Defensive gun use (DGU) weekly roundup
Eight stories that came into view in the past week.
We don’t pretend that this represents every newsroom that covered any given story, and everyone is innocent until proved guilty.
Alaska
Fairbanks
A man returned to his home along Old Steese Highway early on June 28th, when two men who were allegedly attempting to steal copper, fuel and other items from his property immediately opened fire on him.
The homeowner returned fire, and the burglars fled.
Police responded to reports of a burglary with shots fired. No one appeared to have been injured, and the investigation is ongoing.
Alaska Homeowner Returns Fire After Copper Thieves Shoot At Him On His Own Property (USA Carry)
Burglary leads to exchange of gunfire on Old Steese Highway, troopers say (Your Alaska Link)
Arizona
Phoenix
On July 19, a man attacked two women at a Phoenix apartment complex, stabbing both of them. A neighbor intervened, shooting and killing the attacker.
Officers responding to reports of screams, gunshots, and a possible stabbing found the attacker dead and both women injured.
The two women’s conditions were not disclosed by Phoenix Police. The neighbor who fired has not been publicly identified, and no charging decision has been announced.
Neighbor Reportedly Shoots and Kills Attacker After Two Women Are Stabbed at Phoenix Apartment Complex (USA Carry)
Florida
Port St. Lucie
What police initially thought was a dispute over a house key turned out to be something more familiar: jealousy.
The shooting appears to have grown out of a love triangle. One man, Carl Loubeau, 24, opened fire on Juliun Stokes, 22, around 3:30am on July 19, apparently due to a combination of jealousy and mistaken identity—Loubeau’s girlfriend was in “some type of relationship” with the third man present, Dwayne Walker, so police think Loubeau might have mistaken Stokes for Walker.
As Loubeau opened fire on Stokes in the driveway of the girlfriend’s house, Walker immediately fired at Loubeau in what detectives believe was self-defense. Both Loubeau and Stokes later died at the hospital. Police say Walker will not face any charges over the shooting.
Idaho
Kootenai
Fifty-year-old Jason Sparks had allegedly spent the day at his ex-wife Ashley’s home, working on her vehicle. Ashley now shared a home with 21-year-old Shawn Webster. Witnesses reported hearing yelling at the home at various points that day.
Around 7 PM on July 19, Sparks entered the house uninvited and acted aggressively. Webster, who’d received prior threats from Sparks, retreated to his bedroom and armed himself. Sparks followed him into the bedroom, grabbed Webster by the throat, and began lifting him off the ground. Webster fired once, striking Sparks in the neck. The attack stopped.
Webster left the house and called 911 from a nearby gas station, where deputies found him waiting. Inside, they found Sparks dead in the back bedroom. Webster wasn’t arrested. The DA is reviewing the case before deciding on charges, but the sheriff’s press release mentioned Idaho’s Castle Doctrine, which “permits the use of deadly force against an unlawful intruder in your home, workplace, or occupied vehicle. It removes the legal duty to retreat and establishes a presumption that you reasonably feared for your life when facing a forced, unlawful entry,” according to USACarry.com
Castle Doctrine at Center of Northern Idaho Fatal Shooting Investigation (Dailyfly)
Sheriff Points to Idaho’s Castle Doctrine After Kootenai Man, 21, Stops Choking Attack With a Single Shot (USA Carry)
Sheriff: Kootenai Homeowner Fatally Shoots Alleged Intruder in Self-Defense (North Idaho News on Facebook)
No arrest made following deadly shooting in Bonner County residence (KHQ)
Missouri
Brumley
Deputies responded to a 911 call in which a woman reported that her ex-husband had kicked in the door while carrying a rifle. A male occupant inside the home shot the intruding ex while police were still en route. They found the 35-year-old with a gunshot wound and pronounced him dead at the scene.
The investigation, as usual, is ongoing.
