ME: Front Loader Attack Stopped with Gunfire

 

 

At about 5:30 a.m. nearly two hours before sunrise in Garland, Maine, a suspect stole a  Komatsu front end loader from a nearby gravel pit. The suspect then used the front end loader to attack a nearby home with people inside. The machine caused significant damage to vehicles parked in the driveway in an apparant attempt to force entry into the house. The sheriff's officer reports residents exited the house and fired shots at the driver, wounding him and forcing his retreat. Here is the report from Penobscott County Sheriff's Office:

 

Gunshots were fired during an incident involving a stolen front-end loader in Garland. 

 

On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the Penobscot Regional Communications Center received a report of individuals who appeared to be stealing a large front-end loader from a gravel pit near their residence. The incident was reported to be occurring on Upper Notch Road in Garland.

Shortly after receiving the initial call, the complainant reported that the front-end loader was now in their driveway, attempting to run through their house. The complainant also mentioned that the machine was destroying vehicles in the driveway.

 

The initial investigation suggests that individuals exited the home and fired several rounds at the front-end loader. The machine then reversed out of the driveway and fled the scene. It crossed a large field and went down a woods road.

 

At approximately 6:10 a.m. PRCC received another report that a large front-end loader was driving on the roadway, it was eventually located by law enforcement on the Center Road in Charleston. The lone occupant surrendered to law enforcement without incident and told them, he had been shot. Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the man to a local hospital. Upon his release, he was arrested and transported to the Penobscot County Jail. 

 

The operator of the front-end loader was identified as Michael Thompson (37) of Corinna. This investigation remains active and additional charges may be pending.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Maine State Police.

The attack is remarkably similar to the mass murder by front end loader and gunfire which occurred five months ago, about 30 miles from Honolulu, Hawaii. That attack also started with ramming cars. It ended with the suspect shot and killed by one of the residents. In this instance, the perpetrator did not use a firearm, and was wounded instead of killed. 

 

 Image of windshield of Komatsu

 

Large front end loaders such as the Komatsu used in these attacks are very tough machines. the steel bucket can act as a shield against gunfire. In the pictures taken by the Penobscot Sherrif's office, you can see several bullet holes in the windshield of the front end loader.

No one in the residence was reported to be injured.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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VA: Stuart Acquaintance Damages Car, Home, is Shot

Hazelwood watched from his window as Goodyear hit Hazelwood’s vehicle with an iron pipe, according to what Hazelwood told the Sheriff’s Office. Hazelwood said Goodyear then approached the home, still armed with the pipe, and began to beat the home, breaking several windows. Goodyear then allegedly began to beat the front door of Hazelwood’s home with the pipe, eventually breaking the door open, at which point Hazelwood fired one round from a .38 caliber handgun, hitting Goodyear.

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TX: Houston Armed Security Guard Shoots 1 of 4 Robbers who Pepper Sprayed Him

At least two suspects inside a black Suburban were canvassing the parking lot. Police said one of the suspects jumped out of the SUV and pepper-sprayed both of the armored truck workers.

The security guard was able to fire his gun and hit the suspect who sprayed them. That suspect was taken to the hospital.

Police said they were not sure if the suspects got away with any money from the truck.

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FL: Domestic Defense, Houston Bother Shoots Brother

The shooter told responding officers that he and his brother – deceased male – had been involved in multiple disturbances and arguments over the past couple of days. The shooter said his brother was trying to force his way into a room occupied by two female family members and a child. The shooter said he shot his brother in an attempt to protect himself and family members. No other persons were injured in this shooting.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and it was determined the case would be presented to a grand jury for review.

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FL: Gunfight outside Strip Club, 1 Dead, 1 Wounded

Deputies said they arrived and found two men who had been shot.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced one of the men dead at the scene. The other person was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.

“The preliminary information indicates the decedent provoked a physical altercation with the victim, and there was an exchange of gunfire,” an MDSO spokesperson said in an email to Local 10 News. “The victim is out of surgery and in stable condition.”

An employee at a nearby business named John told Local 10 News that this isn’t the first time the adult entertainment club has turned into a crime scene.

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TX: San Antonio Road Rage becomes Gun Fight, 1 Dead

The injured man was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police say he was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The man who ended up dying has been identified as the suspect.

Police say that both men were having a verbal altercation on the road while driving, then followed each other to the intersection of Springtime and Spring Hurst.

The suspect stopped his vehicle and opened his trunk. Police say the victim saw the firearm the suspect was holding and reportedly shot the suspect with his own weapon. The suspect was hit multiple times.

A firearm was located on the suspect and was recovered. The victim's weapon was also recovered.

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OK: Tulsa Gunfight , Self Defense

Police said officers were called to the apartment complex near South 129th East Avenue and East 21st Street at 7:24 p.m.

Officers found a man with multiple gun shot wounds and immediately began life saving measures until medical personnel arrived. The victim was transported to the hospital and taken into surgery.

Police said a suspect called and turned himself in. Firearms were found on both individuals.

The suspect was released after multiple interviews as the shooting appeared to be in self defense.

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IL: Chicago Concealed Carry License Holder Shoots Person who had Handgun

The 30-year-old CCL holder was standing outside around 9 p.m. when he got into an argument with someone who was inside a vehicle in the 7200 block of South South Drive, police said.

The 30-year-old noticed the person in the car holding a handgun, drew his own gun and fired, striking the suspect once in the chest, police said.

The suspect took himself to Jackson Park Hospital where he was listed in fair condition. Officers went to the hospital and placed the suspect into custody. Police said charges are pending.

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OHIO: Civil Immunity for Defense of Self and Others, Ban on Finantial Insitution Collection of Firearms Data

Ohio Statehouse

Governor DeWine of Ohio signed House Bill 452 and Senate Bill 58  on January 8, 2025.

HB 452 grants immunity from civil lawsuit when a person is acting in defense of themselves or another to protect members or guests of non-profit corporations. This includes churches. Those who enter property with the intent to illegally harm others are not granted immunity.  The immunity section is a small part of the bill, which mostly deals with hospital security.

From House Bill 452, state.oh.us:

 (B) No person is liable in a tort action for injury, death, or loss to person or property allegedly caused by the person's act of self-defense or defense of another when performed during the commission, or imminent commission, of an offense of violence to protect the members or guests, including the person's self, of a nonprofit corporation against the commission, or imminent commission, of that offense of violence, unless the person's act constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.

Granting immunity for acts defending self or others, even in this limited circumstances, appears to be a response to high level cases where defenders have been sued by aggressors. Examples include the lawsuits against Kyle Rittenhouse. Kyle Rittenhouse was cleared of all criminal charges by a unanimous jury of his peers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  While found not guilty of criminal charges, he is facing lawsuits from one of the people who attacked him and from the family of one of the people who he shot and killed in self defense. The Rittenhouse case was prosecuted in Wisconsin, but people and legislators in Ohio could watch the case, live as it unfolded. The law removes a worry from non-profit managers and owners about possible liability if they allow people to be armed on their properties.

HB 452 will go into effect in about six months.

Senate Bill 58 prevents registration of firearms by governments at the state and local level. It makes the creation of lists of firearms owners by financial entities illegal. This is to prevent financial institutions or credit card companies from requiring specific codes for firearms or firearm related products.  They would effectively create a registration list. Senate Bill 58 also prohibits private entities from mandating firearm liability insurance as a prerequisite for the possession or purchase of firearms. Underlined words have been added with this bill.  From Senate Bill 58 state.oh.us:

 Except as specifically provided by the United States Constitution, Ohio Constitution, state law, or federal law, a person, without further license, permission, restriction, delay, or process, including by any ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or other action or any threat of citation, prosecution, or other legal process, may own, possess, purchase, acquire, transport, store, carry, sell, transfer, manufacture, or keep any firearm, part of a firearm, its components, and its ammunition, and any knife, without being required to have firearm liability insurance, and without being required to pay a fee for the possession of a firearm, part of a firearm, its components, its ammunition, or a knife.

This bill against credit card codes and the creation of registration lists is a reaction against using financial institutions to discriminate against the firearms community by "de-banking" them. De-banking is one of the schemes of those who want to disarm the population. It is a way to achieve those ends without passing legislation.  The attempt to require firearms liability insurance is another scheme to make firearms ownership onerous and financially burdensome. SB 58 makes such schemes illegal in Ohio.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TX: Houston Gunfight, one Suspect Dead, one Arrested

Evidence indicates the male and another male attempted to commit an armed robbery of the business, which resulted in a shootout with employees.  One male was shot and the other fled on foot.  None of the employees was injured.

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Il: Chicago Domestic Defense, Son Shoots, Kills Father

Witnesses said that the victim was involved in an argument that turned physical with his wife when he reached for a weapon. At that time, the son shot his father to protect his mother. 

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

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Trinidad and Tobago Opposition Leader pushes for Right to Self Defense

 

The leader of the political opposition in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is pushing for the rights of citizens to defend themselves with arms. As part of her campaign, she is supporting the rights of citizens to stand their ground and to keep and carry firearms for defense of themselves and others.

Trinidad and Tobago is a small nation just off the coast of Venezuela. As Venezuela has descended into a dysfunctional society, created by a Leftist government, refugees and criminal gangs are creating significant problems in Trinidad and Tobago.

Kamla Persad-Bessessar is the opposition leader in the government of Trinidad and Tobago. She is the leader of the United National Congress party, a mother, and has supported citizens rights to defend themselves against criminals in the past. Kamla Persad-Bessessar gave a speech on January 6th, 2025. From newsday.co.tt:

She then recommitted herself to bringing stand-your-ground laws, as well as legislation on the right to bear arms to give citizens a fighting chance against criminals.

Stand-your-ground laws allow people to use deadly force in certain situations to defend themselves against violent crimes. There was widespread public debate on this when the party first proposed the measure.

In her almost-hour-long speech, Persad-Bissessar said, “I was told only yesterday morning, in addition to the prosecutors not wanting to go to work because of the fear, they are now being told that certain judicial officers are under threat from criminal elements."

(snip)

On Hector's murder, she said criminals were in charge, despite this government's claim to the contrary.

“A UNC government will tackle this decay and stand firm against the criminals,” she said.

The example of the United States and the Second Amendment are having an effect on other countries.  The claims of those who want a disarmed society have been shown to be false. Disarming the law abiding population does not reduce murder rates. Disarming the law abiding population does not reduce suicide rates.

Disarming people who obey the laws means those who are physically weaker, such as women and the elderly, or people facing hostile groups, have no effective way to defend themselves.  As society is controlled by armed people, either in the government or in armed gangs (it is often difficult to tell the difference) those who are unarmed become easy victims. This is the message Kamla Persad-Bessessar is spreading with her speeches.

A government shows trust of the people it governs by trusting them with weapons, as the United States has done with the Second Amendment.  Some governments in the United States have shown they did not trust:

• Residents who sided with the British monarchy over the new revolutionary government.
• Indian tribes which where sovereign nations, thus without obligation or loyalty to the United States.
• Slaves, which were not citizens, and who had reason to rebel against their legal status.
• After the War between the States (Civil War), freed slaves and black people in general.
• The vast majority of the American people, from 1968 - 2008.

Analysis:

During the Progressive era, Second Amendment rights were increasingly infringed. The restoration of Second Amendment rights has been in progress for roughly 40 years, accelerating in effect and scope. While American access to firearms has increased, crime rates have not. There are numerous examples of Americans defending themselves.

The claims of "safety and order" for a disarmed population have been false from the beginning. The common sense observations of Cesare Beccaria, published in 1764, have been vindicated:

False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils except destruction. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.

The theories of Cesare Beccaria had a strong influence on the founders of the United States of America, and the framers of the Bill of Rights.

Leftist ideology, whether Progressive, Marxist, Fascist or NAZI, are all based on the theory government is a benevolent force. Just put the right person/people in charge, and everything will become better. Restricting government power, in any way, is seen as absurd and an obstacle to the "good" things government can do. Opposition to the Second Amendment is in Progressive DNA. Under Leftist/Progressive ideology, ordinary people should not be allowed free access to weapons or to information. Implementation of this ideology has led to societal disasters.

Governments are made of people. People are fallible. Good intentions do not guarantee good results. Limiting governmental power has proved to be one of the most useful political theories in the history of mankind.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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TX: Houston Man Shoots Attacker, Holds Same for Police

 

 

Police said the 20-year-old driver again tried to get away from the aggressive driver, but the truck drove into the oncoming traffic lanes to swerve in front of him and block them. That's when HPD said the truck driver got out and ran toward the car with his hands near his pocket. Police said the 20-year-old driver feared for his life and opened fire through the front windshield and through the side of the car, hitting the aggressive driver in the torso, arm and leg.

According to HPD, the 20-year-old driver used to be a security guard and had handcuffs on him. He detained the other driver and contacted police. HPD said he was fully cooperating with investigators.

The alleged aggressive driver was taken to an area hospital where he is expected to survive.

"He's our victim, but again, more of a suspect, really," said Lt. R. Willkens with HPD. "Kind of a self-defense thing."

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OK: Wagoner County Homeowner Shoots Intoxicated Friend

According to the Wagoner County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner came home and found one of his friends intoxicated and hanging out with his girlfriend.

The conversation between the homeowner and his intoxicated friend eventually became heated and at some point, the sheriff's office said the intoxicated friend attacked the homeowner.

The homeowner stated he was then forced to shoot his friend in self defense.

At this time, the homeowner is not expected to face charges.

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TX: Houston Carjacking Suspect Shot, Killed by Armed Teen Victim

he male shooter, 19, was not injured in the incident.

HPD Homicide Division Sergeant N. Lazo and Detective M. Providence reported:

HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call in the parking lot of an apartment complex at the above address and found a male suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was in possession of a firearm. Paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene.

Officers located the shooter at the scene. He stated that he and his friends were inside a vehicle when they were approached by the armed male, who raised a gun in their direction. The shooter stated he feared for his safety and fired shots toward the armed male, striking him. No one else was injured.

 

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Minnesota: Truck Drivers Sue to Restore Right to Bear Arms across State Lines

 

On January 7, 2025, two interstate commercial truck drivers filed a complaint in the Federal District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuit contends Minnesota, and in particular the Commissioner for the Department of Public Safety, is infringing on the exercise of their Second Amendment rights by not recognizing their right to bear arms across state lines.

Here is the introduction of their complaint:

1. This is a constitutional challenge to Minnesota’s refusal to recognize firearm permits lawfully issued by other States. Minnesota criminalizes carrying a firearm without a Minnesota permit or a recognized out-of-state firearm permit. Every year, the Commissioner for Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety decides which out-of-state firearm permits Minnesota will and will not recognize. The recognition of out-of-state firearm permits is at the Commissioner’s sole discretion and is not based on objective standards.

2. Currently, Minnesota only recognizes the out-of-state firearm permits from 20 states, and refuses to recognize the out-of-state permits from 29 states, including Texas, Florida, and Georgia. In other words, millions of law-abiding citizens who lawfully bear arms in their home states cannot do so while visiting the State of Minnesota—unless they obtain a separate Minnesota firearm permit.

3. Minnesota’s failure to honor lawfully issued firearm permits from all States places an unreasonable burden on Plaintiffs’ Second Amendment right to bear arms. Individuals do not lose their constitutional rights simply by crossing into another state. In fact, there is no other constitutional right that Minnesota requires a visiting individual to first obtain permission before they may exercise a fundamental right.

4. The Minnesota firearm permit law and the Commissioner’s arbitrary refusal to recognize the lawfully issued firearm permits from all other States violates the Second Amendment. Defendant will continue to infringe on millions of Americans’ right to bear arms in Minnesota unless, and until, a court declares the law and actions unconstitutional and enjoins Defendant’s enforcement.

There are several cases in the courts challenging restrictions which place unreasonable burdens on the exercise of rights protected by the Second Amendment while traveling across state lines.  There are two combined criminal cases in the State of Massachusetts Supreme Court of Judicial appeal.  There are two cases in process in California.  Any of these cases could make precedent favorable to exercising Second Amendment rights across state lines, if only in one state or one federal circuit. Reciprocity across state lines is highly variable and rapidly changing.

These cases could become moot if Senate Bill S65, National Reciprocity, is passed into law.  The bill was recently introduced into the Senate, with a companion bill introduced into the House of Representatives. 29 states have permitless or Constitutional carry. 21 states have "shall issue" permit laws, even if several of them, Hawaii, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, are actively resisting the implementation of shall issue in the courts and in their legislatures.

Most senators are from states which already have large numbers of people who can legally carry concealed weapons.  Those senators may see little advantage in preventing visitors  to their state from exercising rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment and the United States Constitution.  The re-election of President Donald Trump means if the national reciprocity bill passes the Senate and House, the President will sign it.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

IN: Indianapolis Carjacking Suspect Shot, Killed

A failed carjacking left a man dead after police say the person he was targeting ended up shooting him in the Trader’s Point shopping complex on the city's northwest side early Wednesday.

At 5:41 a.m. Wednesday, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to the 5700 block of West 86^th Street about a reported carjacking attempt. While en route, police say officers were told that a person had been shot.

Arriving officers found a man critically injured. The man, identified as Trevor Matthew Marrero, 23, died hours later at the hospital.

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MT: Domestic Defense? 71-Year-Old man shoots Man who Lived in Same Residence

Court documents released on Wednesday state that Martel called dispatch and said that he shot a man, stating that he did it because the man "came at him."

When police officers arrived at the residence, they heard the victim yelling for help and saying that he had been shot.

Martel reportedly immediately told officers, "I am the one who shot him."

According to court documents, Martel said that he frequently sat in a chair in the living room with a pistol tucked in the chair, waiting for the victim to "cross" an imaginary line.

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Proposed National Reciprocity on Concealed Carry: S65 Specifics

On January 9, 2025, Senator John Cornyn, (R TX) and Senator John Kennedy (R LA) introduced a national reciprocity carry bill.  The bill requires all states to allow people who may legally carry concealed handguns in their state of residence to legally carry concealed handguns in other states. A picture ID would be required to verify the residency of the person who is carrying a concealed handgun.

From the press release of Senator Kennedy:

This legislation would:

• Allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home states to exercise those rights in any other state that has concealed carry laws.

• Treat state-issued concealed carry permits like drivers’ licenses, allowing an individual to use his or her home-state license to drive in another state while abiding by the speed limit of whatever state that person is in.

The official text of S65 has not, as of this writing, been published in the Congressional record.  Senator Grassly (R Iowa) links to a copy of the proposed text. This correspondent will assume the text is accurate for the purposes of this analysis.

There are 43 sponsors and co-sponsors of the proposed bill. It is a good start.  The bill may need to overcome a filibuster. 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster. Of the 100 senators, 58 come from states with Constitutional Carry. The other 32 states have some form of shall issue carry. Only 20 senators come from states which are actively resisting the Supreme Court to deny people the right to carry outside the home.  There is a reasonable possibility for the bill to overcome a filibuster.

The bill provides for two cases where individuals must be allowed to carry concealed handguns in states where they do not reside. The two cases are:

1. If the individual is carrying government issued photographic ID and has a license or permit to carry from their state of residence

2. If the individual is carrying government issued photographic ID and is not prohibited from carrying a concealed firearm in the state in which the individual resides, otherwise than in paragraph 1.

The wording appears a bit awkward to this correspondent. The two cases appear to be for shall issue states and permitless carry states.  To qualify, Individuals must not be prohibited from carrying or possessing or receiving firearms in interstate commerce. The handgun must have been has been shipped or
transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Individuals must carry government issued photographic identification. Individuals are required to comply with the restrictions on concealed carry in the state they are traveling in, but only to the least restrictive standard of residents of the state who are issued a license or permit to carry.

Analysis: If passed, the economic and structural restrictions which apply to shall issue licenses in the most restrictive states, such as Hawaii and New York, would result in visitors from other states being able to carry concealed more easily than residents of those states. This is close to the same carry authority provided  to retired and active duty police officers by LEOSA, passed in 2004.

LEOSA has already been tested in the courts, found to be constitutional and enforceable. It has been expanded over the years.

S65 only applies to concealed carry of handguns, similar to the restrictions in LEOSA. Neither bill applies to open carry.

While S65 only mentions "states", it applies to all territories of the United States.  The LEOSA statute also uses the word "state" or "states" and applies in all U.S. States and U.S. territories.

The bill is in early stages. Amendments to bills are common as they go through the legislative process.

 

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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ME: Man Steals Front End Loader, is Shot while Attempting to Destroy Occupied Home

Soon after the initial call, the caller reported that the front-end loader was now in their driveway, attempting to run through their house and destroying vehicles in their driveway, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Based on an initial investigation, the sheriff’s office said people in the home came out and fired several gunshots at the front-end loader. The machine then reversed out of the driveway and fled the scene, crossing a large field and going down a road into the woods.

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KY: Laurel County Shooting appears to be Self Defense

Sheriff’s investigators determined that two individuals had allegedly been assaulted by a man at the residence. During the incident, the man reportedly reached for a gun and was then shot by another male in what appears to be an act of self-defense, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Montenegro - Two Public Mass Murders in four Years in a Small European Nation

Map of Montenegro

On January 1, 2025, a mass murder was committed with firearms in the European country of Montenegro. Twelve victims were killed. The perpetrator, Aco Martinovic committed suicide. Martinovic had been previously convicted of possession of illegal weapons and was appealing his sentence. Four of the victims were shot in Martinovic's home. He was drinking heavily before the event. From rferl.org:

PODGORICA -- The Montenegrin government has announced a raft of new gun-control measures, following a mass shooting that killed 12 people, including two children.

The shooting took place on January 1 in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje. Four other people were injured.

On August 12, 2022, another mass murder started with the murderer killing a mother and two children in his home. The killer then started killing random people in the city of Cetinje. Another seven victims were killed before an armed citizen stopped the rampage by shooting the murderer and killing him, while the murderer was in a gunfight with police.  From rferl.org:

 The Action for Human Rights and the Center for Women's Rights NGOs called for a thorough examination of the police response, saying that Cetinje had only a minimal police presence despite being home to 120 known organized crime members and having experienced a similar massacre in August 2022, when an attacker killed 10 people and wounded six before being killed by a passerby.

If a person looks only at these two incidents and the four year period in which they occurred, Montenegro has had .91 people killed in mass public murder with firearms per 100K population per year.

Over a 20 year period 1998-2017, the United States had .0079 people killed in mass public murders where firearms are used. The rate in Montenegro for 2022 - 2025 was 115 times as high as the rate for the United States from 1998-2017.

The comparison is not fair, because it looks at a four year period in a country with a population of about 600,000 (Montenegro) compared to a country with over 315 million over a 20 year period (USA).  When an attempt is made to correlate mass murder with firearms to the number of firearms in a country, there is no correlation.  Overall, Europe does not have a great difference in the number of people killed by by public mass murder with firearms. Much depends on the definitions used.

The Montenegro experience dramatically illustrates the lie put forward by the Left: Mass murder by shooting only happens in the United States. This is illustrated by quotes in Crime Prevention Research Center study of mass public murder with firearms around the world, published in 2020. The CPRC goes on to show mass public shooting in Europe are pretty common. The study eviserates the lies quoted below.:

 “The one thing we do know is that we have a pattern now of mass shootings in this country that has no parallel anywhere else in the world.” –President Obama, interview that aired on CBS Evening News, Dec. 2, 2015

“This doesn’t happen anywhere else on the planet.” -- California’s Governor-elect Gavin Newson, referring to 12 people killed at the Borderline Bar and Grill, Thousand Oaks, California, November 8, 2018

“We stand alone in the world in the number of mass shootings," Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), November 5, 2018

Claims that the USA is unique in the number of mass public murders with firearms have become scarce after the presentation of Lott's paper to Congress.  Mass murder with firearms has little to do with the number of firearms legally available to the citizens of a country.

chart of countries gun ownership v mass murder with firearms

An interesting bit of information is the persistent claim one of the two mass murders in Montenegro was stopped by an armed citizen.

According to Crime Prevention Research Center, the FBI has consistently overlooked and misclassified reported cases where privately armed citizens have stopped mass murder. The FBI reported 4.1% of cases were stopped by armed civilians. The CPRC research shows the correct number to be  35.7%. If cases where private citizens are banned from carrying guns are taken out of the mix, the number is 63.5%.  The death toll in the USA would likely be much higher if citizens were forbidden from carrying weapons for defense.

Montenegro has one of the highest rate of private firearms in Europe. Looking at the data collected by the CRPC and presented by John Lott, there are several countries in Europe which surpass the number of people killed in public mass murders with firearms in the United States. Those include Norway, Kosovo, Finland, and France.  The trending tactic used to commit mass murder trend is to use ramming attacks with vehicles, such as the one in France in 2016, in which 84 (updated to 87) people were murdered.

Banning gun ownership by private citizens does not stop mass murder. In some ways, it facilitates mass public murders by greatly restricting the ability to fight back. None of the policies put forward in the wake of public mass murder with firearms in the USA would have been stopped by "universal background checks" or requirements to lock up firearms.

Analysis:

Mass murder is a cultural phenomena, independent of the weapons used.  The most important and effective way to stop mass murder is to stop the media contagion effect. Media contagion happens which media gives enormous coverage to mass murderers, making anti-heros of people bent on mass murder/suicide, or celebrates mass murderers as Jihadi martyrs.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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All of the above is true. It illustrates  of the ways to lie with statistics.

In August of

 

People killed in Mass Public Shootings per 100k per year  in Montenegro 2022-2025  population 605K   .91

Paper on rate of mass public shootings by Crime Prevention Research Center

Paper presented by John Lott, Congressional testimony 2020   has graphs

From rferl.org:

PODGORICA -- The Montenegrin government has announced a raft of new gun-control measures, following a mass shooting that killed 12 people, including two children.

The shooting took place on January 1 in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje. Four other people were injured.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic announced the proposed new Law on Weapons on January 3 following a seven-hour session of the National Security Council, which is chaired by the country's president.

The proposed law will mandate the reverification of existing weapons licenses and impose severe penalties for those who fail to surrender illegal weapons within a two-month period. Spajic also said that hunting clubs would be verified and the authorities would establish an anonymous tip line where citizens can report illegal weapons possession for a reward.

Manhunt

The suspected shooter, Aco Martinovic, died on the way to the hospital after attempting suicide following the killings and subsequent manhunt.

Martinovic had previously had illegal weapons confiscated in 2022 and received a three-month prison sentence in late 2024, which he had appealed.

Police have not yet revealed the identities of the victims, but they are believed to have been relatives, friends, and godparents of Martinovic.

(snip)

The Action for Human Rights and the Center for Women's Rights NGOs called for a thorough examination of the police response, saying that Cetinje had only a minimal police presence despite being home to 120 known organized crime members and having experienced a similar massacre in August 2022, when an attacker killed 10 people and wounded six before being killed by a passerby.

AL: Armed Robbery suspet Shot and Killed by Shell Gas station Clerk

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, `Ala. (WBRC) - A 44-year-old armed man from Hale County was shot and killed Jan. 12 during a robbery.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department says Timothy Jones went into the Shell gas station in Cropwell around 4:30 a.m. with a knife. He was shot and killed by the clerk.

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NY: Legally armed Brooklyn Man Shoots armed Robbery Suspect

A licensed gun owner who fatally shot a young man in a Brooklyn park in the dead of night claims he was acting in self defense after the 23-year-old victim tried to rob him at knife point, police sources said Tuesday.

The shooter told detectives he was walking through Carroll Park on President St. near Smith St. in Carroll Gardens around 2:45 a.m. Saturday when Jordan Dillard put him in a chokehold, and with a knife to his neck, demanded he hand over cash, law enforcement sources told the Daily News.

The two men fought until the would-be robbery victim, who has a concealed carry permit, whipped out a registered gun and shot the assailant in the torso. A knife was recovered at the scene; there’s no indication Dillard and the gunman knew each other, according to the sources.

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PA: Harrisburg Fatal shooting may have been Self Defense

The shooting happened at a home on the 1200 block of Walnut Street near North 12th Street around 6:45 a.m.

When officers got there, they found two men who had been shot. Both were taken to the hospital.

One of the men died. He has been identified as Franklin Roosevelt Lee, 64.

The other man survived. He is the suspected shooter, according to police.

On Monday, Chardo told WGAL News 8 that investigators are looking into whether the shooting might have been self-defense. Stay with us for updates on this developing story.

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Ohio Court of Appeals: People may not be Deprived of Second Amendment Rights upon mere Indictment

Ohio Statehouse

In 2023, a prosecutor, using a grand jury, brought an indictment against Kendall Brown for robbery. The robbery indictment lead to an charge of possessing a firearm while under indictment. The robbery indictment was dismissed, but the charge of possession of a firearm while under indictment persisted. Brown moved to dismiss the charge for  firearms possession while under indictment. The trial court agreed and dismissed the firearms possession charge. The state of Ohio appealed. On January 3, 2025, the State appeals court agreed with the trial court, in a split decision, 2-1.The Court found the statutory ban of possession of a firearm while under indictment was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. From the decision, Ohio v Kendall Brown:

BERGERON, Judge.

{¶1} This case concerns the State’s power to disarm one of its citizens based solely on the fact that he is under indictment. After defendant-appellee Kendall Brown was indicted for a robbery but released on bail, officers discovered a gun in his home. The State then charged Mr. Brown anew, this time with possessing a firearm while under a disability—specifically, possessing a weapon while under indictment for a felony offense of violence. Mr. Brown moved to dismiss the new indictment, and shortly thereafter, the court dismissed his robbery indictment. He thus maintained, and the trial court agreed, that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution bars a prosecution like his. The State now appeals, asking us to resolve whether the Constitution prohibits Ohio from disarming an individual based solely on his indictment for a felony offense like robbery. On the facts and history presented in this case, we hold it does. We therefore affirm the trial court’s judgment dismissing Mr. Brown’s indictment.

Kendall Brown had never been convicted of a felony. He had never undergone a trial. He had only been indicted, which is to say, accused by a prosecutor. No Judge and jury had ever considered evidence presented by Kendall Brown or his attorney.

In this particular case, the evidence was weak. The robbery indictment was dismissed before the case ever went to trial. The conduct, keeping (possession) of a weapon is clearly part of the rights protected by the Second Amendment. Only three states have similar laws banning possession for a person under indictiment. The other two states are Hawaii and Washington. Ohio has only been in existence since 1972. There is no evidence felons were disarmed at the founding. From the Ohio Appeals Court Ruling:

The State, quite simply, fails to demonstrate any specific tradition in this country of disarming those indicted for crimes of violence. And an indictment on probable cause cannot be reasonably analogized to a conviction by a jury persuaded of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

In Ohio, the prosecutor relies on a nine person grand jury, of which only seven need to agree to obtain an indictment. A grand jury lacks important protections which exist in a jury trial. From the ruling, p14-15:

In presenting to the grand jury, prosecutors are not encumbered by the Ohio Rules of Evidence, see Evid.R. 101(D)(2), or the Fourth Amendment’s exclusionary rule, see United States v. Calandra, 414 U.S. 338, 354 (1974), leaving them free to rely upon hearsay or evidence seized unlawfully. Further, the prosecutor may withhold from the grand jury material evidence that would be exculpatory to the accused. State v. Wilks, 2018-Ohio-1562, ¶ 31, citing United States v. Williams, 504 U.S. 36, 51-52 (1992). This is why, as the old adage goes, many believe that you can indict a ham sandwich.

Indictments are backward looking; surety laws were forward looking.

The right to keep and bear arms, protected by the Second Amendment, was not a privilege one forfeited as a punishment, but a right that yielded when an individual was found by a court to be particularly dangerous. While such determinations were sometimes categorical, they were often, as in the surety laws, individualized and forward-looking.

Disarmament can be included as a condition of bail. The federal statue forbidding sale of firearms to people under indictment is different in a critical way. Simple possession is not covered by the federal statute, it is only forbidden:

"to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm or ammunition or receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.”

If a person is already in possession of a firearm, before an indictment, the federal law does not require them to forfeit their firearm. The federal law does not prevent someone who is under indictment from carrying a firearm for protection, unless they cross state or international borders.

Analysis: This correspondent believes the federal ban on acquisition, but particularly on transporting a firearm across state boundaries while under indictment, to be unconstitutional as well. As part of bail proceedings, restrictions may be put on travel. Those are individualized restrictions on a case by case basis, and may be appealed. The federal ban for people under indictment lacks serious due process protections.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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NM: Close Encounter Leads to Gunfight

A Friday night (Jan. 10) incident inside a house in west Roswell left one man dead and another man injured after the men shot each other during a confrontation. The Roswell Police Department’s investigation is ongoing, but at this time investigators believe the shot that killed the one man was fired in self-defense by the surviving man, who called 911 to report the incident. 

 

Police responded to the 1500 block of North Montana Avenue shortly after 9:30 p.m. Officers encountered a 30-year-old man and a 28-year-old female friend of his in front of the house, which is the man’s residence. The man had suffered a single gunshot wound to his midsection and was transported to a hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. 

 

Inside the house, police found Alvin Sedillo, 27, unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics administered aid to Sedillo, but he was soon declared deceased at the scene. 

 

The investigation by RPD’s Criminal Investigations Division found that the two men, who were each in possession of a gun, and the woman were hanging out at the house and drinking. Investigators have further determined the following at this point: Sedillo left the house at some point, but later returned and became aggressive, producing a gun and demanding the other man and the woman give him their phones and other items and drive him to another location. Sedillo also demanded the other man give him his gun. When the man refused, Sedillo shot the other man. The other man then used his gun to shoot back at Sedillo multiple times. The woman was not injured during this incident. 

 

Once the RPD investigation is concluded, its findings will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office, which will make the final decision on whether any charges will be filed. Based on the initial findings of the investigation indicating self-defense, RPD has not made any charges against the surviving man at this time.

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TN: Attempted theft results in Gunfight, 1 Suspect Shot

He said he followed the men outside, grabbed the grocery cart, and tried to take the stolen merchandise as the suspects entered a van.

Reports say a man, identified as 33-year-old Robby Wooten, then got out of the van with a handgun, fired a shot into the air, and threatened to kill the store manager.

The victim reportedly fell to the ground and Wooten pointed the gun at him, but the victim pulled out his own gun and fired shots at the suspect.

 

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Review: But What About Ammo? by Ivan the Troll

Ivan the Troll has published an instruction set on making 9x19mm ammunition. The ammunition is designed for the FGC-9 hybrid 3D printed semi-automatic pistol/carbine in Europe. The ammunition is shown in video as functioning in an FGC-9, Browning style  tilt-barrel locking pistols and a straight blowback pistol.

The instructions were published in 2020 before Stark1809's untimely death. They are titled But-What-About-Ammo Version 1.0.

The instructions are detailed and fairly easy to follow. They use 3D printing and a number of well understood improvised loading techniques to load fired 9mm cases and primers to end up with usable ammunition. 9mm ammunition is difficult to purchase in most of Europe, unless the purchaser has a firearms license. Even then, a firearms license often only applies to purchasing certain kinds of ammunition. Deactivated (fired) 9mm cases and projectiles appear to fairly easy to obtain.

The downloaded guide contains detailed specifications, video of testing, velocities obtained, and  a shopping list of what materials to purchase.

The most interesting part of the video is how Hilti nail driver ammunition is used as a source for priming compound and gunpowder. Much of the value of the directions consists of Ivan the Troll's experimental work to determine the proper amount of powder to use from the Hilti power drivers to obtain usable velocity out of the reloaded 9mm cartridges.

For those interested in such techniques, one of the most dangerous and resource eating tasks is to calibrate the amount of scavanged gunpowder needed for a functioning reload. Ivan the Troll has done this time and resource consuming work. He makes the results available to the world. 3.5 grains of red Hilti gunpowder does the job to produce about 750 feet per second loads with 124 grain jacketed bullets. 4.1 grains of Hilti gunpowder produces about 1000 feet per second.

Insert image of Hilti from whataboutammo image in pictures file

If it is difficult to legally obtain 9mm ammunition, it is almost as difficult to test improvised ammunition.

Ivan the Troll does a good job to show how to make ammunition with his methods.

For those who desire the next level of reloading ammunition in restricted circumstances, this correspondent recommends Modern Handloading by Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr.  Nonte's book was published in 1972. It has an entire chapter on making your own tools. Many of the tools can easily be made by hand. A case resizer made of steel or even of low melting alloys would be much easier and more durable than the method used in ButWhatAboutAmmo. The 3D printed plastic resizer only works well for about 20 rounds.  If a person has access to a small lathe, the work becomes almost trivial.

Of particular interest in Ivan the Troll's work was his description of how well the ammunition functioned in the FGC-9. The FGC-9 is a direct blowback design. The somewhat weaker versions of the reloaded 9mm ammunition are said to have performed well:

The FGC-9 will run even the underpowered loads (because it is simple blowback), the handguns all need the ‘recommended’ loads in order to cycle – they still fire with the underpowered loads, but won’t cycle the slide fully.

Note: I did experience some failures to extract on the FGC-9 tests when using the recommended loads as they are higher pressure, which makes blowback extraction more haphazard. The barrel I had in my FGC-9 for these tests isn’t perfectly formed, which is probably the reason for the failures – but it’s worth noting that if you have issues with extraction of this ammo when other ammo works fine, you might want to load a little less powder.

This correspondent has reloaded ammunition for about six decades, using everything from simple handmade tools to sophisticated progressive machines. The hardest part of reloading, if the authorities do not want you to do it, is the information and knowledge of how to do so. Mass manufactured tools are very nice and make the job much, much easier. If you desperately need a few rounds of ammunition, and have some time, you can usually figure out how to get or make a few rounds. It is the knowledge which is key.

Defense Distributed and Ivan the Troll are making the knowledge available to the world.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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(much of Europe and the rest of the world)

But WhatAbout: Ammo  

How to make your own caps and primers AmmoLand

 

Reloading in restricted circumstances AmmoLand

I highly recommend Modern Handloading by Maj. George C. Nonte, Jr.

NY: Buffalo Off Duty Officer Shoots Robbery Suspect, Child Endangered

According to Buffalo Police, Dorian Jones, 19, allegedly robbed the officer near the intersection of Delaware Avenue and Hertel Avenue by showing what appeared to be a handgun while taking the victim’s vehicle – a 2010 Mercedes. The vehicle contained one of the victim’s children, age 13, while a second juvenile, 15, was outside of the vehicle with the victim. Buffalo Police said the off-duty officer shot the suspect during the robbery attempt.

Jones was located on Wilbury Place, police said, and was taken to ECMC with non-life threatening wounds. The vehicle was retrieved around the corner on Wilbury Place and the 13-year-old juvenile was safely located. A pellet gun was also found, police said.

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AL: Burglars Enter Gun Shop at 3 a.m. Suspects Arrested at 5 p.m. January 12, 2025

The Priceville Police Department said two suspects entered Tucker’s Guns & Ammo in the 600 block of Highway 67 around 3 a.m.

PPD said at 5:09 p.m. Sunday that they had arrested and charged 19-year-old Maki William Burt, of Decatur, with second-degree burglary. Three people under the age of 19 were also arrested and will face criminal charges, but due to their age police did not identify them.

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NICS December, 2024 Gun Sales and 2024 total Predictions Confirmed

 

NSSF uses a slightly different method to estimate gun sales

The National Instant background Check System Checks (NICS) recorded the sixth highest gun sales on record for December, 2024.

Last Month this Correspondent predicted, on AmmoLand: December sales would be about 1.6 million. Gun sales for 2024 would be about 14.6 million. From the previous article:

 "This correspondent expects a drop in gun sales in 2024, to a bit less than what was recorded in 2022, to about 1.6 million sales."

 Estimated gun sales for December, 2024 were 1.62 million.

"This correspondent’s prediction is 2024 will have had 14.6 million guns recorded as sold by NICS."

Estimated gun sales for all of 2024 were 14.68 million.

 

Comparison of gun sales by type, 2023 to 2024

The gun sales for December of 2024 were the seventh highest on record. The total gun sales for 2024, as estimated from recorded NICS sales, are the eighth highest since NICS started records in 1998. 

December is usually the strongest month for gun sales through the NICS system. Gun sales dropped off in December, most likely because of the election of former and future president Donald Trump. Donald Trump has always campaigned as being friendly to and protective of, the Second Amedment. Major campaign supporter of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, transformed the media landscape with his purchase of Twitter. Musk has been a strong and vocal supporter of the Second Amendment.  Donald Trump's three Supreme Court appointments made all the difference in restoring the Second Amendment to the same level of official recognition as the First Amendment.  That fight continues with a few states defiant of the Supreme Court and the Constitution.

People considering purchasing firearms no longer needed to fear the political attacks of the Biden administration the Democratic party and the "old, dominant media". The "old dominate media" showed it was no longer the dominant or mainstream purveyor of news, able to gatekeep information and create the narrative it desired for the nation. Without the fear of the Democratic party, or the fear-mongering of the "old dominant media", the urgency of firearm purchases has receded.

Some market segments may be saturated. When Barack Obama was elected, the estimated number of "modern firearms " (1899-2008), privately owned in the United States of America was 308 million. In the last 16 years, another 208 million have been added to the private stock. 

Constant dollar prices for practical and effective firearms, have decreased by roughly 75% in the last 120 years. Quality ammunition prices have dropped by about 90% or more in constant dollars. Anyone who can legally own a gun, in 90% of American states, can own one and a hundred rounds of ammunition for a weeks work at a minimum wage job.  In a few states and cities, the right to own a firearm is still limited by legislation.  Those unconstitutional statutes are being challenged in court. 

The states in defiance include the high population states of California, Illinois, and New York. When court cases prevent those states from unconstitutionally infringing on Second Amendment rights, expect a significant increase gun sales, to meet the pent up demand.

December of 2024 was the 65th consecutive month where gun sales, as estimated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, totaled over one million a month.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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FL: Murder Charges Dismissed for Ed Druzolowski ; Self Defense on his Property

Video at this link to report From fox35orlando

On December 27, 2024, a judge finally dismissed murder charges against Edward Druzolowski. Druzolowski, aged 78,had shot and killed a violent felon, Brian Ford, 42, who was a neighbor. Ford had approached him with a chain saw and threatened him, on September 17, 2023, more than a year previously. The incident happened on Druzolowski's property in Volusia County, Florida.

Durzolowski was covered by Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Why did it take so long for the judge to dismiss the charges? The incident appeared to be a case of self defense by an elderly man defending against a violent felon.

Druzolowski may have made misstatements in his early talking to police officers. Early stories did not mention that Ford had a chainsaw or that he had threatened Druzolowski. Early reports, published on September 18, 2023, claimed Druzolowski said the opposite. From Fox35orlando:

Druzolowski said he thought his neighbor would leave his property after he pointed the gun and told him to leave. He said he had the gun for his protection and that he felt safer with it, but also noted that his neighbor did not have anything in his hands – weapons or otherwise – and did not threaten to harm or kill him.

Image of Edward Druzolowski 

Druzolowski was reported to have said he believed his revolver had two empty chambers, and the second pull of the trigger would also be a "click". Instead it was a "boom".

Two days later, it was reported Fords son, eight years old, who was at the scene of the shooting, had told police officers a different version of events. The son said his father had told Druzolowski  he would cut off Druzolowski's head with a chainsaw. The son said the chainsaw was not running at the time.  The chainsaw and two knives were found at the scene next to Ford's body.  The event occurred on Druzolowski's property. Ford was cutting tree limbs on Druzolowski's side of the fence with the chainsaw.  From fox35orlandoeo:

Criminal defense attorney Michael Panella was not involved in the case, but said a stand your ground defense comes down to reasonableness, and whether the threat justifies deadly force.

"First of all, the decedent was armed. I think that's a huge deal. The fact that he had the capability to cause great bodily harm with a chainsaw during this altercation can’t be underscored enough", Panella said. "The other issue that came up in this case is that he had a reputation for violence."

Panella also noted the drastic age and strength differences between Ford and Druzolowski – all factors he said a judge would take into consideration when ruling on a stand your ground case.

According to the Volusia County Clerk of Courts, Ford had been arrested close to two dozen times since 2004. Some of his charges were violent offenses.

Another incident in Florida in 2023 involved a gun and a chain saw. From AmmoLand:

In 2023, in another gun v. chainsaw incident in Florida, a Florida Court of appeals ruled merely displaying and loading a firearm was not a "use of deadly force".

Analysis:

It is bad policy to attempt to give detailed responses to police immediately after a self defense event. These events almost always produce high levels of adrenaline. Acute stress can cause memory loss and the distortion of events in memory.  If Druzolowski's first interview with police  had included the chainsaw, knives, and the threat, he might never have been prosecuted.  Those facts were included in his testimony after the effects of the stress wore off and he had the aid of an attorney. From synopticpotential.com:

What’s more, science suggests that the effects of stress on your ability to remember can be quite long-lasting (e.g. from 25-90 minutes after the stress) whilst your cortisol levels are still elevated, and only recovering once your cortisol has started to near its baseline levels.

In the emotion of the aftermath of shooting his neighbor, those facts escaped his memory. The physical evidence and the testimony of an eight year old who was on the scene, with no reason to lie about a threat by his father, were extremely important.

This correspondent knows of several instances where victims psychologically have a difficult time admitting they had to kill an attacker in self defense. Instead they fantasize it was an "accident", or "I did not intend to shoot him", or "The gun went off". These sort of statements can conflict with a legal justification of self defense.  They indicate a crime of manslaughter or negligent homicide. If a person did not intend to shoot, the justification for shooting in self defense is placed in question.

If a person is involved in a case of self defense, consultation with an attorney should be done before a detailed statement is given to the police. Police officers routinely wait 24 hours before giving detailed statements when they have been involved in a shooting. 24 hours gives time for the stress to wear off and memory to return.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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WA: Gunfight in Montlake Terrace, Suspect Wounded, Drives Stolen Truck to Hospital

A vehicle theft suspect ended up at Swedish Edmonds Hospital after being shot by the truck owner’s relative while leaving the scene in the 23000 block of Lakeview Drive in Mountlake Terrace Thursday morning.

Mountlake Terrace Police Cmdr. Scott King said the suspect was in the process of stealing a truck around 4:30 a.m. Thursday and was confronted by the truck owner’s relative. The thief pointed a pistol at the relative in response, but the relative was also armed with a handgun and fired at the suspect.

The person stealing the truck was successful and drove away, not to freedom, but to the hospital.

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Americans Can Handle the Truth - and Weapons

 

 

A recurring theme of modern culture is the idea: ordinary people cannot "handle" the truth. It is a way to say ordinary people cannot be trusted to know what government knows. It is an excuse and justification for the government to keep secrets from the American people. The supposed stupidity and cupidity of most people is a key part of Progressive ideology.

A ubiquitous theme promoted by Progressives is the necessity of controlling "public opinion" and "manufacturing consent". This is in direct opposition to Christian ideology, as common in colonial America. The founding ideology  of the United States of America is natural law supported by Judeo-Christian ethics. Natural law is based largely on the ability of individuals to understand what is in their own interests, and to act on those interests.

The Second Amendment is based on the idea that people can know their own interests. People can band together to promote their own interests. Society is better if everyone is armed to protect their own, and societies, interest in mutual defense, property rights, and the rule of law.

The worship of the truth is a key part of Christianity. In the bible, Jesus says, "I am the truth".  Jesus says the revelation of the truth will set his followers free. The pursuit of the truth flowered during a combination of the reformation and renaissance, when the printing press and paper created an explosive revolution of knowledge as important as the invention of writing.

Pursuit of the truth led to the scientific method and the industrial revolution.  Islam floundered on a denial of objective truth, because the dominant theology in Islam came to be an insistence that Allah could and would change reality at will. The past, the present, every bit of existence at any instant, is subject to change at any moment in Islam.  Thus no search for objective reality or for physical laws would or could be fruitful.

Progressivism echos this fluidity in its understanding of the universe by its insistence that nothing is permanent or knowable (except to "Experts"). Everything is changing all the time. Only skilled and dedicated Progressive "experts" can understand what is happening. Governments have to be able to change all the time and instantly, to cope with a changing reality. Therefore, what the mass of the people know and think has to be constantly managed, to prevent them from doing stupid things and doing things against their "own interests".

Stupid things are defined to include throwing Progressives out of power.

How often have you read of Progressives (leftists) saying a certain group voted against their own interests? This is a shortcut version of the above. Progressives assume they know everyone's interests better than the people themselves do. Marxist theory does the same. Marxists claim people who disagree with them to have  "false consciousness". The consciousness Marxists consider to be true is that which validates their assumptions about reality. Woke theory is a variant. White people are defined as racist, whether they know it or not. No one who is not Woke can define what a woman is.

In contrast, the American Founders trusted the people, on average, over time, to know their own interests. They also knew different people's interests and different groups interests often conflict. The checks and balances of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were put in place to keep any one interest group, especially the interest of people in political power, whether State or Federal, from promoting their interest ahead of all others.

The First Amendment is based on the theory a vigorous debate is the best way to determine the truth. The Scientific Method is based on anyone being able to challenge scientific findings by duplicating experiments to see if the same result is obtained. "Scientists" who refuse to reveal their data invalidate their own results.

If you cannot see the data sources, you cannot duplicate the results.

If a person "can't handle the truth" they should not be trusted to handle firearms responsibly. Progressive ideology has gun control in its DNA.

You can handle the truth. You can handle weapons.  The truth shall set you free.

The flip side is: Lies enslave you and liars lie to you to keep you enslaved.

When someone tells you the public cannot handle the truth, they are advocating for unlimited governmental power.

 

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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ID: Wendell Man shoots, Wounds Man who Brandished Knife

WENDELL, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —The Gooding County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service for a shooting incident in Wendell Monday afternoon. The reporting party informed law enforcement that an individual was shot while they were wielding a knife.

According to preliminary reports, the incident took place at approximately 2:05 p.m. on East Ave. B. According to Prosecutor Trevor Misseldine, Ryan Rollins approached a man that he knew, while reportedly brandishing a knife. In response to that action, a man discharged a firearm striking Rollins.

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Review of APA Paper on Psychopathy, Gun Carrying and Firearm Violence

Jaleel Stallings mug shot after arrest and beating by Minneapolis Police.  Stallings was found not guilty after firing at police in self defense. 

A paper published in the Psychology of Violence is interesting because of what it did not find. The paper did not find any correlation between legally carrying a gun and four psychopathic measures. The four facets are "affective" (lack of empathy), "interpersonal" (manipulative), "lifestyle" (impulsive), and "antisocial".  "Carry a weapon sometimes for protection" is defined in the four measures as "antisocial".   When carrying a gun for protection is defined as "antisocial", it is unsurprising the paper found correlation between illegally carrying a gun and the "antisocial" trait. This is an example of circular reasoning.

The paper found carrying a gun, both legally and illegally were correlated to firing a gun in self defense. Carrying a gun illegally was more strongly correlated to firing a gun in self defense.

The paper is titled:  Psychopathy, Gun Carrying, and Firearm Violence. it was published by the American Psychological Association (APA) in the publication, Psychology of Violence. It was published for the first time online on August 22, 2024.  The authors are Sophie L. Kjærvik and Nicholas D. Thomson. The paper is seven pages long.

The paper did not measure any actual criminal or violent incidents. The researchers recruited a group of adults at an urban hospital in Virginia. The adults were in the emergency room or the hospital because of injuries inflicted on them by violence from other individuals. There were 343 recruits. 53% had gunshot wounds. 38% were victims of an assault. 9% had a stab wound. 254 of the participants were men. All the participants were 18-75 years old. The participants identified themselves as 65% black, and 12% white. The rest, 23%, were classified as "other". Prisoners and minors were not recruited.

The participants were paid $160 to fill out questionnaires for the study. Filling out the questionnaires took about 2 hours per study participant.  339 of the 343 participated. 17 of the questionnaires were incomplete.

The study consisted of compiling the results of the questionnaires to look for correlations between four facets (traits) associated with psychopathy and behavior with guns. The behavior with guns included three questions about behavior with guns. They were: carrying a firearm with a permit, carrying without a permit, and firing a gun for self defense.  Using a gun for self defense without firing it was not measured. Aggressive behavior with a firearm was measured on a separate scale, which included eight items. These eight items were the study's measure of "Firearm Violence". The items were:

1. Once in a while I get the urge to shoot at another person.
2. Given enough provocation, I may shoot a gun at another person.
3. If somebody hurts me, I may shoot a gun at them.
4. I fire a gun with the intention to hurt somebody a little more than the
average person.
5. If I have to resort to shooting a gun at someone to protect my rights, I will.
6. There are people who pushed me so far that I fired a gun at them.
7. I have threatened people I know with a gun.
8. When I get angry, I shoot a gun.

The eight items were adapted from the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, which has nothing to do with firearms or weapons.

Readers will note items 2,3,5, and possibly 4,6, and 7 are all dependent on context, which is not measured in the questionnaire.  For example:

2. "Given enough provocation, I may shoot a gun at another person."

If a person is threatening to kidnap a mother's 3 year old child, most people would believe the provocation would be enough to justify shooting at them.  Or:

7. I have threatened people I know with a gun.

If the person you are threatening has threatened you in the past, you have a restraining order against them, and they are attempting to break into your home, in most jurisdictions, you would be justified to threaten them with a gun.

1 and 8 are not reasonable. 4 is problematic. However, if you are well trained and aware, living in a dangerous environment, it could be reasonable to say:

"4. I fire a gun with the intention to hurt somebody a little more than the average person."

It is illogical to fire a gun at someone without the intention to hurt somebody. Your primary objective would be to stop the attack. But it is likely you will have to hurt them to do so.

The paper lacks a definition of what "gun violence" or "firearm violence" is. The term "firearm violence" is in the title, and appears eight times in the paper. The term "gun violence" appears 21 times in the paper.  The term "gun violence" appears to mean different things on different pages.  It appears to mean all homicides, accidents, suicides, and injury in which a firearm is involved when referenced in the first sentence of the body of the paper. It seems to mean only criminal behavior with a gun on page 2. "Firearm violence" appears to mean some measure of "firearms aggression" by use of the eight measures on the "firearm aggression" score on page 3, table 1.  The two terms appear to be used interchangeably.  Gun violence, as used in the first sentence and in the conclusion, is an Orwellian, emotionally laden term.

The sample is far from representative of society at large. All participants were recovering from violent injury. It seems likely victims of interpersonal violence, with over half suffering from gunshots, would see the value in shooting at a person who "hurt them" or "provoked them" or "to protect their rights" in completely moral and justified ways.

None of John Lott's research is included in the references, nor is the recent major survey on gun ownership and use by Professor English. Critics of John Lott, Hemenway and Azrael, are included in two references.

The study assumes two highly disputed premise, based on two individual papers. The two premises are:

"Carrying guns increases the risk of injury and death (Branas et al.,
2009) and is a well-established precursor to subsequent gun violence
(Pardini et al., 2021)."

Both premises are disputed. Increased carry of firearms has not increased homicide or suicide, as shown in many states. Increased injury or death, if it happens, which is highly disputed, is not always bad.

The implication is self defense is bad. Increasing the risk of injury or death to violent human predators would be considered a public good by most people. "Gun violence" is not necessarily evil or wrong. To assume so is an extension of the emotional belief "guns are bad".

On the last page of the study, this sentence appears:

Enhancing firearm access restrictions for individuals with a history of violence, coupled with education and training programs for firearm owners, may contribute to reducing the risk of gun-related indicine.

This correspondent was unsure what it means.  Definition of indicine:

of or relating to Asian cattle of the species Bos indicus

In spite of the biases in the study, the conclusions reinforce the results of research by John Lott and Professor English. People who legally carry guns are intensely law abiding.  Self defense is a primary motivation for carrying a gun. Self defense with a gun is common.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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