"Dude ... he's got a gun too!"

Detroit CPL holder unloads on armed robber caught on video - Story | WJBK:

Cynthia Quinn rushed to Henry Ford Hospital when she heard her son Sanchez Quinn had been shot. She called FOX 2 upset because she didn't know why she was not allowed to see her wounded son.

Reason why the cops wouldn't let her see her son was because he was shot while attempting an armed robbery ... against two men who were CPL holders (Concealed Pistol License).

The intended victims drew their weapons and shot the son and his cohort. (see video at the link above).

Some folks don't understand why innocent people "need" to carry a concealed weapon.

At least in Detroit, there are two sorry (and wounded) young men who now understand the rationale all too well.

Gnome Count: +2

(Hat Tip: thetruthaboutguns)

Outlaw Biker Mantra. "Hey Man, you spilled my beer!" BANG!

Another Shoot-out in Waco!

(NEXT DAY: THE ARRESTS RESULT IN CHARGES FILED AGAINST 170 BIKERS!)

Rival motorcycle gangs kill 9 in Texas gun battle - NY Daily News:
(May 17, 2015)

 A trio of rival motorcycle gangs is believed responsible for a large gunfight that killed nine bikers and injured 18 outside a Waco, Texas restaurant, authorities said Sunday.

Charming.  I'm sure.

The good news is: no 'innocents' were killed or injured.   Good shooting on the part of the bikers?  More likely, non-involved people were smart enough to un-ass the neighborhood.  When the going gets tough, everybody who wants to live through the day get out of the bar.

Oh, yes.  Some news sources called the establishment a "restaurant"; but others called it a "Sports Bar".    It's all about what your meaning of "IS", is.  Personally, I've never cared for spectator sports, but when it comes to a shoot-out, my first choice is "NOT THERE".

Another Shootout in Pennsylvania!
There's nothing unique in this "event".  In January in Pennsylvania, a couple of rowdy groups mixed it up.

Another Shootout in Chicago!
And in Illinois, after a brawl between "The Outlaws" and (civilians?), the Outlaws want their leather vests back.

Well, you can't blame them.  it's all about honor, y'know?

So while the rest of the world is worrying about Trevon Martin, Ferguson, Baltimore ... there is an entire subculture which thrives on violent confrontations.

It's A White Thing; you wouldn't understand it.

That's okay, neither do I

The Thing Is ....

... this is the sort of thing that many people consider the "Gun Culture".

It's not, of course.  The American Gun Culture is responsible people who are non-violent, but are prepared to defend themselves against violence.   That sounds a lot like waffling, I know.

Ala + CHL + IRL = DRT

Breaking News: Dallas County Man Killed after Store Shooting in Orrville | CBS 8 News | Top Stories: By Alabama News Network Story Created: Jan 16, 2014 at 3:58 PM CST Story Updated: Jan 16, 2014 at 3:59 PM CST

A Dallas County man is killed after a shooting at a Dollar General store in Orrville. Investigators say the man entered the store with a gun and began waving it around as he walked around the store. They say the man pointed the gun at a customer and forced him to the back of the store. They say the customer then pulled out a gun of his own and shot the man. No arrest has been made and the incident remains under investigation by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

If     ALA = Alabama,
and  CHL - Concealed Handgun License,
and  IRL = In Real Life,
then DRT = Dead Right There

In a 'normal world', this announcement would either be (ho hum, dog bites man) a normal news article which was covered widely but without much fanfare.

In an 'imperfect world', it would be covered by major news agencies through-out the land.  Kudos to the hero, and the governor goes on nationwide television to express the thanks of a grateful state for the daring and courage of this man who put his life at risk for the benefit of his fellow citizens.

In this flawed world,  the Media don't want to hear happy endings wherein the good guys take on the bad guys and win .. it's hardly reported at all. And almost ALL of that reportage is by bloggers on the internet.   You can't blame the media; they would rather that nobody but the bad guys have guns.  That way, it's easier to tell the bad guys from the good guys; the bad guys are the ones with the guns.  That IS their mantra, and they are firm believers in the idea that most folks can't tell the players apart when things get complicated.

Unfortunately, it's a complicated world.  Sometimes (but not as often as should be) the Good Guys have guns;  that's why all those people in the Alabama Dollar General Store are still alive.

Well, except for the Bad Guy, of course.  Which is how it should be.

Bearing Arms dot com has more thorough coverage.  According to that source, the villain was one Kevin McLaughlin and the hero was Orrville resident Marlo Ellis.

Ellis was a customer in the store, and while McLaughlin was in the process of herding customers and employees into a store room (with the apparent intent to find "people to shoot"), Ellis pulled out his own (concealed) handgun and shot him dead, Dead, DEAD.

Sheeple are herd critters; heroes shoot the bad guys, and then finish their shopping.

NUANCE:

Sooner or later, some liberal dolt will ask:  "Why didn't he just shoot him in the shoulder?"


We direct their attention to the 1968 movie FIRECREEK, where the bad guy (Henry Fonda) says of the good guy (Jimmy Steward), whom Fonda's character had 'only' shot in the leg:

"I knew better.  Any man worth shootin', is worth killin'"

Today's version: the paperwork is about the same, only you only have to live through the experience to fill out the paperwork.

PS: the store had a sign up which prohibited the open carry of firearms.  There were no restrictions on concealed carry.   That may be something to think about, America.  Best guess is that the man who put up the sign thought it through before he posted it.

‘I feel my whole body burning'

‘I feel my whole body burning,’ says Oklahoma death row inmate during execution | Fox News:

A man has been executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary almost 20 years after orchestrating the brutal assault and robbery of his co-worker at a Tulsa convenience store. Michael Lee Wilson, 38, was convicted in the killing of Richard Yost, 30, who aspired to one day manage the Quiktrip store. Wilson, who was convicted of first-degree murder, was the third person executed for the February 25, 1995, crime; the fourth defendant is serving a life term.

Welcome to Hell, Michael Lee Wilson.  It wasn't your departure from this plane of existence you felt, but your arrival at your next (well deserved) plane of existence.

Before the crime, the men loitered nearly an hour while waiting for customers to leave. Once they were gone, they struck Yost with an aluminum baseball bat 54 times in 131 seconds. They jostled a safe while removing it, but Wilson posed as Yost when a security company called to check an alarm.
And to dampen suspicions among middle-of-the-night customers, Wilson put on Yost's uniform and worked the cash register as Yost lay dying in a pool of blood, beer and milk behind the cooler doors.
The state Board of Pardon and Parole last month rejected Wilson's clemency request on a four to one vote. Ahead of the hearing, Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Miller told the panel that Wilson knew Yost had to die so he couldn't identify his robbers.

Four men had planned the murder for a couple of weeks,  they beat the victim for over two minutes with one or more baseball bats.  This ... monster then acted as the victim to the security company and subsequent customers in the store to cover up the crime.

What did they get out of it?  A couple of bucks and some sneakers.

And now the murderer (who has had 20 more years of life than his victim did) is making a last-minute plea for sympathy because he feels a few moments of discomfort.

As far as I am concerned, this is full justification in favor of the Death Sentence for Capital Crime.  Why shouldn't the inhuman, unfeeling killer feel some pain at the end of his life?  We can only imagine .. but I hope we don't have to ever feel .. the pain his victim felt at the end of HIS life.

True justice would be that the murderer would feel the same exact pain that his victim felt.   I know, that would make us no better than him, that we would wish to exact that sort of vengence.

But it isn't so much vengeance as it is  a desire that every violent felon would be expected to experience the agony of his victims.  Justice isn't retribution as much as it is punishment.   And it is supposedly intended to dissuade others from following same unfeeling, uncaring footsteps of the  murder and mayhem that they read about in the media.

Why shouldn't this man person thing feel pain when he dies?

The best purpose in his short, unhappy life may be to serve as an example to others of his vicious bent.

UPDATE: February 03, 2014
Feminist Tammy Bruce seems to agree with my personal opinion on "coddling murderers" with a 'painless death'.

In a Fox News Opinion article, Bruce suggests that the death penalty be imposed by the Firing Squad.

As long as we are agreed that some people just should not continue to pollute our atmosphere, because of the enormity of their murderous choices, and as long as bleeding heart liberals are with-holding the chemicals which might provide a 'painless death' to convicted murderers, perhaps it's only just that we .. the public upon which they preyed .. quit trying to "go along to get along" and just shoot the murderous bastards.

At least they won't have false expectations that we 'respect' them.

A Case for Soccer Ball Control?

Brazil soccer referee killed during match; his head displayed on stake midfield | Fox News:

A soccer referee was beheaded and his head displayed atop a wooden stake at midfield after a match erupted in violence in Brazil.
 The bloody brouhaha began when the match’s referee, Otávio Jordan da Silva de Catanhede, became embroiled in an argument with player Linda dos Santos Abreu over a disputed call during a game in the town of Pius XII.
 The argument reportedly ended with Jordan ejecting Abreu. Following the player’s ejection from the game, Abreu and Jordan began to fight. During the fight, Jordan produced a small knife and stabbed Abreu, 31, who reportedly died of his injuries en route to a local hospital.
 “A crime will never justify the other." - Valter Costa, law enforcement official Friends and family of the deceased subsequently rushed the field, tied up Jordan, 20, fatally stoned him, quartered his body, and then, according to the Associated Press, which cited local media accounts of the murder, staked the referee's head at midfield of the soccer pitch.

Obviously, Brazilian Style Soccer will never survive a holiday weekend in Chicago.

Which is possible the single viable argument in favor of the municipality of Chicago.

On the other hand .. can't we just nuke them all?

Okay, that statement is definitely out of line.
In the words of Gremlins2: "Fun, but in no sense Civilized!" (paraphrased)

Liar

Man shot dead at Florida shooting range | Fox News:

LAKELAND, Fla. – Authorities are awaiting the autopsy results for a man fatally wounded at a central Florida shooting range. 

The Polk County Sheriff's Office says Larry Simpson of Clermont died of a single gunshot wound to the chest while shooting clays with a friend at the Tenoroc Mine Shooting Range in Lakeland. 

According to detectives, Jaime Gonzalez of Orlando said he was at the shooting station and Simpson was operating the remote control for the clay machine. Gonzalez told detectives that he heard a shot directly behind him, and he turned around to find Simpson with a gunshot wound to his chest. Simpson's gun was lying beside him. 

Deputies say Simpson died at the scene Sunday. Sheriff's office spokesman Scott Wilder says detectives did not know how Simpson was shot.

 How do you shoot yourself, in the chest, with a shotgun ... accidentally?  Or even deliberately?

Come ON, people!

Shooting clays?  All I know is that accuracy counts in the sport of Shooting Clays, and many of the targets are exceedingly ... challenging.  So we're talking ... what?  A 28" barrel on his shotgun?

(Somebody who knows what they're talking about, help me out here, please.)

I mean, did anyone look at his feet.  Did the victim take off his shoes and socks so he could pull the trigger with his big toe?

I've been watching reruns of Ellery Queen on DVD, and we're at that exciting moment near the close of the show where Ellery turns to the camera and says ...

"WTF?  How can this be an accident?"

Ellery, please advise the Polk County Sheriff's office to take a very close look at  Jaime Gonzalez of Orlando .

He's not telling all he knows.

Frankly, if Mr. Simpson was  operating the clay-throwing machine thing-a-my-bob, he didn't have his shotgun anywhere near him.

Anyone who says he did, should run for President; he's a qualified politician.

Liquor Store Clerk Shoots, Kills Suspected Robber

Liquor Store Clerk Shoots, Kills Suspected Robber

WILMINGTON, Del. - A liquor store clerk shot and killed a suspected robber overnight in Wilmington, police said.

Up to three men wearing masks entered the Favors Liquor Store on Walnut Street around 9:30 p.m. Guns were allegedly pointed at the clerk inside, and money was demanded.

Police said the 55-year-old clerk soon pulled out his own gun and started shooting.

One suspect was hit, dropped his .22-caliber gun, stumbled 40 feet outside of the store and died. Police don't know if the clerk's gunfire might have struck the other hold-up men, who fled.

American Gunfighter!

"Within weeks of getting the gun, Lance found ... he needed it."

The Ayoob files; An urban gunfighter: The lessons of Lance Thomas

American Handgunner , March-April, 2002 by Massad Ayoob

Over a period of less than 3 years, Thomas was involved in four gun battles against a total of 11 known suspects. He shot six of them, killing five. The watch dealer himself was wounded on two of these occasions, taking a total of five rounds. There are many lessons that the rest of us can learn: Lessons of long-term strategy and short-term tactics; of gun selection and ammunition effectiveness; and, above all, of courage under fire in the moment, and of determination over the long haul.

August 10, 1989. Like so many storekeepers, Thomas feels his watch shop would be a safer place if he had a gun with which to fend off armed robbers. He has acquired a Model 36, a five-shot Smith & Wesson .38 Chief Special. He keeps the snubnose revolver where he can reach it easily. On this day, he'll be glad he did.

Two men enter. One appears to have some sort of weapon, and the other pulls what Thomas recognizes as a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Thomas knows he can just give the man his money and goods, but he also knows that to do so is to trust his life to the whim of a violent man unlawfully wielding a deadly weapon. Instead, Thomas chooses to fight.

His hand flashes to the Chief Special, and he comes up shooting. The little revolver barks three times. Two of his bullets miss, but one smashes into the gunman's face, putting him out of the fight.

The merchant swings toward the accomplice, but cannot see a weapon at the moment, and so, does not fire. Instead, he orders the suspect to leave. The now-compliant accomplice does so, dragging his wounded comrade with him.

The robber will survive. Lance Thomas is unhurt. His decision to be an armed citizen, to fight back, has been validated. The wounded robber will be charged, and the armed citizen has the sympathy of the authorities. Thomas has won in every respect.

West L.A. Watchmaker (and small businessman) Lance Thomas has fought, and survived, four gunfights against robbers who would threaten him and his business in a "High-Crime Area". He has since closed his store and semi-retired to an undisclosed location'. He continues to perform repairs on watches, but only for those who make appointments.




Quotes from the Video:

Interviewer: "So why do anything?If you hadn't have reached for your gun, maybe you wouldn't have got shot. Maybe you would have lost a few of your watches, but it would have been over."

Thomas: "I refuse to be a victim of violent crime."
"There's not negotiation; my life is too precious for that."


"They pretended to open the front door to leave, turned around, 'You're Dead!', and fired their weapons. .... I killed them both."

LAPD Detective: "All of the criminals had extensive records. They knew what they were doing, the just didn't know what they were doing it against."

Thomas: "It's kind of made old man out of me. ... It's Hell, it's something to be avoided, but if you have to do it you must be responsible."

Kokomo Krushes Koshes Knuts!

From USA Today: Ind. Robber Mistakenly Shoots Self in Groin

No, not in the groin:

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) — A man accidentally shot
himself in the groin as he was robbing a convenience store Tuesday, police said.

A clerk told police a man carrying a semiautomatic handgun entered the Village Pantry demanding cash and a pack of cigarettes.

The clerk put the cash in a bag and as she turned to get the cigarettes, she heard the gun discharge.

Police say surveillance video shows the man shooting himself as he placed the gun in the waistband of his pants. The clerk wasn't injured.

A short time later, police found 25-year-old Derrick Kosch at a home with a gunshot wound to his right testicle and lower left leg.

Kosch was released from the hospital Tuesday and booked into the Howard County jail on a charge of armed robbery, criminal recklessness and battery. He is being held on a $100,000 cash bail. A jail official did not know if he had retained an attorney Wednesday.

EEEEEEE-YAAaaaaaaaaa! That's gonna smart!

You've probably read this account in other websites, and there's little I can add. I'm continually nonplussed by the incompetence of criminals, and this is just one more example.


The real story, for me, is to read the comments attached to this news story. There is a coterie of people who seem to delight in writing comments to USA Today's online news articles. If there is a punch line which you think a perfect summation ... read these comments. Someone else has already said it.

Probably, they said it better.

I certainly can't improve on it.

(Click on the link, then click SHOWING [oldest first] for the full effect.)