A Good Guys and Guns reader sent this to me this week and I really enjoyed reading it so I thought I would pass it on. Thanks Miss C. for getting this quote!
David
"In 1896, while serving as New York City Police Commissioner, Roosevelt arranged for the first standard issue handgun for that agency, the .32 Colt New Police revolver. Serial #1 of the initial factory order was presented to him. Even during his presidency he felt it prudent to go armed. He was descending the steps from the second floor of the White House one day, enroute to a political affair, when he stopped suddenly, patted his chest, turned and went back to his room, exclaming as he did so that he'd forgotten his gun. It would be interesting to know how many other presidents were not willing to rely solely upon the Secret Service for their personal protetction. He seems also to have had some disdain for gun control laws. On one occasion he was in Massachusetts to deliver a speech at Harvard. While leaving his room to go to the event, he tucked a revolver into the breast pocket of his jacket. With him was the university president, who commented that carrying a concealed weapon was illegal there. Roosevelt was unimpressed and went armed, anyway."
From: The Guns of the Gunfighters by Doc O'Meara
Monday, March 31, 2008
Quote by GG&G Reader Miss C.
March 27th
(California) Neighbor apprehends burglar after pursuit
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man yesterday afternoon after neighbors in Blue Lake allegedly caught him during a home burglary, a news release stated.
At about 2:45 p.m. a woman reported to the Sheriff’s Office that she saw a man enter her next-door neighbor’s residence on the 400 block of Chartin Way. The woman told the Sheriff’s Emergency Dispatchers that her son, Steven Wilson, 49, armed with a handgun, had attempted to apprehend the suspect inside the residence and was now chasing him toward Rancheria Road.
Deputies arrived a few minutes later and found Wilson detaining Ryan Bush, 21 of Eureka. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had allegedly forcibly entered the locked residence on Chartin Way and removed several items. There was also significant vandalism inside the residence, including broken doors, light fixtures, furniture, and scratched wood floors.
When Wilson confronted him, the suspect fled from the house. Wilson fired a single “warning shot” and told the suspect to freeze, but he continued to run.
The suspect ran through backyards and private driveways until Wilson was able to catch and detain him near Rancheria Road.
Bush was treated at a local hospital for a laceration he sustained either during the burglary or the pursuit. He also had a previous injury that required medical attention.
Bush was then transported to the Humboldt County jail and booked for burglary. His bail was set at $50,000 and he is expected to be arraigned Friday.
March 27th
(Michigan) No Charges For Gas Station Shooter
Kent Co. prosecutors have announced that there will be no charges for the man who shot and killed another man in Grand Rapids. It all happened last month at the Shell Gas Station at the corner of Kalamazoo Ave. and Boston Street.
Gabriel Rodriguez was filling up his car when he got into an argument with a man named Glenn Tett, who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Surveillance video shows Rodriguez picking up a trash can lid seemingly to hit Tett, when Tett takes out a gun and shoots Rodriguez, killing him.
Tett told police that the reason he fired his gun was because he feared for his life, and after watching the surveillance video and investigating the case, Kent Co. Prosecutors agreed that Rodriguez' actions could have been interpreted as life-threatening. "As you're watching (the surveillance video), this happens in an instant," said Kent Co. Prosecutor Bill Forsyth. "We could sit here and Monday-morning-quarterback this, and say well, 'He could have closed the door to his truck and gotten in and driven away. (Tett) could have stepped back, he could have waited to see what it was he was swinging at him, it might have changed things,' but that's not the way the law is written."
March 27th
March 27th
(Texas) Woman Shoots Robber, Husband During Home Invasion
A woman shot and killed an intruder and accidentally wounded her husband in a northeast Harris County home invasion, investigators told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.
According to deputies, a couple found themselves staring down the barrel of a gun in their apartment in the Northshore Meadows complex in the 300 block of Audrey Lane shortly before midnight.
A man had just broken into their apartment and was making demands. According to investigators, he wanted cash and drugs, and made the couple remove all their clothing.
Then, gunshots rang out. However, the would-be robber wasn't the one squeezing the trigger, officials said. "The husband got into a physical altercation with the suspect," Harris County Deputy A.J. Kelly said. "The wife was able to retrieve a handgun that they had up in the room and she fired shots, striking and killing the suspect."
The husband was also shot. Deputies said he was hit in the arm. They believe he may have been hit by friendly fire from his wife. The couple told investigators that they did not know the man or why they were the targets of a home invasion. "Seems like, at this point, they did what they had to do," Kelly said. "They were in fear that this individual who broke into their house was going to harm them."
Deputies said they believe the intruder may not have been alone. "We have a female detained that was in the parking lot at the time of the incident and we're questioning her know," Kelly said. "She's definitely a person of interest. We think she was with him." According to Kelly, the woman was downstairs in the parking lot waiting in what appeared to be the getaway car.
Investigators said that the husband suffered from an exit wound to the arm. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.
March 26th
(New York) Druggist wrestles shotgun away from would be robbery
A gunman who tried to rob a Carmel pharmacy Tuesday afternoon was subdued by the pharmacist after a violent struggle. The robber, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, attempted to rob the store of narcotics.
The incident unfolded at about 12:35 p.m. at the Rite Aid Pharmacy in the ShopRite Plaza on Route 52 in Carmel.
The suspect, identified as David Both, 49, of Kent, allegedly walked up to the pharmacy counter, pulled the shotgun and demanded narcotics from the pharmacy staff. Both then walked around behind the counter as the pharmacist, Mark Gallagher, complied with his demands by placing drugs into a bag.
When the suspect pointed the shotgun toward two female employees, Gallagher, who later told police he feared the suspect was going to shoot the women, grabbed the weapon. After a struggle, the pharmacist was able to wrest control of the gun from Both and fought him off.
Someone in the store called 911 and patrols from the Putnam, Sheriff’s Office, Carmel and Ken Police and the State Police rushed to the store. Both was taken into custody.
As a deputy was unloading the shotgun, police said it accidentally discharged and fired a slug into a rear wall of the store. No one was injured. Police think the gun may have gone off because it was damaged during the struggle.
Gallagher was not injured in the altercation. Another store employee, a 64-year-old woman, later experienced chest pains while be interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Both was charged with attempted robbery in the first degree.
**Note** To clear up confusion, the reported perpetrator is named "Both".
March 25th
(Alabama) Man Shoots, Kills Cousin Stealing Gas
Authorities in Russell County have not filed charges against a homeowner who said today he shot and killed a man who was siphoning gasoline from his truck in the middle of the night, only to discover the victim was a cousin.
Robert Lee Warren of Hatchechubee said the man identified by the coroner as 40-year-old Henry Moses made a threatening move toward him after being confronted, so he pulled the trigger in self-defense.
Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr. said Moses died of a single gunshot to the chest about 2 a.m. CDT on Easter Sunday. The body was found near a blue pickup truck under an awning that Warren used as a carport. He said its unclear how much, if any, gasoline was taken.
Prosecutor Buster Landreau said it was too early to say whether an indictment could result when a grand jury considers the case. Alabama law allows residents to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger.
With the average price for regular, self-serve gasoline hitting $3.26 a gallon in the United States, gasoline thefts are being reported across the country.
March 25th
(Alabama) Man Shoots, Kills Cousin Stealing Gas
Authorities in Russell County have not filed charges against a homeowner who said today he shot and killed a man who was siphoning gasoline from his truck in the middle of the night, only to discover the victim was a cousin.
Robert Lee Warren of Hatchechubee said the man identified by the coroner as 40-year-old Henry Moses made a threatening move toward him after being confronted, so he pulled the trigger in self-defense.
Coroner Arthur Sumbry Jr. said Moses died of a single gunshot to the chest about 2 a.m. CDT on Easter Sunday. The body was found near a blue pickup truck under an awning that Warren used as a carport. He said its unclear how much, if any, gasoline was taken.
Prosecutor Buster Landreau said it was too early to say whether an indictment could result when a grand jury considers the case. Alabama law allows residents to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger.
With the average price for regular, self-serve gasoline hitting $3.26 a gallon in the United States, gasoline thefts are being reported across the country.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March 21st
(Pennsylvania) Braddock store owner pins would-be robber
Al Handza did a small favor Thursday afternoon for a young man in Braddock, a few minutes before the man put a gun to his head and tried to rob him.
Handza, owner of Al's Market on Braddock Avenue, refused to be bullied and grabbed the robber's hands, wrestling him to the ground.
During the struggle, the gun discharged twice and the wounded thief tried to run, only to be stopped by Handza and detained for police. The robber, whose identity and age are not known because he gave a phony name to police, was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland with gunshot wounds in the arm and back, said Braddock police Sgt. Frank Barreiro. The extent of the injuries is not known. Handza, 61, who had cataract surgery on Tuesday, said he didn't have time to think about how scared he was."What are you going to do?" Handza said with a shrug 90 minutes after the incident."
He came behind the counter with a gun, put it to my head and we started tussling." Handza, who has operated the small market near the Rankin Bridge for 26 years, said the young man often comes into the store and was there twice yesterday before the holdup. "The second time, he bought two bags of chips but was short 18 cents," Handza said. "I said, 'You're always in here. I'll get it tomorrow.'"
A minute later -- shortly before 5 p.m. -- the man returned, trying to hide his face with a hooded sweatshirt and bandana." He said, 'This is a stickup!' I thought he was joking because he'd just left."
The .22-caliber handgun the robber was pointing at Handza's head was no laughing matter, and the store owner acted to defend himself. "I threw him and we went down together," said Handza, who was alone at the time.
As the two wrestled, the gun discharged twice and the robber said, "I'm shot!"The thief got up without the gun, ran out the door and around the corner between two buildings, where he was stopped by a 12-foot fence.
Handza grabbed the gun off the floor, called 911 and ran outside after the robber. "He couldn't get over the fence. I held his own gun on him and told him to hit the ground, face first. He laid there, and the cops were here in less than a minute."
Barreiro said the investigation has been turned over to Allegheny County Police detectives. He said he believes they will charge the man with robbery and weapons violations.
March 19th
(Virginia) Landscaper shoots rabid fox after attacks
A rabid fox was shot Friday in the Pine Mill Subdivision off of Pinetta Road, making it the second confirmed animal with rabies in the county this year.
The fox was seen acting strangely in the neighborhood last Thursday, prompting residents to call Gloucester Animal Control, said M.B. Sheppard, the county's Environmental Health Supervisor. But deputies were unable to find the fox and advised residents that if the fox was spotted again and acting similarly to shoot it.
On Friday, the fox first attacked two adult dogs that were penned up and then two puppies playing in a ditch and exposed the two puppies to rabies, Sheppard said. A landscaper working in the subdivision saw the fox and borrowed a homeowner's shotgun before killing the animal.
Tests later confirmed the fox was rabid.
A 9-year-old girl who came in contact with the puppies is undergoing post-exposure rabies treatment, Sheppard said.
March 18th
(Arizona) Stunt man turned salon owner shoots robber
A would-be robber, “picked the wrong business and the wrong cowboy to mess with,” when he entered a Phoenix storefront and pulled out a gun. That’s because Rodd Wolff leads a double life. He is a movie stuntman. In training for roles in films like “Rambo III”, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Miracle at Sage Creek”, Wolff had to be able to shoot a gun while riding a horse. He got a chance to put those cowboy skills to use in the unlikely setting of the business he owns, a hair salon.
Wolff, his wife and three clients were inside Hair Productions at 25 Street and Indian School Road about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon when the suspect walked in wearing a wig and dark sunglasses. Because of previous crimes at nearby businesses, Wolff had established a code word his employees would use in the event of a robbery. He was in a back room when he heard his wife utter the code word three times.
As the robber moved further into the salon, Wolff removed a gun that had been wrapped in a towel and ordered the man to drop his gun. When he did not comply, Wolff fired three shots, striking the suspect.
The robber dropped his wig and sunglasses and managed to get a green SUV outside the store. Wolff followed and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived.
The suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.Phoenix Police Lt. Robert Sparks was impressed at Wolff’s use of the code word. “It’s good for business owners to be prepared and have a plan,” Sparks said.
Wolff says he first opened the salon in 1972. His acting career began in 1966’s “Duel At Diablo”. The Internet Movie Database credits him as a stuntman in18 films or TV shows. He is also listed as an actor in one film.
Despite his actions taking down an armed robber in a salon with five innocent people, Wolff says, “I’m no hero.”
March 19th
(Georgia) Elderly Tucker man kills intruder
If a DeKalb County home invasion suspect thought an elderly Tucker couple would make an easy target Tuesday night, he thought wrong. Now the suspect is dead, and DeKalb police say the 81-year-old homeowner will not face charges for shooting and killing the man.
DeKalb police spokesman J.T. Ware said that about 11 p.m., the unidentified suspect, who appeared to be in his 20s, broke into the home on Zemory Drive, in a neighborhood off Lawrenceville Highway. "The suspect, as he was entering the location, made enough noise to arouse the suspicions of the homeowner, and he was able to locate his weapon and load it," Ware said.The homeowner confronted the suspect, and after a brief struggle, shot and killed the man, Ware said.
He said the homeowner, whose name has not been released, was hospitalized for treatment of wounds suffered during the struggle, but is expected to be okay. The man's 78-year-old wife was not injured.
Ware said police do not plan to charge the homeowner."He defended his home, defended his wife," Ware said. "He did what everybody would hope to do in a situation like that."
Monday, March 10, 2008
February 27th
I know this story is a little late but I didn't find it until this week. I thought it was very interesting and figured my readers would enjoy it as well. Enjoy!
David
(Massachusetts) Rochester resident held purse-snatching suspect at gunpoint
ROCHESTER — Brad Correia had just returned to his home on Mattapoisett Road from a trip to the White Mountains with his wife and two children about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when they heard a knock at the front door.
Mr. Correia, 45, was tucking his 7-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter into bed. His wife went downstairs to see who was at the door and found a young man standing outside asking for help. Before opening the door, she summoned her husband.
"Before I went downstairs, I tucked my .45 into the back of my pants," Mr. Correia said.
Mr. Correia opened the door and Steven Grover, 18, of New Bedford, reported that his car had broken down on the interstate.
Since the family had just driven home from out of state, they had no way of knowing that a manhunt for three suspects in a purse-snatching was in progress.
"I could see that he was in pretty rough shape," Mr. Correia said of the unexpected visitor. "His clothes were soaked, he was bleeding and he'd lost one sneaker in the mud when he broke through the ice. I thought that if he were my son, I'd want someone to help him, so I let him in."
Mr. Correia permitted the fugitive to use the house phone while providing him with hot tea, dry clothes and hot water to soak his chilled feet.
"He made some calls, but he couldn't get anyone to come and get him," Mr. Correia said. "He wanted to call a cab, but he had no money, so I said I would pay."
By then, however, Mr. Correia had grown suspicious of his visitor because his story kept changing as it went along, he said.
"It just didn't add up, so I called 911 and asked them if they were looking for anyone."
Based on the description provided by the police, Mr. Correia realized that his guest was a wanted man.
"When it dawned on him that I was talking to the police, he jumped out of his chair. That's when I pulled my gun. I told him to sit back down, that the police were on their way, and he did."
"I've had my permit since I was 18, and that's the first time I've ever pointed a gun at another human being. I hope I never have to do it again. I tried to be a nice guy, but he had nothing to lose at that point. He knew he was going to jail."
March 7th
(Tennessee) Man Shoots, Wounds Home Intruder
A husband took matters into his own hands when his wife and newborn child were held up during a home invasion.
The woman said she was able to grab her phone and call her husband after three men kicked in her door late Thursday. The home is located in Glencliff Court in south Nashville.
The husband said he rushed home after getting the call from his wife, but was stopped by police and accused of speeding on the way. After explaining to the officer what was happening at his home, the man continued home with the officer following.
The man said he parked in the back yard and saw the intruders come running out the back of his house with guns drawn, so he grabbed his gun, and the two sides exchanged shots. “They fired shots at the citizen, and the citizen returned fire at the suspects. One of the suspects is struck and flees on foot,” said Metro police Capt. Randy Hickerson.
One intruder who was shot by the man was found later on a nearby street. The other two were able to evade capture, police said.
The woman, baby and man were not hurt. Police said the intruders did not take anything from the house.
March 6th
(Colorado) Shots fired, boy scares off burglar
A boy fired a gun and chased away a burglar who tried to break into a house north of the city this afternoon, deputies said.
Ryan Dohoney was home alone when he heard a burglar inside the house, 11909 Vermillion Road, at about 12:30 p.m., Boulder County Sheriff's deputies said.
Dohoney fired a shot to scare the burglar off. The burglar fired one shot, ran out the door and ran from the property, deputies said. The burglar was dressed in black and wore a mask, deputies said.
Deputies did not say who fired the first shot, though both were fired inside the house. No one was injured.
Deputies rushed to the scene after dispatchers received calls about shots being fired. Investigators did not locate the suspect immediately.
The boy and his family were not available for comment as of 3 p.m.
March 5th
(Tennessee) Clerk Defends Self Against Would-Be Burglars
A convenience store employee shot into the parking lot to prevent two men from breaking into the business.
It happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday at the Almaville Market. It is off Interstate 24 in an unincorporated area of Rutherford County known as the Almaville community.
The incident was recorded by the store's surveillance system. After the men smashed a large rock through a window, a cook picked up a gun and started shooting.
The men thought no one was inside the business."I was scared, but I think anger took over," said Donna Blanks.
Blanks is a cook and arrives early to prepare meals for customers. She said she started to shout and shoot. "I scared them like they scared me. No quite as much. They got gone," she said.
No one was hurt. Sheriff's deputies told the woman she acted within her rights to shoot at the suspects as long as she was inside the store.
If anyone has any information about this crime, they should call Rutherford County Crime Stoppers at 893-STOP (7867).
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Columbine To Va. Tech To NIU: Gun-Free Zones Or Killing Fields?
Dear Readers,
I was not able to put together my regular posts this week. I saw this article and found that it made some very good points. Enjoy!
David
Carry always, pay attention, and be safe!
BY JOHN R. LOTT JR.
As Northern Illinois University restarts classes this week, one thing is clear: Six minutes proved too long.
It took six minutes before the police were able to enter the classroom that horrible Thursday, and in that short time five people were murdered, 16 wounded.
Six minutes is actually record-breaking speed for the police arriving at such an attack, but it was simply not fast enough. Still, the police were much faster than at the Virginia Tech attack last year.
The previous Thursday, five people were killed in the city council chambers in Kirkwood, Mo. There was even a police officer already there when the attack occurred.
But, as happens time after time in these attacks when uniformed police are there, the killers either wait for the police to leave the area or they are the first people killed. In Kirkwood, the police officer was killed immediately when the attack started. People cowered or were reduced to futilely throwing chairs at the killer.
Just like attacks last year at the Westroads Mall in Omaha, Neb., the Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake City and the recent attack at the Tinley Park Mall in Illinois, or all the public school attacks, they had one thing in common: They took place in "gun-free zones," where private citizens were not allowed to carry their guns with them.
The malls in Omaha and Salt Lake City were in states that let people carry concealed handguns, but private property owners are allowed to post signs that ban guns; those malls were among the few places in their states that chose such a ban.
In the Trolley Square attack, an off-duty police officer fortunately violated the ban and stopped the attack. The attack at Virginia Tech or the other public school attacks occur in some of the few areas within their states that people are not allowed to carry concealed handguns.
It is not just recent killings that are occurring in these gun-free zones. The Columbine High School shooting left 13 murdered in 1999; Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, had 23 who were fatally shot by a deranged man in 1991; and a McDonald's in Southern California had 21 people shot dead in 1984.
Nor are these horrible incidents limited to just gun-free zones in the U.S. In 1996, Martin Bryant killed 35 people in Port Arthur, Australia. In the last half-dozen years, European countries — including France, Germany and Switzerland — have experienced multiple-victim shootings. The worst in Germany resulted in 17 deaths; in Switzerland, one attack claimed the lives of 14 regional legislators.
At some point you would think the media would notice that something is going on here, that these murderers aren't just picking their targets at random. And this pattern isn't really too surprising. Most people understand that guns deter criminals.
If a killer were stalking your family, would you feel safer putting a sign out front announcing, "This home is a gun-free zone"? But that is what all these places did.
Even when attacks occur, having civilians with permitted concealed handguns limits the damage. A major factor in determining how many people are harmed by these killers is the amount of time that elapses between when the attack starts and someone is able to arrive on the scene with a gun.
In cases from the Colorado Springs church shooting last December, in which a parishioner who was given permission by the minister to carry her concealed gun into the church quickly stopped the murder, to an attack last year in downtown Memphis to the Appalachian Law School to high schools in such places as Pearl, Miss., concealed handgun permit holders have stopped attacks well before uniformed police could possibly have arrived. Just a few weeks ago, Israeli teachers stopped a terrorist attack at a school in their country.
Indeed, despite the fears being discussed about the risks of concealed handgun permit holders, I haven't found one of these multiple-victim public shootings where a permit holder has accidentally shot a bystander.
With about 5 million Americans currently with concealed handgun permits in the U.S., and with states starting to have right-to-carry laws for as long as 80 years, we have a lot of experience with these laws and one thing is very clear: Concealed handgun permit holders are extremely law-abiding. Those who lose their permits for any gun-related violation are measured in the hundredths or thousandths of a percentage point.
We also have a lot of experience with permitted concealed handguns in schools. Prior to the 1995 Safe School Zone Act, states with right-to-carry laws let teachers or others carry concealed handguns at school. There is not a single instance that I or others have found where this produced a single problem.
Though in a minority, a number of universities — from large public schools such as Colorado State and the University of Utah to small private schools such as Hamline in Minnesota — let students carry concealed handguns on school property.
Many more schools, from Dartmouth College to Boise State University, let professors carry concealed handguns. Again, with no evidence of problems.
Few know that Dylan Klebold, one of the two Columbine killers, was closely following Colorado legislation that would have let citizens carry a concealed handgun. Klebold strongly opposed the legislation and openly talked about it.
No wonder, as the bill being debated would have allowed permitted guns to be carried on school property. It is quite a coincidence that he attacked Columbine High School the very day the legislature was scheduled to vote on the bill.
With all the media coverage of the types of guns used and how the criminal obtained the gun, at some point the news media might begin to mention the one common feature of these attacks: They keep occurring in gun-free zones.
Gun-free zones are a magnet for these attacks.
Lott is the author of "Freedomnomics" and a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland.
