United States
American Football Hero Faces Jail for Shooting Himself in NY Nightclub
New York Times
3 Dec 2008
At the moment, a football player who accidentally shot himself in the leg at a nightclub is causing far more excitement than the murder by knife of Edwin Thomas, a bus driver on the B46 route in Brooklyn who scolded a fare beater. Stupidity is the reigning crime of the century in New York. The mayor has virtually demanded the immediate imprisonment of the football player, Plaxico Burress, for three and a half years, and called for the prosecution of a hospital that treated his gunshot wound and failed to report it to the police. He also seeks some unspecified form of disgrace for the Giants on grounds that the team may have been lackadaisical in calling the cops.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Army Warns 'Innocent People Must Not be Hurt' in Uganda Gun Seizure
New Vision (Kampala)
3 Dec 2008
KAMPALA -- The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has issued new guidelines for the disarmament exercise to check social unrest. Since 2001, the army has concentrated on recovering illegal firearms acquired during the different regimes. The army has to date recovered about 27,000 guns. The two-page document has been circulated to all military personnel of the division tasked with the disarmament. "Bearing in mind that these guns will not be handed to us voluntarily by the armed persons and considering that at some stage minimum force will inevitably be applied." "You are expected to verify with the army authority before... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sudan
Gun Control Remains Elusive as Sudan Rethinks Weapon Confiscation
IRIN (UN News)
3 Dec 2008
JUBA -- Efforts by Southern Sudanese states to forcefully collect arms from civilians have been poorly planned, leading to violence, deaths and increased insecurity in some areas, sources said. President Salva Kiir in June directed all southern states to disarm their populations by the end of 2008. However, no government policy on how disarmament should be undertaken existed, leaving implementation to state governors and opening up the process to possible abuse. A piecemeal approach was adopted, according to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, leaving disarmed people vulnerable to armed communities and forcing them to re-arm. "Disarmament stimulated... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Registration, Assault Weapon Ban Survive in Washington DC
Washington Post
3 Dec 2008
The D.C. Council voted unanimously yesterday to give preliminary approval to legislation that would require gun owners to renew their registrations every three years and to notify police annually whether they still own guns. The Fire Arms Registration Amendment, which would also ban assault weapons, was described as building on legislation passed by the council in September to adhere to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the city's 32-year handgun ban. Yesterday's vote came during a 10-hour meeting as the council navigated a crush of legislation before the end of the year. It has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 16 to handle legislation on housing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Hidden Handgun Owner Left His Pistol in Ohio Wal-Mart Cart
WTOV-9 TV News (Ohio)
3 Dec 2008
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Police said a Wal-Mart shopper found and took a gun left behind in a shopping cart. Investigator said a man with a concealed carry permit forgot the .40 caliber Glock in the cart Wednesday afternoon. Later, a man driving a red Dodge Ram pickup truck spotted the gun in the cart and put it in his truck, then continued shopping with a woman. Police said even though the man found the gun, it is considered a stolen firearm. Officers have the couple's credit card information but are hoping they'll turn the weapon in before police have to track them down and file felony charges. ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lost/Stolen Gun Law Might be Illegal, But Pittsburgh Passes It Anyway
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
3 Dec 2008
It might be illegal, but Pittsburgh City Council voted, 6-1, Tuesday to fine, and possibly jail, city residents who fail to notify police within 24 hours after their guns are lost or stolen. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl refused to say whether he will use his 10-day window to veto, sign or allow the bill to become law. He said he doubts the legislation, which aims to prevent straw purchasers from lawfully buying guns and passing them on to criminals, will quell gun violence. "My concern is that this ... will send false hope to people ... because the reality is the legislation -- in and of itself at the local level -- gives us no further ability to get guns off... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Shot Football Hero, New York Mayor Face Up in Giant Gun Law Precedent
New York Times
3 Dec 2008
On a night in January 2007, one of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's deputies for criminal justice addressed a small gathering of lawyers at the New York Bar Association's office in Midtown Manhattan. In a large conference room, he described how new legislation that he and Bloomberg had spearheaded would reduce gun violence in New York. As that deputy, John Feinblatt, addressed the group, he was challenged by several defense lawyers who thought the legislation -- which mandated a minimum three-and-a-half-year sentence for illegal possession of a loaded weapon -- was unfair. Their complaint was that the new law did not allow for any exceptions. The lawyer most vocal... ( gunpolicy.org )
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