Longview, Texas

From Tyler?s KLTV.com of December 30, 2006

Suspect Dead In Longview Home Robbery

A home invasion in Longview turns into a deadly volley of shots, leaving one homeowner hospitalized and a suspect dead. It happened around 11:30 last night at a duplex in the 800 block of Georgia lane. Police say 3 suspects, 2 black males and a white female, forced their way into a back door of this duplex on Georgia lane.

“3 suspects forced their way into a rear entrance of the duplex at least one was armed with a hand gun” said Longview police sergeant Shawn Pendleton.

They demanded money, and the residents would not comply. At some point a struggle ensued between the homeowner and the suspects and shots rang out, the homeowner was hit and the suspects quickly fled. 24 year old Charles Parker was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. But he wasn’t the only casualty.

“Multiple shots were fired both from the suspects and at least one resident in the home. While we were working that shooting we got another call of a suspect lying in a parking lot. It was one of our suspects from our shooting on Georgia” said Pendleton.

25 year old George Edward Sanders Junior was shot in the chest and head. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died. Neighbors say the home had lots of activity day and night and suspect some illegal activity was going on.

“At this point I don’t know whether the suspects knew the victim in the residence or if it was a random incident” Pendleton says.

Bakersfield, California

From the December 28, 2006 Bakersfield Californian:

Man sought on suspicion of domestic violence arrested

A man who was wanted on suspicion of domestic violence was arrested in Tehachapi on Sunday, according to a Thursday news release from the Bakersfield Police Department.

On Oct. 15, Reford Foss, 31, is suspected of going to his estranged wife?s house and assaulting her and her brother. His wife, afraid for her safety, shot Foss in the abdomen, police said. Foss was taken to Kern Medical Center but fled during treatment.

Foss was wanted on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, attempted kidnapping, burglary and violation of a restraining order. He was found at a relative?s home in Tehachapi on Dec. 24.

Durham, North Carolina

From the Durham News & Observer of December 30, 2006

Teen shot to death in Durham house

A 17-year-old was shot to death late Friday after apparently intruding in a house on Wabash Street.

Officers were called to 1420 Wabash St. at 10:30 p.m. and found 17-year-old Bennie M. Vanhook, who had been shot in the abdomen, Durham police said. Vanhook, who lived on Bluestone Drive, was taken to Duke University Hospital, where he died early today.

The resident at the Wabash Street address, 28-year-old Dennis Dingle Jr., told investigators that he and two females were in the house playing cards when they heard a knock on the door. Dingle told investigators he was expecting guests, so he opened the door.

Vanhook, who Dingle said had a gun, entered the house, and he and Dingle began to struggle, according to Durham police spokesman Kammie Michael. Vanhook fired one shot at Dingle, which missed, and Dingle then pulled out a handgun and shot Vanhook one time, investigators said.

Dingle and Vanhook did not know one another, Michael said. Investigators think the incident may have been a robbery attempt.

Dingle was charged with possession of cocaine. No charges have been filed in the shooting, which investigators said appears to have been justifiable self-defense, based on the preliminary investigation.

Both weapons were recovered at the scene.

Ross County, Ohio

From the Columbus Dispatch of December 30, 2006

Man?s shooting was self-defense, grand jury says

Ross County father killed his daughter?s boyfriend Dec. 24

A Ross County grand jury did not indict a man accused of killing his daughter?s boyfriend, saying he acted in self-defense when he shot the man who had threatened his family.

Acting Ross County Prosecutor Michael Ater said he will drop murder charges against Billy E. Moore, 46, who was arrested shortly after the Christmas Eve shooting.

Moore was accused of shooting Bradley Cassidy, 42, once in the chest. He was released from jail yesterday, Ater said.

At home yesterday, Moore said he was grateful that the charges were dropped but was truly sorry for what happened.

“It?s a terrible situation. I?d really like to apologize to (Cassidy?s) mom, his family and the neighbors,” he said.

Authorities got a 911 call on Christmas Eve from Moore?s daughter, saying that she and Cassidy, with whom she had a relationship, had argued and that he threatened to burn down Moore?s home near Bainbridge. He also threatened to kill her and their young child, Ater said.

The woman ran to Moore?s house and called her father. But when Moore got to his house, the place was ransacked and he couldn?t find his daughter, Ater said.

Moore and his wife went to look for her. As they drove, Cassidy pulled his vehicle onto the road and blocked Moore?s path.

That?s when Cassidy told Moore that he had just killed Moore?s daughter and grandchild and had thrown their bodies into a ravine, prosecutors said.

Cassidy began lunging at Moore with a metal baseball bat, and Moore ran back to his truck and grabbed a pistol.

Moore told Cassidy to get away but Cassidy kept swinging at him. Moore then shot Cassidy once in the chest, prosecutors said. Cassidy was pronounced dead at Greenfield Area Medical Center.

Moore?s daughter and grandchild were found at a relative?s house and were not injured, Ater said.

“It was a very bad situation that I got put into, and I didn?t know what to do,” Moore said. He said he was thankful that his daughter and 1-year-old grandson were not hurt but knows that difficult times lie ahead, especially for his grandson.

“Someday, I?m going to have to explain that I shot his father. I don?t know how I?m going to do that,” Moore said.

Ater said the initial murder charge was “absolutely appropriate” based on the information authorities had at the time.

Vacaville, California

From the Vallejo Times Herald of December 29, 2006

Police: No link between attack, serial rapes

Following an investigation into an attempted sexual assault on Gable Avenue in Vacaville on Wednesday night, police report that they do not believe the attack was tied to a series of rapes which have occurred in Vacaville since 2003.

Wednesday’s attack occurred about 7 p.m. when a man entered an apartment complex laundry room in the 100 block of Gable Avenue, hitting a woman there and forcing her to partially disrobe before he was confronted by another man armed with a handgun.

Vacaville Police Sgt. Charlie Spruill said investigation of the Gable Avenue attack indicated that it was unrelated to a series of previous sexual assaults.

Wichita Falls, Texas

From Wichita Falls? KFDX.com of December 29, 2006

MAN RECOVERING FROM GUNSHOT WOUND

Wichita Falls Police say a man is still recovering after he was shot in the shoulder with a rifle Wednesday. Police say a 30-year-old man was at a house on Priscilla and got into an argument which turned physical with one of the female residents. When he refused to leave, the woman`s father shot him in the shoulder with a rifle. Police say the injured man could be charged with burglary once he is released from the hospital. Police still aren`t releasing his name because he has not been officially charged. They say the man who fired the rifle will most likely be cleared.

Lonsdale, Tennessee

From the Knoxville News Sentinel of December 29, 2006

Police: Lonsdale man shoots burglar

A would-be burglar got an unwelcome surprise today when a resident shot him as he tried to break in, authorities said.

The shooting happened around 1:15 p.m. at 1910 Lonsdale Pike, Knoxville Police Department Lt. Mark Pressley said.

No charges have been filed or names released yet.

The man made it to the corner of Tennessee and Western avenues, where he asked someone to call an ambulance, Pressley said. Police arrived with the ambulance, which took him to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

His injuries weren’t believed to be life-threatening, police said.

Everett, Washington

From the Everett Herald of December 29, 2006

Boat owner held two suspects in theft at gunpoint

The man spotted two men carting gear from his boat and then kept them cornered until police arrived, court documents say.

It could have been a scene out of the Old West, only there was no gunplay.

A man whose large fish-processing boat is moored in the Snohomish River in Everett was driving by Christmas Day when he noticed two men on the deck of the vessel.

The men carried orange survival suits, each valued at $400, that had been stored on the boat.

The man knew nobody was supposed to be on the boat, deputy prosecutor Chris Dickinson said in court papers Thursday charging one of the men.

The boat owner turned around and went onto the dock to confront the intruders.

He yelled and the two men, who dropped the survival suits and tried to hide.

The owner, who carried a firearm, ordered the men to come out of hiding or they would be shot, Dickinson said.

They got the message. They came out and were held at gunpoint while the owner called police.

Police arrested the pair. One of the men, a 40-year-old from Everett, was charged with first-degree vehicle prowling.

One of the men claimed the two had come to the vessel looking for scrap metal and had a large handcart with them to carry items from the ship.

He denied being there to take anything else, but the boat owner and police found several valuable items had been moved and could also have been carted away, Dickinson said.

The man who was charged has a drug-possession conviction as well as one for second-degree possession of stolen property, Dickinson said. He also has 23 misdemeanor convictions.

The man was being held on $10,000 bail.

Manatee, Florida

From the Bradenton Herald of December 29, 2006

Victim holds two suspects at gunpoint

Two men were arrested Thursday morning after the owner of the residence they were inside without permission showed up and held them at gunpoint, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office media release.

The 49-year-old victim drove by his rental residence at 6:20 a.m. and observed the lights on inside. He went to his other residence, grabbed his revolver and returned to his rental residence.

When he went inside, he found a man sleeping in one of the bedrooms and another man in the front living room area of the residence, located in the 400 block of 52nd Avenue West.

The man in the living room made an “aggressive move towards him,” so the victim hit him with the butt of the gun, the report said.

The man who was sleeping came out of the bedroom at which time the victim held both men at gunpoint until deputies arrived.

Ryan A. Reiter, 24 and Kevin Drumm, 21 were arrested and each face a charge of armed burglary and possession of burglary tools. They were in possession of a crowbar and a large double bladed knife at the time of their arrests, the report said.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of December 28, 2006

(Scroll Down)

Fatal shooting now ruled self-defense

Milwaukee police Thursday removed a homicide from their annual tally after a killing was ruled self-defense, a Police Department spokeswoman said.

Phillip Felder, 21, died Dec. 9 after suffering multiple gunshot wounds outside a party in the 2800 block of N. 9th St.

FBI rules state that police departments should not report shootings that are justified or accidental in their annual homicide lists. The Milwaukee County district attorney’s office ruled the Felder homicide self-defense, said Anne E. Schwartz, department spokeswoman.

As of Thursday, 103 killings in Milwaukee have been classified as homicides. The figure was 122 at this time last year.

Atlas Township, Michigan

From Saginaw?s WNEM.com of December 28, 2006

Atlas Township Shooting Could Be Self Defense

A man is shot and killed after allegedly terrorizing a Mid-Michigan couple the night of December 23rd.

A 51-year-old man from Sterling Heights came to the Atlas Township home of his ex-wife. He reportedly sprayed the back of the house with 20 rounds from a 9-millimeter handgun. He threw a whisky bottle through a window, and broke into the home on Irish Road.

That is when the homeowner shot the man in the chest with an AK-47 rifle, killing the intruder.

The Genesee County Sheriff said the 911 tape recorded the man inside the house telling the dispatcher that someone was outside the home, firing at the house. He said he was going to have to shoot the man.

It will now be up to the prosecutor to rule whether it was an act of self defense or murder.

Billings, Montana

From the Billings Gazette of December 29, 2006

Man allegedly shot by son

A Hanna man remained in critical condition Thursday after his 17-year-old son allegedly shot him twice in the chest.

Authorities said the teenager shot Chuck Combs with a .22-caliber rifle on Dec. 22. Carbon County prosecutor David Clark said the shooting appeared to be in self-defense.

As of Thursday, charges hadn’t been filed.

Meanwhile, acting Hanna Marshall Richard Fowler said Thursday that Combs was still in “extremely critical condition” at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.

Hospital officials declined to disclose any information about Combs.

Fowler said the shooting remained under investigation.

He said the home had a history of family violence, and that Combs’ drinking may have contributed to a confrontation.

Ontario, California

From the December 28, 2006 Ontario Daily Bulletin:

ONTARIO – An intoxicated man was shot early today when he broke into an apartment he mistakenly thought was his own, police said.

The man, whose name wasn’t immediately available, was arrested on suspicion of burglary and taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound to the leg.

Police said the man lives in an apartment complex in the 1700 block of East D Street, but the apartment he approached at 1:45 a.m. wasn t his own, said Ontario police Lt. Dexter Thomas.

That didn’t stop him from forcing his way inside. The break-in was so loud, it frightened the residents inside. One of the residents grabbed a shotgun.

“He came in the house, a warning shot was fired and then the intruder was shot in the leg,” Thomas said.

The man’s wound was not life-threatening.

Police also arrested the shooter, but not because he wounded the intruder.

“There’s a bit of an exception,” Thomas said. “He’s a parolee that’s not supposed to be around guns.”

His name was also not available.

Packwood, Washington

From Seattle?s KIROtv.com of December 28, 2006

2 Dead, 1 Hurt In Shooting Near Packwood

Gunfire that killed two people and injured one exploded near this Lewis County community Wednesday, when a homeowner found a visitor from Las Vegas breaking into his gun safe, the sheriff’s office reported.

The homeowner said a male friend from nearby Morton arrived in the morning for a visit, along with two women and a man from Las Vegas, Nev., whom the homeowner did not know, said sheriff’s Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Doench.

The homeowner told investigators he became suspicious he was being distracted by three of his guests, Doench said. Armed with a semi-automatic rifle, he directed the visitors to another part of the house.

There, he said he found one of the women had broken into his gun safe and was removing weapons, Doench said. She then shot the homeowner once in the ear with a rifle, giving him a superficial head wound.

The homeowner returned fire, killing the woman.

The visitor from Morton received several gunshot wounds to his legs, possibly from stray bullets, Doench said. He was taken to Morton General Hospital, where he died as he was being prepared for airlift to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The names of the dead and the homeowner were not immediately released.

Natalie Brooks, 44, and her husband, Jason Brooks, 38, of Las Vegas, were booked into the Lewis County Jail for investigation of residential burglary.

Elkmont, Alabama

From the Huntsville Times of December 28, 2006

Man shot in knee after he disobeys father

An Elkmont man’s failure to heed a warning shot that his father fired into the electric stove not only landed him in the hospital, but also a trip to the county jail, authorities said.

Limestone County sheriff’s Lt. Brad Curnutt said Steven Malone, 36, was allegedly drunk when he decided to kick in his father’s door open on Christmas Eve.

When Malone’s father asked him to leave, he refused.

“The dad fired a warning shot into the stove, and the son still wouldn’t leave,” Curnutt said. “So, the dad shot him in the right knee.”

Malone’s wound was not serious and he was treated and released. Deputies charged him with third-degree burglary and he was released on a $2,000 bond.