Self Defense – Page 44

1 dead after alleged home invasion near Bullard

SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – A homeowner allegedly shot a man who is accused of unlawfully entering his house and threatening his fiancé.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Smith County deputies were dispatched to the 15,000 block of Treasure Cove near Bullard in reference to a suspicious person, according to a release from Smith County Sgt. Larry Christian. While en route to the location, deputies were informed that a white male had entered a residence unlawfully and confronted the homeowners, insisting that the homeowner’s truck belonged to him, Christian said. The homeowner reportedly forcefully removed the intruder from his residence and was able to lock the door.

Before deputies arrived, the homeowner, armed with a shotgun, went outside to check on his truck; the suspect then returned to the property and the homeowner informed him that police were on the way and instructed him to sit down, the release said. The homeowner reported that he believed the suspect was having a mental episode, as he was shouting an unknown female’s name. During this time, the homeowner’s fiancé came outside, and her presence seemed to agitate the suspect, who came toward them aggressively, according to Christian. The homeowner reportedly warned the suspect several times to stop walking toward them or he would shoot, but the suspect allegedly refused and made death threats toward them; as the suspect charged toward the homeowner and his fiancé, the homeowner shot the suspect once in the chest, Christian said.

Upon arrival of deputies, the suspect was found unconscious in the front yard of the residence. Deputies initiated CPR on the suspect prior to the arrival of EMS. UT Health East Texas Paramedics arrived on location a short time later and confirmed the suspect was deceased, according to the release. Smith County Investigators and the Crime Scene Unit responded to the location and are currently conducting their investigation. Christian said the suspect has been identified as 50-year-old Mark Anthony Correro of Houston, Texas.

Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Andy Dunklin arrived on location for the inquest. He ordered an autopsy and the body was transported to Forensic Medical in Tyler.

This is an ongoing investigation and more details may be released as they become available.

UPDATE: Intruder shot and killed at Fort Smith home

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — UPDATE: Feb. 4 Police have identified the 29-year-old male who was killed as Jacob Andrew Webb.

Jacob Andrew Webb, 29 was killed trying to break into a 58-year-old man’s home (Fort Smith Police Department).
The investigation is still ongoing, according to Fort Smith Police.

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — UPDATE: 10:57 a.m. Police say a man shot and killed an intruder trying to enter his home near the corner of 18th and N H streets.

Police identified the homeowner as a 58-year-old male and the victim as a 29-year-old male. The homeowner was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police believe this to be an isolated incident with no danger to the public.

Store Owner Shoots, Kills Suspect During Attempted Armed Robbery in East Hartford

One suspect in an attempted armed robbery in East Hartford is dead after a store owner who was shot during the ordeal shot back, according to police.

Police said two people wearing black ski masks went into Humble & Paid Co. at 1285 Main St. just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday, intending to rob the business.

The store owner struggled with one of the suspects, who pulled out a firearm and the suspect shot the owner in the back, police said.

The owner returned fire with two of his legally registered firearms, striking one of the suspects several times, according to police.

Officers who responded treated the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Jashar Haslam of Hartford, until the East Hartford Fire Department arrived and the suspect was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The owner was also treated at the scene for a gunshot wound to the lower back and was transported to the hospital. His injuries are not life-threatening, police said.

The other suspect remains at large and ran out of the building during the initial struggle, police said.

FACT CHECK: Gavin Newsom Says ‘Permitless Carry Does Not Make You Safer’

CLAIM: In the lead-up to his February 1 push for more gun control, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) claimed, “Permitless carry does not make you safer.”

VERDICT: Partly False.

On June 7, 2017, Breitbart News relayed FBI data published by the NRA that showed two of the earliest permitless carry states, hereafter called constitutional carry states, were Alaska and Arizona. And both states saw their handgun murders decline when their concealed carry permit requirements were abolished.

The date showed Alaska’s handgun murder rate “declined after the state enacted [constitutional carry] in 2003.” Moreover, in the 14 years between the abolition of the permit requirement and 2017 “handgun murders…declined as a percentage of the total number of murders.”

A drop in handgun murders also took place in Arizona after that state abolished its concealed carry permit requirement in 2010.

More recently, the Maine Wire noted that crime fell in Maine after the state abolished its concealed carry permit requirement in 2015.

FBI data shows violent crime beginning a decline in 2016 that continued through 2020.

There are currently 25 states with constitutional carry. When there were only 13–Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming–the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) showed that data from the 13 states showed overall murder numbers fell from 4.49 to 4.31 post-constitutional carry enactment, and that violent crime fell from 331.5 to 318.2.

But murder levels can vary for a variety of reasons, and CPRC’s John Lott explains some of the numerous factors that are often at play:

Firearm homicide is not a good measure of the effect of Constitutional Carry laws because murders can be committed with other weapons as well as by hands and fists. Also, gun homicide data include justifiable homicides, including homicides by police in the line of duty. Justifiable homicides are benefits, not costs, and they might understandably increase when more citizens are allowed to defend themselves with guns. The FBI murder rate has neither of these problems and is a better test of the effect of constitutional carry laws. Nevertheless, my analysis finds that Constitutional Carry laws do not increase firearm homicide.

It should also be noted that Lott points out that constitutional carry helps to make the poor safer, by making self-defense affordable.

Lott adds:

Constitutional Carry will make it easier for poor people, who are the most likely victims of violent crime, to be able to defend themselves and their families. Costs matter; just compare the numbers in neighboring states, Illinois and Indiana. In Illinois, the total cost of getting a five-year permit is $450; there is no license fee in Indiana. While only 4% of Illinoisans have a concealed handgun permit, 22% of adults in Indiana already have one, the second-highest number of permits per capita.

Newsom’s claim is partly false.

I don’t know if this is a response to the previous sophistry, or just an opposite viewpoint, but I like it.

To the editor: As a proud Asian American veteran, I know that evil comes in many forms and in many languages. Evil does not understand reason, only violence.

California has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. Maybe it’s time to empower the people to defend themselves against evil.

California already requires background checks, waiting periods, testing requirements and more. Repeating the same steps expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.

John Tor, Los Angeles

Billings woman shoots two men during attack outside residence

BILLINGS – A Billings woman shot two men who attacked her outside her residence.

Billings police said Monday the 25-year-old woman shot the two men, ages 29 and 37, in an apparent case of self-defense.

“As far as the victim using a firearm for self-defense the law is pretty clear on people’s right to use self-defense when they can articulate a threat to themselves or others,” police Lt. Matt Lennick said in a statement about the incident to Q2. “Like all cases of this nature the case will be reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office and they could bring fourth criminal charges against the shooter if they deemed the threat didn’t meet the level of force used.”

The shooting happened at about 12:45 p.m. Saturday in an alley in the 2000 block of Cook Avenue. Police described the incident on social media as a “possible robbery with shots fired.”

“The report indicates the suspects attacked the victim at her car outside of her residence,” Lennick said in the statement. “The victim pulled her concealed firearm and both suspects were shot.”

One of the men who was shot remained at the scene and the other fled the area but arrived later at a local hospital, Lennick said. Neither of the men were armed.

“Due to their injuries, neither suspect was arrested or charged immediately, but the case was sent to the County Attorney’s Office for review and official charges,” he said.

Missoula Attorney Paul Ryan is familiar with Montana’s justifiable use of force laws. He represented Markus Kaarma in 2014 after he shot and killed a German exchange student whom he caught trespassing in his garage in Missoula.

“People think of self-defense or things like that, but the actual legal term is justifiable use of force,” Ryan said in a web interview Monday afternoon. “The law allows you to defend yourself with the same force that they’re coming with, essentially.”

Kaarma is currently serving a 70-year sentence after being found guilty of deliberate homicide. Ryan said all of the facts — especially location — are significant in making decisions regarding such cases.

“There’s different standards depending on location,” Ryan said. “For example, there’s different standards if you’re in your house versus outside your house. There’s different standards if you’re defending property versus your person.”

Montana law says a person is justified in using force, but only if the person reasonably believes the force is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm.

When and How We Should Teach Our Children About Armed Defense

I write about armed defense every week. We’ve covered many stories where young men and women defended themselves or their family. We’ve talked around the issue of teenagers and guns, but let’s look at it directly. When should we teach our children about firearms? The obvious answer is to teach your children when it is the safest thing to do. There are risks on both sides. Fortunately, we make similar decisions about our children’s education all the time. This article isn’t the last work on any of the issues, but I hope it is a good starting place.

As a responsible parent, we have to teach our children what to do if they see an unsecured firearm. We have to choose when and how to tell our children that we have firearms in our home. We have to establish the rules about when our children are allowed to touch our guns. As they grow older, we have to teach our children to be responsible around firearms. Later, we have to teach them when and how to use a firearm as part of our family’s safety plan. Those are a few of the milestones, but there are lessons in between. Other parents have been there before.

What is new is that many families who have a gun today did not grow up with guns and are entering the firearms culture for the first time. We’ve lived with guns for several centuries so there are many well worn paths. To take some of the emotional heat out of the issue, this isn’t an all or nothing proposition. The alternatives are not ignorance about firearms or having our 15-year olds carrying concealed in public. Teaching and learning about firearms comes in a number of small steps on the way to self-defense. You’ve done things like this with your children already.

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Chicago Shooting: Man, 80, Seriously Wounds Man Who Forced Way Into Northwest Side Home

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago police said an 80-year-old man was badly injured in a Northwest Side home invasion after he fought off his attackers.

Now, the two suspects are in police custody.

“This doesn’t happen here. This is a pretty rare event,” said Boris Stojakvoic, who manages a building across the street with his family.

Investigators said it happened at 10:30 a.m. on the 8500 Block of West Catherine in Chicago’s O’Hare neighborhood.

“We’re actively checking that all our doors stay closed, and notifying our residents to make sure not to let anyone in the building they’re not expecting,” Stojakvoic said.

Police said the 80-year-old man was inside a home on the block when the suspects, a man and a woman, knocked on the door. After he opened the door, the suspects entered the home without permission and then a fight broke out.

Police say the 80-year-old, a FOID card holder, shot at the suspects, hitting the man in the chest. The woman was not injured.

One woman, who lives on the block and didn’t want to show her face out of fear for her safety, said she is heartbroken for her neighbor.

“I was in shock when I heard it, because it’s like in the middle of the day, in the morning, and something like that happens so close to your home, it’s really scary to hear,” she said.

The suspects drove to Resurrection Hospital, where the victim is also being treated. The 80-year-old man and the alleged invader he shot are both in critical condition.

Big win for gun owners as federal judge grants second TRO against New Jersey carry laws

U.S. District Judge Reneé Marie Bumb delivered a second win to New Jersey gun owners and Second Amendment activists challenging the state’s new carry restrictions on Monday, granting a temporary restraining order that halts enforcement of many of the state’s “sensitive places” where lawful concealed carry is considered a felony offense.

Bumb had already granted a TRO in Seigel v. Platkin, another challenge to several of the “gun-free zones” created by New Jersey lawmakers, but the federal court in Camden recently combined that case with Koons v. Platkin, giving Bumb the chance to take a look at some of the other “sensitive places” that were not a part of Seigel‘s initial complaint. On Monday, Bumb issued her ruling, finding mostly (but not entirely) in favor of the plaintiffs.

The judge concluded that the plaintiffs do not have standing at this time to challenge the “gun-free zones” in zoos, medical treatment facilities, movie sets, airports, and places covered by Fish and Game Department regulations, but are in a position to seek a restraining order against the following “sensitive places”:

public parks, beaches, recreational facilities, playgrounds
youth sports events
casinos
public libraries and museums
bars and restaurants where alcohol is served
entertainment facilities
private property unless indicated otherwise by owner
private vehicles

Of all those locations, the only ones that Bumb did not subject to the temporary restraining order are the prohibitions on concealed carry on playgrounds and at youth sporting events.

In Bruen and Heller, the Supreme Court expressly identified restrictions at certain sensitive places (such as schools) to be well-settled, even though the 18thand 19th-century evidence has revealed few categories in number. Bruen, 142 S.Ct. at 2133 (citing Heller, 554 U.S. at 626)). The inference, the Court suggested, is that some gun-free zones are simply obvious, undisputed, and uncontroversial. These are: (a) certain government buildings (such as legislative assemblies or courthouses or where the Government is acting within the heartland of its authority), (b) polling places, and (c) schools. Id.

Bruen further instructs courts to consider analogies to such sensitive places when considering whether the Government can meet its burden of showing that a given regulation is constitutionally permissible. Id. Here, Defendants subsume playgrounds within their discussion of historical statutes that regulate firearms where crowds gather and where the vulnerable or incapacitated are located. [See Defs.’ Opp’n at 34–35.] Unfortunately, Defendants neither point to a particular or analogous prohibition on carrying firearms at playgrounds nor provide a more meaningful analysis, despite this Court’s persistent invitation.

In particular, Defendants have done no analysis to answer the question Bruen leaves open: is it “settled” that this is a location where firearms-carrying could be prohibited consistent with the Second Amendment? Where the right to self-defense and sensitive place designations could be read in harmony under the Second Amendment? For that matter, nor have Plaintiffs. This issue must be explored at the preliminary injunction stage. Despite these shortcomings, the Court concludes that schools and playgrounds intersect, that is, playgrounds fall within the sphere of schools. Therefore, under Bruen, the Court “can assume it settled” that playgrounds are a “sensitive place.” See Bruen, 142 S.Ct. at 2133. Accordingly, because Plaintiffs cannot meet their burden as to their challenge to playgrounds in Subpart 10, the Motion will be denied as to playgrounds.

It’s entirely possible that even this “sensitive place” could fall once the case proceeds further, though Bumb seems more convinced that the prohibition on carrying at “youth sporting events” overlaps enough with “schools” that its probably okay to ban firearms there. I disagree, particularly given that many youth sporting events are run by leagues that aren’t school-affiliated at all, but the plaintiffs still have a chance to make their argument at future hearings over an injunction. But in the meantime Bumb has delivered a solid opinion in favor of the Second Amendment rights of all New Jersey residents by telling the state it can’t enforce its carry prohibitions in most of their “sensitive places”, at least in the near term.

This doesn’t mean, by the way, that all entertainment venues, casinos, and diners are going to be welcoming concealed carry holders. Private property owners can still ban concealed carry if they choose to do so, but under Bumb’s TRO the state’s presumption that all private property is off-limits unless otherwise noted is a non-starter. All in all this is very good news for New Jersey gun owners, and likely the first of many disappointments to come for civil rights abusers like Gov. Phil Murphy and his anti-2A ilk in the legislature.

Police say 2 self-defense shootings in Phoenix Saturday night left 2 dead

Two separate shootings in Phoenix, one on the west side and one in the central area of the city, left two men dead Saturday evening.

Just after 6:30 p.m., Phoenix police officers responded to a report of a shooting in central Phoenix, near 12th Street and Highland Avenue.

Once officers arrived, they found a man with gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as 24-year-old Aaron Duwan Frazier Jr. He died at a local hospital.

Early information indicated a man was fueling up his vehicle at the gas station when Frazier approached him with a gun and attempted to rob him. The man went back to his vehicle grabbed a gun and shot Frazier, according to police.

The man called police to report the incident. Detectives conducted interviews and collected evidence at the scene. The man was not booked into jail. The case will be reviewed further for any possible charges.

Later in the evening, in west Phoenix, another shooting occurred.

Just after 8 p.m., officers responded to a call claiming a shooting occurred near 44th and Whitton Avenues.

When police arrived, they discovered a man with gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital and was later pronounced dead.

Early information indicated a man attempted to enter a home when a woman inside called a family member to come help. The family member arrived and confronted the victim in front of the residence, police said.

A verbal altercation occurred, and the victim made threats to kill the man, raising a black object believed to be a gun. The family member then shot the victim claiming self-defense, according to police.

The man was interviewed by police and not booked into jail as further review of the case is pending. Evidence was collected and the investigation remains ongoing.

Analysis: Whole Community Effort Needed to Combat Mass Shootings

A new U.S. Secret Service report adds to a growing body of research documenting common behavior patterns among mass attackers. It also highlights the potential for community intervention, both broadly and on a small scale, to make a real difference.

The National Threat Assessment Center’s (NTAC) report published Wednesday analyzed 173 “mass attacks”—defined as incidents in which three or more people, not including the attacker, were harmed in public or semi-public places—between 2016 and 2020. The report uncovered many patterns linking various attackers to one extent or another, but what most perpetrators had in common was striking.

More than three-quarters of the individuals who committed mass attacks exhibited concerning behaviors or shared alarming communications before carrying them out. Nearly two-thirds exhibited behaviors or shared communications that were so concerning “they should have been met with an immediate response,” according to the researchers. Roughly 60 percent of the attackers exhibited behavior that caused others to fear for the safety of the attacker, themselves, or the broader public.

Often these concerning behaviors manifested in the form of expressed threats, actively making plans to carry out an attack, more minor acts of violence, or harassing behaviors.

For anyone who has spent time following the news coverage of these all-too-frequent incidents, the study results likely won’t come as much of a surprise. Time after time, it seems reports come out of the woodwork only after an incident has already transpired, revealing troubling details from an attacker’s past that, in hindsight, should have made it all too clear what was bound to happen.

But this new report makes clear that such perception is more than just anecdotal. The data bears it out. Mass attackers do, in fact, routinely exhibit a pattern of troubling behaviors that are generally identifiable by others, whether it’s family members, friends, classmates, employers, coworkers, or law enforcement.

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Carjacking suspect in critical condition after being shot by victim

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police say a carjacking victim in Philadelphia shot the suspect who was trying to steal a vehicle.

It happened late Saturday night at North Mascher and West Berks streets in Kensington.

Police say the suspect approached the victim who was sitting in a vehicle.

The victim fired a gun through the windshield, shattering the vehicle’s glass and hitting the suspect in the chest.

Police say the suspect then ran to Frankford Avenue and East Palmer Street where he collapsed.

The suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Gotta have something for the courts to do and lawyers to bill hours for

Police save burglar who was shot by homeowner in Haines City

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In a dramatic turn of events, police saved the life of an alleged burglar after he was shot by a homeowner in Haines City early Friday morning, authorities said.

Haines City Police Chief Goreck shared more information about the incident at a press conference Friday afternoon.

He said the homeowner and his girlfriend returned to the residence at about 1:45 a.m. and saw two strangers standing in the kitchen.

I-4 shut down 12 hours after woman’s body found, police say
Police said the homeowner, who has a permit to carry concealed weapons, drew his firearm and fired five rounds at the suspect closest to him.

The homeowner and his girlfriend fled the property with their puppy and called 911.

Police met the homeowner while he was driving to the station and questioned him. Goreck said he immediately surrendered the weapon and showed them his permit. He has been cooperating with the investigation, according to police, and is not facing charges at this time.

“Based on the totality of the evidence at this time, it does appear to be a case of Stand Your Ground,” Goreck said.

When police arrived at the residence, the suspects were nowhere to be found. Investigators collected five shell casings at the scene, and noticed a trail of blood droplets leading outside.

K9s picked up a scent and tracked one of the suspects about 100 yards away to Boomerang Park. He was found under a pavilion, suffering from four gunshot wounds.

“Even though this was a felon who had been illegally inside someone’s house, [police] immediately changed focused, changed gears, and went from a search and locate and apprehend, to saving this individual’s life,” Goreck said.

One officer rendered first aid and applied direct pressure to his wounds. Three other officers performed life-saving measures. One used a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding.

“These four officers were able to save this individual’s life. They were able to stop the bleeding enough so that when he was finally airlifted to a trauma center—Osceola Regional Medical Center— that at this moment he’s still alive,” Goreck added.

Goreck said the man remains in critical but stable condition. Police were still working to identify the other suspect.

According to Goreck, the suspect who was injured is no stranger to law enforcement. His rap sheet includes arrests for grand and petit theft, burglary and loitering and prowling among other charges, Goreck said.

Police said he was found with some of the homeowner’s property. He faces charges of burglary to a residence and grand theft.

“One should expect that if you are brazen enough to enter into someone’s residence and it is not yours, with intent to commit an unlawful act, there maybe repercussions.” Goreck said. “We live in Florida, and more so, we live in Polk County, and most people are armed.”

No Second Amendment Would Render Us Powerless

America is on a razor’s edge. Three mass shootings within 48 hours have the usual liberal suspects exploiting the carnage to push gun control.

President Biden and his acolytes keep babbling the same platitude that is as smug as it is irrelevant. After a tragic shooting, Democrats keep bleating about how no hunter needs a semi-automatic weapon to kill deer.

This snide commentary shows a complete ignorance of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Second Amendment right of individuals to own guns has absolutely nothing to do with hunting. The right to own guns “shall not be infringed” by the government because that very government is why individuals own such guns.

The Second Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, a charter of negative liberties that protects Americans from their own government. If the government were to ever turn inward and try to commit genocide, they would face resistance from armed citizens.

The issue is not whether America’s government would ever turn inward. What matters is that without the Second Amendment, they easily could. With the Second Amendment, their task is much more difficult.

The dark reality is that the American government only exists under a threat of death to that government. This is a collective truth, not a call to rebellion. Every one of our legal 325 million citizens can remember that they individually say and do matters. If not liberty, then death.

Our First Amendment allowing us to challenge ideas and people exists only because of our Second Amendment. As Yale law professor Akhil Reed Amar stated, “The framers recognized that self-government requires the people’s access to bullets as well as ballots.”

This is no antiquated concept in modern America. We have approximately 77.49 million adult gun owners. 2020 reflected the highest number of firearm sales in history, with 39,695,315 background checks for the sale of firearms and explosives. Americans own over 436.4M million guns . These are comforting facts.

Your individual conversations, vote and money matter as much as anyone else’s, all backed by the threat of the government’s demise. That is part of America’s shadow, never to be forgotten.

The United States, Mexico and Guatemala are the only three countries in the world that currently have a constitutional right to own a gun. Six other countries had a constitutional right to bear arms but repealed those laws.

America is the only country with a right to keep and bear arms without constitutional restrictions. Our Second Amendment is rare and exceptionally good.

This is why leftists remain set on trying to limit guns. Only then can Americans be fully controlled. That is not our way nor our agreement.

Every regime of death began by removing guns. The philosophy of the power of owning guns and knowing why we have them is at its essence as important as the guns themselves.

Our Second Amendment backing our First Amendment right to call out hypocrisies and lies is America’s own nuclear balance. Our government points its warheads at us. We in an act of detente point back ours collectively.

There is an inherent understanding, even in places led by tyrants: that those who go too far and try to implement tyranny in America, will one day see their power usurped, and their reign ended. This is detente for our people, not a darker position of violence. We must never forget the shadow side of our Second Amendment and its darker threat of death as a real tool for maintaining the balance of power in America.

God forbid we ever need to even think about using our arms, as citizens, against government. The Second Amendment thus still remains as a a useful reminder to those who lead us, why the Amendment was crafted in the first place – by our Founders.

Guns Don’t Kill People . . . People Kill People

Three recent mass shooting incidents in California have “gun violence” in the news again. And most assuredly loud calls for banning guns will also be heard.

Tragedies like these three incidents make me think about a line from the 1953 film “Shane.” In the movie the lead character Shane famously remarks to Marian Starrett, ‘A gun is just a tool, Marian. It’s no better or worse than the man using it.’

While this is true, it’s only true up to a point. Guns are tools but they are not ordinary tools. They were invented as weapons of war. But they do serve necessary and useful purposes as well. Guns are used for hunting and other sport. They are also used for self-defense.

Guns

A number of television shows depict the reliance people here in the U.S. have on hunting as a means of providing food. The biathlon, in the Winter Olympics, and target and skeet shooting (clay pigeon shooting), are also popular sports among gun enthusiasts. And as the Heritage Foundation points out:

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost every major study on defensive gun use has found that Americans use their firearms defensively between 500,000 and 3 million times each year.”

Case in point: On July 17, 2022 a man lawfully carrying a firearm shot and killed an “an assailant suspected of fatally shooting three people and injuring two others in an Indiana mall on Sunday evening.” The incident took place at the Greenwood Park Mall just outside Indianapolis. Greenwood Police Chief Jim Ison called the man a “hero.”

And this brings us back to Shane’s point – a gun is no better or worse than the man (or woman) using it. So let’s not get emotional or delusional about guns. As the adage says, “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.”

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Police say shooting at Roswell business was self-defense

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Roswell Police are saying the shooting death of a man will be ruled self-defense. Police say Brian Jaramillo was shot multiple times Monday morning by his wife inside a business the two owned.

Investigators determined Brian Jaramillo was beating his wife and threatened to kill her when the shooting occurred. Police say they do not plan to file charges against the woman.

AR-15 used to repel home invasion bunglery

30 rounds fired from AR-15 in deadly Florida home invasion

Incident stemmed from ongoing feud between two groups, investigators say

GLEN ST. MARY, Fla – Three men say they were asleep inside a mobile home in Glen St. Mary about 4 a.m. Sunday when they heard a voice outside yell “Sheriff’s Office!” before the front door burst open.
In stormed a masked gunman who fired off a single round before two of the men inside, one armed with an AR-15 rifle and the other with a handgun, emerged from two bedrooms and opened fire.

Gunfire ripped into the masked gunman and two other intruders, who crumpled to the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.

Those details surfaced Tuesday when the Baker County Sheriff’s Office released an arrest report linked to this weekend’s home invasion turned deadly triple shooting.
Five people are charged in the case. Investigators suspect the home invasion escalated from an ongoing feud between two groups that was stoked by social media threats.

The victims told deputies they acted in self-defense when they turned their guns on the intruders, with one of them estimating he fired over 30 rounds from an AR-15 before the threat was over.
Afterward, the victims retreated to another part of the home before they dialed 911, according to the report. None of them was hurt during the shooting.

The same cannot be said for the intruders, several of whom were inside a vehicle deputies intercepted as it sped away from the mobile home off County Road 125.

One of them, Corey Lauramore, died of gunshot wounds to the head. An unidentified 16-year-old remains hospitalized, and a third suspect, William Lauramore, was treated and released to police.

Investigators found a heavy amount of dried blood caked on the front steps of the home, a bloodstained mask with a bullet hole through it and a .380 caliber handgun lying nearby, the report said.

They also recovered an AR-15 rifle and a 9MM handgun inside the home.The Sheriff’s Office said the five individuals charged in the case were among a group of seven that went to the mobile home that morning to confront and fight the group staying there.

William Lauramore, 24; Joseph Albino, 24; Zachary Bell, 20; Christian Watkins, 19; and Cayden Lauramore, 15, are charged with home invasion. But additional charges are possible.

Albino, Bell and Watkins provided conflicting details about their involvement in the shooting, but all three said they had no idea others in their group had brought weapons along, according to the report.

Terre Haute homeowner shoots, kills alleged intruder

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — One person is dead and another in police custody after a shooting in a Terre Haute home early Sunday.

According to the Terre Haute Police Department, officers were sent to the 200 block of N. Fruitridge Ave. around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday after a call about a homeowner shooting an intruder in their home.

The call to dispatch also mentioned a second person with the intruder who had ran away from the area.

Officers secured the scene and found the alleged intruder dead. The second person was found hiding in a neighboring back yard and was taken into custody.

Would-be burglar killed while breaking into home NW Houston

HOUSTON — A man was shot and killed while breaking into a home after being spotted by a neighbor, according to Houston police.

It happened around 11:30 p.m. Saturday on Saxon Dr. near Mangum Rd. in northwest Houston.

Police said a noise alerted the neighbor that something wasn’t right. When he went out to investigate, he spotted a man breaking into his neighbor’s empty home.

At some point, the man then lunged at the neighbor. Police said that’s when the neighbor fired a gun, which shot and killed the man. The neighbor stayed at the scene and is cooperating with police as their investigation continues.

Suspect killed during attempted carjacking in Sanford yet to be identified,

SANFORD, Fla. – Sanford Police said detectives are still trying to identify a man who was shot and killed after they said he tried carjacking an employee behind a bar. The employee’s father described his daughter as a fighter who suffered lots of bruises during the attack but is doing alright. She even wanted to go back to work immediately, despite the attack.

According to police, based on surveillance video, a man jumped out of this portable toilet and tried to steal the employee’s vehicle, and that was when another man, described as the carjacking victim’s boyfriend, shot and killed the alleged carjacker.

“A man had been waiting in the outhouse for a few hours and come around and had grabbed her and had her on the ground, choking her and beating her in the head, said George’s Tavern customer Al Moon.

The father of the victim said his daughter suffered mild injuries to her head after the suspect attacked her. He said she is a bartender at George’s Tavern and had just finished her shift. He asked her boyfriend to come by at the end of the night to make sure she got home safely. According to police, when the boyfriend saw what was happening, he removed his gun from his waist and shot the man.

“Thank God her boyfriend is a special ops guy and come out and saved her life,” Moon said.

A neighbor who asked not to show her face lives right behind the bar, where the shooting took place just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday.

“Just heard a loud bang. Didn’t know where it came from,” the neighbor explained.

Police said right now, no charges are pending against the couple. They said they hope to identify the suspect soon and will release pictures of his tattoos if they cannot identify him.

The victim’s father said his daughter is a mother and is studying to be a nurse.

Iowa man shoots, kills burglar in home

An eastern Iowa man shot and killed an armed man who broke a basement window and entered his home, authorities said Thursday.

Monticello police were called early Wednesday morning to a home were a man later identified as Patrick O’Brine was found dead, Jones County Attorney Kristofer Lyons said in a statement.

An Iowa man shot and killed an armed robber who broke into his basement in a likely case of self-defense, according to authorities.

Police said O’Brine broke out a window and entered the basement of a home. A resident, who was home with his 10-year-old son, saw O’Brine and fired three shots at the intruder, hitting him twice.

O’Brine, who was armed and wearing a mask, died at the home.

Lyons said an investigation of the shooting is continuing but that evidence supports a conclusion that the resident was justified in using deadly force.

*gasp* Horrors!

Can you shoot someone in self-defense inside your home in Missouri?

MISSOURI — Twenty states have castle doctrines while even more have stand-your-ground laws, but what constitutes legal self-defense can still vary across these states.

For Missouri, both the castle doctrine and the stand-your-ground law say the law permits protecting oneself (or a third party, with exceptions) with deadly force should a person feel it is necessary.

Missouri Castle Doctrine Law

The “castle doctrine” is not a defined law that can be invoked, but rather a set of principles that may be incorporated into the defense of one’s self while on owned or leased property, as well as the defense of said property (e.g. vehicles, the home itself) or third parties (family) also present at the time of the threat.

Simply shooting a trespasser on your property can lead to criminal charges since not all trespassers are violent; the resident must be faced with a threat first. According to Missouri Revised Statutes 563.031:

[Protective] force is used against a person who unlawfully enters, remains after unlawfully entering, or attempts to unlawfully enter a dwelling, residence, or vehicle lawfully occupied by such person.

Castle doctrine does protect guests at a home where a break-in occurs, should they act with deadly force. But if a break-in occurs at a residence where you were not invited, you cannot use deadly force against that trespasser under castle doctrine.

Missouri Stand-Your-Ground Law

“Stand-your-ground” laws roughly define how an individual can defend themselves when faced with an imminent threat anywhere else; imminent being a keyword here because even threatening words towards a defending person can lead to a justified homicide.

But words made days or weeks ago cannot be acted upon in a self-defense manner.

Stand-your-ground states do not require the defending actor to retreat or remove themselves from the situation prior to applying defensive force. In contrast, some states like Arkansas, have a “duty to retreat” first while in public before defending.

Recent Developments

Last February, Senate Bill 666, sponsored by US Rep. Eric Burlison, would have strengthened Missouri’s stand-your-ground law by essentially giving shooters acting in self-defense the benefit of the doubt, thereby flipping the burden of proof and forcing police to have probable cause before arresting them.

Here Are The Stats Gun Grabbers Ignore On Defensive Firearms Use

The following is an excerpt from Larry Correia’s “In Defense of the Second Amendment.” It can be purchased here.

It doesn’t really make sense to ban guns, because in reality what that means is that you are actually trying to ban effective self-defense. Despite the constant hammering by a news media with an agenda, guns are used in America far more often to stop crime than to cause crime.

I’ve seen several different sets of numbers about how many times guns are used in self-defense every year. The problem with keeping track of this stat is that the vast majority of the time, when a gun is used in a legal self-defense situation, no shots are fired. The mere presence of the gun is enough to cause the criminal to stop. Notable firearms instructor Clint Smith had a saying: “If you look like food, you will be eaten.” Regular criminals are looking for prey. They want easy victims. If they wanted to work hard for a living, they’d get a job.

When you pull a gun, you are no longer prey, you are work, so they’re usually going to go find somebody easier to pick on.

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