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21 November, 2007

WA: Homeowner shoots suspect taking weapon from house: "A teenager was shot in the arm this morning by a Yakima resident who returned home to find his West Valley home being burglarized by two juveniles who were stealing weapons from the house, Yakima police said. The homeowner was returning home about 10:30 a.m. when he saw a brown Honda Accord he didn't recognize parked in the driveway. Inside, the man saw two teenagers, one of them carrying his rifle. Police said the homeowner opened fire with a .45 caliber handgun that he was carrying, injuring one of the burglary suspects. It was unclear whether the rifle was pointed at the man, but police said he was defending himself when he opened fire. The wounded teenager was taken to a Yakima hospital, where his condition was not immediately available. However, police said the gunshot was not life-threatening. The other suspect was arrested by police at the house.



Georgia: Homeowner sends burglars to hospital: "Investigators say two armed burglars invaded a home Friday night around 8:30pm on the 3000-block of Tate Rd. A struggle occurred between the homeowner and one of the men. The homeowner was shot in the arm, but was able to get the gun away from the burglars to shoot back. The two burglars drove themselves to the hospital where they were arrested. The two men have been identified as Montrelle Teasley and Marcus Turner. Both will be charged with armed robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a crime. Teasley is a juvenile, but will be charged as an adult."



SAF engages in worldwide struggle against gun grabbers: "The Second Amendment Foundation and the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA) met in Palermo, Italy, on October 4 and 5, 2007, to plan for a looming battle over global gun control. SAF joined the WFSA in 2006. The WFSA was formed in 1997, and is an officially recognized United Nations non-governmental organization, or NGO. SAF was represented by Julianne Gottlieb. The WFSA has 38 members including most of the major hunting and sport shooting organizations and the firearms and ammunition manufacturer associations. The WFSA Board meets twice a year."



Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?: "It has long been said that, 'God made all men, but Samuel Colt made all men equal.' No other personal weapon in history has been relied upon more by men and women alike, regardless of physical condition, build, or skill in self-defense techniques."



20 November, 2007

Ohio Man Tries To Break-In Home, Gets Shot: "A Dayton homeowner shot a suspected burglar Saturday morning. Police responded to the 4000 block of Pleasantview early Saturday morning. Police said a man tried kicking in the back door of the home and that is when the homeowner shot him. The burglar was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and is in critical condition"



Texas shooting may have been self-defense: "The Walker County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of a man who was shot and killed by another man in Riverside Tuesday night. Jerry Wayne Bratton, a 40-year-old white male from Crockett, was killed just before 8 p.m. when another man — whose name county officials are not releasing — shot him in front of the Valero store off state Highway 19, just over the Trinity River bridge. Lt. Charlie Perkins with the Walker County Sheriff’s Department said that when police responded to the scene they found Bratton lying on the ground with one gunshot wound to the torso. “There was some altercation between the victim and the suspect and the victim was shot,” Perkins said Friday. Walker County Criminal District Attorney David Weeks said his office had been brought into the investigation early to determine if the suspect shot Bratton in self-defense. “There are certainly some elements of self-defense that we’re going to present in detail to the grand jury,” Weeks said. “There was enough evidence there that I thought there were no felony charges appropriate at this point.” .... Witnesses to the incident — who spoke on the condition of anonymity — said Bratton taunted the shooter with a knife."



The foolishness and immorality of gun control: "I sent a pro-gun commentary from a British newspaper to a liberal friend of mine, and he replied that if we just banned the manufacture of firearms on a worldwide level there wouldn't be any crime or genocides like the one going on in Darfur. He then suggested that I had joined a militia group."



Will your gun save your life?: "The scenario: You are in the grocery store parking lot. Evening has fallen, but the street light illuminates the area. You are putting your new purchases in the trunk of your car, anticipating being in the warmth of your own home in fifteen minutes, after a long day at work. Thoughts are going through your mind of what to make for dinner and what you will be .... And then it happens!"



19 November, 2007

FL: No gun charges for armed reporter: "Prosecutors have dropped the case against a TV reporter who was arrested carrying a loaded gun near a high school while working on a story on school violence, authorities said Tuesday. Jeffrey Weinsier of WPLG, an ABC network affiliate, was arrested last month after police said he carried a weapon onto the grounds of Miami Central High School and refused to cross the street when asked by an officer. A cameraman caught the encounter on videotape, which the state attorney's office used in deciding not to pursue the charges, Assistant State Attorney Maggie Gerson wrote in a memo released Tuesday. Weinsier had been charged with armed trespass on school property, possession of a weapon, violation of carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest without violence. But he was not on school grounds when police approached him and ordered him to leave, Gerson said. 'Since the defendant was not trespassing, anything that was found on the defendant after he was arrested will be suppressed as a matter of law,' Gerson wrote."



TX: Intruder shot: "Dallas police were investigating Wednesday the shooting of a home intruder. Investigators said the man had a gun and entered an apartment in the 9700 block of Forest Lane around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. A man in the apartment shot the intruder, according to police. "The complainant goes to the apartment to buy or rob drugs," Sgt. Gil Cerda said. "He knocks on the door. There are three people inside the apartment. They are suspicious. He comes in with a gun and they shoot him. Our shooter was brought in for questioning and we are looking at a Grand Jury referral." The intruder, 24, was taken to a local hospital where he was remained on life support Wednesday"



Bloomy's anti-gun hysteria perpetuates social bigotry: "A new series of anti-gun posters now showing up around New York City are an affront to law-abiding gun owners, while also serving as an attempt to scare younger people from pursuing legal gun ownership, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. The signs have two messages: 'Guns Open Doors for Young People ... Prison Doors' and the other says 'JAIL' in capitol letters, with the 'L' being the image of a Beretta semiautomatic pistol."



18 November, 2007

Michigan Store Clerk Shoots Alleged Robber: "It happened around 7:30 p.m. at Nick's Short Stop party store in Clinton Township located at Cass Road and Romeo Plank. The 17-year-old clerk said he was protecting his brother who was being held up by a knife. "I just want people to understand we are the victims and I hope he is OK," store owner John Acho said. Acho said he wants to make sure people know his nephew was acting in self-defense. Police said the robber had a knife. "I hope he is OK, but he had no right to come in here and rob the store and try to hurt people," said Acho. Police said the clerk fired several shots at the 22-year-old robber, hitting him once in the chest and once in the arm. The robber is hospitalized in grave condition, according to officials."



Missouri: Disabled man pulls gun, ends violent armed robbery spree: "A disabled man defending himself with a firearm from people trying to break into his trailer appears to have stopped a crime spree early Thursday morning..... the sheriff’s office received a call from a man and his wife on Reporter Road who told deputies that they had caught a juvenile breaking into their mobile home about a mile north of Waynesville and were holding him at gunpoint. They said another man who had tried to break into their home had already fled. King said the couple told him they were confronted in their home about 6 a.m. by a man in his 30s and a 16-year-old male. The older intruder pulled a handgun, but apparently didn’t anticipate that his intended victim — a disabled man in his 40s who takes medication for serious back pain — might not be an easy target. “The homeowner pulled his weapon and the suspect fled,” King said. “The suspect had a pellet gun; the homeowner had a real gun.” The deputy left the Fort Wood Inn and headed toward the Reporter Road address, but while driving on Highway T on his way to Reporter Road, at 6:09 a.m., he saw a small silver passenger car matching the description of a car that had fled the Fort Wood Inn. The sheriff’s department had only one deputy on duty in the early morning hours, so sheriff’s dispatchers called Waynesville police to assist with securing the juvenile being held at gunpoint by the homeowner; King responded from his home, took custody of the juvenile from Waynesville police, and transported him to the county jail where he awaits filing of charges.



Ohio store owner shoots suspect during robbery attempt: "A suspect entered the Northfield Food Mart around 7:15pm Thursday evening attempting to rob the store owner. In defense, the store owner pulled out a weapon and shot the suspect. The injured suspect attempted to exit the store and was quickly apprehended. Police are in early stages of their investigation.... The suspect was taken to Bedford Hospital and then lifeflighted to MetroHealth Medical Center. There is no word on his condition, however, there are reports that he may have been shot in the head.



17 November, 2007

Pennsylvania Mother Turns Tables On Carjackers: "Police said Wednesday a mother wrestled away a gun from a carjacker who tried to take her car with her 7-year-old daughter inside. Chopper 10 was over the scene at Bellfield Avenue and Route 1, where police were using metal detectors and a search dog. Bellfield Avenue was shut down for the investigation. Firefighters arrived with lights so police could continue the investigation. Police said the 37-year-old woman was leaving work at the Sunny Days Early Child Development Services facility on Township Line when she said she was approached by two men who got out of a black Jeep. After a brief conversation, one pointed a gun at her and demanded her SUV. Police said the woman pleaded with the gunmen to allow her to retrieve her 7-year-old daughter out of the backseat. As she helped the child out, she grabbed the gun from the carjacker's lap. The woman then began to back away, with the gunmen following in an attempt to retrieve the gun. Police said the gun went off in the struggle. While neither the mother nor daughter were injured, it was unknown if their attackers were hurt. The gunmen got the weapon back, and one jumped into the victim's SUV and drove up Belfield Avenue, while the other was picked up around the corner on Township Line in the black Jeep they had pulled up in, NBC 10 News reported. Police said they were looking for at least three men, their black Jeep, and the victim's 2007 White Over Black Toyota FJ Cruiser."



Texas: Big guy shot while trying to seize child: "A 20-year-old Fort Worth man was shot in the chest Wednesday night while attempting to take his 15-month-old son from a residence in Burleson after a fight with another Fort Worth man, according the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Ashton Lamar Miles Brown, 17, is accused of shooting Damarcus King, who was transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital. Brown was arrested on a charge of a felon in possession of a firearm. Details on King’s condition were not available. According to reports, King, the father of the child, had sent threatening messages to the mother. King said he would harm the mother and grandmother and then take the child from the East Renfro Street home. Brown was inside the residence with the mother and child when King arrived at the home. When King entered the residence, a fight began between the two men. At 6-3 and 200 pounds, King is three years older, six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than Brown. During the fight, Brown fired a shot from a 9 mm handgun, which struck King in the chest. The shot entered and exited King’s chest cavity area. Despite the wound, the fight continued while King and Brown stumbled over a love seat. King went out the front door and collapsed in the front yard, where he remained until paramedics arrived for treatment. Both men have prior arrest records."



Tennessee: Robbery suspect shot, killed at car wash: "A robbery suspect was shot and killed in South Memphis tonight. According to Memphis police, multiple suspects attempted to rob the After Hours car wash at 770 Polk near Crump just before 7 p.m. A person inside the store had a gun. He fired, hitting one of the suspects and killing him, police said. Police were still investigating the incident late tonight, and were uncertain if any charges would be filed against the shooter."



16 November, 2007

DC Gun Ban Hasn't Curbed Crime

Post below lifted from Newsbusters. See the original for links

It's a few steps shy of proclaiming, "Gun Ban an Abject Failure at Curbing Crime," but today's Washington Post Metro did trumpet on the front of its November 13 Metro section that the 31-year old D.C. handgun ban has not proven to be a crime deterrent. With his somewhat subdued headline, "Crime Data Underscore Limits of D.C. Gun Ban's Effectiveness," staff writer Paul Duggan unearthed the political calculus for the 1976 gun ban, as well as the Post's role as chief journalistic cheerleader for the law the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals found unconstitutional earlier this year.

In making by far their boldest public policy decision, the District's first elected officials wanted other jurisdictions, especially neighboring states, to follow the lead of the nation's capital by enacting similar gun restrictions, cutting the flow of firearms into the city from surrounding areas. "We were trying to send out a message," recalled Sterling Tucker (D), the council chairman at the time.

Nadine Winters (D), also a council member then, said, "My expectation was that this being Washington, it would kind of spread to other places, because these guns, there were so many of them coming from Virginia and Maryland."

Duggan quotes other politicians who eagerly supported, and continue to support the ban, noting that at the time even they admitted the ban would do nothing to make citizens safer:

"The bill should not be looked at as a panacea to solve all gun-related crime problems that we have in the city," warned then-council member John A. Wilson (D), after the council passed the measure, 12 to 1, and the mayor signed it into law in July 1976. "But maybe it will save some senseless accident at somebody's home," Wilson said. Marion Barry (D), a council member then as now and a supporter of the bill, put it bluntly at the time: "What we are doing today will not take one gun out of the hands of one criminal."

But it wasn't just the overwhelmingly liberal Democratic city council that cheered for the liberty-limiting gun ban. Duggan notes that the Post editorial page cheered the ban and urged a more comprehensive national one be instituted by Congress:

There was no more ardent supporter of the ban in 1976 than The Washington Post editorial page, which asserted: "One shortcoming of local laws . . . is that they can't work well when guns are moving freely in immediate adjacent areas." That is why, the editorial said, a federal handgun law was needed.

Duggan's article has some shortcomings, among them: no quotes from gun rights groups or scholars like John Lott, the economist who found a correlation between states with minimal gun control and low crime. Even a quote by liberal constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe, who himself now admits the 2nd Amendment guarantees the individual's right to keep and bear arms, would have provided a good balance to the pro-ban sound bites from yesteryear. That said, it's not every day you see in the pages of a major liberal newspaper the admission that the very same paper has been a cheerleader for a gun control policy that's only disarmed law-abiding citizens while leaving the city more dangerous in its wake.




Texas: Two burglars fatally shot: "Pasadena police say an elderly man today shot and killed two men he believed were burglarizing his neighbor's house. Captain "Bud" Corbett says the man heard noises he thought sounded like broken glass and determined the commotion was happening next door. The man called police and then saw two men coming through a gate in the backyard of the neighbor's house. Corbett says the elderly man had a shotgun and confronted the pair -- told them to stop -- and shot them when they refused. One person was found dead about two houses away. The other was found dead across the street. Police were interviewing the elderly man."



Indiana Woman Shoots Stalker To Death After Break-In: "An accused stalker was shot to death Monday night by the object of his obsession after he broke into her Hessville home, police told the Northwest Indiana Times. Hammond resident Ryan Lee Bergner, 41, was pronounced dead from gunshot wounds to his abdomen shortly after 10:30 p.m. at a local hospital. According to the Times, Bergner went on a date with the 51-year-old woman last June, and his behavior became obsessive, offensive and violent... On Monday night, the woman was watching television in her living room when she said she heard Bergner break a bathroom window near her back door and called 911. A friend had given the woman a pistol for protection earlier in the day. After the 911 operator told her to lock herself in her bedroom until police could come, she ran upstairs to do so and retrieved the gun... Hiding in her closet on Monday night, the woman said she heard Bergner enter the bedroom, then watched as he opened the closet door. She said she told him to stop, but he kept coming. She fired the gun three times. She said he then proceeded to choke her violently before collapsing to the floor.



15 November, 2007

Nevada: Man shot, killed attempting to carjack security guard: "A suspect is dead after messing with the wrong person Tuesday morning. North Las Vegas Police say a man tried to carjack a security guard at about 6 in the morning near Gowan and I-15. The intended victim and the suspect got into a shootout. The security guard was taken to the hospital with a minor wound. The suspect was taken to UMC where he later died. Police say the security guard may not face any charges, because it appears he was acting in self defense."



California: Store clerk shoots fruitcake wielding knife: "A liquor store employee shot a 27-year-old man Wednesday night after the man attacked the clerk with a knife. At about 8 p.m., Daniel Perez had entered AA Liquors at 1305 Niles St. and asked a clerk and his wife to kill him, according to a news release by the Bakersfield Police Department. Perez pulled out a knife and hit the male clerk on the left thumb, according to police. The cut was minor. The clerk took out a gun and shot the suspect in the right arm. Perez then went to a cooler, stole a beer and exited the store, police said. Officers arrived and ordered the suspect to lie down, according to the news release. Perez did not listen and was arrested after a police dog dragged him down, according to the news release. The suspect hit the dog several times with the beer bottle. Perez was taken to Kern Medical center with a gunshot wound to his right arm that had entered his chest. The wound was non-life threatening, police said."



Groups assail governor on guns: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a quick-trigger, guns-a-blazing action hero in Hollywood, is being blasted by firearms groups as a Second Amendment wimp in the Capitol. Schwarzenegger's signing of bills to require microstamping of semiautomatic pistols and to ban lead bullets in condor country has prompted gun groups to paint him as one of the state's most anti-gun Republican governors. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might as well change his last name to Kennedy because he is acting just like radical, anti-gun U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, his uncle-in-law," read a recent statement by Gun Owners of California, a nonprofit advocacy group."



14 November, 2007

Ohio market owner shoots at gunman: "Upset after he’d just been robbed of about $400, Wade Nassar grabbed his gun, ran around the counter of his convenience store, flung open the door and emptied his gun at the fleeing robber. “I meant to kill the dude,” Nassar said today, a day after he celebrated his 61st birthday at his Clermont County home. This isn’t the first time Nassar’s N&M Mini-mart – on the southwest corner of West Ninth and Elm streets – has been robbed, but it is the first time Nassar was mad enough to fight back. “I grabbed my gun and I’m shooting right behind his ass,” Nassar said. At about 11:30 a.m. today, Nassar saw a black man – Nassar guessed he was about 32 years old – enter his store and try to buy a $1.80 box of Kleenex. That’s when, Nassar said, the man stuck his hand in his jacket pocket to intimate he had a gun and demanded money. Nassar opened the cash register and gave the man about $400. “I didn’t give him all of it,” Nassar said. As soon as Nassar gave the man the money, he ran out the door and east on Ninth Street. When the robber took off, Nassar said he reached behind the counter, grabbed the .22-caliber handgun he keeps there and ran to the front door, opened it and started shooting, getting off five shots. “How I missed him I don’t know,” Nassar said. “If I (would have) crossed the street, I would have killed him.” Police heard the shots and responded. They may not have been too thrilled about Nassar shooting his gun on a downtown street in an area across the street from a school. "I think we are very fortunate that no one was hit that we are aware of,’’ said Cincinnati Police Lt. Mark Briede Nassar said “nobody was in the street” when he fired. Police confiscated Nassar’s gun – Nassar said he was registered to carry it – and took the Kleenex box to see if they can get a fingerprint from it of the robber."



Tennessee homeowner fights back, shoots would-be burglar: "A 63-year-old man took matters into his own hands when two men tried to break in his South Knox County home late Sunday night. The homeowner, Horace Garland, says they suspects didn't get very far inside his home. "I heard them. They were hollering or something when they were coming onto the porch." He says he even warned the men that he had a gun. "I guess they didn't believe me or something." Garland says he jumped out of bed, dove behind his bedroom wall and was ready with his pistol when the men came inside. "I shot one of them, and the other, he stayed around there and he hollered, 'Quit shooting!' and I let him come in and get him," Garland says. He shot Jeremy Johnson, 21, in the neck. The other man was Johnson's step-brother, Timothy Lee Sellers, 26. "He was the one sticking the gun around the side and shooting," Garland says. "He shot through the wall there at me." Garland's girlfriend was also in the room. "I shook for two hours... she was the same way. We're too old for this stuff." When asked if he'd do it again, Garland says he would in a heartbeat. "I didn't mind it a bit or until it was over. I'm glad I didn't kill him." Garland says he's still shaken up, and he doesn't know who either of the men are who broke in his home or what they were looking for. He's only lived in his neighborhood for about a month. Both suspects confessed to the break-in and are charged with aggravated burglary and attempted aggravated robbery. Garland won't face any charges since detectives say he acted in self-defense."



Louisiana woman shot in the chest after attacking another with cleaver: "A cleaver-wielding ex-girlfriend was shot in the chest early this morning at her former boyfriend's home in West Feliciana Parish. Kimberly Davis was brought to a nearby hospital after she was shot in the chest around 1 a.m. She underwent surgery but her condition was not immediately available. Authorities say Davis will face charges of attempted second-degree murder upon her release. West Feliciana Parish sheriff's officials say Davis kicked in the door of her former boyfriend's trailer. Investigators say he was in the bedroom with his new girlfriend when Davis, carrying a meat cleaver, stormed into the room. The new girlfriend was cut with the cleaver and then she reportedly pulled out a pistol and shot Davis in the chest. Captain Spence Dilworth says the pistol used to shoot Davis was a .22 caliber. The sheriff's office say the shooter will NOT be charged."



13 November, 2007

Florida: Boy, 15, shot dead during burglary in North Miami: "An auto repair shop owner confronted two teens early Saturday in North Miami, shooting and killing one of them as they both attempted to burglarize the business that also doubles as the owner's home. The 15-year-old North Miami boy, Paul-Marc Petit, of North Miami, died from a gunshot wound. The other suspect, who is also 15, was apprehended and charged with felony murder, burglary and theft. He was not identified by police. The owner of Knight Auto Repair, 685 NW 121 Street, whose name was not released by police, is not expected to be charged in connection with the shooting because he was acting in self-defense. Police said the shop owner spotted the two burglary suspects on his property about 2 a.m. The teens were not armed. ''He heard noise,'' said Sergeant Trevor Shinn of the North Miami Investigations Unit, ``They were removing property from the vehicles. There was a confrontation, he shot at them.'' Police arrived to find the boy lying in front of the residence with a gunshot wound. They notified emergency rescue workers, who were unable to save the teen, according to a statement issued by the North Miami Police Department spokesman Lt. Neal Cuevas"



Florida: Angry hog finally shot: "A Youngstown man with a .22 rifle was the last line of defense between his family and an angry porker. The 300-pound swine terrorized a home along County 2301 on Saturday morning, but ultimately, the hog was killed and taken away to become bacon, ribs and other meats. “It charged my mom. She was getting very upset,” said the 47-year-old who shot the hog. The man’s name is being withheld at the family’s request because of fear of retribution. “It even came after me one time and nipped me on the leg.” Officials with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said the family contacted their neighbors to see if the hog belonged to anyone, but no one claimed the curly-tailed creature. After the family called for help, two officers from Bay County Animal Control arrived, but they could not catch the hog either. “We chased the pig all over the place,” the man said. “The pig was street-wise.” ... The officers told the deputy to shoot the hog, but the deputy refused, Sumerall said. The officers then requested the deputy contact Sumerall, who concurred with the deputy’s decision. “We’re not shooting an animal that is not a threat to anyone,” Sumerall said. However, Sumerall told the officials the homeowner could shoot the pig. Homeowners have a right to safely kill game on their property, and hogs always are in season, Sumerall said."



Tennessee Man Shot By Two Women: "A deadly shooting in Camden, Tennessee on Thursday. 29-year-old Jason Robinson of Holladay suffered a shotgun wound to the chest and died about an hour after being shot yesterday afternoon. The police chief says an argument started when Robinson told his girlfriend Sonja Moore that he had an affair with her friend Benita Murphy. All three were at Moore's home at the time. The women told police Robinson was beating them. Officers say both women show signs of abuse. The women said Murphy got the shotgun to defend herself and shot Robinson when he kept attacking them. No charges have been filed at this point."



12 November, 2007

Teacher not allowed gun in school

A US judge ruled today that school officials can forbid a teacher from carrying a gun on school grounds. Shirley Katz sued the Medford School District in Oregon, arguing that its policy against firearms violates a state law that allows people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns into public buildings. The high school English teacher said she had a right to carry a handgun, as a defence against intruders or her former husband.

But Circuit Court Judge Philip Arnold ruled that the Legislature has forbidden local governments from passing ordinances - local laws - to regulate firearms. He says an ordinance is different from a school employment policy, so state law does not prohibit the district's policy.

Katz, who has a concealed weapons permit, filed a lawsuit challenging the school policy. The South Medford High School Teacher says she wanted to carry her 9mm Glock automatic pistol to class because she feared an attack by a Columbine-style intruder or her former husband. "On any given day, we would be naive to not acknowledge there are guns in schools," Katz has said. "I am just the first one with a concealed-carry permit" to come out in public.

Katz's demand for the right to carry her pistol onto school grounds appears to be rare. School security consultant Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services in Cleveland, Ohio, has said he had never heard of a similar case while working in 45 states.

Katz has said she bought her pistol in 2004 and took training classes after her husband at the time, Gerry Katz, grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her - an allegation he denies. They have since been divorced and share custody of their six-year-old daughter. A restraining order she had against him has expired and not been renewed. Shirley Katz will not say whether she has ever brought her gun to school, but has said she feels that in light of school shootings around the country, students and staff would be safer if properly trained teachers were armed.

Source




Judge dismisses suit against gun club: "St. Clair County's nearly three-year effort to seize and close a shooting range next to Scott Air Force Base suffered a legal setback Thursday morning. St. Clair County Associate Judge James Radcliffe dismissed the county's eminent domain lawsuit against the Caseyville Rifle and Pistol Club in Mascoutah. The judge's reason: The May 2005 County Board resolution authorizing the lawsuit is too vague to withstand possible review by an appellate court, Radcliffe said. "That was not an adequate ordinance for an eminent domain case," he said. County leaders have been trying to shut down the gun club -- which had moved from its old site in Caseyville to accommodate the developer of a 400-home subdivision -- since early 2005."



Massachusetts: Clerk shoots suspect during botched heist: Police said they followed a trail of blood to capture a city man who was shot by a convenience store clerk during a botched robbery attempt yesterday morning. The clerk had been pistol-whipped during the crime, and had a cut to his head, said Detective Bureau Capt. Robert T. McFarlin. The clerk, a 44-year-old native of Iraq, will not be charged, he said. As described by police, two males entered Wheeler's convenience store at 597 Dickinson St. around 11:20 a.m. One had a stun gun and the other a semi-automatic handgun. A struggle ensued, and the clerk took the handgun and shot one of the suspects in the leg. Police followed the blood and found Abraham Ramos, 20, of 227 White St., in a garage at 146 Draper St., McFarlin said. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he was being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg."



11 November, 2007

TX: Store employee kills robber: "Authorities say around 3 p.m. Saturday, Jesse Jermane Pearson triedto rob Carl's Corner Convenience Store. Just minutes later, a store clerk reportedly chased him and about two miles from the store, Pearson was fatally shot. 'He waited until all of the other customers left and he came up to pay and instead of pulling out money he pulled out a big switch blade,' says Alex Hamil, the Carl's Corner Convenience Store Clerk who was held up at knife point Saturday. ... But Pearson would not get far. ... Barely two miles down the road Pearson's Toyota Tercell broke down .... Pearson allegedly ran toward Martin. That's when Martin allegedly grabbed his deer rifle. Hamil tells us that Pearson allegedly jumped in Martin's Jeep Cherokee and took off. 'And he tried to hit him with the car and that's when Jace shot him,' says Hamil. Moments later, Lubbock Police and Sheriff's Deputies arrived on the scene to find Pearson sitting in the driver's seat of the Martin's Jeep bleeding from the left side of his body. Pearson died en route to the hospital."



FL: Victims scare off robbers: "Two holders of concealed-weapons permits surprised armed thugs who approached them in west Orlando this week. Both men opened fire rather than surrender their wallets.... "What time is it?" one of the strangers asked. Soto looked down at his watch and said, "It is 6:10." Raising his head, Soto heard the stranger say, "Hey, run them," as the man drew a black snub-nose revolver from the pouch in his sweat shirt. As Soto pulled a 9 mm Keltec pistol from his right front pants pocket, he heard the robber's gunfire and felt a bullet graze his left shin, breaking the skin. Still standing, Soto fired two or three times before both robbers turned and ran, the report states. "They tried to rob me and my homeboy," Soto said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "Man, put it like this: If I didn't have a concealed-weapons permit, it would have been a lot worse." When the robbers fled, one stopped, turned and fired an unknown number of shots. Soto shot back and fired two to three more times, and Amezaga drew his .357 Magnum Sig Sauer pistol and fired eight or nine times at the robbers. Crime-scene technicians later collected 15 shell casings ejected by both of the men's handguns, the report said. Both men were unsure whether they hit either robber. Police did not determine where the 15 bullets fired by the men struck in the neighborhood."



Finns think that more laws will help them: "Finland is under pressure to tighten its gun laws after an 18-year-old student shot dead eight people at his school before turning his gun on himself. The massacre has shaken the nation of hunters which has never seen the need for security in its schools. When the European Union proposed raising the legal age for possessing a firearm to 18 earlier this year, there were protests from Finland, which argued that hunting was a popular leisure activity and crime rates were low. But yesterday the Trade Minister, Mauri Pekkarinen, said that the carnage in the small lakeside town of Tuusula meant the government should reconsider the law allowing anyone aged 15 or over to apply for a gun licence."



10 November, 2007

New York: Fired upon in her home, woman shoots back: "A gunman fired a shot Tuesday night into a Winspear Avenue house, and the occupant retaliated by firing a shot back, police reported. No injuries were reported. The incident happened in the 400 block of Winspear in the city's University Heights neighborhood at about 6:10 p.m. Northeast District Police said three men dressed in black hooded shirts repeatedly pounded and kicked on the door, and demanded that the woman inside open it, police said. One of the men then fired a shotgun through the door, near the peep hole. When the woman used her own shotgun to return fire, the three men drove away, police reported. The woman's shot struck a neighboring house at 494 Winspear. Police believe two of the men had shotguns, while the third man had a handgun."



Georgia: Gunfire as a convenience store owner fought off an armed robber: "A little after seven o'clock Wednesday night, a man entered the Mini-Mart at 2422 Stuart Avenue, showed a gun and demanded money. That's when store owner Mike Patel pulled out his own gun and fired one shot at the would-be robber"



Alabama: Newlywed Fight Ends in Gunfire: "A man ends up in the hospital after his wife of 4 months shoots him in the knee. Kim Brown told the Escambia County Sheriff's Office that her newlywed husband tried to attack her in the shower, so she shot him in the knee. Brown kicked David Crockett out of the house a few days ago and he had been sleeping in his vehicle in the backyard. This morning, deputies say Crockett forced his way into the house and tried to sexually assault his wife. During the attack, Brown grabbed a gun and shot Crockett. Crockett was taken to Baptist Hospital. He will be charged with Battery, False Imprisonment, Attempted Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence."



9 November, 2007

Strict Finnish gun-storage regulations no help at all: "Seven students and a school principal have been killed by a pupil who opened fire with a handgun in a school in a small town in southern Finland hours after posting a video on YouTube predicting a massacre. The gunman, 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen, later died in a Helsinki hospital. He had been taken there with a gunshot wound to the head after turning his weapon on himself during the shooting in Tuusula, 50km south of the capital. Witnesses described chaos and panic as Auvinen shot dead his headmistress, five boys, two girls, and wounded a dozen others as they tried to flee the carnage.... Police said the gun used in the massacre was legal and registered to the gunman on October 19. [Pistol licences are fairly easy to get in Finland but guns must be kept disassembled, stored in safes etc.]



California Neighbor Shooting: "Murder and assault charges were dismissed today against an ex-Marine and his wife, who were accused in the fatal shooting of a neighbor whose girlfriend sought their help at a University City condominium. William Bennett Porter, 23, was charged with murder and an allegation that he personally used a firearm in the Aug. 3 shooting that took the life of 47-year-old Larry Kermit King. His 22-year-old wife, who works as sales representative for a laboratory supply company, was charged with assault with a semiautomatic weapon. "We're just really happy that this was resolved," a teary-eyed Nicole Leanne Porter told reporters outside the courtroom. Her husband said he was happy "to get my life back on track" and anxious to get back to work as a weapons and tactics instructor in Twentynine Palms. Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey told Judge Charles Rogers that the decision to dismiss all charges against the Porters -- who claimed self-defense -- was based upon a thorough follow-up investigation conducted by her office into all of the circumstances surrounding the shooting. "As a result of the investigation, we do not believe these charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and therefore we believe that the right thing to do is to dismiss the charges," McClutchey told the judge....He said the couple defended themselves against a man with a history of terror and violence".



VA: Ice cream store manager not indicted: "A Richmond Grand Jury will NOT indict the Baskin-Robbins store manager with felony reckless discharge of a gun. Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Herring says he will not pursue any further charges. David Fielding Shot and killed Jerome Davis during a robbery at the Baskin-Robbins on Forest Hill Avenue on September 6th."



8 November, 2007

Absurd Canadians: "An Ottawa teen believes cops were too quick to pull the trigger on a mischief investigation that involved shaping his hand into a gun and yelling bang in a mock gunfight. Henrick Vierula told the Sun he doesn't deserve to be charged with multiple criminal offences after participating in a phenomena known as a "flash mob" at the Rideau Centre on Friday. "The whole thing is ridiculous," said Vierula, 19. Vierula and other participants were to shape their hands into a gun, point them at each other, yell "bang" and collapse to the ground."



Arizona Homeowner Shoots Armed Invader: "A homeowner shot one of three armed men who forced their way into his house overnight, Phoenix police said. The man, his wife and their three children were sleeping in their home at 11th and Apache streets, just north of Interstate 17, when the three invaders barged into the house around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Police said one of the invaders, all of whom were armed with handguns and rifles, hit the homeowner in the head with a gun. A scuffle ensued and several shots were fired. Police said the homeowner shot one of the invaders, but it was unclear whether he had his own gun or fired one of theirs. The gunshots woke up the neighbors, who called police. Officers arrived quickly and shot out the street lights and lights on the outside of the house so the invaders wouldn't be able to see well enough to escape. Police caught the two uninjured invaders in the back yard; the third was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening. The homeowner and his family were not hurt, according to police. Investigators have not yet determined a motive for the invasion and said they don't know if the armed men knew the family.



North Carolina Robber Found Shot To Death: "A man who robbed a convenience store on Wednesday night was found shot to death Thursday morning, deputies said. The robbery happened at the Handee Mart at 1016 South Main St. around 8:30 p.m. Deputies said a man wearing a blue, hooded jacket and khaki pants walked into the store showed a black handgun and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk then pulled out his own gun and fired at the man and he ran away. Deputies said when they responded they could not find the man. Around 10 a.m. Thursday, a passer-by noticed a body lying near South Main Street about 100 yards away from the Handee Mart, deputies said. Deputies said the man had been shot. They said based on the description provided by the clerk, they believe the body is that of the man involved in the robbery. A weapon was also found with the body. The man’s identity has not been released pending positive identification of the body, deputies said. Deputies said charges will most likely not be filed in the case, but the final decision on that will be made by the solicitor’s office."



7 November, 2007

Tennessee: Charges against wife dropped in shooting of husband: "Criminal charges against a Bartlett woman who fatally shot her husband last month were dropped today after a review of the case pointed to self defense. Dorothy ‘Bobbi’ Lovell, 42, was charged with voluntary manslaughter after shooting her husband, Alan Lovell, 46, with a .357-caliber Magnum on Oct. 12. He was a ticket agent and well-known boxing referee. She and her 21-year-old son, Kody, told police Lovell had held them hostage for nine hours in their home at 6954 Scepter Cove. They said Lovell had acted irrationally and had pointed a gun at them several times and would not let them leave. Bartlett police said they had been called to the home several times in the past on complaints of Lovell’s aggressive behavior. Asst. Dist. Atty. Gen. Thomas Henderson said late today that after reviewing the police investigation of the shooting the evidence did not support a manslaughter charge and appeared to be self defense. The case was dismissed in Bartlett City Court."



Texas purse snatcher caught: "A suspected [black] purse snatcher didn't know what he was in for when he picked a woman in a Home Depot parking lot for a victim. As soon as he grabbed her purse, the woman's husband grabbed a shotgun and opened fire. It happened at the Home Depot on the Eastex Freeway near Little York. With as much activity during business hours there, you never know who may be waiting in the wings, night or day, ready to strike. "I was just standing here and the guy just came up and pushed me real hard with a force, like it was a car that hit me. And he was just yanking my purse and my arm got twisted up in my purse and he just was just yanking it," said victim Sandra Hulsey. Sandra may have looked like an easy target standing there as her husband, Norman, loaded wood into the couple's pickup truck. It turned out the suspect who shoved Sandra and tried to steal her purse didn't know who he was messing with. "I had a board in my hand right here and I thought he was going to beg for money...is what I thought," said Norman. "He grabbed her and I already had that door open so I just grabbed my shotgun." He fired a shot. "The sound of the shotgun and that dude burning off -- it was funny," said eyewitness Freddy Butler. Butler chased after the accused purse snatcher. who took off running and ended up asking a police officer for help. "He displays a weapon and it scares the suspect," said a deputy on the scene. "The suspect runs up the police car and saying, 'Let me in. They are shooting at me'." Police took the suspect into custody."



Florida man shoots cricket bat-wielding attacker: "The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting which happened around 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Cypress Grove Park in Orlando. The victim, Francis Singh, 36, is recovering at Orlando Regional Medical Center and is currently in stable condition. Deputies say Singh and another man, identified as Devan Bascom, 37, began arguing with each other. During the argument, Singh produced a cricket bat and assaulted Bascom. Upon feeling threatened, Bascom defended himself with a small caliber semi-automatic handgun and shot Singh once in the abdomen. No arrests have been made in the case, which has been filed with the State Attorney's Office. The investigation reveals that the shooting was in self defense."



6 November, 2007

Connecticut Man Shoots Home Intruder: "State police said they received a call Sunday from a man who said he had encountered an intruder at his house. John Nagy told police that he may have shot the intruder at his home, located at 44 Berkshire Road in Southbury. Nagy told police that he was awakened at about 2 a.m. by a noise in the basement area of the house. Nagy said he went to investigate the basement area armed with a weapon. He stated that he encountered a man who had entered the basement. The man advanced in the direction of the Nagy, and Nagy said he shot his gun in the direction of the intruder and left his home to wait for police. Nagy told state police that he believed that the intruder was still in the basement. State troopers entered the home with a state police K-9 to search for the intruder, police said. The intruder was located by troopers in the basement of the home suffering from an apparent single gunshot wound... Initial investigation by state police determined that the man was in fact the operator of a vehicle that had been involved in a one-car crash on River Road in Southbury. The man fled the crash scene on foot and walked for about a half a mile and then entered the Nagy's house, where he encountered the homeowner. Nagy was not injured in this incident, police said."



MI: Man acquitted of murder but faces "gun possession" charges: "A 29-year-old legally blind Lansing man who said he shot his girlfriend in self-defense after she attacked him with several knives, was found not guilty of murder Wednesday. ... During the five-day trial, which ended Tuesday, Milton testified that Brown, 26, threw knives at him in her apartment during an argument, and then came after him in the parking lot. Milton said he fired the gun to scare her. ... The jury did find Milton guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a maximum of five years in prison on those charges. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said it was a difficult case that came down to whether Milton committed murder by firing the second shot. 'This is why we have juries -- to resolve these issues,' Dunnings said, adding, 'We never disputed that he fired the first shot in self-defense.'"



Florida: Attempted-robbery suspect shot dead near Lake Worth: "One of three men who allegedly tried to rob the El Rancho night club early Sunday morning died after being shot in an altercation with the owners. The would-be robbers were patrons at the club on Lake Worth Road earlier Saturday night, according to Palm Beach County sheriff's officials. They returned at around 2:30 a.m. The men fled the gunfire inside and one man, who has not been identified, died on the sidewalk a few storefronts away, officials said. The other two men could not be found."



5 November, 2007

Florida victim pulls own gun, kills would-be robber: "For the second time in two days in South Florida, victims have opened fire on armed robbers. And both gunmen ended up dead. In the latest incident overnight, a man sitting in a car alongside a woman was confronted by a man dressed all in black, wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. He demanded money -- and to see the woman strip naked, Miami police said. The man in the car, a security guard from a nearby Food Giant, pulled his own gun and exchanged gunfire with the man in the mask. The robber ran, threw his gun down in the mud and collapsed. The intended victims were unharmed. The would-be robber was dead."



California: Cops shoot fruitcake robber: "The young Sacramento cops charged through the drugstore's front door and into chaos. Customers were screaming, baskets and boxes of medicine littered the aisles and a pharmacist lay on the ground, bleeding. Then things really got tense. In the rear of the store, one of the cops – with just four years on the force – was confronted by an outraged man holding a large knife to a young woman's neck, police said. The officer had just seconds to think. He drew his .40-caliber handgun and fired, striking the alleged hostage-taker in the face and freeing the young woman. "Pure heroism," is how the officer's supervisor, Sgt. Eric Forbeck, described it Thursday. "People take it for granted every day, but when things like this come up, these officers step up to the plate and take care of business." ... The suspect, identified by Sacramento police as 24-year-old Sacramento resident Matthew Q. Rosatelli, could face charges including attempted robbery, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. He was in serious condition at UC Davis Medical Center on Thursday night and is expected to survive. Rosatelli's father, Jim, told The Bee his son's actions were "hard to comprehend." His son has battled depression and is taking medication, Rosatelli said."



Texas burglar chased off by gunfire: "Bridge City police continued their search Thursday for a man who reportedly tried to burglarize a home with the homeowner still inside. Meanwhile, the homeowner is recuperating from surgery after accidentally shooting himself in the foot; an injury he received while trying to keep the burglar from entering the home. The quiet town of Bridge City is not known for such residential burglaries and BCPD Chief Steve Faircloth said he cannot remember the last time the city had a home robbery. Police received the call of a residential burglary in progress at about 12:51 a.m. Oct. 30 in the 300 block of Rachel. According to a press release, the suspect forced open the front door of the home and the homeowner fired several shots at the suspect with a semi-automatic pistol. The suspect then left the scene on foot and has not been identified. There is no indication the suspect was shot during the incident. “This continues to be investigated thoroughly and vigorously,” Faircloth said. Faircloth said nothing was taken during the crime. The suspect is described as a white male with thin build and a long goatee. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket and jeans."



4 November, 2007

Georgia neighbor shoots at burglars: "A witness fired shots at some burglars at a boutique in Atlanta Tuesday morning, police said. Police said the burglars broke out a window at the Urban Fusion boutique on Peters Street around 4 a.m. While the burglars were trying to carry out merchandise, a person living in an apartment across the street saw them and began firing shots. The men dropped the merchandise and ran away, police said. Police haven’t said who the shooter was."



Oklahoma man cleared in shooting: "Oklahoma's “Make My Day” law was the deciding factor in the fate of a Colcord man who fatally shot a 17-year-old this summer, according to District Attorney Eddie Wyant. Jack Doughty, 62, stood accused of shooting David Gudde in the early morning hours of July 1. According to police reports, Doughty operated a fireworks stand out of his Delaware County home in June and early July. Doughty told authorities that he was awakened around 4 a.m. on July 1, by what he believed to be intruders. Gudde and 18-year-old Lance Stick were reportedly in Doughty's home and were opening an inside door when Doughty fired a shot in the direction of the door with a .22 caliber rifle. Doughty told investigators that he chased the intruders as they ran outside, firing two more shots to “alert neighbors”. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found Gudde lying on the ground outside Doughty's home. An Oklahoma law passed in 1988, protects residents from being prosecuted for using deadly force against suspected threats to themselves in their homes and on their properties. After investigating the incident, Wyant said he will not file charges against Doughty because is actions were in accordance to the “Make My Day” law."



Florida Man Shoots, Kills Girlfriend's Ex: "Police said a man shot and killed another man who showed up Thursday night at a Sunrise apartment where his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend live. According to Sunrise police, a man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's apartment and got into an altercation with her and her live-in boyfriend. At some point, police said, the boyfriend fatally shot the man. Police are trying to determine whether the shooting was an act of self-defense. No one has yet been charged.



3 November, 2007

Arkansas: Suspect in Alleged Home Invasion Killed by Gunfire: "Sheriff’s deputies have identified a [black] man shot and killed while allegedly trying to break into a home in Pulaski County Wednesday night. Right now, deputies believe the incident was a home invasion where the victim allegedly tried to kick down the door to a home, when gunfire erupted. When authorities arrived at 3800 Vinson Road, they found a man lying on the side of the road with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was identified as 20-year-old Stephen Woods of Little Rock. He later died at a local hospital. Detectives believe Woods was running from the residence when several gunshots were fired--some from the house, and some toward the house. (John Rehrauer, Pulaski Co. Sheriff's Department) “The homeowner said there were a number of people outside he saw. We believe there are involved and are actively looking for them and running down all leads."



California: Juvenile shot, killed during Yucca Valley burglary: "A juvenile was shot and killed while attempting to burglarize a Yucca Valley home Wednesday evening, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The incident happened about 6:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Longview Avenue when the teenager and another juvenile tried to break into a home. A third suspect, 18-year-old Duncan Nicholson, waited outside in a getaway vehicle, according to the sheriff's department. An investigation determined the homeowner pulled out a gun when he heard somone knocking at his door. He armed himself because his home was robbed several times in the past month. The juvenile and two suspects are suspected of committing the burglaries, according to the sheriff's department. The homeowner fired his gun when the two juveniles forced their way into the home, killing one of them and hitting the second suspect in his arm. The two remaining suspects fled the scene, but later returned with the juvenile's father. The younger suspect was booked into a local juvenile hall and Nicholson was taken to the Morongo Basin Jail, both on murder charges."



Illinois gun haters try to shut down range: "St. Clair County is moving ahead with its plans to shut down a nearly 32-acre shooting range that's in the glide path of planes landing at Scott Air Force Base. The St. Clair County Board yesterday passed a pair of resolutions to shutter and seize the property at the urging of the county's state's attorney, Bob Haida (HAY'-duh). Haida says the measures would help the county prevail in its eminent domain lawsuit and injunction request against owners of the Caseyville Rifle and Pistol Club gun range near Mascoutah (muh-SKOO'-tuh). The resolutions mark the latest chapter in the county's nearly 3-year battle to shut down the range. Haida declined to discuss how the resolutions would promote its planned trial strategy."



2 November, 2007

California Man Acquitted In 2 Shooting Deaths: "A man charged with murdering his then-18-year-old girlfriend and her brother more than three years ago was acquitted by a jury in the shooting deaths, his attorney said Wednesday. Daniel Kenric Karlsons, 30, was found not guilty of two counts of murder and one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a verdict returned late Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center, according to defense attorney Arnold Lieman. Jurors believed Lieman's argument that the killings were in self-defense. Elizabeth Morales and her 25-year-old brother Roberto Morales Jr. were fatally shot in February 2004 while sitting in an Acura on Long Canyon Road east of Desert Hot Springs. "My argument throughout the trial was self-defense," Lieman said. "Roberto Morales took a shot at my client before he got shot." Karlsons and the siblings were in the Acura with a fourth person when he and Roberto Morales got into a dispute over Karlsons' treatment of his sister. "Roberto was intoxicated, and I think the liquor took over causing him to act irrationally," Lieman said. Bullet casings found in the front of the Acura and gunshot residue found on Roberto Morales' hands may have swayed the jury in favor of acquittal, Lieman said."



Alabama Business Owner Shoots Burglar: "Two brothers are behind bars after one of them was shot while allegedly trying to break into an Enterprise business Tuesday night. Police identify the suspects as 21-year-old Contrell McReynolds and 19-year old Donwone Frazier. Both have been charged with burglary. They are accused of trying to kick in a side-door at Fred's feed and seed on Park Avenue just before midnight. But the owner was inside and opened fire with a shotgun. McReynolds and Frazier were arrested after McReynolds showed up at a hospital emergency room with a gunshot wound to the arm. He was treated and taken to jail.



Citizens' group blasts antigun fanatic for remark about dropping out of school: "The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is taking issue with a crass remark by Peter Hamm, spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, in which Hamm contended in a Fox News report that self-defense advocates have no business on college campuses. Hamm's remark, reported by Fox News on Wednesday, was, 'You don't like the fact that you can't have a gun on your college campus? Drop out of school.'"



1 November, 2007

Ohio: Surprising acquittal on murder charges: "Shane Ramey was acquitted Tuesday afternoon in his capital murder trial for the shooting death of Charles Trent in March. Ramey, 35, of Springfield, was found innocent on felony murder, attempted murder and aggravated murder charges. He was found guilty of weapons under disability and faces up to five years in prison on that charge. Ramey was accused of shooting Charles Trent, 68, and his grandson, Anthony Donte Trent, 29, both of 233 W. Grand Ave., on March 15. Defense attorneys claimed Anthony Donte Trent had been threatening Ramey over a number of days and that Ramey acted in self defense.... Investigators alleged that an argument took place between Anthony Donte Trent and Ramey, and that Ramey opened fire on both men as they sat in a car on Liberty Street. Anthony Donte Trent was shot in both arms and recovered. Charles Trent was hospitalized for his injuries and died April 25."





Florida: 3 Men Sought In Home Invasions: "Hillsborough County deputies are searching for three men suspected in a string of armed home invasions and the shooting of a resident who defended himself and nearly caught one of the suspects. Arrest warrants on charges of armed home robbery were issued today for Cedric Stephens, 20, Derrick Grady, 19, and Ronnie Bolden, 18. Stephens also faces one count of attempted murder. On Friday morning, the suspects forced their way into an apartment at 15101 Buckhorn Court in Lutz, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. They demanded money and threatened to shoot the four victims. The men left in a newer model red vehicle after taking cash and personal property. On Sunday morning, the same suspects knocked on an apartment door at 5427 Ginger Cove in Tampa, Carter said. After a victim opened the door, the suspects produced a gun and left with various items of personal property. Four hours later, the suspects forced open a door at 2608 Rustic Ridge Loop in Lutz, Carter said. They pointed a handgun at a 34-year-old man and took his cash and a video game player, also leaving in a red car. As they left, the robbers doused the victim's face with pepper spray, Carter said. The victim grabbed a rifle from in the apartment and chased after them. He caught up to one of the men and began to escort him back to the apartment when one of the other suspects came up behind him and fired a shot in the back of his neck, Carter said. The suspects drove away in a red 2008 Chevrolet, Carter said. The victim chased after the vehicle on foot and then fired one shot at the vehicle. The suspects abandoned the car and ran west out of the complex, she said. The victim was rushed to Tampa General Hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening and was released."



Utah: Tough clerk rifle-whips bandit - with bandit's gun: "A would-be bandit carrying a rifle tried to rob a Salt Lake City convenience store Monday, only to be beaten with his own gun when the clerk fought back. The 38-year-old man entered the EZ Mart near 600 North and 200 West around 2:15 p.m. and demanded money. The clerk and the man began fighting, knocking money and store items across the counter, police reported. The clerk then grabbed the rifle and began beating the would-be robber. Police arrived and arrested the 38-year-old man. The clerk suffered chest pains and was taken to a local hospital as a precaution".