St. Louis, Missouri

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of March 31, 2005
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Police say killing was self-defense

A robbery attempt in a house in the 5300 block of Maple Avenue early Wednesday turned into a wild fight that ended up with all three participants shot, one of them fatally, St. Louis homicide detectives said.

Darryl Blockton, 21, was slashed with a butcher knife and fatally shot after he had shot and wounded Jerelle Gatlin, 31, and Gatlin's girlfriend, Twanna McNeil, 27, with a shotgun blast, police said. McNeil's 8-year-old son may have witnessed much of the fight, police said. He was unhurt.

Gatlin was in serious but stable condition at a hospital with gunshot pellet wounds of the abdomen and left shoulder. McNeil was treated at a hospital for pellet wounds of the right thigh and released, police said.

Detectives said Gatlin fired several shots at Blockton during a struggle over a shotgun and pistol, and McNeil also fired a couple of shots at Blockton and slashed him with a butcher knife.

No criminal charges will be brought against the couple because Blockton was the aggressor and the couple acted in self-defense, authorities said.

Police said Blockton went to the couple's home shortly before 2 a.m. to collect a debt from Gatlin and to sell him a shotgun, but the visit soon turned into a robbery and then a fight.

Bensalem, Pennsylvania

From the March 28, 2005 Bucks County Courier-Times:

A Philadelphia man shot and killed one man and seriously injured another after at least six others began fighting with him at a Bensalem Wawa early Easter morning, police said.

No charges have been filed and police declined to release the names of anyone involved until their investigation is completed.

Bucks County District Attorney Diane Gibbons said a group of 17- to 20-year-old Philadelphia residents were drinking and partying late Saturday night into Sunday morning in a room at the Neshaminy Motor Inn on Route 1 in Bensalem. The motel is about 100 yards from the Philadelphia line.

When they got noisy and were kicked out of the motel, they crossed the highway to the Wawa gas station and convenience store, according to Gibbons. Shortly before 2 a.m. the crowd of young men got into a fight in the parking lot of the store with a 24-year-old man they didn't know, police said. It was unclear how the fight started, but Gibbons said the 24-year-old was beaten before he pulled a gun and shot Matt Taylor, 19, of Mayfair and another Philadelphian, 18.

The 24-year-old had not been involved in the earlier drinking party and did not appear to have been drinking, according to Gibbons.

...

Police also photographed the 24-year-old man's injuries from the fight. According to Gibbons, her office and the Bensalem police are continuing to look into the incident.

This March 28, 2005 report from NBC10 calls it a murder, and claims that the men who were shot were trying to help the 24-year-old:

Wawa Murder Shocks Bucks Community

Teen Killed, Another Critical After Shooting


...

Taylor's family said that the two were trying to help a man who was being attacked. Police said that a 24 year-old man has admitted to firing the shots. Police said that the man had a permit to carry a firearm.

No arrests or charged have been filed.

From Philadelphia’s KYW1060.com of June 2, 2006

Buxco Grand Jury Says Wawa Shootings Were Self-Defense

A Bucks County grand jury has cleared a Philadelphia man in connection with a deadly shooting last year in the parking lot of a Bensalem, Pa. convenience store.

The grand jury report finds that 25-year-old Randy Dillon was clearly defending himself when he was attacked by eight teens outside the Wawa store on Route 1, in the early morning hours of Easter Sunday, 2005.

District attorney Diane Gibbons says the teens had been drinking at a hotel across the street before assaulting Dillon, who was legally allowed to carry the gun he used. She outlines the grand jury's additional findings:

"That the eight individuals in the parking lot -- including Matthew Taylor, the deceased; including Alex Ryzinski, who was shot in the parking lot -- are not the victims of any crime. That members of that group were the physical aggressors.”

The grand jury found that Dillon fired three warning shots and the attackers still didn’t back off. The report finds that the shot that killed Taylor was fired while Dillon was on the ground being punched and kicked.

DA Gibbons adds that she intends to pursue charges in connection with the underage drinking.

Columbia, South Carolina

From Columbia‘s WIStv.com of March 30, 2005

Deputies call fatal NE Richland County shooting self-defense

Authorities are calling a fatal shooting Wednesday morning self-defense.

Around 10:40am Wednesday morning, the Richland County Sheriff's Department responded to a shooting that happened in the roadway of Fowler Street near Hard Scrabble Road in the northeast area of metro Columbia.

The Richland County Coroner's office tells WIS that Harry McCray, 36, was transported to Palmetto Richland Hospital with a single gunshot wound to the chest. He died around 11:22am. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The sheriff's department says McCray attacked a man whose car broke down in front of his house, leading to the shooting.

Kingsport, Tennessee

From Memphis’ WMCStations.com of March 30, 2005

83-year-old woman wrestles, shoots at burglar

Authorities say a man broke into an 83-year-old Kingsport woman's home and took her purse, but not before she fought with and fired a couple of shots at him.

Kingsport Detective David Quillen said the man broke into the woman's home about 3 a.m. yesterday and when she confronted him, they struggled and she fired a handgun at him.

The man, who was not hit, then took the woman's purse and fled. He was arrested about twenty-minutes later by a Sullivan County deputy sheriff, who charged the man with drunk driving.

Kingsport police then charged the man, forty-four-year-old Mark Foulk, with robbery and aggravated burglary.

Wichita, Kansas

From the Wichita Eagle of March 30, 2005

Intruder's bullets just missed table of three children

Intruders trying to shoot their way into a home Monday morning fired into a kitchen door, and on the other side sat three young children at a breakfast table.

"It's fortunate that those bullets went straight into the kitchen cabinet and not to the left, hitting one of those kids," Capt. Randy Landen of the Wichita Police Department said Tuesday.

None of the children, nor a woman at the table with them, were hurt. But two men were in the Sedgwick County Jail awaiting criminal charges.

A third intruder remained in a Wichita hospital with multiple gunshot wounds after one of the residents fired back.

According to police reports:

The shoot-out resulted in 16 shots being fired between the intruders and a man who lived at the house in the 2700 block of North Wellesley. One of the intruders, a 20-year-old man, was shot multiple times and suffered a fractured hip.

The resident who fired back with a handgun was shot in the left arm.

Robbery was the apparent motive behind the shootings.

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San Antonio, Texas

From San Antonio’s MySanAntonio.com of March 30, 2005
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Gun-toting homeowner lies in wait for burglars

George Shandy said he did would-be burglars a favor Tuesday night after they broke into a vacant East Side house he owns — he held them at gunpoint instead of shooting them.

Early Saturday morning, Shandy had shot a man in the arm with a 9 mm handgun for trying to steal a TV out of the same house in the 1800 block of Dawson Street, according to a police report.

After another burglary Monday, in which someone pinched a china cabinet, Shandy left the property door unlocked Tuesday night and hid in a side room, anticipating a break-in.

Later, two men in their 30s showed up to negotiate a sale on the house's washer and dryer, San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Pete Rodriguez said.

"They had it unplugged, sitting in the middle of the room," Shandy said.

Shandy jumped out of the room and told them to get on the floor.

He held them at gunpoint for five to 10 minutes, until police arrived around 9:30 p.m., Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said one of two suspects could be charged with burglary. He said the second suspect, who claimed he was lured to the house for a bargain deal and had no idea the items were stolen, might not be charged, pending a police investigation.

Robert Anthony Fields was charged with burglary of a habitation in connection with Saturday's incident.

Spartanburg County, South Carolina

From Greenville’s TheCarolinaChannel.com of March 27, 2005

Fatal Shooting Ruled Self Defense
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The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that killed one man.

Saengkeo Soulivong, 36, died after being shot Saturday night. Witnesses said Soulivong pulled a knife on his stepson Deth Rordsalee, 18, at their home just before 11 p.m.

Deputies said Rordsalee retrieved a gun and shot Soulivong four times in the legs.

Officials said Soulivong bled to death before paramedics arrived.

Anderson County, South Carolina

From the Greenville News of February 7, 2005

Man found shot identified

Authorities said on Sunday that they have identified a man who was shot in a domestic dispute at a home in Anderson County's Broadway community.

Scotty Fowler, 32, died at Anderson Area Medical Center after he was shot once in the chest at a home on Phyllis Drive, said Charlie Boseman, Anderson County deputy coroner.

A shot went through Fowler's arm and into his chest after he forced himself into the home, which was occupied by his girlfriend and her mother, Boseman said.

Authorities received a call about the shooting at 6:42 p.m. on Saturday, he said, and Fowler died at 7:27 p.m.

The investigation is continuing with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office and Solicitor's Office, Boseman said.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Seminole, Florida

From the Bradenton Herald of March 25, 2005

Deputies: Man tried to steal gun to "rescue Terri Schiavo"

A man was arrested after trying to steal a weapon from a gun shop so he could "take some action and rescue Terri Schiavo," authorities said.

Michael W. Mitchell, of Rockford, Ill., entered Randall's Firearms Inc. in Seminole just before 6 p.m. Thursday with a box cutter and tried to steal a gun, said Marianne Pasha, a spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Mitchell, 50, told deputies he wanted to "take some action and rescue Terri Schiavo" after he visited the Pinellas Park hospice where she lives, Pasha said.

The feeding tube that has kept Schiavo alive for more than a decade was removed March 18 over objections from her parents. Schiavo's husband has said his wife would not want to be kept alive artificially.

Doctors have said she would probably die within a week or two of the tube being pulled.

Randy McKenzie, the owner of Randall's Firearms, said Mitchell pulled out the box cutter and broke the glass on a couple of display cases.

"He told me if I wasn't on Terri's side then I wasn't on God's side, either," McKenzie told The Associated Press.

McKenzie said he then pointed his own gun at Mitchell and ordered him to lie on the ground. But Mitchell fled out the store's back door before police arrived, he said.

Mitchell was later arrested in a parking lot and was scheduled to appear in court Friday. He was being held on $125,000 bond on charges of attempted armed robbery, aggravated assault and criminal mischief, officials said.

Basin, Wyoming

From the Casper Star Tribune of March 25, 2005

No charges in shooting death

No charges will be filed in the shooting death of a Montana man at a campground last weekend after an investigation determined the shooting was likely "justifiable," according to the Big Horn County Sheriff's Department.

Larry P. Thomas, 44, of Roundup, Mont., was found dead Sunday afternoon from a single gunshot wound near the Five Springs Campground, Sheriff Dave Mattis said.

"All the information we have now" indicates Thomas was shot while he was assaulting a man, Mattis said. That man and another man were detained in the Big Horn County Jail while police investigated.

"We're not saying that the homicide was entirely justifiable, but we're saying no charges will be filed," Mattis said.
…

When the two men left in their vehicle, Thomas rammed them from behind with his pickup "for some unknown reason" and off the roadway, according to a sheriff's office news release. Thomas then attacked the driver of the first vehicle and began slamming his head against rocks.

The passenger of the first vehicle grabbed his rifle, warned Thomas to stop and shot him after he continued to beat the other man's head into the rocks, according to the sheriff's office.

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Toledo, Ohio

From the Toledo Blade of March 24, 2005

Homeowner shoots intruder in bedroom

A central Toledo man shot an intruder as the suspect walked toward him inside his home with a radiator, police said.

Gary M. Wilson, 48, of 1329 Woodland Ave., was in critical condition yesterday in Toledo Hospital, authorities said.

Gary Holston, 42, was in his office on the second floor of his house, 1405 Woodland, about 11 p.m. Tuesday when he heard someone run up the stairs and into his bedroom. Mr. Holston said he grabbed his 12-gauge shotgun, walked into the hallway, and saw the burglar with his radiator. The suspect lifted it to head level and appeared as if he might attack.

Mr. Holston then shot the man in the leg.

Ivel, Kentucky

From the Lexington Herald-Leader of March 24, 2005

Burglary Suspect Shot, Killed In Mobile-Home Lot

A Floyd County man was shot to death Tuesday night while attempting to burglarize a double-wide trailer in an Eastern Kentucky mobile-home lot, Kentucky State Police said. The victim, Ronald Dillon, 33, of Ivel broke into the trailer, where he was confronted by Mike Kurt, manager of Luv's Mobile Homes at Ivel, police said. Kurt, who was waiting inside the trailer at 10:08 p.m. -- he had been burglarized several times recently, investigators said -- shot Dillon twice in the chest with a 9-mm pistol, police said. Dillon, who lived next door in a mobile-home park, was pronounced dead at Highlands Regional Medical Center near Prestonsburg by Floyd County Coroner Roger Nelson. Police did not indicate whether Dillon was armed. No charges have been filed in the case, which is under investigation by state police.

Drain, Oregon

From the Eugene Register-Guard of March 23, 2005

Gun-toting store owner confronts burglar

Robert Poage was relaxing at home Monday night when he heard an unusual sound coming from his adjacent convenience store.

It was the clatter of coins hitting the floor.

Poage went to investigate and found a burglar looting the cash register at Cold Springs Store on Umpqua Highway 99, which Poage has owned for 14 years.

The burglar wore a ski mask and held a tire iron in one hand. He was stuffing money into his pockets.

"I opened the door and hollered at him," Poage, 54, recounted Tuesday. "He turned and ran."

Poage followed the burglar out the door and saw him climb into a green 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Poage ordered him out, but the man started the engine.

That's when Poage pulled out his .22-caliber handgun.

"I fired at his right front tire eight times," Poage said. "Then he drove off."

Poage's daughter had called 911, and a Douglas County sheriff's deputy arrived as the burglar sped away.

Poage briefed the deputy on the evening's events, and the deputy began his search.

He found the Grand Am parked a few blocks from the store. A man dressed all in black was walking away from the car.

The deputy stopped the man, who was carrying a black ski mask and some cash.

Deputies found a tire iron inside the vehicle, which appeared to have been damaged by gunshots.

The deputy arrested Jonathan William Graham, 26, of Roseburg, who was being held in the Douglas County Jail on charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

Poage said he would have done things differently if he'd had time to stop and think.

"I would have brought my shotgun instead of my .22," he said.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

From the Albuquerque Tribune of January 4, 2005

Man killed in burglary ID'd

Police say Daniel Romero shot after trying to rob a car, home

Police have identified the man shot to death on the West Side after a burglary attempt.

Elton John Richard, 27, ran after and shot Daniel Romero, 34, on Thursday after he heard Romero breaking into his Ford Bronco and garage, said Detective Jeff Arbogast, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman.

Romero had a criminal record, mostly for driving violations, going back to at least 1987. He was charged with burglary in 1990 in Santa Fe District Court and pleaded guilty to some charges relating to the crime, according to court records.

Richard, a National Nuclear Security Administration employee, was licensed to carry a gun as part of his job, said Al Stotts, an NNSA spokesman.

"He's a federal agent and is part of a group that protects radioactive materials shipments," Stotts said. "In carrying out his duty, he is, of course, armed because we have valuable materials that must be guarded."

His NNSA gun probably wasn't used to shoot Romero because those guns are kept in federal storage facilities while employees are off duty, Stotts said.

Richard served eight years in the Marines and was in Iraq for several months during the U.S. invasion. He returned to Albuquerque in the fall of 2003 to work for NNSA, said Billy Blackburn, Richard's attorney.

Richard has about a dozen medals for his military service, half of which were awarded for his time in Iraq, Blackburn said.

"Whether it was his military training or just a natural reaction to somebody breaking into your home, he reacted," Blackburn said.

Police were dispatched to Richard's house at 8205 Wolverine Drive N.W. late Thursday night on reports of a burglary.

An officer driving to the scene saw Richard in the median of Paseo del Norte just east of Eagle Ranch Road.

"I need help. I need help. They were trying to break into my house," Richard told the officer, according to a criminal complaint.

Richard pointed to where he had last seen the burglar, and the officer found a man dead, the complaint states.

Richard told the officer he had a gun, the complaint states.

Richard was released on $50,000 bond on Monday and will be supervised during his release. He must stay in Albuquerque as part of the release agreement, Blackburn said.

"The burglar went after him first," Blackburn said. "Clearly, based on the information I've received, this is a case of self-defense. The burglar broke into his car and his house - where his 15-month-old son and wife were sleeping - and then tried to get away."

Update:

From the Santa Fe Free New Mexican of January 6, 2005

Woman recalls Romero's kindness, heroism

A Santa Fe man shot to death during an alleged burglary in Albuquerque last week had a criminal past but also was known as a kind and even heroic person.

Daniel Romero, 34, was killed late Dec. 30 after he allegedly broke into a 1993 Ford Bronco parked in the driveway of a house in northwest Albuquerque. The owner of the house -- 27-year-old Elton Richard II -- allegedly caught Romero breaking into the vehicle, fought with him outside the house, chased him for about four blocks and shot him dead with a .38-caliber handgun, police have said.

Richard -- a federal agent charged with safeguarding the transportation of nuclear weapons and materials -- faces an open count of murder.

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St. Louis, Missouri

From St. Louis’ KSDK.com of March 22, 2005

Gas Station Clerk Fires Gun At Attempted Robber

A gas station clerk fought back in an attempted robbery Tuesday morning.

The attempted robbery happened at the Gas Mart in the 5700 block of West Florissant.

Around 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, the suspect entered the store and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk pulled out a gun and fired several times at the suspect, who ran from the store.

Authorities don't know if any of the shots hit the suspect.

Kansas City, Missouri

From Kansas City’s KansasCityChannel.com of February 7, 2005

Police Answer Domestic Disturbance Call, Find Man Dead

Police are investigating a possible domestic shooting that left one man dead and his wife in the hospital.

Investigators said the woman who lives at the home at Seventh Street and Bennington called the police just after 5 p.m. Sunday, saying her husband was trying to kill her. When officers arrived, they found her 56-year-old husband dead. She was also shot, but was not seriously hurt.

KMBC reported that the husband and wife were both shot with the same gun. No charges have been filed.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Highland Park, Michigan

From the Detroit Free-Press of February 2, 2005

Highland Park man shoots; 1 dead, 1 hurt

Two men were shot, one fatally, in Highland Park on Tuesday night after they tried to force their way into a house, a spokesman for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said.

An 18-year-old man was killed and his 26-year-old cousin wounded in the arm at the house in the 100 block of Grove around 9 p.m., said John Roach, spokesman for the sheriff's office.

The cousin is in police custody at Henry Ford Hospital where he is listed in temporary serious condition. The 50-year old man living at the house, who says he fired his gun in self-defense, was being held at the sheriff's office lockup in Highland Park.

The older man told deputies that the 26-year-old was his girlfriend's son and that the couple did not get along with him.

The son beat the older man up so badly last week that he had to go to the hospital for stitches, the man told deputies.

On Tuesday, the 26-year-old man called him and said he was "coming over to finish the job." At about 9:15 p.m., the 26-year-old and his 18-year-old cousin came to the house, banged on the door and demanded to be let in.

The older man said he grabbed his gun. Roach said police are unsure if the two younger men forced the door open or if the older man opened it. The older man fired the gun twice, striking the 18-year-old in the neck. He was taken to Henry Ford Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 26-year-old fled the scene and jumped into a waiting car that sheriff's deputies later pulled over. The driver of the car was arrested and is being held at the lockup in Highland Park.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Crawfordsville, Arkansas

From the West Memphis Evening Times of December 28, 2004

Victim shoots robbers in C'ville

Despite being shot, an 80 year-old Crawfordsville man was able to hold his own against two would-be robbers last night, leaving one man dead and another wounded.

According to Investigator Thomas Martin with the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department, Clarence Cochran operates a small store which is called The Neighborhood Store out of his home on Greene Street in Crawfordsville.

Martin said that Cochran was approached by two black male suspects last night around 8:30 p.m., and the situation quickly escalated from there.

"It appears that the two black male suspects entered the store with the intent of robbing it. One of the men shot at the homeowner, striking him in the abdomen," said Martin. "Mr. Cochran then retrieved his own weapon, a .38 caliber pistol, and shot at both suspects striking them both."

Cochran was airlifted from the scene to The Med. Deputies on the scene said that Cochran was alert and able to speak to them, but due to his age and the injury, he was airlifted out as a precautionary measure.

Martin said that of the two suspects who were shot by Cochran, one suspect was pronounced dead on the scene.

"We do not have an identification on the deceased suspect at this time, however, we do believe that we know who the man is. We are waiting on positive identification before we release his name," said Martin.

The second suspect, Antonio Bass, 21, left the scene. However, he was identified by witnesses and was later apprehended at Crittenden Memorial Hospital when he arrived for treatment of his gunshot wounds, according to Martin. He gave police an address of 2802 E. Jackson in West Memphis.

"Bass has been charged with aggravated robbery, and is currently being held at The Med in Memphis where he is receiving further treatment of his wounds," said Martin.

Fairfield, California

From Napa’s Napa Valley News of March 18, 2005

Resident scares away intruder at Fairfield home

A man who fled a mental health evaluation at Travis Air Force Base was found trying to break into a house, Fairfield police said Wednesday.

Cole Richardson, a 21-year-old military dependent living on the base, alarmed a resident by banging on a sliding glass door to a bedroom around 1 a.m. Wednesday, said police Lt. Tony Shipp.

The resident told investigators that he armed himself with a handgun and went to investigate. Shipp said that when the resident saw Richardson, clad only in a pair of underwear and still attempting to enter the house, he fired his weapon. He then went outside, fired additional shots and held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived.

None of the shots hit Richardson, but he was later treated for cuts to his head. Investigators did not know how Richardson suffered the cuts.

The headline is inconsistent with the body of the story wherein it appears “…held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived.”

Wilmington, Delaware

From Philadelphia’s NBC10.com of March 18, 2005

Woman Shoots At Half-Naked Burglar

Police Say Suspect Wearing Red T-Shirt, Little Else

A Wilmington woman got the scare of her life when a nearly naked intruder broke into her home, but she turned the tables on the man, who quickly turned tail and ran.

According to police, Keith Simpson, 32, was wearing nothing more than a red T-shirt when he tried to break into her house Friday morning.

"Somebody was ringing my doorbell and so I yelled, 'Who is it? Who is it?' They wouldn't answer," said Cheryl Pettaway.

Pettaway grabbed her son and her gun and started to call 911.

That was when the half-naked Simpson broke through Pettaway's back door.

"The next thing you know, I just heard somebody in my house and I ran midpoint down the steps and I fired shots randomly," Pettaway said.

She fired her gun at least eight times, but missed the intruder. He tried to flee through the garage, but that is where he was caught by police.

Police said this was one of the oddest burglary cases they have seen.

"This is definitely something we don't see every day. ... Breaking in half-clothed -- that's different," said Sgt. William Wells, of the Wilmington police.

Police said Simpson was admitted to Wilmington Hospital for psychiatric evaluation and for treatment of wounds he got when he broke through a glass door.

After he is released from the hospital, he will face charges.

Jacksonville, Florida

From Jacksonville‘s Fox30Online.com of March 18, 2005

Cab driver guns down attempted thief

Police say a cab driver took the law into his own hands Thursday night when an attempted robber held him at gunpoint.

The incident occurred at the Lighthouse Bay Apartments around 9:30 p.m.

According to authorities, the cabbie was dropping off two passengers when a man tried to rob him. The driver turned the tables on the man, pulled out a gun of his own, and shot him.

"People in this type of work, who carry money and work late at night, are in harms way every night just to earn a living,” says Sgt. Scott McLeod of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. “It's a very tragic situation, and it's tragic when anything like this happens.”

The suspect died at the scene, but the driver and the passengers were not hurt.

Reno, Nevada

From the Reno Gazette-Journal of March 17, 2005

Police report shots fired at storage yard

A Reno storage shed manager traded gunshots with a suspected burglar who hid while a second suspect climbed a fence to escape, police said.

No one was hurt in the Wednesday night’s incident.

While police said the manager was lawful in defending himself and the property, they do not encourage people to take the law into their own hands.

Lt. Ron Donnelly suggested citizens call the police and be the best possible witness to help the investigation.

“We don’t want citizens to be put in harm’s way,” he said.

About 11:30 p.m. Wednesday the manager of Secure Self Storage at 4370 Rewana Way responded to an alarm at one of the storage sheds, police said.

He reportedly fired a gunshot into the air when he saw a man climbing a fence.

Donnelly said a second suspect hiding by a storage bin fired two to three shots at the manager.

He said the manager then returned fire and ran to get more bullets for his gun.

The suspects fled.

Las Vegas, Nevada

From Las Vegas‘ KVVUtv.com of March 17, 2005

Neighbor Claims Self-Defense In Shooting

A woman is dead after a neighbor let her in his Las Vegas apartment and shot her dead when she attacked his wife.

Police say the 24-year-old woman went door-to-door about 9:20 PM last night in a complex (near Sahara Avenue and Durango Drive) in the city's northwest.

The residents of one apartment, a married couple, allowed the woman in thinking she needed help. The woman began rambling incoherently, and displayed a large butcher knife in a threatening manner

Authorities say the man picked up a handgun and ordered the woman to leave. The woman attacked the wife and that's when he shot her.

Detectives interviewed the woman's husband, who explained his wife had been displaying odd behavior over the past two days but that she was not being treated.

Police investigation has determined that the husband acted in self-defense and he was not arrested.

Orlando, Florida

From the Orlando Sentinel of March 16, 2005

Robbers shoot shop owner

Four men wearing masks and bandannas stormed a flea market, a witness says.

Gunfire Wednesday morning at the Magic Mall Flea Market in Orlando resulted in injuries when an armed shop owner foiled a smash-and-grab robbery.

Miram Singh, owner of Singh's Jewelry, suffered two gunshot wounds in the lower right leg in the attempted robbery, according to Orlando police.

Singh told police he thinks he shot at and hit at least one of four men who stormed his booth, firing shots and smashing glass cases filled with gold chains.

By late Wednesday afternoon, investigators had not found any signs that any of the robbers had been wounded.

"He was either trapped or decided to fight it out," Detective Matt Deem said, describing how the owner chased the robbers out of the mall and began scooping but dropped jewelry when the robbers opened fire again.

(More)

Savanah, Georgia

From Atlanta’s WXIA11.com of March 16, 2005

Beauty Queen Not Guilty of Murder

A beauty queen who shot and killed her two-timing boyfriend was found not guilty of murder Wednesday.

Sharron Nicole Redmond admitted shooting her boyfriend outside the home of another woman he was dating, but said she was acting in self-defense. Redmond, 23, had faced an automatic life sentence if convicted of Kevin Shorter's death on Dec. 16, 2003. Four months earlier she had been crowned Miss Savannah.

The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for more than nine hours over two days before reaching their verdict.

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Little Rock, Arkansas

From Little Rock‘s KATV.com of March 15, 2005

Police Continue to Search for Suspects in Attempted Jewelry Robbery

Several suspects are still on the loose Tuesday night after police say they tried to rob two jewelry merchants in Little Rock Monday afternoon. Up to seven suspects were reportedly involved. Two are in custody, one was shot and killed, and three or four others are still on the loose.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jairo Andres Martinez and 25-year-old Raul Adolfo Camaro were arrested Monday afternoon on charges of aggravated robbery, theft, and manslaughter.

Police say the two men plus four or five others, tried to rob two jewelry merchants from Texas while at Cecil's Fine Jewelry in west Little Rock.
…

A shootout began and the two merchants, who were also armed, shot back at the suspects. One suspect was hit in the shootout, dropped off near a local hospital, and later died.

From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal of May 7, 2005

Gem salesmen fired all shots during botched Ark. robbery

Two jewelry salesmen who resisted a robbery attempt outside a west Little Rock jewelry store in March were apparently well-armed.

All five guns confiscated after the botched robbery on March 14 belonged to the two salesmen, according to testimony Thursday by Detective Linda Keel, and all 21 shell casings found at the scene had been ejected from those five guns, she said.

Keel testified at a bond hearing for two men arrested in the case. One man died at a hospital after the shootings, and two others remain at large.

Police had said at the time that the two salesmen -- brothers Charles and Roy Hirschberg, both of Dallas -- exchanged fire with the five robbers. But test results found no shell casings that had come from any gun other than the five belonging to the brothers.

Prosecutors say no charges will be filed against the salesmen because they acted within the law. The Hirschbergs were licensed to carry concealed weapons, authorities said.

Keel testified that the brothers said they believed someone was firing at them, so they returned fire.

She said the only weapon discovered in a getaway car was a knife used during the robbery.

Andre G. Felipe, 26, died after the shootings. Police said he was one of a group of five men who accosted the salesmen in a parking lot outside a jewelry store where the salesmen had just shown their goods. The men grabbed the bags containing the salesmen's merchandise, and the salesmen opened fire with guns they were carrying.

The robbers fled in a van and a car, but the car crashed nearby and two men were arrested. All of the stolen jewelry was recovered from the crashed car.

The two men arrested, Raul Camaro and Jairo Martinez, remain in the Pulaski County Jail in lieu of $1 million bond each.

Hampton, Virginia

From Norfolk’s WAVY.com of March 16, 2005

Suspect Shot During Robbery Attempt at Hampton Food Lion

Hampton police say a man attempting to hold up a grocery store was shot by a store security guard Monday night.

The 19-year old suspect, identified as Caleb Joshua Carr of the 3500 block of Kecoughtan Road, is in intensive care with a gunshot wound to the head. He is listed in stable condition.

According to authorities, it was around 10:42pm when the guard inside the Food Lion in the 3800 block of Kecoughtan Road saw a masked man jump over a counter and demand money from a cashier.

Police say the guard identified himself as security personnel and demanded that the suspect surrender. When the suspect pointed the gun toward the guard, officials say the guard fired one shot striking the suspect in the head.

None of the customers or employees in the business at the time were injured.

New Orleans, Louisiana

From New Orleans‘ TheNewOrleansChannel.com of February 1, 2005

N.O. East Homeowner Fatally Shoots Intruder

A man who broke into a home Tuesday afternoon was shot and killed by the homeowner, police said.

At about 2 p.m., the man allegedly forced his way into a home on East Wheaton Circle after breaking into several other homes in the area, police said.

The 44-year-old homeowner retrieved a gun and shot the intruder to death, police said.

No names have been released.

Police said the intruder had a long criminal record.

It is not yet known if any charges will be filed. The case will be turned over to the district attorney's office for review.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Richmond, Virginia

From Richmond’s WTVR.com of March 14, 2005

Robber shot dead by pizza delivery man

A pizza delivery man confronted by two robbers in Hillside Court shot one of them to death Friday night.

According to Richmond Police the delivery man says he was approached by two men and they demanded money, he refused, and pulled out a gun and shot one of them to death.

Richmond Police say 17 year old Angelo Blair was found dead at the scene. The delivery man called police after the shooting.

The other suspect remains at large.

The driver will not face charges in this case.

Kahuku, Hawaii

From the Honolulu Advertiser of March 5, 2005

Farm thefts sharply decline

Farm thefts —once a chronic problem here — have decreased dramatically since a man reportedly stealing from a farmer was shot and killed nearly six months ago, farmers and police said.

No theft reports have been made at Kahuku farms since Marcelino Pacheco Jr. was shot near Khamxath Baccam's farm on Sept. 7.

Baccam, 48, was charged with second-degree murder. His trial is set for the week of July 25.

Police have said Baccam told investigators he shot Pacheco, 38, because he believed that Pacheco had been stealing equipment and produce from his farm.

Baccam's attorney said his client will plead self-defense.

Bouabanh Piasourapany, 49, said recently that other farmers tell her they haven't had any problems since September.

"Everything quiet for now, since September — but next month, I don't know," said Piasourapany, who was weeding in a field of eggplants in Malaekahana Valley.

Piasourapany, whose 13-acre farm is next to Baccam's, said Baccam was repeatedly robbed of his produce and equipment.

Police were called, but "police cannot do anything," she said.

Piasourapany said thieves stole from another farm that she and her husband operated in Kahuku but she has not had a problem in her present location because it is more secluded.

Police said thieves are still ripping off tourists' cars but the September shooting might have been a wake-up call for people stealing from farmers.

(Read the whole thing)

We will follow this gentleman's trial as best we can. We notice a tendency, particularly in blue states like Hawaii, for convictions in such instances to be considered newsworthy, while acquitals are not.

Houston, Texas

From Houston’s Click2Houston.com of October 29, 2004

Homeowner Shoots Suspected Burglars On Porch

Case To Be Referred To District Attorney

A northeast Harris County homeowner shot two burglary suspects on his front porch Friday afternoon, officials told Local 2.

Investigators said the homeowner was home alone in the 17900 block of Chisholm Trail at about 2 p.m. when he heard some noise on his front porch. The homeowner told officials he then grabbed his gun, snuck up on the men and opened fire.

He could face charges.

"It will be something that we'll have to run by the district attorney's office. I'm not so sure that you can start firing at these people just because they're standing on your front porch," said Sgt. Bruce Williams, with the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

At least eight shots were fired, according to authorities.

The men were taken to Ben Taub Hospital for treatment. They are both expected to survive.

The resident said he has been burglarized four times. He told investigators that he did not know the men he shot.

An investigation is under way.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Forest Park, Georgia

From Atlanta’s CBSAtlanta.com of March 9, 2005

Father cleared in son's shooting

Clayton County police have cleared the father of a two-year-old killed in a shootout at their home in Forest Park last month.

Police spokesman Captain Jeff Turner says tests show Xavier Miranda was killed by a bullet fired from an intruder's handgun and NOT by the pistol fired by his father, 22-year-old William Miranda.

Police say an armed man kicked in the front door of the family's apartment on February tenth and held a gun to the child's neck. They say the man demanded an income tax check of 17-hundred dollars.

San Antonio, Texas

From San Antonio‘s MySanAntonio.com of January 22, 2005

Mom-to-be calls shooting self-defense

A pregnant 19-year-old woman told police she shot her unborn child's father in the chest because he was threatening to hurt her.

Police didn't release the name of the man, who was taken to Wilford Hall Medical Center in poor condition Thursday night, according to a police report.

Tiffanie Boedeker told police the man came to her home at about 7 p.m. and they argued about her pregnancy.

Boedeker said he told her he didn't want her to have the baby. He also told her he didn't want to pay child support, according to the report.

Boedeker said she asked him to leave, but he refused and kept pulling at the front door trying to open it.

She said she grabbed her gun because "she feared for her safety," according to the report, which stated she shot him as he reached for the front door.

Neither Boedeker nor the man has been charged.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Stockton, California

From March 7, 2005, News10.net, Stockton, California:

An attempted robbery left one man dead and perhaps another suspect wounded in south Stockton Monday morning.

According to police, the incident began when several individuals tried to rob a Beacon service station on Charter Way just before 6 a.m. There was an exchange of gunfire between a suspect and the station owner, and at least one of the would-be robbers was fatally wounded. A second trail of blood leading in another direction has investigators thinking another suspect was wounded.

A business partner of the station owner described what happened. "Four or five them, you know, he got suspicious, acting suspicious, going in the pockets," said Harpreet Randhawa. "They came inside and fired two shots and missed. He always keeps a loaded revolver on the counter there and he reached out and shot five shots. He emptied his gun on them and they all ran away."

Detroit, Michigan

From the Detroit Free-Press of March 7, 2005

Vigilante dies in shoot-out

A 41-year-old Detroit man was killed in a shoot-out Sunday while playing vigilante in northwest Detroit, police said.

The man kicked in the door of a house in the 15000 block of Indiana Street about 12:30 p.m. to accuse the homeowner, a 40-year-old man, of raping a mutual acquaintance, police said.

Both men were armed with guns. The 41-year-old shot the homeowner in the knee. The homeowner shot the intruder in the abdomen, killing him.

The name of the man killed wasn't released Sunday. Detroit Police spokesman Benard Beck-O'Steen said the man had been accompanied by another man, who ran away before police arrived at the scene.

The homeowner was transported to Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit for treatment of the gunshot wound in his knee, police said.

North Bellport, New York

From Long Island’s Newsday of March 5, 2005

Break-in victim shoots burglar

A North Bellport resident surprised an armed burglar who tried to break into his home, when he grabbed a shotgun and fired at the man, hitting him in the shoulder, Suffolk police said.

Cheyenne Ray, 44, was alerted by his girlfriend, Tanya Rivera, 31, that she heard a noise at the front door about 1:30 a.m., said Fifth Squad Det. Sgt. Kenneth Hamilton. Ray looked through the glass storm door and saw a hand holding a 9-mm pistol strike the glass. Ray went into the kitchen, got a shotgun, and fired one shot at the door, Hamilton said. The burglar dropped the gun and ran off, Hamilton said.

The alleged burglar, Marion Gillard, 23, of Bay Shore, was later spotted in the area with a gunshot wound in his shoulder and was arrested by police. He was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center before being transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was being evaluated Saturday. Ray could not be reached for comment.

Gillard, who Hamilton said has a prior arrest for first-degree robbery, is charged with first-degree burglary and could face further charges. He is expected to be arraigned at bedside Sunday.

Raleigh, Tennessee

From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal of March 5, 2005

Single blast kills home intruder

Raleigh resident won't face charges, police say

Charges won't be filed against a Raleigh homeowner who shot and killed an intruder early Friday.

Police said William J. Harmon, 42, whose last known address was in Millington, died at the scene after a single gunshot wound to the chest. Harmon had a lengthy criminal record, according to court records.

"They (the attorney general's office) declined to prosecute because of the inference of self-defense," Memphis Police Insp. Matt McCann said Friday. "They're in their home. He kicks in the door. They don't know him. They are afraid for their lives. He did what he felt he needed to do."

The homeowner, identified as Bob Pritchett, declined to discuss the shooting.

Harmon's police record included aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, domestic assault, carrying a pistol and vandalism. Additionally, there were several charges of public intoxication and a charge of driving under the influence, and someone filed a protection order twice against Harmon. The computerized court records did not indicate who sought the protection.

McCann described what happened about 12:45 a.m. Friday at the Raleigh area home: Harmon "started banging and kicking on the door. The homeowner called 911 saying something to the effect of, 'Someone is trying to get into my house.'"

Several minutes later, but before police arrived at the home on Raleigh Millington Road near St. Elmo, McCann said Harmon "kicked the door in and came rushing in."

That's when the homeowner shot him.

Pritchett called police again and told them the intruder had been shot. McCann said police have no motive for the break-in.

Jackson, Mississippi

From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger of March 3, 2005

Residents use guns to protect themselves

Edward Blair was in bed watching television with his young children when he heard a series of thumps. He rose from bed, realizing someone was trying to kick down the front door to his Shady Oak Drive home in Jackson.

Blair, a security officer with Wright's Security Service, grabbed his .38-caliber revolver and stood patiently near the front door. The door cracked from the impact of the kicks and a man stuck his head through.

"His eyes got mighty big when he saw what was waiting on him," Blair said.

Blair fired three shots at the man, striking the would-be burglar in a finger as he ran away — leaving behind the still-running Cadillac Deville he had parked moments earlier in Blair's carport.

That attempted burglary in June was the third time in the past year a Jackson homeowner used a gun to thwart a break-in. Three previous situations ended in the death of the burglar. Another burglar was shot and killed by two Jackson police officers in April. On Halloween day, a man on Decelle Street shot and killed a man trying to rob him inside his home.

"It's a shame any of us are having to take the situation into our own hands," Blair said. "But I guess that's what we've got to do."
…

Tommy Christian, a Floral Drive resident, doesn't carry a concealed weapon but used the hunting rifle he normally uses to kill rabbits and squirrels to fend off a man on Oct. 20, 2003. Christopher Stiff used a tire tool to pry open Christian's back door about 3:30 a.m. that day. Christian shot Stiff once in the abdomen and once in the leg while Stiff was standing in the door.

"If somebody tries that stuff on me again, I'm going to do the same thing and unload on them even more, probably," Christian said.
…

People always will feel the need to protect themselves and their family, McDonald said.

"I sold a gun to an elderly woman a few years ago and she came in about a year later, saying she needed to buy one bullet," McDonald said. "I thought that was curious and asked why she needed one bullet. She said someone broke into her house and she shot them. She said it didn't take but one bullet to shoot him, so she figured she would only need one bullet for the next time."

Albuquerque, New Mexico

From Albuquerque‘s KOBTV.com of January 10, 2005

Man may face charges after being shot

A homeless man may face criminal charges after he was shot Saturday night at the intersection of Mars and Wellesley in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque police say Kenneth Tortolito made sexual advances toward a woman who had been trying to get him back on his feet. That’s when police say 31-year-old Yvonne DeFilippo pulled out a gun and shot Tortolito in the torso.

DeFillippo was arrested, but it’s unclear whether she will face any charges.

Tortolito is in stable condition at University of New Mexico Hospital as police consider whether to charge him with attempted sexual assault.

No subsequent stories about this incident were found.

Bozrah, Connecticut

From New Haven’s WTNH.com of March 1, 2005

Senior foils robbery in his own home

…

75-year-old James Dunn has quite a story to tell.

"Turn the porch light on and all I could see was one person."

On Sunday night Dunn says a man came to his door and asked to use his phone because his car broke down but once inside, the man never dialed the phone, he just stood there with the phone to his ear and his hand at his side.

"Yep I said it a little bit different word a little bit louder, 'what the hell do you have in your right hand?'

That is when a second man came to the door. Both had knives.

"When he came around toward me he has a knife like this. Then I took and hold the right hand, I just got him right down like that. That's just what he did he went over like that of course. He was trying to pull. I could see that I was stronger."

Dunn then turned to his wife.

He told his wife, "Mary, run upstairs run up and tell David to come down with the gun."

That sent the men running before this great-grandfather could finish his move.

"I had my knee coming up when he pulled back and more or less lost my balance. I had to let go of him he just turned right around and shot out the door."

Chelsea, Alabama

From the Birmingham News of February 28, 2005

Man frees self after being tied up to kill man holding his wife

A Shelby County man freed himself after being tied up and then fatally shot an armed, masked intruder inside his Chelsea home during a home invasion early Sunday morning, Shelby County authorities said.

Authorities refused to release the name of the homeowner who killed 25-year-old William Clint O'Shields of Chelsea. O'Shields held the man's wife at gunpoint while gathering items from the house, officials said.

Sheriff Chris Curry said O'Shields, who had a female accomplice sitting outside in a car, broke into the couple's home off Hackberry Way about 2 a.m. The woman was taken into custody after deputies stopped a car leaving the scene, he said at a news conference at the sheriff's north substation on Alabama 119.

The woman's identity was being withheld pending charges being filed. Curry said she likely would be charged today.

Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens said the woman could be charged with burglary, robbery or murder. He also said a toxicology report probably will show O'Shields had a high level of drugs in his body.

Curry said O'Shields and the woman were involved in a separate home invasion in Westover early Saturday in which a man in his 80s was tied up and several guns were taken from his residence.

The sheriff said a pistol O'Shields used in the Hackberry Way home invasion likely was taken in the earlier home invasion.
…

Curry said shots were fired by the homeowner. The homeowner was not injured.

Owens said the homeowner would not face any charges.

"If you're in your house, your own home, you're going to have a lot of freedom to protect yourself, especially your wife, your family and property," Owens said.

Detroit, Michigan

From Detroit’s ClickOnDetroit.com of March 1, 2005

Police: Bank Robber Leaves Trail Of Blood Behind

Man Fires Shots Inside Bank

A trail of blood was left behind at the scene of a bank robbery and shooting on Detroit's west side Tuesday morning, Local 4 reported.

A man entered a Bank One on Joy Road near Meyers Street at about 10 a.m. and ordered a teller to give him some money, a witness told the station.

The robber fired shots after the teller reacted too slowly to his demands, the witness said. No one was hit by the gunfire.

After getting the money, the man was confronted by a retired Detroit policewoman armed with a gun. The former officer ordered the robber to halt, but the man did not listen.

The retired officer fired at the man while he attempted to flee with the bag of money, according to the station's reports.

A trail of blood indicated that the man may have been hit in the gunfire, police said. The man escaped the scene.