Category: Self Defense

Debating Body Armor – Legal Battles, Self-Defense and Constitutional Rights in New York

Every day across America, thousands of police officers wear bulletproof vests to protect themselves from violent criminals. However, on May 14, 2022, body armor protected mass murderer Payton Gendron as he shot and killed 10 Black individuals at a Buffalo supermarket.

In response to the Tops Markets massacre, New York State enacted a law banning the sale of body armor to most private citizens. This law is now being challenged by gun rights advocates who argue that it is unconstitutional. A man from Lake View, along with a Las Vegas-based gun rights organization, has filed a federal lawsuit to legalize the purchase and ownership of bulletproof vests and other body armor for private citizens in New York.

The Firearms Policy Coalition and Benjamin Heeter of Lake View claim that the state’s body armor ban infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens who wish to protect themselves from criminals. The lawsuit argues that body armor is a means of self-defense, not a weapon. “New York’s body armor ban shows that the state’s commitment to authoritarianism has collapsed into absurdity, making it a crime to buy and use simple personal protective equipment,” said Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed the body armor ban into law in July 2022, just weeks after Gendron, 18, wore body armor he purchased online as he carried out his attack. According to Buffalo police, store security officer Aaron Salter Jr. fired a shot that struck Gendron’s body armor, but Gendron was unharmed and continued his assault, killing Salter and others.

Critics argue that the new law does not ban the sale of the type of hard body armor plates used by Gendron. Governor Hochul has indicated that she will work with the State Legislature to amend the law to ensure it effectively prevents the purchase of such armor.

“Wearing that body armor on that day allowed Gendron to keep shooting people after Aaron Salter shot him,” recalled former Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn. He noted that while it is rare for criminals to wear body armor during shootings, some law-abiding citizens, such as store clerks in high-crime areas, might also want to wear body armor for protection.

Gendron is currently serving a life sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to murder and domestic terrorism charges. He still faces federal charges that could result in the death penalty.

Combs criticized New York’s laws, claiming they have gone “far off the deep end.” He expressed confidence in overturning the body armor ban, emphasizing the protection of constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The lawsuit also highlights that body armor has saved the lives of over 3,000 law enforcement officers, according to a study by the National Institute for Justice. It states that body armor is commonly used for lawful purposes in every state, with American civilians spending $41.9 million on body armor in 2022, a figure projected to rise to $69.2 million by 2034. The lawsuit argues that a negligible percentage of criminals choose to wear body armor while committing crimes.

Since 1984, it has been a felony in New York to wear a “ballistic vest” while committing a crime with a gun, but only a handful of people have been charged with this crime over the past 40 years.

According to Spartan Armor Systems, an Arizona-based body armor company, New York is the only state that bans most private citizens from buying body armor. The company notes that many states have laws preventing criminals from using body armor.

The effort to repeal New York’s restrictions on body armor follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal ban on bump stocks. This device, banned by President Donald Trump after the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, increases the rapid-fire rate of a semiautomatic weapon. The Las Vegas shooter used a bump stock to kill 60 people and injure about 850 others, firing more than 1,000 rounds into a crowd in just 11 minutes.

Prosecutor says deadly shooting in downtown Anderson appears to be self-defense

ANDERSON, Ind. — A deadly shooting in downtown Anderson may have been justified under the law, according to the local prosecutor.

Anderson police confirmed the shooter has not been arrested and the prosecutor said he does not expect to file any criminal charges in this case.

The violence took place just before 10 p.m. Monday in downtown Anderson.

While walking down the sidewalk along 9th Street, investigators believe a 51-year-old local businessman was playing a Pokémon-style scavenger hunt on his phone when a complete stranger ambushed him.

“Just about a block from the courthouse he was approached by a homeless person who punched him in the face and stole his cell phone,” said Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings.

Cummings said that is when the robbery victim pulled out his gun in a parking lot along 9th Street and killed 43-year-old Michael Piercy, just a few hundred feet away from the Madison County Courthouse.

“Everything that’s been presented to me it looks like a very strong self-defense case,” said Cummings.

While the robbery suspect wasn’t armed at the time of the shooting, Indiana law does allow people to defend themselves from a physical attack.

“You can use deadly force to defend yourself or your property if you have reason to believe you could be injured or killed,” said Cummings.

Before he was killed, Piercy also allegedly threatened to harm several other people around downtown.

The prosecutor said while the shooting had a tragic outcome, so far it does not appear to be a criminal homicide.

“I mean this is one where someone defended himself and it could have been worse had he not had a gun, but gun violence is really over the top in the community and this town,” said Cummings.

In a press release on Thursday, Anderson police confirmed it’s believed that an altercation between the two individuals led to the shooting. At present, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

Staff at north Topeka business shoot individual in response to alleged threats

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Police say staff at a local business shot a dangerous individual Wednesday in north Topeka.

Rosie Nichols with the City of Topeka told 27 News in a written statement officers with the Topeka Police Department (TPD) were called just after 11 p.m. on July 10 to a shooting in the 200 block of NW Independence Avenue. Law enforcement was told an individual entered a local business after it had closed for the day.

The individual allegedly pulled out a weapon and began threatening staff. This prompted staff to shoot the individual who then fled the area, eventually arriving at a local hospital.

Nichols said the individual is in stable condition and that officers have made contact with everyone involved in the incident. The investigation into this matter is ongoing.

Colorado Finds 1 in 4 Homicides with Firearms are ‘Justifiable Self Defense’

The number of times firearms are used in self-defense is difficult to quantify. In a rare analysis of data concerning deaths related to firearms, the Colorado Center for Health & Environmental data has produced figures that indicate firearms are commonly used for self-defense.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment analyzed 5,287  firearm-related deaths in Colorado from 2016 to 2020. Of those deaths, the vast majority, 73.6%, were suicides. 24.9% were homicides/assaults (about 1316). Of the homicides, 24.7% were justifiable self-defense (about 325).

Firearms availability has minimal if any, effect on overall suicide rates. Firearms availability may increase or decrease overall homicide rates. The preponderance of the evidence is the availability of firearms has either no effect or slightly reduces overall homicide rates. Increasing legal firearms carry appears to have a small but measurable effect in decreasing overall homicide rates.

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Homeowner shoots an attempted burglar in Valley Village

A Valley Village [California] home became the scene of a shooting investigation Monday afternoon after the homeowner fired his weapon at attempted burglars, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Investigators believe three masked men tried to break into the home on Addison Street near Colfax Avenue, but they were stopped by the property owner.

The homeowner fired his weapon, injuring one of the three suspected burglars.

While the injured suspect was conscious and breathing when officers responded to the scene, the other suspects ran away.

Man shot, killed in self-defense in Pike County

LOUISIANA, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Law enforcement is investigating a deadly shooting in Louisiana, Missouri, on Saturday.

Members of the Louisiana Police Department, Pike County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the 800 block of North 4th Street in Louisiana, Missouri, for a call for a shooting Saturday. At the scene, they found a 53-year-old had been shot by a 24-year-old and was killed.

The deceased has been identified as Daniel W. Norris, 53, of rural Louisiana, Missouri.

According to police, early investigations are showing that the shooting happened in self-defense and is believed to be an isolated incident.

This is an active investigation.

If the ‘outdoors’ has immediate access to me, I’ve got a gun in the pocket.

No Safe Place
No one can predict when and where we might have to defend themselves from a criminal attack.

I just have to shake my head when I hear comments like, “I didn’t carry my gun because, after all, we were just going to church.” Or, “I was only going down to the corner grocery, so I just dropped the little two-shot derringer in my pocket instead of my usual carry gun.” Some people just don’t learn until they survive a real deadly encounter. And that, my friends, is a tough way to learn.

Every month, I try to read the Armed Citizen column in my copy of Shooting Illustrated and you should too. Take the current issue, for instance. They list six deadly encounters, four of which occur in the home. One is at an ATM (no surprise there) and the last involves an encounter between a motorist and a cyclist. Who in the world would expect to have a deadly encounter with someone on a bicycle?

When you bother to educate yourself, you realize that deadly encounters can occur anywhere and when we may least expect it. They occur in churches, parking lots, movie theaters, sporting events, the home and in fact, everywhere that people gather. And the victims are people from all economic levels, from poor to extremely wealthy. Everyone is subject to experiencing a criminal attack and that, my friend, includes you and me.

I don’t want to hurt feelings, but the person who says they will only carry their defense gun when they think they might need it is either a fool or is just playing at personal defense. We carry a defensive handgun because we don’t know when we’ll need it. If we knew, we’d carry a rifle or shotgun … or, better yet, just stay home.

Not long ago, I changed clothes and then set out to run my morning errands. As I was cranking up my truck, I realized that I hadn’t put on my revolver, instead it was lying on the bed right where I had been changing. Since I was only going to the post office and the corner grocery, I was, for a moment, tempted to just go on. But, mentally kicking myself in the butt, I went back in and got my gun. Just a few minutes later I sat in the store parking lot while the city police arrested a drunk who was trying to get a fight started. Even though I was not involved in any way, I gave myself a mental pat on the back and went on about my errands.

When it comes to the folks who are just playing at personal defense, about all we can do is to continue to try to educate them. As for the rest of us, we remind ourselves and each other that no one can predict when and where we might have to defend ourselves from a criminal attack. We went to the trouble to be able to legally carry a defensive handgun, we got good training and we carry all the time because it is our right to do so and it is the smart thing to do.

Violent attack at Chicago beach involving concealed carry license holder leads to arrest

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A 17-year-old girl has been arrested after a violent attack at Chicago’s 31st Street Beach, police said.

Chicago police accused the 17-year-old of stabbing a 26-year-old woman during an argument on Saturday night.

It happened shortly after 11:30 p.m. at South Fort Dearborn Drive. According to police, the teen took a sharp object and stabbed the woman in her right arm.

The 26-year-old woman, a valid Concealed Carry License and Firearm Owner’s Identification cardholder, then shot the teen in the left shoulder.

They were both transported to hospitals in good condition.

Saturday’s attack was the latest in a string of shootings that have prompted aldermen to crack down on violence near 31st Street Beach.

Defensive gun use and reality

How often do Americans use guns in lawful self-defense? It’s a difficult question to answer, in part because many who send a criminal to flight by merely demonstrating they are armed, never report the incident. The same is true for many who brandish their handguns, or even point them at criminals, instantly convincing them running for their lives is the better part of valor.

Refusing to report is surely common in blue states, where law-abiding citizens can be virtually certain if they report lawful self-defense, they’re far more likely than the criminal that forced them to defend themselves to be arrested and prosecuted. Even in red states, many don’t want to take the chance.

Another factor that has become obvious during the Biden administration is as many as 7,000 police agencies—surely most if not all blue—have stopped reporting crimes, particularly violent crimes. This represents about a 35% reduction in the number of cities reporting crimes. No reports of crime, no crime exists, and leftists can claim huge reductions in violent crime even as they decriminalize crime and refuse to prosecute criminals.

There have, however, been a number of studies whose results are revealing. The Clinton administration conducted such a study, secure in their belief the results would conclusively prove lawful self-defense with guns was rare, a result they planned to use in pushing even more gun control schemes. To their horror, they found as many as 1.5 million such cases per year. They tried to hide the result, but it eventually leaked. Another study, which, to the horror of anti-liberty/gun cracktivists has stood the test of time and every attack, indicates as many as 2.5 million defensive gun uses per year, and in only 8% of those cases, was it necessary to shoot the criminal attacker. In 82% of cases, merely revealing a handgun and/or demonstrating the will to use it were sufficient to end an attack. In such cases, we can never know if the criminal was intent on robbery, rape, kidnapping or even murder.

The Centers For Disease Control have long been prohibited by law from using taxpayer dollars to advocate for gun control, which has not, of course, stopped them. A recent CDC report has been revealed to be ridiculously unprofessional and invalid. Conducted entirely by telephone, it had these four primary problems:

1. They were unable to determine whether firearms were stored loaded or unloaded during the phone interviews.

2. They were only able to obtain data from the eight states, which is statistically meaningless.

3. Some respondents did not want to disclose whether they had a firearm in their home.

This is surely a major factor in that Americans have never been more mistrustful of the government, particularly when speaking about gun ownership.

4. All of the data was self-reported to the researchers, and therefore “subject to social desirability and recall biases.”

One might also wonder why the CDC, which is ostensibly supposed to be dealing with disease vectors, should be spending time and money on an incompetently done telephone survey about gun storage in the home. As one might imagine, the survey ignored lawful defensive gun uses, the need for which is one of the primary reasons Americans keep firearms in their homes. By the way, the CDC was forced to admit the aforementioned flaws.

Why would anyone want to suppress the truth about lawful, defensive gun uses? They do irreparable damage to the anti-liberty/gun narrative, which holds guns are inherently evil,  and so are those who own them. They have the mystical power to compel their owners to murder. Guns exist only to kill the innocent—that would be leftist favored victim groups–and far fewer people own guns than the “gun lobby” claims, yet guns are everywhere, are responsible for unimaginable carnage and must be banned. Despite there being few guns, anyone owning a gun is virtually certain to kill a family member, despite firearm accidents being at a 100 year+ low.

There’s no logic or reproducible results supporting anti-liberty/gun “research,” which is why those that advocate that position simply resort to lying, which lies are eagerly and uncritically trumpeted by most of the media. Fortunately, Americans have wised up. For nearly 60 consecutive months, they’ve bought more than a million guns a month. They may not be willing to tell the government how many guns they own or how they use them, but they’re more than willing to use them to protect their families, and if necessary, to preserve our representative republic.

That’s what really scares our self-imagine elite.

Running The Defensive Lever-Action Rifle.

Any firearm has its own manual of arms, and the lever-action rifle is no exception. The armed citizen who chooses to use a lever gun for personal defense should know safe carry techniques and efficient and safe loading and unloading methods. And, just as with any other defensive firearm, we need to practice safe, efficient techniques when firing at the range and during dry practice.

When not carrying the lever gun I prefer that the magazine be loaded and the chamber empty. When encountering a threat or potential threat I have the option of levering a round into the chamber when I pick up the rifle and then lowering the hammer to the safety notch or, in the case of later model guns, engaging the external safety. The other option is to run the lever, chambering a round as I bring the gun to my shoulder and address the threat.

Whether the gun has a safety or not, I don’t like the idea of walking around with the hammer cocked. It is just an added safety measure to lower the hammer unless one is actually about to fire the gun. And no time is lost when the shooter cocks the hammer as he brings the gun to his shoulder and the sights onto the target.

In practice sessions it is important to get into the habit of firing and cycling the action without taking the gun down from the shoulder. The gun stays in the shoulder pocket while we fire our shot, cycle the action with a live round, and get back on target. With practice, one can also top off the magazine (tactical reload) without removing the gun from the shoulder.

Since the majority of lever-action rifles load from the right side of the receiver, the shooter will have to use their right hand to reload, regardless of whether they are right or left-handed. And one will just have to practice a little with a belt-mounted ammo slide or butt cuff on the gun to see what works best for the individual. Obviously, loose cartridges in a pocket should be avoided if at all possible. Just as with our defensive handguns, dry practice with the lever action is important. Dummy rounds can be purchased and used to practice various loading and unloading methods.

With most lever-action rifles the only way to unload them is to cycle the live rounds through the action and eject them. The only safe way to do this is to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and make doubly sure that the trigger finger is nowhere near the trigger. It is critical to pay close attention to the unloading operation, go slowly, and focus on safety.

When firing and cycling a lever action it is important to do it with some force; my friend Richard Mann says, “Do it like you’re killing snakes.”  Running the lever gently can lead to what we call a short stroke, that is when the bolt fails to chamber a round. You run the action with the same forcefulness that you run a pump shotgun.

In short, the lever-action rifle can be an excellent choice for personal defense, but it is critical that the armed citizen learn how to run it safely and efficiently. Those who haven’t grown up hunting with lever guns would be well advised to sign up for one of the several defensive classes that are offered. In fact, professional classes are always a good idea regardless of a person’s experience level.

W.Va. Campus Self-Defense Act to take effect July 1

On July 1, Senate Bill 10, the W.Va. Campus Self-Defense Act, will take effect in West Virginia. Passed by the West Virginia Legislature in 2023, the Campus Self-Defense Act allows a person to carry a concealed pistol or revolver on the grounds of an institution of higher education, with some exceptions, if that person has a current and valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon.

The West Virginia University Campus Safety Steering Group has been working for many months in coordination with several sub-groups, including one focused solely on what is commonly known as campus carry, on how the law will be implemented across the WVU System.

These, in conjunction with signage, will assist in informing where licensed concealed pistol and revolvers are not allowed on the Morgantown, Keyser, Beckley and Health Sciences campuses.

Facilities has started installing signs in areas specifically exempt from the law under BOG Finance and Administration Rule 5.14 — Deadly Weapons, Dangerous Objects and the W.Va. Campus Self-Defense Act.

Ultimately, it is up to the concealed carry license holder to know the specifics of the law and BOG Rule and to follow the regulations while on campuses throughout the WVU System. Violations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, please review the FAQs for updated information, including a section specifically for Health Sciences, a step-by-step What To Do if You See Someone on Campus With a Gun guide and storage locker requests for qualifying students living in residence halls.

Occupants of “sole occupancy” offices wishing to request an approved sign for a prohibited area can do so by submitting a signage request.

Faculty members are encouraged to use the Faculty Senate-approved statement addressing concealed carry in their syllabi. It is available at facultysenate.wvu.edu/home.

The University wants everyone to feel safe on campus and works each day on measures to help ensure that. For example, the University Police Department offers active shooter, self-defense and verbal de-escalation training.

Paris homeowner shoots intruder, investigation underway

PARIS, Texas (KXII) – An investigation is underway after a homeowner opened fire after allegedly catching an intruder in the act.

According to Paris Police, it happened around 5:30 a.m. on Johnson’s Wood Drive.
Police said the homeowner found the intruder in the kitchen after being alerted by the family dog.

The homeowner fired one shot with a handgun, but the suspect fled the scene.

Alliance Police Investigating Home Invasion and Homicide

ALLIANCE, Neb. (Wyoming News Now) – The Alliance Police Department is investigating a home invasion and a homicide.

Just before 2:30 AM this morning, police received a call from James Haller from the 100 block of South Flack Avenue. Haller told police that he had shot an intruder who forced themselves into his home. The suspect, Jerome Robb, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are still investigating the evidence, police say the evidence is consistent with what Haller reported to them. No charges have been recommended against the victim at this time.

Man shot and killed at Kenosha apartment, tenant faces no charges

KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha apartment resident who shot and killed someone who burgled his home will not face charges, according to Kenosha police and the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office.

According to police, Izerion Cooper, 24, and Dieonte Lee, 20, committed a burglary at the Wood Creek apartments near 15th Street and 30th Avenue on Friday, June 21. Police said the two stole a gun from the apartment. Later, around 4:25 a.m., Cooper realized he had forgotten some of his belongings at the apartment and went back to get them.

When Cooper returned, the apartment was back home at the residence. Cooper and the tenant got into a physical fight. Police said Cooper was armed during the fight.

According to the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office and the Kenosha Police Department, the apartment tenant was within his right of self-defense when he shot and killed Cooper. At this time, no homicide-related charges will be referred or filed.

Police found and arrested Dieontre Lee, who they said was part of the original burglary. Lee is charged with burglary using a dangerous weapon and theft of a firearm.

The Truth on Permitless Carry, More Guns Create Safer Communities

I grew up in the inner city of St. Louis in a single-parent household. We faced poverty, hunger, violence, and decay. It was a daily struggle that I assumed was the life of every black family in America. I didn’t know the world that existed outside of my neighborhood.

But by God’s grace, I saw a glimmer of light in the distance and chose a different path. I joined the St. Louis Police Department’s Prisoner Processing Division, where I learned about the true threats that plague our society, what public safety really means, and why we should hold our Constitutional Rights—especially the Second Amendment—close to our hearts.

After 16 years, I left the Police Force but never lost focus on protecting people. So, I continued training individuals in self-defense and started an organization called Aiming for the Truth to focus on changing the underlying factors that drive violence in our communities.

A critical part of my job – as both a firearms coach and someone who is trying to generate wholesale change in impoverished communities – is showcasing truth while dispelling lies surrounding violence, firearms, and the Second Amendment.

Thanks to the anti-freedom people and organizations, most of us grow up seeing firearms as a tool for chaos, not a means to peace. But here’s the truth: Guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens create safer communities. But you don’t have to take my word for it–the data proves it.

In a recent paper from the Firearms Research Center at the University of Wyoming, senior fellow K. Alexander Adams assesses the research surrounding “Constitutional Carry,” a law under consideration in North Carolina that 29 other US states have adopted. In short, this legislation allows qualified citizens to carry a firearm without a weapons permit.

“The relationship between constitutional-carry laws and homicide is negative, which is the opposite of what gun-control activists have predicted,” wrote Adams. In fact, “Constitutional-carry laws were associated with about 6% lower homicide rates. The doomsday scenarios of constitutional-carry opponents are not supported by social science.”

Adam referenced a study published by the Center for Justice Research earlier this year that affirmed his national research.

“Beginning June 13, 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state to allow its citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. In the year following, crime involving guns dropped across Ohio’s eight largest cities as a whole and in six of the eight individually.”

Adams also name checks the John Locke Foundation, quoting from a column published in Carolina Journal, “When analyzing violent crime rates of constitutional carry states (with enough data) in years since enactment, the states either reflected the national trend in violent crime or showed a relative decrease in their violent crime rates.”

As lawmakers in North Carolina contemplate passing gun rights legislation, it’s vital for them to seek and vocalize the truth. We know the gun control lobby are lying – and will continue to lie – about permitless carry – and the Second Amendment more generally – because they want power. If they can convince citizens that their rights can – and should – be compromised, freedom diminishes as the ruling class consolidates control.

So, considering the facts, figures, and future of this great nation, let’s endeavor to spread and amplify the truth – even when it doesn’t fit neatly into a political party or ideology.

Let’s talk about the Black Wall Street Massacre in Tulsa and why gun control is simply Jim Crowe 2.0.

Let’s share the stats about Gun Free Zones becoming the choice location for mass murder and expose the detrimental impact of “assault weapons bans” as they threaten the safety and civility of our communities.

Permitless carry boils down to individual responsibility. The ability to exercise your rights without government intervention. While some try to paint these laws as a recipe for disaster, the data tells another story – a story that young men and women who grew up like me deserve to hear.

Suspect shot in the face in self-defense at parking lot in Southside Estates

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after he was shot in the face early Sunday in the Southside Estates neighborhood, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Police said around 3 a.m., they responded to reports of a shooting in a strip mall’s parking lot on Atlantic Boulevard, near Anniston Road.

Initial investigation determined the man shot in the face is the suspect in a previous shooting.

According to police, the man and three other people were in a dispute and he discharged a shotgun at the group.

Then, one of the people in the group shot the man in self-defense.

Police said the suspect, who’s in his 40s, left in his car after being shot in the face. First responders found him at his home, and he was transported to the hospital.

Police said the victims were cooperating in the investigation.

3 people killed by NW Houston tenant during attempted apartment unit invasion

Three people have died after being shot by an apartment tenant during an alleged attempted home invasion at a northwest Houston apartment complex.

The incident occurred at 10580 Hammerly Boulevard in the Gessner Grove neighborhood and was reported at 3:12 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and another person involved in the suspected invasion has been detained at the scene, per Houston Police Department.

 

2 men wearing nylon masks killed, 1 other hurt in Birmingham shootout during apparent robbery in Avondale

A shooting in south Birmingham left two people dead, and at least one other injured.

Multiple shots rang out about 11 a.m. Friday in the 4400 block of Fifth Avenue South. That location is the Oak Tree Apartments.

One man was pronounced dead in the parking lot. He was on the ground next to a work van, still wearing a black mask.

Two others were rushed to UAB Hospital where a second man was pronounced dead.

A third person sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Both men who were killed were wearing black nylon face masks, similar to the mask often worn by rapper Pooh Sheisty.

“We believe all of this stemmed from a robbery gone wrong,’’ said Officer Truman Fitzgerald. “Two of the victims both have ski masks on, the Pooh Sheisty mask.”

“We believe the third non-life-threatening victim may have shot them in attempted robbery,’’ he said.

He said detectives don’t believe Friday’s robbery attempt was a crime of opportunity – the person being robbed was likely targeted.

At least 13 shots were fired.

Fitzgerald said Friday’s victims are second and third homicide victims this week who were wearing the “Pooh Sheisty” face masks when they were killed. A 19-year-old killed in a Saturday night shootout outside East Lake Park was also wearing the same mask, he said.

“We can’t stress to you enough how important people, places and behaviors factor into the violence that is going on in our city,’’ he said.

“These are two men in 90-degree weather wearing ski masks,” Fitzgerald said. “You tell us what you think they were up to. That’s what we’re dealing with.”

The surviving victim, he said, were not with the men that were being killed.

Fitzgerald said the narrative so far this summer has been “broad daylight crimes.”

“This just goes to show you the level of carelessness the criminal element has,’’ he said. “Avondale Park is just walking distance.”

Fitzgerald said if the victims were in fact committing a crime, it’s important to note that those things don’t always go as planned.

“This comes from a place of love- young men, we live in Alabama where everybody has a gun,’’ he said. “Before you think you can get the drop on somebody, just remember that other person you think may be a victim, it doesn’t always turn out that way.”

CHICAGO EDITORIAL BOARD: ‘WORRIFYING’ THAT LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS ARE DEFENDING THEMSELVES

Last weekend, Chicagoans witnessed a weekend that saw at least 71 people shot. Tragically, nine of the victims died from their injuries. Just two weeks ago, Chicagoans survived a weekend that saw at least 44 people shot. Tragically, at least eight of the victims died from their injuries.

In a city where criminals know they can get away with violence and criminal shootings – even when police are involved – it’s not surprising that law-abiding Chicagoans would consider arming themselves and, God-forbid, having to use their firearm for self-defense or to protect their families.

That’s just too much for The Chicago Tribune editorial board. The media masters there went out and did the most editorial board thing possible and decried such a trend.

“Worryingly, we’re seeing more signs of that phenomenon in Chicago, with three separate episodes over the last weekend in which would-be victims proved to be both armed and willing to fire at their assailants,” the board chose to write.

It must be nice to live in such an Ivory Tower.

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Person who killed Malta home intruder was defending himself

Police have identified the man who was shot in a Malta mobile home park, in what is being called a case of self-defense. The suspect has been identified as Kurt M. Hubbard, 49, a resident of the Locust Grove Motel in the town of Malta, police said.

The shooting happened at around 11:30 a.m. on Friday. A man forced his way into a residence inside the Northway Estates Mobile Home Park and attacked a resident. The suspect, who did not know the residents, followed the person to a bedroom, to where the people who live in the home had hidden, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office said.

One of the residents grabbed a shotgun and fired two rounds, killing the suspect.

The residents of the mobile home park have been interviewed and released.

There is no threat to the community, according to Sheriff Michael Zurlo.

“At this time, the investigation has not revealed any criminal conduct by the resident who appears to have been defending himself inside of his home from a subject who was not known to him,” he said in a statement.

The investigation is ongoing.

Even CDC Admits Latest Anti-gun Report is Misleading and Full of Holes

SAF Investigative Journalism Project

Three teenage girls were alone in their Lawrence County, Kentucky home one hot summer day in 2019.

Suddenly, a white car pulled up and two men got out. One man started kicking in the front door. The second suspect circled around to the backyard and began breaking out a window with a shovel. The youngest of the girls, who was 14-years old at the time, found and loaded the family’s 9mm pistol and fired a round at one of the suspects, who both quickly left.

In 2021, a 12-year-old boy armed himself after two masked home invaders broke into his grandmother’s home demanding money. One of the suspects shot the 73-year-old woman, which prompted the youth to return fire in self-defense. Police later found one of the suspects curled up on his side in an intersection near the home. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The grandmother survived her wounds.

In February, a 14-year-old Houston-area teen fired six rounds at an intruder who was trying to break into his home through the front door. Police found the suspect, who was wearing gloves and carrying a backpack, in the front yard where he was pronounced dead.

None of these defensive gun usages or any others were even mentioned in a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which purported to examine firearm storage data behaviors. Defensive gun usages weren’t the only data set omitted from the report. The CDC needed so many disclosures and disclaimers to tell readers what other data was missing from its research that it’s a miracle the report even was published.

The report, titled “Firearm Storage Behaviors — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Eight States, 2021–2022,” was based on telephone interviews. The researchers called the respondents using a “random-digit–dialed landline and mobile telephone survey.” However, the authors immediately encountered four significant problems that limited the validity of their work:

  1. They were unable to determine whether firearms were stored loaded or unloaded during the phone interviews.
  2. They were only able to obtain data from the eight states, which is statistically meaningless.
  3. Some respondents did not want to disclose whether they had a firearm in their home.
  4. All of the data was self-reported to the researchers, and therefore “subject to social desirability and recall biases.”

As a result, the findings were statistical gibberish. In the handful of states that participated, the authors concluded, “18.4% – 50.6% of respondents reported the presence of a firearm in or around their home, and 19.5% – 43.8% of those with a firearm reported that at least one firearm was stored loaded.”

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