Free Republic

Report Highlights: • There are 26 states with permitless concealed carry freedoms • Washington, D.C., has the highest rate of firearm-related homicides even though it has strict carry laws • 83% of states with permitless concealed carry have a homicide rate at or below the national average • 45% of states with no permitless concealed carry laws have homicide rates above the national average • 3 out of 5 of the safest five states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry • 2 out of 5 of the top five most dangerous states in the U.S. have permitless concealed carry,...

Colorado Democrats are pushing an 11 percent excise tax on gun and ammunition sales, as well as numerous other California-style gun controls. There is a public hearing on the excise tax proposal today, and Colorado Springs firearms instructor Ana Flanell is urging the public to rally against the tax. On Easter Sunday she posted to X: “Join me at the Capitol tomorrow to testify against this “sin” tax. Self-defense is our right and we should not be taxed an outrageous 11% to exercise our Second Amendment rights. I’ve included a screenshot below of what to select when signing up. Let’s...

CHICAGO — Prosecutors say two Chicago men robbed a construction crew, exchanged gunfire with an off-duty sheriff’s deputy at the scene, fled, then returned to fire another shot, only to have one of the victims pull out a gun and open fire on them, too. No injuries were reported. And, according to court records, one of the men was eyed as a suspect in a series of robberies last fall but ended up being charged only with a misdemeanor. He’s also on “first-time weapon offender probation” for a 2022 gun case. The robbery occurred on March 1 in the 11500...

There's only so much outrage left in the tank on a sunny Friday afternoon, but wow this is just insane in the membrane. An independent investigation into the school shooting at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas was commissioned by the city of Uvalde in 2022. Yesterday, the results of the investigation were released to the public during a city council meeting. The gist of the new report is that police on the scene did nothing wrong. Former Austin Police Department detective Jesse Prado examined the actions of each Uvalde police officer as they responded to the deadliest school shooting...

Former NBA star and CNN host Charles Barkley said he would punch any black person he sees wearing former President Donald Trump’s mug shot merchandise, citing recent comments that Trump made at an event aimed at black Republicans. The comments Barkley took issue with were made by Trump at the Black Conservative Federation Honors Gala in South Carolina last month. During his speech, Trump claimed that he had been told his numerous indictments are why he is gaining support among black voters because they see him “being discriminated against.” “First of all, if I see a black person walking around...

On December 20, 2023, US District Judge Cormac J. Carney issued an order granting a preliminary injunction against the defendants (the State of California government). The injunction stopped the state from enforcing the blatantly unconstitutional SB-2 law declaring most of California as “sensitive places” where even licensed concealed carriers were forbidden to carry arms in public. The state asked for an order to stop the injunction from going into effect on December 22, 2023. The stay was granted on December 30, 2023, by an administrative three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit. The stay was appealed to the Ninth Circuit three-judge...

In Florida, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has ruled that the federal law prohibiting people from possessing firearms inside post offices is unconstitutional. The ruling is based on the 2022 Supreme Court ruling New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen recognized a person’s right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense.The case concerned Emmanuel Ayala, a U.S. Postal Service truck driver, who had a concealed weapons permit and held a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun in a fanny pack for self-defense. When police tried to stop him, he ran and struggled with officers. While dismissing the...

Ohio has seen a decrease in gun crime across several of its cities since it has allowed individuals to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Ohio became the 23rd state to allow individuals to carry a firearm without permit in 2022, which was hit with criticisms when the state realized it could not require individuals to "get fingerprinted, pay a fee," or "ask for permission from the local sheriff." Michael Weinman, director of governmental affairs for the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, told Governing in June 2022 that the move was potentially dangerous. "It's still a bad bill. There's...

There are several debates that endlessly rage in the firearms community, and one specific to concealed carry is whether or not to wear a spare magazine on your person when you are armed. A strong argument can be made that reloads virtually never happen in civilian self-defense, as the typical protocol seems to be people shoot until empty and then break contact. If the defender starts shooting, the criminal element most often becomes late for a different appointment. Therefore, in the vast majority of civilian defensive gun use, we don’t see reloads. Still, this author leans towards having and not...

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Contrary to concerns from some local leaders, a new study shows a decrease in gun crimes across six of Ohio’s eight largest cities following the implementation of the state’s “constitutional carry” law. The research, conducted by the Center for Justice Research (CJR) in partnership with Bowling Green State University, analyzed data from June 2021 to June 2023, covering a year before and after the law went into effect in June 2022. It focused on crimes involving firearms, verified gunshot-detection alerts, and the number of officers struck by gunfire. The findings revealed: Overall Decline: Across all eight cities,...

Warning: Excerpted: Subhead: "About a year after the shooting, a Harris County grand jury announced it would not be filing charges against the man who shot and killed a robber." HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A grand jury declined to file charges against the man who shot and killed a robber at a southwest Houston taqueria last year. The shooting happened on Jan. 5, 2023, at the El Ranchito taqueria on South Gessner Road. Eric Eugene Washington, 30, was shot and killed as he walked through the restaurant robbing people, according to police. In the wake of the shooting, there were...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones. The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or...

The proportion of registered Democrats who have a firearm in their home has jumped significantly over the past few years.. rising crime in urban areas could be behind the increase. In November 2023 the survey found 41 percent of Democrats said they live in a household with a gun, up from 33 percent in a similar survey .. in August 2019. Notably, 33 percent of Democrats also said they lived with a gun in a similar NBC survey conducted in March 2004, indicating the sharp rise has been concentrated over the past four years. ... The data also showed a...

A federal appeals court on Tuesday ruled in favor of a gun rights group, saying Maryland's preliminary handgun-licensure requirement is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled in favor of Maryland Shall Issue, which challenged the law, The Daily Record reported. The decision is a victory for gun rights advocates in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen.

Vince Ricci says his concealed carry permit was revoked after he opened fire November 4, 2023, on alleged intruders outside his Los Angeles home in an effort to protect his family. Breitbart News reported that alleged armed intruders tried to overtake Ricci as he was about to enter his home around 7:30 p.m. on November 4, only to find themselves fleeing under a barrage of bullets.

In July of 2022, the Supreme Court, in a landmark 6-3 decision, ruled that the EPA overstepped its authority by creating rules and regulations regarding forcing power plants to transition to clean or renewable energy sources. SCOTUS ruled that the EPA, in effect, created rules that carry the same weight as laws passed by Congress, thus violating Article I of the Constitution, which states that all legislative powers shall be granted to Congress only. Thus making Congress the only body that can introduce and pass legislation, not a state or federal agency. The court says it [the EPA] is protecting...

President Joe Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge David Herrera Urias issued a decision Wednesday allowing New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) ban on concealed carry in parks and playgrounds to remain in effect. On September 13, 2023, Breitbart News reported that Urias granted a temporary injunction against Grisham’s September 8, 2023, ban, which prohibited concealed and open carry in larger New Mexico cities like Albuquerque. The ban applied to licensed concealed carriers, too.

On September 28, a woman found herself in a domestic violence situation and was forced to take drastic measures to defend her life. The incident, which occurred at her apartment in Wilmington, North Carolina, further illustrates how important it is for women to be armed – especially when it comes to situations involving domestic violence. ... Anthony Parker, the woman’s estranged husband, physically assaulted her, but lost his life when she used her gun to stop him. Wilmington police continue to investigate a suspected domestic violence-related shooting that claimed the life of Anthony Parker on the night of Sept. 28....

Arizona’s House Democrats used a post to X over the weekend to praise New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) order banning both the concealed and open carry of handguns in cities such as Albuquerque. Grisham announced the ban on carrying a handgun, openly or concealed, on Friday, September 8, Breitbart News reported. The ban lasts 30 days and also applies to concealed carry permit holders who carry a gun for self-defense

Gun control activist David Hogg used a post on X to slam New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) ban on carrying handguns in public in cities such as Albuquerque. Grisham issued the order Friday and it went into effect Saturday, September 8, Breitbart News reported. The ban applies to handguns carried openly or concealed in public and the prohibition also bars concealed carry permit holders from carrying their guns for self-defense.