December 28th

(Missouri) Pizza deliveryman who shot robber had gun permit

A Domino’s pizza deliveryman who shot and killed a would-be robber in Pagedale has a valid permit to carry a weapon and appears to have acted in self-defense, according to St. Louis County police.

The driver, who works for the Domino’s franchise nearby in University City, delivered an order at 7 p.m. Thursday to a phony address in the 6500 block of Julian Avenue, where two armed men announced a robbery. The driver pulled his own pistol and fired shots, striking one of the robbers.

Brian Smith, 19, of the 600 block of Ferguson Avenue in Ferguson, was pronounced dead at the scene, said officer Tracy Panus, the department spokeswoman. The other gunman fled. Police arrested a suspect this afternoon and booked him pending application of warrants, she said.

Panus said the driver may have been fired upon, but was not wounded. She said officers found a pistol at the scene that hadn’t been fired.The driver surrendered his own weapon and showed officers a concealed-carry permit from Florida. Panus said officers verified the permit this afternoon.

Panus said Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch’s office will review the police reports but added, "It doesn’t appear to us that (the driver) did anything wrong."

December 27th

(Alabama) Tallassee home invasion turns deadly

A man apparently was fatally wounded by shots from his own firearm when it was taken away from him during a Christmas morning home invasion in Tallassee, authorities said.

Investigators said two men had forced their way into the residence shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday while the occupants were asleep. Once inside, one of the intruders held an occupant at gunpoint, but at some point had the handgun wrestled away and several rounds were fired at him.

Both suspects fled the scene, and Tallapoosa County sheriff's officers said Lee Antion Donaldson, 29, of Montgomery was admitted to Baptist South in Montgomery at 5 a.m. Wednesday with gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead a short time later.

Tallapoosa County Sheriff Jimmy Abbett told The Alexander City Outlook his department is working with the Montgomery Police Department to determine if Donaldson was at the scene of the Tallassee home invasion.

The sheriff said Thursday that Donaldson's possible connection to the home invasion was still under investigation.

December 24th

(Connecticut) EW man fires shot to scare off burglar, both arrested

Two men were arrested on numerous charges Saturday, police said, after a homeowner fired his shotgun out his window to drive away a would-be burglar.

Alan Pelletier, 45, of 95A Main St. in the Broad Brook section was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of firearms, and second-degree breach of peace by threat, police said.

Delroy A. Martin, 24, of 794 South St. Suffield, was charged with second-degree assault, criminal mischief, breach of peace, and criminal attempt to commit burglary, police said.

Officers responded to a call about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, police said. "It appears Martin was attempting to break into 93 Main St. when shots were fired," Capt. Roger T. Hart said. "It appears Pelletier shot a 12-gauge shotgun out the rear window of 95A Main St., presumably in an attempt to scare away the suspect," according to Hart.

No one was injured from the shooting, police said. "When we arrived several people were holding a black male down," Hart said. That man, Martin, was "attempting to break into a residence, using a garden tool to break down the door," according to Hart. Martin appeared to have been intoxicated, and damaged multiple unit doors, Hart said.

Martin was held in lieu of $100,000 bond and was scheduled to appear at Enfield Superior Court today.

Pelletier was released on $10,000 nonsurety bond and is to appear on Jan. 22 at Enfield Superior Court, Hart said.

I find this outrageous! If the story happened as it is written then this guy should get a medal not prison time.

December 26th

(California) Man Shoots Another in Self Defense

No charges will be filed against a man who shot and killed another man in southeast Fresno on Christmas. Police say it was self defense.

Investigators say a 26-year old man showed up at his ex-girlfriend's home on east Belgravia, around 4 a.m. to demand to see their baby. Police say he hit the woman, pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot her. The woman's cousin was in the home and shot the ex-boyfriend. Police say he saved both mother and baby.

Police say the suspect had just been released from prison was deported to Mexico, but returned to the U.S.

December 25th

(Pennsylvania) Ingram convenience store clerk shoots would-be robber

A convenience store clerk in Ingram shot and seriously wounded a knife-carrying robber this morning. Ingram police Chief John Doherty said the clerk may have fired at the would-be thief inside and then outside the 7-Eleven store at 10 W. Prospect Ave. "He shot the robber several times. I'm not sure how many," Chief Doherty said this afternoon in a telephone interview. But the gunfire began in the store about 4:30 a.m. and then apparently continued outside, Chief Doherty said.

He declined to identify either the clerk or the robber. Chief Doherty said the would-be thief is 20 years old and the clerk is in his mid-20s.

Emergency crews transported the robber to Allegheny General Hospital, where he underwent surgery, Chief Doherty said. He said the clerk may have had a less serious injury."I believe the clerk was cut," Chief Doherty said.

Chief Doherty said the preliminary investigation showed that the clerk had a permit to carry a firearm. He said he knew this particular clerk because he had been robbed previously and Ingram police investigated the case.

Allegheny County police will be the lead agency in the case and file any charges, Chief Doherty said.

December 17th - 23rd

Part of the purpose of me keeping this blog is to make people aware that defensive gun uses happen frequently. While reading these stories I hope you keep in mind that there are many, many other stories that haven't made it to me or that I just haven't deemed "interesting" enough to take the time to put on here.

I have compiled a short list of some more stories. These are just a few of the many stories that you all don't even hear about. Also, keep in mind that these are just some of the DEFENSIVE GUN USES, which means that hundreds of people are attacked every week whom are not able to defend themselves.

Keep an eye out and be prepared!

-David

December 22nd
Conroe, Texas
A disagreement between two men in a local bartransitioned to angry text messages after the bar closed, then escalated to a physical confrontation that resulted in gunfire at an apartment. The attacker was killed.

December 21st
Coachella, California
A convenience store robbery-gone-wrong ended with one suspect dead. After being confronted by two armed robbers a clerk of the store grabbed his own gun and killed one of the attackers.

December 21st
Tulsa, Oklahoma
A man was shot in the leg Thursday after exchanging gunfire with someone who apparently was trying to rob his brother. The attacker fled unhurt.

December 20th
Greensboro, North Carolina
A man entered and attempted to hold up a store. The clerk got his own gun and tried to shoot the thief. His gun malfunctioned, and the attacker fled.

December 19th
Niceville Florida
A man was attacked in his home by two intruders. After a struggle he was able to get his pistol from a shelf and shoot twice. One of the shots wounded one of the intruders. Both fled.


December 18th
Burton, Michigan
An armed security guard on patrol at Kings Lane apartments shot and critically wounded a man who allegedly attempted to carjack the guard's personal car.

December 17th
Newbury, New Hampshire
Husband and wife get into an argument and the wife shoots at the husband. The husband gets his own gun and shoots and kills his wife.

December 17th
Phoenix, Arizona
A man turned the tables on a gunman Saturday by wrestling a rifle from him, turning it around and firing.

December 19th

(Florida) Black driver shot 2 whites in self-defense

With one wielding a knife, two men pounded on Hygens Labidou's roofing truck and shouted racial epithets, authorities said. ''N-----, get out of the truck!'' they allegedly snarled, according to a copy of a 911 tape released Tuesday. One of the men, six feet tall and 350 pounds, tried to pull Labidou from the truck.

Moments later, Labidou, fearing for his life, pulled out his 9mm semiautomatic gun and fired, wounding the two Cooper City men -- one fatally -- in the middle of a busy Deerfield Beach intersection.

Labidou, 49, of Wellington, will not be charged because he acted in self-defense, the Broward Sheriff's Office said. ''These two men approached him with a deadly weapon in an aggressive manner,'' BSO spokesman Mike Jachles said. ``Clearly, he was inside his vehicle, and he was clearly within his right to defend himself.''Edward Borowsky, 28, died Monday, four days after the shooting. The other man, Steven V. Lonzisero, 43, is under arrest, charged with murder during the commission of a crime. Even though he didn't pull the trigger, under Florida law, a person can be charged with murder if someone dies while the accused is committing a felony. Lonzisero also will be charged with a hate crime, the BSO said.

Labidou has a concealed weapons permit, officials said.

The 911 tape reveals a hysterical Labidou, screaming to the dispatcher that he had been attacked. ''I shot them! I shot them!'' he yelled during the call, made just after 1 p.m. Thursday.

Labidou apologized to the dispatcher for shouting and then answered her questions.``Both of them down, both of them are down . . . I knocked 'em both. I'm sorry, ma'am. I was trying to defend myself.'' ''They said, n-----, get out of the truck. Both of them,'' Labidou said.

Asked by the dispatcher what he did, he replied: ``I shot 'em! I wanted to defend myself. ''The BSO is considering the case a hate crime because the attackers, who were white, shouted racial epithets at Labidou, who is black.

The BSO originally charged Lonzisero with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a felony. But just as Lonzisero was set to be released on bond, Borowsky died, escalating the charge to murder.

The incident happened in the middle of the afternoon as the vehicles were driving north on Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach. Lonzisero and Borowsky were in a white Ford pickup truck, along with Lonzisero's 15-year-old daughter.

Labidou, who runs a family-owned roofing company, was driving a flatbed truck.The BSO said Lonzisero and Borowsky were upset with Labidou's driving and began arguing with him. It's not clear where the vehicles were as the drivers were arguing. But the BSO said the verbal sparring turned violent when Lonzisero stopped his truck at the intersection of Green Road and Powerline in front of Labidou's flatbed truck.

Lonzisero and Borowsky, who was armed with a knife, got out of the pickup, the BSO said. Borowsky and Lonzisero pounded on Labidou's truck, yelling racial epithets at Labidou and trying to open his door, the BSO said. It's not clear whether Labidou fired from inside his vehicle, but the BSO said he fired several shots, striking both men twice.

The men fell to the pavement, and Labidou and several witnesses called 911. One caller describes the scene to the 911 dispatcher: ``Two guys on the ground. One guy with the gun. He's on the phone. I don't know what happened. I didn't see what happened, but the guy is very calm.'' The caller pauses to yell, ``Put the gun down.'' ''Stay away from him,'' the operator advises.To which the caller replies: ``I am.''

Tuesday night, the upstairs lights were on in Lonzisero's home in Flamingo Townhomes Phase V. No one answered the door outside the townhome, which had Christmas bells on the door. Neighbors, who asked that their names not be used, said Lonzisero rented the unit and lived there with his three children and their mother, while Borowsky lived downstairs.

Lonzisero was in and out of the family's lives, they said. The few that knew the two men said they were confrontational. Another said Lonzisero screamed obscenities at her one day when they were both trying to move their cars.

Labidou runs Impact Roofing in Riviera Beach, according to the company's website. It's been around since March 1999.

December 19th

(Georgia) Robber Killed by Home Owner's Son

Authorities in Baldwin County are investigating an attempted home invasion and robbery today, after a man was shot and killed while trying to rob a family.

It happened at a home on Lakemere Lane in the Oaks at Willow Lake subdivision. According to Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee, a homeowner went outside last night around 8:30pm and was attacked by two men. The homeowner was shot in the hand and pushed inside his home; he was held at gunpoint, and his wife was held at knife point.

Another relative was able to get out of the home and alerted the homeonwner's son, his parents were being attacked and robbed. The son arrived at the home with a gun, and shot and killed 27-year old Alonzo Mosley of Milledgeville. Mosley was pronounced dead at the scene.

This remains an ongoing investigation. Sheriff Massee says he does not believe this was a random robbery.

No charges will be brought against the victim's son for shooting Mosley. The sheriff says he feels like his actions were justified and necessary, adding "he did exactly what he should have done to protect his family".

December 18th

(Florida) Police: Armed intruder killed by armed resident

A man was shot to death Tuesday night outside a home on Pheasant Drive after a gun battle with a resident of the home, authorities said. Flagler County sheriff's officials are withholding the name of the slain man, who appears to be in his 20s, until family members can be notified.

Deputies were called to the home at 43 Pheasant Drive shortly before 7 p.m., Chief Deputy Rick Look said. They found what appeared to be a case of self-defense initiated after the man entered the home "uninvited," Look said.

The two residents, a man and woman whose names were not released, told investigators the man entered their home through the unlocked front door. The male resident "grabbed a gun and fired it at the intruder," Look said.

The intruder ran out the front door, turned around and fired a gun at the residents, Look said they told investigators. The male resident returned fire, Look said. Investigators aren't sure which shot was the one that killed the man, causing him to fall outside the home.

Look said they can't be certain until further investigation but investigators don't think the event was random. "We're trying to determine if there's a relationship between the victims and the suspect," Look said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called in to assist the Sheriff's Office and process the scene, Look said. And even though the shooting ended outside in plain view of neighboring homes, "neighbors didn't see anything," Look said. "I heard something," a woman who lives across the street from the home said. "I just thought it was firecrackers, though." The resident declined to give her name but said the experience was "pretty freaky" for her.

She moved to Palm Coast from Miami, and although there's more crime in South Florida, "it was never this close to home," she said.

Investigators are also looking into what a neighbor called a "suspicious silver Hyundai" that was parked across the street from the home for three days. "It didn't move, and now suddenly it's gone," the woman said.

December 18th

(Minnesota) Police chief apologizes to family

The family involved in a botched high-risk police search of their north Minneapolis home early Sunday said today that Police Chief Tim Dolan has personally apologized to them. Dolan met with members of the Khang family earlier today, said Sia Lo, the family's attorney during a news conference held in the upstairs master bedroom that was riddled by at least two-dozen bullet holes.

Family members said the shots came from police. Lo said that Dolan told the family the wrong house was raided and that there was "a breakdown in communication," that led a SWAT team to descend on the home in the 1300 block of Logan Avenue N.On Monday, Dolan met with members of the Hmong community and family elders. His meeting today with homeowner Vang Khang, his wife, Vee Moua, and extended family was considered a positive step in the healing process, Lo said.

Police apologized, admitting that they had erred based on bad information from an informant, the alleged victim of a violent crime at the house, believed to be one of the last pieces in a long-term investigation focused on violent gang members. Police said they had no reason to believe the information was inaccurate. They had the right address on the warrant, but the house wasn't occupied by anybody they wanted.

Moua said while watching television she heard noises that ended up being a SWAT team entering the rear of the house about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. She raced upstairs to wake up her husband. Khang, thinking the intruders were burglars, fired at police through a bedroom wall he said in fear that they would harm his sons in another bedroom.

The shots hit two officers, one in the back and one in the head, but both were uninjured because they were wearing protective armor. Police shot back, but did not hit him.

Khang said he realized the intruders were the police only after his 12-year-old son told him so in Hmong."Things could've been very tragic," Khang said Tuesday. "Maybe there were spirits watching over us." Lo said the family will be staying with relatives indefinitely. " I think it will be very difficult for the children right now to come back at this time," Lo said.

December 16th

(Tennessee) A Powell man coming to his grandson's rescue shot and killed a fleeing burglar

Saturday, authorities said. Tilvis Coffey, 42, of Knoxville died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Martha Dooley said. His record shows an "extensive" criminal history, including arrests for theft, aggravated burglary and probation violation, she said.

Officers haven't filed any charges against Harry Smith, 58. Smith, who has a gun permit, shot Coffey once in the head with a revolver as Coffey ran from the house at 103 Copeland Road, Dooley said. Coffey didn't have a weapon at the time, she said.

Coffey showed up at the house just after noon while Smith's 14-year-old grandson was there alone, Dooley said. "A man came to the door he didn't know," she said. "He called his mother, who told him to hide in the closet." Coffey kicked in two doors and made his way inside, Dooley said. The boy called 911 from the closet.

Meanwhile, his mother called Smith, her father. Smith, who lives nearby, headed to the house and confronted Coffey inside, Dooley said. Coffey ran out just as the boy's grandmother stepped out of her car, Dooley said. "Smith told the man to stop or he'd shoot," Dooley said.

She said she didn't know how far away Coffey was when Smith fired. The boy and his grandmother weren't hurt, Dooley said. Their names weren't available Saturday night, and Smith couldn't be reached.

December 14th

(Texas) Suspected burglar fatally shot at Harris County home

A southwest Harris County homeowner shot and killed a man he discovered climbing into a window of his house at about 2:15 a.m. today, investigators said.

Steven Dunbar, 44, died in the window of the home in the 3400 block of Cascadia, Harris County sheriff's homicide Det. Rolf Nelson said. Nelson declined to name the homeowner but said the man, 32, was asleep in the house with his wife, a son, 6, and an infant daughter when he heard a loud noise. "The homeowner says he heard a loud noise, possibly a gunshot, that startled him out of bed," Nelson said. "As he got up, he said he heard another loud noise and he said the house was shaking."

The man had retrieved a pistol he keeps and was on his way to investigate the noises when he heard glass breaking in a bedroom. "When he entered that bedroom, he said he saw a burglar coming through a broken window," Nelson said. "He shot several times and struck the burglar several times, killing him at the scene." Exactly what Dunbar was trying to do and why there was so much noise before the homeowner discovered Dunbar remains unclear, Nelson said.

Deputies found a back screen door on the back of the house torn from its hinges, which could account for the shaking feeling the homeowner said he noticed after he awoke, Nelson said. "He's got a pretty extensive criminal record of felonies over the last 13 years," Nelson said of Dunbar. "He has at least 12 arrests for felonies and a half dozen convictions. We don't know if he was intent on some other crime or if it was a burglary for something he could turn into money."

The area around the shooting scene was taped off by deputies at about 3 a.m. today and the homeowner was not available for comment. The home is in the Forest View subdivision near the intersection of FM 1093 and Addicks-Clodine.

While the investigation continued late this morning, Nelson declined to say exactly how many times Dunbar was shot and where the bullets hit him. No charges have been filed against the homeowner and the case is expected to be referred to a Harris County grand jury for review, Nelson said.

December 14th

(Kentucky) Police Investigate Bizarre Shooting

Lexington Police are investigating a bizarre shooting on the city's North side of town. It happened just after 10 p.m. Thursday on Maddie Lane in the Masterson Station neighborhood.

Police said two women were inside their home, when they heard a noise downstairs and realized a man was trying to break through their window. The roommates called 911, keeping dispatchers on the phone while they warned the man to leave, but when he continued to try to pry the window open anyway, that's when police say one of the women shot him. The intruder was taken to UK hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Police are questioning the man, but so far, no charges have been filed. Investigators said the woman who shot him acted in self-defense and will not face any charges.

(GREAT STORY) December 13th

(Texas) Resident wrestles gun from suspect, shoots him

A southeast Fort Worth resident escaped severe injury or death early Thursday when a gun fired at his head did not discharge, police said. He then wrestled the gun away from the suspect and shot him in the back as he attempted to flee.

Lt. Dean Sullivan, police spokesman, said the resident -- who had noticed that the man's safety was still on -- was able to wrestle the gun away from him, take off the safety and then empty the firearm toward the fleeing suspect, striking him once in the back.

Sullivan said two friends of the suspect who had been waiting by the street then retrieved their own guns from a car and returned fire at the resident. He said the resident was able to retreat into his home and was not injured. The three suspects fled before police could arrive. As officers were investigating, John Peter Smith Hospital alerted authorities that a man with a gunshot wound to the back had been dropped off at the hospital by occupants of a vehicle, who then left, Sullivan said.

The suspect, who has not been identified by police, remained under police guard at the hospital. He faces a charge of aggravated assault.

December 12th

(Utah) Armed Layton homeowner captures home invader

A man who broke into a Layton home early Wednesday morning got an unexpected surprise when he got inside. The home intruder had the tables turned on him, but why he broke into the home is a mystery.

Police say around 4:30 Wednesday morning, 31-year-old Kurt Wrangler busted through the front door of a Layton home in the block of 1450 West 1150 North. He then tried kicking down the door of an eighteen-year-old girl who was sleeping in her room. With all the commotion, the girl's father woke up, grabbed his gun and confronted Wrangler, holding the man at gun point until police arrived.

“There is obviously always a danger if a gun is involved, regardless of who is yielding [it]. However, in your own home, it's perfectly legal to protect yourself,” says Sgt. Mark Chatlin of the Layton Police Department. Wrangler was booked in Davis County Jail and is facing charges of criminal mischief, trespassing, and disorderly conduct.

Luckily no one was hurt, and police say Wrangler's intentions remain unclear. Nothing was taken from the home, and police say Wrangler seemed disoriented and may suffer from some type of mental illness.

December 11th

(California) Homeowner shoots at armed burglary suspect

A Bakersfield home-owner shot at an armed burglary suspect, scaring off the would-be crook Monday night. Sheriff officials say the resident has the right to protect himself with deadly use of force.

The incident happened in the area of Gosford and Lindsey Roads south of Bakersfield. The home-owner told Eyewitness News his property had been the target of crime and attempted burglaries three times in the last 18 months -- that's why he was ready with a gun.

The resident says he spotted the suspect trying to break into a front window of the house he built on the property for his son. They were both at the father's house when they heard the dog bark, and went to investigate. The home-owner then spotted an unfamiliar man in the yard. "As soon as the unfamiliar male saw the home-owner, he raised what appeared to be a handgun toward the home-owner," Sheriff's Sgt. Ed Komin told Eyewitness News. "The home-owner took one shot toward the suspect, and the suspect fled on foot."

Sgt. Komin says it appears that shot did not hit the suspect. Officers who immediately came to the scene found no blood or any other indicators where the suspect took off. The resident told Eyewitness News he saw the would-be burglar raise a gun, and he didn't want to be shot -- so he fired at the suspect. Sgt. Komin says a resident has the right to shoot an intruder to protect life. "Certainly when the home-owner was threatened by what appeared to be a gun coming up toward him, it would be appropriate and prudent -- and that's the thing to do, is to use deadly force to protect yourself. That's the appropriate and legal thing to do." Other neighbors say there have been several break-ins in the area.

At one house, jewelry and computer equipment were stolen. Another neighbor came home to find suspects inside his house.

The suspect in the Monday night incident is described as a man of unknown race, about 5'9" and 170-pounds. Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Department at 861-3110. Sheriff officials confirm that there have been a number of burglaries and thefts. They do not know if this is the work of the same suspect.

The resident who shot at the suspect Monday night thinks the area is the target of crime because it's fairly rural. Neighbors say they have now started up a citizen patrol. What can home-owners do to protect themselves and their property? "Dogs are great, alarms are great -- lighting goes a long way and that sort of thing to protect property," says Sgt. Komin. "Now, once it crosses the line where a person is threatened -- then higher levels of force, of course, are appropriate."

December 11th

(Ohio) Man arrested after home invasion

A Newark man was arrested in a home invasion shortly after midnight Saturday during which a gun was pulled on the intruder.

Josef L. Franklin, 25, last known address 551 Seneca Drive, was charged with aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.

A man stormed into a home on the 200 block of Day Avenue at about 12:30 a.m. and confronted a couple in their bedroom, according to a Newark police report. While the intruder was throwing punches at her boyfriend, the 19-year-old female victim told police she pulled an unloaded handgun on the intruder.

The intruder then charged her and tried to wrestle the weapon away before the 23-year-old boyfriend pulled him off, the report said. The intruder, who was joined by two women, then left, threatening to come back and harm both victims, witness statements claim.

He returned about five minutes later, trying to kick down the door, which was locked. He was unsuccessful. The two victims and their infant child left their home. When they returned, the door was broken open and several electronic items and a safe were missing, the police report states.

Franklin was arrested on misdemeanor criminal damaging and felony burglary charges less than three hours after the report was filed. He is incarcerated at the Licking County Justice Center, and Licking County Municipal Court Judge David Branstool set his bond at $25,000 Monday.

December 10th

(Colorado) Two Colorado Church Shootings Claim 5, Injure 7, Several Hours and Miles Apart

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A gunman shot four staff members at a missionary training center near Denver early Sunday, killing two, after being told he could not spend the night. About 12 hours later and 65 miles away in Colorado Springs, a gunman fatally shot a parishioner at a megachurch and wounded four other people before a guard killed him, police said.
One of the hospitalized victims from the second attack died Sunday night, said Amy Sufak, a spokeswoman for Penrose Community Hospital in Colorado Springs.

The police chief in Arvada, a suburb about 15 miles west of Denver where the mission workers were shot, said the shootings may be related to those in Colorado Springs but declined to elaborate. No one had been captured in the Arvada shootings, authorities said.

Early Monday, authorities were searching a home in suburban Englewood, about 15 miles south of Denver, that they said could be related to the Colorado Springs shooting case. Results of that search were not immediately known.

"Colorado Springs has identified its suspect, and we're there to see whether their suspect and ours are the same," said Arvada Deputy Police Chief Gary Creagor.
Witness descriptions differed in each incident. A handgun was used in the shootings at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada, while a rifle was used at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, police said.

The gunman at the New Life Church was shot and killed by a church security guard after entering the church's main foyer with high-powered rifle shortly before 1 p.m. and opening fire, Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Myers said. Four others were wounded, and one later died.

The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery.
Police arrived to find that the gunman had been killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, Myers said.

"There was a courageous staff member who probably saved many lives here today," Myers said.
Gov. Bill Ritter ordered state authorities to help investigate. The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting. Officers found several smoke-generating devices on the church campus, Myers said. Their intended purpose was not clear.
New Life was founded by the Rev. Ted Haggard, who was fired last year after a former male prostitute alleged he had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with him. Haggard, then the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, admitted committing undisclosed "sexual immorality."

The New Life church is one of Colorado's largest with about 10,000 members. The mission training program in Arvada does have a small office on the Colorado Springs church campus.
About 7,000 people were on the Colorado Springs campus at the time of the shooting, Senior Pastor Brady Boyd said. Security at the church had been beefed up after the early morning shootings in Arvada, he said.

That shooting happened at about 12:30 a.m. at the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada, a Denver suburb, police spokeswoman Susan Medina said.

A man and a woman were killed and two men were wounded, Medina said. All four were staff members of the center, said Paul Filidis, a Colorado Springs-based spokesman with Youth With a Mission.
Arvada Police Chief Don Wick, asked whether he believed there was reason to think the shootings are related, responded, "Yes, there is reason to believe that."

Wick said the suspect spent several minutes speaking with people inside the dorm. Peter Warren, director of Youth With a Mission Denver, said the man asked whether he could spend the night. Several youths called on Tiffany Johnson, the center's director of hospitality.
"The director of hospitality was called. That's when he opened fire," Warren said. Johnson, 26, was killed.

Warren said he did not know whether any of the students or staff knew the gunman. "We don't know why" he came to the dormitory, Warren said.
Witnesses told police that the gunman was a 20-year-old white male, wearing a dark jacket and skull cap, who had a handgun and left on foot. He may have glasses or a beard.
Police with dogs searched the area through the night, and residents of nearby homes were notified by reverse 911 to be on the lookout. Medina said residents were asked to look out their windows for any tracks left in the snow during the night. About 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the area in the past day.

In addition to Johnson, killed in Arvada was Philip Crouse, 24. Youth With a Mission said Johnson was from Minnesota and Crouse was from Alaska.
The missionary center identified the wounded as Dan Griebenow, 24, of South Dakota, and Charlie Blanch, 22, whose hometown was not immediately known. One of the men was in critical condition, and the other was stable, police said.

The missionary center is on the grounds of the Faith Bible Chapel. Cheril Morrison, wife of chapel pastor George Morrison, said Crouse had just hung up Christmas lights at her home and that Johnson was "an amazingly beautiful person."

Mimi Martin, who lives near the center, said she received the warning call at about 9 a.m. warning neighbors to keep their doors and windows locked.
"Why would anybody want to hurt those kids?" Martin said.
Darv Smith, director of a Youth With a Mission center in Boulder, said people ranging from their late teens to their 70s undergo a 12-week course that prepares them to be missionaries. He said the center trains about 300 people a year.

Filidis said staffers are usually former missionaries themselves and that the "mercy ministries" performed by trainees include orphanage work. He said he did not know where the group being trained in Arvada was going to be sent.

Youth With a Mission was started in 1960 and now has 1,100 locations with 16,000 full-time staff, Smith said. The Arvada center was founded in 1984.

December 7th

(Georgia) Father Fights Back; Kills Robber

DECATUR, Ga. -- DeKalb County police continued Friday to look for two suspects after a man shot and killed a third attacker who tried to rob his family as they returned home from a school event.

DeKalb Police spokesman Jonathon Ware said Ronald Johnson, 36, and his family were returning to their home in south DeKalb County and getting out of their vehicle when the suspects, armed with a handgun and a shotgun, attempted to rob them shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday.

Johnson pulled his own gun and killed one of the suspects, Ware said, and the other two men fled on foot. Ware said Friday that police had not yet identified the dead man. He said the shooting "has been deemed justified," and no charges will be filed against Johnson.

Neither Johnson, nor his family - whom Ware identified as Lekeysha Mattox, 34, and two girls ages 16 and 4 - were injured in the attack.

December 5th

(Pennsylvania) DA: Easton shooting self-defense

Rob Pierce Jr.'s walk through Easton's West Ward for dinner at his fiancee's mother's house Tuesday almost cost him his life.He was mugged by two men, one a self-proclaimed Crips gang member, the other wearing a hooded jacket and carrying a handgun, police said.

''It was like hell,'' Pierce, 27, of Easton said Wednesday night in a brief phone interview. While being told to be quiet and cooperate, he was dragged across the street in the darkness and told he was going to be shot. But in an instant, the hunted became the hunter.

Pierce, who carries a handgun for protection, pulled out a .357 revolver and shot Maurice Cook of Easton, who had thrust a .45 handgun into Pierce's back and the side of his head.Cook, 22, who was shot in the abdomen, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill, where he underwent surgery and was expected to survive, police said.

He and the other mugging suspect, Tyrone Wright, 22, of Newark, N.J., were charged Wednesday with robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy. Wright told a district judge he was recently freed from a New Jersey prison, where he had been held on a drug charge.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said the good guy won in a botched armed robbery. But at a news conference Wednesday, he also cautioned against a return to the vigilante days of the Wild West. He said Pierce violated no law by protecting himself and will face no charges. ''Luckily, this time, the citizen won. I think Mr. Pierce acted responsibly.''

Morganelli said he supports laws that allow people to carry concealed weapons and hopes this latest shooting in the West Ward, the second in less than a week, sends a message to ''these young thugs'' that their victims might fight back.