On Aug. 31, a 59-year-old man in Waianae, Hawaii, began ramming a front-end loader into multiple vehicles at a residence where a family gathering was taking place, then shot at several people who were in the carport, killing three women and injuring two others. The man—a neighbor who’d had disagreements with the family—also reportedly shot rounds into four 55-gallon drums of fuel he had on the front-end loader. A 42-year-old resident in the home retrieved his own gun and shot and killed the assailant. The armed citizen was briefly detained but charges against him were soon dropped. (kpua.net, Hilo, Hawaii, 9/20/24)
After visiting a casino, a woman in Abington, Pa., returned to her home around 1 a.m. on Sept. 24. An unknown man, who had apparently followed her knowing she had cash from the casino, allegedly forced his way into her home, pushing her down and pointing a gun at her. The woman’s cries woke her adult son, who grabbed his firearm and ran to her aid. The son shot the suspect in the arm and torso, whereupon he attempted to flee but collapsed on the home’s lawn. Police sent the suspect to the hospital and then arrested him on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and carrying a firearm without a license. One officer told reporters he believed the woman was targeted. “I would say if you are at a casino and you win money, take some precautions. ... There are bad guys who put a lot of work into this.” (cbsnews.com, Philadelphia, Pa., 9/24/24)
