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TX: No murder charges in Buda teen's shooting death, ruled as self-defense
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The Hays County Criminal District Attorney announced Thursday that no murder charges will be filed in the Aug. 5 shooting death of a 17-year-old in Buda, citing self-defense.
Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins said a grand jury voted to "no-bill" the case on Aug. 28 after reviewing evidence, including videos of the incident.
The shooting occurred in a drainage area behind homes on Shadow Creek Boulevard. Erick Alejandro Marin, 17, died at the scene after being shot by a 21-year-old male during a prearranged fight. |
MN: Anti-gun supreme court decision
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Every Minnesotan should be outraged by a recent Minnesota Supreme Court Case that alters the legal protections a victim has in a self-defense encounter.
The decision in State of Minnesota vs. Blevins increases your duty to retreat in these situations, requiring that victims must use every opportunity to retreat before even brandishing a weapon. If you don’t, you could be guilty of 2nd degree assault.
The ruling doesn’t just apply to gun owners. It applies to anyone who may at some point need to show any weapon to scare away an attacker. |
ME: Suspect Gets Shot By Homeowner While Kicking Down Front Door
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A homeowner in Pittston, Maine, shot and injured an intruder who forcefully kicked in the door of their residence on Monday evening. According to a statement from the State Police, the incident occurred at 31 Palmer Road around 8:46 p.m. when the homeowner called 911 to report the break-in and subsequent shooting.
The police report details that the homeowner, acting in self-defense, discharged a firearm after the intruder breached the door. The intruder, whose identity has not been released, was transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he is undergoing medical treatment. Although his injuries are serious, he is expected to recover. |
TX: 5th Circuit sides with nonviolent marijuana user in Second Amendment appeal
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We’ve seen some absurd gun rulings recently, including a Trump-appointed Kansas judge’s decision dismissing machine-gun charges under the Second Amendment and Supreme Court precedent.
A new ruling out of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — which has handed down its share of wacky opinions on all sorts of issues, including guns — shows that the Supreme Court’s firearms jurisprudence, however illogical it is, can lead to a more sensible result.
That ruling came Wednesday in the federal case of Paola Connelly, described by the 5th Circuit panel as “a non-violent, marijuana smoking gunowner.” |
Look at how Second Amendment has vanished from Democrats' platform in recent years
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With the release of the 2024 Democratic Party Platform, the national Democratic Party has once again confirmed its extreme anti-gun positions. Most concerning, just like their presidential candidate, the Democratic Party’s platform doesn’t respect the Second Amendment and the individual right to keep and bear arms that it protects.
In fact, noticeably absent from the platform is any recognition of the Second Amendment. The omission is even more conspicuous given that not too long ago, the Democratic Party Platform at least acknowledged the Second Amendment right. |
MO: Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Missouri Gun Law Nullification Measure
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Missouri’s attempt to invalidate federal gun laws was undone by a federal court this week.
On Monday, a unanimous panel on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found the show-me state’s Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) actually violates the Constitution it’s meant to protect. It argued several of the provisions went beyond setting limits on how state resources could be used to enforce federal gun laws and into an attempt to nullify those laws. The panel, which featured George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, and Barack Obama appointees, determined the state’s law represented a reputation [sic] of the Constitutional order.
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5th Circuit Court Rules Illegals Don’t Have 2A Rights
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Just five months after a federal judge ruled that a ban on gun possession by those in the country illegally was unconstitutional, a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court has ruled just the opposite.
On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the case against Jose Paz Medina-Cantu that Second Amendment rights do not apply to those who have entered the country illegally. Medina-Cantu was arrested in 2022 by Border Patrol agents and charged with illegally possessing a handgun and unlawfully re-entering the country after being deported. |
PA: FPC Supreme Court Brief Explains Why Third Circuit Age-Based Gun Ban Decision Should Be Left in Place
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Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced today that it has filed a brief in opposition to Pennsylvania’s petition for certiorari in FPC’s Paris v. Lara case. The State is seeking Supreme Court review of the Third Circuit’s decision holding that Pennsylvania’s regulatory scheme banning carry by 18-to-20-year-old adults is unconstitutional. The brief can be viewed at firearmspolicy.org/lara.
“The courts of appeals are 2–0 post-Bruen in holding that 18-to-20-year-olds have full Second Amendment rights and the district courts are (to the best of Respondents’ knowledge) currently 4–1 on the same issue,” argues the brief. “The Court should not grant certiorari to review at this stage[.]” |
Second Amendment Groups Urge Supreme Court To Deny Review Of Pennsylvania Gun Rights Case
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Attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) have submitted a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the justices to deny Pennsylvania’s request for review in a case affirming the Second Amendment rights of young adults aged 18-20.
The case, Paris v. Lara, centers on a lower court ruling that recognized this age group’s right to bear arms.
SAF and FPC argue that the issue of whether 18-to-20-year-olds have full Second Amendment rights has been effectively settled under the Bruen standard, with lower courts consistently ruling in favor of these rights. They contend that there is no significant disagreement among the courts that would warrant the Supreme Court’s intervention ... |
MO: Missouri Loses Court Bid to Nullify Federal Gun Laws
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On Monday, a federal appeals court sided with the United States and affirmed a lower court’s order invalidating a Missouri law that conflicted with federal gun laws.
A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit agreed that the law, which purported to invalidate federal gun laws, violated the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
“A State cannot invalidate federal law to itself,” stated 8th Circuit Chief Judge Steven Colloton.
The Supremacy Clause provides that federal law is “the supreme Law of the Land . . . any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” |
‘A chameleon’ – Minnesota gun owners sound off about Gov. Tim Walz
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One of the most popular booths at this year’s Minnesota State Fair bears a simple sign: “Never Walz.” The booth offers t-shirts and prizes for fairgoers – all emblazoned with the “Never Walz” logo. The line for the booth grows so long at times that it poses traffic problems for police officers patrolling the fairgrounds.
Bryan Strawser, chairman of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, is not surprised by the booth’s popularity. He’s watched Gov. Tim Walz’s career since the vice-president candidate first served in Congress. Walz, Strawser told the Second Amendment Foundation, poses a clear and present danger to the Second Amendment rights of the entire country, should he and Kamala Harris take control of the White House. |
NC: Sheriff Garry McFadden settles lawsuit claiming he infringed on the right to bear arms
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In a news release Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced McFadden settled the case and will continue to “inquire of each applicant whether the applicant has sought mental health treatment.” If applicants have, MSCO will require them to list their provider. Once the office reviews “relevant records,” it will have 45 days to issue or deny the permit, according to the release. McFadden will not pay any damages to the plaintiffs, but his office will pay $5,000 of their attorney’s fees.
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MA: You can now carry a switchblade legally as Massachusetts rules ban violates 2nd Amendment
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It's now legal to carry switchblades in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a ban on carrying a switchblade knife violated the right to bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment, striking down a 1957 state law that forbade the carrying spring-release knives.
Justice Serge Georges Jr. wrote the opinion for the unanimous decision over the case, citing the Supreme Court's decision in the 2022 case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. |
OR: Oregon’s ban on ‘ghost guns’ takes effect this weekend
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“Ghost guns,” which are 3D-printed firearms without serial numbers, will be prohibited across Oregon starting Sunday.
The unserialized guns are assembled at home and can be easily purchased online, but can’t be picked up in a metal detector. The ban comes after a federal judge denied a legal challenge that tried to block the prohibition.
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2005 banning ghost guns. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, pushed for years to get legislation banning ghost guns.
“Unserialized guns are bad for everyone except criminals who don’t want to get caught,” she said at the time.
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IL: CTA implementing AI technology to detect guns on property
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Roughly one million passengers board CTA buses and trains every single day across the Chicago area, a massive undertaking for police to help keep riders safe.
While there are thousands of pod cameras installed on trains, busses, platforms, and all CTA property, some passengers believe crime continues to be a problem, and the agency is looking to leverage technology to address it.
NBC Chicago spoke to dozens of passengers to gauge their interest in stepped up security measures including the use of AI in pod cameras, and they overwhelmingly agreed it was necessary. |
OH: ATF offering new reward to help recover nearly 100 stolen guns across region
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Nearly 100 stolen guns are on the streets of Greater Cincinnati and now, federal investigators are getting involved before an innocent person could get hurt.
It all stems from a rash of gun shop break-ins that have taken place in the last couple of weeks.
Police and investigators are keeping an eye out for suspects accused in these break-ins, as well as the stolen guns that could be out on the street.
Ten guns have been recovered out of the nearly 100 that were stolen in the past week, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. |
The Country’s Biggest Ghost Gun Manufacturer Has Shuttered
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Facing mounting legal troubles, Polymer80 — once the country’s largest manufacturer of kits for making homemade, untraceable “ghost guns” — has ceased operations.
“P80 was getting sued left and right. Probably twice a month,” the company’s CEO, Loran Kelley Jr., said on social media. “In order to be able to stop hemorrhaging we had to shut down and get some things in order.”
The closure caps a stunning fall for a company that spurred the market for homemade firearms by selling kits with the parts, tools, and instructions for people to build handguns and AR-15-style rifles in their living rooms. |
FL: What guns can you use to hunt in Florida? A guide to firearms and hunting season in Florida
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Every year, fall brings many hunting seasons with it. Across the country, deer and duck hunters enjoy bacon-wrapped duck breast and venison tenderloin at the dinner table.
But in Florida, hunters are not just bringing deer and ducks home. We’re one of only nine states with an alligator hunting season and probably one of the only states with a year-round open season on invasive iguanas and pythons — yes, pythons.
Here’s which animals you can hunt in Florida, what kind of guns you can use and what to know about Florida’s most popular fall hunting seasons. |
FL: Judge allows bond for fired Florida deputy in fatal shooting of Black airman
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A judge allowed bond Thursday for a Florida sheriff’s deputy who was fired and charged with manslaughter after shooting a U.S. Air Force senior airman at the Black man’s apartment door.
Former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran, 38, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter with a firearm, a rare charge against a Florida law enforcement officer. Duran’s body camera recorded him shooting 23-year-old Roger Fortson on May 3 immediately after Fortson opened the door while holding a handgun pointed at the floor. |
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Federal Law Banning Guns For Illegal Aliens
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An appeals court has upheld a federal law banning illegal aliens from possessing guns, rejecting a constitutional challenge brought by a Mexican migrant who entered the country unlawfully.
The migrant, Jose Paz Medina-Cantu, was a repeat offender: He had previously been deported and removed when he was arrested by Texas boarder patrol agents in 2022. The government charged him with two separate counts, possession of a firearm as an illegal alien and illegal reentry into the United States. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in prison, but preserved his right to appeal the first count on the grounds that the Second Amendment protected his right to keep and bear arms. |
Gun Owners for Harris Highlight Lie of ‘Second Amendment Democrats’
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“We can prevent gun violence while also supporting the Second Amendment,” a Giffords-sponsored “sportsmen’s” effort lies. “Gun Owners for Safety unites hunters, sport shooters, and collectors who want commonsense gun laws.”
Giffords, of course, along with all the other major gun prohibitionist groups, has endorsed Kamala Harris, who will sign whatever anti-gun legislation the Democrats succeed in passing and go for what they can’t through executive action. And then she’ll reshape the Supreme Court. That’s some “commonsense support.” |
Another Reason Project 2025 Is So Bad for Women? Guns.
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But while Project 2025’s abortion and LGBTQ+ rights plans have rightfully garnered outrage, there’s another, lesser-known threat to women, families and communities buried within these pages: a radical “guns everywhere” agenda.
Here’s what’s at stake.
First, Project 2025 is explicit about putting more guns in schools. Specifically, it would support the arming of teachers with concealed weapons, and hire veterans, retired police officers and other trained gun owners as armed guards. This would flood our schools with firearms and force our teachers to become armed guards—all of which would make our kids less safe.
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TX: Attorney General Ken Paxton sues Dallas and State Fair of Texas over gun ban
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Paxton therefore said the fair's new policy is illegal, and Dallas has enforced it by implication.
“Municipalities cannot nullify state law nor can they avoid accountability by contracting official functions to nominally third parties,” Paxton said in a statement. “Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense.”
Paxton is asking the court to prevent Dallas and the State Fair from enforcing the firearm policy. He’s also asking the court to prohibit Dallas police officers from arresting licensed and unlicensed gun carriers for criminal trespass.
Ed.: The fair runs 28 September – 21 October. |
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TO REMEMBER |
| To trust arms in the hands of the people at large has, in Europe, been believed...to be an experiment fraught only with danger. Here by a long trial it has been proved to be perfectly harmless...If the government be equitable; if it be reasonable in its exactions; if proper attention be paid to the education of children in knowledge and religion, few men will be disposed to use arms, unless for their amusement, and for the defence of themselves and their country. — Timothy Dwight, Travels in New England and New York [London 1823] |
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