Less than two weeks after Kansas’ new law allowing lawful citizens to carry a concealed firearm without a permit went into effect, a man exercised that right last Friday to thwart the robbery of a sporting goods store.

Joey Tapley, 24, was in the Academy Sports and Outdoors store in Topeka when, he said, “I heard some loud bangs. I look up and they are just loading up weapons from the counter and then they run off.” Tapley followed the three suspects out the door, then pulled his gun, which he carries without a permit. “I told him, ‘Drop the gun, man, mine is loaded ...’ He dropped two guns and ran.”

Police arrested three juvenile males, charging them with assault, burglary and robbery, and an unidentified woman charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. “That’s why Kansas made the law,” Tapley said. “So citizens can carry and protect themselves and others.”

Criminals should start asking themselves whether the crime they’re about to commit is worth losing their life. As we continue to see in these Armed Citizen stories, many end up paying the ultimate price—just as Jose Lopez did Saturday in Dallas.

The 27-year-old was shot and killed by his intended victim in the wee morning hours as Lopez and two others were attempting to commit robbery. The victim was armed and fired upon Lopez, sending him to UT Southwestern Medical Center, where he later died.

Police questioned the other two suspects and the victim, as well as witnesses on the scene. All accounts were consistent with evidence, and both the intended victim and other suspects were released. The case is being referred to a Dallas County grand jury.

Boston, Mass., is one of several municipalities where legislators are weighing a citywide ban on BB and pellet guns, citing incidents in which imitation firearms were mistaken for the real thing. Local law already prohibits minors from carrying air rifles or BB guns in public without adult supervision or a police-issued license. Now even these exceptions are targeted for elimination.

Youth across America learn the rudiments of marksmanship and gun safety from air rifles and BB guns. The main justification employed for banning them is that they look too similar to real firearms—but many do not, and even realistic models are required by federal law to be distinguished by orange tips. Banning an entire class of low-power guns because of the abuses of a few individuals is just another example of government overreach—and unreasoning fear of firearms and things that look like them.

Starting in February 1992, with the signing of Department of Defense Directive 5210.56, American military bases have been—on paper, at least—“gun-free” zones. In other words, only “DoD personnel regularly engaged in law-enforcement and security duties” are allowed to carry. Since then, nearly a dozen shooting incidents have occurred at U.S. military bases and installations.

But in an interview with Ammoland, presidential hopeful and NRA Life member Donald Trump vowed that, if elected, he would work to reinstate our troops’ rights, saying “America’s armed forces will be armed.” According to Trump, we “never should have passed a ban on soldiers being able to protect themselves on bases.” 

“Our brave soldiers should not be at risk because of policy created by civilian leadership,” he continued.

Trump, who spoke at the 2015 NRA Annual Meetings, has also expressed opposition to so-called “universal” background checks, gun magazine limits, and the revival of the “assault-weapons” ban.

We hope Milwaukee County Circuit Judge John DiMotto will continue his warranted vigilance over the conduct of Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence chief attorney Jon Lowy and associate Alla Lefkowitz. Already bounced from one Milwaukee area case against a local gun dealer for posting inadmissible evidence, the scrutiny seems justified. Allowing them to stay on the case, the judge nevertheless warned to the pair: “This is not to say I approve of the [Brady] communication and statements.”

The judge in the earlier trial admonished the pair that the release of information was “contrary to the laws of ethics or the rules of ethics in the state of Wisconsin.” 

Clearly, this tactic could emerge as a worrisome Brady staple: When data and the law are not on your side, involve the (biased, anti-gun) media. Oops, too late: It already has.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced Monday that she will reintroduce legislation to make the sale of two or more guns to a prohibited person a felony. The proposal, co-sponsored by Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is similar to a bill that failed in 2013. 

Details of the bill were not available at the time of this writing, but supporters have long blamed states with less restrictive gun laws for gun crimes in New York City. News reports of Gillibrand’s announcement cite the death of NYPD officer Brian Moore, who was killed with a firearm stolen from a Georgia pawn shop. Gillibrand and others fail to recognize that stealing guns in Georgia (and every other state) is already a crime—one that won’t be addressed by such legislation.

NRA-ILA is watching this development closely; watch this space for authoritative comment when details become available.