Category: Guns

Two stories of youths turning their lives around this morning, both of them from North Carolina. UpNorth sends the first about a business owner who responded to to an alarm at his business where he discovered two youngsters trying to turn their lives around with a reel of copper wire worth about $4,940;

Page says the business owner and suspects “got into a scuffle,” during which the owner shot one of the suspects.

“Apparently one suspect apparently charged (the owner) and to defend himself he fired a shot, subsequently hitting one of the suspects who then ran around the front of the house and fell and died at the scene,” Page said.

The suspect who was shot died, while the second suspect ran away from the scene, Page said.

Page later identified the suspect who was killed as 28-year-old Jesse Ray Walker of Reidsville.

The lighter-footed youth was later apprehended.

The second story comes from Chief Tango and takes place in Durham, NC;

Investigators responding to a shooting call about 1 a.m. found the man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the upper left arm. A woman living inside the apartment shot him as he tried to break in.

The man’s name was not released, and police said he was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

So enjoy your morning coffee comforted by the thought that armed Americans are on guard across the country. I guess these stories are all getting old, but the real story is that they happen at all, almost daily, and go totally ignored by the general media.

Chief Tango sends us a link to the last chapter of the Charles McLaughlin story, a young man who turned his life around by breaking into someone else’s home;

[A] woman who lives in the home called 911 about 10 p.m. Sunday and said her boyfriend had shot an intruder. The woman told dispatchers she did not know the intruder and described a struggle before the shooting.

7NEWS reporter Tyler Lopez talked with a neighbor who said an officer at the scene also said a home intruder was shot.

“All he would tell us is that apparently some drunk or somebody tried to break into a house that wasn’t his and he was shot,” Jack Fried told Lopez.

The article goes that McLaughlin had “a six-page Colorado criminal history, including arrests for burglary, auto theft, resisting arrest, DUI and violating of a protection order.”

Chief Tango sends us a link to the story of a low-rent home invasion in which a 20-year-old man’s life was turned around by a rural resident of LaPorte County, Indiana. The youngster rode a moped to the scene and attacked the resident with a hatchet;

Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer tells FOX28 News that a man was in his home on E. 1000 North between N. 650 E and North 700 East when he was woken up by the sound of breaking glass. The homeowner told police he found someone in his house carrying a hatchet. The homeowner fought with the intruder, then shot the man, killing him.

Investigators believe the suspect drove a moped to the home and broke in through a rear window. They think he is from Three Oaks Township, MI but his name has not been released at this time. Police do not think the two men knew each other.

There’s video of the news report at this link.

Chief Tango sends us a link to the story about a homeowner in south Wichita who turned around the life of one man when two broke into his house and set off his alarm system;

“Two guys came out of the bathroom and told me that this was their friend’s house and I needed to get out,” he said. “I told them it was my house and I pulled my gun out.”

Blakney said one of the men came at him with a sharp object so he shot him in the leg. That man got away, though Blakney said police found a bloody shirt nearby. A second suspect was found and arrested near some train tracks in the neighborhood.

Blakney said the home has been broken into about five times before. He thinks the latest burglars may have been looking for copper wire or anything else they can turn into money.

“There’s so much scum that comes up and down through here,” Blakney said. “That’s one reason I don’t live here no more.”

From KAKE News;

The resident called 911 and moments later, officers were able to locate and take a suspect into custody nearby. That person wasn’t injured and officers were unable to confirm if another man, who may be injured, was involved. Officers are checking with area hospitals.

Chief Tango sends us a link to a Wilmington, NC story about a team of five youths who were turning their lives around by intruding into the home of a family that happened to own a shotgun;

The suspects face multiple charges, including first degree burglary, attempted armed robbery, second degree kidnapping, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and one charge of firearm by a felon.

Police say the suspects broke into a home at 1901 Colwell Ave. just after midnight. Callers told dispatch they heard a gunshot go off inside the home. When officers arrived they found a shotgun and blood on the floor. Investigators say during the invasion one of the victims shot Gordon. No charges are being filed against the resident.

Four of them have been arrested and there’s a warrant for the fifth while cops wait for his gunshot wounds to be treated.

Since we didn’t have a feel good story for yesterday, we have two today, the first is from Chief Tango about a California man who was just turning his life around when he found himself crawling through another man’s doggie door;

[The homeowner] found a man crawling through the doggy door in an attempt to gain entry into the house.

The resident was questioning the home intruder when he reportedly began lifting what looked like a firearm. The man fired twice at the criminal, sending him running for his life. He apparently did not hit the suspect.

The resident then saw a second suspect in the yard who he told police also appeared to have a firearm. When the second suspect raised the apparent weapon, the man fired two more times.

The second story is from David and out of Houston where some folks mounted up a posse and ran down two car rustlers, one of whom is currently turning his life around in the hospital;

Officials said people followed two suspected car thieves who were driving two stolen vehicles and confronted them at the station. One of the suspects was shot and wounded. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital. Details of his wounds and condition were not released.

The other suspect reportedly left.

Police said homicide investigators were at the scene trying to figure out what led to the shooting.

I think there’s a Toby Keith song in that last story somewhere.

Chief Tango sends a link to the story of two Houston kids who had their lives turned around by a homeowner when they found themselves in his living room;

“I was scared because I thought my dad was going to die,” he said.

Fernando’s eyewitness of what happened to his family has been helpful to investigators as they piece the scene together.

“My uncle come with the hands up,” he said. “My dad takes his gun out and then he shoots two, then one goes running outside.”

Police aren’t saying exactly how three armed men got inside, but investigators believe they were looking for money. Only one of the three escaped.

Investigators said the shooter was taken in for questioning, but they believe this was a resident rightfully defending his home and family. The case will be referred to a grand jury.

As extended family members heard what happened, they rushed to the scene.

“I’m relieved because it was either him or them,” cousin Julio Lopez said. “Tragedy, but he’s alive and I hope he’ll get out because he was just protecting his family.”

we’ve had a lot of these coming out of Houston lately. You’d think that these young people would find a safer place in which they can turn their lives around, wouldn’t you?

Chief Tango sends us a link to the story about Clyde Thomas, who was turning his life around, but found himself discharging a weapon in someone else’s home;

Police say Thomas broke a glass door. They say the homeowner and Clyde Thomas’ wife and daughter were in the home at the time.

“Once inside, he had fired several shots inside the residence,” said Tony Watts with Kentucky State Police.

Then, officials say, the homeowner returned fire and hit Thomas several times. They say Thomas was the only person injured.

Police say there are few options in dealing with a home break-in.

“If someone is trying to gain forcible entry into your residence, make sure you call 9-1-1 as soon as possible, and you do have the right to protect yourself,” Watts said.

Some folks who used to live in the neighborhood say they are all too familiar with these precautions.

Well, the folks in Pippa Passes, Kentucky are marginally safer tonight while Clyde turns his life aroound from a hospital bed.