Citrus Heights, California



From Sacramento's The KRACChannel.com of February 6, 2004

Brothers Fear For Safety After Shooting



A man arrested Monday for the death of a neighbor at a Citrus Heights apartment complex learned Thursday morning he won't face charges in the killing.



Authorities said Tim Collins ... and his brother, Sean ..., got into a fight with some neighbors."



Three people of these people ran right past me and targeted him directly," Sean Collins said.



Sean Collins said he thought his brother was going to be killed, so he pulled a gun and shot a 20-year-old neighbor dead.



It was an apparent case of self-defense, police said. Sean Collins was released just two days after he was arrested on murder charges. The case was all but closed.



"Unless we turn something up that would point in the direction of a presentable, prosecutable case, then yes it would be over," said Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Lou Fatur.



But now, the Collins brothers and others in the apartment complex fear there will be retaliation from friends and relatives of the man that was killed.



Three police cars were sent to the complex Thursday afternoon. The Collins brothers were escorted out and taken away for their safety.

UPDATE: From the March 23, 2004 Sacramento Bee:

CITRUS HEIGHTS - No charges will be filed against a man who shot and killed a 17-year-old neighbor in a dispute at their apartment complex last month, officials said.

Prosecutors decided that a case against Sean Collins, 42, in the Feb. 2 slaying was "unprosecutable," said Lana Wyant, special assistant deputy district attorney.



...



Collins was arrested at the scene but released a short time later. Investigators said Chepelyuk lived next door with a group of young men and women who feuded with the brothers.



"In our view, it looked like a defense of others," Wyant said Monday, adding witnesses didn't adequately answer investigators' questions.

Las Vegas, Nevada



From the Las Vegas Review-Journal of February 6, 2004:

Burglary ends in shooting



Before Thursday morning, Bob Sherman's pistol sat unused in his night stand for a decade.



That changed when the 59-year-old was awakened by a noise outside his home.



The former Marine grabbed his 9 mm pistol and investigated. Several tense minutes later, a confrontation with a burglar ended with Sherman firing at the burglar's car as it drove away.



"I wanted, No. 1, to send a message, 'Don't come back here,' and No. 2, I wanted to mark the car so we could identify them," Sherman said.



Las Vegas police were investigating the 5:40 a.m. shooting on Del Monte Avenue, near Oakey and Valley View boulevards, but had no suspects, Sgt. Matt McCarthy said.



Sherman could face charges for shooting at the car, but McCarthy said it was too early to know whether he will be charged.

Terre Haute, Indiana



From the Terre Haute Tribune-Star of February 5, 2004

Suspect not charged in fatal shooting



A suspect in a fatal shooting Jan. 3 will not be charged with a crime because evidence suggests he acted in self-defense, the Vigo County prosecutor said Wednesday.



Suspect Andrew Totten, 39, apparently was struck in the head with a 32-ounce beer bottle before pulling a handgun out from under a mattress before the shooting, Prosecutor Bob Wright said.



Niel Walker, 32, died in Union Hospital of a gunshot wound to the abdomen as a result of the incident in a home in the 300 block of South 13 1/2 Street. Some witnesses have suggested Walker began the fight and that he and Totten struggled over the gun before it fired, Wright said.



As a result of the fight, Totten spent at least a week in a Terre Haute hospital being treated for a head injury and broken jaw.



Totten had told police he acted in self-defense. He was never arrested or jailed.



"You've got the right to use deadly force if you're in fear for bodily harm or your life," Wright said, explaining his decision not to file charges.

Johnson City, Tennessee



From the Bristol's WCYB.tv of February 5, 2004

Johnson City Shooting



One man was shot, and another arrested during an attempted robbery last night in Johnson City.



At approximately 9:00pm, police responed to 120 E. Eleventh Avenue, after recieving a call that there had been a shooting.



Upon arrival ,the victim stated that two men he knew tried to rob him at knifepoint, at which point he retreived a handgun and shot one of the robbers in the chest.



He was taken to the Johnson City Medical Center for treatment.



The other suspect, Robert Eric Burton, was taken into custody and charged with attempted aggravated robbery.



The investigation is continuing, and more charges are pending.

Jacksonville, Florida



From the Florida Times-Union of February 5, 2004

Robbery suspect shot to death



A robbery suspect was shot dead by an employee at a Westside convenience store late Wednesday night.



Jacksonville police responded to a robbery call at the Prime Stop Food Store at 1121 South Ellis Road at 10 p.m., Sgt. Evander Collier said.



A masked man entered the store, flashed a handgun and demanded money, Collier said. "Once he got the money, the clerk began shooting at the suspect," he said. The robber, shot in the back, left the store and collapsed outside. Brett Dion Brown, 21, of 8500 block of Brazil Road was pronounced dead at Shands Jacksonville, Collier said.



The clerk, Issa Maim Aboaeid, was not charged. Collier said a preliminary investigation found the shooting appears to be justified, but the shooting will be reviewed by the State Attorney's Office.

Houston, Texas



From the Houston's KPRC (click2houston.com) of February 4, 2004

Bartender Reportedly Shoots Man Outside Her Home



A bartender reportedly shot and killed a man outside her southeast Houston home Tuesday morning.



Sam Oliva told police she shot a man in the head after she asked him to leave her home.



Oliva said the man was banging on her door and broke a window before she fired the gun.



The 58-year-old bartender said she didn't know who the man was until police arrived. She said the man was a regular customer at the bar where she works and had taken her home before.



The woman told police she had been drinking.



Houston police have not filed any charges against the woman.

Reno, Nevada



From the Reno Gazette-Journal of January 30, 2004:

Reno man pulls gun on suspected burglar



A Reno man suspected of trying to break into a Ford truck was held at gunpoint by the owner until police arrived, authorities said.



The Reno truck owner told police he saw Bernardo Torres, 28, try to break into his vehicle about 3 p.m. Friday in the 700 block of Gentry Way. He took a handgun from his house and called police.



Torres had driven to Gentry in a stolen Toyota Corolla, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted vehicle burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle and booked into Washoe County Jail.