Gun Safety Classes Sees More People Looking to Learn

[Pennsylvania] After spending eight years in the military, Leroy Learn Jr. decided to come back to Erie and open Learn Defense Industries in North East. He saw the lack of education when it came to gun handling, and the basics of learning how to use a firearm. With his experience in the military he knew how quick a situation can become dangerous. Learn is a certified instructor by the NRA Simulations and Taser. He teaches classes on self defense, and basic pistol training. Learn says the in the last year he’s seen more people buy guns and are looking for ways to properly handle a firearm.

“Unfortunately, with the Coronavirus and the riots really picked everything up with the fear that came along with those it was an absolute boom in people just wanting to contact us and talk to us about it,” says Learn.
During the last year we’ve seen firearm sales skyrocket, with more people looking to buy and learn how to handle a gun. Learn says he saw the need for basic training when it comes to firearms, and especially more training when it comes to the law.

“If you have a lethal encounter and you act outside of the law, you’re still responsible for your actions you perform. That’s why in our basic pistol course we spend so much time going over the law because there’s a lot of law out there, and if you don’t know what it is, you can go to jail for being the victim of a crime,” says Learn.

Not only does Learn teach the law but he also is showing people the proper way to handle a firearm. With more people looking to own and learn how to use guns he says he’s seen more new gun owners come to classes.

“I have so many and they just purchased a fire arm because it was the only fire arm to purchase in the store at the time and they had to have the gun right then and there. Then they come to class and the firearm doesn’t function the way they want it to,” says Learn.

Learn says knowing the proper way to handle gun could save a life, but it could also help you feel more confident in everyday situations.

“I would say the best thing about it is that it gives you confidence. I see several people come into the class and they don’t feel confident around it or feel confident just going for a walk or they just feel afraid about something so it gives them confidence,” says Learn.

Learn says this is the best thing you can do if you’re looking to get a firearm and keep up on your self defense skills.

“If you don’t practice with it you will lose what you’ve been taught but if you get that basic knowledge, and you sit there and go okay I got that now I can go and continue my training for myself and then go and get more advanced training when I feel confident enough for that later more advanced training,” says Learn.

I’ll go into no further detail than to observe that I consider the homeowner to have a kindly disposition in not having shot the crim in some other ‘extremity’.


Neighbors shocked after homeowner shoots naked intruder

LINCOLN COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The name of the suspect who broke into a house and was shot by the homeowner has been released.

It happened on Bulgar Road in Alkol Monday just before 2 a.m. Law enforcement say they received a call a naked man was trying to break into a home.

According to West Virginia State Police, Jeffery Roberts II, 28, had broken the door to the residence to get inside. Troopers say the homeowner shot Roberts once in the shoulder. He was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.

Woman shoots man breaking into her Lexington apartment

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A man is in jail after police said a woman shot an intruder at her home early Tuesday morning.

The woman called 911 around 3:30 a.m. and said she shot at a man who was breaking into her apartment in the 500 block of Hollow Creek Road, just off Russell Cave, Lexington police said.

About 15 minutes later, a man walked into a hospital with a gunshot wound. Police said that man, 42-year-old Keith Jackson, was the same man involved in the incident at the apartment.

Jackson was arrested on charges of burglary and terroristic threatening.

He has since been released from the hospital and is being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.


One Of Two Men Shot After Forcing Way Into Area Home, Beat Residents

One of two men was shot after the duo allegedly forced their way into a home to confront the resident about a previous altercation.

Andre Fogo, age 32, and Rachain Wilson, age 28, both from the village of Monticello, were arrested on Friday, April 2, after New York State Police responded to a report of a shooting in Monticello, said Trooper Steven Nevel.

When troopers arrived on the scene they found that the victim, later identified as Wilson, had been driven to Garnet Health Medical Center in Catskill, for treatment of the gunshot wound, Nevel said.

Troopers located the vehicle as it arrived at Garnet Health Medical Center Catskill. An investigation revealed that both Fogo and Wilson forced their way into an apartment to confront the resident about a previous altercation, Nevel said.

Fogo and Wilson began beating the resident of the apartment. Another individual in the apartment fired his weapon and struck Wilson, he added.

Fogo and Wilson then fled the area. The individual who fired the weapon is a licensed gun owner and provided the state police with all proper documents.

Wilson was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.

State police took custody of Andre Fogo and Rachain Wilson and charged both with burglary and remanded them to Sullivan County Jail in lieu of bail.

The New York State Police were assisted by the Village of Monticello Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sullivan County District Attorney Office.

This is an ongoing investigation.

Abusers and oppressors will rejoice the death of the Second Amendment

As a group of House Democrats pushed the presidential action on gun control, a group of House Democrats are pushing the Senate to vote on House-passed gun control bills. In either case, the result would be dangerous and make Americans more vulnerable. When the right to keep and bear arms is suppressed by a government, the doors to oppression and abuse are opened. I know, because I’ve seen it.

Hardwired, the global human rights organization I founded, fights against the oppression of religious communities of all faiths in countries around the world. Among these countries is Nigeria, where Fulani herdsmen have been waging a war against Christian farmers for the past decade, but in recent years it’s grown much worse. The Fulani herdsmen are attacking farmland throughout the region to force Christian farmers out of the area and take over their land. The attacks typically increase in the spring and are carried out with AK-47s and machetes.

In Nigeria, the law does not permit citizens to own firearms. As a result, the Christian farmers are sitting ducks. They have no recourse.

Not only will their government not protect them, their government is preventing them from protecting themselves. Herdsmen attack entire villages, burning churches, killing pastors and worshipperskidnapping and forcibly converting young children and destroying homes, business and crops.

And the Nigerian government is not only silent, it is complicit. The illegal sale of weapons in Nigeria is a global concern but it ignores the real issue. The government is not only to be condemned for their silence about attacks on Christians, but also for their apparent complicity in leaving the Christians defenseless.

As a result, the conflict in Nigeria’s Middle belt states continues to worsen.

As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Continue reading “”

North Dakota: Stand Your Ground Legislation Joins Other Pro-Gun Legislation on Governor’s Desk

[Friday] the North Dakota House concurred on Stand Your Ground Legislation, House Bill 1498, sending the measure to the desk of Governor Doug Burgum for his signature. This measure now sits alongside House Bill 1450 which was approved yesterday. Please contact Governor Burgum and ask him to sign House Bill 1450 and House Bill 1498.

House Bill 1450 enhances North Dakota’s permit laws by reducing certain minor violations on its list of prohibiting factors for applicants. HB 1450 would allow more individuals to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense.

House Bill 1498 will strengthen North Dakotans’ fundamental right to self-defense anywhere they are legally allowed to be. Victims of violent crime who respond with defensive force while protecting themselves or their loved ones should not have to face the additional threat of criminal or civil prosecution. If enacted, law-abiding citizens would no longer be required to retreat before defending themselves.

 

This will leave North Dakota as the only state where only residents can carry concealed without a permit.


WYOMING TO ALLOW NONRESIDENTS TO CONCEAL CARRY WITHOUT A PERMIT STARTING JULY 1

CASPER, Wyo. — Starting July 1, both residents and nonresidents alike will be able to conceal carry in Wyoming without obtaining a special permit, provided they can legally possess a hand gun in the United States.

Governor Mark Gordon signed House Bill 116 into law on Tuesday which will give nonresidents the ability to conceal carry without a special permit once the new law goes into effect July 1, 2021.

Wyoming residents are already able to conceal carry without a permit if they are legally allowed to possess a firearm.

A few more states than those listed in the article have quite strong SYG laws.


Ohio’s new ‘Stand Your Ground’ self-defense law takes effect Tuesday. What you need to know:

CINCINNATI (FOX19) – Ohio’s new “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law takes effect Tuesday.

It removes the duty to retreat before using deadly force in public, not just inside their homes and vehicles.

A person must be in fear for their life or serious injury, have the legal right to be where they are and explain why it happened.

They cannot be the instigator.

In cases where there is evidence to suggest that a person used force in self-defense, the burden will now be on prosecutors to prove otherwise.

The new law does not otherwise change the circumstances in which deadly force can be used.

Several other states have adopted stand your ground laws including Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina and Florida.

Caddo County Homeowner Involved In Shootout With Home Invasion Suspects

LOOKEBA, Okla. –  Caddo County investigators said a homeowner opened fire on two suspects breaking into his home.

Deputies were called to a home on County Road 1140 in Lookeba on March 22 after the homeowner noticed two suspicious men circling his home.

“He called his brother-in-law which lived down the road from him and told him he might want to come down because he is fixin’ to get burglarized,” caid Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis.

Deputies said Tyler Cuccias, 22, and Scotty Runzel, 30, began kicking in the homeowner’s back door.

“When he (the suspects) entered the house, the homeowner fired a shot in his direction, didn’t hit anybody,” said Davis. “Then the suspect fired a shot back at the homeowner.”

The homeowner’s family member began chasing both suspects as they drove away. The suspects began firing shots through the sunroof as they did.

The suspects eventually crashed into a tree nearby and ran away on foot.

Calls were made to dispatch as citizens spotted the two suspects in a field.

Runzel gave himself up to law enforcement shortly after the crash, while Cuccias launched an hours long manhunt.

Cuccias eventually surrendered to police in a nearby field.

The sheriff hopes both suspects learned a valuable lesson.

“I would not advise breaking into anything in rural Oklahoma because they don’t mess around,” said Davis. “Somebody might end up getting hurt.”

Both suspects were found with meth on them and are already convicted felons.

Runzel and Cuccias were booked on complaints of possession of a controlled substance, first-degree burglary and shooting with intent to kill.

Straight Talk on Armed Defense: What the Experts Want You to Know

In Straight Talk on Armed Defense: What the Experts Want You to Know, Massad Ayoob and the nation’s leading experts on personal protection, self-defense and concealed carry deliver authoritative guidance from their areas of expertise and personal experience. In chapters by distinguished authors hand-picked by Massad Ayoob:
  • John Hearne takes us “inside the defender’s head” and reveals the most effective route to train and prepare for self-defense incidents.
  • Dr. Anthony Semone discusses post-shooting trauma and necessary steps to develop resilience and symptom reduction following a deadly force event.
  • Dr. Alexis Artwohl explains why understanding how the mind operates is critical to surviving an attack and the legal and emotional challenges that follow.
  • Dr. William Aprill describes “the face of the enemy” to help us understand violence and those who traffic in it.
  • Craig “Southnarc” Douglas details the conditions present during the typical criminal assault and how to incorporate those conditions into your training.
  • Massad Ayoob discusses power, responsibility and the armed lifestyle.
  • Tom Givens underscores the importance of finding relevant training, through case studies of his own students involved in armed encounters.
  • Spencer Blue,” active robbery/homicide detective, reveals patterns that emerged during his investigations and describes the differences in tactics of citizens who won versus those who lost.
  • Ron Borsch presents dozens of actual cases of armed and unarmed citizens single-handedly stopping mass murders in progress.
  • Harvey Hedden provides insight and advice to guide lawfully armed citizens in interactions with law enforcement.
  • Jim Fleming, Esq. describes the criminal trial process and how it plays out in a “righteous use of deadly force in self-defense” case.
  • Marty Hayes, JD, provides the critical questions that must be asked to choose a reliable post-self-defense incident support provider.
Get the straight talk on armed defense, from this unique compendium of the world’s leading subject matter experts in lethal self-defense.

 

Mount Hope resident disarmed, fatally shot would-be robber during home invasion

SAN DIEGO —  A would-be robber was disarmed and fatally shot by a 62-year-old resident during a home invasion in the Mount Hope neighborhood of San Diego on Tuesday night, police said.

The incident unfolded around 9:10 p.m. at a house on 43rd Street between J and K streets, just north of the Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, when the resident came home to find two men waiting for him outside.

Police Lt. Matt Dobbs said one of the men pointed a gun at the resident and demanded property. The resident was then led into the home, where the men began rummaging for valuables.

Dobbs said the resident was able to disarm the gunman, then pointed the gun at him. The man reportedly charged the resident, who fired the gun several times.

The other intruder ran off, and the resident called 911.

Officers found the 39-year-old man who was shot inside the home. They started CPR on him before medics arrived and took him to a hospital, where he died. His name was not released.

Investigators do not believe the resident knew the attackers, Dobbs said.

He said the resident was cooperating with investigators and was not considered a suspect in a crime. “The case is being investigated as a home-invasion robbery that resulted in a fatal shooting,” Dobbs said in a statement.

Asked if investigators believe the resident acted in self defense, Dobbs said the District Attorney’s Office will evaluate the situation. “We do the investigation and present the facts to the DA who will opine on whether a valid self defense claim exists,” he said in an email.


Use of deadly force in Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – There are currently no charges filed against a woman who police say shot and killed an ex-boyfriend who was trying to get into her apartment Wednesday afternoon in Central Lubbock.

There is an indication there will not be any charges against her.

Police say 26-year-old Selena Carrion was punched in the face before her ex left her apartment and came back. The boyfriend, 26-year-old Leroy Hammond-Williams, is said to have kicked in the door and grabbed her as she ran upstairs.

That is when, police say, Carrion shot and killed him.

”This case is almost textbook self-defense,” Mark Snodgrass, Lubbock attorney who has practiced for around 25 years, said.

Legally, Carrion had every right to defend herself in this situation, he said. That is because in Texas, people are presumed innocent in their use of force if someone is unlawfully trying to enter their home.

But it has to be reasonable. That means someone, without a doubt, though they were in immediate danger.

Are victim supposed to ask the age of those robbing them before defending themselves?


Victim in attempted carjacking shoots 14-year-old suspect

A Lyft driver who fell victim to an attempted carjacking shot the 14-year-old suspect, Philadelphia police say.

Neighbors on a quiet East Oak Lane block were still on edge Monday after gunfire had them scrambling from their beds this weekend.

Police say two teens, ages 14 and 15, called for a Lyft ride on the 6600 block of North 7th Street, and when the driver arrived things quickly turned violent. According to police, the two attempted to take the 50-year-old driver’s car.

One of the two teens pulled a gun and threatened the Lyft driver, but he had a license to carry and pulled out his own weapon, according to investigators.

Police say the driver shot the 14-year-old suspect in the leg. The 15-year-old stayed at the scene as police arrived. Investigators recovered the gun the teens used and it turned out to be a BB gun.

The Lyft driver was not injured during the incident.

It comes just a week after surveillance cameras captured a carjacking of a 52-year-old driver in Northeast Philly.

Police tracked down the carjackers to West Philly where a 17-year-old was arrested.

 

Expanded ‘Stand Your Ground’ law taking effect April 6 places burden on state to disprove self-defense
Law could apply retroactively to open cases

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s expanded “Stand Your Ground” law goes into effect on April 6.

“We used to hear that it was the castle doctrine. So, it just had to be from your home and then your car. Now there is no limit,” said Cleveland criminal defense attorney Ian Friedman. “It can be anywhere where you may be approached, anywhere where you may feel that fear that you or someone else is facing great bodily harm or death.”

Originally, Gov. Mike DeWine threatened to veto the bill before the end of the previous legislative session.

Despite signing the bill into law, DeWine chastised the Republican-led legislature for parts of the new gun law saying, “the legislature did not include in this bill the essential provisions that I proposed to make it harder for dangerous criminals to illegally possess and use guns.”

Ultimately, the governor said he signed the bill because “I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation.”

The new law not only expands where the castle doctrine applies, it also changes the way Stand Your Ground cases are handled in court. Previously, the defense had to prove someone was acting in self-defense. Now, it’s up to the state to prove that it wasn’t.

Continue reading “”

Off-duty Chicago police officer shoots man breaking into his home in Albany Park

An off-duty Chicago police officer shot someone breaking into their home in Portage Park in the second police shooting early Wednesday on the Northwest Side.

The officer shot the man in his face about 12:55 a.m. as the man broke into the officer’s home in the 3100 block of Belle Plaine Avenue, Chicago police said.

The man was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, police said. No other injuries were reported.

Area Five detectives and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability were investigating.

Resident Shoots Man Crawling Through A Window Of A San Antonio Home

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A man has been shot to death as he tried to climb through a window of a home on the East Side.

Police were called to the home on Shelburn Drive at around 10 P.M. Sunday.

The man was shot several times as he tried to get in through a window in the back of the home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.  Whether or not the deceased and the shooter knew each other hasn’t been determined.

The shooter was brought in for questioning and is said to be fully cooperative with police.

No charges have been filed.

Intruder shot trying to break into Daytona Beach motel room

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Deputies are searching for a man and woman who they said tried to break into a room at a popular motel in Daytona Beach. One of the suspected intruders, the man, was shot.

It happened at the Motel 6 on International Speedway Blvd. around 3 a.m. Saturday morning.

They said the people in the room shot at the intruders, hitting one of them.

“The pair attempted to enter the room via a window, awakening an occupant who fired a gun at them, injuring the male,” the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said

The pair then ran from the motel toward Tomoka Farms Road. Deputies are now searching for them. Detectives are asking the public to be on the lookout for the two suspects.


Homeowner shoots man trying to enter his house in Ohio Co.

OHIO CO., Ky. (WFIE) – A man was taken to the hospital after being shot early Saturday morning in Ohio County.

Authorities say they responded to the 3200 block of Livermore Road in Hartford for an unknown person attempting to unlawfully enter a residence just after 4 a.m.

According to authorities, Joe Snooks, of Paducah, was trying to get inside the residence when the homeowner fired one round from his handgun and shot Snooks in the right knee to protect himself and his family.

We are told Snooks appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicating substance.

Authorities tell 14 News Snooks was taken to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Off-Duty Pentagon Officer Shoots Teen Who Tried to Rob Him

A teenager was shot as he allegedly tried to rob a man who turned out to be an off-duty Pentagon police officer, according to D.C. police.

A 16-year-old boy armed with a BB gun attempted to rob the officer in the 1200 block of Mississippi Ave SE near Oxon Run Park about 9:20 p.m., police said. The officer tried to disarm the teen, then fired their service weapon.

The teen was hit in the arm and taken into custody. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The off-duty officer works for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.

The teen was charged with assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.

On my way to my first duty station at Fort Lewis, the first time I saw the name of the town on the interstate highway sign, I knew I was in for it. Was it pronounced ‘Pie-A- Lup’? Pie-A-Loop? My mind boggled when I learned it sounded something close to Phwallop.


19-year-old Puyallup resident shoots two of three armed intruders

Two men were shot by a tenant in a Puyallup apartment complex after three armed intruders entered the residence intending to “commit a burglary or home invasion robbery,” Puyallup police said Wednesday.

Investigators believe that the two men who were shot, along with a third, were armed when they entered a Riverside Park Apartments unit around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, Puyallup police said.

Once inside the residence in the 3100 block of East Main Avenue, the three men were confronted by an armed 19-year-old who fired multiple rounds at the intruders, police said.

“Officers arrived to find a very chaotic scene with two individuals having been shot and multiple reports of individuals and vehicles fleeing the area. The two individuals who had been shot, both of whom were males in their early 20s, were located some distance from each other,” police said on Twitter.

The two shooting victims were taken to a trauma hospital in serious condition, police said. The third suspect is being sought.

Police said investigators do not believe the incident is random or that there is a threat to public safety.

Puyallup police said the tenant’s self-defense claim will be evaluated to ensure it is within state law once criminal charges are filed against the armed intruders. Police said the 19-year-old is cooperating in the investigation.

Suspect shot by Granger homeowner following police chase

GRANGER, Ind. (WNDU) – UPDATE: A police chase that started in Goshen ends with the driver shot by a homeowner in Granger.

Investigators say the driver ditched his car in the area of bittersweet and Cleveland and took off on foot into the 11000 block of Anderson Road.

Sometime after, police say a homeowner found the suspect in an outbuilding and fired one shot at the suspect.

That’s when a short time later, St. Joseph County Police arrived on scene.

The suspect was shot once and taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover, according to investigators.

Officers at the incident scene did not discharge their weapons.

Due to the involvement of the multi-agency pursuit and injury to this individual, per protocol, the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit was activated and is currently handling the investigation.


Suspected burglar killed after attempted invasion of West Side apartment

Columbus [Ohio] police said a resident shot and killed a suspected burglar early Sunday morning when the man entered an apartment on the West Side.

Police were called at 1:58 a.m. to an apartment on the 3400 block of Wilson Woods Drive near Wilson Road on a report of a shooting. The suspected burglar, identified as 36-year-old Allen Lester McKinney, was found outside on a walkway unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound.

A medic pronounced the North Side man dead at 2:07 a.m. at the scene.

The apartment’s residents — a 24-year-old female and a 23-year-old male — told police that the man had forced entry into their residence before one of them shot him.

Columbus police say McKinney’s death is the 42nd homicide in the city this year.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting and will refer their findings to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office, which may present the case to a grand jury.

Denver homeowner shoots and kills intruder

A Denver homeowner shot and killed an intruder Saturday, according to Denver police.

The shooting happened in the 2200 block of Lafayette Street at about 9:15 p.m., a police spokesman said.

“This incident is being investigated as a homicide in which an adult male intruder was shot by the homeowner,” police tweeted Sunday.

Police spokesman Tyrone Campbell could not say Sunday why the man was considered an “intruder” or whether he was inside or outside the house when he was shot. He could not provide any additional details on the circumstances of the shooting.

The Denver District Attorney’s office will determine whether criminal charges are warranted, police said. The man who was shot and killed has not been publicly identified


One arrested, one shot by resident after reportedly breaking into Union County home

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – One person was shot after he reportedly broke into a home in Union County early Sunday morning, according to deputies.

Deputies say two people, one armed with a handgun, broke into an occupied home around 12:45 a.m. on Rock Hill Church Road.

Once they got into the home, the resident of the home grabbed a rifle and fired several shots at the home intruders, according to officers.

Deputies say one of the men went to Novant Matthews suffering from a gunshot wound in the thigh area.

the second suspect who broke into the home was identified as 29-year-old Aaron Elijah Ross, from Charlotte.

Ross was arrested and taken to Union County Jail on a charge of first-degree burglary.

The other suspect remains hospitalized but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. After he is released from the hospital, he will face similar charges as Ross, deputies say.

Armored truck crew shoots robbery suspect at North Austin bank

An armored truck crew shot a gunman who tried to rob them Friday morning at a bank in the North Austin neighborhood.

An armed passenger of an SUV stepped out and demanded money from a guard as he unloaded an ATM, according to a statement from Chicago police.

The security guard, who worked on the truck, took out his own gun and fired shots, striking the person in the “center of his torso area,” police said.

The robbery happened about 8:40 a.m. at a BMO Harris Bank branch at 4959 W. North Ave., police and the FBI said.

The wounded male drove off in the dark-colored SUV and was not in custody, police said. He was last seen going west on North Avenue.

The FBI responded to the incident, according to an FBI spokesperson.

Police initially said there was an exchange of gunfire, but later clarified that only the security guard had fired shots. No other injuries were reported.