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Self Defense in the news
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
IF YOU HAVE A CCW OR OWN A GUN,KNOW YOUR STATES LAWS ON SELF DEFENSE FOLKS.
Car owner arrested in death of would-be thief
The Associated Press
A suspected car burglar was shot and killed by the car's owner, who fired from his balcony after witnessing the break-in, police said.
Sean Minor was arrested after the shooting early Tuesday in an apartment complex in eastern New Orleans. The 19-year-old male who was killed was not identified.
Minor witnessed two men breaking into cars, and fired a handgun from his second-floor balcony after they broke into his Nissan, police said. The wounded burglary suspect was shot in the face and chest. He ran several feet, collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The second suspect fled and is wanted on auto burglary charges.
Police said Minor was arrested for manslaughter because he was not in danger of losing his life or receiving great * harm.
Meanwhile, apartment complex residents said they are fed up with car thieves. Sonya Heisser, whose car has been broken into four times, said she heard the gunshots overnight.
"I don't care where they get shot," Heisser said. "This area is prone to have cars broken into. This is a message to people who want to break into cars in this area."
A spokesman for a victims' rights group said it is possible that the shooting was justified.
"We don't know all the facts," said Sandy Krasnoff, of Victims and Citizens Against Crime. "One of the two that got away may have had a gun or may have waved it at him, so it may be a valid defense."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20020827&Category=APN&ArtNo=208270789&Ref=AR
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Car owner arrested in death of would-be thief
The Associated Press
A suspected car burglar was shot and killed by the car's owner, who fired from his balcony after witnessing the break-in, police said.
Sean Minor was arrested after the shooting early Tuesday in an apartment complex in eastern New Orleans. The 19-year-old male who was killed was not identified.
Minor witnessed two men breaking into cars, and fired a handgun from his second-floor balcony after they broke into his Nissan, police said. The wounded burglary suspect was shot in the face and chest. He ran several feet, collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The second suspect fled and is wanted on auto burglary charges.
Police said Minor was arrested for manslaughter because he was not in danger of losing his life or receiving great * harm.
Meanwhile, apartment complex residents said they are fed up with car thieves. Sonya Heisser, whose car has been broken into four times, said she heard the gunshots overnight.
"I don't care where they get shot," Heisser said. "This area is prone to have cars broken into. This is a message to people who want to break into cars in this area."
A spokesman for a victims' rights group said it is possible that the shooting was justified.
"We don't know all the facts," said Sandy Krasnoff, of Victims and Citizens Against Crime. "One of the two that got away may have had a gun or may have waved it at him, so it may be a valid defense."
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20020827&Category=APN&ArtNo=208270789&Ref=AR
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Comments
Posted: 11:31 a.m. EDT May 23, 2003
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. -- A would-be burglar of a gun business was injured by a gunshot early this morning after the owner of the business discovered him and another man inside the store, sheriff's officials told WKMG partner, Florida Today.
Florida Today reported that Brevard County Sheriff's deputies responded at 4:18 a.m. to the Mailorder Gun Connection at 3420 N. Courtenay Blvd.
Officials said John Wolfram responded to his store after an alarm went off and found two men inside. When one of them appeared to have a gun, the owner fired a shot from his own gun, grazing the burglar's arm.
Joseph Campbell, 18, of Merritt Island and Aaron Huck, 20, of Indian Harbour Beach were arrested. Campbell was being treated at Wuesthoff Medical Center in Rockledge for injuries that were not serious, officials said.
Both have been charged with armed burglary, grand theft of firearms, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of burglary tools.
Sheriff's officials defended Wolfram's actions.
"A citizen has the right to defend his/her property. If the citizen has a reasonable fear that they are in imminent danger of death or great * harm then they are justified in using whatever force, to include deadly force, to protect their life," said Brevard Sheriff Phil Williams.
Wolfram has the shop alarm set up to go off at his home if someone enters his shop after hours. When he arrived, Wolfram noticed the air conditioning unit pulled out of the wall.
http://www.local6.com/orlpn/news/stories/news-222473620030523-100553.html
Copyright 2003 by Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
April 17, 2002
BETHLEHEM
A man who tried to rob Figueroa's Market, 1227 Pembroke Road, Saturday was chased off when an employee confronted him with a gun.
After entering the market, Emmanuel Collazo DeLeon Jr., 21, of 420 W. Lehigh St., told owner Andres Rivera to give him money, according to police.
Rivera told DeLeon there was no money, and DeLeon punched Rivera in the face, police said. An employee grabbed a gun from under the counter, pointed it at DeLeon and told him to leave, police said.
DeLeon was apprehended a short distance away and charged with simple assault and attempted robbery.
He was taken to Northampton County Prison under $10,000 bail.
Copyright c 2002, The Morning Call
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-4rob-apr17.story
Store owner in armed standoff with suspects
Palatka Daily News
An armed standoff with an Interlachen store owner resulted in the arrest of three young men on attempted robbery charges Monday afternoon, according to Putnam County sheriff's reports.
Deputies were dispatched to the Bravo Store and Market at 318 Atlantic Ave. in Interlachen where the store owner, Agustin Bravo, reported that two armed men came into his store demanding money.
Bravo told deputies the two men were armed with small semi-automatic handguns. One of the suspects wore a bandana across his face, while the other wore a hat.
Bravo said he refused to hand over the money and retrieved his own gun, ordering the robbers to leave, the report says. Moments later, two customers entered the store. The two suspects fled from the store.
The customers probably prevented a shootout, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
Interlachen police asked the sheriff's office to handle the investigation.
Several additional sheriff's office units and a state Department of Corrections Bloodhound Unit converged on the area. They did not find the suspects after an initial search of the area on foot.
Several minutes into the search, a citizen called the sheriff's office to report that several people in a black Ford Taurus were armed with guns. The citizen provided a tag number, which was registered to a person in Palatka.
Investigators responded to Stucky's Pawn Shop, west of Interlachen, where a young male had just pawned a shotgun. Witnesses confirmed that the black Ford Taurus had left the store heading east on State Road 20. A witness also said they had seen more than one gun in the car and one of the people was wearing a bandana.
A short time later, Sgt. Richard Harrell saw the Ford Taurus at the Handy Way Food Store west of Interlachen. As Harrell pulled up to the car, three men fled on foot. Harrell chased one of the men, identified as Brian C. Bispham, 19, of Interlachen, capturing him a short distance away. A search of the area revealed a bandana and a handgun.
Numerous deputies and detectives converged on the area and caught the two other suspects. Det. George Traber captured Robert J. Kimball, 21, of Bostwick as he tried to leave the area. Det. John Merchant caught Robert Waylon Smith, 17, also of Bostwick, as he ran from the back of the Handy Way.
Detectives continued their investigation by interviewing several other young people that were in the Ford Taurus around the time of the attempted robbery. The investigation is continuing into the other people's involvement.
Bispham, Kimball and Smith were booked into the county jail where they were charged with attempted armed robbery. Smith was released to the custody of the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
http://www.palatkadailynews.com/pages/04172002/store.html
Traffic dispute turns deadly at intersection
By LISA TEACHEY
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
A driver shot to death during an apparent road rage incident at a busy intersection was identified today as Marcus Shane Peacock of Sugar Land.
Several motorists and pedestrians, who witnessed the incident Wednesday night, told police that Peacock was driving a Mercedes-Benz and cut off another vehicle about 6:45 p.m. on Richmond at Shepherd.
According to a police report released today, homicide investigators believe Peacock, 38, of the 2600 block of Fairway, intentionally positioned his car to block the path of a Honda sport utility vehicle.
When the vehicles came to a stop, police said, Peacock got out of his car, walked back to the SUV and pounded so hard on the driver's side window that it shattered.
The 32-year-old driver of the SUV, who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun, fired his gun four or five times at Peacock, striking him in the chest.
Peacock was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he later died.
The case has been referred to a Harris County grand jury without charges. The panel will have to determine if the shooting was a valid case of self-defense.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/1371954
Store Owner Takes Shot At Would-Be Robber
Police Aren't Sure If Suspect Was Injured
Posted: 3:38 p.m. CDT April 17, 2002
Updated: 4:15 p.m. CDT April 17, 2002
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A man broke into the Nichols Hills Golf and Repair shop Wednesday morning, and returned to finish the job after being scared off by police, authorities said.
Officers are still searching for the suspect, who is accused of breaking out a glass door at the golf shop at around 1:30 a.m. before being scared off by officers.
The owner of the store arrived at the scene and boarded up the door before falling asleep on the couch.
Then, at around 5:30 a.m., the golf store owner said the suspect came back to finish the job.
According to police, the owner told the suspect to stop, but when he didn't, the owner fired his gun.
Blood was found at the scene, but officers said they are not sure if the suspect was hit.
Copyright 2002 by ChannelOklahoma.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.channeloklahoma.com/okl/news/stories/news-140396920020417-150455.html
SUV driver fatally shoots
attacker at intersection
A man who police said deliberately cut off and blocked the path of a sport utility vehicle was shot to death after he approached the driver of the SUV and punched out a window with his fist.
Marcus Shane Peacock, 38, of Sugar Land, died at Ben Taub General Hospital after the altercation Wednesday evening at a busy intersection in southwest Houston. David Russo, 32, fired his gun, hitting Peacock in the chest several times after Peacock beat so hard on the driver's side window of his Honda SUV that it broke, police said. Peacock had blocked Russo's path, then got out of his Mercedes to approach Russo, authorities said.
Russo, who has a Texas concealed-handgun license, has not been charged.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/3095276.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
his guns but lowers dad's rap
By NANCIE L. KATZ
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Ronald Dixon
Brooklyn prosecutors back-pedaled yesterday on weapons charges against a Navy veteran who shot an intruder in his home - but would not drop the case.
Prosecutor Dawn Flowers moved to reduce the charge against Ronald Dixon to attempted possession from illegal possession. A conviction would not require a jury trial and could land Dixon in prison for up to 90 days instead of a year.
"He says he had the gun," Flowers told Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Alvin Yearwood. "There are no facts in dispute for a jury to find."
Dixon, 27, shot and wounded Ivan Thompson after catching the career burglar prowling in his toddler's room on Dec. 14. Dixon is not charged in the shooting.
Defense attorney Andrew Friedman called the offer from the Brooklyn district attorney's office hypocritical. "I would suggest the people are seeking to avoid a jury case to prevent the citizens of Brooklyn from making a determination whether Dixon is guilty or not," Friedman said.
Yearwood will rule on the motion Tuesday.
Dixon gained widespread sympathy after he was charged with a crime for defending his family.
He said he bought his pistol in Florida, where gun purchases require no paperwork, and tried to register it here. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes has said he found no proof the Jamaican immigrant attempted to make the gun legal in New York.
The district attorney first offered a plea deal that would have allowed Dixon to spend four weekends in jail. Dixon rejected that offer, saying he has to work every day to pay his mortgage and support his family.
Yesterday, Hynes spokesman Jerry Schmetterer said the DA is backing off slightly because the case calls for "tempering justice with mercy."
Dixon said he was disappointed in the new offer.
"I was hoping it was going to be dismissed," he said.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/story/66374p-61830c.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
Nash County Woman Murdered; Two Suspects In Custody
Kamal Wallace, Staff Writer
POSTED: 12:25 p.m. EDT August 14, 2002
UPDATED: 9:41 p.m. EDT August 14, 2002
WILSON, N.C. -- A woman who survived tuberculosis and cancer did not live through a home invasion. Two suspects are in custody and authorities are looking for a third person.
Mattie Keen, a Nash County woman who survived tuberculosis and cancer, was killed during a home invasion Tuesday night.
Police say three black men knocked on the door of Kenneth Keen's home, asking for assistance. Authorities say when they went outside, one of the men pulled a gun. Police say Kenneth Keen was able to run back inside, but he was later shot. Authorities say the suspects then forced their way in and one of them shot 73-year-old Mattie Keen.
Police say Kenneth Keen was able to shoot one of the suspects, Orlando Fonta Faison, who was taken to Pitt Memorial Hospital. Another suspect, Terro Deshon Ward, 18, of Wilson, was taken into custody. He was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, attempted murder and attempted armed robbery. The third suspect is still on the run.
Mattie Keen, who survived tuberculosis and cancer, was seen by many as a pillar in the community.
"The people of this community are very supportive of the family because the family has always been very supportive of the community," Jack Smith, a Keen relative, said. "Anytime anything was going on in the community, they were a part of it. The community is saddened because of the loss and outraged because it was so unnecessary."
Authorities said Kenneth Keen, who was also taken to Pitt Memorial, is expected to be released Thursday.
The Nash County Sheriff's Office is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the third suspect.
http://www.wral.com/news/1612269/detail.html
Reporter/Photographer: Brian Bowman
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
By Tim Rowden
Of The Post-Dispatch
Felix Valdez, a 36-year-old High Ridge man who fatally shot the father of his 18-year-old girlfriend, appears to have acted in self-defense, Jefferson County Prosecutor Bob Wilkins said Tuesday
Moments before the fatal shot was fired Monday, authorities said, Valdez pleaded with a 911 operator to rush police to his home in the 2500 block of Plymouth Drive in the Cape Town South subdivision in northern Jefferson County.
"At this time, based upon the evidence I have available to me, it appears that this is a justifiable homicide," Wilkins said. "Tragic, but justifiable."
Police said Tim Burton, 40, of the Fenton area, was fatally wounded as he attempted to crawl through a window that he had broken out on the front porch of the house after threatening to kill Valdez and his 13-year-old daughter.
Wilkins said Valdez, who was arrested Monday, was ordered released while police continue to investigate.
Police said the trouble started about 6:45 a.m. Monday when Burton went to Valdez's house armed with a baseball bat and a knife, and shattered a window on the porch.
Authorities said Burton fled before police arrived but repeatedly telephoned and threatened Valdez throughout the day.
Police said Burton returned to the house with three other men at 1:38 p.m. and tried to get inside.
Investigators believe that Burton may have been watching the house because sheriff's deputies had only recently left the scene.
Authorities said Valdez could be heard on the 911 tape telling the operator that Burton was coming closer and was threatening to kill them.
Valdez said he fired as Burton reached through the window in an attempt to grab the gun.
Authorities said the other men, two of whom have been questioned by police, fled the scene after the shooting and pushed Burton away as he staggered toward the car.
Burton and Valdez had once been friends and had lived together at the house in High Ridge, authorities said.
Police said the relationship soured when Valdez, who was married, became romantically involved with Burton's daughter and asked his wife and Burton to leave.
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/TodayWednesday/86256A0E0068FE5086256C1500348104?OpenDocument&PubWrapper=Metro
Published in Metro on Wednesday, August 14, 2002.
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
2002-08-16
By Bob Doucette
The Oklahoman
CATOOSA -- An argument over stereo equipment ended in shooting Thursday between a Wagoner County homeowner and four others. One man later died.
Four people went to the home of Randy White, 19, and began arguing with him about stereo equipment they thought he had, said Kym Koch, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman.
The argument started outside White's home, six miles east of Catoosa. White told authorities that he went inside his house when a man outside threw a whiskey bottle through his front window. He also claims that he saw a gun poking through the shattered pane.
White said he then fired out the window with his shotgun, prompting one of those outside to fire back with a pistol, Koch said. The four then fled.
White was uninjured. But one of the four, Eric Mason, 22, suffered a fatal gunshot wound.
They drove with Mason about five miles south of the White's home when their car overheated. They stopped a passer- by, who then called for help. By the time an ambulance arrived, Mason had died.
Police arrested two of his friends -- James Woodward, 19, and Curtis W. Stice, age unknown -- and jailed them on complaints of first-degree murder.
They are still looking for a 16- year-old boy who was with them during the shooting. Police also are seeking the pistol that was fired at White. Authorities did not release the teenager's name.
White has not been arrested, Koch said.
"At this point, they're not looking at pressing charges against the homeowner."
http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=902758&pic=none&TP=getarticle
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
By Denise Nix
DAILY BREEZE
A TRW engineer who shot a man in the face during a confrontation in the aerospace company's Redondo Beach parking lot was freed from jail Wednesday after prosecutors dropped felony charges and he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor.
The District Attorney's Office decided that Angel Colon, 39, had acted in self-defense when he shot Jose Solis, 46, who believed his wife was having a relationship with Colon and had left threatening voice mail messages on Colon's phone at TRW in the weeks before the shooting.
When Colon walked into court Wednesday to enter his plea to illegally possessing a firearm, about 30 supporters from TRW and Cal Poly Pomona, his alma matter, stood up to greet him. At the end of the hearing, they applauded him.
Some of the friends have known Colon for decades, Tina Shelton told a reporter outside of court, dubbing his supporters "Angel fans."
"We could not believe that Angel would harm a single person," said Shelton of Cal Poly Pomona, where Colon received his master's degree in engineering and is a benefactor to the school's engineering program.
Deputy District Attorney Brad McCartt told Torrance Superior Court Judge James M. Ideman that, after a review of TRW security tape that caught the incident on camera, as well as learning the history between Colon and Solis, his office determined Solis had made threats on Colon's life and body.
"Mr. Colon had a valid reason for self-defense," McCartt said.
"I trust your office to do a proper investigation," Ideman said before sentencing Colon to 104 days in jail, with credit for the 104 days he has served since his arrest after the June 6 shooting.
Ideman also declined to order that Colon pay restitution to Solis, finding "compelling and extraordinary reasons" for doing so because the shooting was justified.
McCartt said in court that a civil claim by Solis against Colon was ongoing, but no record of a suit could be found.
Colon's attorney, Gregg S. Laughlin, said his client had filed reports with the Redondo Beach Police Department about the threats Solis was making.
In addition, TRW security recorded voice mail messages Solis left for Colon, including one that was full of profanity.
"You don't (expletive) with my (expletive) woman. OK? I know a lot of people in low places. You understand me? OK?" said the voice on the message that identifies himself as Solis. "Watch your back because it's coming."
Colon has denied having any relationship with Solis' wife, who also worked at TRW.
The confrontation began about 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Marine Avenue when Solis threatened Colon as he got out of his vehicle. Solis pushed and shoved Colon and screamed threats at him, Laughlin said.
Colon was planning on going to the firing range that evening, so he had a loaded pistol in his car, which he retrieved, Laughlin said.
Solis eventually charged at Colon, who fired at Solis. The bullet entered Solis's upper jaw, traveled down his throat and lodged in his shoulder. Solis is recovering.
Colon called 911 and waited for emergency personnel to arrive. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
"Today is also a great day for the California criminal justice system, because we've seen it work to provide justice to the innocent as well as punishment for those who are found guilty," Laughlin said.
Patrick Dinwiddie, who works with Colon at TRW, said Colon gives a lot to the community by tutoring children and speaking to recruits.
"We need more people in this world like Angel," Dinwiddie added.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/content/bln/nmcolon15.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
The chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association served the court on an assault case.
By Jacqueline Soteropoulos
Inquirer Staff Writer
Juror No. 10 paid close attention when Tony Knighten took the stand in his own defense.
Knighten, 20, of North Philadelphia, was accused of attempted murder in the shooting of a neighborhood man called "Truck."
"I pulled my gun out. I turned my head and closed my eyes and shot three times," Knighten admitted to the jury. "I was scared of him. I was trying to get away from him."
Knighten detailed how "Truck" had hit him in the face with a gun earlier in the day and later interrupted a street-corner craps game, menacingly inviting Knighten to "take a walk" with him.
Ultimately, Juror No. 10 and the others agreed: Knighten might have fired the gun in self-defense.
But Juror No. 10 was unlike the hundreds of other Philadelphians called to jury duty each week. This nattily dressed juror was Allan H. Gordon, chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, who presides over the city's legal community.
Usually, Gordon has a very different seat in a courtroom; the Philadelphia native is an expert in winning multimillion-dollar cases for medical-malpractice victims.
His selection last week to serve on a criminal jury surprised even him. Sometimes, attorneys do not want to chose other lawyers as jurors, fearing that they will influence the rest of the panel's deliberations.
"I think that jury duty is not only a responsibility of being a citizen; it is one of the privileges of being a citizen," Gordon said after his jury service was completed. "I feel very strongly that everybody should serve on juries. It really makes our system work."
Gordon, elected jury foreman, and the other 11 jurors deliberated nearly four hours, turning over the facts of the case and debating the credibility of Knighten's testimony.
"There was a heated discussion, with everyone voicing their view," Gordon said. "This jury did what a jury is supposed to do: listen to each other with an open mind."
Ultimately, the jury found Knighten not guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault, but guilty of firing a gun that he was not licensed to carry. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
Common Pleas Court Judge Gwendolyn N. Bright said she was pleased that Gordon served on the jury.
"He didn't ask for or receive any special favors," she said. "He embraced the duty, and it was wonderful seeing that.
"He set an example for all of us."
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/3875864.htm
Contact Jacqueline Soteropoulos at 215-854-4497 or jsoteropoulos@phillynews.com.
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
August 16, 2002
LSU Students Back Amid Murder Fears
By MELINDA DESLATTE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BATON ROUGE, La.- Someone has posted a stark reminder for the thousands of Louisiana State University students returning next week for the fall semester: "Killer on the loose!!! Please be careful. Love, Mom."
It's not clear who put up the signs along a tree-lined path near a popular campus lake. But with no arrest in the serial slayings of three women and growing fear in Louisiana's capital, many parents are repeating the same message.
Joan Wallace reminded her 21-year-old daughter, Dana, of a few rules: Don't go to the gas station late at night. Be more aware of strange cars. Keep your pepper spray in your hand, not just on your key chain.
"I'm probably more conscious of (safety) now. I mean you're always nervous anyhow sending them off to school," Joan Wallace said from her home in Mandeville, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans. "They just have to be careful. We are making her call if she's going to be coming home late from work."
Since the slayings began last September, merchants report higher sales of guns and pepper spray to women. And women say they refuse to walk alone in the city of 230,000. A task force has been set up to find the serial killer and determine whether any of the city's 37 unsolved murders of women over the past decade are linked.
More than 30,000 students are expected to begin returning to LSU next week. Campus orientation begins Monday, dorms open Thursday and classes begin Aug. 26.
"For my night classes, I don't want to drive there alone," said Hillary Golden, a 22-year-old senior. "I'm making deals with my guy friends, that one of them will drop me off to my night classes and one will pick me up."
Golden also bought pepper spray, signed up for a self-defense class and refuses to answer the door if she doesn't know who's on the other side. Friends must call before they visit.
"I made sure my roommate and I were both home for when the cable guy came over," she said.
Several botched kidnapping attempts in Baton Rouge and two neighboring parishes have added to the fear. Police said they are checking to see whether the crimes are connected to each other or the murders.
The murder victims - Pam Kinamore, Gina Wilson Green and Charlotte Murray Pace - shared few similarities. Police said the only real links are the lack of any sign of forced entry in the women's homes and DNA evidence showing the same man stabbed Pace, strangled Green and slit Kinamore's throat. Pace, 22, and Green, 41, lived near the university and Pace had just graduated from LSU. The bodies of Pace, who died in May, and Green, killed last September, were found in their homes.
Kinamore, 44, lived farther away and was the most recent victim. She was abducted July 12, and her body was found days later, dumped 30 miles outside Baton Rouge.
The murders were linked to the same killer by DNA evidence last month. When that happened, Golden drove to her parents' house in New Orleans each night after work.
She stays at her own place now, but she's nervous.
"Even when I sit outside on my porch to smoke a cigarette, I think, 'What if someone's watching me go back into my apartment?'" she said.
The university is increasing police patrols, adding safety seminars, improving campus lighting and starting a safety information Web page. Dormitories also will start using a 24-hour swipe card system developed before the serial killings occurred, and LSU police have added frequent bike patrols around the lake.
Campus trees have even been pruned to remove potential hiding spots.
Those measures haven't made Golden any less jittery. Her father recently took her to a shooting range to practice firing a gun.
"One of my friends who's in Baton Rouge, her dad bought her (a gun) that fits in her purse, and my dad had asked me if I wanted one," she said. "Personally, I don't want one."
---
On the Net:
LSU: http://www.lsu.edu/index2.html
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2002/aug/16/081604281.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878