United States
California 'Santa Suit' Killer's Gun Rampage Left 13 Kids Orphaned
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
29 Dec 2008
LOS ANGELES -- After a Christmas Eve slaying in suburban Covina that left nine people dead, surviving family members on Sunday were grappling with how to best care for the victims' children. At least 13 young people were orphaned after the shooting and two others lost a parent, according to a family attorney. "We have to help them," said Jose Castillo, a relative who came out to the crime scene on Sunday to pay his respects. The shooting on Christmas Eve was at the Ortega family home approximately 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The ex-husband of one of the Ortegas came to their annual party dressed as Santa Claus and armed with four... ( gunpolicy.org )
Fiji
Fiji Police Try to Trace Illegal Ruger Handgun Sold to Businessman
Fiji Times
29 Dec 2008
Police are waiting on a report from the military to determine if the gun that was sold to a businessman belongs to the army. The businessman bought a Ruger Mark 2 Pistol on the street from a youth for close to $200 and last week dropped it with police. Assistant director operations, SSP Erami Raibe confirmed the military have possession of the gun. SSP Raibe said two people were been questioned in relation to the matter but declined to say if they were suspected to be the sellers of the gun. "We cannot say at the moment if these youths are the same people who sold the gun to the businessman, he said. "Investigations are continuing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica
Jamaica Police Seize 15 Smuggled Guns at Kingston Freight Warehouse
Jamaica Gleaner
29 Dec 2008
Investigators probing the massive gun find at a freight warehouse in Kingston last week are yet to make more arrests in connection with the seizure. One man, who was taken into custody in connection with the seizure, is still being questioned by the police. The man, whose identity has not been released, was arrested after the guns were found inside the vehicle he was driving. The police say 15 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were found shortly after 3:00 p.m. last Tuesday. They say five of the weapons were high-powered. The guns were discovered during a joint operation involving Operation Kingfish, the Mobile Reserve... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Obama Must Reverse 'Reckless Move' to Allow Hidden Guns in US Parks
San Francisco Chronicle, Opinion
29 Dec 2008
With its days numbered, the Bush administration has made an unnecessary and dangerous change to a 25-year-old regulation that bans concealed, loaded firearms in America's national parks and wildlife refuges. This regulation, created by the Reagan administration, has done an outstanding job of making these special places among the safest in the nation. And it did so without imposing unreasonable restrictions on gun owners -- it merely required that weapons be unloaded and kept in a place that's not readily accessible, such as a car trunk. But this 11th-hour rule change -- slipped in by a lame-duck administration late on a Friday with Congress out of session... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Philippine Police Seize Smuggled M-16 Assault Rifle Components
Philippines News Agency
29 Dec 2008
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) is conducting a thorough investigation to determine who is behind a botched attempt to sneak in an illegal shipment of undisclosed quantities of M-16 automatic rifle parts. ZCPO chief for intelligence Insp. Edilberto Alvarez disclosed that the firearms parts shipment was intercepted last Wednesday morning at the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA). Alvarez said that two suspected alleged gun runners identified as Alih Basari and Ibbul Hassan, both residents of this city, were also arrested when they intercepted the shipment. Alvarez disclosed that a day before the cargo was intercepted... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Rule Reversal to Ban Hidden Handguns in US Parks 'Could Take Years'
Sun-Sentinel (Florida)
29 Dec 2008
MIAMI -- Beginning Jan. 9, visitors to Everglades National Park and most other U.S. wildlife refuges will be permitted to pack a concealed weapon along with their mosquito repellent and sunscreen as they head into the great outdoors. The Bush administration's last-minute reversal of a decades-old ban on loaded handguns in parks has alarmed National Park Service officials, who fear that areas now among the safest in the nation will become more perilous for park rangers, visitors and endangered animals. "More guns always increase potential for incidents, and that's something law enforcement never likes to see," said Linda Friar, an Everglades National... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Six Pennsylvania Cities Defy State, Pass Law to Curb Gun Trafficking
Reading Eagle (Pennsylvania), Editorial
29 Dec 2008
The Issue: Reading passes an ordinance requiring handgun owners to report a lost or stolen weapon within 24 hours of discovering it is missing. Our Opinion: The issue rightfully should be handled by the Legislature, but since it refuses to act, city officials must do what they can. We share the frustration that Reading Mayor Tom McMahon feels about gun violence not only in Reading but also across the commonwealth. And in the final analysis, there is no reason why City Council should not have adopted an ordinance that requires handgun owners to notify police within 24 hours of discovering their weapons were lost or stolen. After all, similar... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Stray Bullets Fly, Gun Crime Rolls On as LA Collects, Seizes 8,000 Guns
Los Angeles Times
29 Dec 2008
The Los Angeles police and county sheriff's departments cautioned the public today about firing guns in celebration of the New Year and demonstrated one of the many tools they have to track down shooters during the holiday and year-round. "We know what goes up must come down, and what comes down does so with unpleasant circumstances," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca during a news conference at the Lynwood sheriff's station. "The person that kills lives and the person that dies, dies. It's all really just that simple. And firing your gun into the air is a felony and we will prosecute any individuals who fire their gun illegally to the fullest extent of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Attorney General-Elect 'Prime Target' for Supporting Gun Control
Boston Globe
29 Dec 2008
With Barack Obama anxious to take office, the public eager for fresh leadership, and the economy demanding urgent attention, the Senate is likely to defer to the president-elect and swiftly approve his Cabinet nominees, congressional aides and political analysts say. But there will be one prominent exception: The confirmation hearing for Eric Holder, Obama's pick for attorney general, promises to be bruising, with Republicans determined to explore Holder's role in controversial pardons under President Clinton, his views on gun rights, and his involvement in the case of Elian Gonzalez, the 6-year-old Cuban boy returned to his homeland by Clinton's Justice Department.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Police Gun Deaths Down 40 Percent, 50-year Low Reached in 2008
United Press International
29 Dec 2008
WASHINGTON -- The death rate for U.S. police officers slain by gunfire has reached a 50-year low, a report released Monday indicates. The report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says 41 officers were shot and killed in 2008, down 40 percent from the 68 who died last year and the lowest number since 1956, when 35 officers died as a result of gunfire, USA Today reported. The police group said the total number of officers who died in the line of duty this year, 140, is a 23 percent reduction from last year's figure of 181. The 2007 numbers were among the highest in two decades and alarmed police officials, the group said. "2007... ( gunpolicy.org )
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