Residents of Arlington, Virginia — which in 2012 overwhelmingly voted for President Obama and sits directly across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital — are trying to bully Marine Corps veteran James Gates, 28, from opening a gun shop in their neighborhood. Last week, a petition was formed by local resident Susan Newton protesting the shop’s opening and demanding property owner Kostas Kapasouris renege on his lease to the young veteran. The shop’s grand opening is planned for August.

“We, the citizens of Arlington County, oppose a gun shop at this location,” the petition at Change.org reads, citing the proposed venue is within two blocks of a city school and close to others. “It is unconscionable, in an era where our children are forced to practice ‘lock down’ drills designed to train them how to protect themselves from armed intruders, to locate a gun shop anywhere in the vicinity of schools. The fear of armed intruders permeates their education, and placing a shop that sells guns and/or ammunition within immediate distance of schools is confusing to students at best, and sparks fears of access to them at school at worst,” the petition says. So far it has collected 1,741 signatures.

“We thought there maybe a little pushback, but nothing like this,” said Mr. Gates, who said some community members have been calling him voicing their concerns. “They really don’t know anything about the shop, what it’s going to be — or federal firearms laws for that matter. They’re really shooting first and then asking questions later.”

Mr. Gates served in the Marine Corps security forces from 2004 to 2008, enlisting after he graduated from high school. After completing his service, he bartended at Buffalo Wild Wings in Bowie, Maryland, and tried to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. That’s where he met Rachel Dresser, a former student at the University of Maryland, and the two decided to get a federal firearms license together — as he knew guns and how to shoot from his time in the service — and she wanted to be her own boss and run her own shop.

Household gun ownership in America is on a steady, long-term decline.

That's according to data from the latest edition of the General Social Survey (GSS), which is conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.


In 1980, 23.5 percent of those under 35 owned a gun while 27.4 percent of those 65 years of age and older owned a gun, an age gap of 3.9 percentage points. By 2014, this gap had expanded to 16.4 percentage points, with gun ownership dropping to 14 percent among those under 35 and increasing to 30.4 percent for those 65 years of age and older.


The facts are these. A clear majority -- two thirds -- of Americans don't have guns in their homes. Almost four out of five Americans don't personally own a gun. And as the gun-owning population continues to age and die off, fewer Americans are taking their place.

By Alissa Tabirian | July 17, 2013 | 10:54 AM EDT


(CNSNews.com) – “Self-defense can be an important crime deterrent,”says a new report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The $10 million study was commissioned by President Barack Obama as part of 23 executive orders he signed in January.
“Studies that directly assessed the effect of actual defensive uses of guns (i.e., incidents in which a gun was ‘used’ by the crime victim in the sense of attacking or threatening an offender) have found consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies,” the CDC study, entitled “Priorities For Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence,” states.

The report, which notes that “ violent crimes, including homicides specifically, have declined in the past five years,” also pointed out that “some firearm violence results in death, but most does not.” In fact, the CDC report said, most incidents involving the discharge of firearms do not result in a fatality.

“In 2010, incidents in the U.S. involving firearms injured or killed more than 105,000 Americans, of which there were twice as many nonfatal firearm-related injuries (73,505) than deaths.”

The White House unveiled a plan in January that included orders to the CDC to “conduct research on the causes and prevention of gun violence.” According to the White House report, “Research on gun violence is not advocacy; it is critical public health research that gives all Americans information they need.”

SALEM (AP) — House lawmakers have passed a bill allowing people with concealed handgun licenses from other states to use them in Oregon.

Under the bill approved Thursday, the same protections offered to Oregon concealed carry permit holders, such as the ability carry a firearm into certain public buildings, would be offered to out-of-state permit holders.

But the concealed handgun license requirements in those other states would have to meet the same criteria as Oregon’s. The State Department of Justice is tasked with making a list of states whose license requirements are as stringent as Oregon’s.

Supporters say those states would also have to recognize Oregon’s concealed handgun license, creating full reciprocity.

OREM, Utah — A man with a concealed carry permit fatally shot a man in a Maceys parking lot after intervening in a carjacking in Orem Saturday morning, and so far police say the man will not face charges as it appears the shooting was justified.

The incident started at the Summit Ridge Apartment Complex in the area of 1700 S. 400 East when police were called to a fight at about 10:45 a.m. Five people, three women and two men, fled the scene in a vehicle.

FOX 13 News’ Robert Boyd reports a resident of an apartment was nearly hit at some point as the suspects drove through a grassy area during their escape.

“I could have been hit, I was standing right here and they came up and the officer just followed pursuit,” Witness Rae Eddy said.

With half-truths and outright lies, billionaire Michael Bloomberg is heading north to meddle with the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding people in Maine.

Bloomberg’s goal is to force his gun-control agenda on Americans one state at a time. His target is LD 652, the constitutional carry bill sponsored by state Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn.

In Maine, it is legal to openly carry a firearm without a permit. But under current law, if a man’s firearm is covered by a coat or a woman prefers to carry her gun in a purse, he or she is required to obtain a concealed carry handgun license. LD 652 simply extends the Maine open carry permitting guidelines to those who wish to carry a firearm for protection concealed.

So why is billionaire Bloomberg targeting this common-sense legislation for defeat? The answer is simple. It is part of his long-term objective to take away your Second Amendment rights and curtail our freedom

EL PASO, Texas -- The owner of a local business that provides training and certification for people to carry a gun said about twice as many people come to classes in the past couple of months.

Sam Morgan owns El Paso Concealed Carry and teaches certification classes. He said the business usually sees about 20 people go through classes a month.

"We've had 42 students that came through for the month of April and approximately 40 the prior month," Morgan said.

Morgan said the increase could be because of potential sweeping changes to gun regulations in Texas.

Tampa, Florida -- A 43-year-old man was found guilty of tackling another man who was legally carrying a firearm in a Walmart, in a case caught by surveillance video.

A jury found Michael Foster guilty of battery on Tuesday. His sentencing is scheduled for May 7.

Foster was charged after he tackled Clarence Daniels, 62, of Seffner, as he entered the Walmart on Causeway Boulevard in Brandon on Jan. 20. Daniels has a concealed carry permit, according to a release from the Council on Islamic-American Relations that represented Daniels.

Foster followed Daniels into the store, shouted, "He's got a gun," as he tackled him. Daniels said he had a permit, but Daniels continued to hold him in a chokehold.