DETROIT — Gun advocates, in competition with Detroit police, offered a buyback program of their own Thursday.

As police conducted a gun buyback event at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 10400 Stoepel in Detroit, about a dozen protesters stood across the street making offers of their own.

"Guns Wanted! Cash" and "Cash for guns," their signs read. They beckoned those in line with their guns concealed in towels and bags, to come across the street for a better price.

Man walking to a restaurant while open-carrying gets stopped and held at gunpoint by state police, despite the fact that open carry is legal. Frustrates the police officers by not answering their questions.

If people had a gun, innocent lives might be saved more often than not.

The average deaths in shooting rampage when stopped by police is 14.3

The average deaths in shooting rampage when stopped by a civilian is 2.3.

I compiled and analyzed 93 shootings, noting my methodology, complete with links to the raw data.

Entitled "Run, Hide, Fight," the video depicts a fictional shooting incident at an office building. Personal commentary: While these may be good tips for "the masses", perhaps they should have mentioned early on that if someone (or group) has the Will and the Skill to take the guy on near the beginning of the incident (rather than waiting until they are cornered like rats), even more lives could be saved. But I guess such persons of Will and Skill figure this out in an instant and ignore the official line. Also, as an "follically challenged Male of European-American I feel stereotyped :)

James Holmes _may_ not have been wearing "body Armor" after all.... This matters because if true, then it would have been much easier for an armed defender to stop him. According to this article, "...despite its name, the urban assault vest is not bulletproof, but is simply a vest made for carrying accessories." This possibility needs further research. It is difficult because even days later, police do not seem to be releasing much specific information.

Young civil rights activist arrested after police found him with the M1 carbine strapped to his back. Says he and a girlfriend had gone to see a movie and had some spare time, so he decided to walk around the business district with the rifle to exercise his open carry rights under Michigan law. Police officers all testified that he appeared several years younger than 18. He was arrested "only" after he repeatedly refused to provide identification showing he was of legal age to be carrying a weapon.

Deputies say they knocked several times on Mapes’ front door and received no response. The front door was unlocked and Mapes’ car was in the garage, according to reports.

When Mapes confronted them with a gun the deputies started backing off. And after she started shooting the deputies said they “thought they were going to die,” according to the arrest report

Sheriff Mike Scott said last week the deputies were at Mapes’ home for “a little more than a welfare check.” The sheriff also defended the deputies for shooting the elderly woman.

A bill in Michigan would make it a felony to alter a toy gun to look like a real one. They assume that only a criminal would do this.

In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.