An appeals court heard arguments Tuesday about whether Michael Dunn was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot unarmed black teenager Jordan Davis in 2012 in the parking lot of a Jacksonville convenience store.
florida guns
NRA Calls for Renewed and Extended Hunt Of Florida Bears that “Terrorize Homeowners”
Florida wildlife officials approved a controversial bear hunt last year but have not made a decision about another hunt yet. They’re expected to receive a staff recommendation by June 22.
Failed Tag Light Leads to Convicted Felon Carrying Assault Rifle and Ammunition
Gegxan R. Coriano, a 41-year-old convicted felon arrested late Monday night, had to be wrestled to the ground before a search of his car revealed a Century Arms .223 caliber assault rifle and two magazines with ammunition.
NRA Pressuring Gov. Scott to Block Rep. Charles McBurney’s Bench Bid
McBurney, R-Jacksonville, angered Second Amendment advocates during this year’s legislative session when his committee did not move forward with a measure tied to the state’s “stand your ground” self-defense law.
Are We Finally Ready For Smart Guns? Daytona’s iGuns Technologies Aims For Yes
The iGun’s chip technology only works within centimeters and makes it impossible for anyone other than the person wearing the ring to fire it. Some gun advocates are resistant for various reasons.
Armed Woman Detained After Tense Encounter With Cops at European Village Bar
A woman who threatened to kill herself at Cork and Pint Bar had a .38-caliber gun loaded with hollow-point ammunition, which she had shown two people. She was Baker Acted.
George Zimmerman’s Auction Of Gun He Used to Kill Trayvon Martin Misfires
Zimmerman described the gun as “a piece of American history” and said he’d send “portions” of the proceeds to “fight [Black Lives Matter] violence and fight “Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric.”
For Flagler’s Gun Shops, New Residents Spur Brisk Business But Laws Conceal Debate
Flagler County’s gun shop owners say fear and a need for protection rather than hunting still drives much of their business, but they have differing views on gun regulations and the need for additional laws.
A Lockdown in Putnam Ripples to Anger in Palm Coast and a Man’s Arrest in Shooting
Gregory J. Marr was arrested after shooting his gun in the canal off Chelsea Court in Palm Coast and allegedly pointing it at his wife, whom he’d been unable to reach after a murder at her health care facility triggered a lockdown.
Palm Coast Man Who Shot Wife With AK-47 Continues to Fight His 25-Year Sentence
William Carson Merrill shot and killed his wife as he played with the assault rifle in their home four years ago. He is battling in court for a new trial, arguing that he tendered an involuntary plea to the manslaughter charge.
Man Arrested Over Cocking AK-47 Outside Metro Diner After Words With Manager
Joseph Eberhardinger, 24, had gone to Metro Diner with his girlfriend so she could retrieve her last paycheck when the incident unfolded. The same evening, Anthony Catoggio, 19, was arrested on an identical charge in a separate incident.
Palm Coast Man Who Avoided Prison in Child Porn Case Is Sentenced to 1 Year Over Gun
Paul Stout, formerly of Palm Coast, had avoided prison when he was placed on 10 years’ probation for possession of child porn last year, but his possession of a .380-caliber gun as a felon sent him to prison.
Firearm Flagler: 3 Separate Gun Incidents Land 1 in Hospital With Gunshot Wound and 2 in Jail
A Palm Coast man shot at his wife and son through their front door on Kathleen Trail, a man was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler with a gunshot wound to his leg after a Seminole Woods party, and an ex-boyfriend allegedly threatened to shoot his girlfriend as he held a 9 mm gun during an argument.
Put Away Your Glocks, Backyardigans:
Gov. Scott Signs Bill Banning Urban Gun Play
Scott’s signature Wednesday comes nearly five years after the governor signed into law a measure that voided all local firearms restrictions.
Suicide By Gun Averted, Woman’s Face Burned With Cigarette, Good Samaritan Turns In $2,500
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Michael Breckwoldt, a 13-year veteran of the force, averted a suicide by a 68-year-old woman who was wielding a Smith and Wesson .380 handgun and had earlier fired two shots.
Florida Senate’s Latest Bow to Guns: Allowing Them in Airport Terminals
The measure would allow people to continue carrying sidearms in the areas of airports up to where passengers go through the security-screening process.
More Public Record Exemptions For Gun Owners, This Time For Hunters and Fishermen
People getting hunting, fishing and boating licenses and certificates from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would be shielded from public record disclosures.
Open-Carry Allowance and Ban on Backyard Shooting Among Gun Bills Heading for a Vote
Openly carried guns would have to be in a holster, case or bag, recreational shooting in certain residential areas would be banned, and the burden of proof in stand your ground cases would shift to defendants.
Opposing Open Carry, Sheriffs Instead Propose Immunity for Accidental Display of Guns
The Florida Sheriffs Association, which has opposed the open-carry measure, outlined proposed steps that would provide immunity to people who inadvertently or accidentally display firearms.
In a Civilized State Without Stand Your Ground, Jordan Davis Would Still Be Alive
The covenant of civilized living demands that we work to defuse conflicts, not escalate them. It demands that we look at each other face to face, and not through the divisive lens of stereotype.
At Five Star Pizza, A Confrontation With A Dissatisfied Customer Ends With a Gun
When Palm Coast resident Tammie Bouie wouldn’t leave Five Star Pizza, owner-manager Denis Gotlib pulled out a Glock, telling deputies he had a right to stand his ground.
Pinellas Sheriff’s Caution on Open-Carry Bill Triggers Duel of Furious Accusations
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says a Sarasota Herald-Tribune blogger “absolutely mischaracterizes” his concerns about open-carry, as the blogger and Florida Carry, the pro-gun lobby group, claim the sheriff would threaten to shoot concealed carriers.
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
Killed in House, Stand Your Ground Bill That Shifts Burden of Proof Lives Again in Senate
A proposal that would shift the burden of proof to the state in cases involving Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law is poised to go to the full Senate.
Measure Allowing Guns on Florida College Campuses Heads for Likely House Passage
But the fate of the NRA-supported gun measure, vehemently opposed by university officials, still hangs in the Senate, where passage is less certain.
In Rare Defeat for NRA in Florida, Lawmakers Kill Broader Stand Your Ground Measure
A National Rifle Association-backed measure that could have made it easier legally for people to claim self-defense in shooting incidents failed to get through its first House committee on Tuesday.
17-Year-Old Girl Faces Felony Assault Charge For Pointing Toy Rifle at Belle Terre Drivers
Matanzas High School student Noelle Tirado told cops she knew she and her friends would be pulled over. The toy rifle’s orange tip had been blacked out.
Campus Gun Bill Advances in House While Opponents Pitch More Police Funding
If the aim of more guns is to prevent more rapes on campus, one opponent of the legislation said more police officers would provide better protection.
In Defeat for Florida Carry Inc., Court Upholds UF Policy Banning Guns in University Housing
The appeals court rejected Florida Carry’s argument that the Legislature provided for gun possession in dorms as it does in homes. That leaves it up to lawmakers to change. There’s been movement in that direction.
Openly Displaying Handguns and Guns on Campus Bills Win Senate Panel Approval
One of the Florida Senate committees also supported a measure that might make it easier for people to claim they have stood their ground in self-defense when shooting others.
NRA’ Misinformation, Mendacity and Victim-Blaming Take a Dive Into Rabbit Holes
More guns do not lead to less crime. More guns lead to more crime, argues Julie Delegal, who sees NRA zealots misrepresented the facts on guns with junk science wrapped in blame-the-victim hysteria.
Floridians Say Overwhelming No to Guns On Campus, Big Yes to Medical Marijuana
73 percent of Floridians oppose allowing students with concealed-weapons permits to carry guns on campus according to the latest USF-Nielsen Sunshine State Survey. Support for medical pot climbs.
John Thrasher on Campus Guns, FSU’s Alleged Inferiority and Marco Rubio’s Oats
Florida State University President John Thrasher talks about Rubio trash-talking FSU, his opposition to guns on campus, academic freedom and having the time of his life.
Two Women Threaten To Shoot Boys, 13 and 15, Over Knock at the Door at Integra Woods
Candance Ashley McCall, 28, and Letita Crimes, 33, confronted the boys while allegedly brandishing guns after a boy knocked on their door by mistake, then sough to confront them again at the boys’ apartment.
17-Year-Old Charged With Attempted Murder in July’s L-Section Shooting of Phillip Haire
Zaire Roberts of 46 Pine Hill Lane in Palm Coast faces a 1st-degree attempted murder charge for the alleged shooting of Phillip J. Haire, 18 on Lewisdale Lane in late July.
Cocked Again, College-Campus Gun Bill Makes It Through First Two Legislative Hurdles
The concealed-carry legislation won support from criminal-justice committees in the Florida House and Senate but is widely opposed by academic leaders.
Facing Lawsuit from Florida Carry, FSU Scraps Gun Ban in Cars on Football Game Day
The changes to the school’s “Game Day Plan 2015” guide for fans won’t holster the legal challenge by Florida Carry Inc. as legislators again consider allowing concealed weapons on campus.
For Every US Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, 13 Children Were Shot and Killed in America
Between 2002 and 2012, at least 28,000 children and teens 19-years-old and younger were killed with guns. Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 made up over two-thirds of all youth gun deaths in America.
Flagler, Among Top 10 Counties With Most Concealed-Weapon Licenses, Will Fast-Track Permitting
Flagler has 8.24 concealed carry permits for every 100 residents. Starting Jan. 1, the Flagler Tax Collector’s office will accept concealed-weapon permit applications for $134 and renewals for $72.
A Man Can’t Remember Who Shot Him or How, Another Insists On Being Arrested
Florida Hospital Flagler’s emergency room was the scene of two odd and unrelated incidents that resulted in the arrest of one man and the investigation of a suspicious shooting that injured a man’s foot but that led to no arrests.
Florida League of Women Voters Targeting New Campus Concealed Weapons Bills
The goal is to make the opposition stronger than during the 2015 session, by uniting with students, professors, administrators and the national organization Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus.
Flagler’s Irresponsible Gun Owners: 37 Firearms Stolen Since 2014, Mostly From Unlocked Cars
Just seven of the stolen guns have been recovered. The rest are in the hands of criminals, putting residents and police at greater risk, the Flagler sheriff’s office warns.
Lawmakers Reload to Allow Students to Carry Concealed Weapons on Florida Campuses
The proposal drew heavy debate during the 2015 legislative session, with gun-rights advocates supporting the idea and many university-system leaders opposing it.
Cases Involving Police Shootings Across Florida Spur FDLE to Seek More Investigators
FDLE always investigates shootings involving police in local agencies. Those investigations have increased 40 percent last year alone, and 100 percent in the past five years.
Federal Court Upholds Docs v. Glocks Law Forbidding Physicians From Asking About Guns
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights advocates and a defeat for medical groups that argued, at least in part, that the law infringed on doctors’ First Amendment rights.
Court Will Hear Argument That Guns Should Be Allowed at UF Dorms as They Are At Home
A circuit judge ruled against Florida Carry Inc.’s argument last year that people have a legal right to possess firearms at University of Florida housing just as they do in their homes.
Three Hurt in 3 Bizarre Shootings in 32 Hours in Palm Coast and Bunnell This Weekend
Three unrelated shootings, once of them authorities described as an attempted murder, left three people injured and involved three police agencies, including in one case the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, though no arrests have been made.
Proposal Allowing Concealed Guns in Schools, Largely Opposed By Flagler Board, Dies
Bills that would lead to guns at schools have traditionally faced an uphill challenge in the Senate, which is more moderate on such issues than the House.
Guns and Ammo Included In Sales Tax Holiday Florida Lawmakers Are Set To Approve
Guns and ammunition remain in a proposed Independence Day sales-tax holiday on hunting gear that is part of a wide-ranging tax cut package that advanced Tuesday in the House.
An Arrest for Child Neglect and Battery; Shots on Old Dixie; $250,000 Yacht Burns on Cimarron Drive
A 1-year-old child left unattended was rescued from choking on a cigarette butt; a suspected backyard gun range of the sort the Legislature just refused to let local governments regulate may have been the source of a “stray” bullet that found its way into a 67-year-old man’s residence off Old Dixie Highway.