The Weekly Reload Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “School Shooting”

First Circuit Upholds Maine's Gun Waiting Period; Judge Tosses Concealed Carry Suit Against NYPD

Stephen Gutowski — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover a new ruling out the First Circuit Court of Appeals which held that waiting periods for gun sales do not even implicate the Second Amendment. We also discuss a New York federal judge's recent decision to toss a lawsuit filed by a licensed concealed carrier who was wrongfully arrested by NYPD officers who were unfamiliar with the city's gun laws.

Stories:
-https://thereload.com/federal-appeals-court-reinstates-maine-waiting-period-law/
-https://thereload.com/judge-tosses-war-heros-suit-against-nyc-over-mistaken-gun-arrest/
-https://thereload.com/analysis-jeanine-pirro-may-have-just-fumbled-a-long-sought-hardware-ban-circuit-split-for-gun-rights-activists/

The Dispatch's Steve Hayes on the 2024 Gun Debate, Georgia School Shooting Fallout

Stephen Gutowski — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

This week, we've got one of the nation's premier political analysts on the show.

Steve Hayes, co-founder of The Dispatch, joined us to discuss the state of the 2024 gun debate. He gave his take on the path Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have taken in their respective campaigns. Then he turned to how the recent mass shooting at a Georgia High School might shake up those positions.

Hayes noted guns have not been a top priority for voters thus far in the election. He said that was likely because there haven't been a lot of high-profile shootings this year. He argued that could change because of the new attention the Georgia shooting will bring to the issue, but he wasn't sure if it would reach the level of intense media coverage that's necessary to push either candidate one way or the other.

Special Guest: Steve Hayes.

Legal and Political Fallout from the Georgia Shooting; NRA Board Set to Vote on Reform Plan

Stephen Gutowski — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:00:00 -0400

Contributing writer Jake Fogleman and I cover the early political and legal fallout from the Georgia High School shooting, including what it could mean for the Presidential race as well as the trend of criminally charging the parents of mass shooters. We also talk about a new political ad campaign launched by gun control group March for Our Lives and Ben & Jerry's targeted at voters in swing states. We wrap up with some original reporting on the upcoming NRA board meeting where the group is potentially set to vote on an internal reform program and consider separating from its longtime outside legal counsel, William Brewer.

Active Shooting Response Trainer Mike Willever on Mistakes in Uvalde

Stephen Gutowski — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

The more we learn about the law enforcement response to the Uvalde, Texas school shooting, the worse it looks.

After an initial exchange of fire with the shooter, police waited upwards of an hour to storm the room he was in and neutralize him. I've taken multiple active shooter training courses, and this response appears to go against everything people have been taught for decades. It also seems to have given the attacker the opportunity to kill more children.

But I wanted to bring on somebody even better versed in both active shooter response training and what it's like to respond to a shooting in reality. That's why Active Self Protection's Mike Willever joined the show this week. He is a former federal agent who taught active shooter response training. He also once responded to a shooting as it was happening.

He was as exasperated by the response to Robb Elementary School as I was. Active shooter response training is not complicated, he said. You go to the threat as fast as you can and neutralize it before doing anything else.

Willever said, from what we know now, it does not make sense that leadership on the scene decided to treat the shooter as a barricaded suspect. When shots are still being fired, as they were in this case, there is no reason to wait. When there are injured victims trapped inside with the shooter, as they were in this case, there is no reason to wait.

There just isn't an excuse for how law enforcement handled this. And there never will be.

Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogelman and I discuss the latest dismal financial release from the NRA.

Special Guest: Mike Willever.