Category: Self Defense

Private Gun Carriers’ Self-Defense Against Public Shooters
The El Paso incident from a few days ago, the FBI 2021 statistics, and more.

I had written about this in past years, but I thought I’d update it to reflect the El Paso incident from last week. According to the El Paso Police Department (see also CNN [Andy Rose]), a confrontation between two groups of teenagers at a mall “escalated into a physical fight” and then into a 16-year-old fatally shooting a member of the other group and seriously wounding another member, as well as injuring a member of his own group. Then,

As soon as the shooting ended, the 16-year-old suspect began to run and was pointing the gun towards the direction of bystanders, including 32-year-old Emanuel Duran, a Licensed to Carry Holder. As the suspect ran towards Duran and bystanders, Duran drew his handgun and shot the suspect.

At that time, one off-duty El Paso Police Officer arrived at the area of the shooting and together with Duran rendered aid to the 16-year old suspect and the others that were injured. Investigators found that there were at least two other legally armed citizens in the area of where the shooting took place, but were not involved.

Now in this case, the suspect didn’t seem to have planned a mass shooting; he seems to have had a beef with the other teenagers. On the other hand, he appears to have been pointing his gun towards the bystanders, so it’s hard to know what would have happened. And something similar could easily have happened with an intended mass shooting as well; for an incident like that from last year, see this WCHS-TV story:

Police said a woman who was lawfully carrying a pistol shot and killed a man who began shooting at a crowd of people Wednesday night in Charleston.

Dennis Butler was killed after allegedly shooting at dozens of people attending a graduation party Wednesday …. No injuries were reported from those at the party.

Investigators said Butler was warned about speeding in the area with children present before he left. He later returned with an AR-15-style firearm and began firing into the crowd before he was shot and killed.

“Instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night,” Charleston Police Department Chief of Detectives Tony Hazelett said.

According to WCHS-TV (Bob Aaron), Butler was a convicted felon, and was thus not legally allowed to own guns. In principle, perhaps he might still have been stopped by (say) a law requiring background checks, which would likely have stopped law-abiding sellers from selling him the gun; but it’s not clear whether someone with his criminal record would have much been stymied by that, as opposed to just buying a gun on the black market. Likewise, in El Paso, CNN reports that the gun used by the 16-year-old shooter was reported stolen.

I gathered some more examples from over the years here, and then followed up with data based on FBI reports of mass shootings in 2016 and 2017: legal civilian gun carriers tried to intervene in 6 out of 50 incidents, and apparently succeeded in 3 or 4 of them.

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Lincoln Park man, 73, opens fire on catalytic converter thieves

Chicago — A Lincoln Park man fired shots at a catalytic converter theft crew that pointed a gun at him overnight, according to a Chicago police report. No injuries were reported.

The 73-year-old man saw two thieves trying to steal his catalytic converter in the 2000 block of North Larrabee around 3:40 a.m. He confronted the thieves, and one of them brandished a firearm, prompting the victim to open fire, a police spokesperson said.

Both thieves escaped in a dark SUV, which struck a parked car as they fled the scene, according to police.

The incident occurred near the corner of Armitage and Larrabee. | Google

Neighbors who called 911 said they heard yelling, followed by two or three gunshots. Police said the victim is licensed to own firearms.

Another round of catalytic converter thefts was reported in the area just after 5 a.m. One incident was reported in the 2200 block of North Cleveland, just a couple of blocks from where the shots were fired earlier. Witnesses said the thieves on Cleveland fled in a white Dodge Durango.

Homeowner shoots suspect in Ogle County home invasion

CHANA, Ill. (WTVO) — A suspect in a home invasion was shot by a resident in Chana early Sunday morning, according to police.

The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to a home in the 9000 block of E. Fowler Road around 1:11 a.m.

When police arrived, they found the offender had been shot in the lower abdomen by someone living at the residence, authorities said.

The man was taken to the Rochelle airport and flown to Saint Anthony’s in Rockford via Life Flight helicopter.

Police said the suspect is in critical but stable condition. The incident is under investigation, police said, adding that charges are possible.

 

How Hard is Real Armed Defense?

Everyone has an opinion. If you ask them, most people will give you their impression of armed defense. Is it trivially easy or is it impossibly hard? I’ve looked at armed defense for a decade and I think we often ask the wrong question about defending ourselves and our families with a firearm. One view is that armed defenders have to make split-second decisions after evaluating a number of complex legal and tactical factors. In contrast, many new gun owners want to concentrate on firearms handling skills so they can manipulate their gun with “fast hands”. I don’t think that is what most defenders really do.

I think almost anyone can learn armed defense if they are willing to take instruction and then practice what they were taught. This is what I’ve learned from firearms students and instructors.

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Teen breaking into Lexington home shot by homeowner, killed

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Lexington police say one person is dead after an overnight burglary.

Officers were called to Jouett Creek Drive off Hays Boulevard around 1:10 a.m. Monday for a burglary.

They say they found 19-year-old Oscar Daniel Wilds dead from a gunshot wound inside a home where the homeowner and his children slept. Police say Wilds was forced his way inside, before being shot by a resident.

The Fayette County Coroner says the homeowner and Wilds did not know each other.

Police found a man suffering from gunshot wounds inside a home. He died from his injuries.

Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn has identified him as 19-year-old Oscar Daniel Wilds of Lexington. Police say Wilds was shot by the homeowner while he was breaking into the home.

Ginn says the homeowner and his children were inside at the time of the break-in. Neighbors say they feel even more vulnerable and feel that it could have been any of their homes instead.

Jim Groves and his neighbor Subir Ghosh were discussing the early morning events just a block away from where it all happened.

“We’ve lived here ten years, and nothing like this has ever happened,” said Groves. “It brings it home that all of us are vulnerable,” said Ghosh. “Sometimes the mind looks for excuses to say, that can’t happen to us, but something like this, would bring it home that it’s random and could happen to anyone.”

Police say all parties involved have been identified, and the investigation is ongoing. Police have not said if charges will be filed.

Armed Defense- How Close is Too Close and How Soon is Too Soon?

When should we use our guns? We hear that question asked in every concealed carry class. That doesn’t mean we’re eager to shoot: if anything, it asks how long we can wait. There is more to this than meets the eye. Remember that most of the times when we use our firearm in armed defense we don’t press the trigger. We can cost lives if we use our firearms too early and if we present it too late. Are we so reluctant to present our firearm that we are waiting until we have no option but to shoot our attacker? Let’s look at a recent story of armed defense to see what happened and what might have happened differently.*

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Bystander shot Cielo Vista Mall gunman as suspect fled fight while pointing gun

A bystander shot and helped detain a 16-year-old boy suspected of fatally shooting another teen as two groups fought in Cielo Vista Mall, El Paso police said late Friday night.

Angeles Zaragoza, 17, was with a group consisting of a 17-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl when they got into an argument with another group around 5 p.m. Wednesday near the food court at the mall, police officials said.

The other group included the suspected shooter — a 16-year-old boy — along with a 20-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy.

Police did not release the name of the suspect or the other people involved in the fight.

The argument between the groups escalated into a physical fight during which the 16-year-old suspect pulled out a gun and fatally shot Zaragoza and seriously wounded the 17-year-old boy who was with Zaragoza, officials said.

The 20-year-old man, who was with the alleged shooter, also was shot.

After the shooting, the suspect ran away while pointing his gun toward the direction of bystanders, including a 32-year-old man, police said.

The bystander pulled out his gun as the suspect ran towards him and other bystanders and shot the suspect, police said. Police identified the bystander as being licensed to carry a firearm.

“As soon as the shooting ended, the 16-year-old suspect began to run and was pointing the gun towards the direction of bystanders, including (bystander), a Licensed to Carry Holder,” police said. “As the suspect ran towards (bystander) and bystanders, (bystander) drew his handgun and shot the suspect,” according to the news release.

The El Paso Times is not identifying the bystander since he has not been charged with a crime.

An off-duty El Paso Police Department officer, who was working security at the mall, arrived at the area of the shooting and helped the bystander render aid to the suspect and the others who were injured in the shooting, police said.

Police initially stated after the shooting that the off-duty police officers was responsible for taking the suspect into custody and never mentioned a bystander being involved.

There were at least two other legally armed bystanders in the area where the shooting took place, but were not involved, police said. Texas has a constitutional carry gun law allowing 21-year-old and older residents to carry concealed weapons.

Police said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing and charges are pending against the 16-year-old suspect.

The suspect remains in the hospital and is last listed in stable condition, police said.

This is the fourth murder of 2023 as compared to two at this time last year, police said.

DeKalb homeowner fatally shoots intruder, cops say; no charges expected

Police said a homeowner shot a man to death after he broke into his DeKalb County residence Thursday afternoon.

Officers were called to the home in the 3400 block of Valley Chase Court at about 4:30 p.m. At the scene, police said they found a man’s body in the backyard. His identity was not released, but he was said to be in his 20s.

According to investigators, the man forced his way into the home and the homeowner confronted and shot him. The man then ran out the back door, where he collapsed, police said.

No charges are expected to be filed, police said. The homeowner was not publicly identified.

The home, located in a residential area in Stonecrest, is just a short drive from Browns Mill Elementary School and Salem Middle School.

No charges in deadly Rocky Mount motel shootout

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WITN) – Rocky Mount police said no charges will be filed in a deadly shootout Sunday at a Rocky Mount motel.

Police said Damien Williams was killed when he and two other men forced their way into a room at the Executive Inn on North Wesleyan Boulevard to rob the two men inside.

Officers say there was an exchange of gunfire and Williams and Johnny Lyons were shot. Lyons received non-life-threatening injuries and was one of the men inside the room before the robbery went down.

After consulting with the district attorney, police said the killing of Williams was done in self-defense and no charges would be brought.

Police said they have since learned the names of those involved in the robbery.

Leonard Rudd has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon.

They continue to search for Shamoral Williams, Naquandre Mitchell, and Montavis Jones. Police said the three should be considered armed and dangerous.

Suspect shot and killed in failed robbery

ST. LOUIS – A man was shot and killed in a failed carjacking on Wednesday morning.

Nic Lopez, FOX 2’s Nissan Rogue Runner reporter, took video of the scene at the Gulf gas station on the 1300 block of North Tucker. Police said a man attempted to rob a driver in a white Chevy Malibu while he was getting gas, but the victim shot and killed the suspect.

The suspect ran about a half a block from the scene and later collapsed and died.

Texas armed robber runs for his life after store clerk turns the tables

An armed thief ran for his life from a southeast Texas convenience store after the clerk pulled out a gun and shot at the would-be robber.

Detectives with the Sugar Land Police Department outside of Houston released video this week of a man who walked into the WB Food Mart, displayed a handgun, and discharged a round into the ceiling.

The man then pointed the handgun at the clerk and demanded money from the register.

The clerk grabbed a gun and the robber opened fire as the clerk shot back in self-defense, according to police.

“The suspect fired a final round toward the clerk before running away,” the post said, adding that neither the suspect nor the clerk are believed to have been injured “largely due to a bullet-proof enclosure surrounding the register where the clerk was working.”

Sugar Land Police said the suspect remains on the loose.

Police describe him as a Black man in his 20s wearing black pants, a black hoodie, a white T-shirt and a black face covering.

By now, we’ve heard this. Attested by people who have relatives who attend MSU, all the buildings are ‘gun free zones’, even for those with carry permits.
As always, that sure seems to work, doesn’t it?

Michigan State Shooter Found Dead.

(UPDATED 12:05 AM EDT, 2/14/23: According to multiple sources, the suspected shooter shot himself in the head as police approached. CPR was being performed but the shooter had no pulse. Sources added that a handgun was recovered.)

 

ORIGINAL STORY:

A shooting at Michigan State University gripped the news cycle on Monday evening. Reports of two separate shootings on campus broke (one at a residence hall and another in a gym), apparently carried out by the same person. Currently, at least one person is dead while five have been hospitalized.

Hours after the shootings, police held a press conference and officially released a description of the suspect. Shortly after that, the MSU Police Department released pictures as well.

 

Unfortunately, some used the immediate aftermath of the tragedy as a way to spread false information in an attempt to paint the shooter as some kind of right-wing white supremacist. I won’t link those posts, which went viral within an hour of the first shots fired, so as to not further defame the guy who is being targeted by them. Pictures of three men walking down the street were also being spread to suggest there were three shooters. That was also false.

The shooter, who is described as a short, black male with red tennis shoes, is still at large and is assumed to be armed and dangerous. RedState will provide further information as it comes in.

UPDATE:

The death toll has now risen to three.

 

Man who brought gun to Phoenix restaurant dead after shooting

PHOENIX — A 26-year-old man died after a shooting occurred at a Phoenix restaurant on Saturday night, authorities said.

Officers responded to the area of Camelback Road and 27th Avenue just before 10 p.m. and found Oscar Luna with a gunshot wound, the Phoenix Police Department said in a press release.

The Phoenix Fire Department transported the man to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Police detained a man on site and spoke with witnesses, authorities said.

Detectives learned that Luna allegedly entered the Tacos El Rancho with a firearm and shot multiple rounds inside.

The man detained allegedly provided statements that he shot Luna in self defense which ended the confrontation. Witnesses confirmed the statement, and no arrests were made.

The shooting remains under investigation, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will review the incident for criminal charges.

US shoots down another high-altitude object, Montana airspace temporarily closed

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he ordered the takedown of “an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace.”

“Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,” he tweeted.

Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage, Trudeau said.

The object was shot down approximately 100 miles from the Canada-U.S. border in central Yukon, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand told reporters during a press briefing Saturday night. It appears to have been a “small, cylindrical object” that was flying at about 40,000 feet, she said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command detected the high-altitude object over Alaska late Friday evening, according to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. Two U.S. F-22 aircraft monitored the object over Alaska, then Canadian aircraft joined as it crossed into Canadian airspace, he said.

Following a call from Trudeau to President Joe Biden on Saturday, Biden authorized that U.S. aircraft take down the new high-altitude object and a U.S. F-22 shot it down with a sidewinder missile, Ryder said.

The leaders authorized that the “unidentified, unmanned object” be taken down “out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries,” according to a White House readout of the call. They also stressed the importance of recovering the object to determine its purpose or origin, the readout stated.

“As Canadian authorities conduct recovery operations to help our countries learn more about the object, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be working closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” Ryder said in a statement.

The development comes a day after the White House said an unknown “high-altitude object” was shot down over the waters off Alaska.

That object was about the size of a small car and flying at around 40,000 feet, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Friday. U.S. Northern Command said Saturday it had no further details on the object’s “capabilities, purpose or origin.”

Trudeau said he supported the “decision to take action.”

“Our military and intelligence services will always work together, including through @NORADCommand, to keep people safe,” he tweeted Friday.

NORAD confirmed on Saturday that there was a temporary space restriction over Montana.

The airspace was closed due to an object “to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations. The restriction has been lifted,” the statement read.

“NORAD detected a radar anomaly and sent fighter aircraft to investigate. Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation,” the statement continued.

Montana Sen. Steve Daines said he was in contact with the Pentagon regarding the object in the airspace and receiving frequent updates.

“Montanans still have questions about the Chinese spy balloon that flew over our state last week. I’ll continue to demand answers on these invasions of US airspace,” he tweeted.

The U.S. also shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, after tracking it across the continental U.S. for several days.

U.S. officials said Friday that the undercarriage of the Chinese balloon — where the surveillance equipment and other technology was housed — had been located.

In the wake of the incident, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it added six Chinese entities to their Entity List for “supporting the PRC’s military modernization efforts, specifically those related to aerospace programs, including airships and balloons and related materials and components, that are used by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for intelligence and reconnaissance,” according to a press release.

By adding these companies to the list, the U.S. can block them from “obtaining U.S. items and technologies without U.S. government authorization.”

The move is aimed at sending a “clear message to companies, governments, and other stakeholders globally that the entities on the list present a threat to national security,” the release said.

There is no age limitation I know of concerning thugness

12-year-old car theft suspect fatally shot after shootout with owner in Denver

A 12-year-old car theft suspect died of a gunshot wound after being confronted by the car’s owner, according to the Denver Police Department.
Denver’s Office of the Medical Examiner reported Tuesday that Elias Armstrong, 12, died of a gunshot wound Sunday. Police received a report of an auto theft in the 8300 block of E. Northfield Boulevard, according to police.
The car’s owner tracked the vehicle using an app and found it stopped in the area of West 12th Avenue and North Decatur Street.
“When the vehicle’s owner approached the car, he was involved in an exchange of gunfire with occupant(s) in the stolen vehicle,” according to investigators. “A juvenile male then drove the stolen vehicle to the 2900 block of W. 10th Ave. where he was found by officers to be suffering from a gunshot wound.”
Armstrong was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The car’s owner gave a statement to investigators. He has not been arrested and no charges have been filed, according to police.
It appears other occupants of the stolen vehicle “fled on foot from the 2900 block of W. 10th Ave. prior to officers’ arrival.”
A 12-year-old boy named Elias Armstrong was shot and killed during an attempted car theft Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

9News

In May of 2021, Denver Police sent out an alert to help locate a 10-year-old boy named Elias Armstrong who ran away from home, and was last seen near 30th Avenue and North Downing Street. The boy was quickly located and the alert was canceled. Police verified early Wednesday it’s the same boy.

Mississippi Senate passes bill allowing teachers to be armed

Legislation that would allow public and private school teachers in the Magnolia State to be armed has passed the Mississippi Senate.

On Wednesday, Senate Bill 2079, authored by Senator Angela Hill, R-Picayune, passed after receiving 39 yea votes and 13 nay votes.

The bill would establish a School Safety Guardian Training Program, which would be administered by Mississippi Homeland Security under the umbrella of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Governing bodies of school systems throughout the state would have the autonomy to determine whether or not they will participate in the program. Authorities within participating school districts would either approve or deny permission for a volunteer school employee to be involved in the program.

“If a school wants to put together an armed educator team to work with law enforcement and to be trained to basically assist in the time of an active shooter or some unfortunate situation, the framework is now in place once we get this bill through the House,” Senator Hill said on The Gallo Show.

To participate in the program, one must possess an enhanced or concealed carry permit prior to applying.

According to DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell, once qualified, those participating in the program go through a two-to-three-week training session where they are educated on tactics related to gun safety and proper interaction with the police if a crisis happened to occur.

“They would learn self-defense tactics. They would learn firearm tactics. They would learn communication with law enforcement,” Tindell said on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. “If we’re going to have teachers in schools with a firearm, they’re going to have the proper training and an interaction plan with law enforcement.”

Training would be conducted at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer Training Academy in Pearl and led by multiple law enforcement agencies in collaboration with one another.

Mt. Airy man shot in the neck after breaking into a home

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. — An intruder was shot in the neck during an attempted home invasion in Mount Airy Tuesday, according to police.

The Mount Airy Police Department said they received a call about a shooting around 4:19 p.m. on Andrews Street.

When police arrived, they found the homeowner, Joshua Wade Murphy, 41, standing with a shotgun in his front yard. 26-year-old Daniel Scott Laskey Brown, of Mount Airy, was lying in the front yard with a gunshot wound to his neck.

Investigators identified Brown as the suspect. They said he broke into Murphy’s home through the front door as he was armed with a gun. Once Brown came through the front door, Murphy shot him in the neck.

Brown was taken to a local hospital and is in critical condition.

After consulting with the Surry County District Attorney’s Office there will be no criminal charges issued at this time.