United States
150,000 Guns Sold Each Year in Virginia Without Any Background Checks
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
3 Mar 2008
An AK-47 with five 30-round clips ($375). A Bushmaster, like the one the Beltway snipers used, complete with bipod ($1,300). A Barrett .50-caliber rifle with scope, accurate at one mile ($3,200). What do these guns have in common? They've been banned in a number of states and cities. And they were recently for sale in Hampton Roads, offered up to anyone -- no questions asked. Advertisements for these guns and hundreds of others appeared in one of the latest editions of the weekly Tidewater Trading Post. The ads, a staple of such publications, are placed by individuals. It's all legal. Although federal law requires licensed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Gun Lobby Gave $458,266 Election Gift to NSW Shooters' Party
Sydney Morning Herald
3 Mar 2008
The Shooters Party's newest MP, Roy Smith, was executive officer of the Sporting Shooters' Association when the organisation donated $458,266 to the party before the last election. The revelation, in state electoral returns for the past four years, comes as Mr Smith's colleague Robert Brown prepares to sit on a parliamentary inquiry on political donations which is set to sit today. The Government last year voted against Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, the most outspoken MP in the Parliament on the system of donations, being on the committee in favour of Mr Brown and the Reverend Fred Nile. Mr Nile will chair the inquiry and has been previously accused by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Airgun Deaths Bring Call for Tighter Controls on Pellet Guns
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
3 Mar 2008
The shooting death of 13-year-old Cody Shuya has sparked renewed concern about the hazards of pellet guns and whether they should be controlled by federal gun laws. Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control, said people underestimate the severe injuries air guns can cause and pointed to a 2005 Canadian Pediatric Society report, Youth and Firearms, which calls for air rifles to be regulated by federal law. The report cited 11 deaths from pellet guns, including 10 deaths that were caused after a person was shot in the eye or temple by a pellet gun. Nine of the 11 deaths were youths between the ages of three and 17. Most... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Close US Gun Show Loophole, Ban Assault Weapons - Hillary Clinton
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
3 Mar 2008
AUSTIN -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, locked in a fierce battle for Texas, said Monday that as president, she would not try to impose New York-like gun restrictions at the national level. Mrs. Clinton said in an interview with The Dallas Morning News that she would like to see bans on assault weapons and the end of loopholes that allow weapons to be sold at gun shows without required background checks. "There can be a meeting of the minds between lawful gun owners and those who believe we can protect Second Amendment rights without giving in to the bad guys," she said. Although gun control has not been a major topic in Mrs. Clinton's battle with... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Connecticut Police Support Microstamping Technology to Trace Crime Guns
WFSB-TV News (Connecticut)
3 Mar 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- A new high-tech device may help police solve crimes, by leaving a stamp on a bullet as it is being shot out of a gun. Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Susan Raff reported that many police departments claim that one of the biggest challenges when investigating a shooting is trying to find the gun used in the crime. A proposal was announced at the Capitol Monday to introduce the "microstamping" technology. Microstamping is a process of making precise engravings on the bullet casings when gun is fired, Eyewitness News has learned. Josh Horwitz, of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Rep. Mike Lawlor, D-East Haven voiced... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fireman, Gunman Dead, 3 Patrons Wounded in Florida Wendy's Shooting
Associated Press
3 Mar 2008
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida -- A gunman in a jacket, tie and baseball cap wordlessly opened fire inside a Wendy's during the lunchtime rush Monday, killing a paramedic who had gone back to fetch the right toy to go with his child's meal and wounding five others. The 60-year-old shooter then committed suicide. "This was not a robbery. He didn't demand anything," said Paul Miller, a Palm Beach County sheriff's spokesman. "Looks like this was just another random shooting like we've seen around the United States." The 42-year-old victim, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Lt. Rafael Vazquez, who was not in uniform, had met his wife and child at the restaurant during... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Control Debate Rekindled After Canadian Teenager Killed with Air Rifle
Montreal Gazette (Quebec)
3 Mar 2008
The shooting death of a 13-year-old boy has sparked renewed debate about the hazards of pellet guns and whether they should be controlled by federal gun laws. Police confirmed over the weekend that Cody Shuya, 13, was shot and killed by a pellet gun. Police allege Cody and a 17-year-old youth broke into a garage on Feb. 23 and stole a pellet rifle. Police said the rifle fired while the two youths were passing the gun between them. The 17-year-old allegedly fled the area, leaving Cody bleeding in a snowy back lane, where police found him. A youth has since been arrested and charged with criminal negligence causing death and break and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Violence Takes a Larger Toll: Phil Cook on the Cost to Communities
Florida Times-Union
3 Mar 2008
Economist Philip Cook, professor of public policy at Duke University, will be a guest speaker at today's Mayors Against Illegal Guns conference in Jacksonville. Cook's specialties include research in crime prevention and criminal justice policy. His book Gun Violence: The Real Costs studies the consequences of gun violence. He talked with the Times-Union by phone on Friday. Q: What is the primary cost and consequence of gun availability in cities like Jacksonville? A: The widespread availability of guns leads to greater gun use in criminal assaults and suicide attempts. In both cases, that has an effect of making them more deadly. The other... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Ammunition Microstamping Laws Will Help US Police Fight Crime
Wisconsin Radio Network, Transcript
3 Mar 2008
An expert on microstamping talks to state lawmakers about another tool that can help law enforcement. Josh Horwitz, Executive Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Washington DC, is an advocate of requiring gun manufacturers to include the new "microstamping" technology in all new semiautomatic pistol models sold in the state. "Well it's an evolution in ballistic technology, and what it actually does is it take a serial number from the firearm and transfers it to the expended cartridge of a fired pistol." Appearing at the state capitol, Horwitz tells Wisconsin Radio Network, lasers are used to make precise and microscopic engravings... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
How the US, Virginia and Other States Compare on Gun Laws
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
3 Mar 2008
Virginia's approach to gun sales has earned it a reputation for having lax laws. In reality, Virginia's firearms rules are not that different from most other states -- especially in the South. In the most recent scorecards by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which ranks states according to their gun-control laws, Virginia scored just 18 out of 100 possible points. But 34 states scored lower -- downgraded for lack of oversight for gun dealers, unlimited handgun purchases and other factors. California headed the ratings with 79 points. Among its other restrictions, California requires that even private sales go through a licensed dealer. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Key US Democrats Vow to Keep Ban on Loaded Guns in National Parks
Olympian (Washington state)
3 Mar 2008
With a showdown looming, Rep. Norm Dicks says he's prepared to block any effort by the administration to lift the ban on carrying loaded weapons in national parks. It's not an idle threat. As chairman of the House Appropriations interior subcommittee, Dicks oversees the National Parks Service's annual budget and is in a position to prevent the administration from dropping the Reagan-era ban. While the Washington Democrat is usually reluctant to add legislative provisions to his spending bill, he is ready to make an exception in this case even if it prompts a presidential veto. "Every now and then something rises up that needs to be fought and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Moderate Shooters' Group, US NRA Go Toe to Toe in Public Slanging Match
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
3 Mar 2008
NRA's right wing attack dogs have been having quite a time this past week trying to weave a web of deception designed to discredit me and the leadership of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). In my recent diaries at Daily Kos (here and here), I have carefully laid out how AHSA, a new progressive gun rights organization, tapped into the concern of rural hunters and shooters over NRA's failure to address access to public land and environmental issues resulting in a stunning NRA defeat in the hotly contested 2006 Missouri US Senate race. I'm sure many Kos readers were as surprised as I was that NRA, once again, acknowledged AHSA's campaign made the difference... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York's Mayor Bloomberg Takes Anti-Illegal Gun Campaign to Florida
New York Sun
3 Mar 2008
Mayor Bloomberg is taking his nationwide campaign against the illegal sale and trafficking of guns to Jacksonville, Fla., where he will speak today at a conference arranged by the organization he co-founded, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The mayor of Jacksonville, John Peyton, is attending the conference, which will be held at the Jacksonville Main Library. An aide to Mr. Bloomberg declined to provide further details. Last month, Mr. Bloomberg and the mayor of Baltimore, Sheila Dixon, announced that they would build a regional database to track guns used in crimes. The database would be made available to police departments on the East Coast and aid law... ( gunpolicy.org )
Yemen
Over 88,000 Firearms Seized, Crime Falls in Yemen as Gun Ban Continues
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
3 Mar 2008
SANA'A, Yemen -- Yemeni police have confiscated more than 88,000 firearms since a nationwide campaign to enforce a ban on carrying weapons in cities began in last August, the interior ministry said on Monday. It said in a statement that more than 3,000 weapons have been seized in major cities across the Arab country, and over 85,000 pieces were confiscated at checkpoints outside the capital Sana'a and other cities since August 23, 2007. The ban, that includes bodyguards of high-ranking officials, legislators and influential tribal chieftains, is aimed at reducing the visibility of arms that discourage tourism and investments in the country. Police officials... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Congress Shouldn't Bow to Gun Lobby: Keep Guns Out of National Parks
USA Today, Editorial
3 Mar 2008
Suppose you bring the kids to Grand Teton National Park for a vacation and set out on a hike around Jenny Lake. Halfway around, you encounter an unfriendly hiker carrying a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Still feeling like you're in an oasis of tranquility? Welcome to the national parks as envisioned by the National Rifle Association and its friends in Washington. From its inception, the National Park Service has required that guns be unloaded and kept out of sight. This helps park rangers control poaching and makes parks a place of refuge for both people and animals. But the NRA has other ideas. It helped persuade half the U.S. Senate to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court Must Not Tilt Too Far in Landmark Gun Case - Laurence Tribe
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
3 Mar 2008
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument later this month in a politically charged gun-control case from the District of Columbia. The case involves a city resident who contends that the District is violating his rights under the Second Amendment with a citywide ban on handguns. Gun enthusiasts on the right are all but daring justices who protect a woman's right to choose, nowhere mentioned in the Constitution, to trash the "right of the people to keep and bear arms," enshrined in the text of the Second Amendment. If the Supreme Court does what they fear and reduces the gun right to a relic of the days when all "able-bodied men" constituted each state's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Lawmakers, Police, Gun Control Groups Push Handgun Microstamping
WTNH-TV News (Connecticut)
3 Mar 2008
Lawmakers are pushing a new technology to help trace hand-guns used in crimes. It's called 'microstamping.' It's essentially a license plate for handguns that is difficult to remove. It's almost like a rubber stamp, but it's inside the gun and it microscopically stamps the ammunition cartridge. When an ammunition cartridge is ejected from a semi-automatic handgun, it carries a distinguishing mark made by the firing pin. And from those TV cop shows, you probably know that you need to have the gun to prove marks were made by that gun. A cartridge -- that was fired from a handgun with the 'microstamp technology -- shows that it is truly unique... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Newspapers Take Heat for Allowing Gun Sales in Classified Ads
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
3 Mar 2008
Gun shows aren't alone in facing criticism over a loophole. Newspapers also have been targeted for running classified ads for firearms. In most states, as long as private individuals are on both ends of the deal, no paperwork or background check is required. Classified ads, according to the National Campaign to Close the Newspaper Loophole, are an easy way for criminals, psychotics and minors to buy guns. "The newspaper industry is operating as a marketplace for illegal gun transfers," the campaign says. A project of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, the campaign surveyed 1,449 daily newspapers in 2005. According to their results, 71... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Killer Bought His Handguns Legally, Killed 33 'By the Book'
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
3 Mar 2008
The two handguns that took 33 lives at Virginia Tech on April 16 were bought by the book -- as it was written then. Seung-Hui Cho ordered the first gun -- a .22-caliber Walther -- on Feb. 2, 2007, online at www.thegunsource.com. The Web site is run by TGSCOM, the same company that sold two Glock magazines to the ex-student who killed five on the Northern Illinois campus last month. Firearms can be purchased over the Internet from across the country as long as they're shipped to a licensed dealer. When buyers pick up weapons, they must present an ID, proof of residency and fill out two forms -- one state and one federal -- that the dealer uses to run... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Westminster Accused of Complacency in Scottish-English Gun Law Feud
Herald (Glasgow)
3 Mar 2008
Gun law reform as demanded by Holyrood ministers has been ruled out by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. The move prompted her Scottish counterpart, Kenny MacAskill, to accuse her of complacency yesterday after she declined an invitation to co-host a summit on the subject in Scotland. Mr MacAskill, the Justice Minister, said: "I'm disappointed our invitation has been rejected and concerned that the Home Secretary says a review isn't needed now. "The most recent figures revealed firearms casualties in Scotland rose by 25% in a year -- one in three of them children. "Communities across Scotland, indeed across the UK, will be alarmed by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
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