Canada
Canada's Former Education Minister to be Sentenced for Illegal Handgun
Toronto Star (Ontario)
26 Mar 2008
Former education minister John Snobelen shouldn't have to pay for the increase in gun crimes across Greater Toronto, his lawyer said today. But prosecutor Tony MacKinnon said the daily "rolling headlines" involving gun violence is exactly why the former Cabinet minister must to be convicted of a criminal offence. Snobelen, 51, pleaded guilty last year to careless storage of a firearm and possession of a restricted weapon. He was found not guilty of unauthorized possession of firearm. The charges could have resulted in jail time, court heard today, but neither side is asking for any period of incarceration. MacKinnon is seeking fines... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Public School Students Just Hope to Survive Each Violent Day
Chicago Defender (Illinois)
26 Mar 2008
Five Chicago Public School (CPS) students were shot and killed in the first two weeks of March, bringing the year's total to 18. But amid the media uproar, a critical set of victims has been overlooked; the students left behind, who struggle to lead normal high school lives in a culture of gun violence and death. The Defender met with a group of 16 and 17-year-old Black male students at John Hope College Prep High School, 5515 South Lowe Ave. Three years ago, their school went from selective to open enrollment. What followed was a culture seemingly rooted in violence -- often occurring right outside the school grounds. The students,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida House 'Cravenly Caves In to NRA,' Passing 'Bring Guns to Work' Bill
St Petersburg Times (Florida), Editorial
26 Mar 2008
The National Rifle Association does not take no for an answer, and the Florida House meekly surrendered Wednesday. Without a word of debate, lawmakers voted to give gun owners an absolute right to take their weapons to work and to the store. By caving in to the NRA after two years of holding firm, legislators trampled on the rights of private property owners. A similar bill has been filed in the Senate, and it probably will be left to Gov. Charlie Crist to restore sanity and veto this affront to public safety. The House bill bans private or public employers from prohibiting workers or customers from keeping guns locked in their cars. It primarily benefits employees... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Gun Collector Loses 35 Illegal Weapons to New Jersey Police
Record (New Jersey)
26 Mar 2008
RUTHERFORD -- Police seized a cache of 35 weapons on Tuesday, including illegally modified assault rifles and machine guns from the Hastings Avenue apartment of a gun collector, authorities said. The State Police Street Gang Unit North and borough detectives found an armory of loaded guns and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in the apartment of Joseph Leone, 57. "Laying around in the closet, out in the open, in the dresser drawer ... they were all over the place," State Police Detective Sgt. Tom Ryan said. "He had a lot of firepower in his house." Leone was charged with possessing and manufacturing assault weapons and machine guns, and was being held... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maine Decides to Prohibit Direct Gun Sales to 16 and 17yr-old Youths
Boston Globe
26 Mar 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine is tightening up its regulations on purchases of guns by youths. Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday signed a bill that prohibits sales of firearms to 16 and 17 year-olds. The law will allow exceptions for sales by a parent, foster parent or guardian -- or if the young buyer gets permission from one of those. Violations can lead to a maximum fine of $500. Most bills become law three months after the legislative session ends. It means the effective date could be in July. ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Neighbour Killed 7yr-old on Trampoline: Backyard Gunfire Still Legal in Texas
KVUE-TV News (Texas)
26 Mar 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -- Shooting guns in some Hays County neighborhoods will remain legal, despite the recent death of a little boy. "It's pretty difficult still ... and depressing, too," said 16 year old Julianna Galicia whose brother was killed by a stray bullet last year. Daniel Galicia, 7, was killed outside their home east of Kyle in April. He was jumping on the trampoline when a neighbor's stray bullet hit him. It was after that shooting that Hays County Commissioner Jeff Barton proposed a new law. It would prohibit residents, who live on lots smaller than two acres, from hunting or target shooting on their property. "I have to say,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Religious Charity CEO 'Smuggled' .50cal, Assault Rifles from US to Mexico
El Paso Times (Texas)
26 Mar 2008
One of the men caught in El Paso trying to smuggle a .50-caliber semiautomatic rifle and other weapons into Mexico last week is the CEO of a religious charity, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confirmed Tuesday. Jonathan Lopez Gutierrez, 32, is the CEO of Emmanuel Ministries, a 40-year-old shelter for about 100 children in Juárez, a medical and dental clinic and a ballet program, according to the charity's Web site. Many Americans traveled to volunteer at Emmanuel Ministries, according to testimonies on the Web site. Lopez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested March 19 on the Stanton Street bridge driving a white van. Inside... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Tennessee Issues Hidden Handgun Permits to Felons, Child Rapist
Bristol Herald Courier, Editorial
26 Mar 2008
Last month, an investigative television reporter in Nashville reported that the state of Tennessee had issued gun-carry permits to convicted felons, including a child rapist. That's because the Tennessee Department of Safety admitted that it accepted at face value an applicant's word that he or she had not been convicted of a felony. Under proposed legislation slated to go before the Tennessee Senate today, reporter Phil Williams of WTVF-NewsChannel 5 would be subject to a Class E felony for airing that report. His punishment upon conviction? Up to several years in prison and a large fine. You read that right: A handful of Tennessee legislators... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Ugandan Army Seizes Guns, Aims to Curb Illegal Arms Trade, Smuggling
New Vision (Kampala)
26 Mar 2008
There are clandestine markets dealing in small arms and light weapons along Uganda's borders, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, has said. Nyakairima said the weapons were being used in criminal activities against both civilians and security agents. "We are aware that there are some well established markets that sell small arms and light weapons along Uganda's borders and trading routes. All these help to sustain the trafficking of illicit arms," Nyakairima said yesterday. His message was contained in a speech read by Brig. Robert Rusoke, the UPDF Joint Chief of Staff, at the opening of a workshop for senior army officers at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Airline Pilot Was 'Trying to Stow' Pistol, Bullet Pierced Cockpit at 8000ft
Associated Press
26 Mar 2008
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- A US Airways pilot whose gun fired inside a cockpit said he was trying to stow the weapon as the crew got ready to land, according to a police report released Wednesday. The pilot didn't tell air traffic control about the shooting or say the bullet had punctured the cockpit until after the plane landed safely at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Saturday, the report said. Photos obtained by The Associated Press show a small exit hole on the plane's exterior below the cockpit window. US Airways Tower Supervisor Nathan Gundlach told police that when he arrived the pilot was on the phone with the Transportation Security... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Airways Pilot Blew Hole in Cockpit at 8000ft, May Have 'Mishandled' Gun
Seattle Times (Washington) / AP
26 Mar 2008
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The pilot of a US Airways plane may have been mishandling a firearm when it went off in flight, piercing the cockpit wall before the jet landed safely, a federal air marshal said Tuesday. Airline officials said the accidental discharge did not endanger the 124 passengers and five crew members on the Airbus A319 over the weekend. But air-safety experts said the hole could have caused the plane to rapidly depressurize had it been in a window at a higher altitude. All people eligible to carry guns in the cockpit carry the same weapon, the .40-caliber semiautomatic H&K USP. "This is an extremely safe and reliable weapon,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US 'Arms Race' Sees Criminals, Police Rushing to Get More Assault Rifles
Associated Press
26 Mar 2008
KENNER, Louisiana -- The cake had been served and the children were jumping up and down in a big, inflatable castle when the birthday party turned to bedlam. Clarence McGraw's jaw dropped as he saw the visitors coming, guns drawn. The screaming began. Children ran everywhere in the courtyard of the low-income apartment complex; adults fell to the ground. Bullets flew. The killers wounded three youngsters, but for reasons police can't explain, it was 19-year-old McGraw they were after. As McGraw lay in the center of the green square, the gunmen stood over him and fired again. He was shot 15 to 20 times in all. The Sept. 15 killing was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Iraq, United States
US Fuels Iraq War with Another 437,079 M16, M4 Assault Rifles Over 3 Years
Defense Industry Daily (USA)
26 Mar 2008
As Iraq's military gets back to its feet, it has received armored vehicles, up-armored Hummers, and assorted weapons, vehicles, and aircraft. The initial priority on armed combat forces that could be supported by American combat logistics has started to give way to a buildup of Iraq's own logistics and maintenance capabilities. On March 21/08, the US DSCA announced a formal request by Iraq's government for various vehicles, small arms and ammunition, communication equipment, medical equipment, and clothing and individual equipment as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $1.39 billion. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Shows, Dealers Supply Military-style Guns for Mexican Drug Wars
CNN Special Investigations Unit
26 Mar 2008
JUAREZ, Mexico -- A deadly trade is occurring along the U.S. Border with Mexico, federal officials say -- a flood of guns, heading south, used by drug thugs to kill Mexican cops. In Mexico, guns are difficult to purchase legally. So, officials say, weapons easily purchased in the United States are turning up there. "The same routes that are being used to traffic drugs north -- and the same organizations that have control over those routes -- are the same organizations that bring the money and the cash proceeds south as well as the guns and the ammunition," says Bill Newell, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... ( gunpolicy.org )
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