Free Republic

The fatal victim of a Louisiana mall shooting which left at least five more injured has been identified as an innocent 17-year-old private schoolgirl. Martha Odom, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Youngsville, was killed on Thursday afternoon at Baton Rouge's Mall of Louisiana after being struck in crossfire when two groups began shooting at each other, authorities said.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned two lower court judges and upheld California’s ban on high-capacity magazines Tuesday in a split decision that may be headed for the U.S. Supreme Court. “The statute outlaws no weapon, but only limits the size of the magazine that may be used with firearms,” the judges ruled in the 7-4 decision. The majority reasoned that “the record demonstrates that the limitation interferes only minimally with the core right of self-defense, as there is no evidence that anyone ever has been unable to defend his or her home and family due to the...

With no police or security within sight, Mark and Patricia McCloskey stood with their backs to their house wielding a small pistol and an AR-15. The “peaceful protest” featured a screaming scrum of hundreds smashing down the gate to a privately-owned neighborhood as they poured onto the privately-owned street just a few feet from the McCloskey residence. Considering the many buildings the mobs in recent weeks have burned, the victims they have assaulted, and the neighborhoods they have destroyed, the McCloskeys determined to remain physically safe, if terrorized. The mob screamed at and taunted the McCloskeys. But it dared not...

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) is one of the people pushing to keep "high capacity" magazines, anything that holds over 10 rounds, illegal in the Golden State. For one week, Californians had the opportunity to get their hands on these magazines because of a court ruling that overturned the state's ban. One week later, the same judge issued a stay , which meant the ban went back into effect while the lawsuit, Duncan v. Becerra, was settled in court. Any magazines obtained during that week-long period were legal. Although it's impossible to know exactly how many "high capacity" magazines...

Mark Kelly and his wife former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, testified at the Colorado state capitol in support of more gun control for that state on March 4. Democrats in the Colorado legislature are pushing "high capacity" magazine bans, bans on private firearm sales, new taxes on firearm sales, and a repeal of a law allowing concealed carry permit holders to carry a firearm for self-defense on a university campus. They are also seeking to dissuade "assault weapons" ownership via SB 13-196, which allows "assault weapons" manufacturers to be sued for the illegal use of the firearms. As he has done...