers from carrying personal firearms on base.

After the 2015 Chattanooga recruiting station attack, the military slightly loosened the rules. Commanders gained the authority to approve individual service members to carry privately owned firearms. But in practice, commanders rarely grant that permission.

Importantly, U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan were required to keep their weapons on them at all times — even on base. These soldiers needed to protect themselves against threats, and there are no known cases of them turning those weapons on each other. The policy worked.

So why do we make it easy for killers to target our own troops at home? Why do we force soldiers, like those at Fort Stewart, to tackle armed attackers with bare hands?

Let’s stop pretending that gun-free zones protect anyone. They only protect killers.

Jankovich: Walmart stabbings show flaw in gun control logic

Last weekend, a man walked into a Walmart in Traverse City and stabbed 11 innocent people in a random, brutal act of violence. The scene was horrifying—but thankfully, everyone survived.

The media covered the initial shock. The politicians issued generic statements. But something’s missing — something that always seems to go missing when the narrative doesn’t fit: no one is talking about “knife control.” Why is that?

A knife was used to commit mass violence — just as we’ve seen before with hammers, axes and even cars. These are real tragedies, carried out without a single bullet fired. And yet, no one is proposing sweeping legislation to regulate or ban knives or to require background checks before buying a truck.

Because deep down, we all know the glaring truth: it’s not the object that commits the violence; it’s the person. But the moment a firearm is involved, the story changes. The headlines explode. Politicians scramble to propose more restrictions. And the blame shifts from the criminal to the tool they used.

Police respond to multiple people being stabbed inside a Walmart Supercenter store near Traverse City, Mich. on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
This double standard isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous. It distracts from real solutions, and it deliberately ignores the fact that, in Traverse City, a law-abiding citizen with a firearm stopped the attack before more people were stabbed.

When police arrived at the scene, the alleged attacker had already been restrained, held at gunpoint by a shopper.

That’s right: a proverbial “good guy” with a gun stopped a “bad guy” with a knife. It’s textbook self-defense and the outcome we hope for in moments of crisis.

This is the very reason Women for Gun Rights exists. We believe the Second Amendment protects not just the right to “bear arms” — but the right to defend yourself and others when no one else can. At the end of the day, despite the best efforts of law enforcement, you are your own first responder. Your life, and the lives of others, is your responsibility.

This incident also highlights another uncomfortable pattern that truly undermines the efficacy of gun control. Authorities said the suspect had a history of “assaultive incidents.” In other words, they knew he was dangerous and capable of violence. While shocking to hear, this isn’t an isolated occurrence. Over and over, we’ve seen mass casualty events carried out by individuals who were already on law enforcement’s radar. The signs were there. The threats had been made. Reports were filed. But the system didn’t act.

And yet, every time a tragedy occurs, the focus shifts — not to the failures of intervention, but to restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens. Groups like Moms Demand Action and anti-gun politicians push for Red Flag laws, assault weapon bans and magazine limits, as if taking tools away from the responsible will somehow stop the reckless and violent.

But Traverse City shows the flaw in that logic.

The attacker didn’t use a gun. He used a knife. Would a Red Flag law have prevented it? Would a gun ban have saved those people? Of course not. The answer isn’t to criminalize gun ownership — it’s to crack down on actual criminals, take real threats seriously and enforce the laws we already have against people who have proven themselves violent and dangerous.

This is an important moment in Michigan and across the United States. It’s time to stop pretending the tool is the problem and start focusing on the truth: dangerous people are the threat. And guns, in the hands of the right people, save lives.

Marcy Jankovich is the Michigan State Director for Women for Gun Rights.

Well, I can see such as ‘another club in the bag’ so to speak

What We Really Need for Effective Self-Defense: Reliable Non-Lethal Incapacitation.

Recently, Shooting News Weekly shared a quote from Open Source Defense. In short, they called for technological improvements in guns to make them easier to shoot, have higher capacities, and otherwise be more useful for the average human. I agree with the idea that weapons should continue to improve as technology advances.

On the other hand, humans have a tendency to get stuck in a paradigm that keeps us from moving on to better technologies. For example, there’s the famous quote from Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” The automobile was a radical departure from using animal power to get around, and is better for nearly all use cases. But few had imagined that at the time.

To avoid that trap, I propose the industry should set goals and then determine what technologies need to be further developed or created from scratch to meet those goals. This kind of leadership by objective isn’t perfect, but it can help us avoid seeking “faster horses” in the gun world.

One of the biggest things anti-gunners misunderstand is the alleged desire among gun owners to kill people. While there are always a few nutters who fantasize about having an excuse to kill another human being (we can call them the “I wish an MF’er would” crowd), the vast, vast majority of gun owners only want to be able to stop a threat to their lives and those of people they care about.

If it were possible to stop the threat consistently and reliably without the attendant tragedy of ending another human life, that’s what virtually all of us would choose. We have some tools designed for non-lethal incapacitation, but sadly, They’re not reliable enough for life-and-death situations. TASER darts don’t always stick and things like OC spray can be affected by wind, sunglasses, the influence of drugs, etc. That’s why such weapons aren’t good answers to the threat of death or grievous bodily harm. We just can’t take a chance on them not working.

Still, we try to find ways to avoid needing to kill someone. Non-violent dispute resolution tactics like Verbal Judo are widely taught in the firearms community. Farnam’s “Rule of Stupids” (avoid doing stupid things with stupid people in stupid places) has long been taught to people who want to carry a gun for self-defense. Avoiding situations where you might need to use a gun entirely is the key here.

In the long run, it’s my hope that the industry takes this to heart as it seeks to improve weapon designs and invent new tools for self-defense. Instead of a faster horse — a gun that’s easier to shoot and throws more pieces of metal around — what we really need is something like Star Trek phasers. On one setting, people in that fictional world can reliably knock most threats out when it’s appropriate. The option to kill, however, is still available when it’s absolutely necessary. Kirk’s phaser was also good as a powerful cutting tool, a signal, a source of heat, and many other uses.

We’re probably nowhere near such a weapon yet, but it’s a good north star to guide the industry. Reliable incapacitation might not come from an energy weapon like we see in science fiction, but whatever the path it is that leads in that direction, we should focus on finding it.

CCL holder kills gunman in Harvey mass shooting; 2nd deadly shooting could be connected: officials

HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) — A Concealed-Carry License holder fatally shot one of two gunmen who injured a young child and four others in south suburban Harvey on Saturday night, officials said.

Officials believe another deadly shooting, which happened on Sunday morning, may be connected to Saturday night’s mass shooting.

On Sunday, crime tape and evidence markers are the only signs left of Saturday night’s shooting, which happened around 8 p.m. during a house party on the corner of 145th and Des Plaines. Neighbors described the scene to ABC7.

“It was chaotic. A lot of police. A lot of ambulances. A lot of people laying on the ground. It was a shame to have to see something like that,” said neighbor Terrence Simpkins. “It was a sad moment for this community here. And more work needs to be done.”

Two armed men opened fire at the gathering, injuring five of the guests. But it did not end there. A CCL holder who was present returned fire, killing one of the suspects and injuring the other.

A 4-year-old boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is listed in stable condition.

Four other party attendees also suffered gunshot wounds. They were taken to local hospitals in stable condition.

The suspect killed was pronounced dead on the scene.

The injured suspect was taken to a hospital in stable condition, and is now in police custody.

While police initially believed Saturday’s shooting to be an isolated incident, saying there was no further threat to the community, they are now investigating an early Sunday morning shooting, which happened in the 200-block of Calumet Boulevard, as a possible act of retaliation.

An unidentified man was found dead inside a minivan. One neighbor, who did not want to show her face, spoke with ABC7.

“I woke up, and it sounded like bullets were hitting the garbage cans… I heard, at least 40, 38, I don’t know, a lot of rounds,” she said. “I ran downstairs and grabbed, just everyone away from windows, just threw them to the floor.”

While the search for the gunman in Sunday morning’s fatal shooting continues, a spokesperson for the Harvey Police Department said investigators are actively following leads and witnesses are cooperating.

Further information was not immediately available.

Right to bear arms also a responsibility

A violent attack in Traverse City, Michigan, would not have been prevented by any of the myriad proposals for more intrusive “gun control” — the attack, in which 11 people were viciously stabbed, was carried out with a folding knife.

Instead the first gun at the scene of the attack, which authorities are seeking to define as terrorism, was carried by a law-abiding citizen, who helped defuse the situation and coax the alleged perpetrator into surrendering.

The citizen, a retired Marine bearing arms in concordance with the Second Amendment rights we frequently defend in our editorials, acknowledged in an interview with the Detroit Free Press that the Second Amendment is as much a responsibility as a right.

“The only that separated me from the other gentlemen that had stepped in as well was what was I was carrying in my hands,” Derrick Perry said. “I think I would have ran out there or walked out there and helped either way. … It was just a moment of ‘I got a duty to protect.’”

We are not saying that everyone needs to bear this responsibility, or that everyone is well-suited to bear it. We recognize that a society that allows people to pursue their opportunities and exercise their liberties will depend on everybody taking on different responsibilities — the responsibilities they are best equipped to fulfill.

But we believe that the men, women and children of Traverse City should appreciate that Derrick Perry understands that he not only has a right to own and carry a firearm, but as someone willing to train and educate himself on the use of firearms, he has an opportunity to shoulder the responsibility of helping to keep his community safe.

While we are far from the scene of this crime in northern Michigan, we appreciate Perry’s willingness, as a retired Marine, to serve his country and his willingness, as displayed by his bravery that day, to continue to serve his fellow Americans by being prepared to defend their lives and liberties.

We hope people across our nation can learn both to respect the necessity of a sense of responsibility in each of us, and the necessity of respect for the freedoms and liberties that allow us to bear those responsibilities.

Even if it wasn’t, RKBA is American Law.

America’s 2nd Amendment Is Allowable under Jewish Law

Before getting into the reason, it is important to read the wording of the 2nd Amendment, since much is said without taking the time to read the words nor understand the importance of commas.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

The Amendment covers two distinct areas. First is defense of state through the use of militias. Second is defense of self and others through private ownership of arms. There is no comma between people and infringed, which makes it an individual right.

Every Amendment making up the Bill of Rights has direct reference to individual rights. There are seven that are specific to individuals, with the other three being in regard to individual rights and other groupings, such as state, militia, press, etc.

Is it permissible by God for Jews to own firearms for the purpose of defending themselves and others? Another way of asking is if God allows for American Jews to exercise their 2nd Amendment right to bear arms for the purpose of defense?

Defense of self and others is acceptable to God. Jews are supposed to minimize violence when possible, but not refrain. Shulchan Aruch, is the Codes of Jewish Law, which was written in 1563, is very clear about the subject. Defense of self and others is included within those Codes. Shulchan Aruch is not some ancient book that used to have importance, but the most widely consulted book on Jewish law to this day.

One Biblical example of God allowing defense of self and others can be found in the Book of Esther. Since many are familiar with the story, there is little need to go into great detail. King Xerxes had already ruled that the Jews were going to be slaughtered. Xerxes was unable to take a law back once written, so Esther came up with an idea, which he acted upon. The order was given that the Jews were required to fight back.

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South Dakota Regents Finally Adopt Campus Carry Policy

When the fall semester kicks off at South Dakota’s public universities in less than a month, there’ll be at least one big change awaiting students and staff when they return to campus. Orientation materials will now include guidance on lawful carry, because for the first time, lawful gun owners who possess an enhanced carry permit or an out-of-state carry license recognized by South Dakota will be able to lawfully carry in many on-campus locations.

Earlier this year Gov. Larry Rhoden signed SB 100 into law, establishing a legal way for folks to bear arms on the state’s public colleges, universities and technical schools. Though the law took effect on July 1, the South Dakota Board of Regents didn’t get around to adopting its own campus carry policy in accordance with the statute until last week.

Pistols and ammunition must be stored in a locked case or safe when not being carried. The policy sets standards for schools to designate restricted spaces and rules for special events, establishes signage requirements, and addresses storage rules for dormitories. It also requires members of the public using campus facilities to adhere to the same regulations. “

The safety and well-being of our students and campus communities remains at the forefront, and we wanted to make sure that we were very thoughtful, very intentional, on the policy framework that we put together to do that to the best of our abilities,” [Regents Executive Director Nathan] Lukkes said.

Students who live on campus and want to carry will have to provide their own locking case or safe, which seems fair. The new law also allows for the lawful carry of stun guns, mace or pepper spray in addition to or instead of a firearm, with no enhanced carry license required for those items. That’s also a common sense provision, and it allows those who aren’t comfortable carrying a lethal weapon to choose a non-lethal way to protect themselves on campus.

Mother Who Shot Home Intruder In Self-Defense Won’t Be Charged

A Memphis mom won’t face charges after she shot an intruder who broke into her home, per Black Enterprise.

Video of the break-in showed the mother, who remains unidentified, retreating into a room and asking three intruders to leave her home. The mother informed the intruders that she had children in the house with her before she opened fire against one of the women who broke into her home.

21-year-old Kimari Burnham, 21-year-old Nala Kelley, and 22-year-old Dejwan Payne were arrested and charged in connection with the break-in. Burnham, who was shot, was listed in critical condition following the intrusion.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said authorities responded to the scene after receiving reports of a shooting at the woman’s home. Three people broke into the residence at roughly 10 p.m. on the night of the incident. When police arrived, they found Burnham with an apparent gunshot wound. Officials believe the incident was domestic.

All three suspects were charged with aggravated burglary. Burnham and Kelley are also facing additional charges of misdemeanor vandalism.

After collecting evidence from the scene, investigators determined that the Memphis mother acted in self-defense in the shooting of Burnham.

“In Tennessee, you can defend your home with deadly force. So once they cross that threshold and they’re inside your house, that’s enough to assume there’s a presumption made that they’re there to do you harm,” defense attorney Brandon Hall said in a statement. He also stated that the same law applies even if the intruders did not have a weapon with them.

Florida: Armed Citizen Saves Woman From Knife-Wielding Attacker In Mall Parking Lot

Anti-gun advocates just can’t bring themselves to admit that armed citizens use their firearms to save themselves from attackers millions of times a year. That fact runs directly against their philosophy and beliefs.

Another thing they’ll never admit is that armed citizens frequently save other people from attackers, using their firearms to protect their unarmed neighbors from bad guys intent on harming them. Good guys with guns are called “good guys” for a reason—they know that helping others who are under attack is a noble endeavor and are often willing to take the risk to do so.

Such was the case recently in a mall parking lot in Orlando, Florida. According to a report from Clickorlando.com, on July 14, an armed man drew his gun and forced another man, who was stabbing a woman with a knife, to stop the attack and flee the scene.

According to local police, security cameras showed that 41-year-old Alinton John and the woman arrived in the parking lot just before 10 p.m., talking for about half an hour, and then got into John’s vehicle. About 10 minutes later, the woman can be seen running toward the mall’s front entrance.

According to the police report, a witness told investigators that he and some family members were standing in the parking lot “when they saw a female ‘all stabbed up’ exit a red Tesla and heard her screaming.” The witness said that he then drew his concealed pistol, racked a round into the chamber, and pointed it at John.

The Misogyny of the Anti-Gun Movement

A couple of days ago my colleague Tom Knighton wrote about some examples of misogyny in Second Amendment spaces, but the issue is perhaps even more pronounced among gun control advocates.

As Paige Pearson writes at the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s blog, many gun control groups have institutionalized their opposition to women exercising their Second Amendment rights… and they have become more vocal as more women are becoming gun owners.

The Smoking Gun is Everytown for Gun Safety’s media arm that describes itself as “the online resource committed to exposing the gun industry’s” role “in our gun violence epidemic.” Apparently that includes exposing the evils of marketing and advertising in a manner that attracts 50 percent of your possible customer base.

Enter Greg Lickenbrock, who spoke with three marketing and sociology professors from Oregon State University about their observations in advertising towards American women from firearm manufacturers and retailers.

“The fact that we now see women in these ads, and portraying different ‘characters,’ demonstrates the industry’s efforts to increase ownership among women,” Dr. Brett Burkhardt said.

“After a few years of experimenting with sexualized ads that didn’t correlate with increased sales to women, the industry now seems to have landed on an advertising idea that works: showing women as competent and serious gun owners,” added Dr. Michelle Barnhardt.

Dr. Aimee Dinnin Huff offered her thoughts as well. “There isn’t yet an established female American gun owner identity or image that consumers can latch onto. Many ads still rely on gendered assumptions rather than a nuanced understanding of the different types of relationships women have with firearms,” she said.

Dr. Burkhardt added another thought, stating, “These new and more common depictions of women and firearms are examples of how the industry is seeking to naturalize women’s gun ownership.”

Why shouldn’t gun ownership be considered natural for women? Or, to put it another way, why do anti-gunners want to denormalize half the population exercising a fundamental constitutional right?

To be fair, groups like Everytown are just as opposed to guys owning guns as they are with women exercising their 2A rights. But the anti-gunners can’t stand the fact that more women are choosing to purchase a firearm; whether for self-defense, hunting, competitive shooting, or just because it’s fun to spend time at the range. And they absolutely hate that the firearms industry has recognized that a growing number of women are making up their customer base.

Media still widely misrepresents American gun owners as old, white guys but recent trends in firearm purchasing couldn’t put this caricature to rest any better. Over the past five years, the surge of new first-time buyers has made the gun-owning community the most diverse population of gun owners ever. That’s a good thing – as the Second Amendment is for everyone. And that includes women.

Women are featured more prominently today in advertising because more women are buying firearms for any number of reasons – all good ones – and the industry is listening to them. Women’s nights at neighborhood shooting ranges, women-only firearm training classes and even friend groups choosing to go to the range together are all increasingly more popular activities as women choose to exercise their Second Amendment rights in any safe way they choose.

Marketing has changed over the last few decades to follow the customer. For Lickenbrock and others, that means seeing a lot more women with guns. And that’s a good thing.

I certainly think so, and if you’re reading this I’m relatively sure you’re in agreement with Pearson too. The gun control lobby, on the other hand, isn’t just going to clutch its collective pearls. They too will be targeting women with anti-gun messaging and campaigns designed to discourage them from keeping and bearing arms; portraying it as something that’s far too dangerous for ladies to engage in… and ignoring stories about women saving their own lives thanks to their decision to become a gun owner.

Deputes determine shooting in Keithville was in self-defense

KEITHVILLE, La. (KSLA) – Deputies responded to reports of a shooting Friday morning (June 27).

It happened not long after 11 a.m. on Stagecoach Road just off Mansfield Road near Drag Strip Road. More than a dozen units from the sheriff’s office responded.

Officials with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office say one person, identified as Joseph Whitaker, was shot in the upper body. His injuries are none-life-threatening, according to CPSO.

Whitaker was initially transported to Willis Knighton South by a private vehicle and was later transferred to Ochsner LSU Health.

Investigators arrived at the scene and determined that the victim had attempted to leave a heated verbal altercation by getting into his truck. However, Whitaker went up to his vehicle and began hitting him in the head.

The shooting happened not long after 11 a.m. on Stagecoach Road just off Mansfield Road near Drag Strip Road.

While the victim was being attacked, he pulled out a gun, in fear for his life and fired two shots at Whitaker. After firing, the victim left the scene but returned moments later when deputies arrived.

Following the investigation, it was determined that the victim acted in self-defense. Whitaker was issued a summons for simple battery at the hospital.

Concealed carry holder shoots at armed robbers in the West Loop

A concealed carry license holder intervened in a violent robbery in the West Loop on Tuesday morning, firing shots at two armed suspects who fled the scene.

It all started around 8:50 a.m. in the 1100 block of West Hubbard Street.

A 38-year-old woman was outside when two men, both armed with guns, approached her, demanded her belongings, and pistol-whipped her before taking her possessions, police said

But a 41-year-old man who is licensed to carry concealed firearms witnessed the robbery and confronted the robbers, a Chicago police spokesperson said. The robbers pointed their guns at him, prompting the witness to draw his weapon and open fire on them. No one was struck by the gunfire.

The offenders fled northbound in a black Lexus sedan bearing stolen New Jersey license plates. The victim declined medical assistance, and no other injuries were reported.

CPD did not release a description of the robbers.

Prichard store manager shoots and kills suspected robber

PRICHARD, Ala. (WKRG) — A store manager shot and killed a suspected robber Saturday in Prichard, News 5 has learned.

According to a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office news release, at about 3:35 a.m. Saturday, deputies were called to the Lucky 7 gas station at 702 St. Stephens Road in Prichard in reference to a shooting.

The store manager told deputies he had shot a teenager who was trying to rob him, according to the release.

The 17-year-old ran from the scene, ending up at the 700 block of La Fargue Street, where he died from a gunshot wound on the right side of his chest, the release said.

He was found wearing a hoodie, a mask and orange gloves, and a 9-mm. Taurus pistol was found next to his body, the release said.

According to the release, that same store was robbed on June 9 at about 4:07 a.m. by a person wearing orange gloves and a black hoodie and using the same type of gun.

Officers are looking at video footage from that prior incident, the release said.

The case has been turned over to the District Attorney’s Office, and no arrest had been made at the time of the shooting, the release said.

Church staff thwarts mass shooting, kills gunman

Several church members thwarted what would have likely been a mass shooting during a church service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne on Sunday morning. The gunman was shot dead by church staff members, one of whom was wounded in the gunfire, police said.

The gunman arrived as services were underway around 11 a.m., wearing a tactical vest and armed with a long gun and a handgun, and began firing his weapon outside the church, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong said at a press conference Sunday evening.

Several staff members from the church approached the gunman and one parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Strong said. At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing the fatal wounds. One staff member was shot in the leg by the gunman, he said.

The gunman was identified as a 31-year-old from Romulus whose motivations are unknown. His name was not released.

” … We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff members who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large scale mass shooting,” Strong said.

Strong said it appears the gunman was suffering from a mental health crisis and, until that point, had had limited interactions with law enforcement. He said police aren’t aware at this point of any connection the gunman had to the church.

The staff member who was shot is awaiting surgery but his injuries aren’t life-threatening, Strong said.

Brendan Henzel, 21, said he was attending services at the church when the shooting occurred.

“I was confused what was going on,” Henzel told the Detroit Free Press as he stood near the church in the hours after the shooting took place. “I heard ‘Boom, boom, pow’ and next thing I knew I was running.”

A livestream of the church service, which appears to have been taken down from the church’s website but was captured by news outlets, shows the parishioners, many of them children, sitting in the pews when the shooting takes place. There’s shouting, and then attendees duck under their chairs or run as shots can be heard in the background. A woman at one point yells, “Everybody to the back. Please, everybody come to the back.”

The church was cordoned off with police tape Sunday afternoon, as police from various agencies investigated.

Strong said Wayne Police intends to share the name of the suspect at a later time.