Florida man sees back door of mom's home left open. So he goes inside, hears strange noises — and grabs a gun.



A Florida man on the evening of the Fourth of July noticed a rear door of his mother's home in Osceola County was left open, so he entered the residence, WKMG-TV reported, citing the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

RELATED: Armed intruder breaks into home after midnight. But homeowner's son also has a gun — and permanently takes care of business.

  Image source: Osceola County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office

After reportedly hearing strange noises, the man armed himself with a revolver, the station said. WOFL-TV reported that the noises were coming from the back bedroom.

'Don't let the libs hear about this ... they'll be pushing to put the shooter in jail.'

After the man called out to see if anyone else was in the home, an alleged intruder emerged from a hallway and charged toward him, WKMG said, citing the sheriff's office.

With that, the man fired a single shot into the alleged intruder's leg, WKMG reported.

Deputies responded around 8:30 p.m. to the home along Deer Run Road where the homeowner’s son was holding the alleged burglar — Mitchell Platt, 37 — at gunpoint, WKMG said.

The man who fired the shot was not injured, investigators added to WKMG.

Platt was hospitalized for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, was released, was then arrested, and was being held on no bond for charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and possession of burglary tools, WKMG said.

RELATED: Female accused of stabbing pregnant woman 14 times in front of victim's 5-year-old daughter over $2 pizza delivery tip

  Mitchell Platt. Image source: Osceola County (Fla.) Jail

Osceola County court records show Platt "having a number of court cases relating to arrests for drug possession, theft, and burglary," WESH-TV reported.

Those with information about the incident are asked to call the sheriff’s office’s non-emergency line at 407-348-2222, WKMG noted.

Not all of the observers who left comments under Yahoo News' republication of WOFL's story were completely satisfied with the outcome of the incident:

  • "You, sir, need more time at the gun range!!!" one commenter declared. "Why[?] Because IT lived."
  • "At the leg. Oh, please," another commenter lamented. "You ought to practice more at the range. Now, your tax [dollars are] ... taking care of this dude's medical bills, etc."
  • "The shooter needs to learn how to shoot — make every shot count — now, he will probably be sued by the [burglar]," another commenter opined.
  • "Don't let the libs hear about this ... they'll be pushing to put the shooter in jail," another commenter predicted. "How dare he [shoot] an intruder ... right libs?"
  • "Correct me if I'm wrong, but a revolver should hold six rounds. Dead men tell no tales. They also commit no more crimes," another commenter wrote.

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Watch: Pistol-whipping carjacker picks wrong car — and has instant regrets when pastor gives him shock of his life



New video shows a teen attempting an armed carjacking in crime-ridden Baltimore, but the intended victim — a prominent pastor — fought back and turned the tables on the crook.

Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr. — pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, Connecticut — was in Baltimore for a funeral in late June.

'I knew my life was at stake.'

Moales parked his car outside a seafood restaurant in the city's Upper Fells Point neighborhood just before 9 p.m. June 29, WBAL-TV reported.

A teen wearing a ski mask approached Moales' vehicle while the pastor was still inside it, the station said, adding that the teenager allegedly asked the pastor for help regarding his dead cell phone.

The teen — armed with a gun — ordered the pastor to exit his vehicle, WBAL said.

"When I looked at him, I knew like something about this wasn't right. I was looking to kind of drive away, and he immediately pulls up his ski mask," Moales told WBFF-TV. "Puts it up over his face, whips out the Glock, points it at the car, like, 'Get out the car.'"

Moales added to WJZ-TV, "He's placed materialism over my life, and unfortunate[ly] for him, he picked the wrong car."

The pastor made a split-second decision to fight back against the young carjacker.

"I immediately got into a fight. So I just punched him in the face. I reach out for the gun," Moales recalled to WBFF.

Surveillance video shows Moales tackling the teen and slamming him on the wet pavement for approximately 20 seconds.

Moales also told WBFF, "I really believe I was fighting for my life and, more importantly, trying to get home to my wife and children."

Citing charging documents, WBAL reported that the carjacker pistol-whipped the pastor in the head.

RELATED: Watch a California family unleash a paintball barrage to thwart thieves from stealing catalytic converters from cars in their driveway

 

During the melee, Moales recounted to WJZ that he was able to wrestle the gun away from the teenager.

What's more, the pastor offered the teen an opportunity to get away.

Moales recalled to WBFF, "I realize how young he is, and that's when I tell him, 'Hey, I'm a pastor. Relax, calm down. I'm a pastor. I'm not going to press charges. You know, I'm going to let you go, but you’ve got to get out of here.'"

However, the carjacker didn't accept the offer — and proceeded to steal the pastor's vehicle.

"I told him, 'I'm a father, a husband, and a pastor, and you can just go now, and I won't press charges,'" Moales recounted to WVIT-TV. "But even after all of that — after I had let him go and given him a chance to not face charges — he still drove off in my car."

He added to WBFF, "You would think once I let him know I was a pastor that there would be, in one way or another, some level of remorse, and there was neither, none at all. He [couldn't] care less. And that’s what’s left me hurt — I’m not going to say broken — [but] hurt, concerned, and knowing what my new mission is."

The pastor suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from his congregation.

WJZ reported that within hours of the carjacking, officers with the Baltimore Police Department located the pastor's vehicle with three suspects inside — ages 15, 16, and 19.

All three teenagers were arrested and charged with auto theft, WBAL said.

The two minors were not identified because they are underage, but WBAL identified the 19-year-old suspect as Mehkai Tindal, according to charging documents. It isn't clear which of the three attacked Moales.

RELATED: Alabama churchgoer in his 70s hailed as a hero for bludgeoning, apprehending gunman in deadly church shooting

  

The harrowing experience provided the pastor with an eye-opening perspective — and a new mission.

Moales told WVIT, "I have forgiven the young man — but this violent crime just shows me that I need to work even harder to help young people right here in Bridgeport, because a lot of these kids are hopeless and this problem is not unique to Baltimore."

The pastor added to WBFF, "If we don't commit to educating this generation in a significant way, what happened to me is just a beginning. If they'll, if they'll pistol-whip a pastor, you about know what they'll do to my members."

Moales noted to WBAL, "My prayer today is, 'God, thank you for covering me. Thank you for my life.'"

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Armed homeowner hits intruder with 4 shots, cops say: 'The safety and protection of one’s home is a fundamental right'



Deputies from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri responded to a reported home invasion and shooting on County Highway 244, Sheriff Derick Wheetley of the Scott County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff's office confirmed to Blaze News on Friday evening that the incident occurred late Thursday night.

'You should never enter another person’s home without permission or invitation.'

Preliminary reports suggest that the homeowner was alerted to the intrusion and acted in self-protection, officials said.

The homeowner fired four shots, all of which struck the suspect, officials said, adding that the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Based on initial findings, the homeowner’s actions appear to have been justified in defense of themselves and their household," officials said.

"The safety and protection of one’s home is a fundamental right," the sheriff's office added.

The incident remains under active investigation, officials said, adding that identities of all parties involved are being withheld at this time.

No charges have been filed against the homeowner, the sheriff's office said, and the Scott County prosecutor will review the incident.

How are people reacting?

A number of commenters on the Facebook post from the sheriff's office had something to say about the incident:

  • "It is tragic," one commenter acknowledged. "However, you should never enter another person’s home without permission or invitation."
  • "Exactly as it should be!" another commenter declared. "The lock on my door is there for the intruders [sic] protection, not mine!"
  • "Don’t break into peoples [sic] houses, and you won’t get shot," another user said. "Seems pretty freakin' simple to me."
  • "That would [have] been the greeting at my house also," another commenter wrote.
  • "Same thing will happen if anybody invades my home," another user stated.
  • "Thank goodness for those rights to defend ourselves," another commenter offered, adding that "home invasion is one of the worst crimes. This is where we are supposed to feel safe."

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A gun in the hand is worth more than ‘never again’



Let’s face the truth. Being Jewish is a marvelous way of life, but it is also a very dangerous one. Jews need to wake up to the fact that there are imminent threats to their safety seemingly everywhere now in our country: in their homes, workplaces, synagogues, community centers, schools, and wherever else they happen to be.

FBI hate crime statistics against Jews are now at the highest they have been in decades. Just in the past several weeks, there have been two high-profile anti-Semitic attacks in America: the murder of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum on May 21 and the Molotov cocktail attacks against Jews at a pro-Israel event in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1.

Jewish gun ownership isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. Don’t wait. Do it now.

But the truth is, these incidents are not unusual. They are becoming all too common. Anti-Semites from both the radical left and radical right are out for Jewish blood. Their violent, unhinged anger is not going away any time soon.

It is also chilling how many Americans, especially in the younger generations, believe that violence is justified in the name of their political ideals. This is evidenced, for example, by the astonishingly high percentage of younger Americans who sympathize with Luigi Mangione in the murder of a health care executive.

Although Mangione’s case has nothing to do with Jews, it’s indicative of what people think are reasonable forms of activism. Increasingly, people believe that killing innocents is justified and normal.

The fact is, plenty of radicals blame “the Jews” for whatever they happen to be angry about that day — whether it’s the conflicts in the Middle East, America’s economic support for Ukraine, capitalism, globalism, woke ideology, high prices, or whatever else. Both sides have their reasons for wanting to see Jews dead.

Now that we recognize just how precarious Jewish lives have become, American Jews have two solutions going forward. The first is to rely on government to protect us. How is that working out, though? While many attacks are foiled by law enforcement, plenty still slip through the cracks. Unless we’re prepared to turn America into a full-on Orwellian surveillance state that watches everyone’s every move and strips basic freedoms from all, dangerous people will always slip through.

The second solution is more reasonable: Jews must become more self-reliant. That means becoming armed.

Unfortunately, American Jews are among the groups least likely to own guns. According to a survey from the American Jewish Committee, Jewish gun ownership is around 10%. Compare that to roughly 32% for the general population, according to Pew. And the AJC also found that 70% of Jews support strict gun control laws.

The irony is maddening. Jews face greater threats than most, yet they oppose the very means of self-defense they need most. This needs to change.

RELATED: Now more than ever, Jews must learn to shoot

  Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Jewish Americans need to buy guns, seek firearms training, and carry legally. Synagogues and community centers should sponsor training workshops and allow lawful carry on premises. They should also build neighborhood watch teams and community security groups.

Most American Jews live in the three most virulently anti-gun states: New York, New Jersey, and California. They need to support state-level reforms to restore the God-given right to self-defense as America’s founders intended.

Two things stand in the way. The first is hoplophobia — irrational fear of guns. Many Jews treat firearms as inherently evil simply because bad people use them. They need to understand good people use them, too.

The second obstacle is uncertainty. For those unfamiliar with gun culture, it can be daunting. But help is easy to find. NRA-certified instructors are available across the country. The NRA website has a full directory. And several excellent Jewish gun-rights organizations already exist — including Cherev Gidon in the Catskills and Magen Am in Los Angeles.

Jewish gun ownership isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. Don’t wait. Do it now. Your life, your family, and your community may depend on it.

Church security team member who reportedly shot gunman dead outside sanctuary recalls moment when 'evil came to our door'



Jay Trombley — a member of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan — told WXYZ-TV he initially thought the noise he heard during Sunday's service was something "mechanical."

Trombley recalled to the station that he "turned to see people running" and "asked them through a door what had happened."

'The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: "If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?" And I answered that question yesterday.'

A young woman told him "AR-15" and pointed to where the noise was coming from, and Trombley told WXYZ that he "headed in that direction."

As a volunteer member of the church's security team, Trombley and the team's other members immediately went to work.

Police said 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan, was wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Browning also was firing at the church, police said.

Police said a church member driving a pickup truck hit Browning. Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."

RELATED: Blaze News original: 15 examples of good guys — and gals — with guns taking care of business in life-or-death situations

  Police told Blaze News that this photo shows the vehicle a church member used to hit the shooting suspect. Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images

What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.

Police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing lifesaving measures, police said.

One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.

Kelly told the Detroit News that the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.

WXYZ said Browning attended a few services at the church where his mother was baptized, but the station added that it's unclear why he chose to carry out a mass attack there.

Trombley knows one thing: The suspect's act was "evil."

"We found out that evil came to our door, but God's hand of protection was right over us," Trombley told WXYZ. "So many things happened that can only be God-driven: The parishioner shows up late to engage him with this pickup truck to slow him down; a double-pane window stopped five rounds. ... God's hand was protecting me."

The station added that Trombley is "coming to terms with the reality that the cost of saving lives Sunday was taking one."

"I realize what happened yesterday, what my actions did," Trombley told WXYZ before a lengthy, thoughtful pause. "You know, I will reconcile with the Lord on a time for that, you know. I was protecting his people."

"The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: 'If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?' And I answered that question yesterday," he added to the station.

WXYZ said Trombley doesn't view himself as a hero, but rather a guardian protecting his family — and the members of CrossPointe Community Church are his family. Check out his interview with the station titled "Church security guard speaks out after shooting and killing armed man" below.

RELATED: 15-year-old girl named as shooter who killed at least 2 at Christian school, police say

 

CrossPointe issued the following statement about the shooting on its website:

On Sunday, June 22nd at approximately 11:15am, an armed gunman attempted to bring about maximum casualties during our worship service. But instead of having to report massive losses, we are grateful to God that there was only one member of our security team who suffered a leg injury caused by the gunfire. As details emerge, we are seeing God’s hand of protection more clearly in how what could have been, simply wasn’t.
 
There are many heroes, both men and women who acted bravely and selflessly to prevent an all out catastrophe. Among these were the members of our security team who engaged the suspect and subdued the threat. There is also the church member who was divinely positioned to see the assailant approaching the church in full tactical gear, including an assault rifle, and acted swiftly to hit him with his truck, injuring him. This action kept the gunman from ever entering the building and gave our security team extra needed seconds to respond. Glory to God!
 
To the Wayne Police, EMS, and Fire, along with the other localities that arrived on scene, thank you for your very swift response to secure the scene and offer support and comfort as we tried to catch our breath from this attack.

Lastly, we are extremely encouraged by the response from several local churches, grief counseling agencies, and community programs who have reached out to assist. We will be taking advantage of as much as we can to help us move forward. But most importantly, thank you all for your many prayers. They are much needed at this time. Please pray for our healing, the strengthening of our faith, and the continued bond of unity brought about through this shared traumatic experience, and for the family of Brian Browning. They are hurting too.

Through all of this, know that we will continue to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity so that people, including the Brian Brownings of the world, can learn that we can all be forgiven if we repent from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, who is forever praised, amen.

A Wayne resident recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him.

"I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding, "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."

The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad."

"I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it.

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Mother of Michigan church shooting suspect is member of church; suspect attended a few services in last year: Police



Police in Michigan said the mother of the suspect accused of opening fire at a suburban Detroit church on Sunday is a member of the church — and that the suspect attended services there in the last year.

Wayne Police in a news release said they received multiple 911 calls just after 11 a.m. Wayne is about a half hour southwest of Detroit.

'We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members.'

A witness told police he saw the suspect driving erratically in a silver SUV in the parking lot of CrossPointe Community Church after which the suspect parked the vehicle. The suspect — a white male wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest — was retrieving guns from his car and headed to the church, police said.

Police said minutes later, more calls poured in — this time saying the suspect was firing shots and that a church member driving a pickup truck hit the suspect.

Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."

What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.

 Police told Blaze News that this photo shows the vehicle that a church member used to hit the shooting suspect. The shooting suspect reportedly fired repeatedly at the vehicle.Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images

Upon hearing the gunfire, police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing life-saving measures, police said.

One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.

Kelly told the Detroit News the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.

Police said an investigation has identified the shooting suspect as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan. Romulus is about 12 minutes south of Wayne.

Police said the suspect was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The suspect's mother is a member of the church, police said, adding that he attended services there two or three times over the course of the last year.

Police said a search warrant was executed at the suspect's residence where additional rifles, several more semi-automatic handguns, and an additional large amount of ammunition were seized and confiscated.

Police said the suspect had no previous contacts with Wayne police or criminal history — but police added that the investigation suggests he may have been suffering a mental health crisis. Deputy Chief Carter added to Blaze News that the image of Browning shown above is not a mug shot but rather his driver's license photo.

Police also said in its news release that there is no evidence that the act of violence was connected with the Middle East conflict.

In addition, police confirmed that a livestream video of church members reacting to gunfire indeed shows Sunday's incident:

 

A Wayne resident on Monday recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him.

"I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding that "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."

The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad."

"I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it.

 

Police said about 150 people were at a special Vacation Bible School service when the suspect began shooting, the Detroit News said, adding that Strong said more children than usual were in attendance.

“We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting,” Strong told the Detroit News. “I would add that the church parishioners and staff members were trained in responding to emergency situations, which also saved lives.”

Strong told the Detroit News the suspect's motivation is not yet clear.

Church members launched a security team about 10 years ago in the wake of violence committed at other places of worship around the country, Kelly added to the Detroit News while noting that CrossPointe hadn't received threats of violence.

Kelly added to the Detroit News that children in attendance Sunday were "doing good" and that members were being mutually supportive: "We will be convening our leadership to put a formal plan in place for the aftermath." It isn't clear when the church will resume holding services.

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Every Church Needs A Security Plan Fortified By The Second Amendment

Until Jesus comes back, churches should anticipate the persistence of crime, tragedy, and death and arm themselves accordingly.

'I'll blow your head off': Carjacking victim threatened crook after turning the tables on him. Now carjacker learns his fate.



Early one morning last year — around 6:28 a.m. Jan. 2, 2024, to be exact — a Chicago motorist told police he was sitting in his car in the 9400 block of South Laflin Street when Darrius Berry approached him, CWB Chicago reported.

The 39-year-old victim said Berry walked up to the driver's window of his 2021 Mazda CX-9 and pointed a gun at his head, the outlet reported.

'Who’s with you?'

“Please give me the keys,” Berry allegedly told the victim, according to the outlet. “I need your car. I’m sorry, sir. ... Go in the house.”

The victim did just that, handing Berry his keys and heading into his house, the outlet continued.

But what Berry likely didn't count on was the victim reappearing soon after.

It turns out that the victim grabbed his own gun, went back outside, and confronted Berry, who was sitting behind the steering wheel of the victim's car with a gun on the passenger seat, CWB Chicago said, citing a report.

“If you reach for it, I’ll blow your head off,” the victim recalled telling Berry, according to the outlet.

RELATED: Helpless suburban couple obediently hand over valuables — even clothing — to armed males in front of their home: Doorbell cam

  JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

It gets even better.

The victim opened the car door, grabbed Berry by the collar, and pulled him to the ground, CWB Chicago said, citing officials.

“Who’s with you?” the victim asked Berry, according to the outlet, presumably out of concern that Berry may have accomplices to help him carry out the crime.

“He’s around the corner,” Berry reportedly answered, CWB Chicago said, adding that the victim said he never saw anyone.

Soon after, Chicago police responded to a call of a "citizen holding an offender" and found the victim holding Berry at gunpoint, the outlet said.

RELATED: Road rage suspect opens fire on fellow motorist in Chicago, cops say. But victim is a concealed carrier — and wins shootout.

  Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Police recovered the gun Berry allegedly left on the Mazda’s passenger seat, the outlet reported, adding that a police report indicated the firearm had been stolen from a vehicle in the 1400 block of West 90th Street about a month prior to the ill-fated January 2024 carjacking.

Judge Thomas Hennelly on Monday sentenced Berry — now 19 years old — to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular hijacking, CWB Chicago said, citing court records.

The outlet added that Berry will be eligible for release in just over three years due to Illinois' "standard 50% sentence reduction and credits earned while in jail."

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Good guy with a gun blows away suspect who shot 2 during downtown fight, ran off



Seattle police said patrol officers responded last week to reports of gunfire near First Avenue and Union Street.

Police said the initial shooting occurred around 10 p.m. May 28 near the Four Seasons Hotel on Union Street.

A Seattle-area gun range employee on Tuesday afternoon told Blaze News that 'it sucks' and 'it's wild' that the incident occurred — but that there's 'no real way to prevent it from happening other than by being ready for it.'

Officers arrived and found three people with gunshot wounds, police said.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes told KING-TV that three people got into a fight, and one of them took out a gun and shot the other two — and then ran from the scene.

Police said a private citizen who's licensed to carry a firearm intervened and shot the suspect. KING identified that suspect as a 16-year-old male.

RELATED: Seattle police will soon need 'supporting evidence' before they'll respond to security alarm calls

  JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

Seattle fire crews said they treated an 18-year-old male and a 17-year-old male, both of whom were taken to a hospital in serious condition, police told the station.

The 16-year-old male accused of shooting the 18-year-old male and 17-year-old male was taken to a hospital, where he died, police told KING.

The private citizen who shot the suspect cooperated with officers, police said, adding that he was taken to Seattle Police Headquarters, where detectives interviewed him. Police said the citizen has not been arrested, KING reported.

Those with information about the incident are asked to call the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, police said.

A Seattle-area gun range employee on Tuesday afternoon told Blaze News that "it sucks" and "it's wild" that the incident occurred — but that there's "no real way to prevent it from happening other than by being ready for it."

RELATED: Radical Seattle mayor smears Christians after leftists physically attacked prayer rally attendees — even cops got clobbered

  A syringe on the sidewalk on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington, on Sept. 23, 2024. Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images

At the same time, the gun range employee — who spoke to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity — added that politicians are passing laws and "putting up more barriers" that are "making it harder" for everyday citizens to protect themselves with guns.

"I honestly don't think that's going to help," the employee told Blaze News.

Regardless of how last week's shooting plays out, the gun range employee added to Blaze News that "Seattle is going down the drain."

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Karmelo Anthony is no civil rights icon and never will be



Two months have passed since high school senior Karmelo Anthony allegedly fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas. The killing sparked national outrage and reopened difficult debates — about race (Karmelo is black, Austin was white), school safety, and the crisis among young men in America.

Also justice. While the Metcalf family mourns — and has to contend with being swatted — Anthony’s bond was reduced and quickly paid. He now awaits trial from the comfort of a new home, funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from supporters. He was even allowed to graduate on May 22, though he did not attend the ceremony.

Quiet policy tweaks won’t cut it. The Frisco school district can’t just wait for the public to move on.

Meanwhile, Anthony’s family and legal team have mounted a public relations offensive. In an outrageous press conference, they blamed Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, the Frisco Independent School District, and even systemic racism for Anthony’s predicament.

The strategy is clear: Rebrand Karmelo Anthony as a victim. They want the public to believe he was a mostly peaceful teen forced to act in self-defense after being told to change seats.

No new evidence has emerged in the case, but the existing facts undermine Anthony’s claim of self-defense. He allegedly brought a knife to the event, provoked the confrontation with Metcalf, fled the scene after the stabbing, and later asked a police officer whether he could plead self-defense. His actions — before, during, and after the incident — suggest intent, not fear.

Why did he sit there? Why did he bring a knife? Why did he run?

Red flags all over

Equally troubling is what remains hidden. Notably, Anthony’s social media accounts have been scrubbed. His disciplinary record hasn’t been released — student privacy laws and all that. The school has also withheld any security camera footage. If Anthony truly acted in self-defense — if he sat quietly on a bench and responded only to a threat from a belligerent Austin Metcalf — then that evidence should exist. And it should exonerate him.

But it doesn’t appear to, at least not so far. We may or may not find out, either when the case goes to trial or when Anthony accepts a plea deal and explains his actions to the court.

As I wrote previously, red flags almost certainly existed — flags that should have prompted school officials to remove him from extracurricular activities. They didn’t. And they didn’t because they may have feared the appearance of racism more than the consequences of inaction.

Educator Tillman Plank, who works in North Texas, says that Texas schools routinely discourage direct disciplinary action against disruptive or violent students. Even without the racial angle in Anthony’s case, the system would likely have enabled his behavior — just without the media framing it as a civil rights issue after the fact.

Frisco ISD and other suburban districts that maintain two-tiered discipline systems must abandon these policies immediately. If they don’t, they risk a mass exodus of families — especially with Texas’ new school choice law now in effect.

That legislation passed in April. It allows parents to use public funds to enroll their children in private schools or purchase homeschooling resources. Understandably, many parents fed up with Frisco ISD’s response are actively weighing their options for the next school year.

Even if FISD outperforms most Texas districts on paper, that means little if it can’t keep students safe.

No more half measures

To its credit, the district has taken initial steps to boost supervision and tighten security at public events. Administrators also appear to be preparing disciplinary documentation for students who pose a threat — potentially paving the way for behavior intervention plans or long-term placements at alternative campuses.

Of course, this is the bare minimum a school district should do after a student is murdered at one of its events. Frisco ISD’s leadership must speak up — clearly and publicly — about what steps they’re taking to ensure student safety. Parents deserve to know that students like Karmelo Anthony won’t be given another free pass.

Quiet policy tweaks won’t cut it. FISD can’t just wait for the public to move on.

To restore trust, district officials should first admit where they failed. They need to acknowledge that they could have acted before Austin Metcalf was killed — but didn’t. Why? Possibly because they followed flawed educational theories and caved to progressive posturing.

Owning up to that failure would spark a backlash — especially from non-black families already frustrated by double standards in discipline. And yes, it might force other districts across Texas to come clean and change their own policies.

Good. The alternative is silence, followed by collapse. As families flee for safer options under the Lone Star State’s new school choice law — and you better believe they will — the cost of inaction grows by the day.

By taking bold, transparent action, FISD could finally correct the record. Karmelo Anthony is not a civil rights hero. He’s not the victim of an unjust system. By all available accounts, he belongs in prison. And students across Texas deserve schools willing to keep people like him out of the stands — and off the track.