Category: Self Defense

GSCC police set to host Advanced Women’s Self-Defense Class

The Gadsden State Community College Police Department will host a free Advanced Women’s Self-Defense Class on Saturday, April 19, at the Beck Conference Center on the Wallace Drive [Gadsden, Alabama] Campus.

This empowering and educational course is open to the public for women ages 13 and up and will run from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and resume after lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., for those wanting to attend the shooting range portion.

Designed to build confidence and equip participants with valuable tools to protect themselves, the class will include hands-on training and cover the following key topics:

  • Situational Awareness
  • Legal Insights
  • Hands-on Self-Defense Techniques
  • Firearm Awareness and Safety

An optional shooting range session will be available to participants from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for those who bring a functioning handgun and 50 rounds of ammunition.

The event is made possible through the support of our exceptional instructors from various agencies and local sponsors.

“This class is about more than just physical defense—it’s about empowering women with knowledge, confidence, and a strong sense of preparedness,” said Jay Freeman, Chief of Police at Gadsden State Community College. “We want every participant to leave feeling stronger, smarter, and more capable of protecting themselves and those around them.”

Homeowner Shoots Intruder During Early Morning Break-In in Jackson; Suspect in Critical Condition

Jackson, Mich. (WKHM) — A man is in critical condition after being shot during an attempted break-in at a home in Jackson early Monday morning.

Police say the 40-year-old homeowner called 911 around 5:45 a.m. to report a break-in at his home on N. Gorham Street. A 47-year-old man had broken a basement window and was heading upstairs when the homeowner confronted him and fired one shot, hitting the man in the neck.

Officers arrived to find the suspect on the basement stairs. He was rushed to Henry Ford Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

According to the police, the man admitted to breaking in, claiming he thought the home was vacant. He is homeless, authorities said.

The homeowner was interviewed by the police, but no charges have been filed at this time. The investigation is still ongoing.

Martinsville PD: Homeowner shot, killed would-be burglar

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — A homeowner allegedly shot and killed a would-be burglar in Martinsville on Sunday.

According to a press release from the Martinsville Police Department, officers were called to the 500 block of West Pike Street around 1:30 p.m. to investigate an attempted burglary. When police arrived at the scene, they determined a homeowner shot and killed a would-be burglar.

MPD confirmed the homeowner has been cooperative with detectives and evidence technicians who responded to the scene to investigate the shooting. Police do not believe the shooting poses any ongoing threat to the neighborhood.

MPD withheld the name of the would-be burglar and homeowner in its press release. Police indicated that the identities of both individuals involved in the shooting will be released once the decedent’s family has been properly notified of their death.

Tesla attacks and political unrest spark ‘self-defense’ gun sales

Political unrest urged by anti-Trump liberals, coupled with attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships due to founder Elon Musk’s close association with the president, appears to be pushing some people to buy guns for self-defense.

According to the marketing director for one of the nation’s largest gun sellers, customers are buying up smaller concealed carry firearms despite a slight drop in overall gun sales recorded by the FBI’s background check system.

“Economic pressure continues to affect our business, though we are still seeing steady sales of self-defense and concealed carry handguns,” said Justin Anderson, the marketing director for Hyatt Guns of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“If news of people torching Tesla dealerships is any indication, this summer is going to be a difficult one, especially in major American cities. Civil disturbances have traditionally fueled an uptick in gun sales, especially in the home and self-defense sector,” he told Secrets.

In its analysis of March FBI background checks, the National Shooting Sports Foundation said sales likely hit 1,386,724. That was a 3.8% drop compared to March 2024.

Graphic courtesy National Shooting Sports Foundation

Still, it continued a several yearslong sales explosion of over 1 million firearms a month.

“Over 1.3 million times, Americans freely approached the gun counter to lawfully exercise their Second Amendment freedoms. Economic challenges notwithstanding, this is indicative of the desire of Americans to safely and responsibly keep and bear arms. Americans continue to invest in their freedom and safety because it still remains a high priority,” said Mark Oliva, spokesman for NSSF, the industry trade group.

The number could be higher because 24 states issue permits that allow those who have already passed a federal background check to buy again without having to go through the FBI system.

Anderson said his customers have been buying self-defense firearms even though they are concerned about the economy, which has been recently shaken by President Donald Trump’s push for record trade tariffs that have thrust confusion into financial markets.

“That slight upward movement lets me know that people, despite having little disposable income, are unsure about the future and are taking out an insurance policy in the form of a firearm,” he said.

And as the Trump moves shake out, he added, the gun industry is hitting the pause button on expansion until clarity returns to the economic outlook.

“We are taking a wait-and-see approach to wholesale purchasing right now, and focusing our efforts in other parts of our business,” Anderson said.

Suspected Hardeeville carjacker killed by ‘armed citizen who protected himself

Police said a man was shot and killed Sunday night near downtown Hardeeville in an apparent act of self-defense as he attempted one of several “armed assaults” in the area.

Around 9:40 p.m. Sunday, officers from the Hardeeville Police Department received word of an armed suspect who attempted to carjack a DoorDash delivery driver before fleeing on foot in the direction of Whyte Hardee Boulevard, according to Chief of Police Sam Woodward.

As they responded to that call, police heard several gunshots nearby. Woodward said the unnamed suspect fired several shots near the Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, but police weren’t sure if he had a specific target in mind.

The man allegedly attempted another carjacking outside the Friendship Inn & Studios, located at 20750 Whyte Hardee Boulevard. He pointed his firearm at the driver of the car and fired at least once, Woodward said, and the driver fired a number of shots in return.

The suspected carjacker was struck by at least three bullets, Woodward said. He was pronounced dead at the scene after Hardeeville officers attempted life-saving measures. The driver was initially detained but was later released as police learned more about the incident.

Investigators later said the deceased man “was actively involved in attempted armed assaults on potential victims when he encountered an armed citizen who protected himself,” the Hardeeville Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Woodward said the homicide remained under investigation, but investigators believed the driver had acted in self-defense. “Right now, everything’s pointing in that direction,” he said.

The chief added that officers had trespassed the suspect from a business earlier that night. Hardeeville police had encountered the man prior to Sunday during several drug-related investigations, Woodward said, but the suspect’s behavior had not escalated to violence.

Staff at the Jasper County Coroner’s Office had not identified the deceased man as of Tuesday afternoon.

Dad spent nearly 2 years stationed on Guam between WW2 and the Korean War.

AG: Self-defense is ‘inherent right’

There are many scenarios that can justify the use of deadly force, for instance, a home invasion or a person carrying a machete while aggressively approaching you on your property. Both could be arguments for the castle doctrine law on Guam, but as Attorney General Douglas Moylan stressed, the facts must support that an imminent threat of death or serious injury was present.

On Saturday, the Francisco C. Chargualaf Gymnasium filled with residents of Malesso’ and the surrounding southern villages. All wanted to learn more about the laws in place that allow them to protect themselves and others through deadly force on their property and curtilage.

Moylan explained that through the castle doctrine, Guam law provides homeowners the right to use deadly force to defend their homes or vehicles with protection from prosecution when acting against threats such as home invaders and burglars.

“This isn’t just about firearms, OK? This is about any weapon that you use. The focus of the law is a right to self-defense and the right to use deadly force, and there is a presumption that if, in certain areas, that you’re threatened, you have a right to use deadly force. Whether you’re using a machete, a knife, a bow and arrow, anything that causes the potential injury or death to another person, that is what the castle doctrine speaks to,” Moylan told the audience in attendance.

Moylan referenced the recent amendment to the castle doctrine, which extends those “certain areas” to curtilage.

Curtilage legally refers to the immediate land and buildings surrounding a home. An example would be the yard between the front door and public easement, where children may play or an area where one can expect to have reasonable privacy from government intrusion, like a shed at the back of a home.

“There is an inherent right for everybody to be able to protect themselves and to protect their loved ones and to protect one another,” Moylan said.

Several southern residents who spoke presented scenarios like a homeowner catching a thief stealing a lawn mower as the suspect turns to get away. Or an individual trespassing on property and taking produce and firing a warning shot. They all questioned how to know if the requirements of the castle doctrine are met in different scenarios.

“No. 1 is, whenever you’re confronted with a situation, always try to think when is the last moment can I use deadly force? If you do that, and … if you have the presence of mind to be able to think, I’m not going to, for instance, if you have a gun, I’m not going to immediately shoot what I’m seeing in my house, which the castle doctrine, I think, was originally designed for. But I (the homeowner) want to figure out (how) not to harm somebody as much as possible until they become that clear and present danger to you. Because if you use that type of rule, you’re probably going to be able to get through our AG’s office analysis when the police come there and do the police report and then send it up to our office so that we don’t charge you,” Moylan said.

However, Moylan cautioned against pulling the trigger on a retreating culprit.

“And just to jump to the front of the line here, if you guys see the guy that came into your house at 2 o’clock at night, turn around and then try to get out of the house because he saw you, you guys made eye contact. Please don’t shoot him,” Moylan said.

While Moylan was not advocating for shooting another person, recognizing that many crimes committed in Guam are fueled by methamphetamine addiction, he did support the right to defend oneself as allowed in the castle doctrine law.

“You can use deadly force if the person is using a weapon against you. You have to use nondeadly force if the person is coming to just fight you,” Moylan said. “You can’t just pull out the firearm and shoot him in the street.”

Application of the castle doctrine law comes down to the “fact patterns” of the case and whether the AG green lights the prosecution.

“So, you literally can have somebody killed by you, the police officer would put together the report, what they’re seeing, different statements, and then it would come up to the AG’s office. My first group would be looking at it and, especially if it caught my attention, it would be brought to me, or they would have the sense of mind to bring it to me, and then I would sit down with them and then go over the facts on what happened,” Moylan said noting the need for the facts to justify the use of deadly force.

Moylan referenced the Dave Barber Shop shooting, where the shop owner shot a burglar in the leg as the suspect entered their private living quarters. He noted the shop owner was afforded criminal and civil protections of the castle doctrine law and not charged.

Moylan encouraged residents, if faced with the need to use deadly force against an aggressor at home or in a vehicle, to aim for the leg or fire a warning shot.

“When you shoot somebody, you don’t need to hit them between the eyes. You don’t need to hit them necessarily in the heart. You can hit him in the leg. You can hit him in the kneecap,” Moylan said.

Moylan repeatedly stressed that castle doctrine law does not protect one’s property from theft or damage. For the doctrine to apply, the threat of imminent loss of life or serious bodily injury must be present to respond with deadly force.

Business owner shoots, detains suspected burglar in Houston

Shop owners in northwest Houston took action after catching someone breaking into their mechanic shop, shooting the suspect during the confrontation.

According to Houston police, the owners of the business, a man and a woman, spotted a suspect on their security cameras around 1:40 a.m. breaking into their property in the 1600 block of W 18th Street. Investigators said the same shop had been burglarized a few days prior, and the owners had been on high alert.

The owners rushed to the location and confronted the man as he was exiting the business. Police say the suspect became aggressive, leading one of the owners to shoot him once in the abdomen.

A nearby Jack in the Box employee helped subdue the suspect until officers arrived. The wounded man, believed to be in his 40s, was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive.

The business owners are cooperating with investigators, and no charges have been filed at this time.

WINNING: CA Democrat Withdraws His Own Anti-Self Defense Bill in State Assembly

In a victory for common sense, human rights, and the Second Amendment, a California Democrat assemblyman, Rick Zbur, has withdrawn his own bill, which would have gutted legal protections for innocent citizens who use force in self-defense.

The California Globe has more details on AB 1333:

Assemblyman Rick Zbur (D-Los Angeles) announced late on Wednesday that he would be withdrawing his new self-defense limitation bill following significant public backlash and confusing language in the bill.

Assembly Bill 1333, which was introduced last month, would have eliminated certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property. The bill would have also additionally clarified circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including, among others, when a person uses more force than necessary to defend against a danger.

Zbur said that AB 1333 would simply close a “legal loophole” over public confrontations and then claiming self-defense. However, AB 1333 instead sparking public outrage. Many pointed out that the bill would severely limit self defense against crime and leave open questions into when homicide was and wasn’t legal.

In non-political speech, this law could have implemented serious legal dangers, with one GOP assemblyman calling it a “complete assault on self defense.” Both Republicans and Democrats balked, forcing Zbur to withdraw the bill:

“This bill is a complete assault on self defense!” said Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) last month. “Imagine this: A violent criminal breaks into your home, and YOU have to second-guess whether defending your family is ‘justifiable.’ The misguided energy behind this proposal is beyond comprehension.”

Flooded with criticism from both Republicans and some Democrats, Zbur swiftly responded on X, saying that he wanted to target vigilantes and that AB 1333 would be amended soon to clarify the bill language.

As with so many poorly thought-out gun and self-defense laws, this proposal would never have any effect on criminals but would only serve to place innocent citizens in the position to choose between suffering a criminal attack or suffering legal hassles and possible jail time.

Continue reading “”

This was a bill that would eliminate ‘stand your ground’ and mandate that a person must retreat before being allowed to defend themselves. There was massive ‘pushback’ statewide and Zbur apparently got the cluebat applied.

California self-defense bill pulled due to ‘misleading information’
A California bill targeting self-defense loopholes is being withdrawn over ‘misleading information.’

CALIFORNIA, USA — A California bill aimed at closing a legal loophole related to self-defense claims is being withdrawn due to ‘misleading information.’

Assemblymember Rich Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) said Wednesday he was withdrawing the bill. AB 1333 stirred fears from critics that it could create confusion about when the use of deadly force is legally justified, limiting an individual’s right to protect themselves.

“Protecting public safety has always been my top priority. AB 1333 sought to close a dangerous legal loophole that could allow armed aggressors to initiate confrontations in public, kill their victims, and then exploit self-defense laws to escape accountability. The bill does not change the long-standing Castle Doctrine and was never intended to affect anyone’s ability to protect themselves, their family, or their home. As a father and as the victim of a home invasion myself, I understand how essential the right to self defense is,” Zbur said.

One provision in the bill would have no longer justified killing someone in certain situations, such as when protecting one’s home or belongings. Critics argued that it didn’t fully account for real-world scenarios.

He said the misleading information caused confusion and fear, leading to the bill’s withdrawal once it is referred to committee Thursday and amended for clarity.

“I remain committed to keeping our communities safe and will continue working with law enforcement, legal experts, and public and gun safety advocates to advance smart policies that protect victims and safeguard the right to self defense. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and gun safety groups for their unwavering dedication to public safety and their hard work on this effort,” Zbur said.

The bill was designed to close loopholes following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling expanding the right to carry handguns in public for self-defense.

Bill Allowing Armed Teachers, Staff Moving in West Virginia House

Legislation to allow armed teachers and staff for classroom defense is set to come before the West Virginia House.

The bill, HB 2187, passed the West Virginia House Education Committee, according to WSAZ.  It is next scheduled for the House Judiciary Committee.

HB 2187 amends the language of current West Virginia law “relating to possessing deadly weapons on premises of educational facilities; authorizing teachers, administrators, or support personnel in elementary or secondary schools to carry concealed firearms and be designated as a school protection officer (SPO).”

The bill also sets forth “information” and “certain qualifications” that must be met in order for a teacher or staff member to become an SPO.

In addition to concealed firearms, SPOs would be able to carry “stun guns or tasers.”

LootPress pointed out that SPO applicants must already have a concealed carry permit and will undergo additional training under the auspices of the “Security Protection Officer Training Program.” The training program includes “firearms training, de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, active shooter response, trauma care, and other security-related topics.”

Rand.org noted that “at least 28 states allow schools to arm teachers or staff (not just trained guards or peace officers) in at least some cases or as part of specific programs,” as of January 1, 2024.

CNN observed that on April 26, 2024, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed legislation allowing armed teachers in the Volunteer State. This puta the number of states allowing armed teachers for classroom defense up to at least 29.

Tennessee moved to arm teachers after Nashville Metropolitan Police Chief John Drake indicated the March 27, 2023, school shooter originally planned to hit another target, but chose the Christian school instead because it had less security. Six innocents were killed in the school, where no one was armed for classroom defense.

Woman shoots boyfriend in apparent self-defense during Chesterfield domestic incident

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A woman shot her boyfriend in what police say appears to be self-defense during a domestic incident in Chesterfield County early Monday morning.

Just after 1 a.m. on Monday, March 10, officers with the Chesterfield County Police Department were called to the 6100 block of Heybridge Court in response to a 911 call.

According to police, the caller — an unidentified woman — told dispatchers that she shot her boyfriend because he had assaulted and strangled her.

When officers arrived, they found both the woman and her boyfriend, who police identified as 46-year-old Adryan Whitted, with injuries not considered life-threatening. Whitted had been shot. Both of them were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Former Henrico NICU nurse faces new child abuse charges after babies found with ‘unexplainable fractures’
Following an investigation, Whitted was charged with strangulation and domestic assault. He remains at the hospital in police custody.

“Investigators consulted with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and, based on the evidence available at the time, the shooting was determined to be in self-defense,” police said.

I remember Pastor Jim relating a story by the missionary Peter Hammond about a church in a war torn nation in Africa whose members hanged their AKs in a guarded tree during services.

‘Terrorists Are Killing Everyone,’ the Christian Genocide in the Middle East.

“The terrorists are killing everyone. Children, women, teenagers, old people — just killing,” a Syrian Christian said in a video posted to X today. “Please, please, please — the media is not showing you anything.” The slaughter isn’t limited to Christians, as members of the Alawite faith are also being murdered by the forces in control of most of post-Assad Syria.

To be fair, the whole sordid mess seems to have kicked off last week as Assad regime dead-enders (the Assad family is Alawite, a syncretic religion with Muslim, Christian, and other elements) with attacks that “included killings and mass displacement of civilians along the country’s Mediterranean coast,” according to a Wall Street Journal report today.

Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser at International Crisis Group, claimed that the Alawite forces were “baited into” last week’s attacks, “and they definitely walked into the trap and acted in the worst possible way.” The new Syrian regime, established after the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year, is led by former al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa. I always wonder how “former” he actually is.

Due to the ongoing digital assault against X, I’m unable to embed posts in this column like I usually would. But you can still watch the video here.

Reliable estimates are difficult, maybe even impossible to come by. The ones I’ve found so far indicate that anywhere between 1,200 and 7,000 Christians and Alawites have been murdered over the last two days.

The saddest part is that today’s news is hardly news at all.

It isn’t often appreciated — certainly not by the Muslim Middle East or their enablers in the Western press and academia — that Jews have long been subject to the same treatment.

About 700,000 Muslims fled the Jewish-controlled parts of British Mandate Palestine when Israel declared independence. The reason? Arab nations promised the Jews would be quickly defeated and they could soon return to their homes. Several wars and eight decades later, Israel is still there, and the so-called Palestinians are still “refugees.”

But similar numbers of Jews were expelled from their ancient homes throughout the Muslim Middle East, with most finding their way to Israel. The descendants of those 1947 Jewish refugees have something important in common with the descendants of the Muslim Arabs who stayed in Israel: they’re all Israeli citizens.

Tangents aside, the point is that to one degree or another, Muslims have for decades — centuries, really — been “purifying” the Dar al-Salam (House of Peace) of the unfaithful, from West Africa through the lands of the Nile and across the Levant through Iran and Pakistan.

When Syria achieved formal independence from France in 1946, a quarter of the population was Alawite or Christian, with nearly identical numbers representing each faith. Another 1% was Jewish. Today, there are virtually no Jews remaining in Syria, and war and emigration drastically reduced the Christian share of the population to barely 3%.

Call it a “soft genocide,” the slow cleansing of majority-Muslim lands of the Christians and Jews who predate them by hundreds or thousands of years, by whatever means are at hand

California homeowner opens fire on burglars, killing one

The Brief

  • Fearing for his life, a homeowner opened fire on several suspects who broke into his home.
  • One of the suspects died at the hospital.
  • Two, including a 15-year-old boy, were arrested. Law enforcement is looking for the fourth suspect involved.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – A homeowner in San Bernardino County opened fire on three burglary suspects, killing one.

What we know

Deputies responded to a home on the 23000 block of Grand Terrace Road in Grand Terrace around 9:18 p.m. March 4.

The victim told deputies that three people broke into his home, so he armed himself with a gun.

The sheriff’s department said the homeowner feared for his safety and, in self-defense, fired rounds at the suspects. They then fled the location in a white sedan.

Timeline

Around 9:28 p.m., Loma Linda deputies responded to the 76 Gas Station on Redlands Boulevard for a report of a man with a gunshot wound.

The man with the gunshot wound was identified as one of the burglars. He was accompanied by a 15-year-old boy who was also involved in the crime.

Deputies detained the juvenile, and the adult was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Later that night around 10 p.m., the San Bernardino Police Department responded to another hospital where the third suspect, identified as Marquez Jackson, was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound.

Jackson underwent surgery. He was booked for robbery and murder upon his discharge from the hospital.

The juvenile was also arrested for robbery and murder. Officials say a fourth suspect remains outstanding.

THPD investigating shots fired at O’Reilly Auto Parts

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— UPDATE: The Terre Haute Police Department has released new information regarding a shots fired incident Thursday night.

THPD released a statement saying that officers responded to the 1900 block of south 3rd Street at O’Reilly Auto Parts just after 8:00 PM on Thursday night for a report of shots fired.

Upon investigation, officers learned that the suspect arrived at O’Reilly Auto Parts to dispute a recent trespass order. THPD says the suspect was told to leave and refused which led to a brief physical altercation. Police say, the suspect then returned to their vehicle, retrieving what was believed to be a handgun and pointed it at an employee.

THPD says a nearby customer who was working on his vehicle and was legally carrying a firearm, intervened to defend the employee and shot the suspect multiple times. Police say, the suspect then fled in a vehicle driven by a family member. Officers later found the vehicle and the suspect at a local hospital. The suspect was transferred to an Indianapolis-area hospital and is currently in stable condition.

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the handgun used by the suspect was an airsoft pistol.

THPD detectives and the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office are still actively investigating the incident. We will keep you updated as further information is released.