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4/20/26 In Shreveport (LA), a male adult embarked on a domestic rampage, shooting and killing
eight children, ages 1-14, including some of his descendants, and critically wounding their mother and another
woman. It happened at three homes in the same neighborhood. Shamar Elkins carjacked a vehicle and was shot
dead by police during the chase. It's reportedly the worst mass murder in the U.S. in over two years.
And in Chicago's beset Garfield Park neighborhood, three pedestrians, ages 27, 32 and 36 were
killed and a 35-year-old was critically injured when two persons stepped out of a car and opened fire. As
of yet, there have been no arrests, and the motive hasn't been disclosed.
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An AP probe of newly-hired ICE agents reveals many with problematic backgrounds. One had a number
of bankruptcies and had coursed through a series of brief stints in six law enforcement agencies. Another
left a Sheriff's office after the county paid $75,000 to settle a false-arrest lawsuit. And a third had
failed out of a police academy. A former ICE instructor also criticized its training regimen for inadequately
addressing use of force, gun safety and citizen rights.
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Troubled neighborhoods "that have become magnets for blight and unwanted
activity" will be the focus of Detroit's Community Safety Action Teams. Weekly walk-throughs will identify
places that need repairs, better lighting, and more police presence. Special attention will be paid to
after-hours venues, and steps will be taken to close those whose problems can't be remedied. Programs to
encourage gun safety and safe storage, and to help youths resolve conflicts, will also be implemented.
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Dozens of guns recovered from crimes in Canada were smuggled in by an
American truck driver. According to a Federal indictment, Erhan John Er, a 35-year-old Sarasota man,
regularly purchased guns from licensed dealers and resold them to his Canadian "co-conspirator" for a
heady profit. Although attempts were made to obliterate the serial numbers, many were successfully
restored, thus allowing the weapons to be traced back to their source. Er pled guilty in Federal court
and was just sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment.
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It's D.C.'s
"deadliest stretch" so far this year. Seven residents of the beset capital city were killed by gunfire
in five days. It began when an "ongoing dispute" led a middle-aged public transit employee to shoot a
colleague. Terrell Cross, 44, then committed suicide. That was followed on by the shooting deaths of four
men, ages 18, 25, 29 and 34 in separate incidents. Two boys, ages 12 and 14, then fell to a fusillade
while celebrating spring break. So far this year, D.C.'s homicide count is twenty, one-half that of 2025,
when there were 41. But authorities are worried.
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4/17/26 A Minneapolis-area motorist called 911 to report that the
driver of a van ("a crazy person") had just pointed a gun at him and his passenger. That "crazy person"
turned out to be ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. And in a first-ever, local prosecutors charged him
with "two counts of second-degree assault" and issued a warrant for his arrest. As it turns out, Morgan
had been driving on the shoulder, and the "victim" purposely drove in front of Morgan, whom he did not
recognize as a law enforcement officer, to slow him down. The gun display happened after the citizen's
car returned to the roadway. Morgan has not yet been arrested.
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We are trying to send a very loud message. That's how a Mississippi State Senator explained
a new state law, effective July 1st., that will "automatically" charge youths who commit crimes with guns
as adults. Adults who give teens stolen guns will face 20 years in prison; if a crime is committed with
the gun, it's thirty years. Shooting into a crowd carries a 15-year term, and thirty if someone in the
crowd is under 18. Opening fire in a school or church can bring on a 20-year sentence, and shooters who
are gang members can get thirty years.
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I regret my hurtful comments. That's how (liberal) Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor walked back
comments she made during a law school conference reprimanding (conservative) Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh,
whose parents were professionals, for displaying a lack of socioeconomic sensitivity when making rulings
about immigration matters. (In a 2025 case, Kavanaugh had endorsed removing limits on immigration raids in
L.A.) But her frustration is shared with fellow liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who complained in
another forum about the Court's eagerness to permit controversial Presidential moves to move forward, at
least temporarily.
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Six states presently
ban ERPO laws, which let family members and others ask courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders
that authorize police to confiscate guns from dangerous persons. One of those states is Texas; despite
pleas from the mother of the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooter, it joined the no-ERPO law group last year.
Three more states are proposing similar bans. The Trace points to the country's political divide,
with gun-rights advocates and "Reds" in the "no ERPO" column. But are ERPO laws effective? Data indicates
that non-ERPO states have higher-than-average suicide rates. “I am alive today because I did not have
access to a firearm." That was the testimony of a 15-year old Texas youth who opposed his state's ban.
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4/16/26 He snuck the guns from his father's closet. Twenty-year-old
Victor Lee Hawkins then headed to the high school in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, to commit a Columbine-like
massacre and kill the principal, whom he didn't like. On arrival, he opened fire on students in the foyer,
but the guns malfunctioned. He only got a couple rounds off, and no one was struck. Hearing the commotion,
the principal ran in and tackled Hawkins, and in the process got shot in the leg. But he and another adult
managed to hold Hawkins down until police arrived. It happened on April 7, and a dramatic video depicting
the episode was just released.
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A host of Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy over
their roles in staging the Capitol assault. And while their prison sentences were commuted by President
Trump's "sweeping act of clemency" when he returned to office, their convictions remained on the books.
But the Justice Department has just moved to erase those as well.
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4/15/26 In 2010 Oklahoma woman Kimberlee Williams did two years in prison for writing bad
checks. But she says those bad days are behind her. So when Maryland authorities arrested her in 2021 for
making fraudulent withdrawals from a Maryland bank, she insisted that she had never even been to that
state. But she was locked up for six months before authorities conceded that her arrest had been based on
an erroneous identification by facial recognition technology, which had compared the evildoer's photo
with hers. And it's not the first time that authorities have made this highly consequential mistake.
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New Haven and the state of Connecticut are in DOJ's bulls-eye over their "sanctuary city"
laws. According to a Federal lawsuit, "they have
allowed dangerous criminals to be released into Connecticut communities" by prohibiting state and local
officers "from complying with immigration detainers and civil immigration warrants." What's more, state and
local cops are also barred from advising the Feds "regarding the custody status or release of a targeted
illegal alien." And no, when it comes to immigration scofflaws, ignorance is not bliss.
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4/14/26 A December 2023 Chicago PD gun buy-back event yielded a .45 cal. Glock.
But instead of getting melted down the gun was apparently snuck off by a cop. A year later police seized it
from a 16-year-old who was trying to break into parked cars. By then the gun had been used in
three shootings. Chicago PD reportedly "fought to keep all of this secret." Meanwhile no one's been
charged in the shootings.
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4/13/26 Current Illinois law prohibits citation quotas. But it's mum about other
"quantifiable" measures, such as the number of stops and arrests that cops make. Officers claim that
such pressures are rampant, and the state legislature is preparing a bill that would prohibit agencies
from using any "de facto quota" to evaluate cops. But police executives oppose the legislation. In their
view, traffic stops and warnings are a "legitimate management mechanism" for preventing traffic accidents.
Taking that away, they argue, would go against the public interest. And the battle continues. Related posts
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Technological innovation is breathing a new life into old-fashioned
policing. In Florida, a statewide effort to solve cold murder and missing-persons cases will extract
DNA from old genetic material and apply family-tree techniques to identify possible suspects.
And in Oklahoma, police are applying AI tool "Longeye" to help detectives develop actionable leads from
the massive troves of "documents, data, audio and video" that they often obtain through warrants.
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Samuel Machado allegedly used his position as a sheriff's Lieutenant to help
evade scrutiny of his illicit stash. That "stash" was one million pounds of commercial-grade fireworks,
including some that reportedly exceeded legal limits, which was illegally stored in a warehouse on his
property in California's rural Yolo County. And when the mass blew, it killed seven workers employed by two
pyrotechnics firms. Machado was placed on leave. And he, his wife and three others have been charged with
murder.
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"It was
crystal clear." Wicomico County (MD) Sheriff Mike Lewis praised video footage from the drone that
secretly flew overhead while evildoers transferred 53 pounds of cocaine. That operation led to a major
bust in which deputies seized more than $4 million worth of cocaine and eleven guns. Wicomico County's six
drones have proven useful in many other ways. Such as helping search for missing children and the elderly,
who tend to get lost in the county's marshy areas.
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4/10/26 Then-NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran didn't intend to kill Eric Duprey
when he tossed a cooler chest at the fleeing man. But his antagonist was riding a scooter, and the blow
knocked him off the bike and head-first into a tree. Duran was promptly fired, and a jury convicted him of
reckless manslaughter. It's punishable by up to 15 years, but a judge just sentenced him to three to nine.
How the ex-boss of an undercover narc team will fare during that sizeable stint behind bars is very much up
in the air.
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4/9/26 A 2023 massacre in Lewiston, where eighteen were slain,
prompted Maine to pass a 2024 law that bars gun buyers from picking up their guns for 72 hours. Alleging
this violates the 2nd. Amendment, pro-gunners sued, and a Federal District Court judge enjoined the law. But
the First Circuit just lifted the injunction, letting the law take effect. In its view, the Bruen decision exempts laws that "delay, but
do not deny, licenses while states [take steps to] ensure that guns are being carried by law-abiding and
responsible citizens."
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Decked out in a suit and tie, 63-year-old "Gilgo Beach" serial killer Rex Heuermann appeared in a
Suffolk County, N.Y. courtroom and admitted murdering eight women, including several sex workers, during a
decades-long spree that began in the early 90's. D.A. Ray Tierney commended authorities for unraveling
the case, which was cracked in part by DNA that was recovered from a discarded pizza crust. Heuermann was
arrested in 2023. He will soon be sentenced to life without parole.
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4/8/26 "There is no general rule of criminal immunity for judges." That's the
conclusion of the Wisconsin Federal judge who just upheld a jury's finding that former State judge
Hannah Dugan had obstructed Federal immigration enforcement. One year ago an illegal immigrant appeared in
her court on State charges, and when ICE came around she helped him sneak away. So the Feds went after
her. Ms. Dugan, a 10-year veteran, resigned her judgeship. She is yet to be sentenced (see 4/8/25 and
12/22/25 updates). Decision Related
post
Enacted in 2013, an Illinois State law prohibits everyone, including CCW permittees, from
carrying loaded guns on public transportation. But the law was thrown out two years ago by an Illinois
Federal District court judge, who ruled that it conflicted with Bruen. Last year, though, a three-judge panel of the Illinois Federal
Circuit held that "the challenged law is comfortably situated in a centuries-old practice of
limiting firearms in sensitive and crowded, confined places." It thus came back into effect. And in an
unsigned opinion (Schoenthal
v. Raoul et al, no. 25-541), the Supreme Court just denied certiorari. Meaning, the law stands.
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4/7/26 A mandatory twenty years in prison, no parole.
That's the penalty that a bill by Hawaii's House would impose on previously convicted felons who use a
gun to commit a crime. Its move comes in wake of last year's murder of Maui police officer Suzanne O by
a 38-year-old ex-con who had been making terroristic threats. “How many times in Hawaii and across the
country," asks Hawaii County police chief Reed Mahuna, "someone who should have never had a gun in the
first place ends up with one, and someone doesn’t go home.” Related posts
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From one "ghost" in 2021 to
one-hundred nine in 2024. That alarming jump in NYPD recoveries of 3-D printed guns has led the
Manhattan D.A. to propose legislation that would ban home-made guns and gun components altogether. New York
Governor Kathy Hochul has taken it a step further, sponsoring legislation that would prohibit "sharing
digital designs" for crafting these increasingly ubiquitous tools of violence. As things now stand, New
Yorkers can only be charged with illegally possessing a completed gun. Related posts
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4/6/26 Crime in violence-beset Oakland (CA) seems on a downtrend. But armed evildoing continues.
Only days ago, a prolific robbery "crew" opened fire on officers and eluded pursuit. Guns falling into the
wrong hands is a chronic issue. In response, Oakland police chief James Beere announced a joint, 90-day
operation with ATF and other agencies that targets violent offenders and "the people bringing guns into our
community." And to help keep crime at bay, youth job initiatives are being expanded and a police cadet
program is being relaunched. Related posts
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Alabama man
Tykevious D. Russaw, 27, had an arrest record for gun and drug violations. That may be connected with
the reason why he fled from police on the evening of April 3. During a pursuit (its purpose has not been
released) his car left a rural Pike County road and struck a tree. Russaw and his three passengers, ages
27, 24 and 17, were killed.
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It was supposed to be just another
undercover gun buy. But when the undercover Chicago-area ATF agent walked up to a car with $600 to pay
for two guns, Jeremy Jones, 19, stuck a gun in his face. He and his two companions, ages 20 and 22, had
clearly intended to get something for nothing. But the ATF agent opened fire, and other officers quickly
hemmed in the scoundrels. They now face various Federal charges, including attempted robbery of U.S.
property. That $600.
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According to the
Penn Carey Law School, police field drug test kits often produce erroneous findings. Their 2023
study,
"Guilty Until Proven Innocent," found that they were responsible for numerous wrongful convictions.
A new report blasts the $2 "colorimetric" tests that officers continue to use in the field, and which
often yield false positives. Leading to "tens of thousands of wrongful arrests" each year.
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When it comes to
an armed citizenry, Massachusetts has always been a "strong law" state. Citizens who wish to pack must
complete an extensive gun safety course. New provisions require training on "disengagement tactics,"
suicide prevention and safe gun storage. The live-fire component has also been updated. These extensive
"tweaks" aren't just for new permittees - they're required for many renewals as well. In all, "tens of
thousands" of state residents will be affected. And not everyone's happy.
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4/3/26 Two innocent souls were killed when their car was
struck by a truck that was being pursued by Pomona (CA) police. Its driver, Marshall Judson, 31, was
fleeing from officers who had responded to his residence on a repeat domestic violence call. Judson was
arrested at the crash site, and a gun and gun parts were seized from his vehicle. Oh, yes. He also lacked a
driver's license.
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4/2/26 Howard County, MD police responded to a 911 call by a man who claimed to be suicidal. And
when a group of officers encountered 24-year-old Alex La Morie, he had a knife. Holding it by his side, he
walked towards the officers. Despite repeat supplications, he didn't drop it. “I don’t care. I don’t want to
live anymore. I want to be free of my pain." One officer thought that another had a Taser, but none were at
hand. Feeling cornered, three officers opened fire, inflicting fatal wounds. Howard County has since
purchased 200 more Tasers.
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Substantially increase civilian and officer staff and concentrate resources where they're
most needed. These commonsensical solutions lie at the core of a massive, just-released report that analyzes Chicago PD's
struggles with crime. Among its findings are that fewer than eight percent of employees are civilians.
That's supposedly far below other cities. Civilianizing 604 desk and technical positions and hiring 273 new
cops would substantially increase "proactive" patrol time in the city's most highly impacted neighborhoods.
Related post
Drones as "first responders." A fleet of twenty-three drones reportedly helped deputies patrolling
Louisiana's Jefferson Parish make 170 arrests during a recent four-month period. And now they may have
come to New Orleans. Despite objections from anti-surveillance types, the French Quarter District Board
just approved spending $250,000 to buy a police drone. It would be operated by an officer stationed in its
area. But the City Council has to say "yes."
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4/1/26 A "declination" signifies a prosecutor's refusal to file charges. In normal
times the reason is usually a lack of evidence. But a ProPublica analysis reveals that compared with
the three pre-Trump administrations, DOJ turned away 26% more violent crime case, 45% more drug cases, 86%
more organized crime cases, and so on during his 2025 term. Not so immigration cases, where 22 percent fewer
got the axe. Indeed, the 32,000 immigration cases prosecuted during the first 6 months of Trump's second term
"was nearly triple the number under the Biden administration and a 15% increase from the first Trump term."
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$1.75 million.
It's not much, but it's what Georgia's "Mean Arms" company has agreed to pay the families of the ten Black
New Yorkers whom white supremacist Payton Gendron gunned down in 2022. This ends a long-running lawsuit in
which the company was accused of marketing a device that keeps rifle magazines from being removed for quick
reloading. That feature made the XM-15 rifle that Gendron wielded legal under New York Law. Problem is, as
the company and its customers well knew, altering the gadget to facilitate reloading on-the-go was simple.
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3/31/26 A mentally-distraught Hartford man had cut himself and was gripping a knife
when officers arrived in response to a 911 call. But as they talked to Steven Jones and calmed him down
rookie cop Joseph Magnano suddenly appeared. He instantly approached Jones with a drawn gun and ordered
him to drop the knife or "You're going to get shot." Jones didn't immediately comply, and Magnano opened
fire, fatally striking the man nine times. Magnano has been fired.
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Sheriff Danny Sanchez, four of his deputies, and a former deputy were indicted by
a Costilla County (CO) grand jury over two episodes: "mishandling" of a corpse, whose remains were
essentially discarded except for a skull, and the aggressive use of Taser on a mentally ill man who said
he was left with broken ribs.
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3/30/26 Past behavior is the cornerstone of a new Salt Lake
City program that focuses law enforcement attention on individuals whose records suggest "they are most
likely to be involved in violence." One-hundred fourteen such persons have been identified, and each has
been placed on official notice that they're in the cops' eyes. But Police Chief Brian Redd says each has
also been offered mental health and drug abuse services, "and if they want to choose that off-ramp, we’re
there for them as well.”
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