GUNS IN THE NEWS--September 28, 2004

[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:
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[MrBenchley]

1. Have gun, will shoot sums up DeMar boosters (IL)

"Sunday, filling in for the vacationing Mary Schmich, I wrote a column criticizing Hale DeMar, the man who last December opened fire on a burglar in his Wilmette home.
Briefly, I contended that recently unsealed police reports suggest that DeMar's attack was neither necessary nor wise, and that he all but welcomed the opportunity to take the law into his own hands.
But the jut-jawed glee in so many of the letters I've received about DeMar's dubious decision-making belies this soothing vision.
I read in most of these letters a desire to define our notion of "necessary" use of lethal force all the way down to "optional" in order to create a culture of frontier justice."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ericzorn/chi-0409280243sep28,1,2701957.column?coll=chi-news-nav

[MrBenchley]

2. Bush Challenged on D.C. Gun Bill

Ah, those "freedom-loving" gun loonies....

"Two senior House Democrats called on President Bush yesterday to declare whether he supports a bill that would repeal virtually all of the District's gun laws, as GOP House leaders scheduled a vote on the measure tomorrow.
The 13-member D.C. Council reiterated its unified opposition to the bill at a news conference yesterday.
Opponents of Souder's bill say House GOP leaders are pushing it in order to rally the party's gun rights base before the Nov. 2 election.
"It is shocking that the House of Representatives would put the safety of the citizens of the District of Columbia, the workers, including the members of Congress, and the many visitors to the city in jeopardy for political purposes," said council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D-At Large). "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55603-2004Sep27.html

[MrBenchley]

3. Gun Deaths Similar in Cities and Towns - U.S. Study

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Small-town residents are as likely to die of gunshot wounds as people in big U.S. cities, but the rural residents are killing themselves while urban dwellers are being murdered, researchers reported on Monday.
"A major take-home message from these findings is that although prevention efforts must be continued in big cities, dispelling the urban myth that gun death does not touch areas outside of big cities should be a high priority," said Charles Branas of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the study.
Branas and colleagues analyzed 580,000 death certificates from 1989 to 1999 in all counties in the United States.
"Firearm suicide in rural counties is as important a public health problem as firearm homicide in urban counties. Policymakers should become aware that intentional firearm deaths affect all types of communities in the United States," they concluded. "

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=6347605

[MrBenchley]

4. Petroglyph thief held after guns, drugs found at Reno home

One of two men convicted of stealing ancient American Indian petroglyphs was ordered into federal custody Monday after police found guns and drugs at his Reno home.
US District Judge Howard McKibben had allowed 41-year-old John Ligon to remain free without bail before he was scheduled to surrender November tenth to begin serving a two-month jail sentence.
But federal prosecutors told the judge in Reno Monday that Ligon was a flight risk and a threat to society after a police search found nearly a pound of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and at least 30 firearms, including five stolen guns. "

http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2355132&nav=8faORMbA

[MrBenchley]

5. Votes on guns, marriage slated

registration required

Bigotry and guns--perfect together...

"WASHINGTON — Republican House leaders plan to squeeze in votes this week on revoking gun control regulations and banning gay marriage as they wait for their negotiators to compromise with the Senate on welfare, highway and annual spending bills.
Neither measure is expected to become law, but they will force members of Congress to take stands on controversial issues just a short time before the November elections. The proposed gun bill would invalidate most of the Washington, D.C., city government's gun control and gun safety laws, including those that ban possession of handguns and storage of loaded firearms of any type in a residence.
Introduced by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) as the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act, the measure has 179 Republican and 46 Democratic co-sponsors — more than enough to ensure its passage. But it is expected to die in the Senate, which is busy trying to overhaul the nation's intelligence system.
The other House showdown will come on a proposal for a constitutional ban on gay marriages, introduced by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) as the Marriage Protection Amendment. It is almost identical to a measure that failed in July in the Senate on a 48-50 cloture vote — well short of the necessary two-thirds vote in the 100-member Senate, and it is unlikely to achieve that margin in the House."

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0904/28congress.html

You might recall that Musgrave is also one of the leading fuckwits in the Second Amendment Caucus....

[MrBenchley]

6. Young girl wounded during violence between families (LA)

"SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A 5-year-old girl survived a shooting apparently triggered by a feud between neighbors, police said.
Tominesha Johnson was in good condition Tuesday after undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound she suffered late Monday, said Elaine King, a spokeswoman for LSU Hospital.
"It's something that's been going on for three days," said police Sgt. Jonathan Reich. "They're running back and forth to different addresses and shooting at each other."
Three men had been arrested by early Tuesday, said Sgt. Jim Taliaferro, a police spokesman."

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-11/10963826617740.xml&storylist=louisiana

Another case of gun owners "doing what the police and gun grabbers cannot, or will not do"

[MrBenchley]

7. 5 wounded in Terra Bella drive-by (CA)

"Two Terra Bella men and three juveniles were hospitalized Sunday after they were wounded in a drive-by shooting, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Department.
Deputies responded to 9246 Road 236 at about 12:30 a.m. where they found two of the gunshot victims. The other three were already en route to the hospital, deputies said.
During their investigation, deputies determined that the victims were with a group of people working on a car when a vehicle reportedly drove by and its occupants fired several rounds at the group.
The incident marked the first of two unrelated shootings over a two-day period."

http://www.portervillerecorder.com/articles/2004/09/28/news/local_state/news03.txt

[MrBenchley]

8. Official confirms pregnant teenager died from gunshot (TN)

"The pregnant Carroll County teenager discovered slain inside her home on Friday was shot to death, an investigator said Monday.
Jessica Dawn Julius, 17, of 625 Colvett Road, died early Friday morning. No arrests have been made, and police do not have a suspect description.
''She did die of a gunshot,'' said John Mehr, special agent in charge of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He declined to release further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Jessica, who was a senior at Huntingdon High School, was 21 weeks pregnant and had just learned this week that her baby was a girl, according to a friend."

http://miva.jacksonsun.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?NEWS/news_storyV2.mv+link=200409286543188

[MrBenchley]

9. Child killed, two adults wounded in shooting at Detroit day-care center

"DETROIT (AP) -- A man went to the door of an in-home day care center and opened fire Tuesday, killing a 3-year-old and critically wounding two adults, police said.
A 7-month-old also was injured, possibly from being dropped during the attack, officials said.
The 3-year-old was initially hospitalized in critical condition after the morning shootings, but police spokesman James Tate said in the afternoon that the child had died.
Police were searching for the shooter, who they said came to the door of the house on the city's northwest side. "

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw104842_20040928.htm

[Wickerman]

11. ``It appears as though this was not random,''

``It appears as though this was not random,'' Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said.

A 7-month-old also was injured, possibly from being dropped, and was taken to a hospital, Bully-Cummings said. Two other children, apparently uninjured, also were taken to a hospital as a precaution, authorities said.

http://startribune.com/stories/484/5004827.html

[MrBenchley]

13. Some more about this horrible story...

"The man, who remains at large, entered the day care center about 10:15 a.m. and opened fire with a 9-millimeter handgun. Jones said the area is a family neighborhood of ranch-style homes.
Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said the man exchanged words with someone at the center before firing.
A 42-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman were critically injured and were taken to a hospital, where they were on life support, Jones said.
One of the women was holding a 7-month-old, who was apparently injured when dropped. The infant also was hospitalized."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-092804detroit_lat,1,3681838.story?coll=la-home-headlines

"The toddler was shot when a man arrived at the door of an in-home day care center and opened fire at about 9:30 a.m.
The 3-year-old was initially hospitalized in critical condition after the shootings, but police spokesman James Tate said later that the child had died.
The shooter reportedly asked if the home -- located in the 19000 block of Woodbine Street, near Seven Mile and Telegraph roads -- was a day-care center, and then started firing shots, police said."

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/3767828/detail.html

[enfield collector]

14. I hope the bastard rots in hell for this.

[MrBenchley]

10. Police: Dream leads to father's shooting (IN)

Another family made safer by guns....

"MIDDLEBURY, Ind. -- A 24-year-old man who had a bad dream about his father later shot him as they argued about the dream, police said.
Ross A. Howell, was being held on $250,000 bond in Elkhart County Jail on a charge of attempted murder following Sunday's shooting.
The elder Howell called 911 about 9:30 p.m. Sunday after his son shot him in the abdomen with a .22 caliber pistol, said Capt. Jeff Siegel, a county police detective. He said Ross Howell told officers at the scene that he had shot his father.
"The son had had a dream about dad and they got into an altercation about the dream," Siegel said."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/182236-2117-102.html

[MrBenchley]

12. Police seeking gunman in afternoon shooting in North Seattle

"Seattle police are looking for a gunman who opened fire in a motel near Aurora Avenue North yesterday afternoon, striking one man in the back.
The shooting happened about 3:40 p.m. at a motel at 4450 Green Lake Way N.
Police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said the victim had just walked into the hotel when another man who entered afterward began shooting. Despite the gunfire, no one else was hurt.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His condition was unavailable. "

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/192755_gunman28.html