Category: Self Defense

Homeowner, shoots, kills male suspect inside South Side residence

CHICAGO (WLS) — A male home invader was shot and killed inside a residence on the South Side Monday morning, Chicago police said.

The shooting took place at about 1:30 a.m. in the 2200-block of East 103rd Street.

Officers responded to the scene and found a person shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A 33-year-old man inside the residence told officers that the unidentified person entered his home and charged in his direction, police said.

The man fired his gun and shot the home invader in the chest, police said.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

Hysteria Reigns Following Hegseth’s Announcement

When I was in the Navy, I lived on base but, like most service members, my social life was off base. At Portsmouth Naval Hospital, at least when I was stationed there, going out the main gate led to a plethora of options. Straight ahead took you toward the bulk of the city. Turning left took you to an old part of the town with historic buildings and one really great pub, among other things. Hang a right, though, and you’d best have your next of kin on standby.

I didn’t have a gun back then, and I kind of wish I did, but with living on base, it wasn’t really much of an option. There were ways to own one, but to carry it anywhere? Forget it.

Later, I worked at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany as a contractor. I had to drive through some sketchy areas, but carrying a gun to and from work wasn’t an option. I just had to pray that I wouldn’t be one of those unfortunate souls whose luck ran out. Thankfully, I wasn’t, but it was dumb that I had no other options.

Now, things have changed following Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s announcement on Thursday that bases were no longer gun-free zones.

Unsurprisingly, though, some people are having absolute hysterics about it.

“Troops can now request to carry their own personal firearms on base for personal protection, without having to explain why they need to protect themselves on base,” wrote Reuters chief national security correspondent Phil Stewart.

“If someone is not safe on a military base with armed guards, fences, walls, a personal police force, everyone who comes on base has their id checked, needs a sponsor if non military then we are truly screwed as a country,” wrote California congressional candidate Eric Garcia.

“Hegseth is telling us here that God gave us our legal rights as Americans including gun rights,” wrote USC Center on Communication Leadership and Policy senior fellow Barbara Starr. “He might be interested in some of the military concerns about the relationship between having personal weapons on base and suicide rates.”

“Obsessed with every culture war issue while an actual war is stalled out overseas and his boss just gave a complete belly-flop of a speech on it,” wrote The Atlantic staff writer and former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols.

I swear, it seems Nichols gets more insufferable as the days go by.

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‘Gun Free’ Zones Herd Citizens Into Physical and Legal Danger.

Never mind the homelessness, drug use, and routine violence … according to Empire State politicians, New York City’s transit system is a “sensitive place.” As such, law-abiding gun owners are not allowed to carry a firearm for self-defense on trains or buses or in subway or train stations – lest they impose some semblance of order on the anarchic scene.

In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York’s discretionary carry licensing regime and made clear that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry outside the home for self-defense. In their opinion, the Court acknowledged that carry may be barred at some “sensitive places,” citing “schools and government buildings,” specifically, “legislative assemblies, polling places, and courthouses.”

Of course, whether banning firearms in these locations is sound policy is another matter. It’s NRA-ILA’s position that government can demonstrate a location is in fact a “sensitive place” by providing weapons screening at all ingress points and armed security to protect those inside.

Needless to say, none of the Court’s enumerated “places” was akin to public transit. And only a delinquent government, like New York’s, allows a city’s subway system to deteriorate into a place for vagrants to domicile and soil with human excrement, while citizens just trying to reach their destinations fear for their health and safety.

Despite the Court’s command, in the wake of the Bruen case an intransigent New York set about prohibiting firearms in all manner of what the state dubiously defined as “sensitive locations.”

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Police: 3 in custody after assaulting armed man, gunshot fired during struggle in Arundel Mills Mall

HANOVER, Md. —
A gunshot was fired during a struggle Saturday inside Arundel Mills Mall, and three assailants are in custody after a police pursuit into Baltimore County, police said.

Anne Arundel County police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said officers were called around 5 p.m. for a gunshot fired during a fight at the mall.

Mulcahy said a man was leaving the Burlington Coat Factory store when three people approached and assaulted him.

Police said the victim pulled out a gun, a struggle ensued and the weapon discharged. One of the assailants was struck in a wrist.

The assailants fled in a black Nissan Altima that was tracked by the police Real-Time Information Center on Interstate 97 in the Glen Burnie area, Mulcahy said. Officers pursued the vehicle onto the Beltway before it ultimately exited and crashed in Baltimore County and the assailants ran off, police said.

Aided by aerial units, officers tracked down all three assailants, two of whom suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash.

Mulcahy said an officer was also injured in a crash during the pursuit and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A motive remains unknown and it was not immediately known whether the victim and assailants knew each other.

Police said there was no active threat inside the mall, which remained open.

An investigation continues.

Cleared in Self-Defense, Charged for Carrying: Michigan Case Shows Why ‘Sensitive Places’ Fail

A licensed concealed carry holder in Michigan is now facing punishment not because prosecutors say he committed a crime in his defensive gun use, but because the state says he was armed in the wrong place when he needed that gun the most. That is exactly why so-called “sensitive places” laws remain one of the most dangerous and constitutionally suspect fronts in the post-Bruen Second Amendment fight.

According to Fox 2 Detroit’s reporting, Genesee County prosecutors determined that 23-year-old Christopher Gill acted in lawful self-defense after being attacked inside a restroom at Ballenger Fieldhouse on the campus of Mott Community College during a day of basketball games. Prosecutors say Gill was confronted by a group, restrained, and punched several times. During the assault, Gill managed to reach into his hoodie pocket, where he had a handgun, and fired one shot through the hoodie, striking Malik Zamir Henderson. Prosecutor David Leyton ruled the shooting was lawful self-defense.

Henderson was charged with gang membership, assault with intent to rob while unarmed, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder. Gill, by contrast, was not charged over the shooting itself. Instead, he was charged with carrying a concealed handgun in a sports arena, a Michigan law lists a “sports arena or stadium” among the places where a concealed pistol license holder may not carry concealed. For a first offense, Michigan law provides for a civil infraction, a fine of up to $500, and a six-month license suspension; state guidance also says the pistol is subject to immediate seizure if carried concealed in a prohibited area.

That split outcome should get the attention of every gun owner in America. The government’s position here is effectively this: yes, you were lawfully defending yourself against a violent assault, but you still should not have been armed when the attack happened because the legislature had already declared that location a “sensitive place.” That insane theory collapses the moment it meets real life. The danger to Gill did not disappear because he was inside an athletic facility. The criminal assault did not stop because the law supposedly made the venue special.

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You don’t have to be right. You just have to be reasonable.

‘Bloodied’ man shouted for help before allegedly breaking into another home, getting shot

An alleged intruder is in critical condition after kicking in the door to a Houston, Texas, home Monday night and being shot numerous times by the homeowner.

ABC 13 reported two people were running down the road, one wearing a mask and the other bleeding from the head. The bleeding man eventually kicked in the door to a home and the homeowner shot him.

Click2Houston noted that police are unsure if the man who was bleeding was trying to flee from an assault or some other incident. He was allegedly “going door to door, knocking and trying to get help” prior to forcing entry and being shot.

Houston Police Department Lt. J.P. Harlicka said, “Either he was shot or hit in the head with something or assaulted or something, but he had blood on his head. He went to several doors knocking.”

The second man, who was “wearing a black hoodie, jumpsuit, and mask, ran away” and has yet to be found.

Would-be intruder shot by Rancho Cordova homeowner after forcing way into home

A Rancho Cordova homeowner shot and wounded a man Thursday night who tried to force his way into the home after making threats to kill one of the occupants, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said the man, who was known to the homeowner but did not live at the residence, tried to force entry about 9:15 p.m. into the home in the 2900 block of Hunt Drive.

The two people inside the home — an adult man and woman — called 911 and repeatedly told the man to leave, sheriff’s officials said.

The 25-year-old man told the victims multiple times he was going to kill one of them, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He then broke a window and entered the home, prompting one of the victims to open fire, officials said.

Deputies responded to the scene and the man was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound that was not considered life-threatening. After being medically cleared, the man was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of felony burglary and making threats to commit a crime resulting in death or great bodily injury, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

He was being held on $100,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court Monday

Ex-Girlfriend shoots intruder dead; investigation ongoing

TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — Tulsa Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened early Tuesday morning near 124th Terrace and Kingston Avenue.

Officers were called to the scene around 2:45 a.m., where they found 27-year-old Sean Six suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.

He was transported to a local hospital but later died from his injuries.

According to homicide detectives, the investigation indicates Six forced his way into a home where his former girlfriend was staying with a friend.

Investigators say he initially attempted to enter through a window before kicking in the front door.

Police say the woman’s friend fired a shot after Six came inside the residence.

The individual who discharged the weapon was interviewed by detectives and later released as the investigation continues.

Iran Proves Value of our Second Amendment

It is estimated that Iranian police, military and paramilitary forces have murdered more than 36,000 unarmed citizens in the past few months. No one will know the actual number until after the current regime falls.

Some of the victims were simply protesting. Others were murdered because they were caught outside, so their killings were convenient for the government’s henchmen.

Not a single member of the Iranian police, military or paramilitary forces has been arrested much less charged for even one of the 36,000 killings—not a single one.

The current Iranian regime has said very little about the thousands of deaths, but everyone knows the reason. Thirty-six thousand Iranians were murdered simply to make a sick point: Obey the current government or you’ll be shot in the street like a dog.

Iran has no real constitution, much less anything even close to our Second Amendment, so the victims had no chance of fighting back. Personal firearms were seized by the government decades ago.

As a result, the Iranian people became unarmed sheep up against the government’s heavily armed wolves. They stood no chance despite their valor and the righteousness of their cause.

These reprehensible killings can be difficult for many Americans to understand, especially those who don’t fully understand the protections brought by our Second Amendment.

As it stands now in free states, the government cannot order you to turn in your guns and trust that nothing bad will ever happen. This would never happen in Florida, Texas, Mississippi or any other free state, right?

Unfortunately, an anti-gun cancer is spreading across the country, especially in states that were never thought susceptible.

Virginia Democrats just sent a massive collection of anti-gun bills to their governor, but the authors exempted themselves from any legal issues.

“The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member of the General Assembly,” they wrote, ensuring that Democratic lawmakers don’t lose their Second Amendment rights.

Other bright-blue states are following suit. Look at their unconstitutional bills. Almost every single one bans the one weapon and its accessories that gives its owner a fighting chance to defend themselves and their family—the ArmaLite Rifle or AR.

The left’s leadership is solely responsible for all of these unconstitutional bills. They want us spending time and money fighting against legislation that was clearly unconstitutional when it was written, much less signed into law. It’s better that, they believe, than proposing our own pro-gun bills. They don’t care that millions of law-abiding gun owners will become criminals—in some states even felons—once the bills become law.

Our Second Amendment protections have been in place for more than 238 years, but anti-gun politicians simply do not care. It remains the only amendment treated with such blatant disrespect by elected officials who took an oath to support and defend the entire Constitution.

I cannot help but wonder what just one of the 36,000 Iranians would say about our current saga, if one of them were still alive. I am pretty confident they would support an individual’s right to keep and bear arms regardless of their political beliefs, because it provides the ability to defend oneself against tyranny in any form, especially from illegitimate politicians who would knowingly arrest or endanger their own constituents if that’s what their political party tells them to do.

Backup Plan: When The Quickest Reload Is A Second Gun

Back in the day, cops called it a “New York Reload,” a term dating back to the era when New York City stake-out detectives carried two snob-nose revolvers so they could, according to longtime pal and former cop-turned-private investigator Paul Huebl, “instantly switch guns in a gunfight to avoid slow reloads.

“In those days,” he recalled, “semi-autos were too unreliable.”

How’d you like to be the dumb crook who suddenly finds himself suffering from a case of .38-caliber double-vision?

Lots of people carry revolvers, and some carry two; their primary sidearm and a backup. The logic of this made sense the first time I heard about it. Rather than duck for cover and try to reload under stress, just draw the backup and stay in the fight.

Author Workman has found a good combination of wheelguns for those occasions when he “doubles down.”

Probably the guy who perfected the New York Reload was the late Jim Cirillo, a legendary NYPD detective who spent several years on the stakeout unit and, according to various published stories, was involved in seventeen gunfights. He carried a pair of Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolvers along with a 12-gauge Ithaca shotgun, and he is sometimes remembered as the “last of the real gunfighters in America.”

I never met Cirillo. Wish I had, because the stories he shared were educational as well as entertaining. He put a lot of them in a book titled “Guns, Bullets, and Gunfights,” published 30 years ago and it is still available on Amazon. A second book, “Jim Cirillo’s Tales of the Stakeout Squad,” authored by Paul Kirchner, is also loaded with Cirillo lore, and can also be found on Amazon.

Sadly, Cirillo died in a traffic accident in 2007. However, his habit of packing two revolvers was a stroke of genius which is still practiced by a surprising number of folks today, rather than a semi-auto with more firepower in a single magazine than a pair of wheelguns. The downside to the single gun strategy is that if something goes wrong, you might as well have a brick. With a second gun, you’re still in the game.

I’m guilty of occasionally carrying two at a time, and I’ve known police and sheriff’s deputies who have carried backup guns in ankle holsters or in deep-cover chest holsters inside their shirts. Others have carried 5-shot Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special snub guns in coat pockets, on the opposite side from their duty sidearm. It might be impossible to accurately estimate the number of lives saved by the presence of a backup gun, but if you’re a revolver afficionado, packing double is certainly worthy of consideration.

Better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it, eh?Thanks to the light weight of a small alloy-framed S&W revolver, Dave has found that carrying such a revolver in the pocket of a sport jacket or nylon vest is unobtrusive and immediately accessible. Speed loaders go in the opposite pocket.

In Self-Defense

What brought this to mind is that March 13 is the tenth anniversary of an incident involving a guy I slightly knew—and interviewed one week after the fact (the only working journalist he would speak with)—who fatally shot a hatchet-wielding assailant after the man entered a 7-Eleven in a suburb south of Seattle. The hatchet man took a swing at him, barely missing what could have been a fatal head wound, and then turned his attention toward the clerk. The good guy was simply drinking coffee and had never seen this nut before.

I watched the store security video at least a dozen times. It was a textbook example of justifiable self-defense, at least under Washington state’s use-of-force statute; what is generically called a “clean shoot” within the parameters of the “reasonable person doctrine.” The armed citizen shot the attacker three times at virtually point blank range with a J-frame Smith & Wesson chambered in .357 Magnum, an act determined by investigators and prosecutors to have been what any reasonable person would have done in a similar situation. The attacker died at the scene, ending an incident which unfolded over the course of only about 30 seconds. Violence frequently happens without warning, it is so fast one may not have time to really think, just act.

As it turned out, the five-shot revolver was one of two such handguns he was carrying at the time, one in each pocket of his jacket. He remained at the scene, was interviewed by sheriff’s detectives who reviewed the security video, and released. They even let him keep his second gun, since it had not been fired.

Six months later, the county prosecutor’s office announced no charges would be filed. The incident has faded into history, my pal eventually got his gun back, and so far as I know, he went on with his life.

The classic lightweight Colt Cobra is another good choice for either a primary carry piece or a backup gun,. It offers six shots worth of attitude adjustment, and such revolvers can often be found
used in gun shops or at gun shows for very reasonable prices.

Wheelgun Magic

What’s the best way to carry double? There is no one-size-fits-all formula. When I carry a backup revolver, it’s often in a pocket holster stuffed inside of my cover vest’s cargo pocket. My lightweight S&W snubbie can also be carried in a jacket pocket without the holster. It doesn’t print, and I can carry a couple of HKS speedloaders in the opposite pocket. Otherwise, it might be in a Mitch Rosen ankle rig.

Others will used the aforementioned ankle holster for their second gun, or an IWB rig on the opposite/weak side, or even front or rear, depending upon one’s cover garments. It is a very fast way to stay in the fight, should the circumstances require, and by the time your ten, eleven or a dozen rounds have been fired, you will have made a lasting impression.

Remora offers a handy pocket holster with a surface which keeps it in the pocket when the gun is drawn, via friction.

Years ago, I worked with a guy who carried a small S&W .38 Special in his pants pocket, as he typically wore neatly-pressed cargo pants. Nobody could tell he had that gun. He also had, close at hand, a Colt .45 Commander.

What handguns would I recommend? Here’s where it gets fun. There are so many great revolvers for this practice from S&W, Colt, Ruger, Taurus, Charter Arms and Kimber; new or used, you can find some very good deals on revolvers since they’re not as popular as semi-autos. The carry combinations are virtually endless. One might obtain a pair of S&W Model 10 snub guns, or a Colt Detective Special backed up by a Colt Cobra.

Personally, I have carried a Colt Diamondback and a J-frame Model 442 Smith, both in .38 Special, or a .357 Magnum Model 19 S&W with a 2 ½-inch barrel, backed up by a .38 Special at times. One might opt for a pair of J-frame five-shooters, as my acquaintance mentioned above.

Thanks to collaborations between S&W and Lipsey’s, there are new wheelguns in .44 Special and .38 Special available, and they do not have the internal locking mechanism. I suspect the majority of two-gun packers carry .357s or .38s, either with hammers or hammerless, and having one or two of these little shooters beats the heck out of having no gun at all!

There’s no trick to carrying two revolvers, outside of practice and the right choice of holsters and carry positions. You’ll burn up a lot of ammunition, with the ultimate goal of speed and accuracy. Of course you should practice shooting with both hands.

Packing a backup gun is a sign of preparedness, not paranoia, and carrying revolvers doesn’t limit anything. Instead—as in my case—it has broadened my perspective, and given me plenty of time to think about all the various carry options.

Carry with confidence and do it discreetly.

The synagogue’s own security force TCOB.
Verbum sapienti sat est (A word to the wise is sufficient)

Michigan Synagogue Attacker’s Vehicle Registered to a Dearborn Resident from Lebanon

FOX News’s Bill Melugin indicates the vehicle driven into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, was registered to a Dearborn resident from Lebanon.

According to Melugin:

I’m told by three law enforcement sources that the vehicle used in the attack at a Michigan synagogue today is registered to a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon who lives in Dearborn, MI. I have a name, but am waiting for confirmation that name matches the badly burned corpse that was driving the vehicle.

Breitbart News reported that the attacker drove into the Temple Israel building Thursday and was engaged by security and killed.

NBC News noted that a “security guard was injured” and “eight first responders were being treated” for unknown injuries as well.

There is a school at Temple Israel and no students or staff were injured.

Georgia Senate Passes SB572 to Strengthen Self-Defense Protections and Expand Civil Immunity for Lawful Use of Force

Key Takeaways

  • Georgia Senate passed SB572 to strengthen legal protections for self-defense use of force.
  • The bill introduces a presumption that defensive force is reasonable under specific legal conditions.
  • SB572 maintains existing limits on self-defense claims and expands protections against civil lawsuits.
  • The legislation allows evidence of abuse in self-defense cases and clarifies immunity from criminal prosecution.
  • Next, SB572 will move to the Georgia House; if passed, it will become law.

ATLANTA, GA – The Georgia Senate has passed legislation that would strengthen legal protections for people who use force in defense of themselves or others.

Senate Bill 572 passed the Georgia Senate on March 6 by a vote of 30 to 23. The measure has now moved to the Georgia House of Representatives. It received its first and second readings on March 9 and March 10 and is currently pending before the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.

The bill was sponsored by Senators Brian Strickland, Jason Anavitarte, Randy Robertson, Steven McNeel, Bo Hatchett, and Blake Tillery. The legislation proposes several changes to Georgia law related to justification defenses, immunity from prosecution, and civil liability following a defensive use of force.

Below is a breakdown of the major provisions included in the bill.

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FBI Warns California That Retaliation From Iran May Be on the Way.

Iran has already retaliated with drone strikes across parts of the Middle East. Apparently, the plan for California was already in place, even before the U.S. and Israel launched their initial strikes against Iran on February 28.

Neither the FBI nor the White House has issued a comment on the matter.

ABC claims to have read the alert sent out. It says in part:

We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.

The New York Post describes it as an “army of drones” that could be launched from a vessel off the West Coast of the United States. The post also suggests that California is home to about half a million Iranian dissidents, the largest number of any state in the U.S., but it’s not clear if that’s why it was targeted specifically.

On Wednesday, a reporter asked President Donald Trump if he was concerned about Iranian attacks on American soil. He said, “No, I am not.”

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security has said Iran and its proxies could pose a threat through targeted attacks on the US, but a large-scale attack was highly unlikely.

ABC also points out that the Mexican cartels’ use of drones at the U.S.-Mexico border has become an increasing concern for the federal government in recent months.

John Cohen, the former head of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC that he’s concerned about drone attacks from both the West Coast and the border. “We know Iran has an extensive presence in Mexico and South America, they have relationships, they have the drones and now they have the incentive to conduct attacks,” he said. “The FBI is smart for putting this warning out so that state and locals can be better able to prepare and respond to these types of threats. Information like this is critically important for law enforcement.”

This is a developing story. 

Homeowner shoots and kills intruder in Somerset County, state police say

A homeowner shot and killed an intruder in Somerset County on Monday morning, authorities said.

Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release on X that troopers were called to a home on Locust Street in Somerset Township around 2 a.m. on Monday for the reported shooting. At the home, investigators found one person dead near the back of the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

State police said the homeowner told investigators that he was awakened by loud banging on his kitchen window and a man demanding to be let in. The news release said the man broke a window and attempted to enter the home. The homeowner told authorities he warned the man that he was armed and then shot him when he continued attempting to enter the home.

The preliminary investigation found that the homeowner, who was detained and taken to the state police barracks in Somerset, was acting in self-defense. The investigation continues, state police said. The identity of the man shot and killed was not released as of Monday evening.

No other information was released on Monday. Anyone with information can contact the state police barracks in Somerset at 814-445-4104.

CCL holder shoots intruder in South Side break-in, Chicago police say

CHICAGO (WLS) — A CCL holder shot a man who was breaking into his home on Saturday, Chicago police said. It happened at about 2:39 a.m. in the 5100-block of S. Loomis Boulevard, police said.

A 59-year-old man was breaking into a garage and was confronted by the homeowner. CPD said the homeowner, a valid CCL holder, pulled out a gun and shot at the alleged intruder.

The suspect was shot in the right calf and was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital. He is expected to be OK. Chicago police said charges are pending.

CPD Area One Detectives are leading the investigation.

Boy, 11, shoots, kills mom’s boyfriend who attacked her inside home, police say

An 11-year-old boy shot and killed his mother’s boyfriend after the man attacked her inside a Philadelphia home late Thursday night, police said.

The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. inside a home along the 1100 block of South Peach Street. Police said a 30-year-old man, identified as Jaimeer Jones-Walker of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, was arguing with his girlfriend inside the bedroom of her home.

Police said Jones-Walker didn’t live at the home and he double parked on the street before entering his girlfriend’s house. The woman told police that Jones-Walker attacked her during their argument.

“It was verbal and possibly turned into a physical altercation,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The woman’s 11-year-old son then grabbed a handgun and fired one shot, shooting Jones-Walker in the face, according to investigators.

Police and medics were called to the scene and found Jones-Walker unresponsive inside the second-floor bedroom. He was pronounced dead by medics at 11:59 p.m.

Both the woman and her son remained at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation, police said. Officials said the gun that was fired is legally registered to the woman.

Shyreea Blocker, a resident in the neighborhood, told NBC10 she heard the commotion that led to the shooting. She also said she would often hear the couple fighting.

“Like arguing and fighting but that’s nothing new with them,” Blocker said. “It’s a shame. It shouldn’t be like that.”

Another resident, Gilbert Blocker, told NBC10 he was concerned about the impact the shooting will have on the boy.

“The things he’s going to suffer in his heart if he has any feelings, is going to last him not just now but for the rest of his life,” he said.

Sources told NBC10 the boy is currently staying with another family member.

Expert weighs in after child accused of killing mom’s boyfriend

A Philadelphia mother says that her 11-year-old son pulled out a gun to protect her. NBC10’s Siobhan McGirl spoke with an expert about how domestic violence affects children and what resources are available.

“It’s disturbing and sad. And I feel apprehension about what is going to happen with this child, what is going to happen with his mother,” Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Domestic Violence Strategies Azucena Ugarte told NBC10. “Experiencing violence in the home has long term effects, but we know that children are resilient.”

No arrests have been made in the shooting and no charges have been filed. Police continue to investigate.

Women in South Africa take up guns and martial arts for protection against gender violence

BRONKHORSTSPRUIT, South Africa (AP) — At the command of a female instructor, a line of girls and women, some wearing pink ear protectors, shoot five rounds at a target with 9 mm pistols as they undergo firearm training at a range in the agricultural town of Bronkhorstspruit just outside South Africa’s capital, Pretoria.

The group, some as young as 13 and others up to 65, are looking for ways to protect themselves in a country where gender-based violence is such a critical problem that it was declared a national disaster by the government in November.

“Check your grip, check your line of sight,” shouts Claire van der Westhuizen, the lead female instructor at Lone Operator shooting range, as women with well-manicured nails reload for another round.

The training course is specifically designed for women and offers practice in real-world scenarios like self-defense firing while lying on their stomachs and backs.

Femicide rates in South Africa are among the highest in the world, according to U.N. Women, the United Nations agency for gender equality. A South African study in 2022 found more than 35% of South African women aged 18 and older had experienced physical or sexual violence at some point. In most cases, the perpetrator was an intimate partner.

Joining ‘a family of support’

Sunette du Toit, a working 51-year-old grandmother, was pushed to take up firearm training after surviving a home invasion by five men who tied her up and ransacked her house, she told The Associated Press.

“I was not in a position to defend myself at that point,” du Toit said. “I had to do this (firearm training) for myself to gain my confidence back to be able to move in public, and even in my own house, without feeling vulnerable.”

She called the women’s firearm training group “a family of support.”

Firearms in South Africa are heavily regulated. Anyone who wants to own a gun for self-defense must be over 21 and pass proficiency tests and background checks.

Various self-defense trainings for women are popping up throughout the country.