4th of July 2012

This 4th of July there seemed to be a lot more "accidental" shootings. Lots of guns laying around, a little beer I'm sure and celebrating the birth of our nation.  Below is a video of one man who was shot while watching fireworks, he was very lucky.In an interview on another news station he said that he thought gun owners should have some kind of safety training. Ha! I bet the NRA would jump all over that as an infringement  of their second amendment right. 
In West Palm Beach a woman was shot in the chest. She was hospitalized but thankfully is expected to recover. 
There are more.....

This just seems wrong

HCSO Detectives Investigate Fatal Shooting In Town ‘N Country
photo © 2007 Doug Reilly | more info (via: Wylio)






So basically Thomas Baker was out jogging at 1 in the morning with a .45-caliber pistol. He met 2 youths, words were exchanged, Baker felt threatened so he shot them. Killing one.
Okay he did have a concealed carry weapons permit and did stay with his victim till help arrived. But why would you go out and run in an area that you felt so threatened by that you had to carry a gun? Go run in what you consider a safer area or at a different time. Is a jog worth killing someone over?  It all seems so senseless. 
Sure there are areas of town I don't feel safe in...so I don't go there. 
I'm not sure this neighborhood looks like such a scary place. The shooting took place 500 feet from Bakers home. If you look down the street you can see where his house is.



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Terrorism

 

We all fear it. We are sure that it will affect us and try to trust our government to protect us from it.
What is terrorism? Wikipedia defines it as " the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.[1]..... Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).

In 2005 approximately 73 U.S. citizens were killed world wide because of acts of terrorism. This is scary because these are private citizens "not acting in an official capacity on behalf of the U.S. Government". I guess they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe on vacation. I don't know.

That same year in the U.S. approximatively 12,449 twenty to twenty-four year olds were killed by guns in the U.S. This number is a little harder to come by because for some reason (I think the gun lobby) numbers of deaths and injures caused by guns are hard to research. The way I came to this approximate number is from a paper by the CDC. On page 5 of the paper there is a graph listing the leading cause of death among 20 to 24 year olds. I took that number of 21 in 100,000 and worked it into the U.S. population and then divided by 5.

12,449 20 to 24 year olds in the U.S.! 

73 All ages World Wide. 

Who are the terrorist and where are they?

Schools and Guns

Today as the buses were loading up for dismissal two of my patrols came to report a problem on one of the buses. They informed me that one of the students on the bus was telling that he had a gun. I was pretty sure that the kid was just playing around but I thought better safe that sorry. So I made all the kids get off the bus and I looked through the kids backpacks.  I did not find anything So I talked to the student that had been claiming to have a gun. He admitted that he was just playing around with a rolled up piece of paper. 

I thought "point made" and he and the other students on the bus may think twice about making a threat about having a gun. 

Next I'm sitting at home having dinner and watching the news and a story comes on about a shooting at a school in Colorado   two miles from Columbine High School. That made me catch my breath. I thought about the students at my school then I thought about my niece and nephew who were students at Columbine High School in 1999 when 12 students and one teacher were killed by two gunmen. Fortunately this time only two were shot and suffered only only minor injuries. Have you ever seen minor injuries from a gunshot wound? I have and they are not very minor looking.

Is it just me or has the defense of gun owners rights gone too far?

Do you feel safer now?

One of the things that I have done sense my wife was shot is to seek out information on shootings and concealed weapons in Florida. I often read Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence as a source of gun information.
This week while signing a petition to urge Starbucks to not allow guns in their coffee shops I noticed an interesting fact sheet on concealed carry permits.


This is a compilation  of  stories of  Reported Crimes and misdeeds by concealed weapons license and permit-holders . I looked through the report and pulled out incidents that happened only in Florida. I was amazed at how many times people who the State of Florida conferred the privilege of carrying a gun shot someone. And this is not all of the cases because the gun lobby makes collecting that information very difficult. 
So here are some of the Florida stories.

Red indicates death involved shooting.

Jacksonville, FL ٠ 10/19/09. According to reports, an unidentified Florida concealed carry permit-holder accidentally shot and killed Latrecia Levine, after witnesses said the permitholder's concealed handgun fell from his belt. The permit-holder apparently ignored signs posted in the location of the shooting which said that firearms were prohibited inside.11

11 Staff report, Police: Accidental Shooting Kills Woman, WJXT-CHANNEL 4, 19-Oct-09; Staff report, Woman Killed

In Cyber Café Identified, WJXT-CHANNEL 4, 22-Oct-09.

St. Petersburg, FL ٠ 08/03/09. Dale Arthur Single, reported concealed carry permit-holder, was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of criminal mischief, after an alleged road rage incident. Police said Single took out a pistol and pointed it at motorists, as well as waving what police said was a novelty badge while showing a set of handcuffs. 29

29 Staff report, Bicyclist charged in road rage incident, TAMPA BAY ONLINE, 3-Aug-09.

St. Lucie County, FL ٠ 02/10/09. Shannon Johnson, a reported concealed carry licensee, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after pointing a gun at Wesley Henderson. Johnson told deputies that he was mad at Henderson for cutting him off on State Road 9, and Henderson told deputies that as he passed Johnson’s car, Johnson pointed a pistol at him and gestured with his fingers that he would shoot Henderson in the head. A loaded semiautomatic handgun was found in the center console of Johnson’s car, along with two full magazines.41

41 Palm Bay man charged with aggravated assault with firearm, WPBF.COM (ABC), 11-Feb-09.

Gainsville, FL ٠ 02/09/09. Mark Willis Stockdale, a teacher at Eastlake High School, was charged with possessing firearms on school property. Stockdale, a reported concealed carry licensee, had a loaded .22 caliber Derringer on him in a classroom. This was discovered when law enforcement went to the high school to pick Stockdale up for questioning in a battery he allegedly committed the night before against a woman he was dating. When law enforcement searched him, the .22 caliber Derringer was found in his right front pocket; another loaded handgun was found in the front seat console of his vehicle.43

43Christopher Curry, EHS teacher pleads not guilty in gun case, THE GAINSVILLE SUN, 21-Feb-09.

Ocala, FL ٠ 01/27/09. A police officer was dining in a restaurant when a restaurant manager approached him to report that two men were using drugs in the restroom. The officer walked toward the restroom and saw one man exiting, reported concealed carry licensee Robert D. Tottel, 34. Tottel told the officer that he had a loaded .380 caliber pistol in his front pocket, which was taken by the officer and emptied. Tottel told the officer that he was under the influence of alcohol and Tottel was charged with a concealed weapon license violation because licensees do not have permission to carry guns into establishments that serve alcohol for consumption. The other man in the restroom was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia after a straw that contained cocaine residue was found on him.47

47 Police beat Jan. 28, 2009: Bar patrons face gun, drug charges, STAR BANNER / OCALA.COM, 28-Jan-09.

Plantation, FL ٠ 10/29/08. A retired police officer shot a neighbor’s puppy, wounding it in the tail, because the puppy allegedly bit him on the leg. The man declined to be treated for the bite but the puppy was taken to a veterinarian for treatment.54

54Sallie James, Retired cop shoots neighbor's dog, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 29-Oct-08.

Hernando County, FL ٠ 09/19/08. Gerald K. Deaguiar, a reported concealed carry licensee, was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated, and racing his automobile. Deaguiar was stopped by police for racing his car with a motorcycle at over 90 miles per hour. Subsequent to the stop, police suspected that Deaguiar was drinking and determined that his blood alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit. Deaguiar told police that he was armed; police removed a semiautomatic pistol from each hip, fully loaded with extra magazines.65

65Dave Nicholson, Armed man charged with drunken driving in 90 MPH street race, THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, 20-Sep-08.

Pembroke Pines, FL ٠ 08/05/08. James Patrick Wonder, 65, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of Donald Pettit, a federal agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The incident apparently stemmed from a road rage incident that resulted in both men pulling into a post office parking lot. There, Wonder, a reported concealed carry licensee, shot Pettit in the head in front of Pettit’s twelve-year-old daughter. Wonder was arrested the next day at a dialysis center.72

72Brian Haas, Andrew Tran, et. Al., Neighbors Surprised by Arrest of Miramar Suspect in Agent's Killing, , 7-Aug-08. Jennifer Mooney Piedra, Ani Martinez, et. al., Driver arrested in Fatal Shooting of Federal Agent, MIAMI HERALD, 8/6/2008.

Escambia County, FL ٠ 07/11/08. A man reportedly with a concealed carry license accidentally shot himself in the leg in a Wal-Mart. He was transported to a local hospital.79

79 Man accidently shoots self in leg at Wal-Mart, PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL, 12-Jul-08.

Miami Beach, FL ٠ 07/04/08. Reported concealed carry licensee William Garrido, 55, shot and killed Josue Reyes, 42, following a confrontation in the parking loss of the Bass Museum of Art.

Both men were cab drivers and had been arguing for three weeks, according to Garrido. Garrido told police that before stepping out of his cab in the parking lot, Garrido took out his gun with the intention of killing Reyes. Garrido then shot Reyes, Reyes turned to run away, and Garrido shot him again, this time in the back. Garrido then jumped in his cab and fled; a witness called police and Garrido was spotted within minutes and charged with first degree murder. Garrrido previously was sentenced to two months in jail and a year of probation after pleading no contest to charges of aggravated assault with a weapon in 1997.80

80Kathleen McGrory, Miami Beach: Murder charge for cabbie, MIAMI HERALD, 5-Jul-08.

Boca Raton, FL ٠ 04/30/08. During a fight at a campus party at Florida Atlantic University, Omar Graham, Jr. fired two shots in a crowded room, one grazing the ear of a 21-year-old college student. Graham claimed that the victim and a friend “were looking at him like they wanted a fight.”92

92 FAU Suspect Held on $35,000 Bail, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 2-May-08.

Hollywood, FL ٠ 03/23/08. Ronald Khan, 35, shot an off-duty firefighter after a dispute in which the victim asked Khan to stop driving his go-kart on a public street. After a brief physical altercation, Khan left the scene. Ten minutes later, Khan returned with several friends and shot the victim. Despite two prior arrests in Florida, Khan reportedly held a valid concealed carry

license.95

Marathon, FL ٠ 03/22/08. 26-year-old reported concealed carry licensee Dam Lopez was charged with negligent manslaughter after the shooting death of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Andrea Anzola Villafrade, who died while on vacation in the Florida Keys. The couple were sharing a hotel room with another couple who witnessed the shooting. They told police that Lopez picked up his handgun and stood behind Villafrade as she did her hair, at which time Lopez shot her in the chest.96

Palm Beach, FL ٠ 03/10/08. During a domestic dispute, a bleeding Christine Burroughs fled to a neighbor’s home. Her husband, Arthur Burroughs, 66, followed, shooting and killing the owner of the home to which his wife had fled, before barricading himself in a bathroom with his wife and turning the gun on himself. Burroughs, a former loss-prevention specialist, reportedly had held a concealed carry license since at least 1999.97

Orange County, FL ٠ 02/20/08. A “road rage” incident between Louis Davis, 40, and Victor Vilchez, 44, both reported holders of concealed carry licenses, resulted in an exchange of gunfire in a residential neighborhood. Davis, who was taking his 6 and 11-year-old daughters to elementary school, began firing at Vilchez, who returned fire. Davis dropped his daughters off and continued to pursue Vilchez until Vilchez crashed into a passing vehicle. Police recovered a .45 caliber semi-automatic weapon and a .38 caliber fully automatic weapon from the vehicles.98

95Jennifer Mooney Pierda, Hollywood: Wounded Fireman is doing better, MIAMI HERALD, 26-Mar-08.

96Joel Marino, Plantation man charged with killing girlfriend, WTVM, 2-Oct-08.

97Ana X. Ceron, Domestic Dispute Spurred Shooter, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 10-Mar-08.

98Walter Pacheco, Deputies arrest 2 drivers after gunfight blamed on road rage, ORLANDO SENTINEL, 21-Feb-08.

Lauderdale Lakes, FL ٠ 02/08/08. After a year-long dispute regarding the precise location of a property line and the appropriate length of grass, reported concealed carry permit-holder Lee Macon allegedly shot his neighbor approximately four times, killing him. Macon was charged with pre-meditated murder.99

Sarasota, FL ٠ 02/04/08. Paul Kallenbach, 40, shot a fellow customer after a dispute in a convenience store. Kallenbach pulled one gun during an argument, which the victim successfully wrestled away. Kallenbach then drew two other weapons he had been carrying on his person and repeatedly fired at the victim, killing him. He then exited the store and fired into the parking lot. The previous June, Kallenbach had been required to submit to a psychiatric evaluation after police found him with three handguns strapped to his waist, three more firearms, and 651 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. Kallenbach claimed that the weapons “helped him feel safe.” A review of Kallenbach’s reported concealed carry license was apparently pending at the time of his mental evaluation, but police were not permitted to revoke his license.100

St. Augustine, FL ٠ 01/07/08. Clayton Patterson was shot and killed while he watched a movie in a friend’s apartment. The shooter, Adam Hill, had prior charges for carrying a concealed gun, which were dismissed, but also had a history of mental health issues. Nevertheless, Hill was able to purchase guns and was reportedly granted a concealed carry license.101

Fort Lauderdale, FL ٠ 11/21/07. Fitzroy Salesman, a reported concealed carry licensee and former county commissioner, was convicted of illegal exhibition of a firearm in May 2009 after an incident in November of 2007.102

99Adam Beasley & Diana Moskovitz, Lauderdale Lakes: Lawn dispute escalates into fatal shooting, MIAMI

HERALD, 8-Feb-08.

100Tom Lyons, Police saw what psychiatric team didn't, SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE, 10-Feb-08.

101Jackelyn Barnard, Family Says Gun Laws Are Flawed, FIRST COAST NEWS, 20-May-08.

102Diana Moskovitz, Fitzroy Salesman Guilty of Misdemeanor, MIAMI HERALD, 29-Apr-09.

Boynton, FL ٠ 06/21/07. A reputed gang member and key player in a gang feud which culminated in a Christmas Eve shooting at a shopping mall, Berson Dieudonne, 25, was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm. Dieudonne, who allegedly threatened police with a loaded .45 caliber pistol, reportedly had a valid concealed carry license despite previous arrests on aggravated battery and grand theft auto charges.107

107Michael LaForgia, Boynton Police Arrest Man Involved in Fatal Gang Feud, PALM BEACH POST, 21-Aug-07.

to sex with a child.112

St. Petersburg, FL ٠ 03/03/07. South Florida bail bondsman Norman Britten, Jr., 33, allegedly shot at a passing vehicle driven by a man Britten claimed had previously skipped bail on a traffic offense. No one was hurt in the incident, but police noted that children were playing in the immediate area.113

Wesley Chapel, FL ٠ 02/17/07. Terry Enyart, a reported concealed carry permit-holder, returned intoxicated to the home he shared with his wife and son. Enyart attempted to strangle the family dog, attacked his wife with a bottle, and shot his son in the hand before shooting himself in the head, killing himself, on his front lawn. Enyart was reportedly known as a violent drunk who frequently threatened and hit his son.114

Florida • January-February 2007. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel found that the state had not suspended or revoked the licenses of 216 people with active warrants, 128 people with domestic violence restraining orders, 9 people charged with felonies or violent reckless misdemeanors, 6 registered sex offenders, and at least 1 prison inmate. Another 1,400 people who had pled guilty or no-contest to felony charges also had concealed carry licenses in Florida. Before the newspaper published its investigation, the State of Florida admitted to only 158 criminal concealed carry license holders, almost 10 times fewer than the actual number.115

113Alisa Ulferts, Bondsman charged in shooting, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 3-Mar-07.

114Gina Pace and Molly Moorhead, Man shoots son's hand, kills self, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 17-Feb-07.

115 License to Carry: A Sun-Sentinel Investigation, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL, Jan. 28-Feb. 15, 2007

Miami-Dade County, FL ٠ 06/28/06. Ksotja Roy, a one-time School Board police officer and reported concealed carry permit-holder, was arrested for impersonating a police officer and false imprisonment after a string of roadside motorist stops. One motorist witnessed Roy with a gun in his hand.119

Miami, FL ٠ 06/23/06. Lyglenson Lemorin was an accused terrorist alleged to have ties to al- Qaeda, yet he retained his reported concealed carry license after two domestic violence arrests in 1997 and 1998. The first time he allegedly threw a beer bottle at his girlfriend’s neck. The second time he allegedly punched a pregnant former girlfriend, flashed his gun and warned her,

“I’ll kill you.” His reported concealed carry license was suspended in February 2000 for carrying a weapon with a restraining order against him but was reinstated a month later. It was finally suspended in 2006 when Lemorin was arrested under suspicion of a terrorist plot. Lemorin was indicted with six other defendants in a terrorist plot to destroy the Sears Tower in

Chicago. An acquaintance of Lemorin used Lemorin’s Hi-Point 9mm to shoot at a third party.120

119 Fired Cop Arrested in Blue-Light Charade: An Ex-Cop Was Arrested and Charged with Playing the Role After

He Should Have Turned in His Badge, MIAMI HERALD, 1-Jul-06.

120 Terrorism Suspect's Commitment Waned, MIAMI HERALD, 6-Aug-06.

Fort Lauderdale, FL ٠ 01/01/06. Rogelio Monero, 49, allegedly shot and killed Victor Manuel Villanueva, 17, during a New Year’s Eve altercation as Moreno tried to stop a fight between Villanueva and a third party. Moreno was charged with manslaughter.124

Sunrise, FL ٠ 08/05/05. Anthony Diotaiuto, a reported concealed carry permit-holder suspected of dealing drugs, was shot to death in a confrontation with the SWAT team assigned to arrest him.126

124 Argument at a New Year's Party Ends in Teen's Death, MIAMI HERALD, 2-Jan-06.

126 Jamie Malernee, SWAT Officers Cleared in Deadly Shooting, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL, 18-Oct-06.

Ocala, FL ٠ 01/12/05. Steven Ekberg was arrested for carrying a weapon into a bar, a violation of Florida law, as well as cocaine possession. Ekberg was also under suspicion for possession of ricin, a lethal biological agent.131

Seminole County, FL ٠ 01/01/05. Nathaniel Ferguson reportedly retained his concealed carry license for some 18 months after he was arrested for shooting a woman – the 30 year-old mother of a young son – in a parking lot outside a bar.132

131 Ocala Man Had Biotoxin, Police Charge, MIAMI HERALD, 14-Jan-05.

132 System Under the Gun, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 29-Jan-07.

Miami Beach, FL ٠ 02/18/04. Deborah Cubides, wife of a Miami Beach police officer, held up the Pembroke Pines bank, apparently to get enough money to keep her family’s house from foreclosure proceedings. Cubides said she used a gun during the robbery, but police never recovered one.136

136 Arrest of Officer's Wife Stuns Suburb, MIAMI HERALD, 21-Feb-04. Cop's Wife Gets Year for Bank Job, MIAMI

HERALD, 8/13/2005.

Miami, FL ٠ 01/19/04. Travis Jenkins, Jr., age 3, found his father’s 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the floor of his father’s car and shot himself in the head. The boy later died from his injuries. Mr. Jenkins, Sr., a reported concealed carry licensee, was later charged with culpable negligence. Jenkins agreed to probation and the surrender of his weapon and his reported concealed carry license Though Jenkins had reportedly been arrested several times for drugs and firing a deadly weapon, charges against him were always dropped. Two years later, Jenkins was charged with armed trafficking of cocaine, possession of counterfeit currency, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.137

Greenacres, FL ٠ 01/13/04. James Anthony Settembre, a vocal gun advocate and reported concealed carry permit-holder, committed murder-suicide after shooting his wife Debra twice and then himself in the head.138

Davie, FL ٠ 04/30/03. Reported concealed carry permit-holder Michael Pecora walked into his business partner’s office, sat down, shot the partner twice in the head, then shot and killed himself.141

Key West, FL ٠ 04/08/03. Gerald Norman Leggett, senior director of communications and reserve deputy for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, was arrested at Key West International Airport for attempting to board an aircraft with a concealed dangerous weapon, a loaded Llama .380 semi-automatic handgun. Leggett later pled guilty and was sentenced to one year of probation.142

137 Doctor: 'Brain Doesn't Work Anymore', MIAMI HERALD, 21-Jan-04; Around Miami-Dade, MIAMI HERALD, 1/13/2004; David Ovalle, Dad arrested again over gun, MIAMI HERALD, 25-Jul-06.

138 Tal Abbady, Police: Man Killed Wife, Dog, Himself; Stunned Neighbors Recall A Quiet, Friendly, 'Pretty Happy Couple', FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL, 12-Jan-04.

141 Wyatt Olson, Catered to Death, BROWARD-PALM BEACH NEW TIMES, 7-Aug-03.

142 Loaded Gun Brings Arrest at Airport, MIAMI HERALD, 9-Apr-03. U.S.A. v. Leggett, No. 4:03-cr-10023-KMM (S.D. FLA.) 13-Jun-03

Tampa, FL ٠ 10/28/02. Quinn Burchfield, age 3, found his father Steven’s .32-caliber pistol in the pocket of his jeans and accidentally shot himself in the neck. Quinn died five days later. Steven Burchfield, a reported concealed carry licensee, was charged with culpable negligence.144

144 Dad Charged After Son, 3, Shoots Self, MIAMI HERALD, 7-Jan-03.

Tampa, FL ٠ 04/21/01. 44-year-old substitute teacher, Cynthia Seymour, was caught with a loaded .38-caliber revolver at Tampa Bay Technical High School in Florida. A school resource officer discovered the gun when he noticed the butt of the gun sticking out from her back pocket. School district policy prohibits employees from bringing weapons to school unless they are law enforcement officers.151

151 Teacher brings gun to school, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 21-Apr-01.

Miami, FL ٠ 02/14/00. Roberto Ortega, 30, and Kendria Vann, 19, got into a gunfight when Ortega, a licensed repossessor, tried to tow Vann's car away for repossession. While it is unclear who fired first, police said that both men fired multiple shots, hitting each other once – Vann in the chest and Ortega in the head – killing both men. Vann's stepfather said that Vann thought that

Ortega was stealing his car. Ortega reportedly had a Florida concealed carry license.161

Naples, FL ٠ 12/14/99. Adam Sousa, 25, shot two men with a .357 from his holster before leaving the dog track where he had been playing poker. Sousa, angry over an argument at the poker table, was asked to leave the game. As he headed toward the door, Sousa pulled the gun and pointed it, threatening to kill the track parking attendant. Sousa then shot two others. Sousa, a reported concealed carry licensee, was intoxicated at the time of the shooting.163

161 Two men killed over repossessed car, MIAMI HERALD, 15-Feb-00.

163 Collier man accused of shooting 2 workers at Bonita dog track jailed on $250,000 bond, NAPLES DAILY NEWS,

16-Dec-99.

Aventura, FL ٠ 01/11/99. A disabled handyman was arrested after the brutal murder of a popular surgeon, Dr. Bradley Silverman. Robert Herndon, a reported Florida concealed carry licensee, was accused of gunning down Dr. Silverman outside his office. Authorities later discovered that Herndon had been twice charged with assault, the first charge being dropped, the second reduced to a misdemeanor. Herndon was described by neighbors as "a man who easily lost his temper and who threatened them with his gun." After questioning, police found that Herndon had a long history of mental illness and had voluntarily committed himself to a local mental health facility.”170

170 Police Link Grudge to Doctor's Slaying; Handyman with Disability Arrested in Surgeon's Death, SOUTHFLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 16-Jan-99.

Tampa, FL ٠ 10/10/98. Joseph Mule, a reported concealed carry licensee, led police on a highspeed chase through the streets of Tampa before being killed by deputies. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Mule began the chase after police attempted to pull him over for drunk driving. Mule made a run for it, beginning a chase through suburban streets. When he attempted to cross a parking lot, he crashed into a parked truck, whereupon deputies ordered him out of the car. When he refused, deputies approached the vehicle, opening fire when Mule drew his concealed weapon from his holster.173

173 Report: Deputies fired 42 shots at driver who aimed gun at them, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 9-Oct-98.

Groveland, FL ٠ 07/19/98. Thomas P. Kelly, 28, was charged with attempted murder after shooting Amerida Dale Woods during an argument. While the two men were arguing, Kelly went to his vehicle, grabbed a handgun and shot Woods. According to police investigators called to the scene, Kelly shot the victim twice before running away. Kelly was also charged with use of the firearm in commission of a felony, use of a firearm under the influence of alcohol, and aggravated assault. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement reportedly later verified that Kelly had a valid concealed carry license.176

Palm Beach, FL ٠ 06/03/98. Steven Dobric, a reported concealed carry licensee with no prior criminal record, gunned down his estranged wife outside an all-night Cuban restaurant before turning the gun on himself. According to investigators, Dobric, whom his wife had described as "unpredictable," followed her and a friend as they left a local restaurant. Senada Dobric, upon noticing her husband following her, fled. Dobric chased her down and shot her twice in the head before shooting himself. Dobric's weapon, a .40 caliber handgun, had been issued to him by the security company for which he worked. Senada Dobric had filed a restraining order one month earlier, accusing her husband of abuse and death threats.178

Middleburg, FL ٠ 03/25/98. Billy Ray Beagle, a reported Florida concealed carry licensee, was killed in a shootout with police after locking himself in a police station bathroom with his gun while being questioned about the slaying of two hunters. During the nine hour standoff, Beagle confessed that he had killed the two hunters in separate attacks in 1993. Both men had been shot at close range and then robbed. Police did not check Beagle for weapons when he came to the police station because he had come to them voluntarily.179

176 1 Shot, 1 Arrested After Fight Erupts into Gunfire, ORLANDO SENTINEL, 20-Jul-98.

178 Ambush, then Murder-Suicide; Husband had made Death Threats after She requested a Divorce, SOUTHFLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 4-Jun-98.

179 Murder Suspect Slain After Standoff, ASSOCIATED PRESS, 25-Mar-98.

Broward County, FL ٠ 09/16/97. Former Broward County judicial candidate and reported concealed carry licensee Daniel Blackman pulled his gun on an emergency room doctor at St. Mary's Medical Center after the doctor refused to write him a prescription. The doctor fled from the examining room and summoned a police officer who confronted Blackman. Blackman then pointed his gun at the officer. The officer did not shoot at Blackman and managed to wrestle the gun from him. In 1996, Blackman was accused of threatening to put three bullets in the head of an officer after receiving a parking ticket at an airport and was also arrested after hitting another officer with his car and fleeing the scene. Police found a loaded .9mm automatic handgun, several knives, and other weapons in his car. Charges were dropped on assurances Blackman would receive psychological treatment. Under Florida law, he was reportedly able to retain his reported concealed carry license.182

182 Ex-Judge Candidate Pulls Gun on Doctor, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL, 17-Sep-97..

Florida . May 31, 1995 . May 31, 1996. In two reports that focused on the State of Florida, the Violence Policy Center found that as of July 1995, 469 Florida concealed carry licensees had been identified as having committed a wide variety of crimes. In just one year, between May 1995 and May 1996, 159 Florida concealed carry licensees had their licenses revoked. 84 of the 159 licensees had their concealed carry license revoked for crimes committed after receiving their license, with 20% of the revocations for crimes involving the use of a firearm, and 65 licensees had their concealed carry license revoked for crimes committed before receiving their license. The report was based on those concealed carry licensees who requested a public hearing. Specific case examples were also provided.189

189 Concealed Carry: The Criminals Companion: Florida’s Concealed Weapons Law—A Model for the Nation?, VIOLENCE POLICY CENTER, Nov. 1995 & Concealing the Risk: Real World Effects of Lax Concealed Weapons Laws, VIOLENCE POLICY CENTER, 1996, available at: http://www.vpc.org/studyndx.htm.

Florida, prior to 1996. In 1996, the Brady Center filed a public records request with the Florida Department of Licensing to obtain case files on Florida concealed carry licensees who had committed crimes since the state passed its concealed carry law in October 1987. From those files, we found that, up to that point, 897 Florida concealed carry license holders had their licenses revoked, and 304 of those revocations were for the commission of crimes by the licensee before issuance. The nature of the offenses mandating revocation included homicide, manslaughter, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, and various sex offenses, some involving children. A list of the specific crimes and their associated case numbers was published as an appendix to Guns & Business Don’t Mix.190

190 Division of Licensing, Florida Department of State, 7/31/97, available at: http://www.bradycenter.org/xshare/pdf/reports/gunsnbusiness.pdf.