GUNS IN THE NEWS--December 10, 2003

[MrBenchley]

As CO Liberal sez:
Please try to adhere to the following voluntary guidelines, in order that we can have an orderly discussion of gun-related news topics:
1 - Feel free to add any CURRENT stories to this thread by replying to this message. In order to be considered current, stories should have been originally posted on the Internet within the previous 24 hours, or provide follow-up to a story that was previously posted on the J/PS board. On Mondays (since many people do not log in to DU over the weekend), stories can be posted from Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
2 - Both pro-gun and anti-gun stories, editorials, and press releases are welcome in this thread, as long as they're current. Please do not post links to items from a few years back that support your position.
3 - Bear in mind that any links to extremely right-wing sites (such as Newsmax, CNS, or the Washington Times) or intentionally pro-gun or pro-control sites (such as the NRA or the Brady Campaign) are not considered reliable sources by many DU-ers. If at all possible, try to find a link for your story from a more mainstream source, such as a general-circulation newspaper or magazine site. If you choose to use a slanted site, be prepared for any negative feedback you may receive.
4 - Do not change story titles. In other words, if the Oskosh Gazette's web site runs a story titled "Two Killed in Holdup", the title of your message should read "Two Killed in Holdup". Don't change it to "Gun Owner Kills Two People", or anything else that changes the meaning of the story.
5 - If it's not clear from the title where the story occurred, add the city, state, or country in parentheses after the title.
6 - Comment on a story by replying to that story.
7 - Please direct your comments to the story, rather than attacking the person posting the story or any person responding to the story. In accordance with DU rules, any messages that appear to be personal attacks against another DU-er or violations of any other DU rule will be reported to the moderators.
8 - If you object to these guidelines, do everyone else a favor and go to another thread.

[MrBenchley]

1. Police Investigate Double Shooting (MO)

"Officers were called to the 3800 block of Myrtle around 11 p.m. and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.
One man died at the scene, other other man was rushed to a hospital. He is reported to be in critical condition. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_kmbc/1913509

[MrBenchley]

2. Three charged in fatal shooting (KS)

"Prosecutors have charged three persons in last month's shooting death of Michelle Wallace, 33, of Gladstone.
The Wyandotte County district attorney's office Tuesday charged Mark McGee, 31, and Aaron Roundtree, 18, both of Kansas City, Kan., with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Neither was in custody Tuesday.
On Monday the district attorney filed first-degree murder charges in juvenile court against Marcus E. Tyler Jr., 17. A hearing is set for Jan. 14 to determine whether Tyler should be tried as an adult.
Kansas City, Kan., police found Wallace's body about 5 a.m. Nov. 28 inside a green Ford sport-utility vehicle parked near 50th Terrace and Waverly Avenue, after receiving reports of shots fired. Neighbors told police they saw three men flee the area after the shooting."

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/7454403.htm

[MrBenchley]

3. Hunter Shot In Hanover Township (PA)

"According to the game commission, Tuesday afternoon, four people were hunting in Hanover Township, on the Washington County-Beaver County line. The group was on private property there, when they decided to take a break. A juvenile went to unsling his firearm and the gun discharged.
The game commission said it appears the shooting was an unfortunate accident. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_wtae/1913527

Are they sure it's not "a viable and beneficial means of controlling swelling populations"?

[MrBenchley]

4. Ban on Plastic Guns Extended 10 Years

"WASHINGTON - President Bush quietly signed legislation Tuesday that would extend for 10 years a ban on plastic guns that can be slipped past airport metal detectors or through X-ray machines.
The legislation bans the manufacture, sale or possession of such firearms, but exempts military and intelligence agencies. It renews a ban that was last reauthorized in 1998 and expires this month. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031210/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_guns_2

[MrBenchley]

5. Sheriff Releases Video Made Night Teen Was Shot (FL)

An update on the "doorbell psycho"...

"• Check Weather Forecasts
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Just five hours after the shooting, sheriff's officers had Jay Levin show them exactly what he did that night, and they videotaped his explanation. In the tape released Tuesday, Levin is seen in his underwear walking detectives step by step through his house, and explaining why he jumped out of bed naked, loaded his gun and fired at a man in his front yard.
"I opened the door and there was somebody standing 3 to 4 feet (away). He turned around, he looked at me and it looked like he had a gun in his hand -- some kind of weapon -- and I took a shot. And that was it, in a nutshell," Levin said on the tape.
Drewes' friend, Anatoly Martynenko, told detectives Drewes had tied fishing line to Levin's doorknob, but that it fell off and Drewes had gone back to retie it when Levin opened the door. Martynenko said Drewes was running away when Levin shot him. The autopsy report confirmed that a bullet hit Drewes in the back. Drewes collapsed on the lawn a few feet away and died. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_wpbf/1913123

[MrBenchley]

6. Police officer shot during arrest in N. Phila.

"A plainclothes city police officer was shot by an unknown gunman last night while arresting a man in North Philadelphia who was wanted on a warrant, officials said.
Officer Antoine Small Jr., 35, of the 39th Police District, was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition with a bullet wound to the upper right leg.
According to Johnson, the shooting occurred about 6:40 p.m. in the 1300 block of Allegheny Avenue - a short distance from the hospital - after Small and other officers stopped a car in which there was a man wanted for aggravated assault with a firearm.
"As they got the defendant out of the car, shots rang out and Officer Small was shot one time in the leg," Johnson said."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/7456270.htm

[CO Liberal]

7. Environment vs. gun control (FL)

So much for the old line about hunters being conservationists. And it's funny how the Nuts Ruining America seem to be turning their backs on their lackey, Jeb Bush. - Wayne

* * * * *

Environment vs. gun control

Florida Republicans push proposal that would shield gun ranges from environmental laws.

BY GARY FINEOUT CAPITAL BUREAU

TALLAHASSEE -- More than 400 gun ranges across the state could be shielded from state environmental laws under a fast-moving legislative proposal being pushed by House Republicans.

A House panel on Tuesday approved the legislation sponsored by Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who along with a representative of the National Rifle Association accused state regulators who work for Gov. Jeb Bush of pursuing "back door gun control."

The problem is that lead-based ammunition can contaminate the ground and nearby water bodies after it falls to the ground. But Baxley said that regulators were using environmental laws to hound gun range owners out of business, a move he said violates the constitutional right to bear arms.

His legislation would block the state from pursuing pollution claims against gun ranges as well as force all state and local governments to drop any existing actions to force owners to clean up their land.

<more>

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031210/NEWS/312100403/1017

[CO Liberal]

8. Brazil passes strict new gun law

Perhaps Brazil is more civilized than the US..... - Wayne

* * * * *

Brazil passes strict new gun law

Brazil's Senate has passed a bill to outlaw the carrying of guns in public and control illegal gun ownership.

The law will tighten rules on gun permits and create a national firearms register, with strict penalties for owning an unregistered gun.

A referendum will be held in 2005 on whether to ban gun sales outright.

About 40,000 people are shot dead each year in Brazil, mainly in urban shanty towns, giving the country one of the worst murder rates in the world.

<more>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3305927.stm

[Romulus]

15. your opinion - you're entitled to it

I don't consider any ban on the private ownership of all firearms to be a mark of "civilization." I see it as the first (or final, depending on the context) step in implementing a 1984-style society where the government maintains supreme control over its population though the threat of monopoly of force. It's a matter of principle, one that the founders of the US certainly considered when confronted with an oppressive government that did not respond to their attempts at redress: does the power of the government come from the consent of the governed, or from the coercive power of the government?

"Democratic systems" mean squat when it comes to being sure the governmental authorities respect the rights of the citizenry - look at the anti-abortion law that just got passed. That law will be enforced by government agents with guns, pointing those guns at pregnant women and their doctors, forcing the women to give birth without interference by those doctors. That's governmental power.

[dougmalloy]

25. I wonder...

"The law will tighten rules on gun permits and create a national firearms register, with strict penalties for owning an unregistered gun."


How will they persuade the criminals to register their guns?

[HawkerHurricane]

30. Same way they persuade criminals to obey any law...

ie with threats of imprisonment.
Which won't work very well.

[CO Liberal]

9. EDITORIAL - Gun law privacy protection should be shot down (OH)

Seems the editorial writers in Ohio are lining up against the Nuts Ruining America - Wayne

* * * * *

Gun law privacy protection should be shot down

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDITORIALS

The debate in Ohio over restrictions on concealed weapons rages on and any compromise likely will wait until next year, although talks will continue this week.

Some serious differences remain and some law enforcement agencies continue to have serious reservations about the potential increased danger caused by increased easy access to handguns.

While it's easy to argue that strong laws only keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, we can also see the danger inherent in having a gun readily available in a fit of passion.

This clearly is a serious matter that shouldn't be rushed.

<more>

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20031208/opinion/750.html

[CO Liberal]

10. Teen tells of gun play, slaying (TX)

Teen tells of gun play, slaying

By Ihosvani Rodriguez
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 12/10/2003 12:00 AM

The three boys stood in the drainage ditch in a Northwest Side neighborhood taking turns firing shots meant for nobody.

The next morning, another shot fired from the same gun hit 14-year-old Elizabeth Dolan as she lay on her queen-size bed. The one that killed Dolan wasn't meant for anyone either.

Now, a 15-year-old boy is on trial in connection with Dolan's death. A jury is to decide if the shooting was the doing of a foolish teen or the action of a teen who knew how to handle guns.

While not saying the teen fired on purpose, prosecutors are using the boy's experience with a gun to indicate he knew his actions were reckless and potentially lethal.

<more>

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=1096723

[CO Liberal]

11. Robbers Shot Dead By Pet Store Owner (NYC)

Equal time. But I had to scroll down several pages of Google to find this one. - Wayne

* * * * *

Robbers Shot Dead By Pet Store Owner

By Wil Cruz and Pete Bowles
Staff Writers

December 9, 2003, 11:34 PM EST

Two gunmen who tried to rob a Gravesend pet store that has been the target of a number of dog thefts were shot to death Tuesday night, apparently by the store's owner, police and neighbors said.

Police said the robbers were fatally shot about 8:15 p.m. inside Quality Canines at 2434 Stillwell Ave. Invesigators said it was not immediately clear whether the men were shot by the owner or an employee who was in the store at the time.

A witness, Richard Solis, 30, said the owner — who neighbors identified only as Ivan — had fired the fatal shots.

Solis, a construction worker, said he was just leaving the elevated subway station at Bay 50th Street when he saw four armed men in the store and then heard gunshots. He said two of the gunmen ran out of the store.

<more>

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-robbery1210,0,996927.story?coll=nyc-topheadlines-left

[HawkerHurricane]

29. Proving once again

That a gun is not a magic wand and can be used against you if you aren't careful.

Duplicate of post from locked thread on this same case.

[MrBenchley]

12. Plea deal ends Oaklyn case (PA)

"he Oaklyn man accused of being the ringleader of a Columbine-style murder plot accepted a plea agreement yesterday that calls for him to spend at least 8 1/2 years in prison.
Lovett was the third and final defendant to accept a deal in the high-profile case, meaning none of the three will face trial.
Lovett and his codefendants - Cody Jackson and Christopher Olson, both 15 - were arrested July 6 after they bungled a carjacking and the victim notified police. The three were arrested while walking back to Lovett's Oaklyn home. They were armed with handguns, rifles, machetes, and about 2,000 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.
Authorities contended that the carjacking was to have been the first step in a plot to kill three school bullies, shoot other people at random, and later "rescue" a troubled Missouri girl Lovett had met online, possibly by killing her parents."

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/7454527.htm

[MrBenchley]

13. Police Arrest 3 In Gang-Related Shooting Case (TX)

"Police said the three were searching for a rival gang member the night of Nov. 22 at West Salinas and 21st Street when gunfire rang out. An 8-year-old boy, who police said was an innocent bystander, was shot in the foot. The wound was not considered to be life-threatening. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_ksat/1913709

[MrBenchley]

14. Teenager charged in girlfriend's death (MI)

"With tears in their eyes, relatives and teenage friends of Randy Smith, the 17-year-old who allegedly shot his girlfriend in the head, listened Tuesday as the charges against him were read in 43rd District Court.
Police testified that a witness in the Hazel Park house where 16-year-old Ashleigh Moomaw was killed early Sunday saw Smith with a gun and heard him say: "You think I won't?" Then: "Don't think I won't do it."
There was gunfire, police said, and Moomaw fell to the floor.
Smith, of Hazel Park, was charged Tuesday with one count of second-degree murder, one count of manslaughter and two counts of possession of a firearm while committing a felony. If convicted, he could spend up to the rest of his life in prison. "

http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/nshot10_20031210.htm

[MrBenchley]

16. Reward Posted In ATM Shooting Death (CA)

"Herbert Takeda, 67, was sitting in his truck in the parking lot of a Bank of America on Florin Road Friday night when he was shot and killed. The shooting happened just two blocks from Takeda's home.
A $20,000 reward was announced Tuesday in connection with the shooting. Family and friends hope the money will help authorities find the person responsible for Takeda's death.
"Mr. Takeda was just doing what all of us do. He was going to an ATM. And it was a particularly heinous and callous crime. He was trying to get away. He didn't have a lot of money," said Sacramento police Chief Albert Najera. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_kcra/1912618

[MrBenchley]

17. Man Allegedly Shoots Out Window Of Passing School Bus (OH)

"Timothy Tiemeyer is charged with five counts of felonious assault and one count of vandalism, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. According to police, Tiemeyer shot out the rear window of a Lakota Local Schools bus on Bluebird Drive in West Chester Township at about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday.
Tiemeyer was walking down the street and the bus was in motion when he allegedly used a carbon dioxide-powered BB gun to fire at the bus, WLWT reported. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_wlwt/1913943

Yeah, but think about how much more fun a guy like Tim can have when he can get his hands on an assault rifle, like Tom DeLay wants.

[MrBenchley]

18. Jury Convicts Father Of Shooting Daughter (TX)

"The father accused of shooting and killing his 8-month-old daughter last Christmas was convicted of capital murder Wednesday.
Eladio Camacho Navarro received an automatic life in prison sentence for the shooting of his 8-month-old daughter, Nayeli.
The jury deliberated for more than two hours before settling on the verdict, which was delivered just before noon.
Navarro said he meant to shoot his daughter's mother, Alma Mosqueda. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_kprc/1914173

[MrBenchley]

19. Shooting Victim Caught In Crossfire, Witness Says (OH)

"A Middletown police officer heard several shots fired in an apartment above a heating and cooling business.
The officer found the body of Jason Reno, 27, in the hallway outside the apartment, WLWT reported. Investigators said Reno, who reportedly did not live in the building, was shot twice.
Rothermel said the suspects entered his apartment and demanded money. Rothermel told police he pulled out his own gun when one of the suspects pulled out a gun, WLWT reported.
Reno had just walked up to the apartment when the shooting began and he became caught in the crossfire, Rothermel said. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20031210/lo_wlwt/1914158

[MrBenchley]

20. Man sentenced for deaths of girlfriend, son (IN)

"An Indianapolis man was sentenced today to 55 years in jail for the shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend and her son.
In September, a Marion Superior Court jury found Johnson, 24, guilty on the two counts of murder.
Johnson told authorities that in the early hours of May 10, he thought someone was breaking into the couple's Far-Eastside home. Mistaking Powell, 22, for an intruder, he fired first a 9 mm handgun and then a semi-automatic weapon.
But during closing arguments in the case, Deputy Prosecutor Heather Dean said that when deputies arrived at the home, following a 911 call, they were shocked at how calm Johnson was and that he admitted waiting five to 10 minutes before summoning an ambulance.
An autopsy revealed that Powell was shot three times, damaging her lungs and heart and also had a 2-inch gash on the back of her head."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/100863-6429-093.html

[MrBenchley]

21. Psychiatrist: Teen Sniper Suspect Insane

The latest on the RKBA crowd's poster boy...

"CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo "displayed a pathological loyalty" to John Allen Muhammad and was so brainwashed by him that he no longer knew right from wrong, a defense psychiatrist testified Wednesday.
Malvo "was merged with Mr. Muhammad," Diane Schetky said at Malvo's capital murder trial. "He was acting as his proxy ... He was like a puppet in his hands."
Asked by defense lawyer Craig Cooley if Malvo was able to distinquish right from wrong — the legal standard for insanity in Virginia — Schetky said, "I believe he was not."
Schetky was the second defense witness to diagnose Malvo with a dissociative disorder, a mental illness that involves a distorted view of reality. "

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20031210/ap_on_re_us/sniper_shootings_trial_27

[MrBenchley]

22. Facing Divorce, Father Killed Children (CA)

"The deaths shocked those who knew Vernon in Santa Clara and in Buena Park, where his children lived most of the year with their mother. Police said that although Vernon, 37, was under stress, it didn't add up to the scene they found when they discovered five bodies at his home in Santa Clara, about 44 miles south of San Francisco.
"Truly, we don't know why he did it," said Santa Clara Police Sgt. Kurt Clarke, adding that Vernon had no criminal record and there was no record of domestic-disturbance calls at the home. "We can speculate. But people get divorced and not everyone kills one another."
After receiving the letter about 10 a.m. Saturday, Miller called her brother, who alerted police. Officers said Vernon left a second suicide note in his home taking responsibility for killing his daughter, Amber, 12; twin 10-year-old sons, Matthew and Robert; and his wife, Nadine Nunes Vernon, 39.
All were shot with a .357-caliber handgun a day after the children had flown in for the weekend. All were found "in natural sleeping positions," and the gun was in Vernon's hand, Clarke said."

http://www.latimes.com/news/yahoo/la-me-killed9dec09,1,2827251.story?coll=la-newsaol-headlines

Maybe a quote from Thomas Jefferson will console the greiving family....

[MrBenchley]

23. Grisly Scene Described in Spector Case

"Actress Lana Clarkson died of a single gunshot wound to the mouth at rock producer Phil Spector's Alhambra mansion in February, according to search warrants unsealed Tuesday in the rock music producer's murder case.
Spector's driver, Adriano Desouza, told investigators he had driven his boss to four bars on the night of Clarkson's death. Court papers state that Spector had drinks at all four. At the House of Blues, where he met Clarkson, he ordered an $8.50 alcoholic drink and a $5 bottle of water, and left a tip of $450.
About 3:30 a.m., Desouza dropped Spector and Clarkson off in front of the 12,000-square-foot home before driving around to the back, the court papers said. About 10 minutes later, Spector came outside and got a brown leather briefcase from the Mercedes limousine.
Just before 5 a.m., Desouza told police, he heard a single gunshot. Spector came outside with a gun in his hand, the affidavits said, and told his driver that he thought he had killed someone. "

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-spector10dec10,1,5963814.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[Romulus]

24. Pastor Kills Attacker on Rampage (AR)

This was from a pay-per-view site that I am not registered for - here is what they wrote in the "Free" section of the site:

http://www.ardemgaz.com/ShowIndex.asp?Section=Arkansas
Pastor kills attacker on rampage
A string of violent attacks Tuesday afternoon ended when a pastor shot and killed a man who attacked him and his son-in-law with a fireplace poker after breaking into an east Little Rock church. BY ANDY DAVIS

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CO Liberal]

27. Uh, MrSandman......

You're not allowed to post entire articles - even if they're from a pay site. That's copyright infringement, and a violation of DU rules.

[MrSandman]

28. My apologies

[HawkerHurricane]

31. I'm not sure what disturbs me more...

That a man would attack a preacher OR
That a preacher was carrying...

Just out of curiosity, can you tell me if the preacher was in his home when the attack occurred or his office? Did he happen to 'have it handy' or was it in his desk or person?

[Romulus]

32. more info (from Yahoo News)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031210/us_nm/crime_pastor_dc_1

A 64-year-old minister shot a man dead on church grounds after the assailant attacked him and his son-in-law with a poker amid a string of assaults in an apparent drug-induced frenzy, police said on Wednesday.



The attacks on the minister and the five other people began on Tuesday when Corey Adams, 30, was denied the use of a telephone in the office of a low-income housing project.

*snip*

Adams entered Ford's residence at The House of Prayer of the Apostolic Faith, took a poker from the fireplace and began beating the minister, and then the clergyman's son-in-law. Ford escaped the melee long enough to find the handgun and fired several shots at Adams, who collapsed outside the church and later died in hospital.


A police spokesman said that it appeared to him that Ford's use of deadly force was justified, although a final decision would be made by the local prosecuting attorney.

[HawkerHurricane]

33. Thank you

Preacher had weapon in home, got it and used it to defend himself and others.
Sounds like he did the right thing.