Weapons & Guns

New Mexico's governor temporarily banned Albuquerque's citizens from carrying guns in public -- this after a surge in shootings -- and defended her controversial decision on video.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made the move Friday, issuing an order to suspend open and concealed carry of firearms in this one city specifically -- for a total of 30 days -- after citing a public health emergency pertaining to the number of gun violence incidents of late.

The story that broke the camel's back ... the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy on Wednesday named Froylan Villegas -- who was killed after leaving a park with his family, which police now say emanated from a road rage matter. He got caught in the crossfire.

Tragic as that is, many are outraged ... calling the Gov's order a blatant violation of the Constitution. She disagrees with that -- explaining to the press Friday why she felt she had the unilateral power on this issue ... noting not every Constitutional right is absolute.

Check out how she explains this ... Gov. Lujan Grisham says she has a duty to protect the people of her state, and if gun violence starts to present a serious public health problem -- she says she's within her right and powers to do what she needs to stop the bleeding.

Worth noting, NM is an open-carry state in general -- meaning people can walk around with pistols in their holster in most public areas ... so that's why it's ruffling a lot of feathers.

As far what repercussions people face during this month-long ban ... it's not all that serious -- they amount to civil penalties and a fine of up to $5,000. So we'll see who abides or not.

Mount Westmore OGs Snoop Dogg and E-40 can never be accused of hogging the spotlight from the younger generation of rap.

They're both helping up-and-coming Los Angeles rapper Zoe Osama get his name out in the streets by hopping on his new track!!!

On Friday, Zoe released the new video for his "Underrated (Remix)" which finds Snoop sliding in the 2nd verse and 40 following suit with complex rhyme styles.

The track also features MoneySign Suede, the L.A. rapper who was murdered inside California's Correctional Training Facility back in April.

Per our report at the time, MoneySign was stabbed in the neck in the showers on the evening of April 26 and prison officials were unable to revive him ... but Zoe's making sure he lives on through the music.

Zoe also dedicated the song to MoneySign and several other slain West Coast rappers, including Nipsey Hussle.

Polo G's September 15 release date for his upcoming "Hood Poet" album is no longer a thing ... having endured not one, but two eye-popping arrests in the last few months that have prevented him from promoting the music.

The Chicago rap star made the somber announcement Friday, calling it a minor setback.

Sources close to Polo tell TMZ Hip Hop ... as of now, the album delay won't affect his current touring schedule.

He's scheduled to perform in New Mexico in October, blitz through Europe for much of November and also has a concert in Canada in December.

Polo's wild chain of events last month got us to this point. We broke the story ... Polo and his brother Trench Baby were arrested twice in a 24-hour span around August 23, resulting in a gun possession charge for Polo and a robbery charge for his brother.

Cops claim they found tons of guns and even a small bag of drugs following their raid of Polo's home.

CEO Jizzle, the Memphis-based rapper in Young Dolph's Paper Route Empire camp who was shot during Lil Baby's concert Thursday night, appears to be OK ... and cops are still trying to find the suspect.

Memphis Police sources tell TMZ Hip Hop they're actively investigating how someone was able to get a firearm past security at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. We're told there were no other injuries reported, indicating Jizzle might have been targeted.

For now, cops are gathering video and asking the public to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-2274 with any additional info that might lead to an arrest.

After arriving on the scene, officers discovered Jizzle with a gunshot wound ... he was taken out of the arena on a stretcher and rushed to a hospital.

Jizzle was listed in critical condition but appeared to be feeling much better Friday when he posted on IG ... lashing out at rumors of his death which were floating online.

Amir Coffey's July arrest has led to criminal charges ... TMZ Sports has learned the Clippers forward was hit with two misdemeanors late last month.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office has filed one count of carrying a loaded firearm and one count of carrying a concealed firearm against Coffey ... after alleging he had a gun in his ride during a routine traffic stop in Hollywood earlier this summer.

We broke the story ... a car Coffey was in was initially pulled over on July 30, after authorities claimed it had been speeding at around 2:30 AM.

According to law enforcement, officers said the vehicle smelled like marijuana -- so they searched it and found a loaded gun they say Coffey claimed was his.

Coffey was then placed into custody -- and spent several hours behind bars before he was released.

Elvis Presley's gun collection is in demand ... 'cause someone dropped six figures on one of his revolvers, with the final bid more than doubling what it was expected to fetch at auction.

The late singer's Smith & Wesson Model 53 double-action revolver was up for sale through Rock Island Auction Company, and they tell us the winning bid came in at $199,750.

Elvis received the gun as a gift in November 1976, just 9 months before he died, and it's loaded with custom features marking the Bicentennial.

The revolver is customized with five-pointed stars and a bald eagle holding a Betsy Ross American flag, plus the Liberty Bell ... and "1776-1976" is inscribed in gold near the muzzle.

As we first reported, Elvis' gun was expected to fetch at least $60,000 at auction ... but a bidding war broke out.

Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill resorted to climbing out of windows and jumping out of buildings after bullets started flying on campus.

In new video from Monday's deadly school shooting, you see college students fleeing a building through an open window ... dropping their book bags to the ground and then jumping to safety.

Amid spreading reports of an active shooter on campus, the students are left to climb out a window and onto a ledge, where they take a few steps to find a soft spot to land ... jumping down into some bushes.

The university shots were fired inside a chemistry lab Monday afternoon around 1 PM and the suspect, Tailei Qi, a UNC doctoral student, was taken into custody around 2:30 PM after a faculty member was shot dead.

Charles Manson's hair and cremated remains are being used in a new exotic piece of art ... and it looks eerily similar to the famous mass murderer.

Ryan Almighty tells TMZ ... he and fellow artist Terry Barr -- who specializes in sculpting shrunken heads -- recently joined forces to create Manson art.

Ryan owns some of Manson's cremated remains and pieces of his hair ... both of which were gifted to him by a close friend of Manson's.

Once Terry sculpted the lifelike Manson head, Ryan added the remains in the eyes and attached grey hairs to the head.

Bad news for Manson followers ... the shrunken head isn't for sale, but Ryan says you can check it out at his private museum in Warren, PA.

Ryan has a history of using Manson's remains in his art ... even using ashes in a "Helter Skelter" tattoo for one Manson fanatic.

Polo G and Trench Baby's arrests ended with them both getting booked for crimes -- the rapper for gun possession and his brother for robbery.

LAPD says Wednesday's raid at Polo's house was in response to a report from August 15, which alleged Trench Baby robbed a man in Granada Hills during a music video shoot.

The alleged victim arrived on location to film the video, and cops say Trench Baby drew a handgun with an extended magazine, demanding the man empty his pockets and wire money to him into another account.

According to cops, Trench Baby and the alleged victim had a prior working relationship. When officers made the arrest, they say they found a small baggy of unknown drugs on Trench's person during a pre-booking search.

Polo was booked for illegal possession of the short-barreled rifle, and cops say numerous firearms were recovered during the raid.

As we told you earlier, the Chicago-born brothers were released on bond early Thursday but were then promptly arrested by Burbank PD for a separate incident.

Cheryl Hines fears for her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s safety while he's on the presidential campaign trail -- and she's imploring President Biden to make an exception and grant him Secret Service protection right away.

The actress and comedian was at LAX Thursday when she was asked about campaign safety because RFK Jr. is a Democratic candidate for president ... and, of course, due to his family's tragic history.

Cheryl says "great measures" are being taken to protect Kennedy, but says what they really wanted is the Secret Service -- but she points out RFK Jr.'s request has already been denied ... which she finds very odd.

As you know, Robert was only 9 years old when his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963, and 5 years later, his father, Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed in L.A. while running for president.

Cheryl says she knows it's unusual for candidates to be assigned a Secret Service detail so early in the campaign, but says if ever there were a need for an exception ... RFK Jr. would be it, and she's asking Biden to reconsider their request.

Blueface was stabbed during his boxing workout yesterday -- but we're told cops now have the man who they think is responsible for the attack in custody.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop, 36-year-old Brandon Henry Snell was arrested and booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon Wednesday afternoon after turning himself in ... and is currently sitting in jail.

You can see in the video, Blueface and a man get into a physical fight ... with the man's Rottweiler jumping in the background along with the action.

The animal never got involved in the fight. For what it's worth, we're told the dog was with Snell when he surrendered ... and it hung out at the police station until a family member came to retrieve it.

As we previously reported, Blueface was inside the Kaminsky Boxing Gym in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley when he was accosted ... with the "Thotiana" rapper describing the incident as similar to being attacked by a "boogieman."

Blueface got on IG Thursday to update fans on his recovery process, where his 5-year-old son offered up some valuable life advice ... suggesting his dad hang up his gloves, at least in that particular gym.

The kid may have a point ... someone bringing a knife to a fistfight is totally cause for concern.

Two suspected burglars tried to break into a Texas apartment ... but the gun-wielding resident got all trigger-happy, spraying bullets through the front door and causing them to flee for their lives.

Saturday's Wild West-style shoot-out was captured by a doorbell camera recording the hallway outside a Dallas apartment. Fox News obtained the video showing all the madness.

In the clip, one of the suspects, Aaron Contreras, knocks on the door, posing as a maintenance worker and asking if he could come in to check an air-conditioner filter.

The resident, Ethan Rodriguez, was in his bathroom and used his phone connected to his home security camera to respond, rejecting Contreras, who walks away.

The video then jumps to Contreras -- now gripping a pistol -- and his masked cohort trying to kick in the door to Rodriguez's home.

Suddenly, Rodriguez -- armed with his own gun -- starts shooting from inside the apartment as bullets crash through the door, piercing the walls in the hallway. Contreras returns fire before bolting down a flight of stairs with his accomplice. Both, miraculously, escape without a scratch ... Rodriguez was also uninjured.

Dallas police officers soon arrive, assessing the damage outside Rodriguez's apartment and conducting a search inside. Rodriguez was not arrested because he was protecting his home.

Contreras, on the other hand, was eventually apprehended and booked into the county jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary of habitation and deadly conduct discharge of a firearm. He's being held on $150,000 bond.

Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Sam Williams has found himself in trouble with the law yet again ... the 24-year-old was arrested in Texas over the weekend -- the second time cops have accused him of wrongdoing in the last year.

According to a Frisco Police Dept. spokesperson, Williams was taken into custody on Sunday  ... and booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made immediately available.

The 24-year-old had just played in the Cowboys' preseason game on Saturday night against the Seahawks in Seattle ... and he shined, recording a sack and two tackles. He was also seen participating in Dallas' training camp practice on Tuesday -- a day after their off-day Monday.

The Cowboys, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, were aware of the arrest.

Williams has been previously accused of wrongdoing in December 2022, when authorities alleged he drove recklessly before crashing his Corvette in Plano.

MMG rapper Gunplay landed in jail after his wife told cops he pressed a rifle against her chest and threatened her.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, cops in Miami arrested the longtime Rick Ross associate on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and child abuse. His wife, Vonshae Taylor-Morales, claims he pointed an AK-47 at her while she was carrying their 6-month-old daughter.

Vonshae told officers she and Gunplay went out to dinner and when they came home, he was "highly intoxicated and playing a game on his Xbox" extremely loudly.

She told officers when she asked him to keep the noise down, Gunplay became violent and began throwing glass liquor bottles and cups in her direction ... forcing her to cover the baby with a blanket to prevent glass from injuring her.

Afterward, she claims Gunplay then picked up an AK-47 rifle and pressed it against her chest while she held the baby, allegedly threatening ... "I will blow your shit back." Vonshae says she tried to escape, but Gunplay blocked her exit and attempted to grab the baby by her head and neck.

Vonshae stated she began screaming for help, which she says prompted Gunplay to exit the apartment and also yell for help. She says she picked up the rifle, and stashed it in her luggage for everyone's safety and then fled.

She call out Gunplay Sunday on IG, and announced she was filing for divorce after one year of marriage.

When officers arrived on the scene, they say Gunplay denied all the allegations, but was still arrested and booked on the charges.

The Florida rapper recently celebrated his 44th birthday last month ... where he displayed extreme fits of rage after the club DJ spun a couple of 50 Cent songs, causing him to flip out and throw trash cans.

More details surrounding the senseless killing of a shop owner and mother of 9 ... as her close friend says a man ripped down the shop's pride flag before shooting and killing the woman.

Director Paul Feig, known for projects like "Bridesmaids," "The Office," and 2016's "Ghostbusters," expressed his pain online for the loss of his pal, Lauri Carleton -- owner of Lake Arrowhead's Mag,Pi, where she was killed Friday night.

Paul writes about the man who cops say shot her over the flag she had hanging outside her store ... adding, "He ripped it down and when she confronted him about it he shot and killed her."

He goes on to sing her praises as a fashion designer and a friend, saying she was a true ally of the LGBTQ+ community and asking folks to "keep moving forward with tolerance and love."

As we reported, The San Bernardino County Sheriff said cops arrived at her shop to find her suffering from a gunshot wound, with paramedics later pronouncing her dead at the scene. The flag is visibly hanging off the pole after Friday's shooting.

The man who allegedly killed Carleton was shot dead by police after the fateful incident, and it's unclear if it'll be investigated as a hate crime, but San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe called what went down a "senseless act of hate and violence."

The person who buried the bodies of sex workers on Gilgo Beach in Long Island did not stop killing during the 12 years the case was mishandled ... this according to numerous experts.

TMZ's latest documentary --- "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs" -- puts the spotlight on a former police chief who went to great lengths to derail the investigation, in no small part because he himself was hiring prostitutes and didn't want a spotlight put on him.

Numerous law enforcement people, criminologists, and psychologists appear in the doc, and they say during the 12 years the case lay dormant, despite clues that would have led them to Rex Heuermann's doorstep, more women were probably murdered.

These people say serial killers don't stop killing ... maybe some do for a while, but they ultimately give in to their impulses.

Authorities are now looking at Las Vegas and South Carolina, where Heuermann owned properties, to determine if there are other victims. Some authorities believe there are other burial grounds out there.

In fact, cops arrested Heuermann earlier than they planned because he was allegedly getting close with another sex worker.

He's currently charged with murdering 3 women whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach, and he's the prime suspect in a 4th. Police found 11 bodies on Gilgo Beach, at least 8 of which were sex workers.