Colonel Jack Jacobs vs. Professor John Lott

I must admit, John Lott came off better than the Colonel.

Jack Jacobs was indeed guilty of hyperbole.  No one is talking about arming everyone on base or even every soldier. I'm afraid the Congressional Medal of Honor recipient took a winning argument and blew it.

The point is very simple.  Arming people on military bases would increase the incidents of this type. And John Lott's suggestion that the shooter took advantage of the gun-free zone is false.  This guy Ivan Lopez, like so many of them, went to the place of his grievance, unconcerned with the gun-free status of that place. Reports have been coming out that he'd been arguing with someone prior to the shooting.

Bumbling Florida Gun Owner Forgets There's One in the Chamber and Shoots Himself in the Hand - No Charges

Local news reports

An accidental shooting sent a Bradenton man to the hospital Wednesday for treatment of a self-inflicted wound.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office reported a 49-year-old man living in the 4500 block of Dover Street Circle East was home alone at 4:30 p.m. replacing the grip of his pistol when he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot himself on the hand.

The victim was treated at a local hospital and released, according to the news release.

mber
Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2014/04/02/5082437/bradenton-man-shot-in-hand-during.html#storylink=cpy

Nassau County Policeman Nikolas Budimlic Won't Face Charges in Fatal Shooting of Andrea Rebello

Andrea Rebello

Chicago Tribune

A police officer who accidentally shot dead a student at a suburban New York university, while responding to an armed robbery at her apartment, has been cleared of all wrongdoing, authorities said.

Nassau County policeman Nikolas Budimlic was justified in shooting at an armed robber who was using Hofstra University student Andrea Rebello as a shield, a report by the county district attorney said on Wednesday.

The fact that Budimlic accidentally shot and killed Rebello, 21, did not change his justification, the report found.

"While her death is tragic, the law regarding justification is clear: A justification defense is applicable to any use of force, even if that use has unintended consequences," the report said.

Police headed to the apartment in Uniondale, east of New York City, early on May 17, 2013, after getting a call about an armed robber holding people hostage. When they arrived, suspected robber Dalton Smith, 30, grabbed Rebello in a headlock to shield his body while pointing a 9mm gun at her head.

"Smith ignored numerous commands shouted by Officer Budimlic for Smith to drop his weapon," the report said. "Smith, alternately pointing his gun at Andrea Rebello and Officer Budimlic, threatened to kill both of them."

For a moment during the tense standoff, Smith lost his balance and loosened his grip on Rebello when she turned her body away from him. When Smith wobbled, Budimlic fired eight rounds at him. Seven bullets hit Smith, but one struck Rebello in the head.

Rebello was transported to the Nassau University Medical Center, where she died.

Bob Costa's bet.

We may not agree on what is football, but this man is pretty bang on when it comes to the issue of gun control. 

He has issued the following challenge to those who advocate a "pro-gun" position:

“Here’s what I would say to anybody who any time they hear the word guns automatically goes off, like, ‘Oh, they’re going to repeal the Second Amendment,’” Costas said. “Let’s make a bet, you and me. Let’s say over the next five years we’ll do a Google search. We’ll have an independent party monitor it. You keep track of how many good and constructive things are associated with athletes having a gun, and I’ll keep track of all the tragedies and criminality and folly. And let’s see who comes out ahead or behind as the case may be.”

Costas can name incidents where sports personalities have demonstrated a less than responsible attitude toward firearms.

And, as a prior post I did pointed out, positive uses of guns are newsworthy, but rare.

Face it: the truth is against you.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/bob-costas-gun-control-105339.htm

Fascinating Discussion on the Fort Hood Shooting

Retired Colonel and true hero, Medal of Honor recipient, Jack H. Jacobs said allowing concealed carry on military bases is a ridiculous idea.  He said if we did that we'd see a lot more incidents like this one.

Perhaps my number 4 gun control law would have prevented this one as well as the Nadal one.

Meet Ivan Antonio Lopez, the New Fort Hood Shooter

Ivan Antonio Lopez is alleged to have killed three people and himself at Fort Hood. Credit: Richard Esposito, NBC News Investigative Unit

A photograph has emerged of Ivan Antonio Lopez, the man who allegedly killed three others and himself in a gun attack on Fort Hood military base on Wednesday.

NBC News, the organisation that obtained the photograph, says documents it had seen indicated Mr Lopez was a 34-year-old married father who was transferred to Fort Hood two months ago, having joined the army in 2008.

He did not see combat during a tour in Iraq three years ago but was undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety, NBC reported.

Ohio Black Dude Gets 6 Years for Accidentally Killing his 11-Year-old Daughter

Deandre Kelley

Local news reports

A Sedamsville father has pleaded guilty in the accidental shooting of his 11-year-old daughter back in January.

Deandre Kelley, 34, will spend the next six years behind bars.

Kelley admitted to being drunk when he fought off his longtime girlfriend and fired two shots into the air. One of the bullets struck Shanti Lanza who was hiding in her upstairs bedroom.

Cincinnati Police responded to the 800 block of Delhi Avenue in Sedamsville on January 12.  Achauntiara "Shanti" Lanza, 11, lived there with her mother, siblings and Kelley. Police found the girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

She was transported to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Kelley was indicted on one count each of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, endangering children and having a weapon under disability.

In exchange with the plea, prosecutors dropped charges of involuntary manslaughter and endangering children. 

The title of this post refers back to this recent story.

How Gun Control Laws Save Lives

News Times

An 18-year-old Torrington woman accused of plotting shootings at two Connecticut high schools, including Danbury's, wrote that she idolized the two teens who carried out a deadly 1999 school shooting in Colorado and believed that copying their crime would make her famous.

Carpenter and her 19-year-old alleged accomplice, Peter Thulin, also a resident of the group home, face charges of attempted first-degree assault and conspiracy in connection with the plan, which police said also involved attempts by the pair to purchase firearms at two Torrington gun stores.

Police said Thulin and Carpenter first attempted to buy a 12-gauge tactical shotgun at a Torrington gun store on March 1 and inquired about a course needed to obtain a long-gun certificate. The clerk told them to check back and he would tell them when the course would be offered, police said in the warrant.

The next day, police said, Carpenter and Thulin went to the gun department at Wal-Mart, where she filled out a form that initiated the 14-day waiting period before she could buy the weapon, Carpenter also went to another store in Torrington, where she bought knife with a 6.5-inch blade that police later found in her room.

One of the tricks used by the gun-rights fanatics is to demand evidence where they know there is none. This story provides an example of the countless (uncountable) cases in which strict gun control laws prevent violence. Because it's not possible to count all the times something DOES NOT happen, they seize upon that as a reason to eliminate laws that save lives.

Guns and Cars

What's Your Reaction to a Shooting?

La Pierre is Out - Spika is In

N. Stephanie Spika, an avid sportswomen, hunter and gun-rights activist.

Guns dot com

In a move that has the gun community buzzing, the National Rifle Association announced today that Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre has stepped down as the head of the nation’s gun lobby for undisclosed reasons.

Replacing LaPierre will be N. Stephanie Spika, the organization’s standout social media manager.

Both LaPierre and Spika declined Guns.com’s request for comment. However, sources close to Spika said that she’s elated by the new opportunity to head up what is arguably the most powerful lobbying group in Washington, D.C.

“With her bright eyes, radiant smile, impossibly strong work ethic and ‘anything’s possible’ mentality, Ms. Spika is the perfect woman for the job,” said an NRA insider to Guns.com.

Texas Father’s Charges Upgraded to Murder in 4-year-old’s Accidental Shooting Death

Marquiez Pratt

Local news reports

The father of a 4-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed himself last year is now facing an upgraded charge of murder as investigators say he failed to immediately seek emergency care, according to court documents.

Marquiez Pratt, 20, is accused of leaving a loaded firearm within reach of his son Jaiden on Feb. 24, 2013 at an apartment in the 13500 block of Northborough Drive.

"The defendant did not voluntarilty deliver the complainant to a designated emergency infant care provider," according to an arrest affidavit.

Pratt said he was asleep when his son found the gun, but a neighbor disputed that, saying she heard adults arguing immediately before hearing the gunshot.

When Houston police arrived, they found Pratt outside holding his son. Paramedics tried to revive the child, but Jaiden was pronounced dead at the scene.

When police searched the apartment, they allegedly found cocaine and marijuana inside. The gun that killed Pratt’s son was also discovered to be stolen, police said.

Pratt was originally charged with child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from jail on Feb. 26, 2013 after posting a $50,000 bond.

A warrant has been issued for Pratt’s arrest.

I can't help thinking that if you're a fat white gun owner and your kid shoots himself and you don't have any drugs around the house and you hadn't stolen the gun and you're so shocked by the tragedy that you don't bring the kid to the "designated emergency infant care provider" you'd be forgiven.

I mean, we've seen just that happen time and again.

Wisconsin Grandmother Charged in Boy's Accidental Shooting

Local news reports

The grandmother of a 4-year-old boy has been charged in his accidental shooting, according to a criminal complaint released Tuesday.

48-year-old Renee Smith was charged with one count of leaving/storing a loaded firearm near a child. 

According to the complaint, Smith was holding on to the gun for someone else. She kept the gun in a shoebox underneath a bed.

One of the children in the house later found the gun, according to the complaint. While they were playing with it, the gun accidentally went off and Keyontist Moffett sustained a bullet wound to the forehead.

If she is convicted, Smith could serve nine months in prison and pay a $10,000 fine.

Orson Charles, Football Player, Arrested for Road Rage Gun Incident

USA Today

Cincinnati Bengals fullback Orson Charles was arrested in Madison County, Ky., late Monday and charged with wanton endangerment-first degree, according to the jail.

Charles allegedly pulled a gun during a road rage incident.

Wanton endangerment in the first degree in Kentucky is defined as when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, someone engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another. It is a class D felony.

Charles, 23, will be entering his third year with the Bengals. He's played 31 games in his career with eight starts. The former Georgia tight end was drafted in the fourth round in 2012 but moved to fullback last season when the Bengals drafted tight end Tyler Eifert in the first round.

Prior to being selected out of Georgia, Charles was arrested for a DUI in Athens, Ga., one month before the 2012 draft.

John Stewart on Some of the Recent Crooked Democratic Politicians

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Fort Hood Again, 4 Dead Including the Shooter

Houston Woman Shoots Through the Door at her Drunk Neighbor - Gets Away with Manslaughter

I am never surprised by the level of ignorance shown by gunloons

I know you lot have a higher estimation of your intellects than is accurate, but the reality is that you are ignorant and intellectually dishonest. I've heard from someone who was present at the Tucson shooting where Gabby Giffords was shot that people will come to their house and tell them the incident was a fake.

Nevermind...

Anyway, it's hard to take you lot seriously when you spout obvious shit.

In this case, it comes from the Katie Couric TV show Facebook page:

And you're a dumfuck as well, pal.

I am not sure why politicians in the US give you people the time of day.

And you would be pleasantly absent if this were a totalitarian state.

No wonder people have Ostalgie.  It must be nice to not have crazies like you running around carrying weapons and saying idiotic things.  But, that is also the case in most western democracies where people can act sanely and civilly.

Media Bias against Defensive Gun Uses?

I know, I know, you would like me to say that things which don't exist just happen to exist, but unlike an certain intellectually dishonest person (or is he just a pretentious, ignorant fool?), I will not say things I have not found to be true are true.

There is no proof for the 2.5 million defensive gun uses that are claimed by the pro-gun side, which is no surprise since scrutiny usually shows that their arguments are specious.

That said.  The York (PA) Daily Record ran the following editorial about this topic:

Here's another in a series of occasional editorials pointing out that "the media" (or at least this media) do, in fact, report on "defensive gun uses."

Many Second Amendment enthusiasts and letter-to-the-editor writers believe that news organizations refuse to publish stories about people who use their firearms to protect themselves. Some researchers estimate there are more than 2 million defensive gun uses annually in United States, the vast majority of which go unreported.

Other scholars say such uses are far more infrequent. Much depends upon how you define a defensive gun use and whether or not a person who, say, flashes a gun at someone who appears to be a threat reports such incidents to police.

But the bottom line is that when such incidents are reported to police, and police share such information with reporters, it's very likely to be printed in newspapers and online.

Such was the case with a story that appeared in page D5 in last Sunday's edition.

Southwestern Regional Police said a 31-year-old Glenville resident used a gun to greet a man who allegedly kicked in her front door at 7:45 a.m. March 26.

According to the story: "When the man entered her home in the 770 block of Glenville Road, the woman pointed her gun at him and told him not to come any closer. He allegedly obeyed her order and left the residence."

According to police, the man apparently stepped out of a neighboring home, became disoriented and believed he was returning to the same house — and his friend had locked him out.

He was charged with criminal mischief, a minor infraction. Police and the homeowner believed his story of disorientation.

If the story as reported is accurate, the alleged intruder might be lucky to be alive because, according to the Castle Doctrine, the woman might have been within her rights to shoot first and ask questions later.

This seems like an appropriate use of a gun for self-defense — and you might even argue the woman used admirable restraint.

That, of course, is not to say that defensive gun uses can't go horribly wrong.

We've all heard stories of people who shoot and kill friends or family members, thinking they are intruders. See: Oscar Pistorius, the South African track star who claims such a scenario in the shooting death of his girlfriend — though the jury in his ongoing trial will determine the veracity of his story. Also see a recent case in Fayetteville, Franklin County, where a man allegedly took the gun of an armed intruder and hunted him down, shooting him.

These kinds of cases should make all well-intentioned gun owners think twice about whether it's a good idea to keep a loaded weapon under the mattress or in a bedside table.

We think gun owners should keep their weapons locked up and unloaded to avoid mishaps — perhaps even tragic mishaps where a child finds such a weapon. We've all heard many of those kinds of stories too.

Gun storage is an issue that gives rise to reasonable debate.

What's not reasonable, however, is the conspiracy that some Second Amendment enthusiasts believe exists to keep gun-related self-defense stories out of the news.

It's just not accurate.

When we hear about such stories from official sources such as police, we report them.

They're usually interesting stories. They bring high reader interest. There would be no logical reason not to report them.

That doesn't necessarily mean they belong on the front page. But they do have a place in print and online.

There's no need to fan the flames of antipathy between the First and Second Amendments.

They're both important freedoms. They can both be used for good or ill — and most news organizations do their best to report both.

In other words, even the media admit that they would report these if they were as common as is claimed by the "pro-gun" side.

So, my answer to the people who keep repeating that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution covers a personal right is that I have looked into it and found that is not the case.

I will not take the word of someone on the internet who I don't know and will not provide his credentials and qualifications for his "opinion".

Not all opinions carry the same weight, and from what I have seen of this person's knowledge and expertise, his is not worth paying attention to.  In fact, I'm not sure why I am mentioning him other than I find him ignorant and intellectually dishonest.  I sincerely doubt he has the qualifications he claims as well.

If he were intellectually honest, he would not be  "pro-gun".

This Is What Gun Ownership Looks Like in America

Clockwise from top left: Shari Baker, Ben Baker, Susan Baker, and Jesse Baker at their home on Feb. 10, 2013, in Ashburn, Ga.

Brian and Sheila Moffatt with their children at their home on Feb. 23, 2013, in Overgaard, Ariz.

See more on Slate

I've seen the error of my ways!

Yes, it's true.   I think that the Second Amendment has nothing to do with a Well-Regulated Militia despite the fact that it begins:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state

Seriously, why not say something in the second part of a sentence that has absolutely no relation to the first part.  Non-sequiturs make perfect sense.

Also, it has nothing to do with Article I, Section 8, Clause 16 of the Constitution.  You know the part that give congress the power:

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Yes, even though when you go back and read the original founders quotes in their entirety that show this was a concern and they even quote that passage, the fact that congress has the power to arm the militia has no relation to the Second Amendment.

Nope. the concepts of civilian control over the military establishment and conflicts between militias and professional, standing armies in 17th, 18th, and 19th Century political thought are well documented, that has nothing to do with the Second Amendment.

And the concept that more guns means less crime is really persuasive as well.

I mean look at all those defensive gun uses.

Yep, I've changed my tune.  The pro-gun arguments make a hell of a lot of sense.

Illinois Concealed Carry Permit Holder Arrested

From our commenter ssgmarkcr, who isn't afraid to suggest stories that might not support the pro-gun agenda.

    Just saw this and didn't know if you had seem it yet.  I'm not going to opine a lot on it quite yet because like many news stories, it can take a while to get the whole story.  I will say that at first glance I don't see any mitigating circumstances in the permit holder's favor.  If there were some sort of justifiable reason of self defense, I don't see how hiding the weapon would be a good decision.

     I'm also not sure how you can couple aggravated assault and misdemeanor in the same sentence since in most cases, agg assault involves something potentially fatal as opposed to a simple fist fight.  And as a rule, I think its normally a felony. 

   

"A 54-year-old Northwest Side man who allegedly pulled a gun during a property dispute is the first concealed carry permit holder arrested in Chicago, police officials say.

William P. O’Connell, of the 7200 block of North Oleander Avenue, lost his permit as a result of the arrest, said a spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police.

O’Connell was involved in a quarrel over rent money with a 52-year-old man on March 23, police said. O’Connell allegedly pointed a handgun at the man and threatened to shoot him.

Police said the victim and a woman both identified O’Connell, who admitted hiding his gun. O’Connell took officers to a vacant apartment where they recovered a .38-caliber revolver, police said."

http://www.suntimes.com/26503501-761/nw-side-man-is-first-concealed-carry-permit-holder-arrested-in-chicago.html

The Way May-Issue Works in Illinois

The Truth About Guns

TTAG Reader Shawn writes from the Land of Lincoln:

"My concealed carry license application was denied. I can forward you the full explanation of reasons of possible denial but the short version is: I was arrested 6 years ago for domestic battery, charges were dropped. I was admitted voluntarily for a week to a psychiatric ward ten years ago. That's it. Anyway, I'm in the process of figuring out how to appeal it. In that process, aside from contacting the Illinois State Police, I sent an email to the folks over at Illinois Carry. They in turn forwarded my info to the NRA, and I just got off the phone with a nice lady over there. They're putting together of a list of some bullsh*t denials to see what they can do about it." Watch this space.

It seems to me the "charges were dropped" can mean a lot of things. That's exactly why may-issue is so important.  Many people who have not sustained the requisite felony conviction are absolutely unfit to own guns and carry them in public. The arresting officer in this case might have had information about the man that is relevant.

An arrest for domestic battery is not like a simple restraining order.  An angry wife can sometimes get a restraining order for little or no reason, but people aren't arrested by the cops and taken to jail for domestic battery for no reason. 

All right, let's hear it.  Let's hear the pro-gun support of wife-beating thugs who want carry permits.

Oregon Lawful Gun Owner Shoots at Neighbor, Gets Arrested

Alexander Richardson


Local news reports

Deputies arrested a man Sunday afternoon, after they say he shot at his neighbor after a fight.

Aythorities say Alexander Houston Richardson, 52, of Idleyld Park, was involved in a physical fight with a neighbor, before going across the street to his trailer and grabbing a 30-30 rifle. 

Officials say Richardson fired a shot across the highway toward the male victim and several houses.

After going back inside his trailer, officials say several deputies arrived and took Richardson into custody without further incident. 

Richardson was lodged in the Douglas County Jail and charged by deputies with Attempted Second Degree Assault, Pointing a Firearm at Another Person, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Disorderly Conduct, Menacing and Recklessly Endangering.

He should be able to plea those charges down to something everyone can live with.  He'll be right back in action after the dust settles.

Instead, he should have been charged with felony attempted murder. 

California Woman Killed by Stray Bullet

Fascinating Second Amendment Discussion at the Florida House Judiciary Committee

I can't wait to hear the gun-rights fanatics who comment here explain away the fact that the Sheriff's association opposes permit-less concealed carry during emergencies while, according to them, cops generally agree with them on gun rights issues. Let me guess, cops are different than sheriffs, right?

The other interesting thing is that one of the speakers said 20% of Floridians have concealed carry permits.  Wow. I suppose that means that the next public mass shooting we have there in which no one intervenes will be because not a single one of them happened to bring their gun that day.

Interesting Facts and Figures about South Carolina

Local news reports

While headlines in the gun debate have been dominated by news that guns are now allowed in bars and restaurants serving alcohol, some very important news may have been overlooked: the announcement by the State Law Enforcement Division that 55 dangerously mentally ill South Carolinians were blocked from arming themselves, and an additional 65 dangerous people have had their Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) revoked thanks to an important law passed last year.

After a botched shooting at Ashley Hall in Charleston, the legislature passed - with bipartisan support - the Boland Bill to close a loophole that allowed individuals declared dangerously mentally ill by a South Carolina court to buy guns from licensed dealers.

The law is named for Alice Boland, who passed a background check and bought a gun in Walterboro despite a history of documented mental illness that federally barred her from owning a firearm. Days later, Boland brought the gun to the school and, according to police, was unable to fire it only because she didn't realize the gun was locked.

South Carolina previously had no mechanism to submit these records, so people deemed too dangerous to own guns according to federal law were not denied firearms or a CWP after completing a background check.

What good is a background check if the right records are not in the system?

The Boland Bill fixed this problem and affirms that background checks work - but despite that progress, dangerous people in South Carolina can still buy guns online or at a gun show easily, with no questions asked.

The private sale loophole allows gun buyers to purchase firearms without a background check if the gun is sold by an unlicensed seller.

And we know that criminals are taking advantage of this loophole - a Department of Justice survey found that four out of five inmates in prison for gun charges got their guns through private sales.

I applaud our lawmakers for coming together last year to pass the Boland Bill to get the right records in the background check system - but if no one is running a background check in the first place for online and gun show sales, we're still not doing enough to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

The solution is requiring background checks for all commercial gun sales.

Sixteen states have closed the private sale loophole, and the results speak for themselves - in 2010 in those states, 38 percent fewer women were shot to death by a current or former intimate partner, 39 percent fewer law enforcement officers were killed with handguns, and firearm suicide rates were almost half those in states where the loophole remains in place.

South Carolina ranks first in the nation for the rate of women murdered by men, the majority with a gun, fourth for the rate of law enforcement officers feloniously killed with a gun, and seventh deadliest in the nation for gun homicide.

These are not rankings to be proud of.

It's time for South Carolina legislators to take the next step: Close the private sale loophole and require background checks for all commercial gun sales.

Georgia Man Pulls Gun at a Basketball Game - Gets a Slap on the Wrist

Local news reports

After a shoving spat during a basketball game at the Turner Lake Recreational Complex, a man pulled a gun from his bag Thursday.

According to reports, Gregory Cordaro Devoes, 25 of Covington, got into a shoving altercation with 23-year-old Shalom Voisin of Stone Mountain. After Voisin punched Devoes, Devoes went into his gym bag and pulled out a 40 caliber Sig Sauer hand gun. According to Covington Police Capt. Ken Malcom, Devoes charged the weapon, pulling back the action and held it to his side. Malcom said the weapon was not pointed at anyone.

Reportedly, everyone in the gym then dispersed. According to reports, Devoes put the gun back in his bag and took it to his car as the Covington Police Department was called.

According to Malcom, Devoes was arrested for disorderly conduct, the gun was taken into custody and Voisin was given a citation for disorderly conduct.

Pennsylvania Man Gets 9 Years Probation for Death of Infant Daughter

G. Scott Davis pleaded guilty Friday, March 28, 2014, to charges he accidentally shot and killed his infant daughter on Dec. 24, 2013.

Local news reports

The East Lampeter Township man who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his infant daughter late last year will not face prison time.

The Lancaster County Clerk of Courts confirmed that G. Scott Davis, 35, pleaded guilty earlier Friday to involuntary manslaughter, a second-degree felony; recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor; and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor of the first-degree.

Judge Dennis E. Reinaker sentenced Davis to 6 years probation for the involuntary manslaughter charge and another 3 years of probation for the endangering the welfare of a child offense, which will be served consecutive to the 6 years of probation, according to the clerk's office.

Davis said faith, family and friends have helped him cope with the tragedy. His lawyer told the judge Davis had contemplated suicide, according to The Associated Press.

Lancaster County District Attorney Craig W. Stedman previously told Lancaster Online that Davis on Dec. 24 brought a newly purchased Springfield 9mm handgun downstairs to show his father-in-law in Davis's home in the 2100 block of Old Philadelphia Pike.

Stedman also told Lancaster Online that Davis thought the weapon was unloaded when he intentionally pulled the trigger and shot his 2-month-old daughter Kestyn Davis as she was she sitting in a glider nearby. The infant died within minutes.

Davis may not own a gun again, and his lawyer said he has no desire to do so.

The district attorney said in January that Davis was a novice with firearms, having only fired handguns twice.

Bills that Would Bar Domestic Abusers from Keeping Guns Gain Support at Minnesota Legislature

MPR News

Gun control bills typically don't gain traction in election years, but a couple of proposals are moving through the Legislature this session. Unlike the sweeping proposals that failed last year, the bills this session are more modest and have bipartisan support.

Members of Protect Minnesota and other gun control advocacy groups rallied at the state Capitol Friday to support a bill that, among other things, would allow courts to bar people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.

Bills sponsored by Rep. Dan Schoen, DFL-St. Paul Park, and Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, would allow judges to order gun owners subject to such orders to surrender their guns to law enforcement, a licensed gun dealer or an eligible third party.

Heather Martens, president of Protect Minnesota, said there is a wide consensus that the measure is needed.

"It's something that everyone seems to agree on — that domestic abusers should not have firearms," she said.

Somehow, I doubt that very seriously.  I haven't seen much in the gun debate that "everyone seems to agree on."  Have you?

Wisconsin Concealed Carry Permit Holder Leaves Gun in Church Bathroom

Maine Senate Rejects NRA-backed Amendment to Allow Concealed Handguns Without Permits

The Bangor Daily News

The state Senate on Friday shot down a Republican effort to make it legal to carry a concealed handgun without a permit in Maine.

The Senate voted 19-14, largely along party lines, to indefinitely postpone an amendment to a bill that creates a statewide database for concealed handgun permits and makes police chiefs, sheriffs and the Maine State Police responsible for doing all background checks on permits.

The measure, which passed the Senate 20-13, also on party lines with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed, allows police chiefs and county sheriffs to issue permits but strips that authority from local elected officials, including town boards of selectmen that previously could issue permits.

Sen. Garrett Mason, R-Lisbon Falls, offered the amendment that would have made it legal to carry a weapon concealed without a permit.

St. Hubertus and ethical hunting.

A little bit of trivial I found in my surfing while learning about the significance of this symbol, which relates to Saint Hubert of Liège who is the patron saint of, among other things, archers, dogs, forest workers, and hunters:

Sankt Hubertus (German) is honored among sport-hunters as the originator of ethical hunting behavior. During Hubert's religious vision, the Hirsch is said to have lectured Hubertus into holding animals in higher regard and having compassion for them as God's creatures with a value in their own right. For example, the hunter ought to only shoot when a humane, clean and quick kill is assured. He ought shoot only old stags past their prime breeding years and to relinquish a much anticipated shot on a trophy to instead euthanize a sick or injured animal that might appear on the scene. Further, one ought never shoot a female with young in tow to assure the young deer have a mother to guide them to food during the winter. Such is the legacy of Hubert who still today is taught and held in high regard in the extensive and rigorous German and Austrian hunter education courses.

Christian cross seen between the antlers of a stag. This image is a reference to the two Christian patron saints of hunters, Saint Hubertus and Saint Eustace, both of whom converted to Christianity after experiencing a vision in which they saw a Christian cross between the antlers of a stag.

This symbol is also found on the  Jägermeister liquor label also features the following verse from the poem Weidmannsheil, by the forester, hunter, and ornithologist Oskar von Riesenthal (1830–1898).

Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,
daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,
weidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört,
den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt.

According to Mast-Jägermeister SE, the translation is:

It is the hunter’s honour
that he Protects and preserves his game,
Hunts sportsmanlike,
honours the Creator in His creatures.

A loose translation which preserves the rhyme and meter is:

This is the hunter’s badge of glory,
That he protect and tend his quarry,
Hunt with honour, as is due,
And through the beast to God is true.

Interesting as all this is, it doesn't answer my question of why this symbol is also found on some German hiking badges.  But, the stuff about ethical hunting was pretty interesting.

Massachusetts Concealed Carry Permit Holder Shoots Friend by Accident - He Forgot the One in the Chamber

Local news reports

A Milford man accidentally shot his friend through the thigh on Wednesday while he was cleaning his brand new .40-caliber pistol, police said.

The shooting occurred at about 4:22 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Lake Street. The 21-year-old Milford man was cleaning his handgun, and unbeknownst to him, a round was in the chamber, said Bellingham Lt. Kevin Ranieri, the Daily News reported.

"I can’t explain why there was a round in the chamber," Ranieri said.

The gun discharged, with the bullet striking a 23-year-old Bellingham man in the upper thigh and exiting through his right buttock, Ranieri said.

"At this point it appears to be accidental," he said.

EMTs first called for a medical helicopter for the injured man, but the blustery weather made it too dangerous to fly. Instead he was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

According to police, his injuries were non-life-threatening, and he has since been released.

As a precaution, police confiscated the Milford man’s handgun. He received his license to carry from the Milford Police Department.

South Carolina Gun Owner Shoots Himself - Lies About It - Charges Possible

Local news reports

A Jasper County man who came to Skiff Medical Center with a gunshot wound, claiming he had been shot by someone else, made the whole story up.

Sheriff John Halferty issued a press release Friday afternoon to report the man, who is not being identified due to his medical condition and because family have not yet been notified, accidentally shot himself. An investigation into the incident continues, and charges may be pending.

Newton Police Department officers and Jasper County Sheriff deputies responded to investigate the shooting. The man told investigators he had been shot by someone else in rural Jasper County, noting the shooter left the scene, and provided a description of the vehicle, and noted one other person was a passenger.

"Based on this information, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office put out a radio broadcast with a description of the vehicle and suspects," Halferty said. "Officers from several agencies attempted to locate this vehicle."

However, upon further investigation, it was determined the man had accidentally shot himself and there were no other suspects.

Arizona Couple's Fight Ends in Shooting, Teen Kids Call 911

Local news reports

An argument between a husband and wife ended in an accidental shooting at a Tempe apartment complex Friday morning.

According to Sgt. Mike Pooley of the Tempe Police Department, the couple's two kids called 911 at about 6 a.m.

"Initially they told us that both of their parents had been shot," Pooley told 3TV's Ryan O'Donnell. "When we got out here we found the father walking down the street. He had two guns in his hands."

Pooley said the man complied with officers, putting his guns down when ordered. Police took him into custody without incident.

When they went into the couple's apartment, officers found a woman who had been shot in the leg.

That woman was taken to a local hospital and is expected to be OK.

Pooley said detectives are getting conflicting stories about the moment leading up to the shooting.

Both the man and the woman said they were wrestling for the gun, but it's not clear who had it when it discharged. The man told officers his wife shot herself. She said her husband shot her.

Second Man Charged in South Carolina March 21st Accidental Shooting

Local News reports

 An 18-year-old Florence man has been charged with providing the gun involved in the accidental shooting of a teenage girl last week.

Dontavious Hickson, 18, of 968 Jasmine Lane, Florence, is charged with sale or delivery of a weapon to a minor, according to Florence Police Maj. Carlos Raines.

Raines said his department’s investigation indicates Hickson sold a pistol to the 16-year-old brother of the teen girl.

The girl, her brother and some friends were walking through a wooded area beside Florence Restaurant Supply on Meadors Farm Road last week when the brother decided to shoot the handgun for fun. The teen victim also wanted to try shooting the gun, but when she reached for it, her brother had not released his finger from the trigger. The gun discharged, and the girl was struck.

The group panicked and concocted the story about a drive-by, but “ultimately decided to come forth with what really happened” the next day, Raines said.

The 16-year-old brother of the victim has been charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, filing a false police report and discharging a firearm in the city limits.

David Laguercia, Nancy Lanza's Gun Dealer, Sentenced to Probation

David Laguercia leaves the Federal Courthouse, in Bridgeport, Conn., after pleading guilty to technical violations to federal firearms laws. Laguercia is the owner of Riverview Sales, a gun store in East Windsor where Nancy Lanza bought the semiautomatic rifle that her son, Adam, used at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December.

Local news reports

It was the sale of the gun used in the Newtown massacre that caught the feds' attention.

But it was shoddy record-keeping unrelated to the shooting that landed Riverview Sales Inc. and its owner, David Laguercia, in federal court Thursday.

There Laguercia, 56, and his East Windsor business pleaded guilty to federal misdemeanor charges.

"This investigation of one of Connecticut's largest gun dealers revealed hundreds of record-keeping violations, improper sales, shoddy inventory procedures and seemingly non-existent store security," charged Acting U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly. "Federally licensed firearms dealers are our first line of defense in making sure that firearms don't wind up in the wrong hands, and gun dealers who don't follow the rules and violate federal law will be prosecuted."

Each of the three charges to which Laguercia pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of one year prison term, five years of probation and up to $100,000 in fines. The prosecution did not link any of the violations to purchases by Lanza.

However, it is expected that Laguercia will receive no prison time when he is sentenced on Nov. 14. As part of his plea bargain, Laguercia agreed to sell or consign for sale the store's 1,000-gun inventory before sentencing, and not to apply for a federal firearms dealer's license during the next five years.

Altchiler said Riverview Sales is still in business, but sells only ammunition and firearm-related products like targets and holsters. The business has not sold guns since Dec. 20, when ATF searched the store, seized records and suspended Riverview's license, which has since been revoked.