In Knoxville, a man shot a burglar with an extensive criminal record as he was fleeing. Seems the burglar kicked in the door while a 13 year-old was at home.

Officers haven’t filed any charges against Harry Smith, 58. Smith, who has a gun permit, shot Coffey once in the head with a revolver as Coffey ran from the house at 103 Copeland Road, Dooley said.

Shooting someone as they are fleeing is, generally, a no-no despite whatever public service it may have been. Also, in Tennessee we don’t have gun permits, which seem to imply a permit for ownership. We do have handgun carry permits, which is likely what they meant.

Update: In comments, MarkF points out that the burglar was ‘fleeing’ toward a grandmother. If by ‘fleeing’, they mean running towards, then that changes the scenario substantially.

In Iraq, in a move of horrendous stupidity, the powers that be have disarmed female police officers:

The Iraqi government has ordered all policewomen to hand in their guns for redistribution to men or face having their pay withheld, thwarting a U.S. initiative to bring women into the nation’s police force.

[…]

Critics say the move is the latest sign of the religious and cultural conservatism that has taken hold in Iraq since Saddam Hussein’s ouster ushered in a government dominated by Shiite Muslims.

Disarming the police is, well, stupid.

Via Guav.

Adam Groves is having a poll on Tennessee politics here. And here’s info on the poll.

Shortly after the mall shooting, there were the church shootings. Then threats of another that, thankfully, never came to fruition. Kopel looks at copycat killers.

You’ll be missed.

Sig 250 modular:

The P250, a modular pistol that allows the shooter to change caliber and size at will

Nifty.

I concur.

Seen at David’s:

Alvin Police Chief Mike Merkel said there are three things shoppers need to know if they are trapped in a chaotic shooting situation inside a mall.

First, stand still.

“They’re going to pick out individuals who are running to or away from them,” Merkel said. “Standing still may keep you from becoming a victim.”

It also makes you an easy target. My advice can be found here and here.

So, a news team in Chicago was staking out gun shops in the Chicago suburbs then following people who made purchases back to their homes in Chicago to confront them with their illegal gun. Nice. A choice between breaking the law or being unable to defend yourself is no choice at all.

Two Idaho senators put his confirmation on hold. Now John “My booger hook is on the bang switch” Kerry is asking they remove their hold on the confirmation.

From Sebastian, we learn of the weapons the psychopath brought with him:

* Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle, purchased January 9 in Aurora.
* AK-47 assault rifle, purchased November 17, 2006 in Aurora.
* Beretta .40 cal. semi-automatic handgun , purchased January 4 in Colorado Springs.
* Springfield Armory 9mm semi-automatic handgun, purchased September 11 in Denver.

Additionally, he had a 22 pistol in the car.

Earlier reports say he died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. So, what exactly did he have? Who knows.

Update: Oh, still think we don’t have a de facto firearms registry?

Thirdpower notes the rats are leaving the sinking ship.

You know, I tend to like politicians better once their party abandons them and they’re no longer beholden to them.

Now, I know men often have nicknames for their, err, you know but that’s a new one.

Despite the misinformation and PSH from the press, a cop keeps his cool.

We’re used to supporters of /20~ p@\/1 invading our posts with copy and paste messages of his greatness. But they’re so, uhm, belligerent about him as to turn people off. They’re that way in the real world too. Last night I was driving home down Alcoa Highway. In the left lane (naturally) was on old Ford truck. On the back of the truck was painted Old and in the way. And a giant (I’m talking yard sign size) /20~ p@\/1 for president poster.

I took a picture with my cell phone, through my window, while trying to drive. Needless to say, it’s not good and posting it would be pointless.

Triticale is not doing well.

Well, last weekend, no one was shot!

Scum.

In Tennessee, we have a nifty little law that was signed by Phil Bredesen that states:

The sheriff or chief of police of the city of residence of a person purchasing any firearm, defined by the National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. 5845 et seq., shall execute within fifteen (15) business days of any request all documents required to be submitted by the purchaser if the purchaser is not prohibited from possessing firearms pursuant to § 39-17-1316.

What that means in English is that if you, a law-abiding citizen, want to purchase an NFA weapon (machine gun, suppressor, etc.) then your local chief law enforcement officer is required by law to approve the transfer if you are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm. But, in another case of those who enforce the law not knowing the law, the sheriff of a town refused to approve the transfer initiated by a dealer citing that the Assistant District Attorney thinks NFA devices are illegal:

One of my customers submitted his Form 4 to the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Department for the CLEO signature, and was turned down by the Sheriff. The Sheriff said he would double-check with the Assistant District Attorney this morning, to ensure he was correct.

The customer called me to tell me that the ADA advised the Sheriff to deny the signature, based on TCA 39-17-1302 (Prohibited Weapons).

Here is what TCA 39-17-1302 says:

“39-17-1302. Prohibited Weapons.
(a) A person commits an offense who intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells:
(1) An explosive or an explosive weapon;
(2) A device principally designed, made or adapted for delivering or shooting an explosive weapon;
(3) A machine gun;
(4) A short-barrel rifle or shotgun;
(5) A firearm silencer;

Unfortunately, the DA did not continue reading the law or he would have realized that:

(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the person’s conduct:

(7) Involved acquisition or possession of a sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun or firearm silencer which is validly registered to the person under federal law in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records. A person who acquires or possesses a firearm registered as required by this subdivision shall retain proof of registration.

If you’d like to contact the Sheriff’s office, you can find that info here.

I recommend the dealer contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and report a crime.

Update: Here’s contact info for the DA’s office.

Bitter said she’d post the AP stylebook on guns. Countertop beat her to it. Note that anti-gun buzzwords/propaganda like Saturday night special (which is racist) and assault-style weapon (which is made up).

I noted yesterday on the Sullivan confirmation that: Sorry, folks, but it’s a done deal. Mark it.

Today, Ryan reports:

I just came across the following article, Idaho Senators block ATF Pick. It appears that Second Amendment Senators Mike Crapo and Larry Craig have put a hold on Sullivan’s confirmation.

It’s a hold but I’d still bet he gets confirmed.

Still, the significance of Craig and Crapo putting the confirmation on hold indicates that at least some in congress are listening to complaints of ATF abuse. From the AP article:

Idaho’s senators are blocking President Bush’s nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, saying the agency has become overly aggressive in enforcing gun laws.

Republican Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo placed separate holds on the nomination of federal prosecutor Michael Sullivan, the acting ATF director for more than a year.

Crapo’s spokesman, Lindsay Nothern, said the senator’s office has heard from a number of gun dealers, gun owners and others in Idaho who “have concerns about ATF policies regarding gun sales and even (gun) ownership. Maybe the federal government is getting a little too aggressive with people who haven’t done anything wrong.”

Good.

I was unaware that Buddhist was a synonym for sheep.

A liberal on gun control:

That, in turn, tells you something about the psychology and politics of the issue — that on both sides its a form of identity politics; on the controller side, a means of expressing dislike of gun culture and various aspects of American folkways, a kind of liberal version of sundry ineffective “tough on crime” nostrums from the right.

Thirdpower has more. New scary gun term: assault ammunition.

Seen at AC’s: Could the Huckabee ideological portfolio be a harbinger of a new ideological coalition based on social conservatism and economic progressivism?

Good God. I hope not.

Stacy bought herself a Walther. Plates fear her.

that shoulder thing that goes up.

Why, just last week, Hillary was attacking Obama for not showing up to vote for gun control. This week, she’s attacking him for supporting handgun bans.

I have to admit I’m unsure why her campaign devotes time attacking Obama. The guy cannot win. I like Sarcastro’s Obama Haiku.

Update: Obama disavows the questionnaire. And, from his own book:

I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer’s lobby.

Another one of those people who believes there’s some sort of urban exemption for the second amendment. And that seems a bit, well, racist.

USA Today:

The man who killed four people at a church and missionary training center died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound, police said Tuesday.

And:

Murray, who lived in Englewood, Colo., and was the son of a neurologist, arrived at the church with an assault rifle, two pistols and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

So, did he have two pistols, an assault rifle and a shotgun? Or do they not know the difference between a shotgun and an assault rifle?

LAYERS of editorial oversight!