Shotgun

The "Dragon's Breath" turned out to be a lizard's whisper."Dragon's Breath," an exotic shotgun round that promises "to turn your shotgun into a 3-Second Flame Thrower," has been advertised in rhetoric so ferocious that legislation has been proposed to ban it in Maryland. But in a firing test, the ammunition proved more poop than pop, more fizzle than flash and more sound than fury.Available only through a publication that caters to the firearms retail industry and addicted hobbyists, the shells are manufactured by a company in South Carolina.

An article in the May 4, 1912 edition of The Argus reported on the latest incident in a frightening series of fatal shootings in the area. The residents of Catonsville are alarmed over a number of valuable dogs which have been shot and killed within the last two weeks and efforts are being made to apprehend the guilty persons. Several days ago, a valuable setter dog belonging to Dr. Walter A. Low was killed with a shotgun. ***** Gudgeon fishing along the Patapsco river at Relay has caused a flurry of excitement among the anglers, and every day this week the banks of the river were lined with fisherman.

Two off-duty Howard County police officers were hunting Tuesday afternoon in the Woodbine area south of Sykesville when someone fired a shotgun at them, police said yesterday.Daniel Narden Ricker, 31, of the 6300 block of Waterloo Road in Elkridge was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and reckless endangerment. He owns property next to where the officers were hunting.A police report also noted that Ricker had been banned from hunting on the same property.One of the officers, Jacob Guy Bell, has permission to hunt on the property, a police report said.

The Ravens had been looking for something to build on offensively, and maybe they found it in Sunday's 30-27 come from behind win against the Arizona Cardinals. While rallying from a 21-point deficit, the largest comeback in franchise history, the Ravens were efficient in running the no-huddle offense, and had success in the short passing game, as quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31 of a career-high 51 passes for 336 yards. The rally is somewhat tainted because it came against lowly Arizona, but the Ravens have an offense in search of an identity.

A 17-year-old shot himself to death in the Westminster house of a relative yesterday, apparently immediately after he called 911 and told a police communications officer he had a shotgun and intended to kill himself.Police rushed to the house and surrounded it, not knowing that the youth, whom they did not identify, had already carried out his threat.Keeping out of sight, police for more than seven hours telephoned the house, pleaded with the youth to come out and watched for some sign of life.

George Anderson of Washington County asks: I sighted-in my shotgun two years ago. I take good care of it, clean it and keep it stored in a closet. Should I spend the money and time to go to the range again this year? Outdoors Girl can image a beautiful buck, 8-point rack, walking directly toward your tree stand. You can hardly believe your eyes when it stops just 25 yards off and turns slightly to give you a clean shot. Visions of venison filling your freezer dance in your head.

A 50-year-old Ellicott City man received probation before judgment and 30 days of home detention Thursday for pointing his shotgun at a man whose boxer dog got loose and attacked his white bichon frise in March. The experience deeply affected both men. William M. Snyder's friends came out in force for the sentencing, as at least 16 people spent the day waiting for his sentencing after an Aug. 17 guilty plea. Neighbors called him a "great guy" who was always willing to lend a hand and had never showed rage over the past few decades.

A 21-year-old Edgewood woman was killed Sunday night when she was hit by a shotgun blast as her boyfriend and another man struggled for the weapon, state police in Bel Air said.Kimberly Dawn Nichols, 21, was at the home she shared with her boyfriend, Stephen Michael Tresnak, 22, when Mr. Tresnak got into an argument with Jason Jude Maltese, 26, of Elrino Street in East Baltimore, police said.About 9 p.m., Mr. Tresnak got a shotgun, and the two men began to struggle over it. The gun went off, striking Ms. Nichols, police said.

A shotgun-toting Severna Park man was arrested Sunday after a tense confrontation with police and charged with assault with intent to murder his wife, county police said.Freddie Zonia Sheppard, 47, of the first block of Whites Road also was charged with carrying a deadly weapon with intent to cause injury, battery, assault on an officer, and possession of marijuana.Police went to the Whites Road address after someone called 911 and hung up and police dispatchers got a busy signal when they called back.

A Baltimore man lost his left arm last night after he reached under a sofa bed for a loaded sawed-off shotgun and it discharged, striking him in the shoulder.City police said Alexander Jeffery Clayton Ceruti, 20, of the 1800 block of E. 30th St. near Clifton Park, was in serious condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital today after doctors amputated his left arm. Investigators said the shooting was accidental.Police said Ceruti was in a house in the 3900 block of Old York Road in Waverly shortly before 10 p.m. with some friends.

A man wielding a hammer and a shotgun attacked a speed enforcement vehicle on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near the BWI Marshall Airport exit Wednesday morning, prompting police to close the highway for several hours. Police said the assailant was armed, but they discounted early reports of gunfire. Maryland State Police spokesman Gregory M. Shipley said the attack occurred about 11:30 a.m. in the southbound lanes just north of Interstate 195. He said an older man came out of the woods and approached a parked State Highway Administration Jeep being operated by a speed camera contractor.

A 30-year-old Lanham man was sentenced Wednesday to 114 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of a Hyattsville store, the Maryland U.S. attorney's office announced. George Gregory Allen entered the Cheverly Sports Fair store, on the 5600 block of Landover Road in Hyattsville, in May of last year, wearing a black mask, a coat and gloves, and carrying a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, prosecutors said. He demanded money and ammunition from the store's owner, but made the mistake of setting his weapon down to help himself to bullets.

Recently hired Maryland offensive coordinator Gary Crowton said he enjoyed his four years in the same position at LSU. But he said Friday that it wouldn't be quite fair to assess his offensive philosophy based on his years under head coach Les Miles. Crowton said Miles favored "a more conservative style" than his own. Crowton doesn't question LSU's success, but he said he was ready to move on to a new approach. "My true inner nature [is] I want to be exciting and open and fast-paced," Crowton said during a session with media members, new head coach Randy Edsall and the members of his staff.

A Taneytown man accused of shooting at an officer Thursday night and telling police to "come and get me" — leading to a five-hour standoff — faces attempted-murder and drug charges, according to Maryland State Police. Jose Acevedo, 41, was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. He was being held Friday at the Carroll County Detention Center, awaiting a bond hearing.

George Anderson of Washington County asks: I sighted-in my shotgun two years ago. I take good care of it, clean it and keep it stored in a closet. Should I spend the money and time to go to the range again this year? Outdoors Girl can image a beautiful buck, 8-point rack, walking directly toward your tree stand. You can hardly believe your eyes when it stops just 25 yards off and turns slightly to give you a clean shot. Visions of venison filling your freezer dance in your head.

A 21-year-old Northeast Baltimore man has been charged in two shootings — one killed a man, the other injured a teenage girl — after police matched the shotgun shells from the crime scenes. Monta York, of the 2800 block of Clifton Park Terrace, was first charged with an Aug. 27 shooting that injured a girl in the 3100 block of Belair Road. Now police have added murder charges in the Aug. 6 killing of 20-year-old Jarrod Lee Covel. Records indicate that detectives matched shotgun shell casings from the two crime scenes after identifying York as the shooter.

Two youths, one of them armed with a sawed-off shotgun, robbed the Severna Park Donut Shack store yesterday morning and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, county police said.The youths walked into the store in the 400 block of Ritchie Highway about 3 a.m. and bought one doughnut. One of them then pulled out the shotgun and demanded money while the other reached over the counter and emptied the cash register, police said.Eastern District officers, a K-9 dog and a Maryland State Police helicopter tried unsuccessfully to find the robbers, authorities said.

Three Montgomery County men were charged with firearms violations Tuesday after police found two shotguns in an Isuzu Trooper automobile,county police said.The three occupants of the vehicle were arrested at 12:45 a.m., police said, after an officer on patrol pulled theTrooper over on southbound U.S. 29 for an automobile equipment violation and noticed a 12-gauge shotgun on the back seat.After a search of the vehicle, the officer also found a 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun under the front passenger seat, police said.

A 50-year-old Ellicott City man received probation before judgment and 30 days of home detention Thursday for pointing his shotgun at a man whose boxer dog got loose and attacked his white bichon frise in March. The experience deeply affected both men. William M. Snyder's friends came out in force for the sentencing, as at least 16 people spent the day waiting for his sentencing after an Aug. 17 guilty plea. Neighbors called him a "great guy" who was always willing to lend a hand and had never showed rage over the past few decades.

A Crofton 7-Eleven convenience store was robbed by a man wielding a shotgun Monday afternoon. Anne Arundel County Police said a man wearing a black mask and carrying what appeared to be a shotgun entered the store in the 800 block of Route 3 South in Crofton around 5:05 a.m. and demanded cash and cigarettes. He made off with an undisclosed amount of money and several packs of cigarettes, placing the items into a black duffle bag that he brought with him. He was last observed running into a wooded area behind the store, police said.