The scoop on Tuesday, March 22: 5 things to know

Gun at a different Atlanta shooting scene. (John Spink / jspink@ajc.com / AJC file photo)

Gun at a different Atlanta shooting scene. (John Spink / jspink@ajc.com / AJC file photo)

1. Georgia Carry says man didn't have right to shoot at car thief. 

He was trying to keep a thief from stealing his car. But when an Atlanta man shot and killed the would-be suspect, he himself became a suspect, charged with murder. Raheem Scott, 25, was still at the Exxon near The Mall West End when officers arrived Saturday night. William Blackwell, 50, of Goodlettsville, Tenn., was dead in the front seat of Scott's car, according to police. But was a murder charge justified? That depends on whom you ask and which law is being applied. Read more. 

2. Speaking to Jewish activists, Trump underscores support for Israel. 

Looking to shore up his foreign policy credentials and win over a group that has at times been skeptical of his previous stances on peace talks and the treatment of immigrants and Muslims, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump told pro-Israel activists Monday that his support of the Jewish state is absolute. In remarks at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — Washington's most influential pro-Israel lobbying group — the New Yorker said his experience as a businessman makes him well-suited to stand up for Israel's political and security interests at the United Nations and against Iran and the Palestinians. Read more. 

3. Boy, 2, expected to survive after finding gun, shooting self. 

A 2-year-old North Carolina boy had only been in Georgia a few hours when he found a gun in his mother's purse, according to police. Inside a DeKalb County hotel room, the boy shot himself in the stomach early Monday, investigators said. After undergoing emergency surgery, the boy was in critical condition, but expected to survive his injuries, Maj. Steven Fore said. Investigators had not determined late Monday whether criminal charges would be filed in the shooting, which happened shortly after 2 a.m. at Knights Inn on Panola Road, near Lithonia. Read more. 

4. DeKalb Commission seat will remain vacant for months. 

The east DeKalb County Commission seat won't be filled for more than seven months because it would be a "logistical nightmare" to quickly organize a special election at the same time as the primary election. The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections voted unanimously Monday against calling a May 24 special election to fill the seat vacated byCommissioner Stan Watson, who resigned this month to run for tax commissioner. Voters will instead choose his replacement during the Nov. 8 general election. Watson represented about 350,000 people who live in District 7. Board Chairman Samuel Tillman said polling places lack the staff, space and employees necessary for the earlier election date. Read more

5. Speaker doesn't foresee changes in Georgia campus gun bill. 

Gov. Nathan Deal's call for changes to legislation that would allow guns on college campuses could go unmet. House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said Monday that he expects no new legislation to move in the final two days of the legislative session addressing concerns raised by the the governor about the bill. Meanwhile, opponents of the "campus carry" bill called for Deal to veto it. House Bill 859, sponsored by state Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, would let anyone 21 or older with a weapons license carry a gun anywhere on a public college or university campus, except for inside dormitories, fraternities and sorority houses, and athletic events. The Georgia Legislature passed the bill earlier this month. Read more.