San Marcos, Texas

From the Statesman of October 22, 2009

Intruder shot in San Marcos

A man San Marcos police said was shot after breaking into a home on Oscar Smith Drive armed with a BB gun, is in stable condition today at University Medical Center Brackenridge, police Commander Penny Dunn said.

Police released no names involved in the shooting as they continued their investigation, Dunn said. No charges have been filed in the case, she said.

Officers were first called at 9:50 p.m. Wednesday from someone reporting a break-in in progress at the back door of a home in the 700 block of Oscar Smith Drive, Dunn said.

One of three people in the home at the time fired several shots at a man Dunn said was armed with a BB handgun. The intruder then fled on foot wounded, she said.

Dunn said police were alerted that a man with several gunshot wounds came to Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos after 10 p.m. Doctors there gave him primary treatment and the suspect was transferred to Brackenridge, she said.

Grove City, Ohio

From 10TV of October 26, 2009

Police: Victim Shoots Would-Be Robber

Police said that a robbery victim acted in self-defense when he shot a man who was trying to rob him late Monday morning.

The incident occurred at about 11 a.m. behind a Wendy’s restaurant, located on Broadway.

Investigators told 10TV’s Glenn McEntyre that a man was walking his dog when another man approached him with a gun and demanded his wallet.

The victim complied and then pulled out his own gun, shooting the robber, police said.

The accused robber, Keith Walker Jr., ran to a nearby neighborhood where he collapsed. Walker underwent surgery at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, McEntyre reported.

Amir Ibrahim, 19, was charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the incident. According to police, Ibrahim lives at the home where Walker collapsed and hid his gun and the victim’s wallet inside the home.

Ironton, Ohio

From the Columbus Dispatch of October 22, 2009

Great-grandmother who shot robber says ‘God was with me’

When an armed robber barged into a North Side motel room Wednesday night and ordered the six people there to the floor, he put a 70-year-old woman closer to her handgun.

The great-grandmother knelt between the beds, reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out her .357 Magnum pistol.

She fired one shot at the robber, who staggered from the room, collapsed in the parking lot and died.

“It’s a wonder she didn’t shoot us all,” said her 51-year-old son, who was preparing to hand over his cash when he heard the gunshot. “She’s the worst shot in the world.

“She said to me, ‘God was with me tonight. You know I couldn’t have done that myself.’”

None of the family members, who live in Ironton, wanted to be identified, fearing retaliation; and the woman didn’t want to be interviewed. They have moved to a different room in the motel.

“She’s torn all to pieces,” her son said. “Who would ever want to shoot someone?”

Wayne Winston, 25, died of a single gunshot wound in the chest, Franklin County Coroner Jan Gorniak said yesterday. Police listed his address as “streets of Columbus.”

The woman has a permit to carry a concealed gun, her son said, and carries the gun she inherited from her late husband.

Asked to describe his mother, he said, “Religious. She’s always been my hero.”

The family was staying in a first-floor room at the Continent Inn, near I-71 and Rt. 161, while attending the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. The son said he was in the room with his mother, his wife, his daughter and son-in-law and a family friend.

The door was partially open so the adults could stay within earshot of two girls, ages 12 and 17, in the room next door.

The son said the door flew open shortly after 9 p.m. and they found themselves confronted by a man who pointed a black handgun at them and said, “Everybody here knows what the game is.” He told them to get on the floor and began demanding money from the son and his son-in-law, who were closest to the door. The gunman seemed angry that the son-in-law had only $14.

“I was going into my pocket for money” when a shot rang out and the gunman ran from the room, the son said. “I thought I was shot. I didn’t realize my mother had shot him. It was mass chaos.”

He still wasn’t sure what had happened when he went outside and saw the intruder’s body in the parking lot. Then he heard a second shot. His mother, the gun at her side, had tensed up and “squeezed off another shot into the floor,” he said.

Columbus police don’t expect to file charges against the woman but said the case probably will be presented to a Franklin County grand jury as a routine procedure. The son said the officers who met with his family were “extremely supportive.”

He has a horse farm and is attending the Quarter Horse Congress to watch his 21-year-old daughter compete and to support others who train at his farm.

Word of the shooting spread quickly yesterday among those attending the event, which is in its third and final week at the Ohio Expo Center.

“That’s a hell of a woman,” said George Wyeth, 63, of Claysville, Pa. “I don’t blame her a bit. You pull a gun on someone, you ought to get shot.”

“I give her a lot of credit,” said Beverly Hicks, 77, of Perrysburg in northwestern Ohio, who doesn’t know many people her age who carry guns. “I’d be afraid to carry a gun.”

Police Sgt. Ken Tischler, a community liaison officer, said armed robberies of motel guests near the Continent are rare, but he had warned people attending the Congress about a rash of vehicle break-ins at motels in the I-71 and Rt. 161 area – 102 thefts from autos between mid-August and late September.

Hawkins, Texas

From KLTV of October 19, 2009

Homeowner’s one shot lands would-be burglar in ER

It took one shot for an East Texas senior to put an end to a would-be robber’s crime spree. The story began around 2am Monday morning at Southside Bank in Hawkins. The branch is located inside Brookshire’s, right off Highway 14. That is where police say 19-year-old David McWhorter was spotted, first. We spoke to the homeowner whose one shot landed the alleged burglar in the ER.

“Just…put the gun up to the window, and he was standing there and I pulled the trigger,” said the 78-year-old homeowner.

One shot through the window was all it took. Our homeowner didn’t mind an on camera interview, but asked his name not be released. He suffers from a hip injury and was sitting in his chair when the suspect broke into his screened porch. He says it is not the first time he has been broken into. Every window is now nailed shut and a baggie full of ammo for his 4-10 single-shot shotgun is always nearby.

“Everything I worked hard for all my life…no one’s just going to come in here and take it if I can help it,” said the homeowner.

“If you can’t retreat, you have every right in the world to protect yourself,” said Hawkins Police Lieutenant A.J. Randell.

Randell says while police worked the call at Brookshire’s, another call came in about the break-in about a block away. Police say the suspect was found across the street, inside his brother’s car with a gun shot wound to the left shoulder.

“He came in, woke him up and said, ‘I’d been shot! Take me to the hospital,’” said Randell.

“I’m sorry that it happened, but he shouldn’t be trying to break in and trying to steal other people’s property,” said the 78-year-old. “Protect what’s mine, you know?”

And, after 23 years of retired life, our homeowner doesn’t plan on moving anytime soon.

Forest Grove, Oregon

From October 16, 2009 KATU channel 2:

FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Police have arrested a man after a woman was sexually assaulted in her own home in Forest Grove, just west of the Portland suburb of Hillsboro.

Floyd Dale Elliott faces rape and burglary charges after being accused of entering the victim’s home in the middle of the night last month. Police said he then tried to rape her.

The woman reportedly grabbed a gun, hidden near her bed, and started firing.

The Gun Defense blog has been featured on the cover of the November issue of the NRA’s America’s First Freedom. The article, written by gun defense blogger David Burnett, contains a simple write-up of summaries and totals on the various different types of crimes prevented by armed citizens, as documented on this blog over the past several years. The article is now available on the magazine’s website.

Schroeppel, New York

From the October 18, 2009 Syracuse Post-Standard:

Schroeppel, NY – When Deanna Candee and her son, Adam, returned from a shopping trip Saturday to their Schroeppel home, they suspected something was wrong when they saw the garage door open.

Candee’s home had been ransacked. An intruder was still inside.

As her 25-year-old son moved toward the cellar to check out a noise, Deanna, 48, started into the house, said Wilson Candee, Deanna’s father-in-law.

The intruder confronted her and grabbed her by the hair, Wilson Candee said. Adam heard his mother scream, went to her aid and pulled the intruder off. He and the stranger began to struggle.

The fight ended, Oswego County Sheriff’s officials said, when Deanna grabbed her pistol and shot the man.

Phoenix police found Timothy Hartigan, 39, dead in a bedroom when they arrived shortly after 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday, Wilson Candee provided details about the struggle based on his conversations with Candee, his grandson, and investigators.

Candee legally owned the gun with which she shot Hartigan, sheriff’s department officials said.

…

Wilson Candee said the intruder’s motive did not appear to be theft. Money left in a wallet was untouched and no articles appeared to have been gathered for removal, he said.

But he said he was told the house had been thoroughly vandalized with doors broken, glass smashed, and pictures and knick knacks knocked from the walls. Cutlery was strewn along the hallway leading to the bedroom. There also were signs that the intruder had cooked bacon and eggs, he said.

Hartigan had a history of mental illness, according to his former wife, Denise L. Cunningham, and a man answering the phone at Hartigan’s mother’s home who identified himself as Hartigan’s brother-in-law.

When Hartigan was taking his medications he was a great guy, a good father to his two children and a good friend to many, Cunningham said. He was artistic and enjoyed drawing and woodcarving, although he did less after he was diagnosed, she said.

“When he was on his medicine he was a good person,” Cunningham said. “He would never have dreamt of doing this.”

Cunningham said her former husband was diagnosed a decade or so ago and recently had been treated at University Hospital.

“His son and I had just gone to visit him … we actually saw him a week ago today,” Cunningham said.

The hospital released Hartigan on Tuesday, she said. Hartigan’s illness could not be learned Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the hospital declined to comment, citing privacy regulations.

Hartigan was no longer living at the downtown Syracuse YMCA, where he had resided about eight years, Cunningham said, and she didn’t know where he was living after his discharge.

Jefferson City, Missouri

From the October 14, 2009 News-Tribune:

A parole absconder from St. Louis is believed to have shot another man in a Tuesday night robbery near downtown Jefferson City, then was shot by one of his victims who acted in self-defense.

Patrick Evans, 37, who was released from prison two weeks ago, was found hiding in a small room in an upstairs apartment at 611 E. Capitol Ave. just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, more than 8 hours after the shooting incident downstairs at the same address, according to police reports.

“Officers were ready to re-canvass the area as daylight broke when they found a new blood trail which led to the apartment,” said Capt. Mike Smith of the Jefferson City Police Department. “A female resident, we believe, helped hide him.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Cole County prosecutor charged Evans with first-degree robbery. The charges say Evans also is known as Patrick Harris.

Bromley, Alabama

From the October 15, 2009 Alabama Press-Register:

BROMLEY, Ala. — A 13-year-old boy shot his father Tuesday night to protect his mother from harm, authorities said Wednesday.

Joseph “Simp” Pruitt, 46, was shot in the arm and side after threatening his wife with a 9 mm pistol, according to Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack Jr.

Pruitt remained in critical condition at the University of South Alabama Medical Center in Mobile, a hospital spokesman said Wednesday.

“We believe Mr. Pruitt was attempting to shoot Mrs. Pruitt,” Mack said. “Their 13-year-old son became aware of this and retrieved a 20-gauge shotgun.”

No one involved in the incident has been arrested, he said.

Deputies were called to a Williams Road address in the Bromley community about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. Mack said the 911 call came from inside the residence, though operators received several calls from neighbors who heard gunshots.

Pruitt was conscious when emergency responders arrived, he said.

From October 16, 2009 KATU channel 2:

FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Police have arrested a man after a woman was sexually assaulted in her own home in Forest Grove, just west of the Portland suburb of Hillsboro.

Floyd Dale Elliott faces rape and burglary charges after being accused of entering the victim’s home in the middle of the night last month. Police said he then tried to rape her.

The woman reportedly grabbed a gun, hidden near her bed, and started firing.

Livingston, Montana

From the Casper Star-Tribune Online of October 16, 2009

Friend shoots hunter during bear attack

A hunter attacked by a grizzly bear in southern Montana also had the misfortune of being shot in the arm by a companion trying to stop the attack.

The incident last Saturday resulted in the bear being killed, the attacked hunter surviving and no charges against the companion for shooting his friend.

Park County Sheriff Allan Lutes says his office looked into the shooting of the hunter and found no negligence, with the other hunter trying to save his friend and killing the bear.

“It doesn’t point to anything but an accident,” Lutes said.

However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are still investigating and have not released details, including the hunters’ names.

Lutes says the hunters thought they were tracking a black bear near Cooke City.

They entered a grove of very dense, second-generation pine six to eight feet in height when their quarry, which actually was a grizzly, jumped one of the hunters.

“He was yelling at his partner to shoot the bear,” Lutes said.

The first shot struck the hunter in the arm. Subsequent shots hit and killed the grizzly, which Lutes said was estimated to be 20-25 years old.

“It was a big boar,” Lutes said.

Lutes advised hunters to use extreme caution while prowling the hills and forest for game.

“These hunters need to be very careful, especially in thick areas,” he said.

Grizzlies are foraging, trying to add body weight before entering winter dens.

“They’re not in good humor right now,” Lutes said.

Springfield, Ohio

From WHIO of October 17, 2009

Home invader shot and killed, police still hunting for accomplices

A man was shot and killed during a home invasion attempt late last night, Oct. 15, but police are still hunting for his two accomplices.

Police say three black males wearing hooded sweatshirts and Halloween masks broke into the home at 214 W. Southern Avenue around 11:30 p.m. However, the homeowner wasn’t helpless — he fired at the armed invaders, killing 26-year-old DeMarkis Jones.

The other two men fled the scene. Springfield police are asking anyone with information about the incident or the two suspects to call (937) 324-7680.

Goochland, Virginia

From the Goochland Courier of October 15, 2009

Late night antics lead to charges

Werewolves aren’t the only things to be wary of during a full moon.

After a month of little crime, the Goochland Sheriff’s Office received a call from a Whitehall Rd. resident during the early hours of Oct. 3.

According the Sheriff Jim Agnew, the woman was home alone and reported to deputies that someone had attempted to break into her house by entering through the front door.

The woman called a second time, telling deputies that there was another attempt to enter her home, upon which the woman exercised her Second Amendment rights and drew a pistol on the man.

“She did the right thing,” Agnew told the board of supervisors on October 6. “She said, ‘Leave, or I’m gonna kill ya.’”

Deputies quickly apprehended Timothy Justin Tirado, 25, of Goochland, who is charged with burglary. At that time, Agnew said deputies had not yet found a passenger who was seen in Tirado’s car.

Deputies remained in the area, looking for Tirado’s partner.

“Around sunrise, we got a call from another resident off Forest Grove Rd.,” Agnew said, “who said somebody was in the basement.”

Tirado’s partner, Valerie Lee Oliver, 32, of Chesterfield, had emerged from the basement, greeting the homeowner who had just poured herself a cup of coffee to start her morning.

Oliver is charged with breaking and entering with the intent to commit a misdemeanor and petit larceny.

“They were both very intoxicated,” Agnew alleged.

A sheriff’s report stated that Oliver was wanted for a probation violation from Dinwiddie, and Agnew said both have prior histories.

“Hopefully they’ll be going away for a while and won’t be bothering us anymore,” Agnew said.

Tirado and Oliver were eligible to be released on $5,000 secured bonds. Both are scheduled to appear in Goochland County General District Court on November 23.

Elk, Washington

From KNDO of October 13, 2009

Horse owner shoots pit bulls to save animal

The owner of a miniature horse says he was forced to shoot and kill three pit bulls that were mauling his animal.

Thursday, the horse’s owner told the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office the three dogs had come onto this property, off Juanita Lane and started attacking his horse.

The man fired several warning shots to try and scare the dogs and when the warning shots did not work, the man turned his aim to the dogs, shooting all three.

Two of the dogs died on the scene and the third ran off only to die later at a veterinarian’s office.

While trying to get in touch with Justin Howell, the dogs’ owner, a deputy discovered marijuana growing on Howell’s property.

Howell told deputies he had Medicinal Marijuana Certificate and was growing marijuana for his own personal use, however an investigation found he had more than allowed for medicinal use under state law.

Howell was arrested for Manufacturing Marijuana and cited for dog at large.

The miniature horse suffered severe injuries and is being treated by a veterinarian.

Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania

From the York Daily Record of October 16, 2009

Shots thwart Shrewsbury jewelry store heist

Two people attempting to rob a Shrewsbury jewelry store Friday night were chased away when the store owner fired a shot at one of them, according to Southern Regional Police.

Chief James Childs said a man and woman walked into Alexander’s Jewelry in the 400 block of South Main Street shortly before 8 p.m.

The woman brandished a gun, and the man attempted to put a pair of “flex” handcuffs on a customer – there were two customers and two employees in the store at the time – Childs said.

As the robber tried to put the handcuffs on the customer, the two got into a scuffle.

At that point, store owner Ken Zampier pulled out a gun and fired a shot at the female robber, Childs said.

Police believe the first shot might have hit the woman.

Both robbers took off, the chief said, and Zampier fired a second shot.

The man and woman were last seen running on South Main Street in Shrewsbury.

Police believe the woman might have ended up at a hospital in the Baltimore or Baltimore County area with a gunshot wound. Police in Maryland were also looking into a 911 radio report of a woman being dropped off in Baltimore County with a gunshot wound.

None of the customers or the employees at the store were injured in the robbery attempt, Childs said.

Stewartstown Police and the York County Forensics Unit were called to the scene to assist.