2 arrested in I-95 shooting incident in Richmond

Wednesday, Sep 03, 2008

Virginia State Police arrested two people in connection with a shooting yesterday on Interstate 95 in South Richmond.

“It appears it may have stemmed from a road rage incident,” said Sgt. Tom Cunningham, a state police spokesman.

Around 4 p.m., one vehicle was following another closely when the vehicle in front braked abruptly, he said.

After an exchange of hand gestures, the passenger in the vehicle that had been following extended his arm outside the car and shot at the other vehicle’s driver with a 9 mm semiautomatic, Cunningham said.

The incident happened along south on I-95 near the Bells Road exit, Cunningham said. No one was injured.

Richard E. Carwile, 24, of Richmond, and a passenger, Yunshaa L. Whitaker, 18, of Henrico County, face multiple charges in the incident, Cunningham said.

Carwile has been charged with being an accessory to attempted murder and being an accessory to maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle.

Whitaker has been charged with attempted murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon, maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle and shooting a firearm from a motor vehicle in an attempt to create injury or bodily harm.

Carwile and Whitaker were in the vehicle from which the shot allegedly was fired, Cunningham said.

The gun has been recovered, he said.

Chesterfield County police assisted in the investigation.

story, courtesy of Linda Dunham, Richmond Times-Dispatch

Our offices will be closed Thursday, August 28 through Sunday, August 31, 2008 for annual instructor training.

As always, you may email questions to: training@proactiveshooters.com and one of our training specialists will answer your question as quickly as possible. You may also, of course continue to register for classes on our website.

Our offices will reopen on Monday, September 1, 2008.

Thank you

That your valid Virginia concealed handgun permit allows you to apply for a permit to carry a concealed handgun in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

From the Virginia State Police website………

POINT MARION, Pa. (Aug. 19) — An 85-year-old woman boldly went for her gun and busted a would-be burglar inside her home, then forced him to call police while she kept him in her sights, police said. “I just walked right on past him to the bedroom and got my gun,” Leda Smith said.

Smith heard someone break into her home Sunday afternoon and grabbed the .22-caliber revolver she had been keeping by her bed since a neighbor’s home was burglarized a few weeks ago.

WPXI / AP

Leda Smith, 85, says it was “exciting” to stop a burglar inside her home, adding that she hopes she stopped a crime spree in her Pennsylvania neighborhood.

“I said ‘What are you doing in my house?’ He just kept saying he didn’t do it,” Smith said.

After the 17-year-old boy called 911, Smith kept holding the gun on him until state police arrived at her home in Springhill Township, about 45 miles south of Pittsburgh.

The boy will be charged with attempted burglary and related offenses in juvenile court, Trooper Christian Lieberum said. He was not identified because of his age.

“It was exciting,” Smith said. “I just hope I broke up the (burglary) ring because they have been hitting a lot of places around here.”

The Proactive Shooters website has a forum where you can interact with other gun owners, concealed carry permit holders, and Proactive Shooters’ staff members.

Lately, our forum has not seen much activity. That’s why we need your help! Stop by and introduce yourself. You can discuss a variety of topics, ask questions, and even put your firearm related items up for sale.

Check it out!    http://www.proactiveshooters.com/forum/

Perry supports school district’s decision to allow guns

By JANET ELLIOTT 

Houston Chronicle

Aug. 18, 2008, 6:08PM

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that local school districts should be able to decide whether to allow concealed weapons on their campuses.

“I’m pretty much a fan that if you’ve been trained, if you are registered, then you ought to be able to carry a weapon,” he said.

Perry was asked about the policy of a tiny school district west of Wichita Falls, which may be the first in the nation to allow employees who are licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring their weapons to campus.

After the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech University, Perry expressed support for allowing Texans who are legally licensed to carry their concealed handguns anywhere, including churches, bars, courthouses and college campuses.

Those premises are now off limits by state law to concealed handgun license holders. The chairman of the House Law Enforcement Committee said he plans to introduce legislation next year to allow concealed weapons at colleges and universities.

Harrold Superintendent David Thweatt said his school board unanimously passed the concealed weapon policy last October to protect employees and students in the case of an armed intruder or hostage situation.

The district’s lone K-12 school, with 110 students, sits near a major highway and is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff’s office.

Texas’ penal code prohibits firearms at schools “unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorizations of the institution.”

A federal law bans guns on or near schools but has an exception for persons licensed by a state where the school is located to carry concealed handguns.

James Dark, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association, said both federal and state law allow exemptions to support the policy adopted by Harrold ISD.

“I think they have a pretty clear and compelling reason to consider their security arrangement,” Dark said. “They’re out there on their own.”

Dark said he has not heard of other school districts considering similar policies. Houston school districts said last week they won’t follow Harrold ISD’s lead.

Marsha McCartney, president of the North Texas Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the training for a concealed carry license isn’t up to the level of law enforcement.

“It’s ridiculous to think that these people are going to have the expertise that law enforcement officers have,” she said. “I’m not sure a teacher with just a concealed carry permit is the person you want protecting your school.”

McCartney added that she is concerned about the message children in Harrold ISD may be getting.

“They are showing their children there’s lots to be afraid of. You’ve got to have a weapon on your body at all times or you’re in danger,” she said.

Perry mentioned the 1991 massacre at a Luby’s cafeteria in Killeen as an instance where allowing concealed weapons likely would have saved lives. The killings of 23 people, including the parents of former state Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, by a lone gunman who then shot himself was a catalyst for passage of Texas’ concealed handgun law in 1995.

A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to pass a law specifically allowing teachers and staff to pack heat when classes begin later this month.

Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.

Superintendent David Thweatt told FOXNews.com the policy was initiated because of safety concerns.

“We have had employees assaulted before by people in the last several years,” Thweatt said. “I think that safety is big concern. We are seeing a lot of anger in society.”

He wouldn’t comment further on the nature of the assaults.

The Texas superintendent linked gun-free zones with the uprising of school shootings in recent years.

“When you make schools gun-free zones, it’s like inviting people to come in and take advantage,” Thweatt told FOXNews.com.

In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and must use ammunition that is designed to minimize the risk of ricochet in school halls.

Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff’s office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district’s lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.

The kindergarten through 12th grade school district is home to 110 students.

Thweatt said officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change. He said the district also has various other security measures in place to prevent a school shooting.

“The naysayers think [a shooting] won’t happen here,” Thweatt said. “If something were to happen here, I’d much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them.”

He told FOXNews.com he doesn’t think students will think twice about the new policy.

“I hope they forget all about it,” he said. “We want them to pay attention [to their school work].”

Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses “unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution.”

While the district’s plan shot them into the national spotlight, carrying guns to school is nothing new some states. In Utah, the law allows anyone with a permit to carry a gun in public schools and state institutions of higher education.

It was unclear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members will be armed this fall because Thweatt did not disclose that information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.

Wilbarger County Sheriff Larry Lee did not immediately return a call placed to his office by FOXNews.com.

Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, including in Texas, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

The district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Proactive Shooters President and Chief Firearms Instructor James Reynolds participated in the recent filming of a National Geographic documentary. The filming was conducted on Saturday, August 9th at the Showmasters Gun Show held at the Richmond Raceway.

The documentary details a young lady’s introduction to handguns and her desire to purchase her first handgun for self defense. Mr. Reynolds assisted by escorting her around the show and answering her questions regarding the various types of handguns for sale. Mr. Reynolds was also interviewed by the film crew regarding his thoughts on armed citizens defending themselves against crime.

“The crew was great to work with”, said Mr. Reynolds. “They were very professional and genuinely interested in the topic. The young lady asked intelligent questions and seemed very interested in learning all that she could to make an informed purchase decision.”

Getting mic’ed up before filming

Discussing the Proactive Shooters training program

Explaining the various types of semi-auto handguns

Discussing the differences between semi-autos and revolvers 

The documentary is scheduled to air in December 2008.