Self Defense – Page 46

I’ll take : Mostly what the local prosecutor thinks it is, for $500

For the purpose of our discussion, brandishing is the unnecessary and unlawful display of a defensive firearm. The most important thing for everyone to understand is that the specific legal definition of brandishing may differ from state to state. For this reason, it is critically important for every defensive shooter to contact his local district attorney or a criminal defense attorney and get an accurate understanding of the local interpretation.

Even if there were no brandishing law, I would strongly advise against unnecessarily displaying the firearm. We shouldn’t be carrying a gun in order to try to impress people because it usually does not impress them. And we certainly don’t want to give the criminal any advance notice of what he is about to be up against because, now that he is forewarned, he might just simply change his tactics.

Our society requires us to let the criminal make the first move—which means that we are already behind if his attack is serious. It is far better to surprise him, and ruin his day, by drawing our gun when he thinks he has everything going his way. Drawing against an attacker who is armed with a deadly weapon, in the middle of his attack, is not brandishing….even if you don’t have to fire a shot.

In dealing with criminal attacks, we should establish mental triggers. Seeing a person with a knife in his hand is not going to cause me to shoot him. But my mental trigger is: “If he ignores my commands to drop the knife and comes close enough to strike me then I am prepared to take deadly action.” If he complies with my commands, or simply runs away, I see no need to shoot. But you can be certain that I will report the incident to law enforcement immediately.

It is important to realize that not every criminal attack is deadly in nature. And, while it is an attack, it may not justify the use of deadly force on the part of the armed citizen. Producing a firearm during an argument with an unarmed neighbor, for instance, may be a violation of the law. We should produce the defensive handgun only when our life is clearly in immediate danger, or the lives of our family.

Everyone’s personal defense plan should include plans for dealing with these less-than-lethal attacks. Training in martial arts, stick fighting, or the use of less lethal defensive tools such as pepper spray, are all important in protecting life and limb. Not every criminal encounter justifies the use of a firearm.

Understanding the law regarding brandishing is very important. Equally important is the need to develop one’s defensive skills so that we can act within the law and still protect ourselves. Knowledge of the law and professional training are the best armor that we can put on.

CCI Blazer Brass 9mm fmj.
Well, fmj has worked well enough before, but folks, if you can afford a modern handgun, you can afford a box or two of the well tested jhp ammo available.

“True Hero” Eli Dicken Cleared of Charges, Praised by Police

No charges will be filed against Elisjsha Dicken, the 22-year-old armed citizen who stopped a mass murderer at an Indiana mall earlier this year.

The announcement came during a press conference on Dec. 21, where Greenwood Police Department Chief James Ison released new details about the perpetrator, and praised Dicken as “a true hero.”

Of the shooter, Ison painted a familiar picture of an anti-social loner who was estranged from his family and had a record of juvenile offenses. In fact, this individual had a spiraling history of online obsession with Nazi Germany and mass murderers.

An ex-girlfriend, who said she wasn’t surprised to learn of the killings, described prior abusive behaviors from this person, such as putting a gun in her mouth during an argument. She said that if he ever killed himself, he would take others with him. Others around him reportedly “joked” that he was “the school-shooter type.” The FBI had received a tip about his online account in 2019, but never located its owner.

Notably, when discussing mass murderers online, the killer had previously written that mass murderers select places where armed citizens can’t carry. “Gun-free zones are a recent phenomenon that by definition cause them to be easy targets,” the individual wrote.

According to police reports, three months prior to the act, the murderer purchased two AR-15 rifles and ammunition. A month before the killings, he had quit his job and, because his father had withdrawn financial support, was about to be evicted. Shortly prior to the murders, he disabled his apartment’s smoke detectors and burned his laptop inside an oven with a butane tank. (Police speculate this may have been an attempt to divert the public safety response.) An hour before the killings, the murderer posted a photo of himself holding a gun to his head and saying it was “a good day to die.”

The murderer then placed both rifles, four loaded magazines and a handgun inside a backpack, walked to the Greenwood Park Mall, and proceeded directly to the food-court bathroom. He spent an hour in the bathroom using the public wi-fi for activities such as searching for his ex-girlfriend online. Shortly before the mall closed, the murderer dropped his cell phone into the toilet, emerged from the bathroom at 5:56 p.m. and began shooting people. The first person he encountered, Victor Gomez, also happened to be carrying concealed that day, but was ambushed at point blank and never had a chance. The shooter then fired at nearby diners Pedro and Rosa Pinedo before firing indiscriminately into the food court.

One of those at risk of being shot was Elisjsha Dicken.

Dicken had come to the food court with his girlfriend for dinner, and was seated next to a column and trash can. The instant the shots rang out, Dicken pushed his girlfriend to the ground, drew his Glock 19, braced himself on the trash can and opened fire at a distance of 42 yards. At this distance, Dicken fired four times, hitting the murderer twice, with Dicken pausing only when panicked shoppers ran through his line of sight.

The injured murderer, rifle still in hand, retreated towards the bathroom. Dicken closed to within 20 yards and shot the murderer with another four shots. The murderer started to go down, but was still struggling to make it to the bathroom. Concerned for potential further carnage, Dicken closed in to about 25 feet and fired twice more. The murderer slumped over and didn’t move.

An unarmed mall security guard then ran up. Dicken told the guard what happened, and the guard intercepted and briefed arriving officers.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Eli Dicken saved many, many lives that night,” Chief Ison told reporters. “He is a true hero.”

America’s 1st Freedom caught up with Eli’s attorney, Guy Relford, as he was retrieving Eli’s handgun from police custody, to learn more about the Greenwood Mall hero.

“Eli is a somewhat shy, really hard-working, all-American man,” Relford explains. “He’s someone who doesn’t want the spotlight. He’s got a really good job as an auto mechanic; he has a girlfriend that he loves; and he really wants to get back to the life he had before the shooting. He knows that he saved lives and he appreciates the accolades and the thanks that he’s gotten. At the same time, he’s still struggling with the idea that he was forced into taking a human life. That’s a big thing for anyone who values human life as Eli does. He’s still coming to grips with that.”

Did he have any special training? “Zero,” Relford says. “Eli was taught by his grandfather how to shoot when he was just nine or ten. That was really it. After the events of 2020, and when he became eligible, he got a permit to carry. He actually didn’t need it because we passed constitutional carry this year, but he had it, and carried as part of his routine, thank God.”

Officers say it only took seconds for Dicken to stop the murderer.

By all indications, there was nothing special about Dicken. He was just a young car mechanic with a Glock. No specialized training. No formal preparation. No fancy equipment. His magazine was loaded with full metal jacket Blazer brass ammunition, and his pistol sights had actually been mangled in a motorcycle accident, weeks prior, and been filed down to make them functional again.

“Having seen the video and seen the results, I have one theory, and it’s that the hand of God was on Eli,” Relford says.

There were also no flagrant warnings or actionable “red flags” for the killer’s behavior. He left no manifesto and no obvious motives. He gave no obvious indications to mall patrons of his impending murder spree, and entered the mall unobserved. “The fact of the matter is, it can happen anywhere,” Chief Ison noted. “When someone makes up their mind to do something evil like this, it’s really hard to stop. I don’t know how you stop that, short of putting metal detectors at every entrance. Sometimes all we can hope for is an Eli Dicken to be in the right place at the right time.”

Good Guy With a Gun’ Saves Woman After Two Men Tried to Kidnap Her in Memphis Parking Lot

The ambush occurred around 8 pm in the parking lot at the Shops of Saddle Creek on West Farmington Boulevard. A bystander filmed the incident.

The blonde woman, who has not been publicly identified, was getting into her SUV when two men in hoodies jumped out of their vehicle, which was parked next to hers. The woman attempted to fight them off but appeared to be overpowered.

Moments after the attack began, a man enters the frame holding a gun and confronts the attackers.

The woman is seen running away as the two men jump into the silver four-door and speed off.

“Attempted abduction at Saddle Creek yesterday!” Earle Farrell, who posted the video, wrote on Facebook. “Be aware of who you are parked near. If it looks suspicious. Don’t get out or avoid going back to car! Note all of the empty parking places around her car. Yet this car is right up next to her car! Stay alert at all times! Thank God for brave man who steps in and stops crime!”

The Daily Mail reports that the armed good samaritan has not been identified.

The woman reportedly sustained multiple minor injuries.

Germantown Police Department PIO Captain Kevin Simpson confirmed to the outlet that they are still seeking three suspects.

“The investigation is still active,” Simpson said. “We are still following up on leads, and we do have some things that are pertinent to the investigation.”

The vehicle appeared to be a Ford.

No suspects have been taken into custody, and police are asking anyone with information to contact the Germantown Police Department at 901-754-7222 or tips@germantown-tn.gov.

Andrew Pollack Teams up with Byrna to Make Florida Schools Safer

On January 4, 2022, Parkland father Andrew Pollack’s 501c3 “Meadows Movement” will be donating eight backpacks, each containing an AR pistol, to Florida’s Bradford County Sheriff’s Office for use in Bradford County schools.

Pollack lost his 18-year-old daughter, Meadow, in the heinous criminal attack that claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman High School on February 14, 2018.

He says he founded “Meadows Movement” as a way to fight to “[ensure] sure that other parents never have to go through what I (and so many other parents) have had to endure.”

When Pollack presents the backpacks to the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, each one will be coupled with an Adams Arms AR pistol.

The backpacks/AR pistol combination means sheriff’s personnel serving as school resource officers (SROs) will not have to run to a locker or a patrol car in order to retrieve a firearm chambered in a round larger than a traditional handgun. Instead, the AR pistol will be on their person and immediately accessible. This saves time and time saves lives.

By the way, the backpacks are also equipped with body armor to help protect the SROs as they confront and stop attackers.

The backpacks were donated to “Meadows Movement” by Byrna, a company focused on self-defense tools.

Pollack told Breitbart News, “I was fortunate enough to link up with Byrna, which is such a great company. They have the same vision as I do. They to save lives and give law enforcement the tools to even the playing field against evil.” (Pollack and Byrna have grown so close via their work together for safer schools that he is now their chief public safety officer.)

Breitbart News also spoke with Will Hartley, the superintendent of Bradford County Schools. Hartley noted that his district has a total of six facilities and those already have certain teachers and staff who are armed for classroom defense.

He believes the addition the SROs with the AR pistols is an added–and necessary–layer of protection to keep kids safe.

Hartley said, “I wish more people could have it. Because, if someone comes on your campus and they have a long gun, we need to be able to meet their force with the same kind of force. The backpacks with AR pistols fit perfectly with our belief that if someone comes on your campus we should have every right to stop that threat with whatever means necessary.”

Hartley’s desire for other school districts to be prepared was echoed by Pollack, who stressed that “Meadows Movement” has more funding available to help other police departments and/or school districts get life-saving tools into the hands of SROs.

Now in court proceedings, all evidence is submitted to the bench for admission into the trial and all parties have access to the evidence. Since this means that, at least the prosecutors had access to the video the jury saw, the continued prosecution, instead of the charges being dismissed, informs us that “justice” has devolved into some other thing.

Concealed Carrying Woman Shoots 2, Killing 1, Acquitted With Video Evidence

DAYTON, OHIO — A woman got to return home for the holidays after shooting two women, killing one, in Dayton, Ohio, last December.

Georgia Jackson, 36, shot these two women Dec. 2021. She was indicted in August on two counts of murder and four counts of felonious assault, according to the Dayton Daily News.

However, it’s apparently been determined that she acted in self-defense. It didn’t hurt that there was video evidence to back Jackson up.

Jackson was reportedly charged following a shooting Dec. 19, 2021 where she shot Ashley Webster, 34 and an unnamed 27-year-old.

The defense reportedly wrote that Webster threatened Jackson and a man with whom she attended a holiday party. Webster then allegedly made four trips to Jackson’s home, during one of which she attempted block Jackson’s vehicle with her own.

She then “attempted to assault the defendant with an object,” the defense wrote according to the Dayton Daily News.

“During this final attempted assault, the defendant, a licensed CCW carrier, invoked her right to self-defense and defense of another.”

Webster died on the scene, while the other woman was non-fatally wounded.

“During this time, the individual responsible for shooting both females called 911, provided her location and was detained,” Dayton police Maj. Jason Hall said according to the Dayton Daily News.

“The initial indications are that the deceased and the suspect were known to each other and had been involved in an ongoing dispute that tragically escalated into gunfire.”

The defense invoked Ohio’s Stand Your Ground law, and Jackson’s charges were dismissed.

“The shooting death of Ashley Webster by the defendant was fully investigated and the police believed this to be a case of murder,” the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office stated.

“At trial, the defendant claimed self-defense and was found not guilty by the jury.”

It sounds like her case for self defense is pretty apparent. It’s a shame so much of her time and pains were taken for crimes she didn’t commit.

Man leaves suspected home intruder with gunshot wound

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — A man shot an alleged home intruder Wednesday morning, leaving the other man in non life-threatening condition, according to police.

At approximately 7:00 a.m., police responded to reports of a shooting at a home along the 1900 block of Hillside Avenue.

Police said a man called dispatch saying he had shot someone reportedly attempting to break into his residence.

After authorities arrived, they found an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound in the entryway of the residence.

Police provided aid to the man, and TRAA transported him to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The man who called dispatch is cooperating with police, and the incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Armed man killed while trying to rob tow truck driver with CPL

DETROIT – An armed robber was shot and killed when he targeted a tow truck driver who had a concealed pistol license, Detroit police said.

The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. Monday (Dec. 26) in the 15400 block of Young Street on Detroit’s east side.

Officials said a man with a gun tried to rob a tow truck driver, but that driver was a CPL holder and also armed.

The tow truck driver shot the robber, and the robber died from his injuries, according to authorities.

Police continue to investigate.

Dr. Lott Testifies Before House Committee
(Gives 3 Basic Facts Everyone Should Know!)

Dr. John Lott Jr., president of the nonprofit Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), testified before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security last week for a hearing dedicated to “Examining Uvalde: The Search for Bipartisan Solutions to Gun Violence.”

Dr. Lott delivered a lot of information but he began with three basic facts that everyone should know about gun-related violence in America.

Here they are:

1, Over 92% of violent crimes in America do not involve firearms. The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey for 2020 shows 4,558,150 rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults, and the FBI reports 21,570 murders. Of those, firearms were involved in 350,460 rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Adding those numbers up, 7.9% of violent crimes were committed with firearms.

2, While the US media doesn’t give much, if any, coverage to mass public shootings in other countries, mass public shootings per capita are relatively low in the United States compared to the rest of the world. Over the 20 years from 1998 to 2017, the US had less than 1.13% of the world’s share of mass public shooters and 1.77% of its mass public shooting murders. That’s much less than the US’s 4.6% share of the world population. Since 2000, there have been nine mass public school shootings in the US. Germany had only three over that period and Finland had only one, but the United States has four times the population of Germany and sixty times that of Finland. Russia has had four such massacres, but we have 2.3 times its population. On a per capita basis, all three countries have a similar or higher rate compared to that of the US.

3, Like many other mass public shooters, the Buffalo shooter targeted defenseless people. He even wrote in his manifesto: “Attacking in a weapon-restricted area may decrease the chance of civilian backlash. Schools, courts, or areas where CCW are outlawed or prohibited may be good areas of attack. Areas where CCW permits are low may also fit in this category. Areas with strict gun laws are also great places of attack.” The national media refuses to report other explicit statements by attackers explaining why they pick the targets they do. Nor do they report the fact that 94% of mass public shootings occur in places where civilians are banned from having firearms.

Why aren’t stalked women ever told to get a gun for self-defense?
Murder rates decline when people carry concealed handguns

Authorities say Ewen Dewitt murdered 40-year-old Julie Minogue with an ax this month in her Milford, Connecticut, home. Two of her children were home when the murder occurred. Mr. Dewitt, an ex-boyfriend, had been stalking her.

“I’m scared he’s going to kill me,” she told the police. In 2019, she had a protective order issued. Just a week before she was killed, a judge had granted her a full no-contact restraining order.

The case clearly illustrates the limits of protective orders when the stalker is intent on murdering the victim. Suppose the murderer is already facing the possibility of life imprisonment without parole for first-degree murder. How will an additional five years in prison and a $5,000 fine deter such murders?

It is an important problem. Reportedly, 76% of women murdered by someone who had been an intimate partner were stalked.

Violence prevention advocates for women have a long list of changes they recommend. These changes require women to uproot their lives.

Dangerous amounts of heavy metals found in many dark chocolate bars
White House’s Karine Jean-Pierre is proof of ‘Peter Principle’ incompetence
Among the advice: Women should change jobs, their travel routes, the time of day they leave home or work, move in with a friend or family member, change the locks on their home, or do their shopping and other chores with friends or relatives.

A few recommend that women practice martial arts such as judo, jujitsu, karate or boxing.

But the most obvious answer is missing from these lists: Women should get a concealed handgun permit and a firearm.

Men are typically much stronger than women, particularly in the upper body. Unfortunately, real life isn’t like the movies, where one woman can knock out and overpower several well-trained men. Even well-trained women often struggle to defend themselves against larger and stronger men. Men also tend to be faster runners.

A gun represents a much bigger change in a woman’s ability to defend herself. Men can readily hurt women without a gun, and if a woman is already in physical contact with the attacker so that he can take away their gun, they are already in trouble.

The peer-reviewed research by one of us shows that murder rates decline when people carry concealed handguns, whether they are a man or a woman. But a woman carrying a concealed handgun reduces the murder rate for women by about three to four times more than a man doing the same.

And this message is getting across to women. Between 2012 and 2022, in states that provide data by sex, permits for concealed handguns increased 115% more quickly among women than among men. The percentage of women who say that gun ownership protects people from crime has also been growing faster than their male counterparts.

Connecticut and other states could make it much easier for stalked women to defend themselves. Even after taking the required training and applying for a permit, it “generally takes eight weeks to obtain” a permit. And that’s an optimistic estimate by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The Connecticut Citizens Defense League has had to file a lawsuit against three cities where the process regularly takes a year or more.

But even two months may be much too long for a threatened woman. Even women who have proved to a court that they are facing serious threats must wait to get a permit. One solution would be to allow women with court orders of protection to carry a concealed handgun while they are waiting for a permit to be issued.

Many single women with children may also find it difficult to pay $140 for a permit plus added fees for fingerprinting and training.

Connecticut’s concealed handgun permit cost is already almost three times higher than the average in other states. Despite this, 11.3% of adults in Connecticut have a concealed handgun permit — the 12th-highest state. And as crime in Connecticut has soared, the permit-possessing population has increased by 55,000 since 2019. Only 26% of permit holders in Connecticut are women, significantly less than in other states.

The high cost of permits disarms the very people who most need protection, including minorities who live in high-crime urban areas.

Police are important. Protective orders can help. But if we are going to be serious about protecting women like Julie Minogue, we have to let them protect themselves.

OK. Some take-aways from these recent car jacking articles.

The crims appear to run in packs of at least 3, so a 6 shot revolver might not be enough to TCOB. Considering ‘up-sizing’ your firepower may be a prudent idea.
Attention to your surroundings is vital, as is the plan to immediately respond with force and strike hard.

Investigators claim teen died in attempted Little Rock carjacking, two other teens facing murder charge

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Affidavits released Monday show investigators believe a juvenile died after being shot when he and two teens attempted to carjack a woman outside a Little Rock apartment Sunday night.

The teens, identified as 18-year-old Daryl Jones and 15-year-old Tamarion Jones, now both face a charge of capital murder in the case.

The driver told the officer three people had come up to the driver’s car, with one of them, who police later identified as Kenneth Perkins, tapping on the window with a gun and telling the driver to get out of the car. The driver then told officers that they asked Perkins, who police said was the juvenile who died in the incident, what they said, and in the confusion, pulled out their own gun.

The driver said at that point the two began shooting at each other, and afterwards the driver said they ran back to their apartment and called 911.

Investigators started searching the area Sunday night and identified Perkins and the two Joneses as suspects. Officers said they found Perkins suffering from gunshot wounds, and he was rushed to Arkansas Children’s Hospital where he died from his injuries. His death is the 79^th homicide in Little Rock this year.

Daryl Jones and Tamarion Jones were both taken into custody, with officers saying they each said the other was carrying a weapon during the incident. Investigators claimed the younger Jones said the older Jones and the juvenile who died were “always stealing cars and robbing people.”

Prosecutors approved of Tamarion Jones being prosecuted as an adult. Both he and Daryl Jones are facing the murder charge as well as an aggravated robbery charge. Both are being held without bond and are scheduled to go back in front of a judge in February.

Police said 18-year-old Daryl Jones (left) and 15-year-old Tamarion Jones (right) are both facing capital murder and aggravated robbery charges tied to an attempted carjacking that left a third teen dead.

The driver is not currently facing any charges in the incident.

Homeowner shoots, kills intruder, second suspect arrested

WINSON CO., Ala. (WBRC) – The Winston County Sheriff’s Office says a home invasion on Dec. 13 resulted in the homeowner shooting and killing of one of the intruders.

The invasion happened at a home off County Road 21 in the Poplar Springs area. Deputies arrived on scene and found a male dead in the home.

WCSO says they learned two suspects entered the home, one of them armed with a handgun. That suspect hit one of the residents in the head with the handgun.

The sheriff’s office says the suspect then began shooting inside the home.

One of the residents then shot and killed the armed suspect according to the sheriff’s office.

The other suspect then fled the scene.

The Winston County Sheriff’s Office, with the help of the Walker County Sheriffs Office, was able to locate the 2nd suspect.

Authorities say the Walker County Sheriffs Office transported the suspect to their office where he was interviewed. After interviewing the suspect, he was arrested for Robbery 1st degree.

The 2nd suspect is Donald Webb Jr. of Jasper according to the sheriff’s office. Webb was transported to the Winston County Sheriffs Office where he was booked in. Webb could face other charges for his involvement.

The resident that shot and killed the intruder has not been charged.

Homeowner shoots, seriously injures intruder in Pahrump [Nevada]

The Nye County Sheriff’s Office says a homeowner in Pahrump shot an armed intruder who was wanted for violating their parole.

On Thursday, December 15, at around 9:30 p.m., Nye County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the 6000 block of East Kellogg Road for a report of a shooting.

During their investigation, deputies learned 48-year-old Shawn Richard of Pahrump had unlawfully entered a home.

During the invasion, the homeowner, who was armed with a firearm shot and critically injured Richard as he attempted to enter the bedroom of the home.

Richard was transported to a nearby hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office says Richard was in possession of a shotgun that was stolen from a home invasion the previous night.

Richard was wanted at the time for probation violation.

Richard faces new charges of Home Invasion, Grand Larceny of a Firearm, Burglary and Prohibited Person in possession of a firearm.

Concealed Carry Permit Holder Shot 2 In Chicago Ridge Mall Shooting

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL — A concealed carry permit holder shot two people outside a restaurant at Chicago Ridge Mall Thursday evening. Police believe it is related to an ongoing domestic disagreement.

Around 8:20 p.m., a couple was approached by three men as they were entering their vehicle in the parking lot. The concealed carry permit holder shot multiple rounds at the men, police said. Two of the trio suffered non-threatening gunshot wounds.

One of the men who approached the couple was arrested, police said. The man, identified as Reginald T. Williams, of Chicago, who turns 24 on Sunday, was charged with battery. He is also being held on an unrelated arrest warrant.

After an extensive investigation, it was determined that the concealed carry holder who filed the shots would not be charged. All the people involved were adults. No bond hearing has been set.

Homeowner shoots, kills burglary suspect in Washington [state]

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — Authorities said a would-be burglar was shot and killed by a homeowner after he reportedly broke in through the window of a house in Vancouver, Washington.

The Vancouver Police Department said officers received reports of a burglary in progress at a home on Thursday at about 11:20 p.m.

According to police, someone broke a second-story window and went inside the home.

He was confronted by the homeowner, who shot the suspect.

Arriving officers found the suspect dead.

The Vancouver Police Department Major Crimes Unit is investigating the shooting.

To Whom Does The Country Belong: The People Or The Government?

More women buying guns to defend themselves: “The world is changing”

Calera, Alabama — At a gun range in the heart of Alabama, Gracie Barhill is getting acquainted with her month-old Smith & Wesson 9 millimeter.

“I’m young. I’m a girl,” she said. “I never know when a threat is going to come.”

The 19-year-old is taking a self-defense firearms course, “Girls, Guns and Gear,” that’s designed for women who are wary of threats.

“It’s absolutely undeniable, the world is changing and they want to be ahead of it,” said Scott Recchio, a firearms instructor at the range.

Last year, one-third of all first-time gun buyers in the U.S. were women, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The trade association said there’s been a 77% rise in female gun ownership from 2005 to 2020.

Emma Boutwell, who is also taking the women-only class, said she had never handled a gun until recently.

“I need to know how to defend myself as well,” Boutwell said.

Gun instructor Beverly Alldredge teaches the women marksmanship, gun safety and situational awareness.

Alldredge said that instructing women is different than men because “women listen better than men do.”

“Women are just quicker just to hear and take in what they are being told and applying that,” she said.

Among Black women, the firearm homicide rate has more than tripled since 2010, according to one study. Today, nearly 30% of new women gun owners are Black, according to the 2021 National Firearms Survey.

Nikkita Gordon, who owns the women’s clothing line Cute and Cocky, which is designed to hide a gun fashionably, said she has self-defense plans for both indoor and outdoor scenarios.

“I think most women, specifically women of color, should have these plans,” she said.

How to stop another Uvalde Massacre and Other Mass Public Shootings from Occurring

How-to-stop-another-Uvalde-Massacre-from-Occurring-4

Ludlow homeowner shot alleged thief who charged him in self-defense

KENTON COUNTY, Ky. (WXIX) – A Ludlow man will not be charged after shooting a man police say broke into several cars in the area.

Damon Hammons is the man recorded on video trying to break into cars as well as a home shortly before he was shot, according to Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders.

Sanders says the man who shot Hammons acted in self-defense. FOX19 is not naming him because he is not being charged.

“It’s a very unusual thing to happen in Ludlow,” Sanders said. It’s normally a sleepy little river town.”

It happened on Dec. 5 just before 5 a.m.

Sanders says the man shot Hammons after he saw the man breaking into a car.

The homeowner told Hammons he was calling the police, according to court documents.

The homeowner later told police that he warned Hammons “to get out of here,” to which Hammons allegedly answered, “I’m not scared of you.”

The homeowner continued, “He started coming after me and stuff. I feared for my life.”

Said Sanders, “Ultimately, this comes down to a matter of self-defense.”

Sanders says the homeowner told Hammons several times he had a gun and not to come near, but Hammons charged him nonetheless.

“When this person, who we can only describe as a criminal, keeps coming towards him, I think it was completely reasonable for the homeowner to fire in self-defense,” Sanders said.

Investigators are still working to find out how much damage Hammons caused that night.

“We know he broke into a number of vehicles and caused quite a bit of property damage,” Sanders said. “We know he tried to break into at least one residence.”

Part of the alleged crime spree was caught on camera. It allegedly shows Hammons unsuccessfully trying to break into a home.

Sanders points to a moment in the video where he says Hammons yells for help. He says he’s unsure why Hammons does so.

The prosecutor also says Hammons is lucky to be alive.

“That shot could easily have killed him, going through his neck. It could have paralyzed him.”

Hammons is out of the hospital and will likely be charged once investigators have a damage estimate.

Amazon worker shot, colleague returns fire killing suspect outside facility

An Amazon contract worker was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a gunman allegedly opened fire at an Amazon facility in Arizona Wednesday, according to police.

The alleged gunman was shot and killed by a second Amazon contract worker who returned fire, investigators said.

The incident occurred in the parking lot of an Amazon Flex facility in Chandler, Arizona, around 9:30 a.m. local time, police said.

The suspect, identified as Jacob Murphy, 29, who allegedly fired multiple rounds at one of the contracted workers before a second contract worker returned fire, Sgt. Jason McClimans of the Chandler Police Department told reporters at a news conference.

The unidentified wounded worker was taken to a local hospital in “life-threatening condition,” according to McClimans. Murphy was not employed by Amazon and was declared dead at the scene, police said.

“At this time, police cannot determine if the actions of the third male resulted in Murphy’s death or if Murphy took his own life,” the police said in a statement.

The second unidentified contracted worker who fired at the suspect was cooperating with the investigation, McClimans said.

The investigation was ongoing.

“We do not know what led up to this,” he said. “We believe this was confined to one suspect only.”

The Amazon facility and local schools were locked down when the shooting took place, according to police.

“We weren’t sure if this was an active shooter, but within 20 minutes, we were able to lift those lockdowns,” McClimans said.

Bryton Bobbitt, a contracted Amazon worker, told ABC affiliate KNXV he was getting ready for a normal workday when the shooting occurred.

“All of a sudden, just hear pop, pop, pop. [I] start looking around, like where did that come from? A few of our other workers started running,” he told the affiliate. “I was already in my work van, I put it in gear and tried to find a safe place and got out of here.”

A spokesman from Amazon told ABC News that operations at the facility were suspended following the incident and all employees and partners were sent home with pay.

“We’re deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence in our parking lot. We’re working closely with law enforcement as they investigate and are focused on supporting our team during this difficult time,” Richard Rocha, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement.

Homeowner shoots, kills woman burglarizing property,

HOUSTON (Gray News) – A homeowner in Houston shot and killed a suspected burglar, according to police.

Houston police said they are investigating the fatal shooting that happened around 3:45 a.m. Monday.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting, where they found an unresponsive woman in a ditch next to the roadway. Paramedics pronounced her dead on the scene.

According to witnesses, the 26-year-old deceased woman and an unidentified man were seen burglarizing vehicles in the area. One resident shot and killed the woman, and the man fled the area on foot.

Police said no charges have been filed at this time as the investigation is ongoing.

Is There Anything We can do to Stop Mass Murderers in the United States?

That question comes to mind since President Biden recently claimed we need to massively disarm honest US citizens in order to stop mass-murderers. Instead of accepting the President’s words at face value, I looked at what the experts say. There are many questions we might ask and lots of facts we can consider. We do many things today to stop violence in the US. There is more we could do, and this is what I found;

We stop several thousand violent events every day.
The United States is about average in its rate of mass murder.
We stop more than half of the attempted mass murderers who attack where honest citizens are allowed to go armed.
Most mass murderers go through a predictable process, and we ignored warning signs time after time.
We should stop making the murderers into overnight celebrities, but that is hard to do.

A Walmart employee murdered several of his co-workers in Virginia. That happened a few weeks ago. President Biden then commented that,

“[T]he idea we still allow semi automatic weapons to be purchased is sick. It’s just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.”

The president’s comment sounds bizarre given what we know. We know that more than 5,000 ordinary US citizens use a firearm to protect themselves from a serious threat every day. Stopping that much assault, robbery, rape and murder every day sounds like an immense socially redeeming value to me. The president obviously disagrees.

That level of armed defense shouldn’t come as news. We’ve seen similar reports for the last few decades. The data is broadly consistent, including a report from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention that was commissioned by the Obama Administration.

All of us are biased, but we have good reason to be. We think that what we see in the news gives us a representative picture of what is happening in the world overall. It feels that way to us, but in truth there is a lot of news that goes unreported by our local news stations. Our news media covers a mass murder in the US for days but they only cover a mass murder that happened in another country for a few minutes. That distorts our thinking about where violence happens.

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