The Associated Press is reporting that a New York jeweler was back at work yesterday, one day after he managed to draw his own gun and shoot a robber who was aiming a revolver at his head.

Barry Fixler told reporters he feels he did what he had to.

"I'd be dead," he said in a phone interview. "My life was going to be over. That's what I thought about."

Detective Lt. Charles Delo of the Clarkstown police force, which covers Bardonia, told reporters a review of the shooting on a surveillance videotape showed it to be justified. Fixler had a permit for his .38-caliber handgun.

The suspect was in serious condition Tuesday after surgery at Nyack Hospital but was expected to survive, police said. Two alleged confederates who fled after the shooting were arrested within 12 hours, one in Nanuet and one in Danbury, Conn.

Click on the "Read More…" link below to view a letter from OFCC's Jim Irvine to one "no guns" Ohio jeweler, using this incident as a teaching tool.

The WDTN-TV Dayton is reporting that police were called to control a crowd at a busy intersection downtown. When they arrived, the story says, a brawl had broken out at the downtown RTA Hub, and police faced an out of control mob at the scene.

From the story:

Witnesses say it looked like a near riot. They say it started when two guys started fighting while getting on an RTA bus. Soon everyone at the busy downtown bus stop started throwing punches. We were told someone tried to steal a Dayton Police officer’s motorcycle during the incident.

Police tell us they only have rumors right now but that it seems that it was something carried on from school with some juveniles.

Police have 7 teens and one adult in custody. It’s estimated that a total of 50 people were involved.

Commentary from Senate District 10 Coordinator Larry S. Moore:
The Dayton RTA busses are posted with signs banning concealed carry. This, of course, results in riders also being defenseless at the hubs locations. Problems around Dayton RTA bus stops in downtown Dayton and the hub have been previously reported.

Other news reports are saying the brawl involved knives. Doesn't that violate school policy on weapons AND possibly the RTA policy on weapons? I remember a proposal to prevent kids from getting off the busses downtown. It was deemed a violation of civil rights, so it was never enforced. Meanwhile, the Dayton RTA would violate my civil rights by denying me the ability to legally carry under my CHL on their busses.

They say Dayton RTA will meet regarding the problems. Dayton RTA has been discussing the problems since the 1980s. They apparently cannot develop a solution. Meanwhile they continue to render adults who might need protection defenseless.

Mayor McLin has announced her bid for re-election. She ran on a tough on crime platform, but her administration has been anything but tough on crime. If she wants to make a difference, first she should advise the Dayton RTA to stop violating state law, and allow licensed CHL-holders to carry on the busses. Second, she should arrest/charge/suspend those that cause problems and carry illegal weapons.

So the city leaders are talking. Leaders across several generations have been talking. It is far past time for the Mayor to take a stand and live up to her campaign promises.

Related Stories:
Dayton RTA psgr. shoots self in leg; exposes media access loophole folly

Dayton bus stop crime highlights ongoing violations by Ohio RTAs

Attorney General: Cities cannot legally ban in parks/ on busses

Terrorists on buses and in malls: Ohio CHL important to Homeland Security

Woman kidnapped from bus stop, raped

The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that police are seeking tips in finding whoever was involved in burglarizing a Chamberlain Road home and stealing firearms last week.

A police investigator told the newspaper that eight rifles and shotguns and one handgun were stolen from the home between 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Friday.

According to the paper, the owner told police his garage door was open when he came home and there were fresh footprints on it, apparently from being kicked.

This criminal knew what he was after, and right where to find it. Why are some newspapers intent on providing lists of gun-owners with Ohio CHLs, which serves only to alert thieves like this where to find more guns to steal?

The Mansfield News Journal is reporting that according to 2004 statistics, overall crime was down 2.1 percent in the city of Mansfield.

"We attribute that to a lot more people getting more involved in their own neighborhood," said Mansfield police Chief Phil Messer.

While Messer was specifically referring to new neighborhood watch programs, it should also be noted that in the first 180 days of Ohio concealed carry, 261 Richland County residents have gotten more involved in crime-deterrence by obtaining Concealed Handgun Licenses.

While overall crime was down, newspaper reports the stats are even better for violent crimes, which were down 11.1 percent from 2003. There were seven murders in 2003 compared to two last year. Robberies were down from 100 to 84.

"Most crimes, as they relate to auto thefts and burglaries, they're committed by amateurs," Messer is quoted as saying. "They're looking for an easy target. The more active our residents become in their own safety, the more successful we're going to be."

Don't be an easy target - obtain an Ohio CHL today!