The Gun debate sandbox

A homeowner in Fresno who shot a firefighter in the leg after mistaking him for a home intruder will not face criminal charges.

Police spokesman Jamie Rios told the Fresno Bee on Thursday that the firefighter was just "doing his job" and also will not be penalized.

Responding to a medical alert, authorities told the newspaper that the firefighter tried entering the home through a window after not getting a response at the door – a common practice if they feel a resident could be in duress inside.

The firefighter, though, set off the home intruder alarm, waking the residents inside.

"They were thinking there was an intruder coming in the window,” Rios told the Fresno Bee.

The homeowner then grabbed his gun and fired a shot that grazed the firefighter's leg above the knee, resulting in what Rios called a minor injury. The firefighter was treated at a hospital.

The home resident reportedly told authorities that he had not called for medical assistance and that the house was having alarm problems.

that the house was having alarm problems.

Desirae Macias and her sister were seated in the back of a car earlier this week when gunfire erupted from a passing vehicle.

The 7-year-old attempted to shield herself from the bullets. But one of them struck her in the back of the head. Next to her, Mary, 8, was covered in her blood, alive but traumatized. Desirae's mother desperately performed CPR.

Desirae is now on life support at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and is not expected to survive.

Premila Lal jumped out of a closet as a harmless joke to surprise a family friend, her father says. But the noise startled the friend, who grabbed a gun and shot her.

Dear Fellow Americans,

Few topics in America generate a more polarized and emotional debate than guns. In recent months, Starbucks stores and our partners (employees) who work in our stores have been thrust unwillingly into the middle of this debate. That’s why I am writing today with a respectful request that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas.

From the beginning, our vision at Starbucks has been to create a “third place” between home and work where people can come together to enjoy the peace and pleasure of coffee and community. Our values have always centered on building community rather than dividing people, and our stores exist to give every customer a safe and comfortable respite from the concerns of daily life.

We appreciate that there is a highly sensitive balance of rights and responsibilities surrounding America’s gun laws, and we recognize the deep passion for and against the “open carry” laws adopted by many states. (In the United States, “open carry” is the term used for openly carrying a firearm in public.) For years we have listened carefully to input from our customers, partners, community leaders and voices on both sides of this complicated, highly charged issue.

Our company’s longstanding approach to “open carry” has been to follow local laws: we permit it in states where allowed and we prohibit it in states where these laws don’t exist. We have chosen this approach because we believe our store partners should not be put in the uncomfortable position of requiring customers to disarm or leave our stores. We believe that gun policy should be addressed by government and law enforcement—not by Starbucks and our store partners.

Recently, however, we’ve seen the “open carry” debate become increasingly uncivil and, in some cases, even threatening. Pro-gun activists have used our stores as a political stage for media events misleadingly called “Starbucks Appreciation Days” that disingenuously portray Starbucks as a champion of “open carry.” To be clear: we do not want these events in our stores. Some anti-gun activists have also played a role in ratcheting up the rhetoric and friction, including soliciting and confronting our customers and partners.

For these reasons, today we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer bring firearms into our stores or outdoor seating areas—even in states where “open carry” is permitted—unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.

I would like to clarify two points. First, this is a request and not an outright ban. Why? Because we want to give responsible gun owners the chance to respect our request—and also because enforcing a ban would potentially require our partners to confront armed customers, and that is not a role I am comfortable asking Starbucks partners to take on. Second, we know we cannot satisfy everyone. For those who oppose “open carry,” we believe the legislative and policy-making process is the proper arena for this debate, not our stores. For those who champion “open carry,” please respect that Starbucks stores are places where everyone should feel relaxed and comfortable. The presence of a weapon in our stores is unsettling and upsetting for many of our customers.

I am proud of our country and our heritage of civil discourse and debate. It is in this spirit that we make today’s request. Whatever your view, I encourage you to be responsible and respectful of each other as citizens and neighbors.

Sincerely,

Howard Schultz

Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis tried to buy an AR-15 assault rifle at a Virginia gun store last week after test firing one, but the store wouldn't sell it to him right away, CBS News has learned.

The reason for the refusal isn't clear.

Alexis then purchased a shotgun he used in his rampage, sources tell CBS News.

The owners of two gun stores in Virginia told CBS News Alexis would have been able to buy an AR-15, he just wouldn't have gotten it right away.