NW Austin homeowner fatally shoots intruder in self-defense

Police say a man was shot and killed after breaking into a northwest Austin home last month.

It happened Saturday, Oct. 21, in the 10500 block of Foundation Road, in a neighborhood just off FM 620.

The Austin Police Department says officers responded to the home at around 11:43 p.m. for a shooting call.

The caller reportedly stated that he had shot 55-year-old Ricardo Cortez, who had broken into his home. Upon arrival, officers found Cortez with a gunshot wound. He died shortly after the incident.

Initial findings by APD’s homicide detectives suggest Cortez broke into the house and then entered the homeowner’s bedroom, prompting him to shoot in self-defense, police said.

Bystander Shoots Someone’s Attacker 5 Times

In North Carolina, a female bystander who was armed came to the victim’s aid after an attacker shot him in the face.

Police in Shelby, North Carolina, said on November 6th that 33-year-old Unterio M. Jolly got into an argument with another man on the street.

The two guys eventually went in different directions, but according to Capt. Seth Treadway, Jolly found the other man and confronted him with a handgun about half an hour later.

Jolly allegedly then shot the man he had been arguing with in the face. A woman with a concealed carry permit stepped in to help him and shot his attacker five times.

“Then they kind of go their separate ways, and about half an hour after, Unterio shows up with a gun and shoots (the man) in the face and the shoulder,” Capt. Seth Treadway said. “Right after he does that… a concerned citizen shoots back, trying to protect (the man) and hits Jolly about five times. She shoots him five times.”

The attacker suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and Jolly’s gunshot wound left him in critical condition.

Jolly is being charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault.

The Shelby police said, “We will consult with the District Attorney’s Office later in the day to see if those charges need to stay the same,” and continued, “I do not expect any charges on the person that returned fire.”

Girlfriend fatally shoots ex-boyfriend as he broke into her house in Issaquah

Investigators say a man was breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s house Friday morning when she shot and killed him.

The shooting happened at 10:25 a.m. at an apartment complex near 2900 NW Steelrake Place in Issaquah.

According to Issaquah police, the woman shot the man once, killing him, after he allegedly broke into her home.

“I’m devastated that this kind of violence could happen right here. From now on, I will be walking the neighborhood with a gun,” neighbor Trina Freatman told KOMO News.

Chief Paula Schwan said the shooter called 911 immediately to report what happened and has been ‘totally cooperative’ with investigators.

Man shot to death outside Huffman church after making vague threats, officials say

HUFFMAN, Texas — A person was shot to death outside a church in Huffman after making vague threats, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened at Lake Houston Methodist Church on FM 2100 near where it meets FM 1960 around 9:15 a.m.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the shooting happened in the back side of the church’s parking lot and that the shooter, who officials said is a Texas EquuSearch member, was detained and cooperating with investigators.

There were between 50 to 70 members at the church at the time, according to the sheriff. Investigators were working to gather witness statements but no one else was injured.

What happened

Around 9:15 a.m., Gonzalez said the sheriff’s office received a call for service about a man who approached a church member in its parking lot claiming his mother used to go there. The man reportedly made vague threats, claiming “today was the day.”

A deputy showed up after the first 911 call, but the person reportedly making the threats had already left.

A short time later, officials said a church member called a Texas EquuSearch member to help with the situation. When the EquuSearch member showed up, the man who had reportedly been making the threats had returned and was driving around the church parking lot.

Gonzalez said the EquuSearch member parked about 20 yards away from the man and at some point, the man started running towards the EquuSearch member, who fired a rifle at him. The man was shot twice and pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said the man who charged the shooter appeared to have a “vape” in his hand.

Tim Miller, Texas EquuSearch founder, said the shooter was a longtime member of his team. He said the shooter was cooperating with investigators.

Armed Texas store owner defends self in shootout with would-be robbers

An armed store owner in Texas fought back against a pair of attempted robbers, trading fire with the suspects in a shootout captured on security footage.

Two armed suspects entered a Cash for Gold shop in the 1100 block of N Town East Blvd in Mesquite just before 7 p.m. on Thursday, the Mesquite Police Department said.

Security footage from inside the store shows the owner in the back of the store when the two suspects in hooded sweatshirts enter and draw their weapons. One suspect is seen pointing a gun at the owner.

The owner, however, surprises the suspects by pulling out his own gun and trading fire with the pair, who quickly flee the store.

suspects entering store

Two suspects wearing hooded sweatshirts are wanted in connection with the attempted robbery.

“It’s a quick 3 seconds. No time to think, it’s all reaction,” the owner, who wished to only be identified by his first name, Tien, told FOX4 Dallas-Fort Worth.

store owner draws weapon

The store owner drew his own weapon after the suspects held him at gunpoint.

Police said the victim fired three rounds in self-defense while the suspects also fired back before fleeing.

suspect pointing gun

The suspects and store owner traded fire during the encounter. Police said no one was struck or injured.

“Everything was slow motion to me,” Tien said. “I saw the mask, I saw the hoodie, I saw the gun come out.”

No one was injured during the attempted robbery, according to the department.

No arrests were immediately made and police are working to identify the suspects.

Tien told the station that this was the third time someone’s tried to rob his business in the last five years.

“I think the cash business, the gold business, seems to be an easy target for them, or so they think, but it’s not,” he said.

I think it wouldn’t take an actual Police Investigator™ to have deduced that

Investigators say a homeowner shot an intruder in Reeds Spring, Mo.

REEDS SPRING, Mo. (KY3) – Investigators say a home intruder died after the homeowner shot him in Stone County.

The incident happened Saturday night in Reeds Spring. Investigators say the homeowner shot the intruder when he was violently attacked.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division took over the investigation.

Hence the alteration of Massachusetts into a less flattering version

18-Year-Old Massachusetts Man Arrested on Gun Charges After Shooting Knife-Wielding Attacker

A teen from Brockton, Massachusetts is facing numerous charges and is being held behind bars without bail after shooting a man who was armed with a knife at the teen’s place of business.

Khamani K. Anderson has been charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, but so far hasn’t been charged with any violent offense in connection with the shooting. Meanwhile, the man Anderson is accused of shooting is facing a number of charges of his own, the most serious of which is a count of assault with a deadly weapon.

According to police reports filed in court, [26-year-old Brandon] Theodat, a regular customer who some people had suspected of shoplifting in the past, entered the business on Campanelli Industrial Drive around 11:35 a.m. Sunday.

One store employee told police she overheard an argument between Anderson and Theodat, and that Theodat at one point said words to the effect of, “cam called me a broke [expletive],” court papers said.

An assistant manager told police he overheard the argument at Anderson’s register and told Anderson to walk away as it started to escalate, and as he was informed that Theodat had a knife.

The assistant manager told police Anderson headed to the break room but Theodat followed and refused the manager’s request that he leave the store, records show.

Anderson emerged from the break room with a fanny pack slung around his shoulder, the assistant manager told police, and the manager said he observed Theodat holding a knife as the argument continued by an electronics aisle, according to legal filings.

The assistant manager “stated both ended up to the east of the front door when the customer was approaching Khamani and he heard a gunshot,” the filings said, adding that the assistant manager “showed us where he observed Khamani Anderson when the shot went off, and pointed us towards a bra rack, which is where the shell casing was located.”

Legal filings said the assistant manager didn’t see a gun but did see Theodat “grab his right leg and start limping out of the store.” Anderson left the area.

Police found Theodat still in possession of the knife when they arrived on scene, while Anderson turned himself over to authorities “without incident” on Monday.

In most states, Anderson wouldn’t be facing charges at all (at least for possessing a firearm or ammunition without a license), but thanks to Massachusetts’ incredibly restrictive gun control laws the 18-year-old is looking at a mandatory minimum sentence of 18 months behind bars if he’s convicted of the non-violent, possessory offense. Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, meanwhile, could lead to a fine and several months of jail time, though there is an exception for “the lawful defense of life and property,” which may very well be the case here.

It’s impossible for Anderson to have legally possessed any gun, for self-defense or any other lawful purpose, since Massachusetts requires applicants for a license to carry (which also serves as a license to possess) to be at least 21-years-old. There are several cases percolating around the federal court system challenging gun bans for under-21s, including Reese v. ATF in the Fifth Circuit, which heard oral arguments on the issue on Monday.

I’ll be curious to see if Anderson or his attorney raise a Second Amendment claim at any point in his criminal proceedings (presuming he fights the charges). If the only barrier to Anderson lawfully exercising his right to keep and bear arms is the fact that the state says he’s too young to do so, he has a very good argument that Massachusetts is infringing on his fundamental right to armed self-defense.

Domestic violence suspect shot after barging into Fresno home. Police say he crashed a car, ran

A fight between a motorist and his occupant that may have led to a vehicle crash ended Sunday with the driver being shot by a Fresno homeowner after he allegedly made his way into the home while trying to flee.

The incident unfolded at 1:45 p.m. at North Island Waterpark Drive, near West Shaw Avenue.

Fresno Police Lt. Skye Leibee said officers assisted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in a domestic violence incident while the vehicle was being driven. The sheriff’s helicopter was overhead and was able to view the vehicle traveling southbound on Island Waterpark Drive.

Deputies attempted to catch up to the vehicle to investigate the complaint of domestic violence.

No pursuit took place, Leibee said, but deputies saw a cloud of dust in the area and noticed a crash.

Deputies saw the vehicle disabled in the middle of the roadway after it struck with a parked vehicle. Deputies saw the alleged suspect, described as a man in his 50s, fleeing into a nearby home. There, he began fighting with the home’s occupants.

One of the residents pulled out a gun and fired on the suspect at least once.

Leibee said the suspect was taken to a hospital with an injury not considered life-threatening.

Officers tracked down the original victim of the domestic violence complaint and interviewed her.

Officers had set up a perimeter in the neighborhood after the wounded suspect refused to surrender.

He was later taken into custody without incident, Leibee said. Leibee said the suspect is expected to face several charges.

The two occupants of the home where the suspect entered were not injured.

For all the strict gun control laws there, California actually has some of the better use of force in self defense laws and case law.

Mid-City homeowner fires on would-be robbers

Mid-City homeowner said he thought he was going to die after a group of suspects pulled guns on him as he approached his home over the weekend– and the attempted robbery was captured on his home surveillance cameras.

The terrifying incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. The homeowner is seen on camera walking up to his house, drink in hand, taking his keys out of his pocket.

Then, a person dressed in all-black clothing is seen rushing up to him from behind. The homeowner told FOX 11 that he was wearing earbuds at the time “which I never should have done, and I just felt someone run up behind me. Put a gun to me.”

The video shows it all happened within seconds. The homeowner threw his drink at the suspect, who ran off. The homeowner was seen on camera then pulling a gun out of his waistband and opening fire. He said he has a concealed carry permit.

Another camera angle showed there were actually two alleged perpetrators. They jumped the home’s front yard fence as the homeowner was walking from his car to his front door. The shots scared them both off.

The homeowner told FOX 11 that he wasn’t sure if he hit either of them.

The Los Angeles Police Department said the department was investigating the attempted robbery.

The homeowner said he hopes something like what happened to him Saturday doesn’t happen again.

“If anybody else ever tries to come, they’re going to die for trying to come in this house,” he said. “There was one shot to get in, and that was it.”

Would-be robber shot, killed inside Frankford pizza shop, other suspect at large

An armed man trying to rob a pizza shop was shot and killed in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, police said.

The incident happened as two men armed with guns entered George’s Pizza on the 5300 block of Oxford Avenue around 8 p.m. on Saturday night when shots were fired, according to police.

One of the attempted robbers was shot multiple times and killed just before 8:30 p.m., police said. The other suspect fled the scene on foot.

Police recovered two guns from the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Maintenance man, gunman shot after victim fights back during attempted robbery in Waukegan

A maintenance man was shot during an attempted robbery and fought back against the gunman, resulting in the suspect being shot with his own gun, in Waukegan Tuesday.

The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 10:45 a.m. Tuesday to Beechwood at the Preserve Apartments in the 3000 block of 8th Street for a report of a shooting.

Officers arrived and learned two people had sustained gunshot wounds.

A 17-year-old boy was found in an apartment with a gunshot wound to his thigh, according to a police report.

An officer applied a tourniquet to the boy’s leg before paramedics arrived.

The second person, a 20-year-old man working maintenance for the apartment building, was found with a gunshot wound to his thigh, the report said.

He was found on the ground by a dumpster behind the apartment building.

An officer provided first aid to the victim before paramedics arrived.

The 20-year-old man told officers that the 17-year-old boy attempted to rob him with a pistol and he fought back, the report said.

The maintenance man was able to gain control of the gun and shot the suspect.

The report said a witness also told investigators the 17-year-old boy was trying to rob the 20-year-old man and the two struggled over the weapon, resulting in the shooting.

Paramedics transported both male subjects to the hospital for treatment.

Officers recovered a gun from the area where the incident occurred and ammunition.

A second gun was recovered from the apartment where the suspect resides.

The incident remains under investigation by the Waukegan Police Department.

FLPD investigating home invasion; 1 suspect shot, 1 still at large

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – Fort Lauderdale Police are investigating following reports that multiple suspects forcibly entered a home and physically assaulted a man inside.

According to authorities, the incident occurred just before 12:30 p.m. at the Progreso Point Apartments, located at 619 North Andrews Avenue.

Police said once the unknown suspects entered the home, in an act of self-defense, the victim managed to retrieve a firearm and shoot one of the intruders.

Before the police could arrive at the scene, the suspects fled the area in an unknown vehicle. The victim sustained serious injuries during the attack and was transported to Broward Health Medical Center.

Shortly after, the injured suspect, along with another suspect, arrived at BHMC for medical treatment, with the latter driving the vehicle.

FLPD officers on-site took both suspects into custody. The injured suspect is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries.

However, one suspect remains at large, and police are actively working to locate and apprehend them.

Police said the incident was isolated and not related to an active shooter situation at any point.

One Dead After Pre-Teens Allegedly Attempted To Carjack Off-Duty Cop Waiting For Shift In DC

A 12-year-old child was arrested and charged in connection with an attempted carjacking that led to the death of a 13-year-old boy.

The incident took place around 10 p.m. last Saturday in the 600 block of D Street, NW, according to the news release by Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C. The young perpetrators, aged 12 and 13, came face to face with an off-duty federal security officer, per Fox News. As the unsuspecting security officer awaited the start of his shift from his vehicle, the pair approached him with alleged ill intentions.

 

The duo demanded that he exit his car. The situation escalated immediately, as one of the assailants placed his hand within his front waistband pocket, simulating the presence of a firearm. Fearing for his safety, the security officer decided to step out of his vehicle.

The officer then drew his weapon to defend himself. The shots that followed wounded the 13-year-old Vernard Toney, Jr. was critically injured. The teen was rushed to a nearby hospital, but despite all efforts, he died, the outlet further added.

The other suspect fled from the scene. However, law enforcement officers caught him with the help of security cameras. Surveillance footage was released by the police department, which played a pivotal part in tracking down the 12-year-old suspect. The alleged pre-teen carjacker was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday.

Coffee County homeowner shoots lone intruder, suspect in custody

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a home invasion in the Beechgrove area Monday morning.

The sheriff’s office said the lone intruder was shot by the homeowner during the home invasion, and the suspect is in custody. Initially, the CCSO said it was possible there were other suspects but have since clarified the one suspect is responsible for the home invasion.

The intruder remains at a local hospital. At last check, he was about to go into surgery.

The CCSO warned residents to be cautious Monday morning. The investigation remains ongoing.

Philly store worker shoots, kills robber stuffing pockets with cash,

A worker in a corner store shot and killed an armed robber late Wednesday night, Philadelphia police said.

The robber had cash stuffed in one of his pockets when police officers arrived to the Happy Day Food Market at South 58th Street and Whitby Avenue in the Kingsessing neighborhood just after 10:30 p.m., Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

The man — believed to be in his late 20s — was found on the floor behind the counter bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and torso, Small said.

Medics pronounced the man dead on the scene minutes later.

The man had entered the store partially masked and holding a gun.

“He pointed it at one of the employees, then went behind the counter and point-of-gun started taking money from the cash register,” Small said.

“That’s when the store employee who was also behind the counter pulled his weapon and fired several shots.”

You could “clearly see that at least one of the 28-year-old’s pockets is stuffed with money,” Small said. Investigators believe that cash and other money seen on the ground was stolen from the cash register by the gunshot victim.

“Preliminary information it appears to be self-defense,” since the robber was armed with a gun, Small said.

Investigators recovered the guns of both the dead robber and store worker, Small said.

The store worker remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. Others also cooperated with the investigation.

Police looked over interior store surveillance cameras to corroborate witness testimonies, investigators said.

The store had been robbed in the past, Small said.

Livermore gun store owner fatally shoots suspect during attempted robbery

LIVERMORE, Calif. – A Livermore gun shop owner fatally shot a suspect armed with a hammer during an attempted robbery, police said.

The incident happened at East Bay Firearms, located at 4049 First Street, on Sunday around 2:30 p.m, according to the Livermore Police Department.

Alameda store clerk arrested in deadly shooting of alleged thief
The suspect, wearing a mask, gloves, and a hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head, entered the store acting suspiciously, said police.

Witnesses reported that the suspect, armed with a hammer, attempted to take a firearm. In response, the gun store owner fired two rounds, killing the man.

Authorities have identified the suspect as a 28-year-old man from Redwood City, but have not released his name.

The gun store owner is cooperating with the investigation, and police do not consider him a suspect, as it appears he acted in self-defense, officials said.

At the time of the attempted robbery, there were five customers inside the store. None of them was injured.

 

Armed man scares off North Carolina supermarket shooter

A gunman was chased away by an armed bystander after he opened fire outside a supermarket in North Carolina, police said.

Mirza Zukanovic, 35, is accused of shooting at two people Saturday night following a domestic dispute at the Lowes Foods parking lot in Wake Forest Crossing, WRAL News reports.

As Zukanovic fired at the duo, a bystander who has a license to carry a weapon drew his own pistol and fired at the gunman.

Zukanovic then fled, but was impaired while driving and crashed his car just minutes later along nearby Stadium Drive.

Zukanovic was taken into custody without further incident and charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm in the city limits, driving while impaired, no operator’s license, failure to wear a seatbelt and failure to maintain lane control.

No one was injured in the shootout, and no property was reported damaged, Wake Forest police said.

Zukanovic was booked at the Wake County Detention Center and is being held without bail.

A representative for Zukanovic was not immediately available for comment.

Mirza Zukanovic, 35, is accused of shooting at two people at a Lowes Foods parking lot.
Mirza Zukanovic, 35, is accused of shooting at two people at a Lowes Foods parking lot.
Wake Forest Police Department
The shooting at the supermarket was caused by a domestic dispute between Zukanovic and two others.
Although rare, armed bystanders have been credited with taking down dangerous armed criminals in the past.

Last month, a customer at the Zaxby’s restaurant in Alpharetta, Georgia, shot a 57-year-old gunman attempting to rob the establishment.

The local hero, who was not publicly identified, shot the would-be robber in the leg, twice, leading the suspect to flee into the woods, where he was arrested by police.

Concealed Carry Holder Attacked by Pro-Palestinian Protestors Won’t Face Charges For Firing Shot

A rally to support Israel in Skokie, Illinois over the weekend turned chaotic and violent when about 200 pro-Palestinian protestors showed up outside the banquet hall where the rally was taking place.

Though police were on hand to keep the two sides apart, at one point a smaller group of protestors broke away from the crowd, with one of them apparently yanking an Israeli flag off of a motorist’s car. When the man got out of the car to get his flag back, he was quickly surrounded by the mob, and ended up firing a shot into the air to get them to back away.

The man was quickly taken into custody by Lincolnwood police, but was released on Monday after Cook County prosecutors determined the man was acting in self-defense.

The 39-year-old man, who prosecutors declined to name, was released from police custody. In a statement issued Monday, prosecutors said the man, a Firearm Owner Identification Card and Concealed Carry License holder, had “no criminal history.”

“After reviewing the evidence, which includes surveillance video and witness statements, we have determined the individual … acted in self-defense upon being surrounded by a crowd and attacked by some of those individuals,” according to the statement.…

Hatem Abuddayeh, the national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, said the state’s attorney’s office was “absolutely wrong” in releasing the man, who he said “endangered hundreds.”

He blamed America’s political leaders, specifically President Joe Biden and some elected officials in Illinois who have voiced support for Israel, for stoking the attacks.

“Our leaders are responsible for the attacks,” Abuddayeh said. “The state’s attorney’s office has a responsibility of keeping people safe … These are the things that put us in danger.”

C’mon now. First of all, this wasn’t an attack, at least not on the part of the concealed carry holder. He was defending himself against an attack from an angry mob, and honestly showed remarkable restraint (if not the smartest gun handling) by firing a warning shot into the air rather than taking aim at any of the individuals who were attacking him.

The pro-Palestinian protesters had a First Amendment right to be there, but no one had the right to take his property off his car, and they certainly didn’t have the right to attack him when he tried to get his flag back.

“I don’t think [pro-Palestinian protesters] are gonna be dissuaded from wanting to do more and being public in their support for their people and their demands of our government,” Abuddayeh said. “But it’s a message to our community that the people in charge don’t care that we’re being attacked.”

Alison Pure-Slovin, the Midwest regional director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which organized the Israeli solidarity event, said prosecutors likely decided not to press charges because the man “didn’t feel safe.”

“He was afraid because he was accosted by other people,” Pure-Slovin said. “The United States of America guarantees free speech. You should not be accosted because of your beliefs.”

Pure-Slotkin is absolutely right, and it’s true for both sides. If the concealed carry holder had been driving by and decided to accost the people protesting the pro-Israel event by threatening them with a gun, he should and would have faced charges. But that’s not what happened here, and it sounds like Abuddayeh is grossly twisting the facts to suit his own cause.

Chicago Woman Fatally Shoots Knife-Wielding Man in Morgan Park

A woman fatally shot a knife-wielding man early Sunday in Morgan Park on the Far South Side.

The shooting happened around 12:45 a.m. when a 41-year-old man who the woman knew approached her with a knife inside her home in the 11500 block of South Vincennes Avenue, Chicago police said.

The woman then pulled out a gun and shot the man four times in his torso, police said.

He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The woman wasn’t injured and a handgun was recovered at the scene, officials said.

Area detectives were investigating.