Philippines
160 Civil Servants Among 1300 Violators of Philippine Election Gun Ban
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
8 March 2010
MANILA - The Philippine National Police on Monday said a total of 160 government employees have violated a nationwide gun ban since it was implemented last January 10. A PNP report said law enforcers have arrested a total of 1,294 gun ban violators including 1,134 civilians and 160 government employees. Seized during the period were 1,117 firearms, 798 airguns/replicas, 304 bladed weapons and 218 grenades or explosives.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Swansea 12yr-old Killed 10yr-old with Shot to Heart from Dad's .22 Airgun
BBC News
25 February 2010
A coroner has urged parents to supervise children using air guns after a 10-year-old boy died after being shot at close range in the heart. Rhys Johnson of Llansamlet in Swansea died in hospital on 27 September. An inquest heard he and a friend were using his father's airgun without his knowledge in a lane behind his home. Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner Philip Rogers was told Rhys's friend did... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Another California City Council Tightens its Local Gun Restrictions
North County Times (California)
17 February 2010
MENIFEE, California - Council members have tightened Menifee's gun restrictions, saying the new ordinance protects areas that need it but still allows firearms to be discharged in the city. In a 4-0 vote Tuesday, with Mayor Wallace Edgerton absent, the council agreed to prohibit shooting a firearm or BB gun within 150 yards of a school, church or park, and within 300 yards of roads or livestock. The change was prompted... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Minnesota Man Gets 5yrs Jail for Shooting Airgun at School Buses
Worthington Daily Globe (Minnesota)
15 February 2010
WADENA, Minnesota - A 21-year-old man from Wadena was sentenced Feb. 4 to five years in prison for shooting a pellet gun at Wadena-Deer Creek school buses on March 3, 2008. Timothy Erwin Mindermann received the five-year prison sentence for three felony charges of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. An Otter Tail County jury found Mindermann guilty on all three counts, in addition to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Philippine City Wants Election Gun Ban Extended, Cites 40% Crime Drop
Philippine Daily Inquirer
26 January 2010
MANILA, Philippines -- The Quezon City police district said Tuesday it wants to institutionalize the implementation of total gun ban, citing its impact on decreasing crime incidents. City police director Chief Superintendent Elmo San Diego said there was a 40 percent decline in crime incidents reported in Quezon City since the implementation of the election gun ban on January 10. San Diego said incidents of crimes committed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Teacher Struck Off for Firing Unregistered Airgun in Dispute with Youths
BBC News
26 January 2010
A school teacher who fired an air pistol to scare a gang of youths who attacked him has been struck off. Allan Dickson's actions were deemed "highly irresponsible and reckless" by a panel at the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). The disciplinary sub-committee said there was no alternative to removing the 33-year-old's name from the teaching register. The decision means that he is banned from teaching.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Adelaide Gun Owner Shoots 3 with Airgun, Police Seize His 300 Weapons
Australian Associated Press
19 January 2010
Police have uncovered a cache of weapons connected to a man who allegedly shot three people with an air rifle south of Adelaide last Saturday. Police arrested and charged the 51-year-old man from Willunga, where they also uncovered more than 300 assorted firearms from two separate premises. The bailed man will appear in Christies Beach Magistrates Court on February 23 where he faces charges of acts likely to cause harm... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
14yr-old Boards Train with Stolen Air Rifle, Clears Tracks in Queensland
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
13 January 2010
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with firearms offences after stepping on to a train at Toombul on Brisbane's northside allegedly armed with an air rifle. Police were called to the station at about 2.20pm yesterday after concerned commuters on the southbound Sandgate-line train raised the alarm. The boy initially claimed he found the firearm but further enquiries revealed the air rifle was allegedly stolen. He... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Incidents Hurt NBA's Image
Detroit News
11 January 2010
Auburn Hills -- Marvin "Bad News" Barnes played for Pistons teams in the early 1970s nicknamed the "Detroit Hoodlums" because at least four players routinely brought guns into the dressing room for protection. They weren't afraid of teammates, but wanted to protect themselves from the streets of downtown Detroit, which had a bad reputation for crime. Barnes told aol.com he carried an unregistered .45-caliber pistol and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Many Cops and Military Violating Philippine Election Gun Ban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
10 January 2010
MANILA, Philippines -- Thirty minutes into Sunday, police officer Dennis Quinto, in civilian clothes, came down the road on a motorcycle with a .45-cal Armscor pistol tucked in his waist. Quinto, a Police Officer 1 belonging to the regional mobile group of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), never got past the police checkpoint in Quezon City. He was the first violator of the nationwide election gun ban and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
3000 Firearms to be Destroyed after Northumbria Arms Seizures
The Journal (UK)
28 December 2009
MACHINE guns, rifles and shotguns are among nearly 3,000 firearms taken off the streets of the North East in the past two years, The Journal can reveal today. The weapons are now set to be destroyed. Northumbria Police and Durham Constabulary released details of all firearms confiscated since September 2007 under the Freedom of Information Act. They include examples of the British Army's standard SA-80 assault rifle and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Essex Police Say 90% of 'Firearm Incidents' Involve Only Imitation Guns
Daily Mail (UK)
5 December 2009
An innocent game of cops and robbers used to provide two benefits - lots of fun and a basic understanding of right and wrong. But children caught playing with a toy gun today have been warned they face something far more memorable - a raid by armed police marksmen. Officers have told parents to avoid buying youngsters plastic guns for Christmas in case passers-by mistake them for dangerous weapons. The warning... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Scotland
Victory for Dead Boy's Parents as Britain Allows Scotland to Ban Airguns
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
30 November 2009
MSPs will be given the power to ban deadly airguns, we can reveal today. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy has secured an agreement to transfer authority over the weapons from Westminster to Edinburgh. It means a ban -- which has all-party support at Holyrood -- is now almost certain. The deal is a massive victory for the parents of tragic toddler Andrew Morton. Sharon and Andy Morton have campaigned relentlessly... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Massachusetts Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Gun Storage Law
Associated Press
5 November 2009
BOSTON -- Gun control proponents argued before the state's highest court Thursday that a Massachusetts law requiring gun owners to lock weapons in their homes saves lives while gun advocates pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling holding that people have a constitutional right to keep weapons for self-defense. The case involves a Billerica man whose mentally disabled son allegedly shot at a neighbor with a BB gun. The 18-year-old... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,Scotland
Scottish Gun Crime at 10-year Low, Gun Death, Gun Injury at 30-year Low
BBC News
27 October 2009
Gun crime in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, while the number of deaths and injuries from such weapons reached a 30-year low. Offences involving guns dropped 17% to 949 in 2008-09, compared with 1,144 the previous year, official figures showed. But police solved fewer gun-related crimes, as the offence clear-up rate fell from 64% to 59%. Scots ministers welcomed the figures, while using them... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Well-connected Global Gun Banners Blamed for New Philippine Gun Bill
Business Mirror (Philippines)
15 October 2009
Voting 140-3, the House of Representatives, in plenary session, approved on third and final reading on Thursday a bill that imposes stricter gun policies that licensed gun holders and enthusiasts described as the alleged revival of a Marcos-era decree to address the worsening problem on loose firearms. House Bill 6776, authored by Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Pedro Romualdo of Camiguin, seeks to restore the stiff penalties for the illegal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters Party Push for Australian 10yr-olds to Shoot 'Dangerous, Absurd'
ABC News (Australia)
6 October 2009
In New South Wales, laws that restrict young people from using air rifles at shooting ranges are being targeted by the small but powerful Shooters Party. It will introduce what it says are common sense amendments to the next sittings of Parliament to allow kids under 12 to go shooting with their families. But the Coalition for Gun Control says it is a dangerous scenario and has accused the gun lobby group of trying to recruit... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters' Party Wants NSW Law to Allow Airguns for 'Children of Any Age'
Sydney Morning Herald
6 October 2009
The Shooters' Party is pushing for the state's gun laws to be overhauled to allow children of any age to fire air rifles on approved shooting ranges if they are under the supervision of an adult. A private members' bill will be introduced in the next session of Parliament to change the laws to remove any age restrictions that currently only allow children over 12 to shoot air rifles, the Shooters' MP Roy Smith said. Mr... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Police Destroy 17,000 Confiscated, Surplus Firearms in Belgrade
B92 Radio (Belgrade)
3 October 2009
BELGRADE -- Serbian police (MUP) today destroyed 17,000 light weapons and small caliber arms in the Recycling Center in the Belgrade suburb of eleznik. "Most of these arms are illegal and were seized in police raids, while a part was made obsolete at the MUP," Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters today. The weapons collected and destroyed include pistols, revolvers, carbines, hunting rifles, air weapons, and other... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,England & Wales
Welsh Community in Mourning After 10yr-old Boy Shot Dead with Air Rifle
Western Mail (Wales)
29 September 2009
A 10-year-old who was shot dead with an air rifle was playing a game of Cowboys and Indians at the time of the tragic accident. Rhys Johnson died yesterday morning after being shot in the chest with the gun, which he had found in a garage earlier in the afternoon. The schoolboy, from Llansamlet, Swansea, went out to play with it in fields behind his home with a 12-year-old boy, a close friend. Police yesterday... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,England & Wales
10yr-old Welsh Boy Dies in Airgun Shooting, 12yr-old Questioned
BBC News
28 September 2009
A 10-year-old boy has died after he was shot with an air gun in Swansea. Police were called to the Llansamlet area of the city at 1815 BST on Sunday but the boy died later in intensive care at Morriston Hospital. A neighbour said the grandmother of the boy, named locally as Rhys Johnson, told him he had been involved in an accident. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. A 12-year-old boy, who knew the... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Armed Police Out in Force as Fake Guns Cause Chaos in New Zealand
New Zealand Herald
20 September 2009
Armed officers and dog handlers swarmed over two Auckland suburbs yesterday as fake firearms triggered two huge police operations. An armed offenders unit and dog handlers were among up to 20 officers sent to the first callout, which occurred in Glen Innes about 7am. Inspector Earle McIntosh said police received reports that a man had got into a fight with fellow guests at an all-night party and threatened them with a shotgun.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Boston Disputes Ruling That Loaded, Unlocked Guns Are OK in Homes
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
19 September 2009
BOSTON -- Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office is weighing in on a Billerica gun case that is heading to the state Supreme Judicial Court, urging that court to side with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and reject the constitutional challenge to the state's safe-firearm storage law. Middlesex DA Gerard Leone is challenging a Lowell District Court ruling -- and in turn a U.S. Supreme Court decision -- that dismissed a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Airgun Killed 18yr-old UK Girl, But Not Powerful Enough to Lay Charges
BBC News
17 September 2009
The case against three men charged over the death of a teenager who was shot in the eye with an air rifle has been dropped after new evidence emerged. Rachel Davies, 18, was shot on 7 December last year in Bury, Greater Manchester. She died two weeks later. The men were charged with possession of a firearm without a certificate. The case collapsed when prosecutors told Bolton Crown Court tests had found the air... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
NSW Shooters Party Reloads with Greater Demands, Child Gun Access
Sydney Morning Herald
3 September 2009
The Shooters Party has upped the ante with the State Government, singalling it wants to amend firearms legislation as it continues to promote its plans to allow the shooting of feral animals in national parks. It also wants to ban further extensions to marine parks. Under proposed amendments to firearms legislation that may be tabled as soon as today, the Shooters want to remove the need to register air rifles and BB guns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Licensed Gun Collector Sold 121 Handguns, Machine Guns to NZ Gangs
New Zealand Herald
29 August 2009
The last act in laying bare John Noel Mabey's big lie occurred on Tuesday but the danger to the public will go on for years. After two years, Mabey, 45, finally admitted in the Thames District Court that the burglary in which he claimed his entire collection of 121 restricted firearms (pistols, machine guns and military-style semi-automatics) was stolen, was an elaborate fake. Not that anyone had believed him for long.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Grandfather Set Up Shooting Range, 5yr-old Killed by Airgun Pellet in UK
Sky News (UK)
27 August 2009
A five-year-old boy who tragically died after being shot in the head with an air rifle was playing on a shooting range set up by a friend's grandfather, it has emerged. Joe Cooke and his family were on holiday in Wiltshire Jonathan Cooke, known as Joe, was staying at the family friend's home with his mum and two brothers when he was hit. The owner, Bernard Allnutt, had helped Joe's brothers and two grandsons set... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
5yr-old Shot Dead was 3rd Young UK Boy to Die Playing with Airgun
Times (UK)
26 August 2009
A five-year-old boy has died after being shot with an air rifle while playing with friends in the garden of a country home. Jonathan Cooke, who was hit in what his family called a tragic accident, was airlifted to hospital shortly after the incident but died on Monday afternoon. It was not clear last night whether Jonathan -- known as Joe -- had mistakenly walked into the line of fire or if the air gun went off accidentally.... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
New Zealand Gambles With Liberal Gun Laws, 10-year Firearm Licences
New Zealand Herald
1 July 2009
A wheelchair-bound gunman's fitness to hold a firearms licence is being investigated, but his family say he was a good person and loving father who overcame adversity. Shayne Sime, 42, was shot dead by police on Sunday after firing more than 100 rounds from his Christchurch home, wounding a policeman and a neighbour and hitting buildings including a preschool in surrounding streets. Yesterday his family said: "We do wish... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Gun Club Mates: Dead Shooter 'Just Like Anyone Else - He Liked Guns'
New Zealand Herald
30 June 2009
A gun club that helped hone the capabilities of a disabled gunman shot dead by police says it could not have foreseen such a tragic event. Wheelchair-bound Shayne Richard Sime, 42, was killed by members of the armed offenders squad at his Christchurch home on Sunday night after firing more than 100 rounds, wounding an AOS member and a neighbour, and damaging homes in the area that had to be evacuated. The injured AOS member... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Paraplegic Licensed Gun Owner Dies in New Zealand Police Shoot-out
New Zealand Press Association
30 June 2009
Police are to investigate the circumstances in which paraplegic gunman Shayne Sime, killed in a shoot-out with police in Christchurch last night, obtained his firearms licence. Detective Superintendent Brett Kane said Mr Sime had been licensed since 2006 to own sporting shotguns and rifles. He had a criminal history but his last conviction was in 1990 and most of his convictions were for "alcohol-related offending", Mr... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Dead New Zealand Gunman Had Firearm Licence, Despite History
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
29 June 2009
The 42-year-old paraplegic man killed during a shoot-out with police in the Christchurch suburb of Burnside was a licensed firearms holder. Shayne Sime's body was removed from the scene this afternoon but police caution their investigation is likely to be lengthy. A post mortem on Mr Sime will start this evening and continue into tomorrow. Detective Superintendent Brett Kane said that Mr Sime had been a licensed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Scotland, United Kingdom
Airgun Killings, Injury Move Scotland Towards Total Ban on Pellet Guns
Scotsman (Edinburgh), Opinion
26 June 2009
When two-year-old Andrew Morton was killed four years ago after being shot with an airgun, there were widespread demands for a crackdown on the deadly weapons. Andrew was being carried by his 13-year-old brother in Glasgow's Easterhouse estate when he was hit by a pellet in the head. An unemployed 27-year-old man, who had been taking pot shots from the window of his flat, was later sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Boys, Girls from 13yrs Old Train as Terrorist-killers, Border Guards in US
New York Times
14 May 2009
IMPERIAL, California -- Ten minutes into arrant mayhem in this town near the Mexican border, and the gunman, a disgruntled Iraq war veteran, has already taken out two people, one slumped in his desk, the other covered in blood on the floor. The responding officers -- eight teenage boys and girls, the youngest 14 -- face tripwire, a thin cloud of poisonous gas and loud shots -- BAM! BAM! -- fired from behind a flimsy wall. They move... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
No Paintball Ban in Germany, But Gun Laws Said Not Tough Enough
Agence France Presse
14 May 2009
BERLIN -- The German government has ditched a proposal to ban paintball that was part of a package of new gun-control measures in response to a school massacre in March, a lawmaker told AFP on Thursday. "There will be no ban," said Dieter Wiefelspuetz, an expert on domestic affairs in the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition. The government however plans to conduct an... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
National Gun Register, Handgun Age Limit, Paintball Ban for Germany
Agence France Presse
7 May 2009
BERLIN -- The German government has agreed to curb gun rights, two months after a 17-year-old killed 15 people with a pistol taken from his father's bedroom, according to press reports on Thursday. The left-right 'grand coalition' has agreed to present a series of measures to parliament in late May tightening arms control laws, several dailies said. 'We have agreed on reasonable changes that will mean more security without... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
More Licensed Gun Owners, Firearms Registered in Major Australian State
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
9 April 2009
Almost 600,000 guns are in the hands of Victorians with more licences issued every year, police statistics reveal. In the past four years 25,000 new gun licences have been issued, prompting calls for tougher restrictions on ownership. The latest figures show most guns are held at Horsham. But Melbourne suburbs Reservoir, St Albans, Werribee and Hoppers Crossing all fall in the state's top 10 zones for gun ownership. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Cop Shot Kid Holding Toy Gun: Arkansas Law Would Ban Replica Guns
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
30 March 2009
A bill aimed at reducing the risk of children getting shot by police cleared a state House of Representatives committee Thursday but some questioned whether it would do anything. House Bill 2160 by Rep. Fred Allen, D-Little Rock, would ban the sale of certain toy guns. The bill is called the "De Aunta Farrow Imitation Firearms Act." De Aunta, 12, was fatally shot by West Memphis police on the night of June 22,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Gun Sales Rise 'Dramatically' as Fear of Obama Drives Buyers
SunCoast News (Florida)
28 March 2009
Gun sales have risen dramatically. More than 600,000 Floridians are licensed to carry guns and they still are applying in record numbers. A backlog in applications for firearm permits has caused the state to hire extra personnel to process the logjam in Tallahassee, says Rob Shewmake. The Holiday man wants to ensure these applicants are properly trained in handling weapons. He, along with partners John Potter of Dunedin... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scottish Ministers Attack Westminster 'Inaction' on Airgun Licensing
BBC News
27 March 2009
The Scottish Government has said it will not "sit on its hands" in the face of what it claims is Westminster inaction over firearm laws. The justice secretary made the claim as he launched a drive to highlight the penalties for air or replica gun crime. The SNP has called on Westminster to devolve airgun legislation or agree a pilot licensing scheme for air weapons. The Home Office said it had concerns about firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Gun Dealer Sold $2100 'Elite' Legal Airgun to Accused Cop Killers
New Zealand Herald
18 March 2009
Undercover officer Sgt Don Wilkinson said he was "running, running" after a police lookout told him to get away from the place where he and a colleague had been planting a tracking device, a court heard today. Sgt Wilkinson was killed and his colleague shot three times while planting the device on a car in South Auckland on September 11 last year. Iain Lindsay Clegg, 35 and John Ward Skinner, 37 have been jointly accused... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
German Killer a 'Reclusive Gun Freak, Well Trained in Use of Firearms'
Independent (UK)
13 March 2009
BERLIN -- Tim Kretschmer was a reclusive gun freak who had dozens of airguns on display in his bedroom. He liked to practise with his father's arsenal of 15 pistols and rifles on a firing range in the basement of his home. Officials described the 17-year-old killer yesterday as "well trained in the use of firearms". But the teenager who, on Wednesday, went on a rampage at his former school and shot dead 15 people, also saw himself... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Of All Guns Seized by Scottish Armed Police, 79% Are Imitations, Airguns
News of the World (UK)
8 March 2009
This week the News of the World was granted exclusive access to Strathclyde Police's elite armed response unit. Scottish Crime Reporter Graham McKendry went behind the scenes at their training facility -- and was put through his paces in a virtual armed raid ... Armed with a Heckler & Koch machine gun, I wait for the signal to go. A violent criminal, believed to be carrying a weapon, has been spotted in a shopping... ( gunpolicy.org )
Malta
Malta Has 90,000 Registered Guns: 80% of Homicides Involve a Firearm
Times of Malta
5 March 2009
There are about 20 registered guns, including pistols and machineguns, for every 100 people in Malta, according to statistics released in Parliament. In all, there are about 90,000 weapons registered, including some 12,400 pistols, excluding those owned by the police force. Among the registered firearms are 52,224 shotguns and 8,373 airguns. The number of registered pistols, revolvers, rifles, machineguns and sub-machineguns... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Boy Dies Firing BB Gun: Four Airgun Deaths Each Year in US
Orange County Register (California)
4 March 2009
LAGUNA HILLS -- The family of a 15-year-old boy is mourning the loss of a son, brother and grandson as authorities struggle to figure out how the teenager ended up shot in the head with his own BB gun. Michael Chen was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at Children's Hospital of Orange County at Mission Hospital, two days after his mother and grandmother found him unconscious in the family's backyard. Chen had been shot in the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scotland Closer to Taking Gun Law Power from Britain, Banning Airguns
Scotsman / Scotland on Sunday
15 February 2009
Control over firearms law is set to be handed from Westminster to Holyrood under a controversial plan that could finally lead to an airgun ban north of the border. A group of experts studying the Scottish Parliament has placed gun control at the top of its list of powers that could be transferred from London to Edinburgh, Scotland on Sunday understands. If the Calman Commission goes ahead and recommends the change it would... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Mexico Moves to Penalise Sellers of Realistic Imitation Guns, Airguns
New York Times
11 January 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Over the Christmas holidays, Othón Cuevas Córdova, a Mexican congressman, had his life threatened, albeit in jest. His young nephew pointed a toy pistol that he had received as a gift at the lawmaker and said, "Tío, I'm going to kill you." Mr. Cuevas was not amused. He talked to the boy's parents about the inappropriateness of giving a child a weapon, even a plastic one, in a country so overrun with violence. And... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Jersey Man Charged After 'Freak' Death of Wife in Airgun Shooting
Newsday (New York) / Record of Bergen County
4 January 2009
WEST MILFORD, New Jersey -- A West Milford man has been charged with reckless manslaughter after fatally shooting his wife with a pellet gun. Police say it looks like a "freak accident." Authorities say Frank McDonald used the pellet gun to shoot squirrels in his yard. He called police around 10 a.m. Saturday after his 44-year-old wife, Cheryl, was hit by a pellet. She later died from the wound. Frank... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Las Vegas 7yr-old Finds Dad's Handgun, Shoots, Kills 6yr-old Sister
Las Vegas Review-Journal
3 January 2009
The gunshot that killed a 6-year-old Las Vegas girl Wednesday night was fired by her 7-year-old brother, who told police he found the gun in a bedroom closet and thought it was a BB gun. The girl, who was identified by the Clark County coroner's office Friday as Jorden Jackson, died of a gunshot wound to the chest in what has been ruled an accident. The handgun had been in the home for three weeks and was purchased by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australia Bans 'Military-style' Firearms, Paintball Guns, Replica Guns
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
19 December 2008
Guns resembling military weapons and designed to appeal to young men will be banned from being imported into Australia. The Federal Government will change import regulations to tighten controls on firearms that have a "military-style appearance". Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus said handguns and paintball markers resembling guns with fully automatic firing capabilities were already subject to higher import controls. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Genuine Handguns So Rare in UK, Converted Gas Guns Now the Rage
New Statesman
24 November 2008
The blanket ban on handguns following the massacre of 16 children in Dunblane in 1996 means Britain has some of the toughest controls yet street gun crime has risen inexorably If you get shot today in London, Manchester or Liverpool, chances the weapon will be a converted handgun. The conviction of a 13 year-old boy in south London last week for possession of a converted Russian CS gas pistol, highlighted the pervasive... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Airgun Dealers 'Dealt Heavy Blow,' 1,000 Web Sites Shut Down in China
Chinadaily.com.cn
19 November 2008
A total of 381 people have been arrested and more than 1,000 websites have been shut down for advertising guns for sale on the black market, the Ministry of Public Security said yesterday. Also, about 120,000 related Web pages have been deleted, following a crackdown between August and October, it said on its website. Chinese law forbids any organization or citizen to purchase or trade in guns and ammunition. Such weapons,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Police Seize 800 'Lethal' Soft Air Guns from Japanese Airgun Maker
Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan) / AP
11 November 2008
The Metropolitan Police Department suspects that a Tokyo-based company's airsoft gun put on sale in July is powerful enough to injure or kill without any modifications to the body, sources familiar with the case have said. It is rare for police to recognize an unconverted airsoft gun as a lethal weapon. The MPD seized 800 units of the type of gun during an inspection of the manufacturer on suspicion of violating the Firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Dad Wanted Son to Have Hunting Gun, 8yr-old Boy Murdered Dad, Friend
Associated Press
9 November 2008
ST. JOHNS, Arizona -- By all accounts, he was a good boy. No problems in school. No disruptions in his religious education classes at St. Johns Catholic Church, where he was to mark his First Communion this year. So the police and neighbors in the 8-year-old's small eastern Arizona community are at a loss to explain why he would have used a .22-caliber rifle to kill his father and another man at their home. "That child,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Father of Boy Killed by a Stray Bullet Takes On the Global Gun Trade
Edinburgh News
8 November 2008
It would have been easier, certainly less distressing, for David Grimason to have quietly grieved the loss of his young son, who was shot dead by a stray bullet as he slept in his buggy at a Turkish holiday resort café, and left the fight against the horrors of guns to someone else. He might then have managed to avoid the misery of witnessing first-hand the horrors the international arms trade has inflicted on some of the poorest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado Gun Sales 'Gone Mad,' FBI Reports US Firearm Sales up 10%
Denver Post (Colorado)
6 November 2008
GRAND JUNCTION -- John Faulkner and his wife, Brenda, thought Wednesday was a good day to buy a handgun. "I'm 37 years old, and this is the first time in my life that I am really scared for our future," said Faulkner, an oil field worker, as he perused the collection of weaponry in A Pawn Shop here. At Aurora's Firing Line gun shop, Steve Wickham was also purchasing. "Anything I can get my hands on," he said as he cradled... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Replica Glock Pistols Spark New Zealand Police Warning
Papakura Courier
5 November 2008
An upsurge in young people "mucking around" with replica guns has Papakura police worried someone will end up hurt or worse. Senior sergeant Mike McIlraith says police have had three callouts in the past week to youths brandishing weapons in public. The guns turned out to be replicas, he says, but police procedure is to assume they're real. In these callouts "it's prudent for us to take precautions by arming ourselves"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Police Buyback Sees 500 Guns Exchanged for Cash in Harlem Churches
Associated Press
26 October 2008
NEW YORK -- Five Harlem churches collected hundreds of weapons -- in exchange for cash. Rifles, handguns and shotguns were handed over on Saturday -- no questions asked. Each person who brought a firearm was handed a $200 bank card. By late Saturday, more than 500 were collected. It's part of a program sponsored by the NYPD and the Manhattan district attorney's office to remove weapons from city streets with recent... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Police Call for Restrictions on Airgun Ownership After Woman Killed
TV3 National News
24 October 2008
How dangerous are airguns? Police say they can easily kill people at short range, and they are worried at how easily they can be bought -- owners do not even need a firearms licence. The police are not saying what sort of airgun the shot Whangarei woman was armed with, but airguns now range from the benign BB gun to gas-compressed ones with the power to kill. And it was a single shot from an airgun that killed police officer... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
South Africa, Mozambique Police Cooperate to Destroy Guns, Ammunition
Star (Johannesburg)
23 October 2008
A giant mushroom cloud of grey smoke followed by an ear-splitting boom and a shuddering of the earth heralded the successful conclusion of Operation Rachel's 27th mission into Mozambique. The mass destruction of firearms has been the focus of the continuing operation, which this month put an end to tons of firearms, ammunition and other military explosives. It's a bilateral cooperation agreement between SAPS and Mozambican police,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Stray Bullet Fired by 14yr-old Boy Kills 16yr-old Girl in San Francisco
San Francisco Chronicle
20 October 2008
Jonisha Tucker caught a 5:45 a.m. bus every school day to make a 1½-hour trip to George Washington High in the Richmond District, taking her far from her housing project in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. Family members hoped the school -- along with their supervision -- would protect her from the drugs, gangs and violence surrounding the Alice Griffith housing development, where the 16-year-old girl grew up... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Buyback in Buffalo, New York Collects 723 Weapons for Destruction
Buffalo News (New York)
13 October 2008
Buffalo's gun buyback is receiving favorable reviews from city auditors who have scrutinized data from the Sept. 27 event. In an audit that will be reviewed Tuesday by the Common Council, Buffalo Comptroller Andrew A. SanFilippo said analysts detected no serious problems with the implementation of the anti-crime offensive. Auditors wanted to make sure all weapons collected at seven sites throughout the city were accounted... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
New Law Will Ban Deadly Large-calibre Airguns in New Zealand - Police
New Zealand Press Association
12 October 2008
Police are becoming increasingly worried about the number of powerful, large-calibre air rifles being brought into the country. The guns can be sold without a licence to people over 18 and at short range could easily kill a person. The guns are marketed in the United States as "serious hunting guns" and are powered by compressed air and charged from a scuba tank. They fire a heavy .50 calibre lead slug at about 600 feet... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Tighter New Zealand Gun Law Mooted in Wake of Airgun, Toy Gun Deaths
Otago Daily Times
9 October 2008
Police have warned parents not to be fooled into thinking airguns they give their children are toys. The warning came several weeks after an undercover police officer was shot dead in Auckland with a high-powered air rifle and as the government moved to tighten the law on airguns. Police national manager of firearms licensing and vetting, Inspector Joe Green, said up to 100,000 airguns were in the country which were replicas... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Teen Shot in Heart, Killed as Friends Play with Airgun
BBC News
2 October 2008
A teenager told a friend: "Careful where you're pointing that rifle", moments before he was accidentally shot in the heart, an inquest has been told. The air rifle went off, and Daniel Marsh, 17, was killed. A coroner called it "a terrible tragedy" as he recorded a misadventure verdict at the inquest in Newport. Daniel's cousin Aaron Marsh, 17, and friend Mark Drew, 19, were arrested but no further action is to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Mom Admits Helping Son Build Gun Cache: He Plotted School Attack
Associated Press
23 September 2008
A woman admitted she helped her troubled, bullied 14-year-old son build a weapons cache by buying a rifle and gunpowder, but investigators still don't know if she was aware her son was planning a deadly school attack. Michele Cossey, 46, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Montgomery County Court to one count of child endangerment. She admitted that she gave her son access to a rifle with a laser scope and gunpowder, which investigators said... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Airgun Ban May Not Have Prevented New Zealand Policeman Being Killed
New Zealand Press Association
12 September 2008
A restriction on airguns similar to the one which killed undercover policeman Don Wilkinson may not have saved the officer, police said today. Legislation which has been before Parliament for three years would have meant the type of airgun used to kill Mr Wilkinson in Mangere, South Auckland, yesterday could only be sold to people with a firearms licence. But Superintendent Ted Cox of Counties Manukau police doubted the... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Police Officer Shot Dead with Air Rifle in NZ Undercover Drug Operation
New Zealand Press Association
12 September 2008
Police are to review the firearms laws after it was revealed the gun suspected of killing a police officer yesterday can be bought over the counter or on the internet by anyone over the age of 18. Sergeant Don Wilkinson, 46, is believed to have been shot dead by a powerful, gas operated, rifle which shoots a pellet similar in size to a conventional .22 calibre rifle round. A colleague is in a comfortable condition in hospital... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Dad Left Airgun, 5yr-old Girl Shot Toddler, Child Dies: Call for Gun Ban
Guardian (UK)
2 September 2008
A toddler who was accidentally shot in the head with an airgun by his five-year-old sister died in hospital yesterday. Rashid Ullah had been in a critical condition since the accident on August 24, when the 18-month-old's sister is understood to have shot him with a gun belonging to their father, Bakht Zaman. Zaman, 29, a handyman, had been using the weapon for target practice in their garden in Washwood Heath, Birmingham. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Family of UK Toddler Shot in Head by 5yr-old Warns of Airgun Dangers
BBC News
27 August 2008
The family of an 18-month-old boy who was shot with an airgun in his garden have issued a warning over the weapons. Rashid Ullah has been in a critical condition since Sunday's incident in Washwood Heath, Birmingham. His five-year-old sister accidentally shot him after picking up the airgun, which her father had been using for target practice, his grandfather said. "We hope anyone who has an air weapon realises... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Calls for Tighter Airgun Controls After Birmingham Accident
Birmingham Post (UK)
26 August 2008
Campaigners have called for legislation to make airgun owners liable for their misuse after an 18-month-old Birmigham boy was shot in the head. Rashid Rullah is in a critical condition at Birmingham Children's Hospital after what police said appeared to be a "tragic accident" in Washwood Heath on Sunday. The boy's grandfather said that Rashid was accidentally shot by his five-year-old sister when their father, who had been... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Dad Loads Rifle, Answers Mobile, 5yr-old Shoots Toddler in Head
Guardian (UK)
26 August 2008
Campaigners today called for tighter controls on airguns as a toddler who was shot in the head with his father's rifle remained critically ill in hospital. Rashid Rullah was shot by his five-year-old sister, who picked up the gun their father was using for target practice when he turned his back to answer his mobile phone. The family were in the back garden of their home in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, when the accident... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Olympic Shooting Medallist's Win Triggers Rush to Buy Airguns in India
Times of India
13 August 2008
CHANDIGARH -- Call it the Abhinav Effect. In the 24 hours since the shooter shot for gold at the Beijing Olympics, 65 air rifles have flown off shelves from just one shop in Chandigarh. Fresh orders have been placed for 50 more and there has been, according to happy faced attendants at Ahuja Arms Company, telephone queries from about three dozen anxious parents, excited children tugging at their sleeves for the latest must-have.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Suburb Amends Local Firearm Ban to Avoid Gun Lobby Lawsuit
Chicago Tribune
12 August 2008
Following on the heels of a Supreme Court decision that held that a blanket ban on handguns violated 2nd Amendment rights, Evanston's City Council voted 7-1 Monday night to amend the North Shore suburb's weapons ordinance to conform to the landmark court ruling. Council members believe the move will allow the city to avoid a potential court challenge. "I find the Supreme Court decision repugnant," said Ald. Steve Bernstein... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Glasgow City Councillor Seen Firing AK-47 in Pakistan, Fired by His Party
Evening Times (Scotland)
8 August 2008
Calls for the immediate resignation of a senior Glasgow councillor were growing today after the Evening Times revealed he had fired a deadly AK-47 assault rifle. We told yesterday how SNP councillor Jahangir Hanif was seen shooting the powerful weapon on a video during a family trip to Pakistan and had also encouraged his children to fire the gun. Last night the nationalists suspended Mr Hanif from the party and issued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Buyback Collects 6,848 Guns, Assault Weapons for Destruction
Chicago Sun-Times
1 August 2008
Mayor Daley today cracked the door open to abandoning the costly fight to uphold Chicago's 1982 handgun freeze -- if he can fashion a replacement ordinance that protects the safety of first-responders. Until now, Daley had emphatically promised to defend Chicago's ordinance -- all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if need be -- despite what he called the dangerous precedent set by the nation's highest court. On June 26,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Swapping Guns for Cash, at Church: New Yorkers Give Up Their Weapons
New York Times
20 July 2008
There was a time, in the 1970s and '80s that handguns were so coveted on the streets of Kings County, that the borough gave rise to a law enforcement legend known as the Brooklyn Bounce. If you were to throw a gun from a window in Bay Ridge or Bushwick, so the legend went, it would be eagerly grabbed before it had a chance to bounce more than once. Over the last decade or so, violent crime has dropped in Brooklyn, as it has in the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mayor Asks Chicago Businesses to Raise $1million for City Gun Buyback
Chicago Sun-Times
17 July 2008
Mayor Daley wants to raise $1 million to buy back guns and remove them from Chicago streets, but the latest in a string of corporate fund-raisers got off to a slow start. Sources said former Board of Education President Michael Scott was asked to co-sign a wave of fund-raising letters and make fund-raising phone calls after the initial response was lukewarm from a business community that's also being called upon to bankroll Chicago's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby, 'Detested Administration' Move to Allow Guns in National Parks
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Column
10 July 2008
In terms of making politicians' knees quiver, or getting Republican administrations to do its bidding, no lobby in America is as armed and dangerous as the National Rifle Association. The NRA has drawn a bead on America's scenic treasures. It has persuaded Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to propose a "reform" that would allow visitors to pack loaded, concealed firearms in some national parks, wildlife refuges and monuments.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Popularity of Imitation Guns Alarms Police: Airguns Injure 20,000 a Year
Washington Post
21 June 2008
An alarm went off one night at Potowmack Elementary School in Sterling, and a surveillance camera recorded the scene: five intruders in masks and hoods darting through hallways and corridors, their assault rifles pointed. In minutes, sheriff's deputies arrived, their own guns loaded and drawn. Only after the gunmen were taken into custody did deputies discover that the assault rifles were replicas -- so-called "airsoft"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Airguns to Be Included in Finland's Gun Law, Owner Licensing Update
YLE News (Finland)
6 June 2008
New rules governing the sale of air guns are being planned by the Ministry of the Interior. A licence would be needed for a type of air rifle, the fire power of which is equivalent to that of a small-bore rifle. The newspaper Turun Sanomat reports the Ministry is worried about the proliferation of small arms. The calibre of larger guns on sale is nine millimetres, which is equivalent to that of arms carried by... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Rogue' Georgia Gun Dealer Holds Firm Against New York City Law Suit
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
25 May 2008
A pair of binoculars is always on the ledge of a window that offers a view from Jay Wallace's office to the sales floor of Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna. He uses them to keep an eye on both customers and employees. "I'm proud of how I run my business," Wallace said. But on Tuesday he'll be in a New York courtroom, defending Adventure Outdoors against accusations that it is a "rogue" gun dealership that paid scant attention... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scotland Mounts Breakaway Gun Summit, Demands Tougher Airgun Law
BBC News
7 May 2008
A summit meeting to discuss Scotland's gun laws has ended with calls for Westminster to take action to deal with the problem of air weapons in Scotland. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said he would be writing to the home secretary pressing for a tightening of the law. Members of the police, gun control lobby and sport-shooting groups attended the Edinburgh meeting. Mr MacAskill described the current law as "inadequate".... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illinois Vows to Strip Parents of Gun Rights After Child's 3rd Firearm Offence
Chicago Tribune
30 April 2008
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House passed legislation Wednesday that would allow the state to permanently revoke the gun rights of parents who repeatedly allow their troubled children to gain access to guns or ammunition. The bill, which heads to the Senate, was drafted in response to a Rockford area case in which a 14-year-old boy shot his 15-year-old friend in the chest with his parents' gun. State officials said the boy had gotten... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Stalkers, Spouse Abusers, Bankrupts, Suicidal to Lose Their Guns in Japan
Asahi Shimbun (Japan) / IHT
4 April 2008
The National Police Agency plans to overhaul the gun control law for the first time in 28 years to keep firearms from stalkers, spouse abusers, bankrupt people and those with suicidal tendencies, sources said Thursday. The changes will also include a clause requiring a psychiatric check of applicants for gun permits "if necessary." The agency plans to submit a bill to revise the Firearms and Sword Control Law in the next... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Blacksmith Melts, Converts 1,000 Guns into Artwork, 'Gun Coffin'
San Francisco Chronicle
17 March 2008
After Heath Maddox's father died unexpectedly in 2006, Maddox was clearing out his dad's belongings when he found a surprise: a U.S. military-issued .45-caliber handgun wrapped in a towel and tucked into a kitchen drawer. Maddox vaguely recalled a story about his grandfather owning the gun, but he wasn't sure why, or how, it turned up in his father's kitchen. Yet on a recent Friday evening, two years after the discovery,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Airgun Deaths Bring Call for Tighter Controls on Pellet Guns
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
3 March 2008
The shooting death of 13-year-old Cody Shuya has sparked renewed concern about the hazards of pellet guns and whether they should be controlled by federal gun laws. Wendy Cukier, president of the Coalition for Gun Control, said people underestimate the severe injuries air guns can cause and pointed to a 2005 Canadian Pediatric Society report, Youth and Firearms, which calls for air rifles to be regulated by federal law. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Control Debate Rekindled After Canadian Teenager Killed with Air Rifle
Montreal Gazette (Quebec)
3 March 2008
The shooting death of a 13-year-old boy has sparked renewed debate about the hazards of pellet guns and whether they should be controlled by federal gun laws. Police confirmed over the weekend that Cody Shuya, 13, was shot and killed by a pellet gun. Police allege Cody and a 17-year-old youth broke into a garage on Feb. 23 and stole a pellet rifle. Police said the rifle fired while the two youths were passing the gun between... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Westminster Accused of Complacency in Scottish-English Gun Law Feud
Herald (Glasgow)
3 March 2008
Gun law reform as demanded by Holyrood ministers has been ruled out by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. The move prompted her Scottish counterpart, Kenny MacAskill, to accuse her of complacency yesterday after she declined an invitation to co-host a summit on the subject in Scotland. Mr MacAskill, the Justice Minister, said: "I'm disappointed our invitation has been rejected and concerned that the Home Secretary says a review... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
UK Rejects Scottish Government's Call for Gun Law Review, Tighter Control
BBC News
2 March 2008
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has rejected Scottish Government calls for a review of firearms laws. She has also declined an invitation to co-host a firearms summit with Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, saying it would not be "timely". Firearms control is reserved to Westminster, but a series of high-profile shootings have given the issue growing prominence in Scotland. Mr MacAskill pledged to press ahead... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
Germany Tightens Gun Control, Bans Replica Firearms, Airsoft, Airguns
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
22 February 2008
BERLIN -- The German parliament approved tighter gun-control laws on Friday in a move designed to stop the spread of violent crime. The new legislation bans the carrying of replica firearms and so-called airsoft guns as well as certain types of knives. "The change to the gun control laws will ensure greater security ... and counter threatening situations in public places," said Reinhard Grindel, a domestic affairs spokesman for... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Spread of Replica Plastic Guns Worries US Police Who May Shoot Owners
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
18 February 2008
When deputies arrived, Sgt. Duane Hendrix's children were in the street outside the Seattle police officer's Pierce County home. Neighbors had spotted them running around, playing with what, to any casual observer, looked to be handguns. The deputies approached with their own weapons holstered, checked the children's guns and found them to be airsoft pistols, an increasingly popular type of replica gun that fires oversize plastic... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Airguns, Pellet Guns, Real Handguns All Pose Problem for Toronto Schools
Toronto Star (Ontario)
4 February 2008
Pellet and BB guns are just as prevalent in Toronto schools as real guns, board incident reports show. An analysis of gun incidents in Toronto public schools, using data collected by a panel investigating safety in the city's schools, shows that pellet guns, BB guns, air pistols and replicas represent half of all gun incidents reported from January 2006 to November 2007. But police and board officials warn that even though... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Gun Figures Show Real Firearm Crime 'Not Widespread' - BBC Analysis
BBC News
31 January 2008
During 2007, nine young people lost their lives in shootings, including the killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool. According to Home Office figures, there were 59 firearms-related homicides in 2006-07 compared with 49 in the previous year. That is an increase of 18% in just one year. There were 507 serious injuries from firearms -- more than one incident a day. But at the same time, the trend in gun crime overall... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scottish Police Chiefs Urge Tighter Gun Control, Ban on Airguns, Replicas
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
20 January 2008
Scotland's top police officers have demanded an urgent review of gun law, claiming it is outdated and in need of radical overhaul. It is the first time the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) has come out and made such a strong comment on the country's firearms legislation. And last night, a former member of the group said he would not be surprised if some senior officers even backed calls for Holyrood... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Gun Summit Planned to Reform, Tighten Firearm Laws in Scotland
BBC News
17 January 2008
A firearms summit to identify how gun laws can be reformed is being planned by ministers in Scotland. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will invite police, farmers, shooting clubs and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, as well as gun control campaigners. He said that with gun crime increasing, the law needed to be tougher and simpler to understand and enforce. Last year saw 247 firearms incidents in Scotland resulting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Police, Gun Control Campaigners, Gun Lobby Join in Scottish Gun Summit
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
17 January 2008
Scotland is to host a UK-wide summit on reforming the law on firearms including air guns. Kenny MacAskill, the justice secretary, yesterday wrote to Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, inviting her to join Alex Salmond, the First Minister, and himself, in hosting the event. The summit is being welcomed by gun control campaigners, police organisations, and rural and shooting groups. Attempts to allow firearms legislation,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Crims Have So Few Real Handguns, Deactivated Guns Now on Ban List
Agence France Presse
11 January 2008
LONDON -- The government said Thursday that it plans to ban deactivated firearms by the end of the year after a huge increase in the number of model and pellet guns that have been converted to fire live ammunition. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced the ban during a visit to Liverpool where 11-year-old schoolboy Rhys Jones was shot dead in August 2007 as he walked home from playing in a game of football. The unprovoked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Vast Majority of 'Gun Crime' Involves Imitation Guns or No Guns - UK Police
Northampton Chronicle (UK)
28 December 2007
A top officer for Northamptonshire Police has refuted figures suggesting the force is dealing with one of the biggest increases in gun crime in the country. In a written Parliamentary answer for the Conservative party, data compiled by the Ministry of Justice suggested firearms offences had more than trebled in the past five years, while the number of armed officers in the county fell by a third. The disputed figures said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
With Gun Crime Still at Low Levels, UK Remains a Relatively 'Safe Haven'
BBC News
12 November 2007
The death of several young people in recent months has led to a great deal of soul-searching about Britain's gun culture. So what can be done to end gun crime in the UK? Drugs, urban decay, racism, "gangsta" rap and an absence of positive role models have all been blamed for the recent spate of gun deaths, with Tory leader David Cameron going so far as to blame a "broken society". But are things really that bad, and what... ( gunpolicy.org )
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