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For a while, it was a weekly tradition for me to discuss the armed robberies and other gun-related crimes that plague Oak Park, IL (a suburb of Chicago that has a longstanding handgun ban.)  After I moved out of the Chicago area, I stopped writing about Oak Park’s ineffective handgun on a weekly basis.  But, as I said when I moved, gun rights for the residents of the Chicagoland area remain a goal of mine.  With that preamble out of the way, I’ll move on to the substance of Oak Park’s recent gun-related crime: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Houston, Texas armed robber was fatally shot by his would be victim. Read the rest of this article »

The NRA has filed its brief with the United States Supreme Court for the McDonald v. Chicago case, which involves a challenge to Chicago’s handgun ban under the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution.  The NRA’s press release, and a link to their brief, can be seen below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an elderly Las Vegas, NV homeowner used his gun to fend off multiple home invaders early Thursday morning. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 20 year old homeowner from Missouri City, TX used his hand handgun to fend off a pair of violent home invaders. Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve previously mentioned, my fiancé and I have been going trapshooting every week at the Oak Hills Gun Club in Blue Grass, IA.  Unfortunately, their weekly trapshooting closed for the season at the end of October, so we had to find a place that is open during the winter.  Last weekend, we went to the DLS gun club, and I’m happy to say that it is a great place to shoot trap (and skeet): Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Redmond, Oregon woman used her handgun to defend herself and her children against a home invader, when the police didn’t arrive in time. Read the rest of this article »

A daytime burglar reportedly broke in to the Chicago home of Steve Peterson, the third highest ranking member of the Chicago police department, and stealing a .375 magnum revolver, a 50″ plasma television, and other items.  The news report states that an unnamed police official said that the burglars may not have realized it was a cop’s home, and that the home owner “may have the full weight of the law behind him ready to track them down.” My thoughts on this theft, and the comment by that police official, are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Fort Worth, TX man used his gun to fend off a pair of home invaders who kicked in his front door and rushed inside. Read the rest of this article »

A former Marine who fatally shot a violent criminal in self defense was charged with murder back in July. On Wednesday of this week, a judge dismissed the case against this innocent citizen. Read the rest of this article »

The President of the anti gun Brady Campaign issued the following statement in response to the Fort Hood, TX mass shooting, in which a Army soldier illegally carried a gun on base and then opened fire on his fellow (unarmed) soldiers.  The alleged shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, is reportedly believed to have opened fire in an act of revenge for what he perceived as American misdeeds against his fellow Muslims in other countries. The shooting was eventually stopped by a heroic police officer who just happened to be on base for car repairs.  The Brady Campaign’s statement regarding this tragedy is grossly misleading, and little more than an attempt to twist the facts of this tragedy to suit the Brady Campaign’s anti gun agenda: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Mobile, Alabama woman fatally shot a violent ex-boyfriend who broke in to her home, hid in her bedroom closet, and attacked her when she returned home. Read the rest of this article »

I would like to take a moment to briefly discuss online legal advice, especially in connection with to firearms-related laws. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Rowan County, NC man shot an armed intruder in self defense, saving himself and his father from a second violent home invasion that week. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 62 year old Toledo resident shot a burglar in self defense, after the burglar advanced on him despite two warnings to “freeze.” Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that the robbery victim was walking his dog at about 11 AM, when an armed robber came up to him, displayed a gun, and demanded his wallet.  The robbery victim complied with the robber’s demands, while drawing his own gun.  At this point, the victim shot the robber in self defense, prompting the robber to flee to a nearby home, police say.  A suspect, Keith Walker Jr., was found laying on the ground and suffering from a gunshot wound, which required emergency surgery at a local hospital.  Another person, Amir Ibrahim, was reportedly arrested and charged with tampering with evidence after he allegedly his the robber’s gun and the victim’s wallet in his home, which is where the robber is said to have run after being shot.  The robbery victim was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 69 year old Peter Gilmore was at his Port Charlotte, FL home, along with his 25 year old son James.  At about 10 PM, there was a knock on the front door, which Peter went to answer.  A pair of masked home invaders, armed with a knife and a tire iron, are said to have kicked the door open and rushed inside.  One of the robbers reportedly held a large knife to Peter’s face, and threatened to kill him.  James reportedly ran to his father’s bedroom, where they kept their firearms, with the tire iron wielding intruder in hot pursuit.  After grabbing a handgun and pointing it at the intruder, James told the intruder to leave, at which point the criminal refused and hit him in the head with a tire iron, according to police.  James then reportedly shot the violent home invader in the stomach, prompting him and his accomplice to flee.  Police reportedly apprehended both suspects, Keith Sowers and Joshua Eugene Becerril, shortly after the home invasion.  The injured suspect, Sowers, was listed in serious condition but is expected to live to face charges. Read the rest of this article »

In a recent article, the Jefferson City, MO News Tribune made the commendable choice to acknowledge the fact that their fears about concealed carry were unfounded, and that expanded gun rights laws have in fact enabled law abiding citizens to defend themselves against violent criminals: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed intruder who broke broke in to a San Marcos, TX home was shot in self defense by a resident. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a70 year old woman shot an armed robber in self defense after he held her and her friends at gunpoint in their motel room. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 78 year old man from Hawkins, TX used his .410 shotgun to stop an intruder who tried to break in at 2 AM. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that the 23 year old woman, who lives in a suburb of Portland, was asleep in her home last month when an intruder entered and tried to rape her.  The woman reportedly grabbed a .22 caliber rifle from near her bed, and began firing in his direction.  The rapist fled, and no one was injured.  Police reportedly arrested a suspect, a 53 year old drifter named Floyd Dale Elliott, shortly thereafter. The victim is said to have identified Elliott in a police lineup, and he has reportedly been charged with rape and burglary. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an upstate New York woman used her handgun to defend herself and her son from a burglar who attacked them as they returned home. Police say that 48 year old Deanna Candee and her 25 year old son Adam Candee came home to find 39 year old Timothy Hartigan burglarizing their home.  When Hartigan realized that the home’s occupants had returned, he reportedly attacked Deanna and Adam, and a struggle ensued.  Deanna is said to have gotten her self defense pistol and shot the violent burglar once, saving herself and her son.  Hartigan was pronounced dead at the scene, and Adam and Deanna were treated at local hospitals for the injuries they sustained in the attack. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that at about 3AM, an armed home invader kicked down the front door of a house on the 1100 block of Oak Grove Lane and proceeded inside.  The homeowner, one of the three people asleep inside the house, was awakened by the noise and grabbed his self defense handgun.  When the home invader came to the homeowner’s bedroom door, the homeowner opened fire in self defense.  The home invader was hit multiple times, prompting him to flee, and apparently causing him to drop the semi automatic rifle that he was carrying.  Police reportedly arrested a suspect, 30 year old Dion Lewis, at a nearby hospital where he was said to be seeking treatment for gunshot wounds to his legs.  None of the home’s occupants were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that 33 year old Jeremy Paul McCall broke in to a house on Highway 31 North in Brewton, AL at about 3 AM on Monday.  The homeowners awoke to find McCall bursting in to their bedroom, according to police.  McCall is said to have pointed the handgun at the homeowners, at which point one of the homeowners fired one round from his own handgun in self defense.  Police arrived to find McCall dead, and the homeowners unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Lakeland, FL man used his handgun to fend off two robbers, one of whom was pointing a shotgun at his face.  Police say that Johnny Preston was in his front yard, readying his cargo van for work, when he noticed two men staring at him from a slow moving car.  Preston reportedly grabbed his handgun from inside the van and wrote down the license plate number of the car, before going back to loading his van.  When Preston looked up again, two robbers were standing nearby with their t-shirts pulled over their faces, and one of the robbers was pointing a shotgun at Preston’s face, according to police.  Preston reportedly used one hand to push the shotgun barrel away, while firing his handgun with the other, striking the shotgun wielding robber in the torso and saving himself from the violent attack.  The robbers then fled on foot and in a car. A suspect suffering from a gunshot wound, who was identified as Michael Darnell Richardson, was arrested at a local hospital where he was reportedly seeking treatment for his injury.  The other suspect, Mario Ford, was reportedly found hiding underneath a parked car and arrested. Read the rest of this article »

In a  good percentage of the article on this website, I’ve discussed how guns are wrongfully blamed for society’s woes, which are properly attributed to violent individuals rather than inanimate objects.  A terrible case from Florida, involving a 15 year old boy who was set on fire, really drives that point home: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a robber in Philadelphia, who had already victimized two other people that evening, approached his third victim just after midnight.  The robber reportedly shoved the victim against a vehicle, threatened him, and demanded money.  The victim, who was armed for self defense, drew his handgun and shot the robber, ending the attack.  A bystander called 911, and police arrived to find the robber dead and the victim unharmed.  The victim had a concealed carry permit, and police say they do not expect any charges will be filed against the robbery victim. Read the rest of this article »

Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a press conference and claimed that an undercover investigation proved 74% of gun show sellers were breaking the law and selling to criminals.  I was preparing to write an article explaining why that statement is untrue, and how this is just another disingenuous publicity stunt, when I learned that the NRA had already done a great job explaining those points.  That NRA article is quoted below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that shortly after 5 AM on Thursday, 24 year old Cardell Deon Joseph broke in through the front door of a home on the 11400 block of South Foster Road, in Bexar County, TX.  The home owner, whose name has not been released, is said to have shot Joseph once in self defense, striking him in the ribcage area.  Joseph then fled to a nearby vehicle, which he drove a short distance before crashing, according to police.  Joseph is said to have been conscious after the crash, but then died shortly thereafter.  County records reportedly indicate that Joseph has previous arrests for drug possession and resisting arrest. Read the rest of this article »

A Gallup poll found that public support for new gun control laws is at an all time low: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Newport News, VA police say that Barry Lee Hooker, who had two outstanding warrants for assault and battery, entered White’s Grocery Store on the 3300 block of Chestnut Avenue with an accomplice.  The two robbers, who were wearing masks and carrying a shotgun, threatened the store owner and an employee, according to police.  As one of the robbers walked around the counter, the store owner is said to have grabbed a gun and shot Hooker in self defense.  The other robber fled, and Hooker was taken to a local hospital’s intensive care unit, according to police.  Neither the store owner nor the employee was harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 50 year old man in Tuscon, AZ was washing his car at the self-service car wash on East 22nd Street, near South Beverly Avenue at about 4:30 PM.  An armed robber is said to have approached the man, pulled out handgun, and threatened the man’s life.  The victim reportedly drew his self defense gun and shot the robber, causing the robber to flee to a get-away vehicle driven by a suspected accomplice.  Shortly thereafter, a suspect arrived at a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound matching that of the robber.  The injured suspect, and the person who drove him to the hospital, are in custody.  The robbery victim was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Mark Brown returned to his Houston, TX home at about 9:30 AM, and heard an unusual noise that sounded like a burglar.  Brown is said to have grabbed a shotgun from his bedroom.  The burglar then reportedly jumped out of a bedroom closet and rushed towards him, causing Brown to fear for his safety.  Brown fired in self defense, fatally wounding the intruder and saving himself, police say.  Brown, who has lived on the same street for the last 50 years, was unharmed and is not expected to face any charges. Read the rest of this article »

I generally find The Onion to be quite funny.  However once of their most recent video clips is not my favorite: Read the rest of this article »

An elderly year old home invasion victim suffered a painful and terrible experience at the hands of armed robbers.  After the robbery, he very wisely chose to become a gun owner so that he would be able to defend himself in the future.  Unfortunately, what appears to be negligence turned what should have been a safe and productive gun use lesson into another painful experience when the 80 year old man was shot in the hand by his own son.  The newspaper reports refer to this as an “accidental” shooting, virtually suggesting that being unintentionally shot is just an ordinary part of being around guns.  That is just not the case: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that 61 year old Carlton L. Burgess of Lumberton, NJ had some sort of unknown dispute with Marcel Alston of Halifax, NC back in 1988.  It is said that the two men had not seen each other in several years, until Burgess came to Alston’s home at 7AM and knocked on the door, waking him up.  When Alston opened the door, Burgess promptly began beating the man, leaving a gash on his head, according to police.  Alston is then said to have turned and ran up the stairs of his home, only to have Burgess shoot him in the buttocks and continue to follow him.  Alston was able to run upstairs, get his self defense gun, and fatally shoot Burgess in self defense after Burgess followed him into his bedroom.  Alston survived, and was treated at a nearby hospital for the gunshot wound and gash on his head. Read the rest of this article »

A recent criminal case from Worchester, MA shows the confusion that many people (including a lawyer at my office) have as to the profound difference between the crimes of theft and robbery: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two females and one male broke into David Massey Yuba City, CA home.  Massey reportedly discovered one of the female home invaders in his kitchen, grabbed his gun, and chased the suspects from his home.  The suspects are said to have gotten into to a Ford Explorer parked in Massey’s circular driveway, then driven the vehicle towards Massey, prompting him to fire into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it and save himself.  The explorer rolled on its side, and the suspects fled on foot through a nearby prune orchard.  Police reportedly arrested 3 suspects nearby a short while later.  Detectives are said to have discovered jewelry boxes and other suspected stolen items in the crashed vehicle, and are investigating whether the suspects were involved in multiple burglaries.  Massey was unharmed, while the two female suspects were treated at a local hospital for injuries believed to have been sustained when the SUV crashed, according to police. Read the rest of this article »

Not exactly gun related, but I am pleased to announce that I have passed the Illinois Bar Exam Read the rest of this article »

The United States Supreme Court has decided to hear the McDonald v. Chicago case, which will decide whether the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies against state and local government, the same way it applies against the Federal government.  An NRA press release which provides more information is quoted below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Wetumpka, Alabama police say that at around 2:15 AM, a burglar broke in to a homeowner’s utility shed and tried to steal a trimmer and a chain saw.  The 64 year old homeowner, whose name has not been released, is said to have heard noises from the burglary attempt and gone out to investigate.  A struggle ensued, and the alleged burglar fled to his vehicle, which would not start.  At this point, police say that the burglar got out of his vehicle and threatened to shoot the homeowner.  The homeowner is then said to have grabbed his 20 gauge shotgun, and shot the burglar in the chest.  The suspected burglar, 36 year old Michael Dale Roberts II, was taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.  He has been charged with three counts of theft, two counts of breaking and entering, and one count of burglary.  The homeowner was unharmed, and is not expected to face charges for his self defense action. Read the rest of this article »

In a Valley Independent article entitled “Homicide charge shocker,” writer Jeff Pikulsky provides what I find to be a shockingly sensationalist, biased, and legally deficient report about a self defense shooting case. A summary of the facts, some background on the basic principles of law at issue, and my responses to that anti self defense article are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two masked robbers entered the man’s Indianola, Illinois home, choked him, and held him and his wife at gunpoint.  The man’s wife told the robbers that she said she had expensive jewelry upstairs, and the robbers let down their guard while focusing on that jewelry box.  The homeowner used that opportunity to grab his handgun and fatally shoot the two robbers in self defense, saving himself and his wife.  A third suspected accomplice, who police say was in a getaway vehicle outside, was arrested shortly after the home invasion robbery attempt. Read the rest of this article »

Illinois State Representative Patricia Bellock has posed an online survey.  One of the questions asks whether you support concealed carry.  I would encourage IL residents to take this survey, and also contact their representatives to voice support for concealed carry.  As it stands, IL is the only state besides Wisconsin that has no concealed carry provision, and the ONLY state that bans both concealed carry and open carry.  Not surprisingly, criminals ignore the ban on carrying a gun, and prey on unarmed victims.  This situation is simply unjust, and needs to change.

As reported, Dayton, OH police say that a 72 year old man was driving down the road at 6 PM on Saturday, when 24 year old Phillip Anderson cut him off.  Anderson is alleged to have then jumped out of his car and pointed an AK-47 at the elderly man, saying “give me all you got.”  The 72 year old robber victim, who had a concealed carry permit, is said to have pulled out his own handgun and shot Anderson in self defense.  Anderson, who survived, faces aggravated robbery charges.  The 72 year old concealed carry permit holder was unharmed, and will not face charges for defending himself. Read the rest of this article »

Amazon Kindle users can now subscribe to LearnAboutGuns.com through the Kindle store. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Ormond Beach, FL Police say that 38 year old Christopher Young and 31 year old William Bell broke in to Dane Rollin’s house early in the morning, armed with handguns.  After breaking in, the two alleged robbers are said to have stolen money from Rollin, while threatening his life.  During the robbery, Rollin reportedly grabbed his self defense shotgun, and shot the two alleged home invaders in self defense.  Police reportedly found Young and Bell nearby, with multiple gunshot wounds, while Rollin was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a home invader in his 20’s knocked on an apartment door on the 1400 block of Broadway, in San Diego, CA.  When an occupant opened the door, the home invader forced his way inside and used his handgun to threaten the occupants’ lives.  One of those occupants grabbed a shotgun, and shot the home invader in self defense.  The home invader was pronounced dead at Sharp Memorial Hospital about an hour later.  None of the apartment occupants were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

Saturday night, my fiancé and I decided to go see a movie.  There wasn’t anything playing that we really wanted to see, but I noticed that The Final Destination was being shown in 3D. Since neither of us had yet seen a modern 3D movie in theaters, we settled on The Final Destination.  The movie wasn’t that great, as we sort of expected.  The 3D system wasn’t that great either, and left us both with mild headaches and eye strain.  But what we really found annoying was the way that The Final Destination’s creators decided to perpetuate the myth that NRA members are racists: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pregnant Mobile, Alabama woman held an armed home invader at shotgun point until the police arrived to arrest him. Randi Fairley, who is six and a half months pregnant, awoke at 4 AM when her unborn daughter began to kick.  Randi then heard a noise downstairs.  Investigating the sound, she found an intruder, and yelled at him.  Randi then grabbed a shotgun, and chased the intruder into the street.  The home invader allegedly pulled a handgun on the pregnant woman, at which point she said “you know, you need to put that away before I shoot you because mine’s bigger,” prompting the home invader to put his pistol back into his pocket.  With some help from her mother and husband, Randi then held the alleged home invader at shotgun point until the police arrived to arrest him.  Neither Randi, her unborn child, her 4 year old son, her husband, or her mother were harmed.  Upon arresting the alleged home invader, police reportedly searched his home and found cash, marijuana, and stolen items.  The alleged home invader is now a suspect in at least 13 burglaries, and had previously been arrested on similar charges earlier in the year. Read the rest of this article »

I’m curious how the pro gun rights readers of this website feel about openly supporting gun rights. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 38 year old Gary Bowers of Port Orchard, WA was camping with his wife and two young children along a remote bank of Wynooche Lake when a drunk man named Westin Wolff stumbled into their campsite, and began knocking over and throwing their camping gear.  Bowers thought a wild animal was in the campsite,a and fired a shot into the air to scare it off.  Emerging to find that it was in fact a drunk person, Bowers asked Wolff and a friend of Wolff to leave their campsite.  Wolff refused and became aggressive, at which point Bowers fired a pair of warning shots, which finally prompted Wolff to leave the Bowers’ alone and return to his own campsite.  For unknown reasons, Wolff later stripped off everything but his shorts and t-shirt, picked up a machete, left his own campsite, and went back to the Bowers’ campsite.  Bowers saw Wolff emerging from the forest with the machete, and warned Wolff to stop his attack.  Wolff refused, and tried to slash and stab Bowers several times.  Fearing for his safety and the safety of his family, Bowers fired one shot in self defense, stopping Wolff’s attack.  Bowers then sent his family to a pay phone to call the police and paramedics, while he remained behind to provide first aid to the injured attacker.  Wolff died, Bowers and his family were unharmed, and Bowers has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Wellington, FL home owner shot a violent home invader in self defense. Just before 11PM on Thursday, a home owner was in his house on the 1400 block of 12th Fairway when two men broke in.  The home owner told police that the home invaders attacked him, and that a struggle ensued.  The home owner was able to shoot one of the criminals in the chest, at which point both criminals fled.  A suspect with a gunshot wound to the chest was found at a nearby hospital, and is expected to live. Police continue to search for the second suspect.  The home owner was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 15 year old Brooklyn, NY boy had a handgun tucked in his waistband while walking home at 1:30AM, police say.  The pistol began to slide out from his waistband, and he tried to catch it, but  instead of catching the pistol, the boy managed to squeeze the trigger, shooting himself in the penis, according to police.  The boy managed to make it home and told his mother, at which point she rushed him to the hospital for treatment, police say.  The boy was reportedly treated for his injury and then arrested for reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two robbers walked in to the Jewelry Exchange last Wednesday afternoon. One of the robbers pointed a gun at the store owner, threatening his life. The owner quickly grabbed his own defense gun from under a desk, and shot the robber in self defense. The wounded robber and his unwounded co-conspirator then fled, leaving the store owner unharmed. Police found a wounded suspect laying in the grass about a block away, and expect that suspect to live. Police are searching for the other robber. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 74 year old Lewes, Delaware home owner, whose name has not been released, returned to his home on the 19000 block of Bee Jay Ln to find an unexpected vehicle near his driveway.  The home owner also noticed that the front door to his home had been kicked in, and that the side door was open. Two home invaders approached the home owner at the side door to his house, and tried to explain their presence on his property by saying they were “looking to purchase a dump truck.”  The home owner then asked the two home invaders to leave his property, but they refused and advanced on him.  One of the home invaders grabbed a landscaping tool, and threatened the home owner’s life.  At this point the 74 year old home owner grabbed a machete that was next to the door and cut the home invader several times in the arm and hand.  Undeterred, both home invaders continued to advance on the home owner, at which point he drew his .25 caliber pistol and shot the other home invader in the abdomen.  Both home invaders then fled.  One suspect, Gregory B. Stewart, was found at a local hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach.  The other suspect, Paul L. Spencer, was found at his nearby home.  Spencer was arrested and charged with 2nd degree burglary, 2nd degree conspiracy, menacing, and criminal mischief.  A warrant for Stewart’s arrest on the same charges has been issued as well, and Stewart is expected to be arrested upon release from the hospital.  The 74 year old home owner was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a cab driver in Mecklenburg, NC shot an armed robber who posed as a passenger then pulled a gun on him.  Police say that 17 year old Renaldo Smith called a cab to an apartment complex, intending to rob the driver.  Seconds after getting in to the cab, Smith pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver, threatening his life.  The cab driver grabbed his own gun, and shot smith in self defense.  By the time police arrived, Smith was dead, and the cab driver was unharmed.  Police records show that Smith had previously been arrested and charged with felony breaking and entering last September. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 65 year old Hillsborough, NC homeowner opened fire in self defense, after finding 4 intruders in his living room. Police say that the homeowner, whose name has not been released, was at home when he heard his door being forced open. The homeowner grabbed his pistol and saw three intruders in his living room just after 11:30 PM. Fearing for his safety, the homeowner shot one of the home invaders in self defense, and all of the intruders fled, according to police. 19 year old Jerome Williams, who was shot in the chest but is expected to survive, has been charged with first degree burglary. Also charged are three alleged accomplice, who police arrested nearby. The homeowner was unharmed, and police do not expect that he will face charges for his self defense actions. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, three 16 year olds and one 17 year old broke in to a house on Chestnut street in San Marcos, TX at 2AM, armed with a handgun and two pellet guns.  The homeowner heard the commotion from the break in, and grabbed his .40 S&W Glock handgun.  When the home owner opened his bedroom door to investigate, one of the criminals pointed a gun at him, police say.  Fearing for his safety, the home owner opened fire on the intruders.  Two of the 16 year old home invaders were killed, and the third alleged 16 year old intruder was wounded.  The unharmed 17 year old alleged intruder has been charged with aggravated robbery, and the surviving 16 year old is expected to face charges as well.  The home owner was unharmed, and no charges are expected. Read the rest of this article »

The focus of this website is gun and other closely related matters.  I intentionally try to keep other issues away from this website, since I don’t want to detract from the gun-related message.  However a recent article in Newsweek, which relates to nuclear arms control and President Obama, seemed both interesting and somewhat related to the gun rights issue: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 41 year old Loucinda Carroll and a friend went to the Sunfresh store to shoplift meat, and that the manager caught them in the act.  The manager is said to have followed the shoplifters to the parking lot to get their license plate, while yelling at them to stop and for someone to call the police.  Police say that Carroll drove the vehicle into the manager, striking her in the legs and pinning her to the hood of the car.  Fortunately for the manager, William Miller was nearby, and had a concealed carry permit.  Miller used his truck to block the parking lot exit, drew his handgun, and repeatedly told Carroll to get out of the car, according to police.  Fearing for his own life and the life of the manager who had been attacked with the car, Miller fired at Carroll, striking her in the shoulder, and putting an end to the violent attack, police say.  The local prosecutor has indicated that Carroll will be charged once she is released from the hospital, and that Miller will face no charges for his lawful and heroic actions. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 26 year old man was outside his apartment when three attackers confronted him.  The man retreated to his apartment, however the criminals broke in to his home and continued to attack him.  Fearing for his safety, the man used his handgun to shoot the home invaders, killing two and injuring one.  The surviving suspect is expected to live, and face charges for this attack. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pair of armed robbers entered the Central Pawn West pawn shop in Phoenix, AZ at about 11AM on Sunday, intending to rob it.  One of the robbers entered the store and pointed a gun at the throat of a 15 year old employee, threatening his life.  The owner of the store saw the robbery unfolding, and grabbed his own gun.  The owner then opened fire on the robbers, hitting one of them in the face and leaving him in “extremely critical” condition.  The other robber fled, and is being sought by police, who know his license plate number.  Neither the store owner nor the 15 year old employee were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

Last month, I wrote about an unpleasant gun store experience, and my decision to boycott that gun store.  That story now has a happy ending, thanks to a local FFL who has really impressed me: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Nashville, TN man used his gun to fend off two robbers who broke into his home Saturday night.  Police say that two robbers broke in to the man’s home on Lindy Murff Ct.  The homeowner grabbed his self defense gun and shot one of the home invaders in the chest.  Both criminals then fled to a nearby gas station, and tried to claim that they were themselves the victims of a robbery.  The wounded criminal was taken to a local hospital, and is expected to survive and face charges.  The unwounded criminal has been arrested.  The homeowner was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 18 year old Michael Holmes III and another person attempted to break in to a home.  The home was being rehabbed by its  owner, so that the owner, his wife, and their child could move in to the house.  The owner, a Navy service member, was working inside the house when the two men are said to have forced their way in.  The homeowner opened fire in self defense, killing Holmes.  The other suspect then fled, but was apprehended by police a short while later. Read the rest of this article »

Yesterday, I discussed one of the rather rare cases when police were able to intervene and save a victim.  However today I would like to stress that such cases are indeed rare, and that is why I belive so strongly in the value of armed self defense.  All too often, the police fail to answer 911 calls, or fail to arrive in time to save the victim, despite repeated requests for help.  In other cases, the police may arrive at the scene of an in-progress crime, only to unintentionally shoot the victim.  A recent post at Hecate’s Crossroad reinforces the point that it is far better to be armed for self defense than to rely upon the police coming to the rescue: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, HB 182 and HB 3714 were signed into law last week by IL governor Pat Quinn: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Paul Stolarz was a 45 year old homeless man who lived in Chicago.  He had a history of arrests for minor crimes, and had previously spent a couple days in jail.  On Thursday afternoon, he brandished a knife in the Chicago loop.  Cops were called, and they ordered him to stop and drop the knife.  Stolarz refused, and the cops pepper sprayed him.  Not stopped by the pepper spay, Stolarz ran and then grabbed an 80 year old man as a hostage.  Police again commanded Stolarz to drop the knife, but he continued to refuse.  A cop then opened fire, fatally wounding Stolarz and also striking another cop.  The bullet that struck the cop was stopped by his body armor, preventing serious injury.  Incredibly, bystander Brenda McCloug, who is the store manager of Mrs. Fields, stated to the following to the media: “My personal feeling is [Stolarz]  didn’t have to die,” said McCloug, who disagreed with the police firing on the armed attacker.  She went on to say that “Somebody could have tackled him, and he would have fallen down.”  Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a bill has been introduced by Michigan state Senator Randy Richardville that would allow those with valid concealed carry permits to lawfully carry on college campuses: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Detroit police say that at about 5AM, behind the apartment building at 1670 Oakman, an armed robber came up behind a man and put a gun to that man’s head.  The man had a concealed carry permit, and drew his self defense gun.  The robber and his would-be victim exchanged gunshot, and the robber was critically injured.  The would-be victim suffered only a minor injury to the head (it is unclear whether this injury was from a bullet, but it is clear that the victim’s injury was rather minor).  Police say that if the robber survives, he will likely be charged with armed robbery, and probably attempted murder. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, police say that North Carolina state Senator Soles shot 22 year old Kyle Blackburn, as Blackburn and another suspect, B.J. Wright, allegedly broke into Soles home.  Blackburn was previously arrested in September 2008 for allegedly breaking into Soles’ home.  Blackburn survived, and was listed in fair condition at a local hospital.  Police are investigating, and District Attorney Rex Gore declined to comment about any possible charges this early in the investigation. Read the rest of this article »

For those in the Chicago area looking for gun training, I would recommend Tactical Shot: Read the rest of this article »

A Florida court of appeal recently ruled that Florida’s “stand your ground” law allows a crime victim to use deadly force against an attacker who is “retreating.”  Allow me to explain why this ruling is ever so correct and reasonable: Read the rest of this article »

For a while, I wrote almost weekly about Oak Park, IL, which is one of the few municipalities that still has a handgun ban.  As would be expected, criminals in Oak Park ignore the handgun ban, and prey on the defenseless and disarmed victims.  Since moving out of Illinois, I haven’t written about the Oak Park armed robberies as often – but they certainly have continued: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 2 robbers, wearing masks and gloves entered a Milwaukee food store Tuesday morning at 10:45AM and announced that they were going to commit a robbery.  One or two customers then opened fire, hitting both robbers.  One robber died on the spot, and the other robber escaped a short distance down the street before dying from his wounds.  Police say that both suspects, whose names have not yet been released, had lengthy criminal records for armed robbery, weapons, and drug related crimes.

Robbers often target stores because they know cash is on hand, security is often lax, and that they can make a quick getaway.  When it turns out that the robbery victim doesn’t have enough money to make the robber happy, the robber will often shoot the victim.  This deli owner, this bakery owner’s wife, this homeowner, and this man all learned that sad lesson.  Similarly, robbers have been known to shoot victims who fully comply, as this woman sadly learned.  Those victims who run from robbers are often no better off, as this man and this other man both unfortunately learned.  Make no mistake about it - robbery is a violent threat to the victim’s life, and as such victims are legally and morally entitled to defend themselves.

As reported, 34 Egyptian fisherman were captured by Somali pirates and held hostage since April.  The Egyptian hostages managed to overpower their pirate captors, killing 7, and escaping to safety.  Upon finding the bodies of 7 dead colleagues, the pirate spokesperson stated “We have found seven of our dead colleagues floating in the sea . . . The Egyptian crew members killed them … we used to welcome them and treat the Egyptians better than other hostages, but if we capture more of them we shall get our revenge.” Read the rest of this article »

As reported, early Thursday morning, the man was near 1st and Clark in Milwaukee, WI when a 19 year old and a 17 year old approach and threatened his life with a gun, as part of a robbery attempt.  The would-be victim was armed, and fired one shot, which killed one robber, 17 year old Kevin Ollie.  At this point, that robber unintentionally shot his 19 year old accomplice, who survived and is in police custody.  The robbery victim was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a criminal armed with a knife entered Ron Busy Corner, a store on the 5700 block of Juniper Bay Road in Horry County, SC, and pressed a knife to the back of the store owner.  The store owner and a customer struggled with the robber, while the store owners wife ran to get a pistol.  The store owner, his wife, and the customer managed to disarm the robber and hold him at gunpoint until the police arrived to arrest him. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Milwaukee, WI Mayor Tom Barrett was leaving the WI state fair on Saturday night when he heard a woman scream for help.  Barrett began calling 911, at which point the suspect turned on Barrett and began beating him with a metal pipe.  The suspect then fled, and Barrett was taken to a local hospital.  Barrett was listed in stable condition at the hospital, and police are seeking the suspect.  The woman was unharmed.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 4 armed robbers entered the Kaplan Brother Blue Flame Corporation, a restaurant-supply business, and announced that they were going to commit a robbery.  One of the criminals then drew a handgun, and began to pistol whip an employee.  The 72 year old owner of the Harlem business grabbed his shotgun and opened fire in self defense.  Two of the robber were killed, and the other two were injured. The two surviving robbers fled, but police quickly apprehended a pair of suspects with gunshot wounds. Below is a video clip of the interview with the store owner who fired in self defense: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Florida man was at home when a burglar knocked on his door.  After the resident refused to open the door, the burglar is said to have gone around the house and then broken in through a window.  Realizing that his home was being invaded, the resident reportedly grabbed his gun and shot the suspect, who then fled.  Police found a suspect, Carlos Contreras, at a local hospital where he was allegedly seeking treatment for the gunshot wound.  Contreras was arrested, and police say that he was the same man who broke into the victim’s home earlier that day. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve generally been quite happy with the gun stores and ranges I’ve been to, both in the Chicago and Quad Cities areas.  However that streak came to an end today, with a trip to B & B Shooting Supplies.  The story is below, and I’m curious what other people think of the situation and my reaction. Read the rest of this article »

A year ago, the superintendent of a rural Texas school district decided to allow teachers to carry concealed firearms for self defense.  Predictably, the anti gun crowd was outraged, and predicted dire consequences.  However the school district stuck with the plan, and a year has passed with no bloodshed.  Instead, the Harrold Independent School District is safe and secure. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a resident of Belize City, Belize was standing in his own yard with three friends when an armed robber ran up to the man and threatened his life during a robbery attempt.  However this victim was one of the fortunate Belize City residents to have a lawfully owned gun for self defense.  The victim complied with the robber’s demands, before drawing his own gun and commanding the robber to stop and return his property.  The robber refused, drew his gun, and threatened the life of the robbery victim again.  At this point, the robbery victim fired in self defense, killing the robber and protecting himself and his friends. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber entered a Philadelphia, PA pizza shop,  at about 11:45 PM on Saturday. The robber is said to have threatened the life of the pizza shop owner, while demanding money. The shop owner reportedly grabbed his gun and fired in self defense. The robber was hit, and was listed in critical condition at a local hospital. Neither the shop owner nor any innocent bystanders were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 911 caller reported an armed robbery at a store on the 3000 block of Gulf Street in Beaumont, TX.  The store owner stated that an armed robber who was dressed in black entered his store and threatened him with a handgun, before leaving the store with the stolen money.  The store owner grabbed his gun, and went into the parking lot to get the robber’s license plate.  At this point, the robber saw the owner and pointed a gun at him again.  The store owner then fired at the robber.  The store owner and witnesses believe the robber was hit in the arm.  Neither the store owner nor any bystanders were harmed, and the robber fled in a green convertible Ford Mustang.  Police later found the getaway car, along with the suspect’s bloody clothing, and are investigating further.

Once again, guns are a valuable self defense tool.  Unarmed individuals can suffer a terrible fate when a criminal robs them, even if they fully cooperate with the criminal’s demands.  The same is true for those who try to run from the robber.

On the other hand, fighting back against robbers can be quite effective as a means of reducing the risk of injury to the victim. This armed barber shot an armed criminal who threatened him and his son, saving their lives.  This armed pet shop clerk shot an armed robber who threatened a fellow employee’s life, as well as his own life, preventing them both from being stabbed.  This armed pizza delivery man defended himself against 3 armed robbers, and walked away unharmed.  This armed citizen stopped a bank robber, while this armed Israeli citizen stopped a terrorist.

Those who oppose armed self defense should also note the many cases like this, where a law abiding citizen uses their gun for self defense in a busy area, and not one bystander is endangered.  Remember, statistics show that armed citizens are less likely than the police to shoot the wrong person, not to mention the other benefits to innocent members of society.

Just a quick note about the lack of posts this week: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Macon police say that three armed robbers entered a store on the 400 block of Woolfook Street around 10:30PM on Saturday. One of the robbers pointed a gun at a store worker, at which point a second store worker grabbed a shotgun. The worker and the armed robber exchanged shots, and the 3 robbers fled. Police found a suspect, 19 year old Laadrian Javonte Wilson, at a nearby hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound to the buttock. Wilson was released from the hospital Monday afternoon, at which point police arrested him and charged him with aggravated assault and armed robbery. No customers or workers at the store were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 74 year old man, whose name has not been released, was parked in front of his house, waiting to take his wife and daughter to the airport. An assailant, believed to be 18 years old, approached the man when he opened the car door, put a knife to the man’s throat, and threatened his life as part of a carjacking attempt. The man was able to grab his gun and shot the attacker twice in the chest. The attacker then fled. On a nearby street, a suspect suffering from two gunshot wounds to the chest was found unconscious, and taken to a nearby hospital. Police interviewed the 74 year old man, and do not expect to file any charges against him in this justified self defense shooting. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an Idaho woman used her .22 caliber handgun to scare away two criminals who escaped from prison and tried to break into her home.  Cassidy Lockett, of Cottonwood, Idaho was at home with her young children when she noticed two men trying to break in.  She hid the children behind a couch, and grabbed her .22 caliber pistol.  By then, one of the home invading criminals was half way in to her home through a window.  She pointed the pistol at the criminal, and told him to leave.  That home invader, and another who was trying to break in through the front door, both fled.  The sheriff’s department later determined that these two home invaders were Richard Nieves and Ben Westley Perez, who were escaped criminals.  The sheriff’s department then presented Cassidy Lockett with a certificate of achievement for her courage. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an employee with a concealed carry license used his handgun to defend himself and stop a pair of criminals who tried to rob his shop.  Police say that the employee, whose name has not been released, was closing shop at a business located at 21st and Clay in Topeka, KS last Saturday night. Two robbers entered and attacked the employee, and a struggle ensued.  The employee was able to grab his handgun, for which he had a concealed carry permit, and fired at the suspect.  The suspects then fled empty-handed, leaving the employee unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a burglar broke into a residence on the 1500 block of Autumn Village Drive at about 11PM on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio.  Several residents were home at the time of the break in, including the homeowner and his 5 year old nephew.  Police say that the homeowner was cooking dinner when he realized that a criminal was breaking into his house, grabbed his nephew, grabbed his gun, and ran for the upstairs. The home invader continued his advance, at which point the homeowner shot the criminal while holding his young nephew in the other hand.  None of the home’s occupants were harmed.  When police arrived, they found the body of the home invader, along with the gun they believe the home invader was carrying during the attack. Read the rest of this article »

I’m taking the Illinois bar exam Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, so I won’t be posting anything new until Monday, August 3rd.  I’ll also be unable to moderate comments or answer emails during this time.  But rest assured, any comments/emails will be attended to upon my return. Read the rest of this article »

A masked and armed intruder was fatally shot in self defense by the owner of a Cartersville, KY home.

As reported, 40 year old Dallas Helton, of Paint Lick, KY, was allegedly wearing a ski mask and gloves, while carrying a crow bar, as he broke in to a Cartersville, KY home.  The owner of the rural home fired one shot in self defense, saving himself from violent attack, and fatally wounding the home invader.  The home owner then called police, who found two people waiting outside the home in a car.  Police reportedly arrested Tanya A. Fowler, the deceased home invader’s wife, and a juvenile identified as their son.  Fowler has reportedly been charged with complicity to commit burglary in the second degree, and the juvenile was released to the custody of relatives.

Home invasions are a serious threat to the safety of everyone in the home, since criminals often murder, rape, kidnap, and otherwise harm their innocent victims.  Had this man not had a gun for self defense, it is almost certain that the police would not have been able to respond quickly enough to save him from a crow bar wielding attacker.  Luckily, this man was armed, and as a result he was able to save his own life.  While any loss of life, even that of a violent criminal, is unfortunate, it is far better that loss of life fall on the aggressor, rather than their innocent victim.

As reported, Miguel Jimenez was walking home to his apartment when 18 year old Andri Benjamin and an alleged accomplice ran up to him, put a gun to his head, and tried to rob him.  Miguel had a concealed carry permit, and was lawfully carrying a handgun for self defense.  Miguel reportedly pulled out his handgun and fatally shot Benjamin in self defense, then held the other alleged robber at gunpoint until police arrived. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 82 year old Bradley Harvell, of Liberty County, Florida was at home last Sunday night when a man knocked on his door. Harvell answered the door, and found a man dressed in all black, who was carrying a stun gun and a fake but realistic looking gun. The man forced his way in, and used the stun gun against Harvell. The man then demanded Harvell’s money, which Harvell turned over. The man wasn’t satisfied, and demanded more money, despite the fact that Harvell had no more cash to give him. The man continued to attack Harvell, who then managed to grab his .357 Magnum handgun. Harvell fired in self defense, saving his life and fatally wounding the attacker. Police identified the dead home invader as 24 year old Octavius Barnes. Police have since arrested 3 women who are accused of having helped plan the violent robbery. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber entered a Miami grocery store just after 1PM, with a shirt wrapped around his face to conceal his identity.  In the robber’s hand was a black pistol.  The robber threatened the life of the store manager, while demanding money.  The store manager was able to grab his self defense gun, and three shots were fired by the robber and the manager.  The robber was hit in the neck, and managed to run a short distance before collapsing dead on the sidewalk.  Neither the manager nor any innocent bystanders were harmed.  Witnesses to the robbery reportedly said that the shopping area where the self defense shooting took place was in a “constant war between shopkeepers and robbers.” Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a neighborhood in Houston with many senior citizens has seen increased crime, including 5 recent robberies.  A 16 year old boy was sleeping alone in his father’s home when a criminal kicked in the back door and entered.  The boy saw that the home invader had a handgun, and ran to grab a self defense gun.  The criminal continued the armed home invasion, at which point the boy fatally shot the criminal in self defense.  The boy, who was physically unharmed, then went to a neighbor’s house and called 911.  Police arrived, set up a perimeter, and eventually entered the house, where they found the dead home invader, and his realistic-looking BB gun.  Police do not expect that the boy will face charges for his morally and legally correct self defense actions. Read the rest of this article »

Below is a Gun Owners of America action alert regarding S. 845, a bill that would establish concealed carry reciprocity between the states.  This would do away with the unjust and complex rules that currently govern concealed carry across state lines.  Just as driver’s licenses, marriage licenses, and other matters are valid across state lines, concealed carry permits should be similarly respected between states.  A vote on this bill may occur as early as today, so please take a moment to take action: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Papa John’s pizza delivery driver was delivering a pizza in Lexington, SC.  A robber was waiting for the pizza delivery man, and robbed him at gunpoint.  After the pizza delivery driver handed over all the cash and receipts that he had, and began to walk back to his car, the robber continued to threaten his life.  At this point, the driver drew his concealed carry weapon, and fired one shot.  The robber was hit in the chest, and suffered a non life threatening injury.  The pizza delivery man was unharmed, and police have a suspect in custody. Read the rest of this article »

I recently stated that robbery is properly thought of as a crime against a person, rather than their property.  A recent home invasion robbery from Chicago really reinforces this point: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve received a report that the LearnAboutGuns email subscriptions are not working.   I’m getting the emails just fine, but I would like to know if there is some problem that is affecting some email subscribers.  If you subscribe by email, could you please leave a comment below letting me know whether you’re having any problems?  Thanks!

As reported, a robber entered the Golden Food Market in South Richmond, VA.  The criminal then opened fire on the shopkeeper and several customers, wounding the shopkeeper.  A friend of the store owner happened to be in the store, saw the robbery, and drew his revolver.  Before the robber to kill the shopkeeper or harm any customers, the armed citizen shot and wounded the robber, putting an end to the attack.  The shopkeeper is expected to recover, and the robber was apprehended by police.  The shopkeeper referred to the armed citizen who stopped the violent robber as a “guardian angel.” Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a convicted felon was shot by a bakery owner after the felon allegedly robbed the bakery and threatened the employees’ lives.  Police say that 29 year old Demitrius Newbill, of the 500 block of Poplar Street, entered the Pasteleria Panaderia Bakery on the 700 block of Yeoman Street yesterday at about 8:15 PM.  Newbill is then alleged to have asked the bakery owner for a pencil and paper, on which he wrote a demand note claiming to have a gun, while holding his hand under his shirt in a threatening manner.  The bakery owner and his employees complied with the demands for money and their cell phones allegedly made by Newbill.  The bakery owner then alleges that Newbill reached into his waistband for the object that was thought to be a gun, at which point the bakery owner grabbed his revolver and fired 3 shots in self defense.  Newbill survived and was treated at a local hospital, where he allegedly confessed to police for the robbery and pretending to have a gun.  Newbill, who was convicted of robbery in 2003, faces up to 15 years in prison on aggravated robbery charges.  None of the innocent people were harmed, and the bakery owner is not expected to face charges for defending himself with the gun that he lawfully owned. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed how prosecutors, news outlets, and the families of criminals have a tendency to wrongfully blame a crime victim who defends themselves against a violent criminal. Sadly, there is another such case: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 18 year old Adrian Perkins and an accomplice went to the BB&T bank parking lot in Gastonia, NC at about 1:30AM on July 4th.  The men attempted to rob a citizen who was using the ATM.  Unbeknown to the criminals, that citizen was armed for self defense.  The would-be victim fired one shot, which fatally wounded Perkins.  The various news accounts of this self defense gun use don’t clearly state what happened to the victim or the accomplice, but it appears that the victim was unharmed and the accomplice escaped. Read the rest of this article »

Recent events in one of Chicago’s more violent neighborhoods show that while the handgun ban is still the law (for now), it is ineffective at disarming criminals: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a computer technician who lives in Sugar Land, TX works the night shift, and sleeps during the day.  He was at home in his apartment when his dog began barking around noon.  He picked up his gun just in time, as a criminal broke in through a kitchen window.  The criminal rushed toward the man with a weapon that looked like a screwdriver.  The man fired in self defense, wounding the attacker, who then fled through the front door.  A suspect and his vehicle were found 10 miles away, after the suspect sought medical attention for his gunshot wound.  The would-be victim was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Dominic Mathew’s Food Pantry store was robbed several times in the past, including one robber where the criminal held a gun to his neck.  Wishing to defend himself, he got a handgun.  Last Tuesday, a robber came into his Iowa store wearing a hoodie, with a gun in hand.  Upon seeing Mathew’s gun, the would-be robber lowered his gun and ran out the door.  No shots were fired, and the robbery was averted. Read the rest of this article »

Over the last year, I’ve discussed dozens of armed robberies in Oak Park, where criminals ignore the handgun ban and prey on disarmed victims.  The last week was sadly no different, although I am happy to report that there was a case of self defense. Read the rest of this article »

Below is an announcement from the ISRA, about the Second Amendment Freedom Rally.  It takes place Friday, June 26,2009 in downtown Chicago.  I really encourage everyone to attend.  Sadly, I won’t be there, since I now live in Iowa and can’t take the day off from work. Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve discussed before, President Obama is about as anti gun as it gets.  He was endorsed by the Brady Campaign, and chose gun rights opponent Joe Biden to be his vice president.  He then nominated anti gun individuals such as Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano to key positions within his administration.  This trend continues with his latest State Department nominee, Harold Hongju Koh, who supports gun control on a global scale.  Below is the Gun Owners of America action alert regarding Harold Hongju Koh: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Mesa, AZ home was invaded by a pair of armed and violent criminals.  The criminals demanded money, and rounded up the four residents of the house, moving them into one room.  The homeowner managed to grab his shotgun, and fatally shot one of the criminals.  The homeowner also managed to shoot and wound another criminal, who fled and was later apprehended by police at a local hospital.  The residents were unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

I just wanted to make a few notes relating to LearnAboutGuns.com: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a liquor store clerk was given a cell phone, and a .40 caliber Glock pistol by his son.  These gifts were given by the son out of concern for his father’s safety.  These two gifts ended up saving the clerk’s life.  On Monday, the clerk was in his store when an armed robber entered, waved a knife in his face, then tried to stab him in the chest.  The cell phone blocked the knife, likely saving the clerk’s life.  The clerk then drew his pistol and shot the robber in the abdomen.  The robber fled, and a man matching the description of the robber was found at a local hospital, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.  Police say that this same suspect has been charged with a variety of crimes in the past, including criminal trespass, simple assault, possession of marijuana, disorderly conduct, burglary, theft by receiving, and cruelty to children. Read the rest of this article »

I recently purchased a Rock River Arms AR-15.  To be specific, this model Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an robber entered the Cinderella Bakery in San Antonio, Texas, threatening the life of the owner.  The owner’s son heard the owner scream, and he came from the back of the Bakery with a gun.  The owner’s son shot the robber at least twice, and the robber took off running.  Police were called, and conducted a search for the robber.  They found the criminal a few blocks away, and called for an ambulance.  The robber died shortly thereafter in a local hospital.  None of the innocent people were harmed, and the bakery owner’s son is not expect to face any charges. Read the rest of this article »

A while back, I mentioned that running from a criminal is often a bad idea.  A recent case from Yonkers reinforces this point: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Sarasota, Florida man drove to his house, and stepped out of his vehicle to unlock his fence, when a black pickup truck pulled up behind him.  A criminal, who was armed with a shotgun, stepped out of the truck and ordered the man to lay on the ground.  The man acted as though he was complying with the criminal’s demands, but then grabbed his concealed handgun.  The man opened fire on the armed criminal, striking him in the stomach.  The injured criminal dropped the gun and fled in the truck.  Shortly thereafter, a black pickup appeared at a nearby hospital, and dropped off a teenager with a gunshot wound to the stomach.  Police say that they suspect this teenager was the robber, and he will be taken to the Sarasota County jail one released from the hospital. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve written several articles in the past about how criminals have the upper hand in Britain.  First, British gun bans ensure that only criminals are armed.  Then, those citizens who do manage to defend themselves against violent criminals are convicted of murder, and then sued by a surviving criminal.  However a recent case from the UK is so outrageous that I thought it was a joke at first: Read the rest of this article »

Although I just posted an ISRA action alert yesterday, I have another one today, because this is just too important to wait: Read the rest of this article »

The Illinois State Rifle Association has released the action alert shown below, encouraging those who support gun rights to help out a brand new political action committee (PAC).  The mission of this PAC is to “elect those who support the 2nd Amendment, and work even harder to un-elect those who do not.” I encourage everyone, whether you live in the state of Illinois or not, to help out. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pair of armed robbers came to a Phoenix, AZ liquor store, with one waiting outside while the other entered.  A robber, who was armed with a knife, handed the clerk what appears to have been a note demanding money.  The clerk pretended to be unable to read the note, at which point the robber walked through the gate that separates the clerk from customers, and pulled out a knife.  The clerk then shot the robber in self defense.  The robber ran from the store to a friend’s apartment across the street, where he collapsed.  Police arrived and transported the robber to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.  The store clerk was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 75 year old Reginald Baker was a retired British man, whose physical strength was limited.  His small home was filled with family photos, and collectible models of military vehicles.  His home had been broken into once, and a burglar stole over £2,300 of his retirement savings. Fearing a repeated break-in, Reginald decided to store his money securely at the local post office, and had police install a security camera at his home. A few weeks after that first burglary, 4 young men broke into Reginald’s home and demanded his money.  He told them that the money was at the post office, but they didn’t believe him.  The criminals proceeded to torture the elderly man, breaking every single one of his ribs, stabbing him in the face, slicing his finger nearly completely off, beating him, and breaking his back.  Reginald begged the criminals to stop, but they continued to torture him until he died, at which point they spent the night partying and drinking.  The gruesome security camera footage led to the men’s conviction, for which two of them will serve 28 and 30 years in prison, while others will receive lesser sentences.

Read the rest of this article »

The History channel has a show called Gangland, which profiles gangs and their crimes.  I’ve found it to be an interesting show for the most part, however the most recent show made a rather untrue implication about gun sales and racism: Read the rest of this article »

Below is a notice from the ISRA, discussing their 7th Annual Range Open House, which is on June 27, 2009.  All law abiding citizens are invited, including those who do not own a firearm and wish to shoot for the first time under the supervision of qualified instructors: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Long Island store owner was working the register on May 21, 2009, when a bat wielding robber entered, and started swinging.  The robber yelled for the store owner to hand over money, at which point the store owner pulled out his shotgun.  The robber immediately dropped to his knees and began begging for forgiveness, blaming the bad economy for his decision to rob the store.  The store owner forgave the robber, and even handed him $40 plus a loaf of bread.  The robber then fled while the store owner went to the back of the store to find find some milk to give to the robber.   These events were captured on security tape. Read the rest of this article »

The “gun free” village of Oak Park, IL has seen plenty of armed robberies, as criminals laugh at the decades-old handgun ban.  Most of these robberies involve criminals threatening the lives of innocent people, while taking their money or car.  However during a recent robbery, the armed criminal took something much more precious: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber entered a Port Royal, VA bank and demanded money while threatening the life of a teller.  After receiving several thousand dollars, the robber fled back to his vehicle, dropping $100 bill along the way.  When he got to his vehicle, he realized that he had locked the keys inside, and tried to break open a window using a piece of wood.  The robber succeeded only at drawing the attention of two auto shop workers, whose maintenance bay he was blocking with his illegally parked car.  The two men chased the robber, who managed to shoot himself in the leg when drawing his own gun.  The robber continued to fight, at which point one of the citizens shot the robber.  Police arrived and arrested a suspect, charging him with 8 felonies, including 2 counts of attempted murder.  The suspect had also served nearly 20 years in prison after a 1963 bank robbery conviction, and was due to appear in court again this week to plead guilty to a gun possession charge. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the Chicago and Oak Park handgun ban: Read the rest of this article »

As I happily mentioned a few days ago, I now live in Iowa, and have a concealed carry permit.  One of the holsters that I ordered arrived, and I’ve been carrying.  Some of my preliminary observations are below: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve recently discussed the self defense shooting of Antwun Parker, who was part of an armed robber team that attacked an Oklahoma City pharmacy.  I’ve also discussed how the dead armed robber’s family wrongfully blamed the pharmacy worker who acted in self defense.  That pharmacy worker, Jerome Ersland has since been charged with murder for defending himself.  More information on this situation, and my thoughts about it, are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 29 year old Ronald Penn and an accomplice broke into a house on the 2200 block of SW 57.  The home owner had just returned home for lunch, and fearing for his safety from the criminals, drew the concealed pistol that he was lawfully carrying.  The home owner fatally shot Penn, and his accomplice fled.  The home owner and his wife were unharmed, and police are searching for the accomplice. Read the rest of this article »

The state of Montana recently passed the Firearms Freedom Act, which allows firearms and ammunition manufactured and sold for use only within the state to be exempt from Federal regulation.  Such guns and ammo would be stamped “Made in Montana.”  The legal theory here is that the the Federal government has the power to regulate interstate commerce in firearms, but not purely intrastate commerce – meaning that there must be some crossing of state lines before the Federal government has any power to regulate firearms.  Legislators in about 15 other states have expressed interest in passing similar laws in their own states.  Essentially, this is an effort to assert the rights of states, and to advance gun rights at the same time.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

Below is an alert from the NRA, regarding a pro gun rights reform that has passed the Illinois legislature, and awaits the signature of Governor Pat Quinn: Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned last week, I recently moved to Iowa.  Aside from getting the job I really wanted, I was also looking forward to living in a state that allows concealed carry.  As soon as I had some free time after the move, I went to my Sheriff’s office and applied for a concealed carry permit.  The Sheriff processed my application the next business day, and I am happy to say that I now have an Iowa concealed carry permit.  While I am happy to have this permit, and will carry to the fullest extent allowed by law, I truly hope to never ever have occasion to use a concealed pistol in self defense.

I’ve decided that I’ll carry my subcompact Springfield XD, chambered for .40 S&W, although I was seriously considering an H&K USP too.  I’m still on the fence about what holster type and brand I prefer, so I bought a few more holsters and am waiting for them to arrive in the mail.  In the coming weeks I’ll probably write some reviews about those various holsters.  If anyone has a holster they would like to recommend that I try, please do let me know soon. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, three home invaders kicked in a door on the 11900 block of Madison Oak in Harris County, TX.  The home owner shot one of the robbers in the eye, and all three criminals fled.  The home owner was unharmed.  Police apprehended 3 suspects, including one with an eye injury, when they arrived at a nearby hospital.  Police believe that these same suspects may have been involved in another home invasion nearby, where criminals kicked in a door, fatally shot a dog, and then fled when they heard police sirens.  The home invaders are also said to have impersonated the police when kicking in the door. Read the rest of this article »

Last week, I discussed how pharmacy worker Jerome Ensland courageously saved himself and the other innocent people in the pharmacy from armed robber Antwun Parker.  Now, the family of that dead armed robber is speaking out, claiming that the robber was a sweet and innocent person, and that the pharmacy worker was wrong to defend himself.  These statements, and my responses, are below:
Read the rest of this article »

Since Obama’s election, there has been a nation wide ammunition shortage.  The Chicago-area gun stores where I bought ammo raised their prices about 25%, and would only sell me 3 boxes at a time, but they always had ammo to sell.  I’ve read about more severe shortages in blogs, and seen discussions about it on various forums, but until recently I didn’t really experience the shortage myself.  That changed yesterday: Read the rest of this article »

It is no secret that Chicago is a violence-plagued city, that takes turns with the District of Columbia as America’s “murder capitol.”  It is also no secret that Chicago’s handgun ban fails to disarm criminals, while serving only to ensure that crime victims are defenseless.  A recent series of shootings in Chicago underscores this point: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 17 year old allegedly entered an internet cafe in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with a banana under his shirt.  The teenager is then said to have pretended that the banana was a gun, while demanding money.  The cafe’s owner and customers tackled the would-be robber, and called the police.  However before the police arrived, the teenager is said to have eaten the banana, causing police to jokingly suggest that he also be charged with destroying evidence.  The banana’s peel was recovered, and photographed as evidence, while the teenager has been charged with armed robbery. Read the rest of this article »

For quite a while, I wrote weekly articles about the “gun free” village of Oak Park, IL, which still has a handgun ban that criminals routinely ignore as they commit armed robberies and shootings.  Over the last month or so, I haven’t mentioned Oak Park very often, simply because I had more interesting matters to write about, and limited time to spend blogging. However, as a recent article from the Chicago Tribune shows, the robberies have continued: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber and two accomplices attempted to rob the Reliable Discount Pharmacy in Oklahoma City.  A pharmacy employee fatally shot the violent criminal in self defense, and police arrested one suspected accomplice about a block from the pharmacy.  A third accomplice is being sought by police.  None of the pharmacy employees or customers were harmed.  A man who was at the pharmacy with his wife and daughter told reporters that the pharmacy was robbed a few years ago, after which point the store owner decided to take steps to protect himself, his employees, and his customers. Read the rest of this article »

I just finished law school, and accepted a job in Iowa, so I’m moving today and tomorrow.  On the plus side, I just got the job that I really wanted, found a house that I like, and will live in a state that allows concealed carry.  On the down side, I won’t be posting anything new to LearnAboutGuns.com or answering emails until about Friday…

Michael Norton was a 55 year old man, who ran a convenience store on Chicago’s West side.  He ran the store for about 35 years, and was a fixture in the neighborhood. He was known for helping his tenants and others in the neighborhood. He sponsored some of them at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and was well liked. Back in 1991, a pair of armed criminals threatened his life and tried to rob his store.  Norton fatally shot one robber in self defense, and wounded the other, saving himself and taking a pair of criminals off the streets.  Norton also stood up to drug dealing gang members, working to get them evicted from the apartment above his store.  The evicted gang members are said to have threated to kill Norton in response.  Last week, Norton was found murdered in the rear of his store.  His hands were bound, and he was shot in the back of the head.  Police believe the incident was robbery related, while friends and family believe it may have been the work of the evicted gang members.  Police believe that Norton’s assailants may have sneaked up on him while he was locking the store. Read the rest of this article »

Peter Nickles, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, recently stated said that presidential and other motorcades will be exposed to high-powered arms fire if D.C. is prevented by congress from continuing to violate citizens’ gun rights, which it is doing in spite of the D.C. v. Heller Supreme Court case..  This idea is an unfounded departure from reality, as I discuss below. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a man noticed that his neighbor’s home was being broken in to by a trio of criminals at 5AM.  The man called the home owner’s cell phone to warn him of the impending home invasion.  The home owner was not at home, however his wife was, and so he in turn called his wife to warn her.  She grabbed a gun, and opened fire on the criminals as they climbed the stairs, missing but causing them to flee.  The woman was unharmed, and police are searching for the home invaders. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pair of criminals attempted to rob a victim in Wilkes-Barre, PA, while armed with a metal pipe.  The victim complied, and handed over his wallet.  Despite the victim’s cooperation, the criminal with the metal pipe continued to advance on the victim, who then drew his lawfully concealed pistol, and shot the robber in the foot.  The shot robber was treated at a local hospital, and and both robbers were arrested. Read the rest of this article »

The attempt at depriving law abiding citizens of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms is often led by hypocritical people, who wish to have guns for their own defense, while denying that right to others.  A recent example of such hypocrisy involves T.I., a rapper who has violated gun laws (and other laws) for years, and is now sponsoring an anti gun rally, right before he goes to prison for violating gun control laws himself. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a South African man was walking down the street with his wife when four criminals approached.  Two of the criminals were armed with firearms.  The 4 men tried to rob the couple, at which point the armed citizen drew his self defense gun and open fire, wounding one robber in the buttocks, and another robber in the cheek.  All four criminals fled, and were soon arrested.  The two criminals who were shot were taken to the hospital under police guard, and the two uninjured criminals were taken to jail.  The armed man and his wife were unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

In the  D.C. v. Heller case, the Supreme Court struck down the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia, as that ban violated the Second Amendment.  One of the issues left unresolved in that case was whether the Second Amendment applied against state and local governments, or just the federal government.  The McDonald v. Chicago case may answer that question with respect to the Chicago and Oak Park handgun bans. Read the rest of this article »

Below is an NRA action alert concerning the attempt by Florida legislators to wrongfully take funds from the firearms licensing trust fund, which will effect anyone who holds a resident or non-resident Florida concealed carry permit. Regardless of your state of residence, please read the alert below, and act today. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 37 year old Charles Goff III broke into a man’s house in Gilbert, Arizona, after becoming angry that the man was dating his ex-wife.  Goff, who had a history of violent behavior, and whose ex-wife had requested an order of protection, held the victim at gunpoint for about four hours.  During this time, Goff sent text messages to his ex-wife, attempting to lure her to the victim’s home.  The victim was eventually able to get his self defense gun, and fatally shot Goff, but not before Goff was able to open fire too.  The victim was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg, and then released from a local hospital. Read the rest of this article »

Gun control advocates like to believe that passing laws banning guns will keep those guns out of the hands of criminals.  This idea defies logic, since by definition criminals are people who don’t obey the law.  A recent case from Oakland, CA makes this point rather clear: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Racine, WI man was riding his bicycle when four teenage attackers knocked him to the ground.  The man grabbed his openly carried pistol from his holster, pointed it at the sky, and yelled “gun!”  The attackers then fled, leaving the man with only minor injuries from being knocked off his bike. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a car mechanic was lured behind a high school by a pair of robbers who posed as customers in need of a mechanic.  After the victim was behind the high school, one of the robbers drew his gun, pointed it at the victim’s head, and then pulled the trigger.  Lucky, the robber’s gun failed to fire, and the victim was unharmed.  The robbers then took the victim’s money, and promptly began fighting with each other as to how their ill-gotten funds would be split up.  The victim used this opportunity to run to safety. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a university student was having a birthday party with 10 friends in College Park, GA, when a pair of armed home invaders broke in through a patio door.  The criminals demanded that everyone hand over their cell phone and wallets.  Next, the home invaders separated the men from the women, preparing to rape the women.  At this time, the two men confirmed with each other that they had enough bullets to kill everyone when they were done.  At this point, one of the students grabbed his gun from his backpack, and opened fire on the criminals, fatally injuring one of them.  The other criminal escaped.  One of the house guests suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pair of robbers entered a Cash-N-Dash in Mobile County, Alabama.  An employee (or possibly the owner) was threatened by the robbers, at which point he opened fire on the criminals.  One of the criminals was fatally wounded, and died after running about 60 yards from the store’s front door.  The other alleged robber was apprehended by police, and is being held without bail on a first-degree robbery charge. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber entered the BP gas station located at 1959 17th Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.  He then threatened the clerk while demanding money.  The clerk grabbed his self defense gun from behind the counter, and shot the robber.  After being shot, the robber fled, only to collapse outside the gas station.  The robber was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition.  Neither the clerk nor any customers were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

Recently, a pair of criminals tried to steal a man’s SUV and then run him over with it.  The criminals refused to stop driving towards the owner, and he used his gun to defend himself, saving his life and killing one of the criminals in the process. Reporting on this story, CNN’s anti gun and anti self defense bias is apparent: Read the rest of this article »

Last summer, I wrote an article about Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles plan to ban guns on city property, after a criminal shot two people. A reader of this website sent me an email with a status update on this proposed ban: Read the rest of this article »

Below is an action alert from the ISRA, discussing a Second Amendment forum which will take place in Wheaton, IL on Tuesday, May 5th 2009 at 7:00PM.   This open forum is being sponsored by pro gun rights organizers, in response to a recent anti gun forum in Wheaton, where only those opposed to gun rights were able to speak. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an 18 year old man armed himself with an aluminum baseball bat went to an apartment in Fort Worth, looking for a person that he didn’t like.  The bat wielding man pounded on the patio door, and ordered the would-be victim to come out.  The would-be victim’s roommate opened a door to see what was going on, and the bat-toting man forced his way inside the apartment, advancing on the man whom he dislike.  The would-be victim fired his shotgun in self defense, fatally wounding the attacker.  Neither the would-be victim nor his roommate were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 21 year old man, along with an accomplice, broke into an Idaho grocery store through a fan duct.  A grocery store employee was working on a computer upstairs in the grocery store, and went to investigate the noise.  One of the burglars rushed toward the employee, who shot the burglar in the leg.   The burglar continued to advance on the employee, at which point the employee fatally shot the burglar in the chest.  The accomplice then fled. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Kingsport, TN concealed carry permit holder was driving home when a car in front of him started weaving back and forth, blocking the road.  The driver of that car then stopped his car in the middle of the road, exited his vehicle, and began yelling at the concealed carry permit holder.  The angry man tried to enter the concealed carry permit holder’s car, at which point he drew his gun in self defense.  Seeing the gun was enough to cause the road rage driver to run back to his car and drive off.  No shots were fired, and police arrested the road rage driver at his home later that day. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Somali pirates attempted to hijack the Melody, an Italian cruise ship carrying about 1500 passengers and crew.  The pirates opened fire with machine rifles as they attacked during the night.  The Israeli security team returned fire with pistols and water hoses, repelling the pirates.  None of the ship’s passengers or crew where harmed, and the cruise ship escaped.  The pirates were later apprehended by the Seychelles coast guard. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two suspects from Tennessee have been charged with multiple felonies after they allegedly held a gun to a University of Tennessee student’s head, while robbing that student in his own dorm room.  One of the suspects is also being held on unrelated theft charges.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 20 year old Javorous Darnell Tims of Pascagoula, Mississippi tried to invade a home by climbing in through the window, at about 1 AM.  The woman whose home was being broken into awoke and got her son, who grabbed his handgun.  The son shot the would-be home invader in the chest, causing him to flee.  When police arrived, the home invader was found dead on the ground, about 80 feet from the window.  None of the home’s occupants were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a man left his doctor’s office and went to a Tucson, AZ Walgreens pharmacy drive-through.  Two female carjackers, one armed with a handgun, approach the man and threatened his life.  The woman tried to shoot the man, but her gun failed to fire.  The man fired two shots, grazing the carjacker’s head, and also striking her shoulder.  The would-be carjacker fell to the ground with non-life-threatening injuries, and the man grabbed her gun.  Police apprehended both suspects. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an employee of the Taco Mac restaurant in Atlanta, GA was taking out the trash when a criminal approached him, threatened his life with a handgun, and force him back into the restaurant.  The manager saw what was going on, and fired 3 shots at the robber.  The robber fled, and no employees or customers were injured.  The police recovered the robber’s car, which had blood on the interior.  The police seem hopeful that this evidence will make it easier to locate the suspect and convict him of the robbery attempt. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a criminal armed with a knife broke into a Colorado Springs home.  The home owner grabbed their gun, and fired at the intruder.  The criminal fled, and the home owner called police.  After searching the nearby woods, the police found a suspect hiding, with a non-life-threatening gunshow wound.  The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and then to the local jail to face charges.  The home owner was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an Agusta, GA pharmacist with a concealed carry permit was working at a CVS store (which had been robbed in the past.)  A masked criminal, who was carrying a pistol, entered the store and threatened the lives of the employees near the front of the store.  The robber handed the employees a bag, and demanded that they fill it with money.  The pharmacist grabbed his gun, and confronted the criminal.  The criminal refused to surrender, and pointed his gun at the pharmacist.  The pharmacist fired 3 times, missing the robber, but causing him to flee.  No one was injured.  The robber left behind the bag that he had handed to the employees, which police hope will help them identify the robber. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, four men kicked in an apartment’s door in Sacramento, CA.  The apartment renter grabbed his shotgun, and opened fire in self defense.  The four men fled, and the home owner was unharmed.  Police blocked off the neighborhood and began a thorough search for the men, however it is unclear whether they were apprehended. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a British teenager beat an 83 year old woman senseless after telling friends that he wondered what it would be like to kill someone. The 83 year old great-grandmother was at home when she heard someone rummaging through her kitchen. The 15 year old home invader then came to her bedroom, and picked up her cane. He used it to brutally beat the elderly woman, shattering her eye socket and causing other great harm. The home invader then moved her phone out of reach, and left her to die.  The elderly woman’s daughter came to check on her mother after not hearing from her for a while.  The woman survived, but required a 3 month hospital stay to recover from the beating.  Her injuries left her confused and unable to care for herself, requiring that the be placed in a nursing home with 24 hour care.  In keeping with the standards of British “justice,” the 15 year old who committed this terrible crime is eligible for release from custody in just 2 years. Read the rest of this article »

Mark Kirk, a republican congressman from IL, want to be either the next governor or senator for the state of Illinois.  He is quite anti gun, having recently sponsored legislation to bring back the federal ban on so-called “assault weapons.”  As the ISRA notes, on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 2:00pm, Mark Kirk is holding a townhall meeting in Palatine, IL to discuss “gang violence in the suburbs.”  This is a great opportunity to make sure that Mark Kirk hears the voice of law abiding IL gun owners: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a woman was in her home, preparing to take a shower, when she heard a loud crashing sound.  A drug-addicted man kicked in the house’s back door and entered.  The woman grabbed her handgun, and came face to face with the home invader.  She recognized the man as a drug-addicted friend of a family member.  At gunpoint, she told him to leave, and that she was calling police.  The home invading drug addict fled and was quickly arrested by police. Court records indicate that the alleged home invader was on bail for two counts of receiving stolen property at the time of the home invasion. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 26 year old woman from Dallas fatally shot a man who broke into her apartment.  The woman and a friend of hers were in the apartment on the 8000 block of Leigh Ann Drive, when a 55 year old man knocked on the door.  The woman refused to let the man in, and he attempted to force his way inside.  One woman called the police, and the other woman grabbed her gun.  As the man forced hi way inside, the armed woman shot the man in self defense.  He stumbled outside and died of his wounds.  Neither of the women were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, more than 1,200 times last year, residents of the lower income and predominantly minority South Chicago and Gresham police districts in Chicago called 911 – only to be told that there was no police car available to respond.  This would be a ridiculous and unreasonable situation in any part of the United States, however it is particularly outrageous in Chicago, as citizens are forbidden to own handguns for self defense.  I wonder how many citizens were killed or seriously harmed by criminals while waiting for a police car to become available to help them? Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the Obama administration has declined to appeal a federal court ruling that prohibits carrying loaded guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. This means that the national park concealed carry rights granted a few months ago are gone for good.   Criminals will, of course, continue to carry guns in the national parks, while their victims will be unarmed and defenseless. Read the rest of this article »

UPDATE: THE 9TH CIRCUIT HAS VACATED THE JUDGMENT IN THIS CASE, AND DECIDED TO REHEAR THE CASE EN BANC.  THIS CASE WILL NOT BE RE-DECIDED UNTIL AFTER THE US SUPREME COURT HEARS THE CHICAGO HANDGUN BAN CASE.

Yesterday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided the appeal in the Nordyke case.  This case was about the ability of Alameda County, CA to ban gun shows on county property.  The court upheld the ban, but at the same time found that the 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies against state and local governments, by and through incorporation into the 14th Amendment!

Read the rest of this article »

Below is an action alert from the Illinois State Rifle Association, regarding a California anti gun group’s attempt to blame law abiding Illinois gun owners for the crimes of criminals in this state and other states.  Law abiding gun owners in the area should attend and make our voices heard. Read the rest of this article »

Opponents of gun rights often try to use cases in which an emotionally disturbed person murders their family then commits suicide as reasons to justify gun control.  The fact is that such people wishing to murder their families are quite capable of doing so with many tools other than guns, and restricting access to guns would just leave the family members unable to defend themselves against either emotionally disturbed family members or random home invaders.  A recent case from Florida, where an armed wife stopped her husband from allegedly trying to kill her and the rest of the family, showcases this point: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a family heard someone yelling, cursing and pounding on their house at about 10:40 p.m. A man called 911 and secured his family members in a locked bedroom, then loaded his double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun. The home invading criminal used a wrought iron patio chair to break a glass sliding door, and then entered the home. The man then fatally shot the criminal in self defense, protecting himself and his family. Prosecutors are calling this a justified self defense shooting, and believe this was a random home invasion. Read the rest of this article »

The village of Oak Park, IL, which is one of the few municipalities that still has a handgun ban, continues to suffer gun related crime at the hands of criminals who ignore the handgun ban.  As a result, only the law abiding citizens are disarmed, leaving them more vulnerable to the still-armed criminals: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 25 year old man was falling asleep on his living room couch when his door flew open and an intruder yelled “Freeze, police!”  At first the home owner put his hands up, but then realized that the armed man who just invaded his home was not a cop.  The home owner remarked “BS” in response to the home invaders assertions that he was a cop.  The armed home invader then shot the home owner in the thigh, and the home owner returned fire with his semiautomatic rifle.  The criminal, who police believe committed multiple home invasions in the area, was fatally wounded.  The home owner will recover from his injury. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a criminal armed with a box cutter went to the back door of an Aurora, CO home during the early morning hours and knocked.  When a resident opened the door, the criminal attacked the man, and after a brief scuffle, ran into the living room.  There, there criminal found a guest sleeping in the living room, and began to attack that guest.  The home owner returned to his bedroom, grabbed his self defense pistol, and fatally shot the criminal, saving himself and his house guest. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 51 year old Cecil Ramsay was a retired New York City police officer. His wife, Dady Belfort, and an acquaintance of theirs, Edwin Chittick, are also NYPD officers.  Ramsay accused his wife and Chittick of having an affair, which appears to have been an unfounded accusation.  After making the accusation, Ramsay opened fire on the car containing his wife and Chittick, non-fatally injuring Chittick.  Ramsay then fatally shot himself in the head, in front of several construction workers who were standing nearby.  My thoughts on this matter, insofar as it relates to gun rights, are below: Read the rest of this article »

USA Today is running a poll on the meaning of the Second Amendment, specifically whether it grants an individual right to keep and bear arms.  The Supreme Court has clearly stated in D.C. v Heller that that the Second Amendment protects the individual right to keep and bear arms, independent of service in the militia.  This ruling was in keeping with the clear intentions of this country’s founders that the pre-existing right to keep and bear arms be protected.  This (unscientific) poll reflects this interpretation, showing 96% of those surveyed agree.  While unscientific polls such as this have their limitations, news outlets like to reference them, so I would encourage everyone to take the poll. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a criminal entered a Columbia, SC Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.  He threated those in attendance with a .25 caliber pistol, and demanded that the people hand over their belongings.  An Alcoholics Anonymous member then drew his gun and shot the robber in self defense.  The robber was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead about half an hour later.  None of the Alcoholics Anonymous members were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

ABC’s 20/20 recently ran a show entitled If I Only Had a Gun, which really amounts to little more than anti gun propaganda, Brady Campaign sound bytes, and flawed pseudo-scientific “testing” of the effectiveness of concealed carry.  The basic premise of the show is that only the police should have guns, on the incorrect theory that ordinary citizens cannot effectively use guns for self defense.  I disagree with the conclusion, and find the reasoning to be quite flawed: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 24 year old D’Mario Brown attempted to rob several people inside a North Charleston, SC home.  This was at least Brown’s second home invasion attempt of the day, according to police.  An occupant of the home fired in self defense, fatally wounding the home invader with one shot. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two armed criminals tried to rob Sam’s Gas and Food, located at 1773 Fifth Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.  The men entered shortly after midnight, just as the gas station was closing, and threatened the lives of the employees.  One of the employees grabbed his self defense gun, and shots were exchanged by the employee and the criminals.  On of the criminals was hit, and both criminals fled.  No employees or customers were injured.  The injured criminal was found at a local hospital, where he was treated for his injury and then arrested by police.
Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two armed robbers walked into the Bayou pawn shop in Houston, TX with their guns drawn. The manager of the pawn shop saw the armed criminals, and was able to grab his own gun. The manager shot one criminal in self defense, and the other criminal surrendered.   Police arrived and apprehended both robbers.  The manager was unharmed, and information about the condition of the robber who was shot was not available at this time. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 4 men set out to rob an industrial supply company in Charlotte, North Carolina.  During the robbery, one of the criminals drew his gun and tried to shoot the robbery victim.  Fortunately for the victim, the robber missed – and unintentionally shot one of his accomplices in the face.  All 4 criminals then fled, and arrests have since been made. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Theodore Turcott’s Wasilla, Alaska home had recently been broken into twice.  When he saw an unfamiliar car pull into his driveway, reportedly he grabbed a gun and hid in his bathroom.  A woman allegedly broke into his home, and then proceed to his bedroom where he stored his money.  Turcott allegedly confronted the woman with his gun drawn, and detained her until the police arrived.  While they were waiting for the police to arrive, the woman’s 4 year old daughter is said to have walked into the home. The woman has been identified by police as Diana Palin, the half sister of Todd Palin, who is the husband of 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.  The 4 year old girl told police she’d been to the house a couple of days earlier, an affidavit stated. Diana Palin, however, said she had never been there before, and mistakenly thought it was a friend’s house. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two armed robbers entered Larry’s Game Room in Atascosa County, TX and began by firing a shoot into the ceiling.  The men then demanded money, while forcing a female employee to the floor and pointing a shotgun at her.  The business owner heard the robbery and emerged from a back room with his .40 caliber pistol.  He fatally shot the shotgun-toting robber in the head, at which point the other robber (who had a pistol) fled. Read the rest of this article »

Back in January, 42 year old Ronnie Kindred, a man from the upscale suburb of Hoffman Estates, IL failed to make payments on his Cadillac or his Isuzu SUV.  Eventually a repossession team was sent to take back the vehicles.  The repo team recovered one vehicle, and went to the man’s door to inform him of the repossession.  No one answered the door at first, but then moments later Kindred came out of his house only to slip on the ice.  The repo employee went over to him to see if he was injured, only to have Kindred pull a gun on the employee and order him to unhook the vehicle.  Since IL bans concealed carry, the law ensured that only Kindred was armed, and his victims were defenseless.  The employee acted as though he was going to unhook the vehicle, but hopped in his truck and escaped.  Kindred fired 5 or 6 shots at the escaping repo team.  For threatening the lives of the repo team, and opening fire on them, Kindred received only 30 days in jail for this felony conviction (and will likely serve only 15 days, since Illinois does day-for-day good time). Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 20 year old Patrick Finney walked into a West Akron, Ohio pizza shop, brandishing a shotgun.  Finney demanded money while threatening the lives of those present.  Luckily, an employee was armed, and was able to shoot Finney in self defense.  Finney ran from the store, but collapsed down the stree and died.  None of the victims were harmed. Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed guns and children, and how studies show that children who are taught to shoot under adult supervision are less likely to misuse guns than children who are not taught to shoot.  Similarly, I’ve mentioned the benefits having a gun for home defense, since home invading criminals can do terrible things to children when the parents are unarmed, and since 911 cannot be relied upon to save one’s family in time.  Unfortunately, anti gun myths persist.  Women of Caliber has a great pair of posts which help debunk these rather persistent anti gun myths: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, there were 3 armed robberies (and a variety of other violent crimes) in Oak Park, IL this week, in spite of the longstanding handgun ban: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an 18 year old criminal who had already accumulated a lengthy police record entered a Miami Burger King, wearing a ski mask and black gloves.  He then threatened the lives of the employees behind the counter with a handgun, while demanding money.  A citizens with a concealed carry permit drew his pistol, and order the robber to put down his gun.  The robber refused, and opened fire on the citizen, inflicting serious but non fatal injures.  The citizen returned fire, killing the robber.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve written a few articles about England, primarily because it is a western country that banned guns and banned self defense.  The result is that gun related crime and knife related crime skyrocketed, as criminals continued to possess weapons and use them against now-defenseless victims.  I was under the impression that this increase in crime was caused by a variety of societal factors, combined with the disarming of future crime victims, however it turns out that the true culprit is the iPhone: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two armed men attempted to rob a cell phone store in Texas.  The store owner grabbed his gun, and chased the criminals from his place of business.  One of the men fled in a car, while the other turned back toward the store owner.  The store owner fired in self defense, hitting the robber in the leg.  The robber then attempted to flee across a street, at which point he was fatally hit by a car.  The store owner was unharmed. Read the rest of this article »

Below is an ISRA action alert concerning House Bill 12 and House Bill 845, which are two anti gun measures that will be voted upon this week.  As we’ve seen recently, taking just a minute to stand up for gun rights can make all the difference, so I would encourage everyone to do their part. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an Oklahoma City man was catching up on some sleep in the afternoon when his burglar alarm went off.  He awoke to find a criminal in his home, armed with a knife.  The criminal order the man to turn off the burglar alarm, and to give him money.  The homeowner said that there might be some money in a bedroom, and the criminal held the knife against the man as they walked to that bedroom.  Acting as though he was looking for money in a drawer, the homeowner was able to grab his gun and fire at the robber.  The robber turned and ran, and it was unclear from the news story whether the robber was hit.  The homeowner was uninjured. Read the rest of this article »

In 2005, Yvette Cade, a woman who stands 4′11″ tall, was stalked by a violent ex.  She had an order of protection against her stalker, but the order was dismissed by the judge.  The stalker showed up at Yvette’s workplace in 2005, and threw a gasoline mixture on her, after having said that he wished to “fry [Yvette] like Crisco grease.”  She ran away, but the stalker was able to catch up to her, stomped on her with his boot, and then set her on fire.  She Read the rest of this article »

Although this story is a nearly 2 years old, I couldn’t help but make note of it:  Back in July of 2007, Texas State Representative Borris Miles was fixing a leak on the second floor of a Houston, TX house that he was building.  He heard a noise downstairs, and upon investigation found two men stealing copper from from the house.  He confronted the thieving criminals, only to have one of them throw a pocket knife at him.  He shot one criminal in the leg in self defense.  Normally this is where the story would end, however there is a twist here.  Representative Miles, who has a concealed carry permit, voted against the castle doctrine law that was about to go into effect, which prevents law abiding people who defend themselves from being prosecuted for defending themselves.  This type of hypocrisy is sadly quite common in anti gun politicians.

As reported, the number of children in the UK hospitalized with knife attack wounds is up 72% compared to 10 years ago (around when that country’s strict gun control laws were enacted).  In other words, not only did gun related crime rise after the gun ban, but so did knife related crime: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber was shot by a would-be victim outside a Little Rock, Arkansas Wal-Mart.  The criminal approached the couple as they walked to their car, brandished a silver revolver, and tried to grab the woman’s purse.  A struggle ensued, and the husband drew his gun (for which he had a concealed carry permit) and pointed it at the robber.  The husband repeatedly told the robber to stop and leave, however the criminal persisted, and the husband shot the robber multiple times.  The robber survived and was taken to a local hospital, with charges expected.  Two suspected accomplices that were nearby were also arrested.  The wife suffered minor injures from the criminal’s attack, but is otherwise OK. Read the rest of this article »

I would like to take this opportunity to point out a great post at Hecate’s Crossroad, which discusses a particularly negligent shooting.  Basically, a husband who thought his gun was empty pointed it at his wife as they “practiced” clearing their house of home invaders, and then pulled the trigger, causing her (completely preventable) death.  Of course, the anti gun crowd sees this as an opportunity to blame guns, rather than a case of two humans failing to follow the rules of gun safety and act like responsible adults.  Xavier also has a great post discussing this incident.

The video clip below discusses Annazette Collins, an Illinois state representative from Chicago, who wants to teach Chicago public school students about guns: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, there were two armed robberies in “gun free” Oak Park this week, in spite of the longstanding ban on handgun ownership that criminals consistently ignore: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a knife wielding robber entered the Windsor Pharmacy in Bristol Township, NJ and threatened a clerk while demanding oxycontin pills. A struggle with one clerk ensued, at which point a second clerk who had a concealed carry permit drew his handgun and shot the robber in the arm and chest, saving both himself and his coworker. The robber was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and will survive to be tried for his crime. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a criminal went to the back door of a Georgetown, KY home at 2 AM and knocked.  When no one answered the door, the criminal kicked in a window and made his way inside the home.  The home owner was waiting for him – with a shotgun.  The criminal was held at gunpoint, until the police arrived and arrested him. Read the rest of this article »

Earlier this week, I mentioned how a high school in Lombard, IL decided to have an anti gun speaker come to an 11th grade English class, while simultaneously deciding to exclude anyone from the pro gun rights side.  Thanks to your emails and phone calls to the school expressing disagreement with this planned anti gun indoctrination session, the school has decided to cancel the anti gun speaker: Read the rest of this article »

A recent article on Cracked.com gives 5 examples of terrible incompetence on the part of 911 operators and police.  These include a case where the 911 operator takes time to scold the caller about using profanity rather than sending help, and where the police officer on the way to save a woman from a knife weilding, home invading ex-boyfriend is diverted to a traffic stop instead.  Sadly, cases of 911 failing to save a citizen due to incompetence, not answering the phone, etc. are not uncommon – and the police are not legally liable for that failure.  That is why I advocate gun ownership, as armed citizens can save their own lives from home invaders, robbers, stalkers, racist attackers, and rapists.

As reported, two criminals broke into a home and waited for the residents to return.  The home owner came back to his house, at which point the men robbed him and took him at gunpoint to the home of his girlfriend.  She answered the door, only to find the armed criminals holding a gun to her boyfriend.  The criminals forced their way into the girlfriend’s home, pistol whipped her, and ordered everyone in the home to get on the ground.  The girlfriend’s mother began screaming in fear, and the criminals threw her to the ground as well.  The girlfriend ran for her gun, grabbed it, pointed it at a criminal, and told him to leave.  The boyfriend grabbed for one of the armed criminals’ guns, and the girlfriend shot that criminal in the leg, forcing him to let go of the gun.  The boyfriend was also able to grab the other criminal’s gun during the struggle.  The first criminal, who was shot and on the ground, refused to stop digging in his pocket as if reaching for another gun.  The girlfriend fired another shot in self defense, which fatally wounded that criminal.  The surviving criminal, and an accomplice who didn’t directly participate in the home invasions, have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of home invasion, burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit those aforementioned crimes. Read the rest of this article »

One of my favorite websites is The Onion – a satirical “news” website/newspaper.  Unfortunately their latest video clip is something that I don’t find to be quite as funny as the rest of their work: Read the rest of this article »

UPDATE: The school and teacher decided to cancel this anti gun indoctrination session in response to readers of this website who emailed and called to express their disagreement.  More information can be seen here.

Over the last several days, I’ve exchanged emails with Amanda Razeq, an 11th grade English teacher at College Preparatory School of America, which is a high school in Lombard, Illinois.  Ms. Razeq emailed me to ask if I would be willing to come and speak to her students about the proposed concealed carry law in Illinois, after she had been unable to find another pro gun person who was willing to do so.  I emailed her back, and expressed possible interest in speaking to her class if she remained unable to find a speaker (I’ve never appeared as a pro gun speaker and therefore would prefer to have someone more experienced do the job if possible, not to mention that I’m rather busy at the moment with school, work, and preparing for the bar exam).  Ms. Razeq politely emailed me back, said that she had found a pro gun rights speaker – but that the school was unwilling to allow any pro gun rights speaker to come speak to her class, out of concern for how the parents would react.  The school said that only the anti gun rights speaker from the Million Mom March (an anti gun group) could come speak to the class, although Ms. Razeq (who is not an expert in the pro gun rights area) could offer her opinions.  I emailed Ms. Razeq back, and explained that having a one-sided indoctrination session with the anti gun rights speaker would be a disservice to the students as well as the society in which those 11th graders would soon be voters.  Unfortunately, she politely dismissed my concerns and decided to go ahead with plan of allowing the anti gun speaker to lecture to her class, while denying anyone from the pro gun rights side of the debate a chance to do the same.  My thoughts on the matter, my correspondence with Ms. Razeq, and the school’s contact information are below.  The school plans to give the anti gun speaker the ability to indoctrinate the students on Friday, March 20, 2009, so please contact the school and express your concerns right away: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an Oshtemo Township man was at his home last Monday afternoon when two criminals broke in.  The armed home owner fired two shots, which apparently missed the criminals, but sent them running for their car.  Police were able to arrest one of the suspects, an 18 year old man, and are searching for the other suspect.  The home owner was not injured. Read the rest of this article »

A while back, a reader of this website mentioned the tendency of newspapers to report that charges won’t be filed when a crime victim uses a gun to defend themselves against a violent criminal.  His point was that the news media is showing anti gun, anti self defense bias by suggesting that even the most justified cases of self defense are somehow wrongful.  A recent case of self defense and the corresponding news story really showcase this problem: Read the rest of this article »

The NRA has put together a nice report on proposed Illinois laws that effect gun rights.  It is critical that those of us who live in IL contact our elected officials and make our voices heard, as our gun rights are in jeopardy.  Those who live outside of Illinois should also recognize that the anti gun laws pending in Illinois could soon come to your state too, as anti gun laws can spread like wildfire. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a semi truck driver in Tennessee was sleeping in his truck’s sleeper cab when James Edward Hodges, Jr., a man with a lengthy criminal record, tried to break in.  Hodges first used a rock to break the sleeper cab’s window, and then tried to climb in, at which point the truck driver opened fire in self defense.  Hodges, who had previous convictions for burglary, thefts, driving under the influence, drug charges, aggravated assault, failures to appear in court, unlawful possession of a weapon, driving while privilege revoked, criminal trespassing, violation of probation, and possession of burglary tools, was found dead at the scene by police. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber in Opelika, Alabama approached a citizen and demanded money, while threatening that citizen’s life.  The citizen drew his own handgun, and opened fire on the armed criminal, striking him in the buttocks.  The would-be victim was unharmed, and the armed robber was taken to the East Alabama Medical Center, were he is being treated (and detained). Read the rest of this article »

As reported, four criminals ordered pizza to a house with the intent of robbing whomever delivered it. None of the four lived at the house and the homeowner did not realize his home was being used for a robbery. A Pizza Hut delivery man, 43-year-old Christopher Miller, showed up at the home at 10:30pm found and 17-year-old Paul Sturgill was standing on the sidewalk waiting to ambush him. Soon after Miller got out of the car, two other men ran at him from the woods. When Miller started running away, Sturgill continually tried beating him in the face. Miller, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out his .45 caliber handgun that he had in his fanny pack and fatally shot Sturgill in the chest. The three other suspects fled, and two of them have since been arrested. Read the rest of this article »

MovieCliches.com has a rather entertaining section on guns that I though I would mention.  A few of my favorites: Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve said before, following the rules of gun safety is the duty of every responsible gun owner.  It is only when these rules are not followed that negligent shootings occur.  While most negligent shootings are sad situations, here is one such shooting that seems to have been quite good for society: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a woman who lives just west of Fort Worth in Texas heard an intruder enter her home during the night.  She called 911 several times, but go not answer.  She then called her daughter, who, along with her armed husband, raced to the woman’s home.  The woman’s armed son-in-law was able to hold the home invader at gunpoint and save his mother-in-law.  After renewed and repeated attempts at calling 911, the family was finally able to get through to police and have them come arrest the home invader. Read the rest of this article »

The United States Concealed Carry Association has provided contact information for various Orange County officials, so that law abiding citizens can contact them and voice their concern about the Orange Country concealed carry permit abuse situation: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a pair of armed robbers broke into an apartment in Roselawn, Ohio around 10:00am on Wednesday and threatened the resident’s life. The apartment renter was able to grab his self defense gun and fatally shoot one of the home invading criminals, who has been identified an 19 year old Gerald Womble.  The other criminal was scared away. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Chicago man was shot in the thigh after an armed robber was angered by his lack of money. At 10:30PM on Wednesday, a 30 year old man was walking to a friend’s house on the 6200 block of South Francisco Avenue when an armed robber came up behind him and demanded money. The man replied that he had no money, at which point the gunman shot him in the back of his right thigh and then fled. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a terrorist in Israel used a construction vehicle to ram a bus and a police car, injuring multiple people.  The police car was then flipped over by the terrorist, who proceeded to try and crush car with the construction vehicle’s front shovel.  Luckily, an armed taxi driver was able to draw his pistol and fire four shot, which wounded the terrorist before he could kill the cops.  A police officer later appeared and fatally shot the terrorist with an M-16. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a man attempted to rob Mike Schrank’s Smoke ‘N Gun, a gun store located in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan.  After the robber went behind the counter and got physical with the clerk, the clerk shot the robber twice in the chest and once in the leg.  Police arrived to find the criminal alive, and held at gunpoint by the clerk.  On a sadder note, the clerk somehow shot himself once in the hand, but will recover from this injury. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Central Connecticut State University student John Wahlberg took the Communications 140 class, in which he was required to give an oral presentation on a “relevant issue in the media.”   For the topic of his presentation, he chose the the benefits of concealed carry when it comes to stopping school shooters.  The presentation was non-threatening and did not involved any real or fake guns.  The professor, Paula Anderson, apparently felt that there was some “perceived risk” and went to the campus police, Read the rest of this article »

About once a week I discuss the village of Oak Park, IL, which has a handgun ban that keeps law abiding people defenseless, while failing to stop criminals from having guns.  In the midst of an armed robbery spree that has lasted over a year, Oak Park officials are now suggesting that residents carry a whistle, and to blow it in the event that a crime occurs.  My thoughts on this program are below: Read the rest of this article »

The NRA provides a coloring book for young children, which simply teaches them to not touch guns and to get an adult’s help if they find a gun.  The program does not promote or glorify guns, gun rights or the NRA in any way, and does not teach children about how to use a gun at all.  However one anti gun parent is opposed to this type of safety education, and is also upset that the NRA is the one providing it.  She is the first to complain in the program’s 10 year history with the school district: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two criminals picked a house on the 3500 block of Bob Hannah Drive in unincorporated Liburn, GA to invade at about 5:15pm.  They repeatedly knocked on the door, and the home owner who could tell something wasn’t right got out his gun.  The men then kicked in the front door and proceeded to enter, at which point the home owner opened fire in self defense.  One of the home invading criminals was fatally wounded, and the other fled.  The home owner was not harmed, and police are searching for the other criminal. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a then-pregnant St. Paul woman was recently honored for defending herself, her toddler, and her husband from a would-be armed robber at their convenience store: Read the rest of this article »

I’ve previously discussed the fake gun rights group, the American Hunters and Shooters Association.  Yesterday, I received an unsolicited email from their political director, Colin Rogero, in which they attempt to falsely pass themselves off as pro gun, while the facts show that they are as anti gun as it gets. Read the rest of this article »

Eric Holder, Barack Obama’s anti gun Attorney General called for a new ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi swiftly squelched that plan for the time being, apparently out of fear of the political repercussions: Read the rest of this article »

Chicago’s Mayor Daley is well known for his opposition to gun rights for individuals other than himself and his political allies. He supports Chicago’s handgun ban, and is fighting a court battle in an attempt to keep that ban, despite overwhelming evidence that the handgun ban doesn’t disarm criminals but instead leaves innocent people defenseless.   In keeping with his tradition of passing the buck, Mayor Daley has again decided to blame Chicago’s rampant crime on guns and the federal government: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, residents of Salinas, California grilled Police Commander Dino Bardoni about the problem of gang-related crime.  One of the residents had a question that I first thought was a joke, but which appears to actually be serious: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a woman was in her Sanford, FL home when two men broke in through the windows. At first, she hid from the men, but then fearing for her safety, pulled out a gun and shot at them, apparently hitting one criminal. The woman was then able to chase the criminals from her home, and she was not harmed. One of the criminals has since been arrested, and the police are seeking the other. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Australian Clinton Brilley was out on bail for armed robbery when he broke into a sports club to commit robbery. A security guard, David Bingle, was on duty when Brilley used a crow bar to break in and threaten his life. Bingle fired in self defense, in fear of Brilley and his carload full of accomplices. Unfortunately for Bingle, a bullet struck Briley in the back, and Briley (who is currently in jail for another armed robbery) is suing.  In 2007, the court awarded the armed robber $185,000AU but on appeal the verdict was thrown out, and a new trial is underway.  This situation is unjust, plain and simple. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Lawrence “Larry” Fontana is a disabled US military veteran who came home to find two armed criminals ransacking his home.  The criminals panicked when they saw him, and began to flee, along with some of his service medals.  He ordered them to stop, only to have one of the criminals open fire on him. Fontana returned fire with his .38 revolver, although it appears that neither Fontana nor the criminals were hit. Police were able to later apprehend and charge one of the the (drug addict) criminals, recover Fontana’s service medals, and continue to search for the other criminal. Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve mentioned before, we Americans must either stand up for our gun rights, or see them vanish the way they have vanished in other countries.  I’ve also mentioned that Illinois is the front lines when it comes to the struggle for gun rights, as IL cities are the only ones left with handgun bans, IL is one of only two states that completely bans concealed carry, and Cook County, IL is constantly trying to enact new draconian gun bans.  And so, I have a suggestion for those that care about gun rights, both in Illinois and the country as a whole: Read the rest of this article »

Illinois State Representative Kenneth Dunkin (D-5th District) has proposed an anti gun law (Illinois HB0687) that would force gun owners to carry $1,000,000.00 of insurance, make the gun owner liable for misuses of their gun until the gun is reported stolen to the police, and provide for the revocation of FOID cards (and therefore gun rights) for those who don’t carry such insurance: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed and masked home invader, who was dressed in all black, broke into a house on the 1300 block of Birkdale Drive in Wellington, Florida at about 2:00am.  Luckily, the home owner was also a gun owner, and was able to shoot the criminal in self defense, saving his life and ensuring that no other occupants of the home were harmed by the criminal. Read the rest of this article »

It has become a weekly tradition for me to discuss the armed robberies and other crime that plagues Oak Park, IL, despite that village’s longstanding handgun ban.  This last week was sadly no different, with 5 armed robberies and 2 unarmed robberies reported: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the city of Los Angeles, CA is considering a new ordinance that would ban individuals convicted of certain misdemeanors from lawfully owning a gun (felons are already banned from gun ownership at the state and federal level).  This proposed law, authored by Los Angeles City Council members Jack Weiss and Janice Hahn, would ban individuals who have been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, possessing an assault weapon, burglary, or gang crimes from owning a gun for 10 years.  On the surface, this might seem like a good thing, however I’m of the opinion that this law would be both ineffective and bad thing for the gun rights of law abiding citizens: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Darrell Jerome Ross shot and killed Edward Mitchell Perry Jr. after Perry entered Ross’ home with a gun, looking for someone with whom he had had a disagreement. Before Ross was able to fatally shoot Perry in self defense, Perry managed to non-fatally shoot another person in the house. Normally this is where the story would end, as police believe the shooting was justified self defense. However Ross had a previous felony conviction, which makes it unlawful for him to have a gun. As a result, Ross is being charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Read the rest of this article »

A trio of Second Amendment cases that follow on the landmark D.C. v. Heller ruling are making their way though the courts, and we soon see the question of Second Amendment Incorporation answered.  SCOTUSBLOG has a good post discussing these cases for those that are interested.

As reported, the owner of the Hydroponics Store on the 3600 block of St. John Avenue in Kansas City, MO was going about his business Sunday evening when a criminal entered the store, armed with a stun gun, and tried to rob him. The store owner shot the robber in self defense. The criminal escaped in an SUV, but crashed the vehicle and died shortly thereafter.  Police identified the robber as 28 year old Christopher L. Kublic. Read the rest of this article »

Although this information is less relevant now that Condoleezza Rice is no longer a member of the executive branch, I thought I would share the following article which discusses her support of gun rights: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the Congo (an African county that borders Sudan), is in the midst of a long and bloody civil war. A powerful Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, is especially known for brutality and torture.  That rebel group goes from town to town, and often sends torture victims from a town they have already sacked to the next town as a grim warning.  The town of Bangadi received such a warning, including a man whose back had been sliced up with a machete, and warned that the rebels would soon arrive.  Upon hearing the news, the small police force fled the town, and neither the Congo military or the UN responded to the villagers pleas for help.  After two weeks of begging for help that was not forthcoming, the villagers realized they had to defend themselves: Read the rest of this article »

I recently received an email from a Chicago resident, who was interested in buying a handgun and keeping it outside of city limits, due to the handgun ban.  It is perfectly fine to do so, and some Chicago-area gun stores/ranges will store your gun for about $10/month.  One such range that will do this is Maxon.

As reported, a pair of armed robber entered the Old Coin Shop in San Diego and traded gunfire with one or more employees.  The employee(s) were able to save their lives by returning fire and fatally wounding one criminal, and driving the other away.  Police are searching for that second criminal, and have recovered a handgun and clothing, plus a car that may have been used by the robbers. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Orchard Park, New York police have charged Muzzammil Hassan with killing and beheading his wife, Aasiya Hassan, who had recently filed for divorce. Fearing for her safety, Aasiya had also taken out an order of protection against her husband. Read the rest of this article »

Illinois residents are encouraged to attend the Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day (IGOLD) on March 11, 2009, which is the annual event where we gun owners make our voices heard in the state capitol. This would also be a great time to respectfully discuss the ISP’s unlawful FOID card delays with legislators who are in a position to end that abuse of police power: Read the rest of this article »

California is a “may issue” state when it comes to concealed carry, which means that the county sheriff has broad discretion in decided whether to issue or revoke a concealed carry permit.  The problem with such a “may issue” concealed carry permit system is that the sheriff can abuse their power and arbitrarily deny law abiding citizens the right to carry a gun for self defense.  That is exactly what is happening in Orange County, CA, under Sheriff Sandra Hutchens: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Oak Park, IL Police Chief Rick Tanksley offered several safety tips, after a couple of women have been attacked in Oak Park so far this year (note that these attacks are in addition to the many armed robberies): Read the rest of this article »

During the last week, criminals have continued to show contempt for the Oak Park, IL handgun ban, along with the laws against carjacking and armed robbery: Read the rest of this article »

Maxon, one of the Chicago-area ranges which I frequent, is hosting a free introduction to shooting and firearms safety. Read the rest of this article »

A recent article on mlive.com discusses cases where citizens have defended themselves against a violent attacker, and the police have determined that the citizen was justified in doing so.  The article takes a rather pro-criminal standpoint, second guessing the victims who defended themselves from violent attackers who were in the wrong – and I find that to be the unreasonable: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a robber entered the Double Down Discount store in Biloxi, MS, armed with a knife.  He approached one of the owners and demanded money.  A struggle ensued, then the owner’s wife appeared with a gun, and was able to scare the robber off by firing one shot.  Police were able to apprehend the alleged robber, Tyrone McCoy, and he is in custody.  The owners of the store are uninjured. Read the rest of this article »

Early this morning, a certain official from the village of Oak Park, IL left a comment on this website in which he or she discussed the village’s handgun ban, and a desire to speak with me.  He or she requested that I call him or her on the phone, because he or she did not have a non-work-related email account.  The official also requested that I not publish his or her name/position/phone#/etc. on this website.  While I will, of course, respect the Oak Park official’s request that I not divulge his or her personal information, I decline to give him or her a call, and encourage him or her to sign up for a free email account if he or she wishes to privately communicate with me.  Since he or she did not leave an email address at which he or she would like to be contacted, I’ve decided to publish my reply here: Read the rest of this article »

As I’ve previously mentioned on this blog and my other blog, there is a problem of no-knock warrants being overused by police and judges who want to seize stolen property or drugs.  During the execution of these warrants, armed police officers break down the door of an unsuspecting person’s home and rush in, without identifying themselves.  This can lead to a situation where the home owner reasonably believes that the intruders are violent criminals, and tries to defend themselves, with unfortunate results.  Here is such an example: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Mike Hasenei, a 39 year old man, lived in Elkridge, MD with his 12 year old daughter, and his Australian cattle dog. He has a stepson, who has not lived in the home for years. Back on January 14, 2009, someone stole items from a couple of police cars in the area, and the police suspected the stepson might be involved. The police secured search warrants to search Mike’s home, and the stepson’s home, to look for the stolen property. The police also knew that Mike was a law abiding gun owner, and asked the judge for a no-knock warrant, which would allow them to show up unannounced, break the door down, and rush into Mike’s home. The police executed the warrant on January 15, 2009, by Read the rest of this article »

As I mentioned previously, not all Democrats are anti gun, just as not all Republicans are pro gun.  Almost on que, a trio of Republicans from the state of Connecticut, Governor Jodi Rell (R), State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney (R-28), and State House Minority Leader Larry Cafero (R-142), have proposed a package of anti gun rights laws: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association has declared support for Illinois HB245, which would allow IL residents to obtain concealed carry permits after passing background checks and training courses: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the armed robbery spree that has struck Oak Park, IL over the last year has continued for another week.  This is despite Oak Park’s handgun ban, and the laughable assertions by village officials that such a law makes Oak Park “gun free“. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, an armed robber who though that crime would lead him to easy money ended up shot, and in custody.  The attempted robbery happened on February 2, 2009 at the U-Wash car wash in Stone Mountain, Georgia.  The robber is said to have approach a would-be victim brandishing a gun.  The would-be victim was able to draw his own gun, and shoot the robber.  The criminal survived, and will be prosecuted once he is released from the hospital.  The would-be victim was not injured. Read the rest of this article »

The last couple of days have been quite nice, insofar as incoming links to LearnAboutGuns.com are concerned Read the rest of this article »

The state of Montana is considering joining the ranks of other states that have a castle doctrine law, which protects law abiding citizens who have rightfully defended themselves from the fear of prosecution or being sued by the criminal: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the British police have been searching on social networking sites for pictures of people posing with knives.  Upon finding such a picture, they make a copy and send it to a gang task force.  The gang task for then arrests the individual if the picture was taken in a public place (carrying a knife in public is illegal in the UK).  If the picture was taken in private, the police still go pay a visit to the people involved (or their parents) and try to confiscate the knives.  My thoughts on this approach are below: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the NRA has prevailed over the San Francisco Housing Authority’s illegal ban on gun ownership for those living in public housing.  Previously, San Francisco Housing Authority had a lease provision banning guns in the public housing residences, but has agreed to remove the provisions and admit that such provisions are not lawful, in order to settle the lawsuit filed by the NRA. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Kenneth Plummer is an 82 year old WWII veteran who lives in Fayette County, PA. In December, a criminal forced his way into Plummer’s home and tried to rob him.  In the scuffle that ensued, Plummer was able to grab a knife and stab the criminal in the stomach, driving the criminal off and saving his life.  This week, the elderly man again suffered a home invasion robbery, with 3 men breaking in to his kitchen.  Plummer was able to scare the men off with his gun, and fired at them as they fled  Police confiscated Plummer’s gun because, as the the local prosecutor explained, firing at fleeing criminals is not self defense.  My thoughts are below: Read the rest of this article »

I often end up searching through the LearnAboutGuns.com archives to find a particularly relevant armed self defense example to mention when writing a new article.  Until now, I didn’t have a single page where all of of the self defense stories that I’ve written about could be found, which meant that I was wasting time tracking them down.  So, I created a new Self Defense Example tag page, where all such stories can be conveniently found. Read the rest of this article »

I just wanted to take a moment to point out a great article over at Walls Of the City, entitled “keyboards should be licensed” .  The article deals with an uninformed journalist who is bent on vilifying so-called assault weapons.

As reported, criminals in Oak Park have continued their armed robbery spree, in spite of Oak Park’s misguided attempt to be “gun free”.  Making matters worse, the robbers seem to be increasingly violent. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, 18 year old Raymond Martinez, a reputed gang member bent on committing robbery, entered the Grand Market store in Tuscon, Arizona with an accomplice.   Martinez drew his handgun and fired a shot at the employee, wounding him.  The surprised employee drew his own gun and fatally shot Martinez in the chest, ending the robbery and saving his own life.  The accomplice fled, only to soon be caught by police, and the store clerk was treated for non life threatening injuries at a local hospital. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a group of friend was standing outside in Evanston, IL when a man who was walking by slipped and fell on the ice. The friends began laughing at the man for his misfortune. The man who fell on the ice didn’t find it to be funny in the slightest. He drew a gun and fired one shot, which struck one of the laughing individuals in the ankle. The victim was treated at a local hospital and released, while the shooter has not been identified or apprehended.  This shooting seems to convey two lessons: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Lucy’s Sweet Surrender is the last remaining Hungarian bakery on Buckeye Road in Cleveland, Ohio. It is well known for its delicious treats, and loved by neighborhood residents who lament the closing of the other Hungarian bakeries. Now the owner is considering closing shop due to brazen armed robbery that left his wife, Marika Feigenbaum, shot and pistol whipped. Marika was in the bakery when an armed robber entered and demanded that she open the safe and give him large amounts of money. Marika truthfully responded that there was no safe, and that only small amounts of cash were on hand.  Enraged, the robber pistol whipped the woman and shot her in the shoulder, then fled. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Donald Nigel Jones was a 29 year old convicted felon, who had had committed dozens of robberies.  After serving about eight years in prison and then being paroled, Jones set out to rob the Belmont Beverage liquor store in Fort Wayne, Indiana – a store that he had previously robbed nearly a decade ago.  However this time, the clerk was armed and fatally shot Jones, putting a permanent end to his life of crime.  Unfortunately, the clerk was also shot in the leg by Jones, although he is expected to make a full recovery from this non-life-threatening injury.  Prosecutors are not expected to charge the clerk for this self defense shooting, and the store owner supports the clerk’s decision to defend himself. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, the city of Beloit will soon have ShotSpotter surveillance cameras, which are designed to detect gunfire and explosions in near real time.  The idea is that such monitoring will enable police to better combat crime – but as a resident of the Chicago area who has seen such cameras in action, I’m skeptical. Read the rest of this article »

Kirsten Gillibrand has been appointed to fill the New York senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand, a Democrat, is a supporter of gun rights who has a 100% positive rating from the NRA.  This infuriates fellow Democrat Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, who is strongly opposed to gun rights.  Congresswoman McCarthy lashed out at Gillibrand during an interview: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, Sarah Richardson, a 26 year old woman from the UK was married to Edward Richardson, who was 40 year old. Their marriage fell apart, and Sarah moved back in with her parents. In the early months of 2008, Sarah changed her marital status to “single” on Facebook, and this enraged Edward. He sent her text messages, but she wanted nothing further to do with him. So, Edward broke into her parents’ home, and cornered Sarah in her bedroom. Edward then brutally stabbed Sarah to death, before unsuccessfully trying to kill himself. Edward was convicted of Sarah’s murder, and sentenced to at least 17 years in prison. Sarah’s parents made the following statement after hearing the verdict: “There simply aren’t the words to describe how Sarah’s death, and the awful way in which she died, has affected us. We all miss her so much. Sarah was the loveliest daughter anyone could wish for. She was honest, loyal and sweet, and everyone loved her.” Read the rest of this article »

As reported, two preschool children and one adult have been killed, and another 13 people have been injured during a brutal stabbing attack at a Dendermonde, Belgium nursery.  The attacker, whose face was painted, tricked an employee into letting him in to the nursery, at which point he stabbed three infants.  Then he went to another floor the nursery, and stabbed even more people, before escaping on a bicycle.  10 surviving children were brought to a local hospital in need of emergency surgery.  A suspect was reportedly apprehended shortly thereafter. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, armed robberies continue to plague the village of Oak Park, despite assertions by village officials that Oak Park is “gun free.” Read the rest of this article »

Rahm Emanuel is an anti gun politician who recently became Barack Obama’s chief of staff.  He was previously the the US Congressman for Illinois’ 5th congressional district – a congressional seat that is now vacant.  The seat will soon be filled through an election, with the primary occurring on March 3, 2009, and the general election on April 7, 2009.  Getting a pro gun rights individual elected would be a nice change, especially since the president is anti gun, and both chambers of congress are controlled by anti gun politicians: Read the rest of this article »

Anti gun rights people will often use misinformation to advance their arguments.  Sometimes the misinformation takes the form of an overt untruth, while other times it is more subtle.  A recent news story from the Hartford Courant in Connecticut seems to fit into that second category of anti gun misinformation: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a Westville, FL resident called the police after hearing sounds of a break-in at his rural home.  The man hid in a closet, as the criminal entered the room.  The man then emerged from the closet, and told the criminal that he had a gun.  The ski-mask-wearing criminal then fled, using an S-10 pickup truck as his getaway vehicle.  A man matching the description of the criminal was later seen casing another house in the area. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, six people where shot at a house party in Chicago, following a verbal altercation.  The shooting occurred on Chicago’s South side at 1:30am yesterday.  Fortunately, all 6 of the victims are expected to live (although their lives will almost certainly be permanently effected by their injuries). Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a woman from Dumfries, VA was not feeling well, and ended up staying home sick from work.  Her home security alarm suddenly went off, and she found 3 men breaking in to her home.  Luckily for this woman, she was a gun owner, and the three criminals fled upon seeing her.  Amazingly, one of the criminals returned a moment later.  The woman shot the criminal in self defense, and the criminal was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.  Police caught the second home invader, and are searching for the third. Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a team of three Professional Recovery Services employees went to repossess a pair of vehicles from an address in Hoffman Estates, IL. They found only one vehicle, an Isuzu SUV, and hitched it to their tow truck. An employee went to door of the house to notify the owner of the repossession, but no one answered. Moments later, a man came out of the house, and slipped on the ice. When the employee asked the man if he was OK, the man pointed a handgun at the employee and Read the rest of this article »

Gary Becker, the mayor of Racine, WI is a member of the anti gun rights group “Mayors Against Illegal Guns.”  The 51 year old married man, who is a father of two children, was arrested for allegedly trying to meet an underage girl for sex. An Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force member is said to have posed online as a minor, and caught Becker in a sting operation.  Becker was arrested at a mall, where he allegedly though he was meeting the young girl in person. It also appears that Mayor Becker had been under a separate investigation since before Christmas – when a city employee who fixed his computer was said to have found what could be child pornography, and turned it over to the police.

Based on a statement from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Mayor Gary Becker could face at least six charges, including child enticement, possession of child pornography, attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child and misconduct in public office. Becker was booked into the Kenosha County, WI Jail on Tuesday evening and then released after a relative posted his $165,000 bail.

This is not a good week for these anti gun rights mayors.  Earlier this week, Mayor Sheila Dixon of Baltimore was indicted on corruption related charges.  Overall, this now makes 7 such anti gun mayors who have been arrested. Perhaps these mayors should focus on conducting themselves in a lawful manner, rather than finding ways to infringe the gun ownership rights of law abiding citizens?

As reported, yet another politician from the anti gun rights group “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” is facing criminal charges: Read the rest of this article »

As reported, a 4 year old boy became upset when a 17 year old stepped on his foot.  The 4 year old left the room in an angry manner, saying that he was going to get a gun, but his relatives thought he was joking.  He walked to a bedroom in the home, and took a 20 gauge single-shot shotgun out from a closet.  He then took a single birdshot shell from a drawer, and loaded it into the chamber.  Then, he returned to the living room and shot the 17 year old in the arm and side.  The parents stated that the 4 year old boy had seen others use the shotgun, but had never been taught about guns.  The father’s response to this shooting was to say that he is getting rid of all guns from the home.  To me, this seems to be poor parenting, both before and after the shooting: Read the rest of this article »