United States
20 Chicago Public School Students Fatally Shot So Far This School Year
Washington Post
2 Apr 2008
CHICAGO -- Chavez Clarke, 18, had spent this past Saturday taking catch-up classes so he could graduate on time. As he left a South Side high school that afternoon, he was fatally shot, in broad daylight and in plain view of other students. His death marked a grim end to a week when police and school officials had stepped up their efforts to combat a spike in killings of public school students. The day before, an eighth-grader at a North Side school was shot and killed. In all, 20 Chicago public school students have been fatally shot so far this school year -- seven in March alone -- compared with 24 the year before, said spokesman Mike Vaughn. Including... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa, Central Africa
Central, East African States Launch Gun Marking Scheme to Curb Trafficking
East African Standard (Nairobi)
2 Apr 2008
NAIROBI -- Kenya became the first country in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa to mark its small arms and light weapons. During a symbolic ceremony that coincided with a regional workshop on small arms and light weapons marking and data management, equipment belonging to the Kenya Police was marked. An expert from South Africa, Mr Anthony Coetzee, marked a G-3 rifle and a Ceska pistol using a Marking Press Machine. Marking the firearms makes it easier to trace illegal weapons in the region and hence scale up the war against crime. The Regional Centre on Small Arms (Recsa) Executive Secretary, Mr Francis Sang', witnessed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control an Opportunity for the US Supreme Court to Find Middle Ground
Jurist (USA), Opinion
2 Apr 2008
In a few months, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue the most important decision it has ever made about the Second Amendment. Who will win? If the Court wisely heads for the sensible middle ground, everybody will win. The last time the Court made a significant pronouncement about the meaning of the right "to keep and bear arms" was in United States v. Miller (1939), a cryptic opinion which raised more questions than it answered. After avoiding the issue for nearly seventy years, the Court is finally poised to shed new light on the Second Amendment's meaning in District of Columbia v. Heller. That case concerns the constitutionality of D.C. laws that essentially... ( gunpolicy.org )
Haiti
In Heated Parliamentary Debate, Haitian MP 'Drops' Handgun, Shoots Clerk
Press Association (UK)
2 Apr 2008
A Haitian MP's handgun went off during a heated debate in parliament, injuring a legislative clerk. Isidor Mercier insisted the gun went off by accident after he bent down to pick up the fallen firearm. The bullet hit the clerk in his right shoulder. But reporters who witnessed the scene said they saw Mr Mercier brandish the gun after another MP accused him of profiting from a scheme that involved the repeated replacement of tyres on a government car. The gun seemed to discharge when Mr Mercier was jostled from behind during the tense debate, according to reporters who watched images of the shooting captured by a mobile phone camera. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
Liberia
Liberians Aim to Eliminate Guns, Sexual Exploitation, Gender Violence
News (Monrovia)
2 Apr 2008
MONROVIA -- A social mobilization campaign intended to create conscientiousness amongst the Liberian people for the elimination of small arms and discourage sexual exploitation and violence against women has started in Monrovia The campaign spearheaded by the Crusaders for Peace involves secular, gospel musical artists and traditional dancers would be climaxed on April 15 at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS). Culture Ambassador Julie Endee said the social mobilization campaign is to ensure that Liberia becomes a gun free society. Addressing a gathering of Liberian artist Tuesday, she said sexual exploitation, violence against women and HIV/AIDS... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Presidential Hopefuls' Gun Control Positions May Count in Pennsylvania Vote
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
2 Apr 2008
Chad Ramsey likes what he sees. That worries Kim Stolfer. Ramsey, the associate director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says each of the three presidential candidates has, to some degree, supported the center's efforts to regulate the gun trade. That hasn't been the case in an election year for a long time. Stolfer says gun rights advocates such as himself shouldn't seriously consider Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, but added he has concerns about Republican Sen. John McCain. Still, Ramsey said, when the Democratic Party picks a nominee to face McCain, "I think there will be plenty of stark differences... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Airways Pilot Was Locking Up Handgun When It Fired, Pierced Cockpit
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / McClatchy Newspapers
2 Apr 2008
WASHINGTON -- The pilot of a US Airways flight headed to Charlotte was putting a lock on his gun when it discharged in the cockpit, a congressman who was briefed by federal security officials said Wednesday. Rep. John Mica of Florida, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he remained convinced after a briefing from the Transportation Security Administration that the March 22 midair discharge of the weapon was a one-time incident and didn't indicate problems with the armed pilot program. Mica, who helped initiate the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, which allows trained pilots to carry weapons while... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US States Lower Handgun Ownership Age from 21 to 18, 16, 14yr-olds
State (South Carolina) / AP
2 Apr 2008
COLUMBIA, South Carolina --People as young as 18 can now buy and own handguns in South Carolina. Gov. Mark Sanford signed a bill into law Wednesday to lower the minimum age from 21. "People who are old enough to fight and die in the military should be able to purchase handguns, and the bill will put our laws more in line with those of other states," Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said. The law went into effect immediately. Federal law still prohibits firearm retailers and dealers from selling handguns to people younger than 21. But the state law now allows individuals to sell handguns to anyone 18 or over. South Carolina is one of 18... ( gunpolicy.org )
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