NRA Wants ‘Homecoming,’ But 2A Advocates Need A Better Reason Why

The National Rifle Association is a shadow of its former self. The depredations of Wayne LaPierre have left a lasting scar on the organization and while it’s entirely possible for it to regain it’s former clout and even surpass that degree of influence, it has a lot of work to do before we get to that point.

The recent board elections took a few steps in that direction, with some reform-minded candidates winning elections and taking their seats to help guide the NRA forward.

But is that enough?

A piece by Doug Hamlin, the executive vice president and CEO of the NRA, suggests that he thinks it is.

This is why, in my short time now as your association’s executive vice president/CEO, the message I have been bringing to those who will report what we say honestly is that now is the time for an NRA homecoming.

The NRA is an extension of your family. That is how I feel when I attend an NRA event. I feel the love, the camaraderie, the shared ethos from like-minded citizens who know this freedom cannot be taken for granted.

I also feel the shared understanding that we know we are the good citizens. We are the exact opposite of the criminal elements in our society, though that is how President Joe Biden (D) and others who share his politics paint us.

So, yes, it is time for our former members to come home. It is time for the 22.3 million people who decided to become first-time gun owners since the 2020 election to join the NRA. The previous mistakes made by former leadership and the money-wasting endeavors you’ve read about are things of the past. We have top-notch accounting practices that are responsible and transparent.

As we head together toward the critical 2024 election, I am asking all of you to talk to your friends, family and more. We all need to reach out. We need to show people by example, as only NRA members can, who we are. Tell them about the need to gather within this civil-rights association to defend our American freedom. But also tell them about all the resources and benefits the NRA brings to members, such as:

Hamlin goes on to note the many things the NRA does that have nothing to do with lobbying, and these are all valid and vital.

But is that enough of a reason why anyone should rejoin the NRA, to answer Hamlin’s call for a homecoming?

The truth of the matter is that the NRA isn’t a family, church, or high school that people had deep ties to and still feel those ties. It’s an organization that many poured blood and treasure into working with, only to see them squander it and let someone enrich themselves at the members’ expense. They joined and volunteered, but still had to answer phone calls wanting more money, then saw it go toward fancy suits and expensive homes that did nothing to help our rights.

Yes, the NRA has taken some steps forward, but the case needs to be made that those sins of the past not only will not be replicated but cannot.

Oh, there’s no doubt the NRA does all kinds of good work. They did that under LaPierre’s tenure as well, though. Those programs aren’t controversial, at least among the gun rights supporters.

And if you’re calling for a homecoming, that’s who you need to talk to.

Hamlin talks about the mainstream media’s misrepresentation of what the NRA does, and yes they do, but we all know this. We don’t listen to the mainstream media. Not on stuff like this.

Until then, I don’t see people flocking back into the arms of the NRA despite whatever else the organization has going on.

There are too many other groups out there doing good work, particularly in regard to our Second Amendment rights that don’t have the baggage. Yeah, they might not have the extensive non-political programs the NRA has, but they also haven’t had their head honcho enrich themselves at the expense of those programs, so a lot will consider it a wash.

If Hamlin wants this homecoming, he and the rest at the helm of a sinking ship have to show they’re doing more than bailing water. They have to show they fixed the hole in the hull.

Secret Service Harris Campaign Urges Halt to Trump’s Outdoor Rallies After Assassination Attempt

The Secret Service has reportedly urged former President Donald Trump’s campaign to halt outdoor rallies and other events with large crowds after the attempt on his life.

After a gunman shot Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, officials discussed concerns about another attempt on the former president’s life with his campaign, according to The Washington Post.

The people familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.

For upcoming events, Trump’s team is scouting indoor venues, such as basketball arenas and other large spaces where thousands of people can fit, people familiar with the request said. The campaign is not currently planning any large outdoor events, a person close to Trump said.…

Trump has held hundreds of outdoor rallies since launching his first presidential bid, often bragging about — and sometimes falsely inflating — his large crowds. They have become something of a cult favorite among his most passionate fans, with tailgate parties in parking lots, vendors lining open areas near the rally and large parades of traffic, often with gargantuan pickup trucks.

They usually include large rosters of speakers before Trump takes the stage, with crowds sometimes enduring the heat or the cold for many hours. Interestingly, the crowd sometimes departs before Trump, who is regularly late, finishes speaking.

Sarah Matthews, a former Trump spokeswoman, told The Post:.

“We’ve seen from the early days of his presidency even, and before that during his first campaign in 2016, how important crowd size is to him. It gives him a lot of joy and energy being with large crowds. He feeds off their energy. It’s almost like a source of comfort for him,” said Matthews, who served as a deputy press secretary in the Trump White House.

Indoor rallies are more expensive, campaign advisers said. But one campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private plans said the indoor events are inherently safer because it is easier to control who comes through a finite number of doors, and there are fewer line-of-sight issues.

“Obviously with an indoor venue, you have a capacity,” she said. “It doesn’t pack the same punch. There’s something about being at one of those outdoor rallies.”

The agency finds Trump’s rallies challenging because of their large, complex outdoor venues. The former president’s large events require extensive security planning, with agents arriving early to prepare.

The authorities have been investigating the shooting and the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks. While they have unearthed some details surrounding the assassination attempt, they have still not discovered what drove Crooks to shoot the former president.

The shooting has placed the Secret Service under scrutiny for its failure to prevent Crooks from taking a shot at the former president despite warnings from rallygoers. Former Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down from her position after enduring a grilling from Republican and Democratic lawmakers during a recent hearing in which she failed to answer basic questions about the incident.

So That’s Why Chicago Dropped Its Lawsuit Against Glock

Earlier today we reported on the city of Chicago’s odd decision to quietly drop its joint lawsuit with Everytown Law against gunmaker Glock, which came with no fanfare or press releases… unlike the announcement of the lawsuit earlier this year.

Shortly after our story was published, the gun control outfit did issue a press release; this one touting its new and expanded lawsuit against the gun maker. I’m not going to give them the traffic by linking directly to the press release, but you can find it at Everytown Law’s website if you want to take a look. Here’s the most pertinent piece of their statement, however:

The City of Chicago, alongside Everytown Law and Motley Rice LLC, announced the expansion of the City’s first-of-its-kind lawsuit against Glock, the manufacturer of the most popular handguns in the United States. Three additional defendants were named in the complaint submitted yesterday in Cook County Circuit Court – Glock Ges.m.b.H, the Austrian Glock entity and part owner of the U.S. Glock subsidiary, and two Chicago-area gun stores on Glock’s roster of preferred dealers, Eagle Sports Range in Oak Forest, Illinois and Midwest Sporting Goods in Lyons, Illinois.

… The City seeks a court order requiring Defendants to cease sales and marketing of easily converted Glock pistols to Chicago civilians and an order requiring Eagle Sports Range to stop marketing Glocks modified with an auto sear at its location and online. The City also seeks penalties for these actions. The City first filed its lawsuit against Glock in March of this year, and Glock removed the case to federal district court. The City is now filing its expanded lawsuit after voluntarily dismissing the federal court action.

In their latest complaint, Chicago and Everytown Law claim that Eagle Sports Range is actually “marketing a Modified Glock to its customers”. Reading further, however, it sounds like the range is merely offering customers the opportunity to rent and shoot full-auto firearms on-site.

From the beginning, a major component of Eagle Sports Range’s business plan has been promoting its “full auto experience,” which allows customers to rent machine guns and fire them at its indoor range (a range which it has allowed convicted felons to use).

As part of its “full auto experience,” Eagle Sports Range markets the use of a Modified Glock at its range. Eagle Sports Range customers can thus “demo” a Modified Glock at the store’s range, purchase a semi-automatic Glock from the store’s inventory, and then easily and illegally modify their new Glock pistol at home with an auto sear purchased off the internet.

I doubt very much that Eagle Sports Range is offering an illegally modified Glock for use at its range, though if the company has a Type VII FFL it could legally modify a pistol to fire full-auto without running afoul of the law. But as even the city of Chicago reluctantly admits, it would be against the law for any customer to modify a Glock of their own to shoot full-auto. In fact, it’s a crime punishable under federal law by up to ten years in prison.

The only traces of Eagle Sports Range’s “full auto experience” that I’ve been able to find online are a YouTube video from 2017 that’s wracked up a grand total of less than 4,000 views in the seven years it’s been online, and a press release from that same year announcing that the range had a “Glock 18, a Short Barrel M4, AK47, or a 9MM Carbine” available to rent and use at the range itself. The Glock 18 isn’t a “modified Glock”, however. It’s produced as a full-auto pistol; one not available for sale to average consumers.

Chicago and their partners at Everytown Law are trying to stop city residents from being able to purchase some of the most common and popular handguns in the country, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re playing fast and loose with the facts.

I’m looking forward to seeing Glock’s response to the latest iteration of the litigation, as well as what Eagle Sports Range and Midwest Sporting Goods have to say about the legal attacks on their businesses, but keep in mind that this lawsuit could be just the first round of a broader strategy to ban semi-automatic handguns.

As we’ve previously reported, about a dozen blue-state AGs have sent what amounts to a pre-litigation demand letter to Glock, and the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention has reportedly been pressing the ATF to issue a rule classifying Glocks as machine guns as well. The Supreme Court may have nixed a handgun ban as a violation of the Second Amendment, but the gun control lobby is clearly searching for a way to enact a sweeping gun ban regardless of what the Court has to say about it.

Man fatally shot at Arlington Heights apartment, resident had order of protection

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) — A man died and two people are in custody after a shooting Sunday afternoon in the north suburbs.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The shooting happened at the Arbor Lakes Apartment Complex, in 4200 block of North Bloomington Avenue in Arlington Heights, police said.

Authorities said a resident called 911 just before 2 p.m. to report a man had been shot inside her apartment.

The self-admitted shooter and the resident met officers outside and were taken to a police station, authorities said.

Detectives said they’re focusing on a past relationship between the resident and the man killed as a possible contributing factor.

ABC7 was told there was an active order of protection in Cook County for the resident prohibiting the now-deceased man from contacting her.

No further information about the shooting was immediately available.

Police continue to investigate.

The Elephant in the Room: Female Secret Service Agents

It was clear today during the House Oversight Committee hearing on the Secret Service’s failure on July 13 that Director Kimberly Cheatle is either a shameless liar or completely incompetent—probably both. Her refusal to answer the most basic questions about the shooting, which nearly killed Donald Trump, has disqualified her for the job—full stop. She needs to be fired, along with other incompetent Secret Service bureaucrats in the agency.

Among other things, she revealed that she didn’t sign off on Trump’s protective plan that day. In fact, she doesn’t sign off on any of the plans. She also admitted that even though she’s deeply involved in the supposed investigation of her agency’s failures (wherein she is investigating herself), she hasn’t bothered to visit the shooting site.

One issue that repeatedly came up during the hearing was DEI hires in the agency and whether the female agents assigned to Trump were qualified for the job. Last year, Cheatle announced a goal of 30% female recruits, along with a whole host of diversity measures.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) called Cheatle a “DEI horror story.”

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) accused Republicans of racism and misogyny because that’s all she knows how to do.

Republicans have exploited this moment to continue to attack programs for racial justice and gender equity in America. Disappointing, but not surprising. I hesitate to repeat their racist and sexist tropes. But in summary, Republicans have wrongfully and shamefully stated that hiring women and people of color hindered the response to the shooting.

Now, this is part and parcel of Republican strategy to constantly attack necessary diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to undermine the contributions that women, people of color, the disability community, and others each and every day, and it is disgraceful in the wake of gun violence and tragic loss of life.

Asked about diversity hires at the agency, Cheatle replied that she’s focused on hiring the “best and brightest” and “best-qualified candidates.”

But is that true?

I wrote this on our liveblog the day of the shooting:

It’s time to have an adult conversation about the elephant in the room — women in the Secret Service. The question must be asked: Was Trump’s security detail compromised by diversity hires (women, gays, trans people, etc.)? In the case of women, it’s indisputable that men are stronger and faster than women. No one but the hopelessly deluded DEI enforcer believes otherwise. Someone going by the moniker @eyeslashoposted this chart on X today:


(click on image for a larger one)

It shows how the physical fitness standards are lower for female Secret Service trainees—in this case, pushups, with men’s scores on the left. For a man to be considered “Excellent” in the 20s age group, he must complete 55 pushups; for a woman, it’s only 40. Women can get away with only 26 pushups and still be considered “Good.” (Note: a man in his 20s should be able to do WAY more than 55 pushups.)

Eyeslasho added, “Shockingly, a total of only 6 points is required to pass the four-element test,” which includes pushups, sit-ups, chin-ups, and a 1.5 mile run. “And even if you don’t score 6 points, you can still be admitted upon further ‘review and recommendation.'”

“Overall, I’m not impressed by what is physically required of those who enter the Secret Service,” he concluded.

Neither am I.

We’ve all seen the pictures of a bloodied Trump surrounded by his protective detail. The men on the team were tall enough to place their heads between Trump’s head and the shooter; the female agent was significantly shorter, exposing Trump’s head.

Make no mistake: The agent in the picture above was incredibly brave. She placed her body between Trump and the shooter without hesitation and deserves to be praised for her effort. It’s not her fault that she is shorter than the male agents or that someone at the Secret Service placed her in that position.

Diversity, for its own sake, is ridiculous; diversity in jobs where someone’s life is on the line could be deadly.

I work out with some female law enforcement officers, and they are absolute beasts in the gym. But the strongest women in the gym can’t compete with the men when it comes to strength tests.

If I place my life in the hands of the Secret Service, I want the strongest, fastest, and best-trained agent possible. Women can be incredibly strong and fit and can certainly be well-trained. But if I had to choose between a man and a woman of similar age and training, I’d go with the man every time. If someone’s going to have to carry my lifeless body off a dais, I want the guy with huge biceps and legs like tree trunks. “Yasss girl power!” is not going to cut it.

Yes, I know it’s not politically correct to speak about gender in a way that suggests women ≠ to men, but as the managing editor of PJ Media, I don’t demand political correctness. I don’t force writers to use “preferred genders,” unlike other sites (one of which rhymes with “box”). That decision has gotten us demonetized, throttled, and censored, but we refuse to back down. You should demand no less of the websites you frequent.

The Secret Service’s Day Of Reckoning: What Kim Cheatle’s Evasion Means For America

United States Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle sat before the House Oversight Committee yesterday. The committee subpoenaed Cheatle to ensure her appearance. Her responses were predictable and tiresome. Whenever possible, she deflected questions, citing the FBI’s “ongoing investigation.” Her response to every substantive question was a simple variation on a theme — “I’m not going to get into the specifics.”

It’s a response that has rolled with ease off the lips of FBI Director Christopher Wray whenever confronted with the ire of congressional committee members. Anger — genuine or manufactured — displayed as the result of inexcusable incidents of politicization. But, these sorts of responses to congressional oversight committees have become so common they’re mundane.

However, Congress plays a significant role in the automatic and cavalier dismissals of pointed questioning by agency heads. Oversight has become a joke. Unless you’re a Trump appointee or official, contempt of Congress has absolutely no meaning. Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro are the only two examples in living memory of the efficacious use of Congress’ power of contempt. It seems only Democrats have the political will.

Cheatle easily dismissed the blustery, reddened faces congressional inquisitors assumed, like so many tomatoes set atop starched collars. Cursing and grandstanding only serves to elicit reshares on social media, and ensures a few early afternoon hits on broadcast news channels. All very important if you’re obsessed with the perpetual fundraising cycle, and convincing gullible constituents you really care one whit about their questions or concerns.

How do I know this is all a put-on? I’ve witnessed it firsthand. As a member of a dignitary protection detail, I’ve seen behind the veritable curtain, and witnessed the handshaking, back slapping, and laughing transform into Oscar winning tragedies of political theater when the cameras and lights come on. The outrage is a ploy — maybe not for everyone, but for most.

The American people can do the analysis for themselves. Congress doesn’t have the power to fire Cheatle directly, that option is solely within the purview of the lame duck president Joe Biden. But, Congress does control the purse strings, and the power to arrest and jail for contempt.

Cheatle followed the disaster of July 13th with a disastrous day before Congress. With nine days to anticipate obvious questions, she refused to provide a real answer to a single one. There’s no question she has access to accurate, preliminary findings — information the public has a right to know. A quick perusal of the operations plan would tell her who was responsible for covering the building from which the shooter fired.

Democrat members of the House Oversight Committee like Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC) used the publicity opportunity to vamp for gun confiscation. Norton asked Cheatle, “Would Secret Service protectees be safer or less safe if people could carry handguns in D.C?” What that has to do with the most significant Secret Service failure in almost fifty years is beyond the powers of mortal reason.

Incompetence is a feature of Democrat party policy, politics, and governance at every level.

Cheatle also failed to convincingly defend the men and women who responded within three seconds of the first shot fired on the July 13th assassination attempt, or to debunk the plethora of wild conspiracy theories infesting the dark environs of social media.

Keyboard jockeys immediately pounced on the female members of Trump’s protection detail, zeroing in on one in particular who seemed overcome by events. Though performance was certainly an issue during some of the tactical movements leading to securing Trump in his limousine, these criticisms are coming almost exclusively from people who have no dignitary protection background. The same critics have failed to realize the potentially pivotal role played by the Butler County Sheriff’s deputy who was boosted to the roof where the would-be assassin had positioned himself. It is highly likely that the actions of this deputy saved Trump’s life, having disturbed the shooter’s firing rhythm.

Ridiculous conspiracy theories abound. Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS) leveled a series of important questions, asking Cheatle to provide detail to dispel the growing body of wild and uninformed narratives surrounding the assassination attempt. She refused.

A particularly laughable theory posits that an FBI Assistant Director (AD) was placed behind Trump in the crowd during the rally. Any surveillance professional knows how ridiculous it is to suggest that an AD would be involved in surveillance at all, much less in one where she’d be placed directly behind Trump, in a position to be photographed countless times. But, this is the kind of nonsense that flourishes in the absence of information from professionals who are in the position to know.

Cheatle did get one thing right: she called the January 13th assassination attempt the worst lapse in decades. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) called her incompetent, and demanded her instant resignation. Failing that, Turner called on Biden to fire her immediately. More notably, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) compared Cheatle to former USSS Director H. Stewart Knight after the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt, citing his resignation. Khanna said flatly, “I think you should resign.” Humorously, though stated in the most grave tones, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) called Cheatle, “a DEI horror story.”

It has been often said that the Secret Service’s duties are a “no fail mission.” That’s absolutely true. The responsibilities of dignitary protection are too weighty to allow for chance, mistake, or complacency. There are no take backs or do overs. That’s why former Director Stewart tendered his resignation. However, providing an acceptable level of transparency is also a no fail mission. Without it, as we have seen, everyone loses faith in our democratic institutions. That is an existential threat.

We must not just demand, but secure accountability from our representatives. We have an unparalleled opportunity to do just that this presidential election cycle. Trump can exercise executive authority to correct the leadership problems at the Secret Service, the FBI, and across the deep state apparatus.

50 years ago, on the very Monday, Ich Bin started on career with S W Bell
20 years ago, I officially was retired from that 30 year career.
It’s been a wild 1/2 century.

Chris Martz
@ChrisMartzWX
Ok, let’s take a walk here. . . 🚶‍♂️‍➡️

• June 27th: CNN hosts debate between Biden and Trump. The performance goes south for Biden. Everyone could see that he is in severe cognitive decline. There was no more hiding it from the American people.

• July 5th: Biden was interviewed by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos to reassure Americans that he “just had a bad [debate] night,” and was mentally fit enough to continue his bid for reelection. That ended up increasing concerns since he beat around the bush and couldn’t string a sentence together half the time in that interview.

• In the days following that sequence of setbacks, White House staff, Democratic congressmen / women and the media suddenly changed tune, questioning the mental acuity of the presumptive DNC nominee. They began to see him more as a liability than a clear path to victory, as they could no longer piece together clips to gaslight the American electorate. The campaign to remove him had begun.

• July 13th: Trump narrowly avoids death at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and we still don’t know what the shooter’s motives were and whether he had acted alone or there is more to the story. We still have unanswered Questions as to why the U.S. Secret Service failed to secure the rooftop, and why the Biden administration declined to provide Trump with additional USSS security detail.

• Yesterday: Given that the shooter had missed, and Biden was still in the race and a liability, a Democratic-organized coup removed Joe Biden from the 2024 Democratic ticket, most likely without his knowledge because he still hasn’t been seen anywhere since the 17th, and the signature on his letter was obviously a forgery. Does he even know he has been removed? Did they meet Jill’s price?

Forgive me for being suspicious, but this is not adding up. We need answers, and journalists haven’t lifted a finger. They’re more worried about what the [Harris] likes to wear and what pizza toppings she likes.

New Hampshire: Critical Pro-Gun Privacy Bill Signed Into Law

On Friday, July 12th, Governor Chris Sununu (R-New Hampshire) signed HB 1186, “an act relative to firearm purchaser’s privacy,” into law. Thanks to the tireless work of leading New Hampshire gun rights advocate Rep. Jason Janvrin (R-Rockingham District 40) and the strong support of NRA members, New Hampshire becomes the seventeenth state to protect the privacy of law-abiding gun buyers by prohibiting financial institutions from collecting and misusing their personal information.

The NRA and its members thank Governor Chris Sununu, Rep. Jason Janvrin, and pro-gun New Hampshire lawmakers for supporting Granite Staters’ Second Amendment rights.

In the Fall of 2022, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved a Merchant Category Code (MCC) for firearm retailers. MCCs are used by payment processors (like Visa and Mastercard) and other financial services companies to categorize transactions. MCCs enable payment processors and banks to identify, monitor, and collect data on certain types of transactions. Before the ISO decision, firearm retailers fell under the MCC for sporting goods stores or miscellaneous retail.

Collecting firearm retailer financial transaction data amounts to surveillance and registration of law-abiding gun owners. Those promoting this scheme are in favor of firearm and gun owner registrations. Therefore, it should be assumed that the goal of this program is to share all collected firearm retailer MCC data with government authorities and potentially private third parties that may include gun control organizations and anti-gun researchers.

HB 1186 prohibits the assigning of a specific merchant category code to the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories and provides a civil penalty for violations.

This critical legislation protects gun-owners privacy and ensures that bad actors cannot use credit and debit card transactions to create a gun-registry or block cardholders from making gun-related purchases.

Seattle clerk shoots knife-wielding burglar in self-defense

SEATTLE – A man who broke into a Seattle business overnight was shot by a clerk who was asleep when the burglary occurred, according to Seattle Police.

The armed clerk fired in self-defense, as the suspect was believed to be armed with a knife.

The suspect suffered significant injuries to his hand. Police say he left a long blood trail as he fled the scene.

The break-in happened around 2 a.m. Friday at a business on Rainier Avenue South near South Adams Street, in the Mount Baker neighborhood. The clerk was apparently asleep inside the business before being woken up by the break-in.

Officers located the suspect about a block up Rainier Avenue and treated him for his gunshot wound. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

The suspect remains under arrest for burglary. Police say the victim cooperated with detectives and his gun was recovered as evidence.

This incident remains under investigation.

16-year-old shot by victim during armed robbery in Soulard

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Police say a 16-year-old was shot in the chest as he and three other suspects attempted an armed robbery early Saturday in Soulard.

Following the incident, the male juvenile was dropped off at an area hospital where he is listed in critical condition, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police.

Officers were dispatched around 1:30 a.m. Saturday to the area of 9th Street and Russell Avenue for a report of shots fired.

The victims, two 24-year-old men, told police they were sitting in their vehicle when they were approached by four males wearing ski masks.

Two of the suspects stood behind the vehicle brandishing a firearm, as the juvenile reached into an open vehicle window and began taking items from the victims, according to police.

When one of the suspects tried opening a passenger door, one of the victims shot the juvenile as the juvenile was reaching through the window.

The suspects then fled the scene in a white SUV. Police said the juvenile suspect was dropped off at the hospital, where officers collected a ski mask as evidence.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.