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 (Washington), 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 (Washington)
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
Air Rifle Death of 17yr-old British Boy a 'Tragic Accident' - 2 Teens Arrested
BBC News
12 November 2007
Police say the death of a 17-year-old boy who was shot with an air rifle seems to have been a "tragic accident". Two teenagers, aged 18 and 16, who were arrested after the death of Danny Marsh in Newport, have been released on bail, pending further inquiries. Gwent Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting in Maesglas on Sunday evening. Danny's relatives called him an "adored son and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Crime Control, Condor Bills Earn Schwarzenegger 'Anti-gun' Label
Sacramento Bee (California)
12 November 2007
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a quick-trigger, guns-a-blazing action hero in Hollywood, is being blasted by firearms groups as a Second Amendment wimp in the Capitol. Schwarzenegger's signing of bills to require microstamping of semiautomatic pistols and to ban lead bullets in condor country has prompted gun groups to paint him as one of the state's most anti-gun Republican governors. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might as... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Germany
How Guns Get Into the Hands of UK Crooks: Gas Gun Conversions in Britain
BBC News
12 November 2007
In November 2006 three men were jailed in connection with one of the biggest gun importation rackets in Britain. But how did it work and what can be done to stop such operations? In the spring of 2005 Manchester gangster Desmond "Dessy" Noonan was interviewed for a television documentary and bragged about having "more guns than the police". A few days later he was shot dead on a street in south Manchester. Noonan's... ( 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 )
World
Study: Is Gun Control Less Effective than Reducing Social Exclusion?
Medical News Today
27 October 2007
A more effective way to combat gun crime may be to work at reducing social exclusion and deprivation, while at the same time increasing the protection of children, rather than focusing on just gun control, according to an article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), this week's issue. Gwen Adshead, a forensic psychotherapist, and team explain that reading in the newspapers about violent crime and gun crime in the UK is alarming... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, World
Social Exclusion of Young Men is Key to Reducing Gun Crime: UK Study
MedIndia / British Medical Journal (BMJ), Media release
25 October 2007
Reducing social exclusion and deprivation and increasing the protection of children may be more effective at tackling gun crime than focusing on gun control alone, say experts in this week's BMJ. The headlines about gun crime and violent crime in the United Kingdom are tragic and alarming, and anxiety about the danger of guns is understandably high, write forensic psychotherapist, Gwen Adshead and colleagues. Yet the statistics... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Most Scottish 'Firearm' Injury Caused With Airguns: Many Children Hurt
Herald (Scotland)
24 October 2007
The number of people killed or injured by firearms in Scotland has risen by a quarter in the past year, prompting fresh calls for Holyrood to be given more powers over gun control. Figures published yesterday by the Scottish Government revealed that 247 firearms incidents resulted in death or injury in 2006-07, compared to 197 the year before. One-third of casualties were children and more than half of the incidents involved... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Higher Scottish Gun Injury Figures Attributed to Airguns, Reporting Changes
BBC News
23 October 2007
The number of people injured by guns in Scotland has reached a 10-year high, according to new figures. The number of incidents rose from 197 to 247, with the number of people injured up by 26% from 189 to 239. The annual statistics showed that guns killed eight people last year, the same death toll as in each of the previous two years. Air weapons accounted for 144 of those injury cases recorded by police, according... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, United States
Firearm Homicide in Perspective: UK Gun Murders 58 Per Year; USA 11,624
Yorkshire Post (UK)
19 October 2007
Sixteen-year-old Jonathan Matondo was found dead in a park in the Burngreave area of Sheffield two nights ago. He had been shot in the head. Police investigations are ongoing, but people in the neighbourhood have reported their fear of gun-toting gangs recently seen roaming local streets. Only a few weeks ago, 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot in the neck and killed in a pub car park in Liverpool after finishing a game... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Peter Squires, British Media's 'Favourite Expert' on Gun Crime, Gun Culture
Education Guardian (UK)
16 October 2007
Dominating one office wall is a large, dramatic and very bloody poster for the film Reservoir Dogs. On the desk lies what looks like a heavy-duty handgun. It turns out to be a plastic replica. "I use it as a prop for my lectures," says Peter Squires, professor of criminology and public policy at Brighton University. Squires is the country's most-quoted academic expert on gun crime, whose voice has been much in demand over recent... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
New UK Law Bans Realistic Airguns, Replicas; Dealers Out of Business
Eastbourne Herald (UK)
15 October 2007
Recent law changes regarding the supply of airguns and imitation guns are threatening the future of an independent business in Eastbourne. Battle Orders in Lower Willingdon specialises in replica guns and has been trading in the town for more than 33 years. But on October 1 the government introduced a number of changes to the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, with an aim to resolve the ever-prevalent issue of gun crime... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Boy Held in US School Shooting Plot: Mother Arrested for Giving Him Guns
New York Times
13 October 2007
PHILADELPHIA -- The mother of a 14-year-old boy accused of planning an armed attack on a suburban Philadelphia high school was arrested Friday on charges that she had given him three firearms. The deputy chief of the Plymouth Township Police Department, Joseph Lawrence, said the 46-year-old woman, Michele Cossey, had bought her son a 9-millimeter rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a .22-caliber handgun. She was charged with providing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Armed 14yr-old US Schoolboy Charged With 'Solicitation to Commit Terror'
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
12 October 2007
NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania -- A troubled teenager accused of plotting a school attack built up a stash of weapons with the help of his mother, authorities said Friday. Michele Cossey, 46, was arrested Friday on charges of illegally buying her home-schooled son, Dillon, a .22-caliber handgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a 9 mm semiautomatic rifle with a laser scope. The parents were indulging the boy's interests because he was unhappy,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Mom Gave 14yr-old Son Assault Rifle, Pistols: He Planned School Attack
New York Times / AP
12 October 2007
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pennsylvania -- A 14-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday night after the police received a tip that he was plotting a shooting spree at a high school in this northern suburb of Philadelphia, the authorities said. The police said that the boy had been planning a "Columbine style" attack on students at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School and that in searching his home, they had found a 9-millimeter assault rifle, dozens... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Police Welcome New Law Banning Import, Sale of Realistic Toy Guns
Belper News (Derbyshire)
10 October 2007
Derbyshire police have welcomed new laws which ban the importing, making and selling of realistic imitation firearms. Up until now people have been able to buy these guns legally despite the fact that it is an offence to carry any firearm in public without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. The new legislation overcomes this loophole which means realistic imitation guns will become less available in the future. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Malta
No Trigger Happy Gun Culture in Malta, But 'Serious Anomalies' in Gun Law
Times (Malta), Editorial
1 October 2007
For some odd reason, current gun licensing laws in Malta have given rise to serious anomalies. On one hand, prospective hunters have to wait months to get called for a test to permit them to procure their guns. On the other hand, if one wants to buy a firearm that is not going to be used for hunting, all one has to do is join a target shooting club. It takes about a month to get registered. This involves basic training on how to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Bans Realistic Imitation Airsoft, BB Guns, Declares Airguns 'Firearms'
BBC News
1 October 2007
New powers to crackdown on gun and knife crime have come into effect in England and Wales. The government says the new legislation promises harsher punishments and tougher restrictions on the ownership and sale of guns and knives. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said tackling gun and knife crime was a "top priority", and said weapons on the street would not be tolerated. The powers were introduced as part of the Violent... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Airguns Sold Only by Licensed Gun Dealers; Minimum Age 17 - New UK Law
BBC News
30 September 2007
Retailers across the UK who sell airguns must now be registered firearms dealers, under a change in the law. Dealers must conduct face-to-face sales and record buyers' names and addresses, plus details of the weapons sold. The Scottish Government said communities had been "crying out for action" to take weapons off streets. Sharon McMillan's son Andrew Morton, two, died after being hit in the head with an airgun... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
New British Gun Law Compels Airgun Sellers to Register as Firearm Dealers
Daily Post (North Wales)
25 September 2007
Police yesterday warned North Wales airgun traders to register as firearm dealers or face prosecution. Anyone selling air weapons in North Wales must register with police by next Monday or face the consequences under tough new laws. Calls were made for a crack down on airguns after a series of incidents across the region in recent years where people and animals were hurt or killed. But one gun shop owner said he... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Apocalypse, Profit in 'Son of Rev Moon' Church/Gun Empire [Part 1 of 2]
Portfolio (USA), October Issue
17 September 2007
On a blustery night in December 1999, Danny Guzman left his house in Worcester, Massachusetts, and headed downtown to Tropigala, his cousin's nightclub. Tropigala occupied a bunkerlike, one-story brick building on Main South, a street that was home to shuttered storefronts, rooming houses, and a creeping underworld of drug dealing and prostitution, punctuated by the occasional shooting. Despite the upcoming holiday, Tropigala was packed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Bounty, Crime Gun Tipsters' Line, Firearm Buyback Launched in Florida
Times-Union (Florida)
11 September 2007
BRUNSWICK -- Glynn County police are taking aim at gun violence with a reward program targeting illegal firearms and people who use a gun to commit a crime. Beginning today, police will pay a $1,000 bounty to people "who report a gun that was unlawfully obtained, or who report someone who used a gun in a crime," Police Chief Matt Doering told the Times-Union. "I want to target guns specifically that we have a problem with.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Carrying Gun or Imitation Gun Can Now Earn 10 Years' Jail in Isle of Man
BBC News
9 September 2007
Tough new laws which aim to tighten the control of imitation guns in the Isle of Man have come into force. The laws, part of the Criminal Justice and Police Act, will make it an offence to carry a firearm or imitation with the intent to cause fear of violence. Anyone convicted of this could face up to ten years in prison, the Isle of Man government said. It is also now an offence to carry an imitation firearm in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
The Mirror Collects One Week's UK Gun Crime from 35/52 Police Forces
Mirror (UK)
3 September 2007
Rhys Jones, 11, shot dead in Liverpool as he enjoys a kick-about. Three gunned down in front of a three-year-old girl in a gangland hit in Hertfordshire. In recent days, we've been horrified by these murders. But do they really indicate that gun crime has become commonplace? The Mirror asked each police force in the UK to reveal every reported firearm incident in one week. Thirty-five of the 52 constabularies responded.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Britain Transfixed by a Single Shooting Death: In US It Would Barely Register
Scotsman (Edinburgh), Editorial
26 August 2007
The tragic death of Rhys Jones has stunned a nation which was beginning to think itself inured to the horrific underbelly of modern life. Drunken violence on our streets every weekend... Spiralling drugs use, along with the crime that pays for so much of it... And a general lack of respect for society at large. It takes something like the abduction and brutal murder of Jamie Bulger by two other children to truly shake us -- and Rhys's death,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Rare Shootings Cause Alarm, But UK Gun Crime Not Prolific or Widespread
BBC News
24 August 2007
Another shooting, and more fears of guns on the streets of Britain -- but what do we really know about the extent of gun crime in England and Wales? Since the start of 2007, eight young people have lost their lives in shootings -- six in London, one in Manchester and now the killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool. According to provisional Home Office figures, there were 58 firearms-related homicides in 2006-07 compared... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Dayton, Ohio Reports Surge in Serious Airgun Injuries Among Children
Chillicothe Gazette (Ohio)
22 August 2007
When discussions turn to gun control, they usually involve weapons that are supposed to pack a deadly punch. But as a children's hospital in the Dayton area has learned during the summer, BB guns placed in the hands of young children can sometimes create dangerous situations as well. Children's Medical Center of Dayton has treated five children in the past month for BB gun injuries -- nearly half the total annual BB or... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Ontario, Quebec Continue to Lead Campaign for Canadian Handgun Ban
Toronto Star (Ontario)
4 August 2007
Handguns are effectively banned in Canada, the federal government insists. Yet there are 582,000 of them in existence and legally registered, nearly 220,000 of them in Ontario. Thousands more are purchased each year. Toronto police say about 30 per cent of the firearms they seize may have been stolen from legitimate owners. The other 70 per cent have been smuggled from the U.S. Welcome to the Alice in Wonderland... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Police Hunt for Gold Coast Pistol Club Airgun Thieves
Australian Associated Press
3 August 2007
Police are hunting two men they believe are responsible for a robbery at the Gold Coast Pistol Club on Tuesday night. Eight Feinwerkbau (FWB) model 65, .177 calibre pistols and two laptops were stolen during the robbery of the club shortly before midnight on Edmond Rice Drive, Southport. A police spokeswoman said officers now had descriptions of two men believed to have been involved in the robbery. They are described... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Gun Owners Become Social Lepers, Domestic Abuse Suspects
National Post (Toronto), Opinion
1 August 2007
Citing concern over the "sinister uses" of guns, University of Toronto officials are closing down their 88-year-old shooting range. No word yet on the fate of the university's chemistry labs. More than just one more example of political correctness run amok (which of course it is), I take this gesture as academic ideologues' invitation to government to follow suit and ban gun sport and gun collecting nationally. Alas, I think the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Gun Buy-back Collects Almost 6,000 Handguns, Assault Weapons
Chicago Tribune
21 July 2007
Almost 6,000 handguns and assault weapons were turned over to Chicago police on Saturday in exchange for $100 debit cards, officials said. The third "Don't kill a Dream, Save a Life" program was a "huge success" and the most successful attempt at taking guns off the street, said police spokeswoman Monique Bond. "In light of the recent tragedies with so many young people's lives being taken, I think that people are starting to recognize... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lost Indiana Girls Pull Into Driveway, Homeowner Shoots Up Their Car
WISC-TV News (Wisconsin)
20 July 2007
MADISON COUNTY, Indiana -- Kelsey Beatty, 18, and Kristen Waechter, 16, said they were only trying to get their bearings when they pulled into a Madison County driveway on Saturday night. Moments later, they said, a man shot their car twice with a shotgun, shattering two passenger-side windows and slightly injuring Beatty. Police arrested Bobby Eden, 59, on suspicion he fired a 12-gauge shotgun at the car. "What... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arkansas Man Irritated by Rock Throwing Fatally Shoots 9-year-old
Dallas Morning News (Texas) / AP
26 June 2007
EL DORADO, Arkansas -- A man aggravated by children throwing rocks at his house shot and killed a 9-year-old boy, El Dorado police said Tuesday. Officers were summoned shortly before 5 p.m. Monday and found Demotric Moore with a gunshot wound to the neck. The boy was pronounced dead at a hospital. Inside the home, officers saw Jonathan Watts, 50, ordered him to the ground and arrested him. "I've had it with these... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Shooters Party Pushes Law Change to Allow 10yr-olds to Shoot
Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
3 June 2007
Children should start firearms training from age 10 and shooting programs should be reinstated at schools, says the NSW gun lobby. At present children as young as 12 can gain a gun permit, allowing them to shoot semi-automatic pistols, bolt-action rifles and other firearms under supervision. NSW Shooters Party MP Roy Smith told the Sunday Telegraph his group would lobby parliament to allow 10-year-olds to gain two years'... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
New Zealand Study Shows Growing Number of Airgun Injuries to Children
New Zealand Herald
11 May 2007
Surgeons are urging a review of gun control in New Zealand as they treat a growing number of children with injuries inflicted by firearms. Their greatest concern is air rifles, which can be bought by anyone over 18 without a licence or any other regulation, yet account for about 80 per cent of child injuries. Most injuries are inflicted in Greater Auckland. But police say the existing law requires children using... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Gal Moves to New York, Now Much Prefers Being Safe, Gunless
Marie Claire / MSN, Opinion
2 May 2007
The most memorable Valentine's Day gift I ever received was a black nylon fanny pack designed to hold a gun. For my live-in, gun-nut boyfriend, it was a grand romantic gesture and an encore, of sorts, to his Christmas present, a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol. I had hoped for the new "lady friendly" hammerless Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, but the fanny pack would have to do. It definitely topped his gifts from years past: a can... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
America's Lock 'n' Load Culture Has Got to Go
San Francisco Chronicle, Column
20 April 2007
You know what offers just tremendous amounts of pleasure? Shooting guns. It's true. Shotguns, handguns, rifles, BB guns, squirt guns, you name it. Try it yourself: Just head out to a shooting range and have the gun boys yank you some clay pigeons and blast those things out of the sky and, oh, my God, it's just a ridiculous barefaced thrill, a sense of godlike power, a rush of adrenaline to go along with a hot buzz of precision and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Singapore
Smuggling Illegal Replica Guns Into Singapore Can Bring Up to 3yrs Jail
Earth Times (New York)
11 April 2007
SINGAPORE -- More people are bringing illegal toy guns into Singapore in 2007 than in previous years, police said on Tuesday. There have been 21 cases so far this year, compared to 38 cases of airsoft gun possession investigated in 2006, a statement said. Airsoft guns are used in a recreational activity in which players participate in simulation of military combat. Owning an unlicensed airsoft gun is punishable by up to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Police Fear Realistic Imitation Guns Will Bring Inevitable Tragedy
New York Times
9 April 2007
In January, a 13-year-old wielding what looked like a .38-caliber revolver tried to rob a Chinese restaurant in Mount Vernon, N.Y., until workers wrested the gun from him. In February, a 16-year-old boy in Clifton, N.J., accompanied by a friend, stuck what appeared to be a .45-caliber handgun in a man's chest and stole his cocker spaniel. And in the fall, a teenager in a pickup truck with other youths pulled up to a man... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
New Zealand Gun Lobby Calls for Tighter Laws to Control Airguns
New Zealand Herald
7 April 2007
Gun laws should be tightened to prevent weapons getting into the hands of people whose only knowledge of firearms is "what they've seen on TV", says the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners. Council chairman John Howat wants law changes after a 14-year-old boy was struck on the side of his head by an air rifle pellet at Waitangi. He was treated in the emergency department of Whangarei Hospital on Thursday and discharged... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Philippine Election Commission Exempts Itself from National Poll Gun Ban
Manila Standard
5 March 2007
The Commission on Elections has exempted the members of the municipal, city, district and provincial boards of canvassers in the May 14 elections from the coverage of the election firearms ban. In a resolution promulgated Feb. 22, the Comelec allowed the board of canvassers automatic exemption from the gun ban to ensure their safety. But the exemption would cover only the period from the start of the canvassing and until... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Gun Homicides Hit 7-year Low, Police Crackdown Disperses Gun Crime
Economist
22 February 2007
Billy Cox, aged 15, in his parents' flat; Michael Dosunmu, aged 15, in his bedroom; James Smartt-Ford, aged 16, at the local ice-rink: the lethal shootings of three south-London teenagers in less than a fortnight have startled the public and sent politicians scrambling for new initiatives. Tony Blair announced on February 18th that gunmen as young as 17 could soon face the automatic five-year penalty for illegally owning a gun that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK 'Gun Crime' Grows, But Much of the Increase Due to Airguns, Replicas
BBC News
15 February 2007
Gun crime across England and Wales has increased every year over the last decade. But three fatal shootings of teenagers in less than two weeks in south London have reinforced the need to focus resources on certain areas. The murder of Billy Cox, 15, in the Clapham area of south London, is being investigated by a unit known as Operation Trident. The Metropolitan Police unit was set up nine years ago to investigate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Shooting Sports 'Provide Millions' to British Economy, Claims Gun Group
Evening News (UK)
10 January 2007
Shooting sports generate around £240 million a year for the Scottish economy, a report to be sent to Scottish ministers has claimed. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) surveyed 2000 companies and 14,000 directors across the UK to find out how the popularity of the sport has grown. The move was in response to attempts by Glasgow MSP Tommy Sheridan to have private ownership of airguns banned. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Boy Fights for Life After Friend Fired Airgun Pellet, Pierced Eye, Brain
NewsTalk ZB
2 January 2007
A 13-year-old Feilding boy is fighting for his life in Wellington Hospital, after he was accidentally shot with an airgun by his friend. A pellet went straight through the boy's eye and lodged in his brain when the pair were playing with a point-two-two calibre air rifle in a garage in Feilding. Wellington Hospital says the boy is in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit. As police investigate, firearms lobbyist... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Only a Standard NZ Firearms Licence Needed for Military-Style Rifle
New Zealand Herald
22 December 2006
It looks and sounds like a seriously high-powered firearm -- the Saiga AK47 semi-automatic listed for sale on Trade Me. Hundreds of dollars have been bid for the Russian hunting rifle, described by local gunshops as a military-style rifle, which fires off five rounds at the squeeze of the trigger. The seller says the new owner will need just a standard firearms licence to secure the deal. The state of the country's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Are Vancouver Residents Safe from Shootings? Police Struggle to Answer
Vancouver Province, Series
1 December 2006
When it comes to guns in the community, one question is paramount: "How safe are we?" Inside the Vancouver Police Department's Cambie Street station, deputy chief constables Doug LePard and Bob Rich sit down to answer that question the best they can. In doing so, the two men walk a tightrope. Police don't want to suggest the public risks being shot over the slightest incident. But Vancouver has seen its... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Hunter's Murder House Full of Guns, Children and Warning Signs
Vancouver Province, Series
29 November 2006
The day he learned to fire his first BB gun, Tyler Wild knew that hunting would play a big part in his life. He had grown up in a house full of rifles, shotguns and crossbows and he knew how to use them all. It was a skill -- and a passion -- that had been passed down from father to son. It wasn't so much about the thrill of pulling the trigger or taking home a freezer full of venison. The emphasis was always on family... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago City Council Bans Replica Guns, Lookalike Airguns and BB Guns
Chicago Tribune
4 October 2006
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday banned the sale and possession of air guns that resemble real firearms, taking action after the recent police shooting of a teenager who was carrying a "replica" BB gun. "We don't want our officers to hesitate," said Ald. Burton Natarus (42nd), who sponsored the measure. "If an officer has to hesitate to see if the gun is real, the officer is going to die ... I think this will save the lives... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Politicians Back Gun Control, Constituents Load Up on Firearms
Marin Independent Journal (California)
1 October 2006
Mill Valley mom Joan Rodriguez decided she needed an outlet to release the frustrations that come with running a real estate business with her husband and guiding a teenage son through middle school. So she went back to school. Pistol school. Rodriguez, 47, didn't tell anyone -- not even her husband -- when she signed up for the entry pistol-shooting class at Bullseye Shooting Range in San Rafael. The stigma attached to guns in... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
China Seizes 100,000 Illegal Guns, Catches Airgun Sellers in Internet Sales
Beijing News / Xinhua / AFP / Reuters
8 September 2006
Chinese police have arrested 41 people for trafficking firearms on the internet, amid a nationwide crackdown involving the confiscation of more than 100,000 illegal guns, state press said yesterday. In the first case of online gun trading to surface in China, Beijing police have arrested three sellers and 38 potential buyers who agreed to purchase and pay for the arms over the internet, the Beijing News reported. A total... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Campaigners Call for Airgun Curbs After Pellet Kills 12yr-old English Boy
Guardian (UK)
23 August 2006
Campaigners have called for tougher controls on air guns after a schoolboy shot in the eye with an air rifle died from his injuries. Mitchel Picken, 12, died on Saturday, two days after being hit in the right eye with an air gun pellet in Stockton Brook, Stoke-on-Trent. He was taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, where he was put in intensive care after having surgery. Last night Mitchel's parents,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Chicago, Kids With BB Guns Get Shot: Cops Bust Store for Airgun Sales
Chicago Sun-Times
22 August 2006
Making good on warnings that BB-guns are illegal in Chicago, police have busted a Northwest Side store owner for selling one of the plastic weapons to a 13-year-old boy, authorities said Monday. William Garriga, 55, owner of Divas Videos and Music at 4758 W. Belmont, was cited for not having a license to sell firearms and for illegally selling BB-guns within city limits. Garriga could face a fine of $250 to $500 for each... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
London Gang Converted 'Harmless' Legal Guns, Armed the Underworld
BBC News
27 July 2006
Two men at the centre of the largest gun conversion racket ever uncovered by the Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident have been convicted at the Old Bailey. A third man at the same trial has also been convicted of possessing a prohibited weapon and ammunition. From the outside it was an unprepossessing little shop, selling camping supplies and military paraphernalia. But the shop, in Bethnal Green Road, east... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Dealer, NRA Board Member's Crusade to Cripple US Gun Trade Law
Washington Post
23 July 2006
PARKVILLE, Maryland -- Sanford M. Abrams began selling guns from his shop in Baltimore County in 1996 and almost immediately started losing track of them. In 1997, he couldn't account for 45. In 2001, it was 133. In 2003, there were 422 firearms missing -- more than a quarter of his inventory -- including semiautomatic assault rifles, 12-gauge shotguns and Glock 9mm pistols, according to federal investigators. This year,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Board Member Helps 'Rogue' Gun Dealer Sue New York and its Mayor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
21 July 2006
In May, New York authorities accused a Smyrna gun store of illegally supplying guns that sometimes ended up in the hands of criminals. The gun store fired back on Thursday. In a $400 million lawsuit filed Thursday in Cobb County, Adventure Outdoors said that New York officials libeled and slandered several gun shop owners by referring to them as "rogue gun dealers." The suit takes aim at New York and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Hampshire's Pistol Shooting Women at Home on the Firing Range
Boston Globe
18 July 2006
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire -- Devon Chester, a petite 24-year-old in a pink sweater and designer jeans, plants her white Puma sneakers a little more than shoulder-width apart, squares her body, leans back slightly, aims her targeting laser, and empties the magazine of her Glock 9 mm pistol -- bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang! -- into the paper target 10 yards away. Chester sets the pistol down and examines her work. Several dime-size... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington Bank Robbers Wielded AK-47s Smuggled Home from Iraq War
Washington Post
16 July 2006
The gang that carried out a series of commando-style bank robberies in the Washington area two years ago used fully automatic assault rifles that were smuggled from the battlefields of Iraq by a soldier in the U.S. Army Reserve, according to investigators. An investigation by the FBI and local police is centering on several AK-47s the notorious robbers used in some of their heists. In Iraq, such weapons are plentiful and cheap.... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Beijing Expands Gun Amnesty and Seizures, Home Made Guns 'Rampant'
China Daily
5 July 2006
Illegal firearms' owners in Beijing could be jailed for up to two years if they do not turn their weapons in by July 15, Beijing Public Security Bureau has announced. As part of a national crackdown on illegal guns launched last month, the bureau is urging the public to hand in firearms to police, including replica guns and airguns. Those who hand over weapons to police before the deadline will not be punished. Bureau... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Tennessee 10yr-old Girl 'Blowed Hat Off' Passerby With a .357 Magnum
WATE-TV News (Tennessee)
6 June 2006
NEW TAZEWELL -- A 10-year-old girl is charged with firing a gunshot that blew the hat off a man standing in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Donnie Brooks still shook Tuesday from Monday's close call. Brooks says he was going to do some shopping when he heard a bang. "It (the bullet) went right past my face and it blowed my hat off. That's how close it came." He says he then noticed a car with a shattered window parked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Police Shut Down Licensed Gun Shop for Selling Crime Guns
Queens Chronicle (New York)
1 June 2006
Woodhaven Rifle and Pistol Range, located at 74 16 Jamaica Ave., had its license to sell firearms suspended and its inventory of guns and rifles seized during an undercover sting operation last Thursday. Michael Spallone, 43, was arrested for making what police call "straw purchases" in which the person signing a weapon's paperwork purchases the gun for someone else. Spallone was caught on videotape selling guns to an investigator... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Republicans Protest as New Jersey Plans 17 Bills to Quell Gun Violence
Newark Star Ledger (New Jersey)
23 May 2006
A sweeping package of 17 bills aimed at quelling gun violence passed the state Assembly yesterday despite protests from Republicans concerned the legislation does more to crack down on gun enthusiasts than gang members. "Criminal street gangs have become an epidemic across our state," said Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer), a sponsor of the package. "They are destroying neighborhoods. They are terrorizing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
A Salute to Guns and Rights: The NRA Convention in Milwaukee
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
19 May 2006
She's a nurse who likes target shooting and teaches gun safety classes. He's an engineer and deer hunter. When in Michigan, she'll pack a .357 Smith & Wesson for personal protection, while he sees no need to carry a concealed weapon. "I'm usually with her," Don Burns said, pointing to his wife, Christine. "And she's a better shot." The Burnses, from the Upper Peninsula town of Channing, are your quiet, ordinary,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Enthusiasts Ambivalent About Wal-Mart's Decision to Stop Selling Guns
Olney Daily Mail (Illinois)
1 May 2006
Wal-Mart Supercenter in Olney stopped selling guns April 14 as part of a marketing decision made last month by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to end gun sales in about a third of its stores nationwide. Store Manager Vicki Buzzard said the decision was made that selling guns "wasn't a good business investment" for Wal-Mart. The Olney store was one of approximately 1,000 stores to remove guns from the shelves. "We had really good sales... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Snowdrops, Not Guns: Mick North on Dunblane, 10 Years On
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
12 March 2006
Mick North's fight against guns began two days after his five-year-old daughter Sophie was murdered in Dunblane. It has never ended. The battle started with a grief-stricken letter to the Queen berating her for praising the beauty of weapons. Within five weeks it had grown into a nationwide campaign, backed by the Sunday Mail, with a half-million signature petition calling for a ban on handguns. It was a call so... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Dunblane Massacre Led to Stringent Laws to Control Guns
Herald (Scotland)
10 March 2006
Britain now has some of the most stringent gun laws in the world. Prior to the Dunblane tragedy, gun law in the UK had been changed following the Hungerford massacre in 1987 when Michael Ryan gunned down 16 people with a Kalashnikov. The loner belonged to two gun clubs and had a huge arsenal of weapons, all of which were licensed. A year after the killings, gun laws were changed and semi-automatic weapons such as Ryan's Kalashnikov... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Scottish Police Destroy 900 Guns After Bumper Six-Month Haul
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
2 March 2006
Pump-action shotguns and pistols were among 900 weapons taken off the streets and destroyed by police in the past six months. The armoury was melted down for recycling after being seized by officers or handed in by owners. The haul represented an increase of around 80 per cent on the previous six months when 500 weapons were scrapped. But police said the volume had been "fairly constant" in recent years and urged... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Customer Dies After He 'Shoots Himself' in Scottish Gun Shop
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
21 February 2006
Police were investigating last night after a man died following an incident in a gun shop. The man had visited Anderson's Guns in Aberdeen when a firearm was discharged. It is believed he shot himself in the head. Police and paramedics rushed to the shop, on the city's Hardgate, but the man, thought to be aged around 40, was pronounced dead at the scene. The shop owner, Neil Anderson, witnessed the incident... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Police Probe Mystery Man's Shooting Death in Licensed Gun Shop
Daily Record (Scotland)
21 February 2006
A man shot himself in the face in a horrific incident at a gunshop yesterday. It is understood the man turned up at Anderson's Guns in Aberdeen and asked to look at weapons. A gun then went off while he was handling it. Police and paramedics rushed to the shop in the city's Hardgate. But the man, thought to be around 40, was pronounced dead at the scene. The shop's owner, Neil Anderson, saw the incident and raised... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Dunblane 10 Years On: One Father's Struggle as a Town Hides its Grief
Observer (UK)
12 February 2006
It was an ordinary Wednesday morning in a small Scottish town. Then, after one of the most shocking events in postwar British history, 16 children and a teacher lay dead. As Dunblane prepares for the 10th anniversary of the massacre, Lorna Martin revisits the town and speaks to one parent about his journey through grief and loss ... Occasionally, they still visit Dunblane, to see the school on Doune Road or the small statue by the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill to Let 8-year-olds Hunt Shows Adults Short on Sense
Capital Times (Wisconsin), Opinion
30 January 2006
Yes, OK, hunting is "part of the culture" in Wisconsin. I get that. And, yes, the Department of Natural Resources needs the money from hunting licenses to carry out its programs. I don't have a problem with all that. (Except, as a person who spends time nearly every weekend tromping around on public land, I'd be more than happy to pay for a "public lands access" license -- if the state would just ask me to.) But sanctioning allowing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Felons, Parolees Barred from Gun Use Are Still Issued Hunting Licenses
Associated Press
29 January 2006
HELENA, Montana -- Hundreds of people barred from having guns because they are felons on parole or probation are still able to get hunting licenses in Montana with no questions asked, an Associated Press investigation found. Montana may not be alone. While nearly all states ban felons from possessing guns, only a handful -- including Rhode Island and Maine -- keep them from receiving hunting permits, and just a few others -- such... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, England & Wales
Giving Toy Guns at Christmas 'Danger to Children,' Say Police
Cambridge Evening News
29 November 2005
Parents are being urged to think twice before giving their children toy or ballbearing guns as presents this Christmas by police in the region. Insp Derek Hollick said: "BB guns can look very realistic and officers have to treat them as a real firearm until they can be absolutely sure it is not a lethal weapon. "We would ask parents and shop owners to take this warning extremely seriously and help us to prevent their child... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
15yr-old Boy Charged With Airgun Killing of 12yr-old Friend
Sun (UK)
18 November 2005
A boy aged 15 has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting his 12-year-old best pal through the eye with an air rifle. The teenager was quizzed by cops after schoolboy Alex Cole died in the bedroom of his friend's house in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire. The pellet crashed through the lad's eye causing brain injuries. Alex died hours later without recovering consciousness when his life support machine... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Young California Killer Discussed His Ammo Needs on Web Site
Guardian (UK)
14 November 2005
It probably seemed like a routine query. When a poster called Forbidden Forum appeared on an internet discussion board called the Firing Range, the firearms forum of the website Something Awful, few users raised so much as an online eyebrow. Forbidden Forum, posting on October 26, revealed he was a 19-year-old, living in Orange County, California, who needed to protect himself against a gang he expected to visit his house on Hallowe'en... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Government Rejects Campaigner's Proposal to Register Airguns
Sunderland Echo (UK)
1 November 2005
Gun campaigner Linda Mitchell has slammed Government claims that licensing the owners of potentially deadly air guns would be a waste of resources. Linda has waged a war on air guns after her son was shot in the face with a pellet. She won a victory when the Government announced all sales of air guns should be licensed -- but she said she would not rest until all the weapons were off the streets. But she is furious... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Airgun Sales Curb Agreed in Wake of Toddler Death
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
14 October 2005
Airguns will be sold only through registered dealers under proposals unveiled yesterday in the wake of Scots toddler Andrew Morton's death. The Home Office move would end anonymous internet and mail order sales of the weapons and result in tough penalties for unregistered businesses selling firearms. The proposals follow extensive negotiations between Jack McConnell and Charles Clarke after the First Minister claimed he... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, Scotland
Andrew's Law to Clamp Down on Airguns
Daily Record (Scotland)
14 October 2005
A clampdown on the sale of airguns was finally unveiled by the Government yesterday. The tough new rules have been dubbed "Andrew's Law", in tribute to the toddler killed by an airgun earlier this year. There was a public outcry after two-year-old Andrew Morton was shot in the head by an air rifle pellet fired by junkie Mark Bonini in Easterhouse, Glasgow, in March. The killer was jailed for life this summer and... ( gunpolicy.org )
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