Tag Archives: castle doctrive

The gunman, whose age was not immediately available, was on a small hill overlooking the field and fired between 10 and 30 shots, witnesses said.

An argument at a peewee football game in Fort Worth, Texas, led to a shooting in which two people, including a child, were injured Saturday afternoon, police say.

The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. EDT, during the third quarter of a football game between the Fort Worth Longhorns and the 81G Bulldogs, a witness told NBC 5. The teams were playing on a field at Eastern Hills High School.

Witnesses said the mother of one of the players became upset when a fight broke out between some of the players on the field.

The woman then called her older son, who arrived with a gun and started to shoot, police said.

“Everybody in the bleachers, they dropped in the bleachers and everyone ran everywhere,” said Damber Walker, whose son plays for the Lomghorns. “Kids on the field were running. Coaches were running.”

The gunman, whose age was not immediately available, was on a small hill overlooking the field and fired between 10 and 30 shots, witnesses said.

“He was shooting at our sideline. He was standing at the top of the hill. You could see him pointing down shooting directly at the kids,” said Jonathan Cunningham, one of the Longhorns’ coaches. “So we checked on our players, our kids, making sure everyone was OK. That’s when we noticed one of our parents was shot.”

A woman was struck in the leg and a girl under 18 years old was grazed in the back, police said. Both were transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening.

Police said they have not located the shooter.

Original Story From: NBC DFW 5

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit ourclass schedulepage to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free tocontact usat 817-247-2990.

For many people who are taking up concealed carry, the first thing I suggest is to consider the worst-case scenario. If we had to define what a worst-case scenario would look like, start with being surprised. If that wasn’t challenging enough, you could start from positional disadvantage, such as on your back, or simulate being injured to further complicate the situation and add more realism. What are the advantages to considering the worst-case scenario? First, it brings about a certain type of urgency””one that might change the way you look at your training, practice and equipment. An additional reason is overcoming fear. The more exposure to stress and fear you get early on, the more familiar you become and the better you handle them. For me, however, the biggest reason to consider the worst case is to avoid complacency and thereby forge a winning mindset.

A surprise attack has all the characteristics of a worst-case scenario. You didn’t see it coming because you were preoccupied or not paying attention to your surroundings. As a result, the initial contact puts you at a disadvantage through reduced options, possibly injuries and likely positional disadvantage. The event happened so quickly, your brain has a hard time processing in real time. It is even possible to create a false reality to cope with a sudden, unexpected attack, further complicating matters. Training and practicing are the rungs on your ladder to climb out of the surprise-attack pit.

Between a surprise and planned attack, the surprise attack is where I prefer to start in a training package. If you can manage the surprise attack, working from the time disadvantage to create a positive outcome, you will better manage just about any other type of attack. At the core of a surprise attack is lack of awareness. The first obstacle to overcome is acknowledging a surprise attack can happen to anyone””even the best in the business cannot maintain high states of alertness for extended periods. With this acknowledgment, you can work to reduce or limit distractions. When you can filter out those distractions, like your smartphone, music in your earbuds or even daydreaming, you will see your environment more clearly. That will allow you to break down your defensive zones.

Think of defensive zones as concentric bubbles around you, where distance is referenced in ranges from far, close and contact. At the far range, the potential attacker(s) is far enough away that it would take significant movement and time for them to reach you. This could be across the street or down a grocery aisle. At close range, the suspect is near enough that within a few quick steps, they could be upon you and able to assault you with a knife or impact weapon. This could be from the other side of your car or a few yards down the road. Contact range implies the potential attacker(s) is within arm’s reach, if not already physically in contact with you. In a surprise attack, you can expect close range at the farthest, but contact range is most likely. The problem we face is that, as we are social creatures, people will move in and out of these zones constantly throughout your day.

Another way to consider these zones is in your ability to respond with your concealed firearm. If the suspect is close, you may need to think about creating distance””and therefore time””before you can produce your firearm. Someone at close or contact range makes gaining access to your firearm a risk. The drawstroke is a series of movements that begins with the movement of your hands and ends with the presentation of the gun. Each of these movements must be performed to a minimum standard at maximum speed. Adding an obstruction, such as your cover garment, adds time. The ultimate goal for the concealed-carry practitioner should be the fastest drawstroke with fewest errors, and this requires practice.

Even if you had a lightning-fast drawstroke, however, you are still starting after the suspect has initiated the attack. The judicious use of deadly force has strict criteria to be met before you can draw your firearm, much less use it. The time disadvantage in determining whether or not you can legally go to your gun is but one factor that forces the armed citizen to play a game of catch up in a surprise attack. Training and practice will give you the means to improve your drawstroke. Learning the fundamentals of a fast drawstroke from concealment should be your top training priority for dealing with a surprise attack. Your next task is to practice from as many different types of cover garments as you might wear. Once you have achieved a high level of proficiency with your drawstroke, you need to work from positions of disadvantage and under stress. This type of programing will expose weak areas you can improve. Even if you haven’t performed the exact movement or technique required in a given attack, you will likely have performed something similar enough to adequately fill the gap under stress.

Though you may achieve a high level of competency, the high stress of an attack combined with working from a disadvantage will still degrade your skills. How much degradation is hard to quantify and differs from person to person, but what’s guaranteed is you won’t perform as well while being attacked as you will on a square range. Stress is wicked, and it affects each of us differently. The more stress you are exposed to in training, the more resiliency you can expect if you are attacked. Stress inoculation is hugely important for two main reasons. First, it gives you a chance to see how your skills could degrade, motivating you to shore up those weak areas. The other reason to work under stress is to build confidence. The confidence you gain from some knowledge of how you may react to stress can help you better cope with and handle a real situation.

While the worst-case scenario is a surprise attack, proper awareness may help you turn that surprise attack into what I call the planned attack. A concealed-carry practitioner with basic skills has a better chance to prevail in a planned attack because they should see the pre-fight indicators or cues. The planned attack may be visible earlier, making you able to pick it up at farther ranges because you are paying better attention. In reality, even a surprise attack is ultimately a planned attack from the attacker’s point-of-view. The suspect has obviously planned to attack you, but you were not able to see his nefarious actions until he was upon you. At its most-basic level, this is the biggest difference between the two types of attacks””one you can see coming, partly at least, while the other you could not.

When you can see an attack coming or have a little warning, you have many more options at your disposal. It all starts with an assessment of your environment. You should be looking to see what belongs there, so you can understand what doesn’t belong. Your next step is developing an escape plan. Part of your escape plan is looking for cover, exits and even weapons of opportunity. As distance starts to shrink, consider the suspect’s actions. If you are moving to your exit, have they vectored in on your movement? Are they communicating with you and if so, what is their tone? If they are not communicating with you, pay attention to their hands. Remember, it is the hands that cause harm, so where are they and what are they doing or holding? Even a benign item such as a cell phone can be an impact weapon if wielded with enough force. Lastly, what are they looking at and how intensely? If you see them looking around for potential witnesses, you might want to move quicker to your exit. If they are fixated on you and only you, it might be a good time for assertive and firm verbal commands.

Verbal commands are an important part of your defensive repertoire. An easy way for your commands to have the best chance of being followed is to keep them clear and concise. Avoid vague or long-winded phrases. Keep it simple, to the point and make them action related. It is advisable to rehearse your contact phrase in advance. This is a great time to bring a family member or friend into your training. The more you practice your contact phrase””with both positive and negative outcomes””the better you will be able to handle a real-world scenario. Arguably, the most important point to consider is not to give a new command until your previous command has been followed. If you fail to establish control through your first command, it is unlikely future verbal commands will be of significant value. All the more reason to role play. The most-important consideration when it comes to verbal commands is to not give a verbal command unless you are fully committed to carrying it out. You need to think first before you commit yourself to something that could be inappropriate, unsound or unlawful.

Even the best-trained, most-experienced operators get caught off guard. The best you can do is to limit your distractions to pay attention to what matters. You will be reactionary, so learning to play catchup on the resultant time (and likely distance) disadvantage is important. Your skill level will decrease under stress, so train and practice as often as possible. Set goals for developing a smooth, fast drawstroke to deliver first-round hits. As you start to understand range bubbles, push out to the far range and routinely assess your environment. It is easy to be surprised, so you should train to minimize the occurrences in a self-defense setting. That will create the winning mindset we want.

Original Story From: NRA Shooting Illustrated

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit our class schedule page to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free to contact us at 817-247-2990.

A man in a mask and combat gear was fatally shotMonday morning in downtown Dallas after he opened fire with an assault weapon outside theEarle Cabell Federal Building. No one else was injured.

FBI Special Agent in ChargeMatthew DeSarnoidentified the gunman asBrian Isaack Clyde, 22, at a news conference on a street corner near the federal building. Clyde died at the scene and was taken to Baylor University Medical Center, officials said.

Neither DeSarno norErin Nealy Cox, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, gave any indication why Clyde targeted the federal building. They also did not say who shot Clyde after police responded to an active-shooter call.

“We’re looking into motive,” DeSarno said at an afternoon news conference. DeSarno said the FBI had not investigated Clyde before the shooting and he was not on any watch list. Investigators were “aggressively pursuing” his social media presence, the agent said.

Dallas Morning Newsphotographer Tom Fox saw Clyde fire outside the building on Jackson Street and took photos as the shooting occurred.

Fox said Clyde fired from the parking lot across the street toward him, another man, a security guard and a woman who was walking a golden retriever.

The windows in a revolving door and two side doors at oneentrance were broken. It was unclear whether Clyde or law-enforcement personnel had shot the door.

Fox’s photos show authorities surrounding Clyde as he lay in a parking lot where he’d run and fallen after the shooting.

In one photo, a Homeland Security agent wearing blue latex gloves is hovering over Clyde. In others, Clyde is shirtless and law enforcement officers, including the agent, kneel aroundhim.On Clyde’s left arm, he had a red heart tattoo with the silhouetteof a cat inside it.

Fox, who was questioned by the FBI, said he had been outside the building when Clyde parked on the corner of Jackson and Griffin streets. Clyderan and then stopped on the sidewalk to pick up a loaded magazine he had dropped.

He then began shooting at the courthouse along Jackson Street assecurity personnel on the first floor pushed people to the ground.At least two bullets ricocheted off the building, spreading clouds of dust and debris.

The federal building houses federal courts, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Texas, a passport office and the U.S. Marshals Service. Streets around the courthouse will be closed for several days, Dallas police said.

Nearby El Centro College was also placed on lockdown during the day.

The shooting happened ablock from where the July 7, 2016, ambush occurred during whichfour Dallas police officers and a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were fatally shot.

In that attack, the gunman entered El Centro and fired from a window at the fifth officer who was killed. The shooter, Micah Johnson, was killed with explosives delivered by a police robot.

Dallas police detonated a suspicious device about 10:40 a.m. that was found in the 2003 Nissan Altima Clyde had driven to the courthouse. The blast was strong enough to shake sapling trees blocks away.

DeSarno would not confirm Monday afternoon whether law enforcement found explosivesinside the car.

Police also checked downtown for other suspicious devices, and many buildings downtown were locked down or evacuated.

The investigation

DeSarno said more than 200 FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel are investigating the shooting. Investigators expect they will have multiple videos from several angles to watch as they determine what happened.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is tracing Clyde’s assaultweapon, DeSarno said. Clyde had more than five 30-round magazines, he said.

The FBI searched Clyde’s apartment in Fort Worthbut did not provide details about what was found.

Joycelyn Mendoza, who lives in the apartment directly above Clyde’s, said FBI agents removed a large black box from the complex. The FBI also questioned her about what she knew about Clyde, she said.

“I told them honestly, it smells like marijuana around there most of the time,” she said.

Other people seemed to live in Clyde’s apartment or visit frequently, she said.A woman from his apartment sometimes complained when Mendoza’s 2-year-old son ran around upstairs. Mendoza said she last saw the woman two weeks ago.

She said the FBI showed her pictures of two men, only one of whom she recognized.

Ed Modla was working from home Monday morning at SoCo Urban Lofts, near the federal building, when he heard at least 10 gunshots. He looked outside and saw the gunman running.

“As soon as I saw the shooter, I got the hell away from the window,” he said.

He took another peek from his third-floor window a few moments later and saw officers “zeroing in” on Clyde across the street, he said.

Dallas police evacuated the apartment building about 10 a.m., going door-to-door to make sure everyone got out.

Don Miles heard 10 to 15 shots as he walked up to the Commerce Street entrance of the federal buildingfor a 9 a.m. appointment.

“I just ran,” Miles said.

Herman Turner, 50, had taken the day off work to run errands. He was on his way to get a cashier’s check when he saw Clyde racefrom the courthouse door near Main and Griffin streets, plant himself in the middle of the street and begin firing his rifle back at the building.

Prior courthouse shootings

Monday’s shooting wasn’t the first near a North Texas courthouse.

In January 2013, a masked gunman fatally shotKaufman County prosecutor Mark Hasse in a courthouse parking lot in Kaufman.

Over Easter weekend of that year, the gunman, Eric Williams,later killed Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, in their home.

Williamsremains on death row. He killed the district attorney and prosecutor in a revenge plot for prosecuting him for stealing county property.Williams’ wife, Kim, testified against him and is in prison for her role in the murders.

In January 1993, Hai Van Huynh opened fire in the hallway of the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building in Dallas, fatally shooting his wife, Ly Dang, and wounding a bystander. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On July 1, 1992, George Lott opened fire inside the Tarrant County Courthouse, killing two lawyers, seriously wounding two appellate judges and grazing another attorney. He died by lethal injection two years later.

Lott had been indicted a few months earlier on aggravated sexual assault charges stemming from allegations that he had sexually abused his son at a motel in Peoria, Ill., according to police and court records. He was scheduled to be tried July 24 on the more serious of the charges, said prosecutor Jim Owens in Peoria, where the son lived.

Original Story From: Dallas News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit ourclass schedulepage to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free tocontact usat 817-247-2990.

A college baseball game was postponed in Tennessee on Tuesday evening after an 8-year-old boy allegedly shot his mother in what police are saying was an accident, according to reports.

The unidentified woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition but her condition was later upgraded to stable, FOX 13 of Memphis reported.

The owner of the gun has been detained and police are conducting an investigation to determine if they will press charges, authorities said.

The shooting happened at USA Stadium in Millington, where the University of Memphis Tigers were playing the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Police said the child found the gun inside an antique car being displayed at the stadium and accidentally shot his mother during the first inning of the game, around 6:45 p.m.

“The juvenile believed it was a toy gun. He picked the gun up, pulled the trigger, and accidentally shot his mother,” Millington police Chief Mark Dunbar said, according to WMC-TV in Memphis. The game was then halted, according to FOX 13.

The University of Memphis issued a statement after the incident.

“We are saddened by the unfortunate accidental shooting at the baseball game at USA Stadium in Millington,” the university’s Athletic Department said in the statement, according to the Commercial Appeal of Memphis. “The University of Memphis is cooperating fully with authorities in the investigation. Our deepest thoughts are with the family.”

Original Story From: Fox News

__________________________________________________________

The License To Carry formerly known as a Concealed Handgun License is commonly referred to as a gun permit, concealed carry license, CCW, concealed carry, handgun license, handgun permit was changed to License To Carry on January 1,2016.

There are many myths out there about handguns and the LICENSE TO CARRY, our job is tell you what the laws and facts are and put any myths to rest during class, so you know the truth. We believe in paying special attention to handgun safety and Situational Awareness, to help teach students how to avoid situations.

Be sure to visit ourclass schedulepage to sign up for our next license to carry class.

For questions please feel free tocontact usat 817-247-2990.