Category: Self Defense

I need to see a lot more about this law, what with those restrictions.

New West Virginia law allows nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals to carry a firearm

A new West Virginia law is in effect that allows medical professionals to carry a firearm.

The new law allows paramedics, nurses, doctors, EMTs, physician assistants, and osteopaths to carry a gun while responding to dangerous medical situations, but they would have to be accompanied by law enforcement.

Anyone that wants to be a “tactical medical professional” will have to complete a nationally recognized tactical medical training program. The law also requires medical professionals to get a certificate from the Law Enforcement Professional Subcommittee of the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction.

“The medical professional would want to be able to carry a weapon,” said State Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo (R-Kanawha). “They would have to then qualify to show that they are proficient and safe with that weapon. And then the law enforcement agency that they’re working with would also have to feel that they are qualified to carry a weapon. So, there’s a lot of protections. There’s a lot of training.”

This law does not allow doctors or nurses to carry firearms while working in the hospital nor can an EMT worker carry while on the job.

The new law is not a requirement for anyone in the medical field

Man shot, killed near Harry Reid International Airport after attempted carjacking

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A person was shot and killed near the Harry Reid International Airport on Wednesday afternoon after placing graffiti, running from officers, and possibly attempting a carjacking, according to the Las Vegas Metro police.

Officers were patrolling in the area around Paradise and Russell roads, when they observed a white four-door Mercedes with spray paint on it at around 1:20 p.m., Lt. Jason Johansson said.

A few minutes later, those officers received a call that a man in a vehicle matching that description that was placing graffiti in the area of Maryland Parkway and Tropicana Avenue. The officers then found that vehicle at University Center Drive and Hacienda Avenue.

When they arrived, the driver had exited the vehicle and was spray painting a wall while wearing a mask. When confronted by officers, he removed his mask and threw his spray paint can down before running away.

Officers observed that he had a gun in his hand. The suspect went over the barrier onto traffic on Paradise Road. He left the officers’ sight shortly before they heard two gunshots.

When he entered traffic on Paradise Road, he immediately began pointing a gun at passing cars, stopping a silver vehicle. He pointed his gun at the person who was driving the vehicle, a man in his 50s. That driver was armed and shot the suspect.

The driver appears to be the victim of a possible carjacking, and at this time is not facing any charges, Johansson said.

Officers found the suspect, described as a man in his 30s, shot on the ground. He was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Missouri: Time Running Out for Self-Defense Bill

The 2023 legislative session will soon draw to a close and the critical self-defense bill, House Bill 282, has still not been brought to the floor for a vote. Please contact Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin by phone, at 573-751-7985, and by clicking the button below, to ask her to please bring HB 282 to the floor for a vote.

House Bill 282 repeals arbitrary “gun-free zones” that do nothing to hinder criminals, while leaving law-abiding citizens defenseless. It removes the prohibition on law-abiding citizens carrying firearms for self-defense on public transit property and in vehicles. This ensures that citizens with varying commutes throughout their day, and of various economic means, are able to exercise their Second Amendment rights and defend themselves.

The bill also repeals the prohibition in state law against carrying firearms for self-defense in places of worship. This empowers private property owners to make such decisions regarding security on their own, rather than the government mandating a one-size-fits-all solution.

Again, please contact Senate Majority Floor Leader Cindy O’Laughlin and ask her to please bring HB 282 to the floor for a vote.

but anyway, this is grandstanding because the demoncraps in the Senate won’t pass it and SloJoe out of partisan spite would veto it.

Federal Stand Your Ground Measure Coming Soon
While many states recognize the right to self-defense, there isn’t a national recognition of stand your ground measures. Hopefully, that will change soon.

We told you last month about how the Washington Post was trying to resurrect the debate over “Stand Your Ground” (SYG) laws even when the example the newspaper focused on wasn’t even a case involving SYG. What those anti-gun “journalists” at the Post didn’t realize was that their resurrection of the “debate” topic has fueled a fire on the other side of the gun-control movement, with two strongly pro-freedom federal lawmakers now planning to introduce a national Stand Your Ground measure in Congress.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, plan to introduce the measure soon. If passed, it would allow the use of deadly force to prevent “death or great bodily harm” without the duty to retreat that is still on the books in some states.

“States like Oklahoma and Florida recognize that in some cases, the use of lethal force is justified to prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm,” Sen. Mullin said in a news release announcing the measure. “Every American should have the right to defend himself or herself against imminent threats to personal safety without the duty to retreat.

“I’m proud to introduce the Stand Your Ground Act in the Senate to codify these common-sense self-defense protections for all law-abiding Americans.”

The legislation specifically states: “A person is justified in using, threatening, or attempting to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using, threatening, or attempting to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. A person who uses, threatens, or attempts to use deadly force in accordance with this paragraph does not have a duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground if the person using, threatening, or attempting to use the deadly force is not engaged in a criminal activity and is in a place where he or she has a right to be.”

The topic of Stand Your Ground came to the forefront recently when an elderly Missouri homeowner shot a young black man who allegedly came to the homeowner’s door mistakenly because of going to the wrong address. The incident had little to do with SYG and more to do with Castle Doctrine laws, yet many in the media used it as an excuse to trash SYG laws in the 30 states that have them on the books.

Two other incidents—one in New York, the other in Texas—shortly after the Missouri shooting caused further media consternation about SYG, even though such laws also weren’t applicable in either of those cases. Rep. Gaetz apparently took the sudden assault on SYG laws as an indicator that something needed to be done nationally, spawning his decision to author such a measure in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he serves on the Judiciary Committee.

“Every American has the right to defend themselves and their loved ones from an attacker,” Gaetz said. “If someone tries to kill you, you should have the right to return fire and preserve your life.”

It’s time to reaffirm in law what exists in our Constitution and in the hearts of our fellow Americans. We must abolish the legal duty of retreat everywhere.”

Who wants more “gun-free” zones?

You must have seen the news stories about the attack outside a shopping mall in Texas. If you didn’t read the whole article, at least you scanned the headlines. It was awful that innocent people were attacked and many were killed. In response, some gun-control politicians said we should have more gun-free zones. That makes good headlines, and “gun-free” zones have the support of a surprising group of people. Like us, they just want to feel safe as they go about their business. Maybe you feel the same way, so let’s see if you agree.

Everyone wants to feel a degree of safety. Unfortunately, what makes one person feel safe might make the next person feel at risk. Let’s slow down and look at gun-free zones one step at a time.

We agree that it is easy to put up a plastic sign. Unfortunately, that thin plastic decal on a window doesn’t stop a murderer’s bullet. It might protect the business owner from legal liability, but does it do anything else? Come to think of it, the “sign” doesn’t even need to be a real object that is posted near the business’s doorway. It can be the words “No weapons allowed.” on the mall owner’s website somewhere. Does that make you feel safer?

I’m skeptical that the words on a website will stop a criminal. I don’t think that criminals check websites before they choose where to attack us.

Maybe you want real physical signs that say “No Guns Allowed” outside of every door. Maybe you want the business owner to wand everyone who enters the store just like they do to the audience at a rock concert. That means they need a security team at every entrance whenever the business is open. Maybe that means that there can only be one entrance. That sounds safer too. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out too well in practice.

One of our largest mass-murders was at a bar with two off-duty police officers who were checking people at the front entrance. The murderer shot his way inside past the guards. Once the murderer was inside, there was no way for the unarmed victims to escape. That attack went on for hours.

Maybe the facts don’t matter because we’re talking about what feels better. Maybe you want everyone disarmed because it makes you nervous to think that there are people around you who have guns. You are not alone.

Some people feel exactly the same way. I’ve read about them and how they felt. I’ve studied them. These people felt much safer where ordinary citizens were disarmed. They searched out “gun-free” zones. They were mass-murderers looking for easy victims.

Mass-murderers intensely search for “gun-free” zones so they can murder at will.

I’m not that smart, but even I can see a pattern here-

  • We saw mass murderers deliberately attack us in theaters that were called “gun-free” zones.
  • They attacked us at county fairs that were called “gun-free” zones.
  • They attacked us in secure areas of airports that were called “gun-free” zones.
  • They attacked us in bars and restaurants that were called “gun-free” zones.
  • They attacked us in churches that were called “gun-free” zones.
  • Mass-murderers attacked us in grocery stores in towns where the police chief and sheriffs made sure that ordinary honest citizens were disarmed.
  • Mass-murderers also attacked us in schools that were called “gun-free” zones, and that is an interesting test case.

Schools are frequent targets of mass-murderers, but we have never seen a mass-murderer attempt to attack a school that had a program to train and arm school staff. I think that tells us a lot. It says that mass-murderers feel safer in “gun-free” zones. That certainly makes sense from their point of view, but it leaves us with other questions.

Why do people who are not mass-murderers feel safer in a gun free zone?

I’m not sure, but I have a guess. We know that mass-murderers target us in “gun-free” zones. The people who are afraid of guns would rather face the remote risk of a mass-murderer than be around their harmless neighbors who might be armed.

If I’m right, then that tells us a lot about the people who are afraid of their neighbors, but it doesn’t tell us much about guns.

Attempted carjacking in Dallas ends in shooting, one suspect killed

DALLAS — A man is dead after an attempted carjacking ended with a shooting Wednesday at an Oak Cliff gas station

The incident happened outside the Quick Trip on S. R. L. Thornton Freeway at Glen Oaks Crossing in Oak Cliff. Police say three suspects attempted to rob a man at gunpoint, who then shot two of them in self-defense.

“I’d seen a youngster grab another youngster and put him in the car. But his feet was still hanging out. They drove off and tried to make a turn but the door was still open,” said William Hughes, who was standing nearby when the shooting happened.

The suspects sped from the scene. The group drove to Methodist Charlton Hospital, where investigators said one of the suspects died from his injuries. Police said the other suspects sustained non-life threatening injuries and are currently in custody.

Some people who live in the area said neither the attempted carjacking nor the shooting is surprising.

“Oh man, there’s always problems in this area,” Anthony Walker said. “I mean, the violence is always. Just last night, you had the helicopters flying around looking for people, you know.”

Police said the victim drove to his home and called 911.

The Dallas Police Department said this investigation is ongoing.

The 2nd cycler is a cop. Play stupid games in Brazil, win stupid prizes.

Vídeo: GCM de moto impede roubo e mata dois ladrões na Grande SP

internet translation:

The crew disembarked from the motorcycle, to rip the cell phone out of the victim’s hand. In the video, it is not possible to see if the duo was armed. After having his cell phone stolen, the man pushed the criminal who robbed him. The thieves and the victim fell to the asphalt together. At that moment, the GCM [Guardas Civis Municipais – Municipal Civil Guard] arrived on his motorcycle, already shooting. He was going to work, according to the corporation. Records also show the two criminals running after being injured by the shots. Both fell a few meters ahead. The duo died before medical help arrived. GCM was identified only as Klayton and has been with the organization for five years.

Looks like he got him both ‘coming and going’.

Homeowner shoots 60-year-old man attempting to break into home

Police Investigators say the 60-year-old intruder was trying to smash through a back window on North Marston Street.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police say a homeowner shot a man attempting to break into a residence in the city’s Brewerytown section.

The Action Cam was at the scene on the 1300 block of North Marston Street on Monday morning.

Investigators say the 60-year-old intruder was trying to smash through a back window around 4 a.m.

The homeowner shot him in the chest and backside.

The 60-year-old was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

He is expected to soon face charges.

Home invasion suspect in Murfreesboro killed by homeowner, another shot

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A suspect in a Murfreesboro home invasion is shot and killed by the homeowner.

The homeowner shot and killed one man in the home invasion on January Street Friday night, and shot a second suspect multiple times, according to Murfreesboro police. Kevin Ford, 52, is identified as the person who died at the scene.

Police found the second intruder, 42-year-old Clifford Wright, at the Salvation Army. He went to the hospital for treatment of his gunshot wounds, before heading to jail.

According to police, the homeowner was able to get his gun after the two masked men broke into his home, used a Taser on a his dog and held his teenage son at gunpoint.

The homeowner is not facing any charges.

Wright is in jail on $700,000 bond. He is facing charges of aggravated burglary, attempted aggravated robbery, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent felony.

Gavin Newsom tries anti-gun attack that backfires

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will probably run for president someday. I wouldn’t be surprised to see President Joe Biden decide to replace Vice President Kamala Harris with Newsom–it would keep California locked up electorally and Harris is…well, she’s just bad all around.

For now, though, Newsom is content to just act like an idiot when and where he can.

And that’s what he did when he went on the attack following the shooting in Allen, TX.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately criticized the Republican controlled Congress after a deadly mass shooting at a mall in suburban Dallas, Texas killed at least 8 and injured 7 others on Saturday afternoon, slamming Congress for not passing gun control reform.

“This is freedom?? To be shot at a mall? Shot at school? Shot at church? Shot at the movies?” the Democrat governor wrote in a Twitter post shortly after police confirmed the causalities. “We have become a nation that is more focused on the right to kill than the right to live.”

Oh, sick burn.

Except, of course, it’s total male bovine excrement.

I challenge Gov. Newsom to show me one place in the United States that actually has a “right to kill.”

Sure, many have taken steps to preserve the right to self-defense, but that’s fundamentally different. Even Newsom will acknowledge–publicly, at least–that you have a right to defend yourself if you find yourself being threatened.

That’s not “the right to kill.”

So where is it, Newsom? Where is this “right to kill” that Congress is supposedly so focused on?

Nowhere. That’s where it is. At least, not with a firearm.

California, however, wants to be an abortion mecca for people who feel like they can’t get one in their home state. For a lot of people, that sure looks like California and Newsom are worried about an actual “right to kill.”

There’s also California’s euthanasia law that allows anyone who has lived in the state for six months to get assisted suicide–another thing that sure looks like killing to a lot of other folks.

In other words, a case can easily be made that Newsom’s California is one of the few places that actually does have a right to kill.

The truth of the matter is that no matter what gun control you pass, there will be a potential for mass shootings. I reported on three from Europe just recently, including two in Serbia just days apart. Another was in Portugal.

Those three were within the span of a week, folks, and there is no nation in Europe that is particularly gun friendly. Not by American standards, anyway.

Newsom and people like him would do well to stop focusing on the guns and start looking at what we can do that might actually work.

That’s not going to happen, though. It’s not going to happen because Newsom wants to square up his anti-gun credentials prior to his presidential run, whenever that actually happens.

The thing is, I don’t think that will work the way he intends.

No charges to be filed after man claims self-defense in fatal Keene shooting
Attorney general’s office say prosecutors would be unable to disprove self-defense claim

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Almost one year after a man shot and killed another man outside his Keene home, investigators said Wednesday that no charges will be filed.

Shane Frazier said he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Kristopher Chagnon, 27, in May 2022. Officials with the attorney general’s office said there was insufficient evidence to disprove that.

Investigators said witnesses told them that before the shooting, Frazier found one of his children next door, which upset him. After Frazier and his child went home, a group of people followed them, standing outside his door, and one of them went into the house.

Investigators said Frazier told police he grabbed his gun at that point and got ready to fire. He said he told the group never to come inside his home again.

Frazier told investigators that’s when Chagnon ran up the stairs, pushed the door open and got in Frazier’s face. Frazier told police he warned Chagnon several times to get back or he would shoot and eventually fired the gun.

Investigators said that there was some evidence supporting Frazier’s self-defense claim, but there is also differing information police got from witnesses, as well as a lack of objective evidence for self-defense. But the attorney general’s office determined that prosecutors would be unable to meet their burden of disproving Frazier’s claim of self-defense at trial.

Missouri: Committee to Hear Postponed Public Transit Self-Defense & Church Carry Bill

Tomorrow, Today at 8:30AM, the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee will hear House Bill 282, to ensure law-abiding citizens may carry firearms for self-defense on public transit and to allow places of worship to make their own security decisions. This bill was previously scheduled for last week and got postponed. Please contact committee members and ask them to SUPPORT HB 282.

House Bill 282 repeals arbitrary “gun-free zones” that do nothing to hinder criminals, while leaving law-abiding citizens defenseless. It removes the prohibition on law-abiding citizens carrying firearms for self-defense on public transit property and in vehicles. This ensures that citizens with varying commutes throughout their day, and of various economic means, are able to exercise their Second Amendment rights and defend themselves.

The bill also repeals the prohibition in state law against carrying firearms for self-defense in places of worship. This empowers private property owners to make such decisions regarding security on their own, rather than the government mandating a one-size-fits-all solution.

Sheriff Commends Store Clerk Who ‘Put a Swift End to Dirtbag’s Crime Spree’ by Shooting Him 8 Times

Flagler County, Florida, Sheriff Rick Staly commended a Georgia convenience store clerk who shot a robbery suspect eight times. Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan robbed a Flagler County Circle K Friday morning and fled toward Georgia on I-95.

Cops in Florida and Georgia chased Jordan causing him to abandon his vehicle. Jordan fled on foot and ran into a convenience store brandishing a gun. Big mistake.

Sheriff Staly said: “I commend our Real Time Crime Center team for quickly developing suspect information and his vehicle and thank all the agencies that assisted in apprehending this armed and dangerous fugitive.”

“I also commend the Georgia store clerk that put a swift end to this dirtbag’s crime spree. If he survives his injuries, he should spend a long time in prison.”

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said on social media:

On April 28, 2023, at approximately 3:30 am, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Circle K Gas Station located at 6125 SR100 East in Pal Coast in reference to a commercial robbery. The reporting party, an employee of the gas station, stated that a black male entered the store and demanded to be given all the money in the register.

The suspect alluded to having a firearm during the robbery but never brandished the weapon. The suspect then left the store with approximately $90 in cash and other miscellaneous items.

Using investigative means, FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center determined the suspect’s vehicle had gotten onto I-95 NB from SR100 East with information provided by Community Policing Division deputies.

The suspect’s vehicle was located by the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office traveling northbound on I-95 in St. Johns County.

The vehicle was pursued by the Florida Highway Patrol, the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office on I-95 through the various counties until the suspect reached the Florida/Georgia line. Once in Georgia, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office took over pursuit of the suspect.

Once in Camden County, GA, the Kingsland Police Department achieved a positive Stop Stick hit on the vehicle on I-95. The vehicle later came to a stop and the suspect fled on foot.

The suspect then entered a nearby convenience store, brandished a firearm, and demanded the clerk’s car keys. The suspect then took the clerk’s vehicle and started to flee but then crashed the vehicle through the front of the convenience store.

The suspect then exited the vehicle and chased the clerk and a customer through the store and a struggle ensued.

The clerk, who was now armed, shot the suspect approximately 8 times according to Georgia authorities. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for his injuries. The suspect, later identified as Qwinntavus Kwame Jordan, is currently in critical condition.

The investigation is active and ongoing with several law enforcement agencies involved including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

At the time of the robbery, Jordan was also a fugitive wanted for Armed Robbery from Coffee County, Georgia.

The warrants had been issued on April 27th. At this time, it is unknown why the suspect was in Flagler County.

Burglars dressed as DoorDash drivers in Indiana home invasion

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WXIN) — Court documents reveal that two armed men pretended to be DoorDash delivery drivers in order to get inside an Indiana home during an attempted burglary — which officials say turned deadly for one of the would-be burglars.

Grayson Rhue, 18, of Roswell, Georgia, was shot and killed on April 6 at the Noblesville, Indiana, home. Rhue, along with 22-year-old Ruai Ngundeng Pal, are accused of an attempted home invasion that backfired when one of the occupants inside the home pulled a gun.

Shortly before 10:20 p.m. on April 6, police were called to the home. The caller told 911 dispatch that her son had just shot at two suspects who had forced their way into the home.

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Man shoots at 2 suspects, wounds 1 after they allegedly attack him in his driveway

KELSO, Wash. — The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that happened Thursday afternoon.

Police say that at around 4:30 p.m. the Sheriff’s Office received the report that a man had been shot near Riverside Park in Kelso.

Law enforcement arrived at the scene and quickly located a man with a pistol. He was taken into custody by police, and acknowledged he has fired a shot at two people he claimed were assaulting him.

Deputies found a vehicle related to the incident near Rainbow Way and West Side Hwy, with the shooting victim inside.

The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries and the Sheriff’s Office closed West Side Highway for about an hour to account for everyone and process evidence.

During the investigation deputies interviewed multiple witnesses and obtained video of the altercation.

They learned that a man and a woman were sitting in their vehicle, in the driveway of their home, when they were approached by multiple suspects. Two men, identified by police as Asa McVay Keith Kelly, 21, of Longview, and Kamrin Alexander Kerr,19, of Longview, entered the driveway and confronted the man who was in the vehicle. Kelly and Kerr were seen opening the man’s door, and Kelly struck the man several times.

Kelly reportedly accused the man in the driver’s seat of being in a rival gang. As the man was being assaulted, he drew a pistol, exited the vehicle, and fired one shot, striking Kerr. The man stated he fired in self-defense.

The suspects involved in the assault fled the scene in the vehicle that was later located near Rainbow Way.

Based on witness statements and video corroborating the man’s statement, he was interviewed and released without charges.

Asa Kelly and Kamrin Kerr were booked into Cowlitz County Jail on charges of Assault 4th Degree and Criminal Trespass 2nd Degree.

Uniformed School Resource Officers Aren’t the Solution to Stop Mass Public Shootings

With six murdered at the Covenant School in Nashville at the end of March, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed over $200 million in new measures to protect schools and prevent more such attacks. One of his proposals is to put “an armed security guard in every school in Tennessee.” Both Republican Senators from Tennessee have offered similar legislation in the form of the federal Safe Schools Act.

Governor Lee understandably wants to do something to prevent this type of violence from ever happening again. But allowing teachers to carry firearms in their classrooms is a much more effective and less costly solution. A bill advanced by a Tennessee state House committee last week would do just that.

Having an armed ally in a school could stop attacks. but identifiable officers are easily targeted.

“A deputy in uniform has an extremely difficult job in stopping these attacks,” noted Sarasota County, Florida, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman. “These terrorists have huge strategic advantages in determining the time and place of attacks. They can wait for a deputy to leave the area or pick an undefended location. Even when police or deputies are in the right place at the right time, those in uniform who can be readily identified as guards may as well be holding up neon signs saying, ‘Shoot me first.’ My deputies know that we cannot be everywhere.”

There’s a good reason air marshals on planes don’t wear uniforms.

If you have an armed officer in a school, don’t put him in uniform and make him readily identifiable. Give him a staff position in the school so it won’t be obvious that he is the one person with a gun.

The prospect of armed resistance deterred the Covenant School shooter from choosing another target. “There was another location that was mentioned, but because of a threat assessment by the suspect of too much

Unfortunately, no one at the Covenant school had a gun to fight back with.

These murderers count on gun-free zones to ensure they will be the only armed person. Last year, the Buffalo, NY shooter wrote in his manifesto: “Areas where CCW permits are outlawed or prohibited may be good areas of attack.”

Unfortunately, national media refuses to report such explicit statements by attackers. Nor do they report that 94% of mass public shootings occur in places where civilians are banned from having guns.

 Violating gun-free school zones in Tennessee means a six-year prison term. While that is a severe penalty for law-abiding citizens, an additional six years for someone such as the Covenant school mass murderer is irrelevant, even if they had lived. The murderer would already be facing six life sentences or the death penalty.

 Twenty states already allow teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns. Any teacher with a concealed handgun permit can carry in Utah and New Hampshire. In other states, school boards or superintendents decide the policy.

 In the thousands of schools where teachers are permitted to carry, no one has been wounded or killed in an attack during school hours. Only at schools where guns are banned have people been hurt or killed in school shootings.

Other common concerns about allowing teachers to carry guns — such as students getting a hold of the weapons or teachers losing their tempers — have never actually occurred.

 Surveys show that criminologists and economists strongly support abolishing gun-free zones in places such as schools.

 President Biden is right that we shouldn’t impose security measures which make schools resemble prisons. There is another alternative. Instead of posting gun-free zone signs in front of schools, let’s post signs which warn attackers that there are teachers with concealed handguns.

Lott is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author most recently of “Gun Control Myths.”

‘Times are changing,’ more women buying guns for self-defense

SAN ANTONIO – National data shows that more women are becoming gun owners. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, gun sales reached record highs in 2020, and women accounted for 40% of all sales.

Carmen Santana is a first-time gun buyer. She has been practicing at the Mission Ridge Shooting Range and Academy on the Northwest Side of San Antonio.

Camilla Rambaldi talks to women who have purchased and trained to use their guns.

“It was more toward protection than anything,” said Santana.

She started a self-defense firearm course six months ago.

“I have two little ones at home. Learning the proper way to handle it, the proper way to hold it,” explained Santana.

The Wall Street Journal reported nearly half of new U.S. gun buyers since the start of 2019 have been women, according to a new study. It’s an increase San Antonio gun ranges have also seen over the last few years.

“We have seen this rise in new gun ownership in women but also those who seek professional level training,” said Corey Molinelli, an instructor at Mission Ridge Shooting Range and Academy.

According to a 2017 Pew Research Survey, women are more likely than men to cite protection as the only reason to own a gun.

“We are getting more women interested in the sport itself of shooting but also the self-defense classes. We see single women who are recently divorced or have never been married and out are on their own,” added Molinelli.

“It’s unfortunate to think that women are coming into situations where they feel like they need to be armed more and more every day,” said Jennifer Knight, Director of Retail Development with U.S. Law Shield and Realtor.

In 2020, she came face to face with an intruder at home she was showing to a client. When they got to the home, she said there were several red flags.

“[We] quickly discovered that there was somebody else in the home with us. There was no real estate sign in the front yard; the grass was overgrown. When we walked into the home, there was an immediate smell,” explained Knight.

The experience motivated her to create a self-defense and situational awareness program for realtors. In 2021, Knight launched her program, Salty Grits.

“Be aware of your surroundings at all times, and don’t ever let your guard down,” said Knight.

The San Antonio mother is hoping her program can help empower other women who want to learn how to defend themselves.

“I think about us, banding together; I think about women helping women. If I could give advice to any woman, it would be never to allow your husband, boyfriend, father, or anybody else to purchase a firearm for you. You’re going to be the one who shoots it. You’re going to be the one carrying that firearm,” added Knight.

Back at the shooting range, Santana said she feels more confident.

“Comfortable. I feel more empowered,” added Santana.

Armed Defense and the Use of Force in Texas

I comment on the use of force. Some of my readers and listeners know more about an incident than I do. I’m lucky that they contacted me and made me smarter. Here is what they said.

Samuel left this comment-

I listen to the Polite Society Podcast every time it comes on and I get a lot out of it. I do have one important thing to please see that you correct.

There was the story recounted of the man who tracked down his stolen car by use of an airpod, and wound up shooting the thief he found in the car. Y’all said he was not yet being charged because Texas allows the use of deadly force in defense of property. That wasn’t the reason. The man confronted the thief and in the course of that confrontation, he shot the thief because he thought the thief was going for a gun. This was self defense, not property defense.

The Texas statute would not have protected him in any case, because the fracas happened during the day. The Texas statute, cited below, specifically applies at night with certain other limitations. I enjoy the show. Keep up the good work.

News source for the story- https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-airtag-shooting-17871230.php

Legal reference on use of force in Texas to protect property- https://lawofselfdefense.com/statute/texas-sec-9-42-deadly-force-to-protect-property/  

Greg is a firearms instructor in Texas, and he sent in a comment also-

My comments are based on public information solely. Any changes to the relevant fact patterns might alter my conclusions.

Texas Penal Code 9.42 offers a bit more wiggle room. An actor ( the victim) may use Deadly Force to recover stolen , robbed or burgled property IF, IF the actor cannot recover the property by other means without exposing themselves to Death or Serious Bodily Injury AND , I say AND , the Grand Jury concludes that the action was reasonable under the circumstances.

The bank manager can use Deadly Force and shoot at the fleeing bank robbers and the Grand Jury Will generally consider that action reasonable.

I tell my students DO NOT shoot a thief, even if they are stealing your new Maserati. Let them go. Call the Sheriff, Constable or city cops. Then call your insurance company.

The “get out of jail free” card in the cited incident was the fact that the car THIEF was reasonable believed to be armed. He was thus not legally a thief but instead had graduated to the status of a “Robber.” If the Robber has a weapon, the offense, in Texas, is called “Aggravated Robbery”. He (the attacker) reasonably and articulably ALSO, in addition to his status as “Aggravated Robber”, poses a reasonable deadly threat to the victim.

Texas Penal Code 9.32 (B) explicitly states that a Defender is JUSTIFIED in using Deadly Force to defend against a Robber/ Aggravated Robber. TPC 9.32 (A) says the Defender May use Deadly Force to Defend against unlawful Deadly Force.

An Aggravated Robber generally falls into both categories. (lethal attacker, and aggravated robber)

As for a thief? Call the cops.

Maine legislators consider expanding adult access to guns on school grounds for school safety

AUGUSTA, Maine —
With more than one mass shooting a day in America so far this year, including many in schools and on college campuses, Maine legislators are taking a closer look at improving school safety by potentially expanding adult access to guns on school grounds for self-defense.

One bill that underwent a public hearing before the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Wednesday, LD 52, would let teachers and other school staff be armed at school following police-style training to use their guns.

Since there’s never been a school shooting in Maine, the bill’s sponsor sees lessons learned in mass school shootings in other states.

“In all of them, a quick response time would have saved lives, if we had the right person there that knew what they were doing for an active shooter situation was willing, obviously, to be that person and did so,” Rep. Steve Foster, (R) Dexter, said in an interview. “My district has one school resource officer with four buildings. So, this whole bill is about an immediate or almost immediate response in a building, and if you look at some of these past incidents around the country, the response time was a big key issue, and that’s what this is hoping to address.”

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