United States
Braving Cold and Lobbyists' Chants, US Students Flock to Hear Gun Case
Washington Post
19 Mar 2008
They came at midnight, six Georgetown University students with the bare essentials for a night in front of the Supreme Court: Sleeping bags. Pretzels. Malted milk balls. "I've been thinking about this case for weeks," confided Jennifer Dixon, 19, a government major from Royal Oak, Mich., referring to the landmark arguments on the legality of the D.C. gun ban. But Dixon found 83 people in line for the few seats available for the full proceeding. So, like most spectators, she and her friends were allowed in yesterday for just three minutes of the arguments before being ushered out. Still, it was worth it, the students said. "This is a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, England & Wales
'Chaos, Gross Incompetence' Found in North Wales Police Gun Destruction
BBC News
19 Mar 2008
Serious failings in the handling of weapons given to North Wales Police by the public for safe disposal have been highlighted in an internal report. It said it was impossible to determine how many weapons had been destroyed and that there is no national policy on how the police should handle such weapons. The BBC has seen details of the report which was completed last year. The force said it regretted poor record keeping and had new procedures for the registration and disposal of weapons. The firearms registry in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, is the place where weapons handed in to police stations across north Wales by the public are sent... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Crucial US Supreme Court Case 'Could Redefine Gun Control'
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
19 Mar 2008
NEW YORK -- A landmark court hearing that in the United States for a generation got under way at the Supreme Court yesterday. Against a background of campus shootings and a high murder rate, gun control activists are hoping the court will agree individual states can pass their own gun control laws. The case was brought by a security guard, Richard Heller, who wants to overturn the law of Washington DC that bans handgun ownership. Mr Heller argues that the Second Amendment of the constitution allows individuals to keep weapons, and that the city must follow suit. Victory for Mr Heller could force a chain-reaction across the US as dozens... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Puerto Rico
Florida Gun Dealers, Gun Shows, Smugglers Fuel Puerto Rico's Drug Wars
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
19 Mar 2008
More than 200 guns bought illegally from Central Florida shops went to Puerto Rico drug gangs responsible for scores of murders in recent years, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. Investigators predicted "Operation Tropical Firepower," as the investigation is known, will expand and link up to 800 weapons to more than a dozen suspects arrested this week and others still at large. Already, it is the region's largest gun-trafficking case in decades. "Today's arrests of multiple firearms traffickers in Florida and Puerto Rico is the culmination of two and half years of dedication and hard work," said Virginia O'Brien, the federal Bureau... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Four Men Shot to Death in 'Workplace Shooting' at California Junk Yard
Los Angeles Times
19 Mar 2008
SANTA MARIA, California -- Four men were shot dead Tuesday afternoon at an auto junkyard in northern Santa Barbara County, apparent victims of a workplace attack, authorities said. In a wild scene that sent workers and customers fleeing for their lives, police said, the shooter killed the men with a semiautomatic handgun, pausing at one point between rounds to reload. A suspect was later taken into custody. "There were a lot of customers on the property, and they were running outside," said Lt. Dan Ast. "It was a pretty chaotic situation." Santa Maria police have not stated a motive in the killing, although Police Chief Danny Macagni told reporters... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Guns and Gun Running: Small Arms Trade in Latin America - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2
19 Mar 2008
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons -- that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles -- are circulating throughout the region. (1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and 90,000 people each year in Latin America, and guns are the leading cause of death among Latin Americans between the ages of 15 and 44, according to World Health Organization estimates. (2) Small... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Guns and Gun Running: Small Arms Trade in the Americas - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2, Editorial
19 Mar 2008
Gun violence has plagued Latin America since the early days of the colonial era. In June, archaeologists excavating an old Inca cemetery near Lima found a skull marred by a pair of small, round holes -- evidence of the oldest gunshot victim in the Americas yet discovered. The musket, in this case likely fired during the final battle for the Incan empire in 1536, was brought over by the Spaniards, and in a sense, the invasion of gun technology continues: In the last three decades, thousands upon thousands of small arms have inundated the region. According to the World Health Organization, between 73,000 and 90,000 people in Latin America and the Caribbean are shot to death... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Opening Hearings, US Justices Appear Skeptical of DC's Handgun Ban
Washington Post
19 Mar 2008
A majority of the Supreme Court indicated a readiness yesterday to settle decades of constitutional debate over the meaning of the Second Amendment by declaring that it provides an individual right to own a gun for self-defense. Such a finding could doom the District of Columbia's ban on private handgun possession, the country's toughest gun-control law, and significantly change the tone and direction of the nation's political battles over gun control. During oral arguments that drew spectators who had waited for days to be in the courtroom, there was far more skepticism among the justices about the constitutionality of the District's ban on private... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Lifetime Gun Ban for Canadian Lobbyist 'Cursed with Sense of Armageddon'
Kenora Daily Miner and News (Ontario)
19 Mar 2008
Eton Rugby resident and former gunsmith Bruce Montague will serve up to 18 months in jail following sentencing at Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday. Montague was found guilty on 26 firearms offences by an 11-member jury in December. The convictions carry sentences ranging from six to 18 months to be served concurrently followed by one year probation. Forfeiture of approximately 200 firearms seized from the Montagues' rural residence was deferred pending the outcome of an anticipated appeal and determination of items deemed antiques or family heirlooms. Justice John Wright also prohibited Montague from owning or possessing firearms for the rest of his... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Majority of US Supreme Court Appear Ready to Embrace Less Gun Control
New York Times
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- A majority of the Supreme Court appeared ready on Tuesday to embrace, for the first time in the country's history, an interpretation of the Second Amendment that protects the right to own a gun for personal use. That may be the easy part. The harder question in the case challenging the District of Columbia's handgun ban is what kind of restrictions the government could constitutionally place, in the name of public safety, on the newly recognized right. The answer to that question, on which the outcome of the case will turn, was less clear. The argument was lively and intense, running 22 minutes over its allotted hour and 15 minutes.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Rwanda
New Rwanda Gun Law Promises 5 Years to Life for Firearm Trafficking
New Times (Kigali)
19 Mar 2008
KIGALI -- The Lower Chamber of Parliament has passed a Bill that criminalizes the illegal possession of firearms. The Bill determines ways of acquisition, possession, carriage, manufacturing, selling, storage and obtaining all types of ammunitions and their accessories. Any person who exposes, lends, gives away or loses a firearm will serve a sentence of one year in prison and a fine of Frw100,000 or both. It also suggests that any person who exports firearms, ammunitions and other accessories in areas with conflicts shall be sentenced to an imprisonment of between five years and life imprisonment and a fine of Frw5m or both.. Fidéle... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Democrats Fail to Pass Mandatory Gun Theft Reporting Rule
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
19 Mar 2008
HARRISBURG -- A much-anticipated vote in the state House on a gun-control measure was derailed yesterday when Democratic leaders couldn't muster enough members to keep it on track. The House was scheduled to resume debate yesterday on a proposal to require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons. But Democrats, who have a razor-thin (102-101) margin of control in the chamber, were forced to suspend the afternoon voting session when they realized they were four votes shy of the majority needed to control floor action. "That's what happens when you are a one-vote majority," said Tom Andrews, spokesman for House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia
Russian Priests Told to Carry Guns, Fight Armed Thieves of Religious Icons
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
19 Mar 2008
MOSCOW -- Police in a central Russian region have advised priests to apply for firearms licences so they can defend their churches from marauding thieves who have been stealing religious icons at gunpoint. But a cleric with the Russian Orthodox diocese of Kostroma said the guns would probably be wielded by church wardens because the biblical commandment "Thou shalt not kill" prohibited priests from bearing arms. Police issued the advice after a spate of attacks in which thieves, often armed with submachine guns and travelling in off-road vehicles, stole icons from hard-to-reach rural churches and vanished long before police arrived. At least... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Underage Indian Actor Granted Gun Licence in 'Gross Violation of Arms Act'
Times of India
19 Mar 2008
GURGAON -- Only months after a boy was shot by his classmate in a Gurgaon school, leading to a furore over the cavalier manner in which the Gurgaon administration issues gun licences, there seems to be fresh evidence of the authorities flouting rules. An RTI application filed by an animal rights activist Naresh Kadyan revealed that actor Soha Ali Khan was issued a gun licence when she was only 18 years old. The law stipulates that no one below the age of 21 can own a firearm. Admitting to a serious slip on the part of officials, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rakesh Gupta on Tuesday said a show-cause notice would ask the actress to clarify her position on... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Brady Campaign Boss Sees Supremes Leaning Away from Gun Control
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Indiana)
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- Watching nine Supreme Court justices and three lawyers in verbal pingpong over a city's ban on handguns was "fascinating as theater, fascinating as history, fascinating as a policy question," former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke said Tuesday. Helmke, now the president of the nation's largest advocacy group for gun restrictions, sat in on the oral arguments over whether the 32-year-old ban on handguns in the District of Columbia is constitutional. The organization he heads -- the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence -- is rooting for the justices to rule in favor of the handgun ban. But Helmke said the tenor of the questions from the eight... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Court Appears Unlikely to Challenge Individual Gun Ownership
Guardian (UK)
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- The US supreme court today reviewed US gun laws for the first time in almost 70 years and signalled it will come down in favour of the constitutional right of Americans to own weapons. But the judges appeared to be divided on whether to uphold a ban on handguns in Washington DC, which has the toughest gun control laws in the country. The nine judges are being asked to choose between Washington, once the murder capital of the US and which has had a handgun ban in place since 1976, and a courthouse security guard who claims the right to have a handgun in his home, in a high-crime area, to protect his family. Justice Anthony Kennedy,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US High Court Fails to Join Clamour for Pro-gun Reading of 2nd Amendment
International Herald Tribune / Boston Globe
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court took up the politically charged issue of gun-control laws for the first time in 69 years, as a Washington man asked the justices to strike down a local law that prevents him from keeping a handgun in his home. In one of the most closely watched cases of the term, Dick Heller, a security guard who carries a gun while on duty but cannot bring it home at night under a 1976 handgun ban, on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to deliver a historic ruling: that the Second Amendment to the Constitution gives individuals a right to bear arms for their own self-defense. "The framers wished to preserve the right to keep and bear... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
US Senate Stalls Hemispheric Arms Control in the Americas - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2
19 Mar 2008
In 1997, President Bill Clinton, standing beside Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo in the Organization of American States' flag-bedecked Hall of the Americas, declared: "Gun trafficking is an issue of national security for our governments, and a matter of neighborhood security for all of us in the Americas." The presidents had joined together to sign an OAS treaty known as the Firearms Convention, or by its Spanish initials as CIFTA, designed to end the illicit manufacture and trafficking of guns, ammunition, explosives, and related materials. It requires that ratifying nations create laws (if they do not already exist) that establish procedures for importing, exporting,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court 'Fulcrum' Kennedy Pivots Toward Expansive Gun Rights
Time Magazine (USA)
19 Mar 2008
For decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has stood apart from the debate raging over gun control. It hasn't ruled on the Second Amendment since May 1939 -- almost four months before the Nazis rolled into Poland. But on Tuesday the Court injected itself into the center of a fiery dispute, hearing arguments in a gun control case that marks the amendment's greatest test since it was ratified in 1791. During the argument, a majority of justices appeared to signal that the right to bear arms extends to ordinary Americans, a belief that could redraw the lines of this contentious cultural battle. At issue in the case, D.C. v. Heller, is the city's ban prohibiting possession... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Justices Appear to Favor Individual Gun Rights
Los Angeles Times
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- The 2nd Amendment right to "keep and bear arms" finally had its day in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, and the long-held view that it protected the rights of gun owners appeared poised to win a historic victory. Five of the justices, a bare majority, signaled that they thought the amendment gave individuals a right to have a gun for self-defense. It was not limited to arms for "a well-regulated militia," they said. By adopting that view, the justices are likely to strike down the nation's strictest gun control law, a ban on handguns in the District of Columbia. But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said he favored a narrow ruling,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supremes Open Way to Potential Escalation in Firearm Ownership
Telegraph (UK)
19 Mar 2008
NEW YORK -- The Supreme Court appears ready to endorse the right of American citizens to own a gun, opening the way to a potential escalation in firearms ownership across the country. The court has been asked to decide whether Washington DC's sweeping ban on handgun ownership violates the US constitution, which says individuals have a right to "keep and bear arms". The case hinges on the judges' interpretation of the controversial Second Amendment. The Second Amendment states: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed". Politicians... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Whose Right to Bear Arms? US Supreme Court Hears a Crucial Case
Economist
19 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON -- Gun laws are a matter of life and death, reckoned both groups of protesters outside the Supreme Court on March 18th. One side argued that sensible curbs on gun ownership save lives. The other side retorted that if you outlaw guns, only criminals will carry them. Plus the police, of course, but gun-lovers don't find that terribly reassuring. "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away," read one placard. The oddly punctuated second amendment to America's constitution says: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Does this mean that... ( gunpolicy.org )
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