September 8, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

AKRON: Police are investigating a home invasion in the 400 block of Perkins Street.

A woman at the house told police a man with a gun broke into the apartment about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. The gunman ordered her to lie on the floor.

An upstairs tenant heard the commotion and rushed to the woman's aid, causing the gunman to cut his robbery short, police said.

As he fled, the intruder did manage to steal a purse.

Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2181.

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FLASHBACK: Home alone and defenseless, thanks to Akron police

September 8, 2004
Lorain Morning Journal

ELYRIA -- City Council voted to ban concealed handguns in the city's parks, despite objections raised by a councilman and although the ordinance doesn't call for any penalties.

Council voted 10-1 to ban concealed weapons in all city buildings and city-owned parks, amending a previous ordinance that banned concealed handguns on all city-owned land, including streets and sidewalks.

Councilman Paul Blevins, R-4, argued that a section of the state's concealed carry law explicitly prohibits local governments from expanding or restricting the law's scope, while Law Director Terry Shilling said that the state law violates the Ohio Constitution and the notion of ''home rule.''

Because the ordinance doesn't call for any penalties, police Chief Michael Medders said police won't be enforcing it.

''We're not going to enforce something with no penalties,'' Medders said. ''We're not even going to say 'Stop.' I can't figure it out.''

Mayor Bill Grace said the ordinance signals the city's opposition to guns in its parks, even if there's no way to enforce it.

''It sends a message as to what we value,'' Grace said. ''A lot of this comes down to the state legislature, which has a long history of acting irresponsibly. We've got issues of the funding of education, and they waste their time with these matters.''

Dan White, a local organizer for Ohioans For Concealed Carry, said he couldn't say whether OFCC will challenge Elyria's ban. But he said the law is laughable.

''Basically, you have a situation where it's like, "Stop, or I'll say stop again,'' he said.

Click on the "Read More..." link below to read the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram's coverage of the story. The paper conveniently left out any mention of the fact that the ban in parks is unenforceable.

September 8, 2004
PRNewswire

At a Labor Day campaign rally yesterday, Sen. John Kerry accepted an ironic gift from a labor union representative. The gift, a Remington model 11-87 shotgun commonly used in hunting and recreational shooting enjoyed by millions of Americans, would be banned as an "assault weapon" under a bill that Kerry is co-sponsoring.

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"The semi-automatic shotgun that Kerry accepted is one that he'd like to ban under his bill known as 'The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003 (S. 1431).' Kerry tells union workers that he's a hunter, but the truth is he would ban their shotguns," said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Keane said several sportsmen's groups have pointed out that Kerry's effort to cast himself as an avid hunter do not square with his anti-gun votes as a U.S. senator. In various photos Kerry appears unaware of proper firearms handling. The Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund is advertising in national sportsmen magazines and on the Web site, http://www.voteyoursport.com, to illustrate these points.

Kerry was given the shotgun by Cecil Roberts of the United Mine Workers of America. The union represents workers at a Remington factory in Ilion, New York. Last year the union urged Kerry to support a bill to end frivolous lawsuits against firearms makers (S. 659). The suits threaten manufacturing jobs. However, Kerry voted against the bill.

Remington President Tommy Milner said, "Rest assured, Remington was neither aware of this presentation in advance nor in any way supportive of its intent to support Senator Kerry's candidacy. In fact, the company remains amused by ongoing photos of Senator Kerry shooting without either ear or eye protection while discharging a firearm."

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Compiled from reports by the Associated Press and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

September 8, 2004

Gunman dead after injuring three

GENEVA, Ohio - A woman grazed by a bullet dived into a parked car after hearing what she initially thought was firecrackers, while the gunman who opened fire on the town's main thoroughfair wounded two others before reportedly shooting himself.

"I felt something hit my leg, and dove into the car and hid there until police came," said Gwen Tingley, who was inspecting a customer's car at Geneva Quick Lube on Tuesday when the shooting started about 300 yards away.

Michael J. Harwood, 32, of nearby Madison, fired about 50 shots from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle fitted with a telescopic sight, Police Chief Dan Dudik said.

Witnesses told officers that Harwood turned the gun on himself afterwards, according to a police news release.

A man who police suspect was the gunman's intended target was struck when bullets pierced his car. He was taken to a hospital and was listed in guarded condition Tuesday.

A second motorist was wounded and was listed in satisfactory condition Tuesday. Names of the two weren't released.

The shooting started Tuesday morning as residents headed to work. Several children were on their way to class at Geneva Elementary School, about 500 feet away, when the shooting started, but none were hurt.

Scott Burr, who has six children ranging in age from 4 to 10, was getting ready to walk them to school when the shots were fired.

"I sent all my kids back in the house," Burr said. "I heard what sounded like a machine gun going off. There was a guy at the end of the road with a gun. I saw him shooting a car up and shooting at the guy as he was running down the road covered in blood. When he lost sight of him, he stopped in a parking lot and blew his own head off."

Harwood died of a gunshot wound to the head, Ashtabula County Deputy Coroner Richard Mongel said. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.

Madison Township Assistant Police Chief Len DelCalzo said police were at Harwood's apartment about noon on Monday for a domestic dispute. Harwood's longtime girlfriend, Aron Sutton, 31, assured officers she was OK and told police their loud argument was over her relationship with another man. DelCalzo said Harwood and the other man were friends.

On Tuesday, DelCalzo said, police checked again on Sutton after Geneva reported the shooting. Officers searched Harwood's apartment and seized 5,000 rounds of ammunition, several hand grenades and six guns, including an illegal machine gun.

Burr said he had been thinking about the terrorism tragedy at a Russian school last week.

“It got stirring in my brain, ‘What’s going on here?’ I was relieved when I found out it was probably some sort of domestic dispute and not something effecting the whole country.”

Commentary:
Gun control laws told this man not to go within 1000 feet of a school with a gun - he started shooting within 500 feet. Gun control laws told this man not to discharge his firearm within the city limits - he discharged about 50 rounds. Details are still emerging, but gun control laws may have prohibited this man from possessing his firearm, or may have rendered the firearm illegal. That's not to mention the numerous other criminal laws that were broken.

Mr. Burr's comparison to the shootings in Russia is right on, but he is wrong when he says this isn't something affecting the whole country. This is an excellent example of how many citizens in this country, despite the liberalization of concealed carry laws, will be unable to defend themselves if it happens to them.

WHAT IF this man hadn't stopped shooting after 50 rounds? WHAT IF this man had decided to choose his targets indiscriminantly? WHAT IF this man had entered the school? Unfortunately, history provides the answers.

On the other hand, WHAT IF there had been an Ohio CHL-holder nearby? There are many examples to provide us that answer as well.

Related Stories:
The ultimate case against disarmed victim zones