Crazy news out of Spotsylvania, Virginia this week.  A third grader brought a loaded gun to school in their backpack and it went off.  Both of the child's parents were arrested for allowing the kid access to a loaded gun.  

I thank God that no one was hurt in this incident.   Last time I wrote about a parent getting arrested for allowing their kid access to a gun, four people got killed.  I would like to suggest that gun owners always store their guns in a locked container to prevent unauthorized access.  I've got several quick access safes that I use around my house.  Even something cheap and simple would have prevent the most recent incident.

The murder rate in Indianapolis is decreasing, thanks to Indiana becoming a Constitutional Carry state.   I realize this isn't a scientific study that proves that good guys carrying guns lowers the violent crime rate but many studies have been done over the years.  The murder stats just prove common sense:

• Bad guys don't like to attack people who can protect themselves. 
  
• When bad guys get shot, some of them won't be able to continue in their criminal ways.  

I visited Charlotte, NC recently to see a Carolina Panthers game.  As we were walking to the stadium, I saw the image above etched on the sidewalk.  I love the idea of feeling safe walking around the city.  However, I don't think declaring somewhere a "Violence Free Zone" will actually make it true.  If so, why isn't everywhere a violence free zone?

Police in Georgia have charged Colin Gray with murder for allowing his son access to the gun he took to school and murdered 4 people.  I'm sad for all of the families impacted by this shooting.  I'm not going to argue whether the parent should be charged for the actions of his kid or not but Mr. Gray did break a basic rule of gun ownership:  "Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons."

I'm a huge fan of teaching kids to safely handle and shoot guns but I do not think they should have unfettered access to them.  Last year, we had 3 different incidents here in Powhatan County of kids bringing guns to school.  None of these resulted in a school shooting but they could have.  You don't have to buy an expensive safe to secure your guns, there are many inexpensive options which would make it very difficult for someone to get to your guns.  If you don't have a way to store your guns to keep them from unauthorized people, please get this done ASAP.  Consider it an insurance policy against an unimaginable tragedy.

​I've been wondering about the long-term impacts of inflation on gun ownership in America.  Recently, I was talking to the owner of a local gun store in Goochland and he said there are more used guns for sale than ever before.  One possible explanation for this is that people are selling their guns to help them afford the basics.   Since there are so many guns available, prices are low, so its actually a bad time to sell (good time to buy though).  

Also, this week Colonial Shooting Academy announced they are closing after 12 years.  This is a huge loss for the Richmond area.  Colonial was a fantastic facility with a large indoor shooting range and gun store.  I'm guessing the massive inflation of recent years means Richmond area gun-owners just don't have the room in their paychecks to shoot as much as they used to (or as much as they want).  I'm hopeful a new owner will buy the building and keep it as a range but if inflation doesn't ease, it seems like less people will be able to enjoy the shooting sports.  

Unbelievable news.  According to the new book "Blood Money", the Chinese government is seeking to destabilize the United States by arming criminals on our streets and our government is looking the other way.  

According to the excerpts I read, China is secretly shipping auto sears (or "Glock switches") and suppressors into the US by the thousands.  An auto sear allows a semi automatic gun to fire fully automatic.  A full auto gun will continue to fire as long as the trigger is held down.  A 9mm Glock handgun in full auto mode can fire 20 rounds per second.  A normal 17 round magazine can be emptied in less than a second. 

Just to be clear, these items are NOT legally purchased or owned.  Some suppressors can be legally purchased and owned by private citizens, but fully automatic guns cannot.  While some of these shipments are caught at the border, it seems like plenty of these items are making their way to gangs and other bad guys.  According to the article the ATF reported 66 incidents of full auto gunfire in Saint Louis in 2021.  In 2022, there were 339!!!  The violence and carnage is only going to continue to grow exponentially unless our government will acknowledge what is happening and hold China accountable.  

Joe Biden and most other democrats around the country (including Virginia legislators) are sticking to the same playbook, though.  They continue to call for more and more gun control.  It doesn't matter what laws are passed, criminals don't obey the law.  They will continue to get their guns, sears and suppressors via illegal means.

Many people keep a gun to protect themselves and their family at home.  If you're in this group, you should read about Kevin Monahan who shot and killed a woman who was a passenger in a car that mistakenly drove up his driveway.   

According to the article, Mr. Monahan and his wife were awakened by the sound of vehicles in his driveway.  He told his wife to hide inside and went outside with a pump action 20 gauge shotgun.  First, he fires a warning shot into the air.  Then, after losing his balance, shoots a shot into the car that killed Kaylin Gillis.  

There are many indicators to me that Mr. Monahan was not trained in self-defense because he did a lot of things wrong:

1. If he thought he was under siege he should not have gone outside.  He lost most of his defensive capability by going outside.  If three cars of people are trying to attack you, you should barricade yourself inside your house and create an advantage with cover and concealment.  Also, call 911!
2. He said he only wanted to protect his wife.  She was safe inside.  A self-defense shooting is only legally justified if there is an imminent threat of death or grievous bodily injury.  Nothing in the article suggested Mr. Monahan should have felt that level of threat.  Also remember, you should not shoot to protect property. 
3. He fired a warning shot.   No, no, no, no.  Seriously, don't do it.
4. If he really did accidentally shoot the shot that killed Ms. Gillis (its clear the judge didn't believe him), then Mr. Monahan was not applying the rules of safe gun handling.  The only way a gun fires is if you pull the trigger.  This can happen accidentally if you rest your finger on the trigger instead of following the second rule of the NRA's rules for safe gun handling:  ALWAYS keep your finger off of the trigger until ready to shoot.

I want to encourage everyone who keeps a gun for self-protection to spend time learning about scenarios you might be put in and thinking about how you would handle them.  Getting some hands-on live fire training is also important.

I'm following the horrific news of the terrorist attacks on Israel and murder of innocent citizens.   It is no surprise that many in Israel are calling for expanded gun ownership by private civilians.  This is very similar to what happened after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.  

According to the article:
"In Israel, the usual personal weapon allowed are pistols with a limit of 50 rounds of ammunition. To qualify, one must be of a certain age, depending on IDF service, live or work in an area that demands extra security, not have a criminal record, and pass a training course and background check, among other things."

The requirements are so strict only 1.5% of the population has a gun.  “Who has a gun? The terrorists, and all the criminals. Who doesn’t? Law-abiding tax-payers. The government trusts criminals with guns more than their own civilians,” Yoel Israel, CEO of a digital marketing agency, told The Times of Israel.