United States
Small Print of US Supreme Court Ruling 'Comes Very Close to Status Quo'
St Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri), Editorial
4 July 2008
Two hundred and seventeen years after the Second Amendment was ratified, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided what it means. To bear arms, it turns out, you don't have to belong to a militia after all. In most places, it's been that way all along. On Thursday, a slender 5-4 majority of the court made it official, ruling that the Constitution empowers individuals to own and carry weapons. The ruling is being cheered by gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Buybacks May Fail in One Aim, But They Remain Vital in Phoenix
Arizona Republic, Editorial
29 June 2008
Look, a new gun-buyback program Phoenix will probably not result in any perceptible reduction in violent crime in the four south Phoenix neighborhoods where it's being held.If the buyback goes anything like the others across the country over the past decade, middle-age, law-abiding residents will turn in older guns, mostly revolvers, in return for $100 gift cards that can be used in any Bashas' or Food City stores. The AK-47 rifles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Right to Own Guns in America 'Should Not Extend to Assault Weapons'
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
28 June 2008
'Today I didn't even have to use my AK / I got to say it was a good day' -- Ice Cube No one would mistake the Flat Rock area of Powhatan County for South Central Los Angeles. Homicides are a shocking rarity in this slice of rural Virginia, much less those involving an assault rifle. But Powhatan Sheriff Gregory A. Neal said an AK-47 is what killed 18-year-old Tahliek Taliaferro. The AK-47 and its imitators have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Sheriff Says 'Fanatic' Gun Collector Caught by Own 'Perversion'
St. Tammany News (Louisiana)
27 June 2008
Sheriff's Office deputies seized $150,000 in guns from a Slidell area gun collector whose "perversion" with weapons led to picture taking of his 1-year-old son, in diapers, clutching an AK-47 machine gun, Sheriff Jack Strain said Thursday. Fai Yui "Frank" Kwan, 42, 101 Foxcraft Drive, was arrested and charged with several felonies, including two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, when the cache was discovered... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Feds Visit Blackwater 'Mercenary' Base, Seize 2 Dozen Assault Rifles
News & Observer (North Carolina)
26 June 2008
Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have confiscated nearly two dozen automatic rifles from Blackwater Worldwide, the private security contractor and firearms training company in Moyock, N.C. The move came two days after a story in The News & Observer raised questions about the legality of Blackwater's deals to buy the guns for the Camden County Sheriff's Department. The security firm kept the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Did US 'Mercenary' Firm Use 'Straw Purchase' to Buy Assault Weapons?
News & Observer (North Carolina)
22 June 2008
The private military company Blackwater has found an unusual way to skirt federal laws that prohibit private parties from buying automatic weapons. Blackwater bought 17 Romanian AK-47s and 17 Bushmasters, gave ownership of the guns to the Camden County sheriff and keeps most of the guns at Blackwater's armory in Moyock. Tiny Camden County -- population 9,271 -- is one of the most peaceful in North Carolina. In the last 10 years,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Almost All Guns in Mexico's Drug Wars Are From US Dealers, Gun Shows
Portfolio (USA), July Issue
16 June 2008
The U.S. has pledged more than $1 billion to help Mexico win its war on drugs. But even as the body count rises above 10,000, most of the guns that do the killing -- Colt .38 Supers and big-bore Barrett rifles among them -- keep pouring in from the U.S. Alfredo Beltrán Leyva was arrested on January 21 in Culiacán, capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The circumstances of his arrest lived up to his high standing in Mexico's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US-to-Mexico 'Iron River' Provides 90% of Guns Used in Drug Gang Wars
El Paso Times (Texas)
15 June 2008
The rise in cartel violence in Juárez has made U.S. law enforcement officials all too aware that many of the weapons used for crimes in Mexico come from the United States. Insiders have come to describe illegal gun trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico as the Iron River, a trade route that extends well beyond the border as illegal gun dealers are pulling weapons from U.S. cities "The flow of weapons are going from the United... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Feds Allege US 'Militiamen' Had Illegal Assault Weapons, Flame Thrower
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
13 June 2008
Morgan Jones, said to be the captain of a local militia group, had a creative streak about him. At his property in Lucinda, Clarion County, the 64-year-old man hosted what were called "flamethrower parties." He fashioned a device only 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide that could shoot a flame 40 feet. But he also had a homemade cannon, made out of a vehicle's drive shaft, that he used to fire gasoline-filled beer cans;... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Global Gun Trade Treaty Needed to Curb the Spread of Weapons
Statesman (Kolkata), Opinion
12 June 2008
The campaign to reduce small arms and to eliminate the use of landmines and cluster bombs can save millions of lives. In addition, animals and birds can also be protected. Although attention is generally focussed on heavy weapons, greater destruction is caused by "small arms and light weapons", a technical term (generally abbreviated to 'small arms') which covers revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, machine-guns, ammunition, shells,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Man Legally Bought 4 Assault Weapons, Talked of School Killing
Associated Press
11 June 2008
MIAMI -- A man possessing an arsenal of AK-47 assault weapons, other guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition at the time of his arrest pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of threatening over the Internet to pull off a Virginia Tech-style massacre. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, 20-year-old Calin Chi Wong would avoid prison time but have to surrender his entire cache and be barred from owning firearms in the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Pakistani Civil Society Groups Promote Global Gun Control Campaign
Post (Pakistan)
10 June 2008
PESHAWAR -- Concerned at the increasing number of fatalities by small arms, speakers at a workshop stressed the need to raise awareness about the threat to life posed by small arms and asked the government to regulate the inflow and use of firearms in Pakistan. There are about 20 million small arms in Pakistan, making it the country with the highest per capita guns in the world, the speakers observed. They said that an estimated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, Venezuela
Venezuelan Sergeant Said Trafficking Ammunition to Colombia's FARC
Los Angeles Times
8 June 2008
BOGOTA, Colombia -- A Venezuelan national guard sergeant will face "the full weight of national law" after being arrested in a remote border area, allegedly on his way to deliver 40,000 rounds of ammunition to Colombia's largest rebel group, this country's foreign minister said Saturday. Sgt. Manuel Agudo Escalona, was arrested Friday with another Venezuelan and two Colombians in the eastern jungle state of Vichada with ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
Southern African Nations Plan Moratorium on Gun Trade to Zimbabwe
South African Press Association
6 June 2008
Civil bodies yesterday urged the Southern African Development Community governments to impose a moratorium on the supply of arms to Zimbabwe. At a briefing in Johannesburg, Obby Chibuluma of the Coalition for Peace in Africa said: "We are asking for the moratorium on Zimbabwe to make sure security is guaranteed before and after the June 27 runoff elections." More than 110000 people globally had signed a petition on the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Weapons in Florida: What's a Few Dead Cops to the Gun Lobby?
Miami Herald (Florida), Opinion
5 June 2008
The shock was in the weight of the thing. Less than six pounds. It was a cop's weapon, a semiautomatic assault rifle of dull anodized black steel, stripped down to an unadorned functionality. How light it felt in my hands. Like a toy gun. I thought how easy it would be for some kid, some 110-pound wild-dog street punk, to heft an AR-6520 and wield it to hellish effect. No wonder Fort Lauderdale is spending... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
US Marine Won't Serve Time for Smuggling AK-47 'War Trophy' from Iraq
Associated Press
2 June 2008
SAN DIEGO - A Marine sergeant from El Paso, Texas, accused of bringing an AK-47 assault rifle home from Iraq as a war trophy accepted a plea deal Monday that will keep him out of federal prison. Sgt. Leonardo San Juan agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of possession of an unregistered firearm and pay a $100 fine, said his attorney, Joseph Low. San Juan accepted the deal shortly before jury selection was set to begin.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Mounties Raid Gun Dealer, Ex-Cop, Firearm Lobbyist Over Gun Trafficking
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
1 June 2008
A long-serving Vancouver police veteran and a Delta firearms-training company are at the centre of an RCMP investigation into the trafficking of guns, some of which are believed to be ending up in the hands of B.C. gangs. The secretive criminal probe involves the sale of decommissioned guns -- easily reassembled and gunsmithed back into working order -- to Lower Mainland gangsters, a police source told The Province. Gordon... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa
Concern Over Increase in Illegal Guns After Post-Poll Violence in Kenya
IRIN (UN News)
26 May 2008
NAIROBI -- Very little has been done to check the increase in illegal guns in parts of Kenya that were hardest hit by the post-election crisis, an official of a peace and development NGO said on 23 May. "The small arms problem is bigger at this point than at any other time in our country's history, especially owing to the post-election violence, which created new markets for illegal arms more than ever before," Mutuku Nguli, chief... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
US Guns, Demand Fuel Mexican Drug Wars: Casualty Rate Higher Than Iraq
Denver Post (Colorado), Opinion
23 May 2008
Only lightly noted on this side of the border, our neighbor Mexico is engulfed in bloody, violent combat with and between death-dealing drug cartels. In a stunning reversal for President Felipe Calderon's crusade to subdue the drug trade and its perpetrators, Edgar Gomez, the national police chief and lead anti-cartel crusader, was assassinated this month outside his Mexico City home. "This could have a snowball effect, even leading... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
662 Guns Seized at US-Canada Border 'Tip of Iceberg' - Maybe 5% of Traffic
Ottawa Sun (Ontario)
18 May 2008
The cache of firearms seized by Canadian border guards swelled by 30% in 2007, but the vast majority of gun runners were unwitting American tourists, not gangsters or criminal smugglers. Internal reports from Canada Border Services Agency's Strategic Intelligence Analysis division record 662 seizures of machine guns, rifles, antique weapons, revolvers and pistols last year -- up from 509 in 2006. About 75% of the illicit catch is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago's Deadly Weekend: 40 Shot - A Chronicle of Gun Injury and Death
Chicago Sun-Times
18 May 2008
Angel Ramirez had Friday off, so he enjoyed a late sleep. At 10 o'clock, his mother called to make sure he was up in time to take his grandfather to the doctor as he promised. Angel jumped in the shower, had a bite for breakfast and by noon was on the way to Stroger Hospital with his grandfather in tow. It was already a beautiful day -- clear skies and bright sun that warmed the air enough to pull tulips from their beds... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington, DC Police to Carry Converted Military Assault Rifles on Patrol
Washington Post
17 May 2008
The D.C. police department's decision to arm patrol officers with semiautomatic rifles is promoted by commanders as a way to stay ahead of criminals. But it is raising concerns among civil rights groups and others, who question whether the weapons are necessary. Hundreds of officers will be issued AR-15 rifles starting this summer, and police say the guns will be a better match for criminals. Although Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Owners Join Moderate Pro-gun Group to Counter 'Terrorist' NRA
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania), Column
13 May 2008
Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell are taking aim and don't plan to let up. In the aftermath of the cold-blooded killing of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski with a semiautomatic weapon, they made a written appeal to lawmakers in Harrisburg last week. Man up -- now. Stand up for the state's law enforcement officers and ban the possession, manufacture, use and importation of assault weapons. This latest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Hidden Handgun Owner Kills Children, Their Mother, Self in Virginia
Free Lance-Star (Virginia)
6 May 2008
A man accused of killing his two small children, their mother and himself Monday night in southern Stafford was heavily armed, police said. Aaron Poseidon Jackson, 24, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was surrounded by guns and scads of ammunition when police found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday night in the Walt Lou Trailer Park off U.S. 1. Before ending his own life, police said, Jackson... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Machine Guns, 25 Firearms Found in Florida Man's Car After Death Threats
Casper Star-Tribune (Wyoming)
6 May 2008
Casper police found 25 firearms, including two AK-47 rifles, a mini-Uzi and an M-16, in a Florida man's car after arresting him on Sunday. William G. Pryzbylowicz, 66, was arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms by a felon. Casper Federal Bureau of Investigations Agent James Patrick called the Casper Police Department after an FBI agent in Missoula told Patrick that Pryzbylowicz was in Casper, according to a written... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Shop 'Knowingly and Willingly' Sold Assault Rifles to Mexican Gangs
ABC News (USA)
6 May 2008
Just hours after receiving a shipment of weapons allegedly intended for Mexican drug bosses, a Phoenix gun dealer and at least two alleged arms traffickers were arrested this morning in a series of raids by federal and local authorities. Authorities say the gun dealer sold more than 650 AK-47-type assault weapons to Mexican drug gangs responsible for recent shootouts that have claimed dozens of lives. Sources in Phoenix, Ariz.,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Yemen
Shootout Injures Six as Authorities Try Seizing Guns from Yemeni Tribesmen
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
29 April 2008
SANAA -- Four military police officers and two civilians were injured in a clash between security forces and unidentified armed men in a southern Yemeni city Monday, police sources said. According to the sources, the gunbattle broke out after police forces tried to disarm the men armed with AK-47 rifles in a marketplace in Ja'ar in the southern province of Abyan. Police forces were acting as part of a campaign to enforce... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China
Arms Cargo to Zimbabwe Exposes Mugabe's Link to Chinese Gun Maker
Sunday Times (UK)
28 April 2008
The boycott of a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe has cast new light on the connections between the African country's president, Robert Mugabe, and a secretive Chinese arms-trading firm with a controversial track record from the Congo to Darfur. The ship steamed towards China last week after dock workers in Durban refused to unload it and a South African court blocked the transit of its cargo of mortar and small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Wannabe Had Gun 'Arsenal,' Killed Girlfriend in Pistol Safety Lesson
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
28 April 2008
JUPITER -- A man who told police he couldn't believe his pistol fired, killing an 18-year-old woman on Feb. 29, actually had an arsenal of guns scattered throughout his apartment. When police arrived, 26-year-old Thomas Sutton held a Glock 27 in his hand as Brittany Armstrong lay in his living room, dying from a gunshot wound to her head. Just feet away Sutton had a Glock 23 with a tactical light resting on his sofa and a Glock... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Chicago Banned Handguns in 1981: City Saw 40 Shootings in Past Week
Toronto Star (Ontario)
27 April 2008
CHICAGO -- Deputy Police Chief Eugene Williams had a tough week. Wednesday morning, a two-storey house in his jurisdiction on the South Side. Five people, shot dead. The following afternoon, two more shootings. Another that night, non-fatal, shot in the leg and back. And all of this following a hail of gunfire that had peppered the city's toughest neighbourhoods just a few days before: In less than a week, more than 40 shootings, at least... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Give Kenyans Guns: AK-47s Maintain Social, Economic, Political Equilibrium
Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
26 April 2008
NAIROBI -- For decades, Kerio Valley and the adjoining areas have been rocked by intermittent ethnic violence but they have never produced an internal refugee. Yet Eldoret, Kericho, Kuresoi, Molo, Nakuru and the surrounding areas produced hundreds of thousands of displaced people after less than six weeks of post-election violence. What is the difference between these two sets of volatile regions in the Rift Valley? The answer is... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Shootings, Gun Crime Bring Calls for Urgent Firearm Seizures in Kenya
Nation (Nairobi)
25 April 2008
NAIROBI -- Residents and leaders in the larger Laikipia district have appealed to the Government to mop up illegal firearms in the area following a fresh wave of killings by bandits. The call follows increased cases of murder, robbery and stock theft. Residents have been killed by bandits and cattle rustlers and hundreds of cattle, sheep and goats stolen. Laikipia West district commissioner, Fredrick Shisia estimates the number... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon
Fear, Male Identity Cause Price of Assault Weapons to Soar in Lebanon
Washington Post
24 April 2008
BEIRUT -- Abu Omar, a money changer and father of 11 who lives in Beirut, has bought at least 10 firearms since the beginning of last year. "Everything I can put my hands on and I can afford, I buy. I never sell," he said. "Now is a time for buying arms." Many Lebanese, increasingly worried about the country's political paralysis devolving into violence, are preparing themselves in the same way. One measure of their anxiety is the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, China
Cargo of Chinese Guns, Ammunition Visits Namibia on Way to Zimbabwe
Namibian (Windhoek)
22 April 2008
A Chinese ship carrying six containers of ammunition for Zimbabwe has applied to take on fuel at Walvis Bay this morning. The An Yue Jiang is carrying three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1 500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3 000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes. Attempts to get comment from Government yesterday were unsuccessful. Messages were left for Minister of Information, Joel Kaapanda, but he... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, South Africa, United States, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia
Gun Cargo Rejection 'Dramatic Turn' for Africa's Embrace of Zimbabwe
Washington Post
22 April 2008
JOHANNESBURG -- A Chinese ship carrying weapons and ammunition for Zimbabwe's military may be headed back home, reports said, after repeated attempts to deliver its cargo were frustrated by a coalition of legal activists, union workers and human rights groups. The region's resistance to the shipment, which drew praise from the United States on Tuesday, marks a dramatic turn from southern Africa's traditional embrace of Zimbabwe's... ( gunpolicy.org )
World
Internet Sleuths Could Scour Web for Gunmen, Prevent Campus Shootings
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
22 April 2008
Alone in his bedroom, week after week, the young killer-in-waiting stares into his computer screen, plotting the worst and telling the world. But his plans to shoot up his high school or university campus never materialize. Instead, there's an early-morning door knock from police who've been stealthily tracking his online activities. A plausible scenario? Could mass school shootings be averted with cyberspace snooping and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Nine People Shot Dead in 36 Shootings Over the Weekend in Chicago
Associated Press
22 April 2008
CHICAGO -- Nine people were killed in 36 shootings over the weekend in Chicago, reflecting what some community leaders say is a deadly breakdown in discipline among gang members after a crackdown over the past few years put many of their leaders behind bars. "The older guys in the past looked out for the little ones. Now they're all locked up," said Nick Stames, a social studies teacher at Crane Tech High School on the city's gang-ridden... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, China
Under African Pressure, China Recalls Cargo of Zimbabwe Guns, Ammo?
SW Radio Africa (London)
22 April 2008
A controversial arms shipment from China, meant for crisis torn Zimbabwe, might have been recalled back to China following pressure from African countries that refused to allow it to dock at their ports. On Tuesday the China Ocean Shipping Company, owners of the An Yue Jiang ship, announced their vessel was coming back home. Despite Chinese claims that the delivery was 'normal military product trade,' Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Shops, Gun Shows Knowingly Fuel Mexican Drug, Gang Wars - ATF
ABC News (USA)
22 April 2008
U.S. gun stores and gun shows are the source of more than 90 percent of the weapons being used by Mexico's ruthless drug cartels, according to U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials. "It's a war going on in Mexico, and these types of firearms are the weapons of war for them," said Bill Newell, the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division of the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa, China
Campaign Against Zimbabwe Ammunition, Gun Shipment Gains Momentum
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) / SAPA
21 April 2008
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- A campaign to prevent arms currently aboard a Chinese ship from reaching Zimbabwe gained momentum on Monday with trade unions calling on their counterparts not to allow the vessel to dock at any African port. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) called for an international boycott of the vessel. "Cosatu is doing everything possible to alert the international trade-union movement... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, China
South African Court, Unions, NGOs Block Guns, Ammo Cargo to Zimbabwe
Scotland on Sunday
20 April 2008
Dockyard workers in Africa are refusing to unload a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe. The whereabouts of the vessel, the An Yue Jiang, were not known last night, although it was believed to be heading to Angola. Sources say the ship is carrying three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition along with 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and several thousand mortar rounds. Dock workers in the region are expected to refuse... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illinois Mayors, Politicians, Police Campaign to Close Gun Law Loopholes
Daily Herald (Chicago)
19 April 2008
Closing the so-called "terror gap" that allows those on the no-fly list to buy guns legally is the top federal gun sales law reform goal of U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk and other local gun control advocates. "That reform should have widespread bipartisan support," Kirk said at a news conference Friday. He hopes to see the closing of the loophole attached to an appropriations bill in Congress within the next few months. The "terror... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Should Floridians Be Allowed to Take Guns in Cars to Work? Yes and No
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Pro-Con, Opinion
18 April 2008
PRO-CON: Should employees be allowed to keep guns in cars at work? No After years of wimping around, Florida lawmakers finally passed a law that will allow you to bring your favorite firearm to work, providing you leave it locked in your vehicle. In the past, deranged employees who wanted to mow down their boss and colleagues had to drive all the way home to fetch their guns. It was the waste of a perfectly good lunch hour,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa
South Africa Lets Pass 3 Million Rounds of AK-47 Ammunition for Zimbabwe
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
18 April 2008
DURBAN -- The South African government is determined to allow the export of a large consignment of Chinese weapons and ammunition to the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF). The Mail & Guardian has confirmed that AB Logistics, state-owned Armscor's transport arm, has been approached to handle the transport of the weapons to Zimbabwe, after several private logistics firms backed out of the transport contract because of the sensitive cargo... ( gunpolicy.org )
Italy, Libya, Chad, Sudan, China
Libya Tried to Buy 1 Million Chinese Assault Rifles, Perhaps for Chad, Sudan
Associated Press
13 April 2008
PERUGIA, Italy -- The Libyan officer tried to cloak the purpose of his call to the Italian arms dealer. "A friend," he said, wanted to buy 1 million "pieces" and 50 million items of "food." But when that phone call was placed in 2006, Italian police were listening. They knew the meaning. Libya was shopping for guns -- lots of them. Authorities shadowed the negotiations between Libyan officials and a group of black-market... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Suicidal RCMP Gun Expert Gets 9mths For Illegal Submachine Gun, 'AK-47'
Ottawa Sun (Ontario)
12 April 2008
An RCMP civilian firearms expert who dumped a semi-automatic rifle and a submachine-gun off Hwy. 417 was sentenced to nine months of house arrest this week after the judge concluded the troubled man is no threat to the public. Stacey D. Cherwonak, 41, pleaded guilty to a string of gun-related charges, including having prohibited weapons and knowingly having guns obtained by an offence. His crimes could have had terrible... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Angry, Paranoid, 'Mentally Incompetent' US Man Claims Legal Right to AK-47
Concord Monitor (New Hampshire)
11 April 2008
Scott Buchanan has written angry, aggressive and paranoid accounts of his real or imagined dealings with the police, and in 2005 he was found incompetent to stand trial on criminal charges, according to court records. But that doesn't make him too dangerous to own guns, two mental health experts told a judge yesterday. "It was anxiety-producing that he had these views and that he had these guns," said Dr. James Adams, the state's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Tracing, Registries Enable Philadelphia Cops to Nab 25 Gun Traffickers
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)
8 April 2008
District Attorney Lynne Abraham and other law-enforcement officials announced yesterday that through the efforts of the city's Gun Violence Task Force, 25 more people have been charged with the illegal transfer of guns. Task-force agents last month snatched Lewis Ford, 25, a convicted felon, and Daaiyah Powell, 26, in their home on Ashley Street near 19th, West Oak Lane. There, they found a .45-caliber submachine gun in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Police Kill Themselves '2-3 Times More Often' Than Are Shot on Duty
New York Times
8 April 2008
NORWALK, Connecticut -- When Matthew Morelli, a 38-year-old police officer, was found slumped in a secluded parking lot with an AK-47 rifle on March 21, state and local authorities spent two days looking for a suspect, with helicopters and police dogs scouring the neighborhood, where witnesses reported hearing multiple shots. The culprit turned out to be a stealthy if surprisingly familiar cop killer: suicide. "We're all numb,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan
Pentagon, Miami Beach Party Boy/Gun Dealer in $300m Afghan Ammo Deal
Miami Herald (Florida) / Knight-Ridder
30 March 2008
Certain words tend to pop up in stories about arms dealers. Invariably, they're "shadowy." As if international arms merchants come out of the box with the factory default set to "shadowy." Other words are just as inevitable. Figure on "AK-47" and "shoulder-fired missile" and "Miami." Though, in international arms trade parlance, the armament bazaar called Miami includes Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Hialeah, Sunshine Ranches and, of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Uganda: Gun Running, Armed Violence Could Harm Northern Peace Deal
Monitor (Kampala)
28 March 2008
KAMPALA/GULU -- As northern Uganda prepares for a post-war recovery programme that will see thousands of displaced people resume a normal life, arms trafficking is becoming a serious security concern among the stakeholders. Security and local leaders fear that the problem of illegal guns and weapons said to be in the hands of former LRA combatants, Karimojong warriors, army deserters, robbers, arms traffickers from Southern Sudan,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Touts AK-47 Assault Weapon as Just Another Hunting Rifle
Freeman (Wisconsin)
28 March 2008
WAUKESHA, Wisconsin -- Local gun sellers say contrary to popular belief, an AK-47 isn't more dangerous than any other weapon. "It's a matter of perception. It's nothing more than a semi-automatic rifle. Nothing more, nothing less," said Terry Haber, manager at Fletcher Arms in Waukesha. Assault weapons, in particular AK-47s, are not machine guns, he said. Pulling the trigger will only produce one shot, he said. Haber... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Gun Collector Loses 35 Illegal Weapons to New Jersey Police
Record (New Jersey)
26 March 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US 'Arms Race' Sees Criminals, Police Rushing to Get More Assault Rifles
Associated Press
26 March 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... ( 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 March 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Shows, Dealers Supply Military-style Guns for Mexican Drug Wars
CNN Special Investigations Unit
26 March 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
Liberia, Sierra Leone
Liberia: 30,000 Rounds of Illegal Ammo Seized Near Sierra Leone Border
News (Monrovia)
24 March 2008
MONROVIA -- Liberian Police have seized 30,000 rounds of ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles in the western region of the country, close to the border with Sierra Leone, a report by the French News Agency (AFP) said. The AFP, quoting a senior Liberian police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the ammunition were initially found last Wednesday by local people at Sinje -- a Liberian town bordering Sierra Leone... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Man Greets Eviction Workers with AK-47, Wounds 3, Kills 2, Self
Associated Press
21 March 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia -- A 52-year-old man opened fire on workers coming to inspect the apartment of a relative who was being forced to move, killing two and wounding three before committing suicide, authorities said Thursday. William T. Smith opened the door Wednesday afternoon at the Thalia Gardens complex and began shooting with an AK-47 assault rifle and a Mac 10 9mm semiautomatic handgun, police spokeswoman Margie Long said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Puerto Rico
Florida Gun Dealers, Gun Shows, Smugglers Fuel Puerto Rico's Drug Wars
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
19 March 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... ( 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 March 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)... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, Africa
'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout Had Gun Running Deals With East Africans
East African (Nairobi)
17 March 2008
Viktor Bout. His name has a sharp, staccato to it, much like the sound of an AK-47 shot. Dubbed the "Merchant of Death" by former British foreign office minister Peter Hain, the countries the Russian national has reputedly sold arms to -- Liberia, Sierra Leone, Angola, Congo and others -- read like a list of Africa's worst killing fields. The UN and international human-rights activists say that those arms, obtained illegally or... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
200,000 Missing Guns at Centre of US, Iraq, Kuwait Military Corruption Probe
KippReport (Dubai) / Trends Magazine
16 March 2008
Major Gloria D. Davis of the US Army was buried in Washington's Arlington Cemetery, the last resting place of many of America's military heroes, on December 23, 2006. But the 47-year-old Davis, of Missouri, an 18-year army veteran, did not perish fighting her country's enemies. Instead, the US Army said, she died in "a non-combat-related incident" in Iraq. In fact, Gloria Davis put a bullet in her brain on December 12 in her quarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda, Sudan, Africa
Ugandan Military Seize 'Massive Cache' of Illegal Guns in West Nile Region
Sunday Vision (Kampala)
15 March 2008
A massive cache of illegal arms has been seized by security agencies in the West Nile region, in the past fortnight. With the accumulation of illegal arms in the West Nile, following the 20-year-old LRA war and other armed conflicts in the neighbouring region's neighbouring countries, the security agencies swung into action early this month, to halt it. The operation by security and intelligence services and local people,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Police Dredge Assault Weapons, 50-round Magazines from Bayou
Monroe News-Star (Louisiana)
13 March 2008
Ouachita Parish sheriff's deputies found seven barrel assemblies for an AK-47, three gun receivers, three 50-round magazine drums, eight banana clips and one bayonet in a smelly, overgrown bayou Wednesday. Deputies took turns donning chest waders and arming themselves with a hay fork, hoes and a magnetic stick to fish through Young's Bayou, off Prairie Road in the southern region of the parish. Lt. Larry Knight said the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Mexican Police Seize Assault Rifles, Ammunition in Tourist Area of Cancun
International Herald Tribune / AP
11 March 2008
CANCUN, Mexico -- Mexican police said they seized 20 high-powered rifles, 14 grenades and more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition on Monday in a hotel district in the popular resort of Cancun. Federal police made the discovery in an apartment in the swank housing development known as "The Waves" in the heart of Cancun's tourist district, state Attorney General Bello Melchor Rodriguez told The Associated Press by phone. Among... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Africa, Middle East, World
Arrest of Notorious Gun Runner Highlights Need for Global Arms Trade Treaty
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Web Page
10 March 2008
Viktor Vassilyevich Bout began his career transporting flowers and frozen chickens across Africa. He quickly moved on to diamonds, mining equipment, Kalashnikov assault rifles, bullets and helicopter gunships. Having evaded an international arrest warrant for more than five years, the notorious Russian arms dealer was finally arrested this week in Thailand. Dubbed the "merchant of death", Bout is regarded as one of the most prolific arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Police Seize 'AK-47', Handguns, Ammo in Crack Gang Bust
Prince George Citizen (British Columbia)
10 March 2008
Police are worried about their own safety and the safety of the public after seeing the kind of weapons local crooks are carrying, including an AK-47. In a recent crackshack bust, officers found a body armour vest similar to what police use for bullet protection. When they targeted a home and vehicle on the weekend they got an even bigger shock: three high-calibre handguns and an assault rifle, with plenty of ammunition.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations, World
Jailed Global Gun Runner Bout Will Be Quickly Replaced: UN Treaty Needed
Center for Defense Information (USA), Web Page
10 March 2008
On March 6, 2008 Thai police arrested the notorious arms broker Viktor Bout on charges of supplying arms and explosives to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a Colombian rebel group cited by the United States as a terrorist organization. Bout is among the world's most well-known arms brokers, credited with supplying weapons that have fueled some of the bloodiest wars in the last two decades. He has been accused of violating... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, United States, Colombia, World
If Viktor Bout Did Not Exist, a Thriller Writer Would Have Invented Him
Guardian (UK)
7 March 2008
BANGKOK -- If Viktor Bout did not exist, a thriller writer would have invented him. A former Russian lieutenant, he became one of the world's biggest arms dealers, flying his ancient Soviet planes into battlefields from Liberia to Afghanistan. His clients have included the Taliban and the US government, African warlords and the UN. He has as many aliases as an AK-47 has rounds, and has acquired the nicknames Merchant of Death and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Despondent Wisconsin Man Shot Up His Apartment Block with an AK-47
Racine Journal-Times (Wisconsin)
6 March 2008
RACINE -- A man despondent over personal issues allegedly used an assault rifle to vent his frustration Wednesday night, according to Racine Police. Joe C. Cobb, 35, of 508 12th St., was arrested after he fired more than 20 rounds out of an AK-47 into his apartment. He is charged with reckless endangerment of safety, and was being held in the Racine County Jail Thursday morning on a $12,500 bond. Reports said Racine police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Feds Tackle 'Unprecedented Surge' of Gun Smuggling from US to Mexico
Washington Times
5 March 2008
A flood of high-powered weapons purchased by Mexican drug smugglers from sellers in the United States has been targeted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of a law-enforcement initiative aimed at stemming rising border violence. During the past two years, more than 125 ATF agents and investigators have been deployed along the southwest border in Project Gunrunner to increase "strategic... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Wants More Guns in Classrooms
Los Angeles Times
4 March 2008
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin -- Online gun dealer Eric Thompson can't recall exactly what he was doing when he learned that one of his customers had just killed five students in a college geology class. He knows what flashed through his mind, though: Not again. Ten months earlier, another customer had murdered 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech. The coincidence stuns Thompson. He calls it upsetting. Beyond... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
150,000 Guns Sold Each Year in Virginia Without Any Background Checks
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia)
3 March 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... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Man Hangs Loaded AK-47 on Wall, Visitor Bumps Wall, 17yr-old Dies
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia)
23 February 2008
Results of an investigation into the shooting death of a 17-year-old high school student, apparently by an AK-47 hanging on a wall Tuesday night, will be turned over soon to Troup County District Attorney Pete Skandalakis for review and presentation to a grand jury. Natorrin Deauntres Brown of LaGrange was pronounced dead by a Troup County deputy coroner at the scene of the shooting at 86 Thornton Road. He had gone with three friends... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Youth Says Sorry for Playing With His AK-47, Killing His Mother
WSB-TV News (Georgia)
20 February 2008
HALL COUNTY, Georgia -- A Gainesville woman is dead after being shot by her son. Mary Bailey, 52, was sleeping nearby when her son discharged his AK-47 early Tuesday morning. Hall County Sheriff's authorities said the case is still under investigation but based on their preliminary investigation, they said it appears to be an accident. "To make a long story short, I shot my mother," Derrick Bailey told Channel 2's Rachel... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Russia
India to Manufacture Kalashnikov Assault Rifles Under Licence to Russia
Times of India / TNN
19 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- With the 61st anniversary of the famed Kalashnikov AK-47 series around the corner, the Russian manufacturer of the world's best-known assault rifle announced that the latest AK-100 series will be manufactured in India. The Russian arms company, Izhmash, will shortly issue a licence to an Indian private arms manufacturer with whom negotiations are at an advanced stage. Company spokesperson Alexander Xavarzin said assembling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Leaders Missing: Clinton, Obama Crouch Below Radar on Gun Control
Boston Globe, Column
19 February 2008
Barack Obama offers hope and Hillary Clinton offers solutions, but they offer little of either on gun control. In the wake of the Feb. 8 shootings at Louisiana Technical College that took three lives, Hillary "Solutions" Clinton issued a statement that said, "I am saddened and my heart goes out to the victims and families of those affected today by the senseless crime that took place at Louisiana Technical College. "Violence of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Netherlands
US National Arrested as Dutch Police Raid Uncovers Machineguns, AK-47s
Live Leak (Netherlands), Video
15 February 2008
This Wednesday a Dutch SWAT team entered a building in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert where they discovered a large weapons cache containing pistols, machineguns, uzi's, 2 AK-47's, an RPG, 20 granades and lots of ammunition. The suspect, a 29 year old male with an American passport, was apprehanded. The police thinks the weapons are meant for an extremely violent criminal organisation operating in the Netherlands, Great Brittain and Jamaica.... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
India Shaken by School Violence: 2 Gun Deaths Set Huge Nation on Edge
Washington Post
13 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- Two fatal shootings and a stabbing in Indian schools have rattled parents and teachers here, forcing India to confront an issue it had previously known mainly through TV news footage from the United States. While school violence remains rare in India, three attacks since December have led to calls for increased security in schools and for broader control of the more than 32 million guns in civilian hands in India. Television... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
AK-47s 'OK for the Back Yard,' Says Shooter Wife of US Presidential Hopeful
Frederick News-Post (Maryland)
12 February 2008
HAGERSTOWN -- Janet Huckabee took aim at her husband's Republican presidential opponent on Monday at the North American Rod and Gun Club. "We want people to know there's a true conservative choice out there in Mike Huckabee," Janet Huckabee told about 25 listeners. After she spoke, she took aim at a different target, firing at clay pigeons with a 12-gauge shotgun. Huckabee joined three club members in a skeet shoot out... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Legislators Should Push to Reinstate America's Assault Weapon Ban
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), Editorial
12 February 2008
Make no mistake, the proposed new penalties in Florida involving buying, selling and using assault weapons are not the ultimate answer to a growing problem. What would be best for everyone is to restore the federal ban on assault rifles that expired in 2004. That's a federal issue, but state legislators should certainly be pushing for that. But for now, the assault weapons proposal filed in the Florida Legislature is a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Four Tons of Assault Weapons, Ammunition Taken from Mexican Drug Gang
Prensa Latina (Havana)
8 February 2008
The Mexican army confiscated four tons of weapons from a farm located on the border state of Tamaulipas, authorities confirmed Friday. The shipment, belonging to "Los Zetas" drug trafficking group, a military arm of the so-called Gulf Cartel, was stored along with nine tons of marihuana, the report stated. Federal officials revealed that among the confiscated arms there were plastic explosives, grenades, a 50-caliber machine... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Gun Smuggling from United States Is 'No. 1 Crime Problem' Facing Mexico
US House of Representatives, Speech
7 February 2008
Chairman Engel, Ranking Member Burton, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee: I am William Hoover, Assistant Director for Field Operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). I have been an agent with ATF since 1987, and in my current position I oversee the operations of all of the Bureau's field offices, including those along the Southwest Border. It is an honor to appear before you today to discuss... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
US Still Can't Track, Trace, Prevent Diversion of Weapons Sent to Iraq
Associated Press
29 January 2008
WASHINGTON -- Weapons the U.S. provides to Iraqi security forces may still be ending up in the hands of terrorists, insurgents and criminals, the Defense Department inspector general told Congress on Tuesday. While U.S. commanders have made progress in controlling the flow of tens of thousands of munitions into Iraq, "there still remains work to be accomplished," Claude Kicklighter said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigerian Army Officers Stole, Sold Thousands of Automatic Weapons
Vanguard (Lagos), Editorial
21 January 2008
LAGOS -- Court martial of 15 soldiers, among them three colonels, two lieutenant colonels, one major and nine non-commissioned officers may just reveal a tip of the ease with which arms get into unauthorised through official sources. It is a matter for a larger enquiry than the confines of a military trial. There are civil or non-military components of these matters that are often discarded as if we are still under military rule.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Georgia
Pro-American Georgia Ditches Kalashnikov AK-47 for US M4 Assault Rifle
Agence France Presse
19 January 2008
TBILISI -- Ex-Soviet Georgia's army began yesterday to switch from the Russian-designed Kalashnikov to the modern US M4 rifle, pro-Western president-elect Mikheil Saakashvili announced. "Today is a historic day for the Georgian armed forces: we start to switch to Western armament. From today, we will use the best weapon in the world-the M4 assault rifle," Saakashvili told troops at a new military base at Gori, in the north of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Texas, Even Barbershop Customers Get Robbed with an AK-47
KTVT-TV News (Texas)
17 January 2008
FORT WORTH -- Wednesday evening several people watched as a man rushed into J's Unique Style Barber Shop in Fort Worth with an AK-47. "It was the biggest gun I ever seen in my life," said Tony Riley. The gunmen pointed the assault rifle at the 35-year-old hair stylist and his customer. After ordering the victims to the ground, the robber told them to empty their pockets. "I was just ... let's give him... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigerian Army, Police Officers Sold Assault Rifles, Machine Guns to Rebels
Financial Standard (Nigeria), Editorial
17 January 2008
The recent warning by President Umaru Yar'Adua's in Kontagora, Niger State at the end of a training exercise for soldiers that his administration will not tolerate widespread reports that arms and ammunition are missing in some army formations is an admonition that must be taken seriously. This is particularly apposite, following the revelation that some of the missing arms and ammunition from the Nigerian Army Central Ordinance Depot in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigeria Vows to Punish Army Officers Who Sold Hundreds of Assault Rifles
Vanguard (Lagos)
17 January 2008
LAGOS -- The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Luka Yusuf, has vowed that none of the army officers found to be allegedly part of the syndicate that stole arms and ammunition from the Army Central Ordinance Depot in Kaduna, will go unpunished. Fifteen officers, including three Colonels, are currently facing trial at a court-martial in Kaduna over the disappearance of hundreds of AK-47 rifles, GPMGs and ammunition boxes from... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, France
Real IRA Smuggled Guns to Northern Ireland from Eastern Europe, France
Irish News (Belfast)
16 January 2008
In November 2003 police in France arrested five people in connection with a Real IRA arms-smuggling ring after a small arms cache was discovered close to the Port of Dieppe. However, while attention was focused on allegations of a plot to bring weapons in from the continent a massive haul of arms was already on route to Northern Ireland. Purchased from International arms dealers the haul, which included rocket launchers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Agrees to Help Trace American Gun Dealers Arming Mexican Drug Wars
Reuters
16 January 2008
MEXICO CITY -- U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Wednesday promised tougher controls on guns flowing illegally over the U.S. border to Mexico, where drug cartels have murdered 115 people already this month. Visiting Mexican counterpart Eduardo Medina Mora in his first foreign trip since taking office in November, Mukasey said the spurt in violence in the first two weeks of 2008 dramatized the need to keep up pressure on what... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Assault Weapons Leak Readily to Florida Criminals, Take Deadly Toll
Miami Herald (Florida)
14 January 2008
Assault weapons are leaving a bloody trail of violence in South Florida -- and one of the most telling statistics about the trend is this number: one. Of the 69 police officers killed with firearms in the United States last year, only one was shot with an assault weapon, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. So far this year, the nation has seen only one assault-weapon police fatality. Both were... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigerian Army Officers Sold Hundreds of AK-47s, Machine Guns to Rebels
Vanguard (Lagos)
14 January 2008
Fifteen army officers, three of them Colonels, are currently facing a court martial in Kaduna over alleged disappearance of a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the armoury. Also facing trial are two Lieutenant-Colonels, a Major and nine Non-Commissioned Officers. Large sums of money are also alleged to have been found in the accounts of some of the accused persons. The weapons were allegedly removed from... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Illegal Trafficking in Guns, Ammunition Flourishes in Guyana
Stabroek News (Guyana)
13 January 2008
Anyone with the right connections and cash can buy or rent a gun in Guyana, to be used in way they choose. And, in fact, if the renter knows the gun is to be used to commit an armed robbery, he may demand a share of the booty as rental. Access to illegal weapons across the country, according to several sources this newspaper spoke to during last week, is not very difficult. This is perhaps the major reason why six years... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigerian Police Officers Charged With Supplying AK-47s to Criminal Gang
Vanguard (Lagos)
11 January 2008
LAGOS -- A Superintendent of Police, said to be an armourer in Jos, an Inspector and three other rank officers in the same department have been arrested by the Police for allegedly supplying police AK-47 rifles to a deadly gang of criminals. The SP who was picked up following confession by the robbers after some of them were nabbed was said to have reached agreement with the robbers that any time they went for an operation; the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Cop Dies as Man Sprays AK-47 Bullets in Miami Housing Complex Rampage
Orlando Sentinel (Florida) / AP
9 January 2008
MIAMI -- A gang member in custody for allegedly firing his AK-47 as he ran through a North Miami Beach apartment complex is considered the main suspect in the shooting death of a police detective, officials said Wednesday. Ricardo Ajuste, 21, has not been charged with Miami police Detective James Walker's death yet, as authorities continued building their case. He was being held without bond. Neither jail nor court records listed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan
American Soldiers Strip, Rebuild AK-47s for Afghan Military, Police
State (South Carolina)
6 January 2008
CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan -- Sgt. Dennis Busby never held an AK-47 -- let alone fired one -- until he came to Afghanistan. Now, the S.C. National Guard soldier is helping to restore weapons, including the ubiquitous Soviet-era assault rifle Afghan forces use. Busby, of Lexington, is a member of the Guard's 218th Brigade Combat Team, deployed here to mentor the Afghan army and police. He works at a nearby supply... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon
AK-47, Other Assault Rifles Double in Price, Sell Swiftly in Lebanon Crisis
Times (UK)
5 January 2008
BEIRUT -- Wearing tatty green Israeli army webbing over his black leather jacket, Walid shoulders an M16 rifle and squints down the barrel. "How much is this one?" he asks. "It's worth $1,200," replies Abu Rida, a tough, barrel-chested arms dealer. Arrayed on a bed in Abu Rida's home in southern Beirut were more weapons for sale -- an automatic pistol, two AK47 rifles and a Heckler & Koch G3 rifle, altogether worth about $3,000... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Justices May Prove Blind to the Need for Gun Control
Scripps Howard News Service (USA), Column
3 January 2008
If the Supreme Court is as hermetically sealed from outside influence as many believe, then the recent carnage in Nebraska and Colorado will have no influence on its decision whether the Second Amendment gives individual Americans the right to bear whatever arms they choose or limits it to a collective right controlled by the state for the national defense. But if the justices do not operate in a vacuum, then the two disturbed individuals... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Policewoman Shot With Army Pistol: Military Hunts Gun Runners Within
Times (UK)
31 December 2007
A policewoman wounded when trying to catch a burglar was shot with a British army pistol sold on the black market by a soldier, the Ministry of Defence said. Rachael Bown, 24, who intervened in the police pay dispute this month when she accused ministers of lacking respect for officers, was hit by a bullet fired from an army-issue Browning 9mm pistol. The bullet hit her in the stomach, just below the level of her body armour, and... ( gunpolicy.org )
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