North Korea
Defector Tells How North Korea Exports Arms - AK-47s Very Popular
ChoSun Ilbo (Seoul)
11 March 2010
Curbing North Korea's illicit arms trade is difficult since the renegade country launders containers carrying weapons three or four times, a defector who was in charge of illicit arms deals told the Chosun Ilbo on Monday. The defector revealed that a factory in Jagang Province, which is believed to produce tractors, is the center of the communist country's weapons production, including chemical warheads. The defector, who is under... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Refused, But Mentally Unstable Pentagon Shooter Got 2 Guns
WUSA-9 TV News (Washington DC)
9 March 2010
ARLINGTON, Virginia - How did a man with a history of mental illness and run-ins with the law get two semi-automatic handguns? Handguns that John Patrick Bedell allegedly used to attack two Pentagon police officers last Thursday? Bedell tried to buy a handgun in California and was turned away, apparently because of his mental illness. But the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says it's still unsure... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
8 March 2010
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border. He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Indonesia
Police Arrest Alleged 'Terrorist Gun Suppliers' in Indonesia
Jakarta Post
8 March 2010
The National Police said Monday it had arrested two gun dealers for supplying weapons to terrorists in Aceh. National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri said one supplier was arrested in West Java and another in Jakarta. He said police would divulge the identity of the two suppliers and how they obtained their weapons later. Bambang vowed to continue cracking down on terrorism despite the fact three of his officers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Mayor Recycles Gun Control Slate, Adds Pistol Microstamping
Chicago Sun-Times
8 March 2010
Mayor Daley today unveiled his annual package of gun control legislation and denied he's "swimming upstream" at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled its intention to overturn Chicago's handgun ban. Most of the ideas are re-treads, but there are a few new wrinkles. They include a proposal to make it a mandatory Class 1 felony to "knowingly sell or transfer a gun to a known gang member." Daley also wants to strengthen... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Kills Attempt to Reverse One-handgun-a-month Limit on Sales
Washington Post
5 March 2010
A Virginia Senate panel designed to eliminate House gun rights proposals went about its work efficiently Thursday, killing an attempted repeal of the state's 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month and several other bills. The Senate Courts of Justice special subcommittee, which was composed of four Democrats and one Republican, voted 4 to 1 along party lines to table the gun-a-month repeal sponsored by Del. L. Scott... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Landmark One-handgun-a-month Sales Limit Faces Reversal in Virginia
Washington Post
4 March 2010
RICHMOND,Virginia - The latest and most significant effort to repeal Virginia's gun laws faces a critical vote on Thursday, when senators will consider a measure that would undo the state's landmark one-gun-a-month law. Democrats, who control the Senate, will try to kill the legislation through a newly formed subcommittee that they stacked with anti-gun lawmakers. Republicans and other gun rights advocates have protested, saying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Effort to Tighten Minnesota's Gun Show Law Getting Folks Riled Up
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
3 March 2010
From Virginia to Arizona, federal and state gun laws are loosening everywhere from national parks to Amtrak trains. But in St. Paul, a proposal that would send Minnesota in the opposite direction is headed toward its first hearing Friday -- a bill requiring background checks on the purchaser of any firearm sold at a gun show. The proposal pits its DFL sponsor, St. Paul Rep. Michael Paymar, against the mighty arsenal of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wisconsin to Compel Gun Dealers to Check Mental History of Purchasers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
2 March 2010
MADISON, Wisconsin -- Dealers would have to check the mental health histories of handgun buyers before selling them firearms under a bill passed unanimously Tuesday by the Senate. Senators also advanced a bill that could lead to limits on the areas where tickets for Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers games could be resold outside the stadiums. The handgun measure is meant to help prevent shootings such as the one at... ( gunpolicy.org )
Iraq
Senior Spy Accuses Iraqi PM of Giving Away US Guns in Bid to Buy Votes
Sydney Morning Herald
2 March 2010
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A senior Iraqi spy has accused the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, of handing out thousands of guns to tribal leaders in an attempt to win votes. The claim was made by a former spokesman for the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, Saad al-Alusi, a week before Iraq's general election, in which allegations of vote buying and exorbitant handouts have been widespread. Mr Maliki, who faces a bitterly contested... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Bows to Gun Lobby, Moves to Scrap One-gun-a-month Sales Limit
Washington Post, Editorial
1 March 2010
When then-U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen, a Republican, gave vigorous support in 1993 to Virginia limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month, some people questioned the propriety of a federal prosecutor getting involved in a state legislative matter. But Mr. Cullen believed that it was his duty to speak out because the gun running made possible by Virginia's lax laws was a national problem. That is just as true today -- and it's why... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing Imagined Obama Agenda, US States Push to Loosen Gun Laws
New York Times
24 February 2010
When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past. In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Florida Gun Dealer Loses 29 Guns, Assault Weapons to Thieves
WDBO-TV News (Florida)
23 February 2010
When employees of Buffalo Bills Shooting Store showed up for work Tuesday morning, they found their business had been broken into - and it only went down hill from there. Sgt. Barb Jones with Orlando Police says the employees called OPD to sweep the building and make sure no one still inside. And then there was the disturbing discovery. "They noticed that several guns had been stolen," Jones said. Twenty-nine firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Milwaukee Police, DA Blast Law Designed to Suppress Gun Tracing Data
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin) / Watchdog Reports
22 February 2010
As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to get rid of a law - quietly passed by Congress - that hides information from the public about guns used in crimes and the stores that sell them. Instead, President Obama has embraced most of the law and added even more rules that could make it harder for law enforcement to crack down on dealers and stores selling guns to criminals. While supporters of the secrecy law say shielding... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Gun Maker, Dealer Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling Firearms
Arizona Republic
22 February 2010
A Gilbert firearms manufacturer will cease its gun operations after the company's owner pleaded guilty to illegally selling rifles, shotguns and handguns. Cavalry Arms Corp. says on its Web site that it has been "engaged in an ongoing dispute" with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, for two years over "regulatory and compliance mistakes." But in federal court last week, owner Shawn Nealon admitted that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Getting Rid of Gun Control: One-gun-a-month Limit Hurts the Law-abiding
Washington Times, Editorial
19 February 2010
Virginia finally is poised to repeal its unusual law that prohibits law-abiding citizens from buying more than one gun per month. It's about time, because the red tape has not had the desired effect in lowering crime. There is no academic research by criminologists or economists that shows that one-gun-a-month regulations reduce crime in either the states that pass them or their neighbors. The laws have merely inconvenienced honest Americans... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Texas Gang Smuggled 340 Guns from Houston to Mexican Drug Cartels
CNN
18 February 2010
HOUSTON, Texas - John Phillip Hernandez and a friend walked into the Collector's Firearms gun store in Houston, Texas, to buy a cache of weapons. Hernandez was wearing sunglasses and a dark T-shirt with the words "I Am the Scene" scrawled across the front. It was April 28, 2007. Collector's Firearms was one of two gun stores they visited that day as part of a scheme to arm Mexican cartels across the border, according to federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Report Ranks California Gun Control Law the Best, Utah Worst in America
Orange County Register (California)
18 February 2010
California has the strongest gun laws in the nation, according to a survey released today by a powerful gun-control group as it prods state Legislators to enact further precautions. The survey by the national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence gave California high marks for making background checks mandatory for all gun purchases and limiting buyers to one handgun a month. It also applauded a new state law that regulates the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
Obama, Clinton Join UN Treaty Push to Set Global Gun Trade Controls
Defense News (USA)
18 February 2010
The United States is working with other countries and the United Nations to impose uniform controls on international sales of conventional arms. But the U.S. State Department said it is likely to be years before an Arms Trade Treaty takes effect. The United States is committed to pursuing a "robust treaty" that sets "the highest possible legally binding standards" for international sales of conventional weapons, U.S. Ambassador... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
If Virginia Lifts One-gun-a-month Pistol Sale Limit, Get Ready for Mayhem
Washington Post, Editorial
18 February 2010
In a rare moment of gun law sanity, Virginia enacted a bill 17 years ago limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month. Almost immediately, the numbers of guns traced to Virginia that were used in crimes in the Northeast, particularly in New York, dropped sharply. Now, thanks to Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, a Prince William County Republican who is pushing to repeal the law, the Old Dominion may regain the dubious distinction of being... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Russia,Thailand
New Charges in US Battle to Deport Russian Gun Runner from Thai Jail
Associated Press
17 February 2010
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. prosecutors filed new charges Wednesday in their global pursuit of a suspected arms dealer, hoping to convince reluctant officials in Thailand to extradite him over objections from Russia. An updated indictment charges that Viktor Bout and his former business associate, Richard Chichakli, conspired to violate United Nations sanctions aimed at stopping bloody fighting in Africa. The new charges appear... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Passes 20 New Bills to Relax Gun Laws, Promote Pistol Carrying
Associated Press
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia -- A flurry of bills to make it easier to buy and carry guns handily won the approval of lawmakers Tuesday. About 20 gun-related bills passed on the constitutional deadline for each chamber to pass its own legislative proposals. Most of the bills passed out of the gun-friendly House of Delegates, where they may face more scrutiny in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Bills approved Tuesday would repeal Virginia's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Aim to Loosen Firearm Restrictions Even Further
Washington Post
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - A little more than a year ago, Virginia gun owners joined millions of Americans who began stockpiling weapons for fear that Barack Obama would win the White House and push for new gun controls. Now that the former Illinois senator is president, the prophesied gun control measures have not come to pass, and Virginia's gun advocates are feeling almost giddy about their chances to loosen restrictions on buying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia House Moves to Lift One-gun-a-month Limit on Dealer Gun Sales
Hampton Roads Daily Press (Virginia)
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - The House of Delegates advanced legislation Monday that would repeal the state's one-handgun-per-month condition and exempt guns made and used in Virginia from federal firearms laws. The Republican-dominated chamber also set up a final vote on a bill that would block public access to concealed-carry permit records filed in local circuit courts. Final votes on all three measures will occur today, the House's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Slew of Pro-firearm Bills as Legislators Move to Relax Virginia Gun Laws
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
16 February 2010
The Republican-dominated House of Delegates advanced a slew of Second Amendment-related bills yesterday. They ranged from a bill that would repeal the one-gun-a-month limit on handgun purchases, to shielding applicants for concealed-weapon permits, to protecting some Virginia-made guns and ammunition from potential federal regulation. In all, about a dozen gun bills cleared a preliminary hurdle in the House yesterday and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Sales Up, Arkansas Shooters Urge Trigger Locks, Child Training
KAIT-8 TV News (Arkansas)
16 February 2010
JONESBORO, Arkansas - Gun experts told Region 8 News Tuesday more people have purchased pistols over the last year. According to Cody Driskell with DNW Outdoors, pistol sales have risen approximately 50% in the last year. This comes as law enforcement agencies across the Region 8 viewing area urge parents to safely secure all types of firearms. "As a parent, you need to teach your kid about guns. If you're going to have guns around... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Senator Aims to Jail NY Mayor's Men Who Uncover Illegal Gun Sales
New York Daily News
15 February 2010
West Virginia has a message for Mayor Bloomberg: Don't come 'round here to buy our guns. A legislator there wants to ban the type of undercover stings that Bloomberg has used to showcase illegal gun sales in other states - and throw the mayor's investigators in jail if necessary. "It's for us to handle within our own borders," said state Sen. Jeffrey Kessler, who is running for governor in 2012. "We jealously guard our... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Atlanta Asks Georgia Lawmakers for Permission to Restrict Gun Sales
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
15 February 2010
The Atlanta City Council voted without opposition Monday for legislation requesting state lawmakers to allow cities to restrict where guns are sold. Council members supported the idea, but predicted it wouldn't get far at the state Capitol, where the Republican-led Legislature is largely supportive of gun rights. "I just think it's going to fall on deaf ears over there," Councilwoman Felicia Moore said during the meeting.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mississippi Mulls '2nd Amendment Weekend' Sales Tax Holiday on Guns
Sun-Herald (Mississippi)
13 February 2010
State lawmakers are considering a two-day sales tax exemption for guns and ammunition in honor of "Second Amendment Weekend" which would come just before fall hunting seasons. Some said fear over revenue loss might derail the measure, House Bill 1207, which was authored by Rep. Warner McBride, D-Courtland. It has 39 cosponsors including several from South Mississippi. But the House Ways and Means Committee hasn't taken up the bill.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,North Korea
Thailand Drops Charges Against Crew of Plane Carrying N. Korean Arms
SEESAC (Belgrade) / Choson Ilbo (Seoul), Web page
11 February 2010
Thai prosecutors have dropped charges against the crew of a plane carrying North Korean weapons despite United Nations resolutions that bar Pyongyang from selling arms. The Attorney General's office in Thailand said Thursday [ 11 February] it will not prosecute the five-man crew, whose plane stopped in Bangkok with 35 tons of North Korean weapons on board. Thai authorities say the men - one from Belarus and four from Kazakhstan... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Licensed Gun Owners Number 300,000 in Bosnia, Many More Guns Illegal
SEESAC / BalkanInsight.com (Belgrade)
11 February 2010
According to official data, almost 300,000 Bosnian citizens hold firearms licenses, and many more possess weapons that are not registered. This number was given to media by Ivo Miro Jovic, a member of the state parliament's commission on security and defence. Jovic said that 164,000 citizens of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina hold a license for some kind of firearm, while in Republika Srpska the number reaches 116,000.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Shame on Maine Lawmakers Who Condone Gun Trafficking Loopholes
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Opinion
10 February 2010
The Brady law requires a criminal background check to find out if a prospective gun buyer is prohibited from purchasing a gun. It is a critical law enforcement tool that prevents felons, domestic abusers and other prohibited people from buying guns. The law works. Since it was passed in 1994, almost 2 million criminals and other prohibited people have been stopped from purchasing a gun. In 2007, 297 people in Maine where prevented... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Man 'Obsessed with Guns' Stole 6 Assault Weapons from Police
San Francisco Chronicle
10 February 2010
SAN PABLO, California - A San Pablo man described as being obsessed with "tools of warfare" was sentenced Tuesday to more than five years in federal prison for stealing assault rifles and shotguns belonging to the Contra Costa County sheriff's office and the California Highway Patrol. Daniel William Vess, 21, pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of a stolen firearm. At a hearing in Oakland, U.S. District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill Would End Federal Regulation of Utah Guns, Gut Background Checks
Associated Press
10 February 2010
SALT LAKE CITY - Guns made and kept in Utah would be exempt from federal regulations under a measure passed by the Utah Legislature Wednesday, despite concerns over an expensive legal fight at a time when the budget is already stretched thin. Senate Bill 11 was passed by the Utah House 56-17. The proposal mirrors one Montana signed into law last year that's intended to trigger a federal court battle. The measures would... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Gun Dealer Faces Federal Bribery Charges in $15m FBI Sting
Bradenton Herald (Florida)
8 February 2010
MANATEE, Washington -- A local weapons dealer facing federal charges for allegedly bribing foreign officials for a $15 million contract last week pleaded not guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C. "He's a fine-standing business man. He's a great family man. He's prepared to go forward," said Connie Mederos-Jacobs, an attorney representing Andrew Bigelow, 40, who appeared in court Wednesday. Bigelow, who is listed as... ( gunpolicy.org )
Poland
Drugs, Guns, Ammunition Seized, 9 Arms Traffickers Arrested in Poland
Polskie Radio (Warsaw)
8 February 2010
Nine people have been arrested by border guards in southern Poland for arms dealing and criminal activities. The regional prosecutor in Nowy Sacz stated that the group is being charged with dealing in narcotics, arms, explosives and people. The criminal group has been working in the Silesia region since September 2009 and includes a Slovakian citizen charged with bringing illegal arms into Poland. Silesian police... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica,United States
Jamaica Police Fudge Multi-million Dollar Ammo 'Blunder' with US Felon
Gleaner (Jamaica)
7 February 2010
Almost eight months after the United States government convicted the illegal arms dealer, Lance Brooks, hired by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to broker a multi-million ammunition deal, the police are still struggling to conclude an internal investigation into the circumstances that led to the hiring of a confessed criminal to supply bullets to the constabulary. It seems the JCF is not in a hurry to reveal who made the error... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Show Closed for 'Ongoing' Sales to Felons, Illegal Immigrants
Austin Chronicle (Texas)
5 February 2010
More than 200 people gathered at Austin Police Department headquarters Jan. 25 to protest what they consider unconstitutional police action in shuttering a monthly North Austin gun show -- an action they say infringes on Second Amendment gun rights. ProtestÂers with Texans for Accountable Government, Ladies of Liberty Alliance, and followers of radio show host Alex Jones used dueling bullhorns -- often simultaneously -- to declare that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica
Illegal Gun Shop Had Been Operating for a 'Long Time' in Jamaica
Jamaica Gleaner
5 February 2010
Munster Road, off Mountain View Avenue in eastern St Andrew, is considered a solid middle-class community despite its proximity to several volatile communities. With Wareika Hills as its back drop, the community borders the area of Mountain View Avenue known as 'Back Bush' with its neighbours, including Nannyville Gardens, Jarrett Lane, Jacques Road and other volatile communities. "This area, Sligo Road, Munster Road and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's Slack Hidden Handgun Permit System Arms Philadelphia Felons
Philadelphia Daily News
5 February 2010
Imagine having your driver's license revoked in Pennsylvania but then being able to get one in Florida - through the mail - that must then be honored here. Now imagine it happens with guns. Because it does. Pennsylvania residents who are denied a license to carry a concealed weapon, or have theirs revoked, have found a loophole that allows them to get a license from another state that must be honored here. "They... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda
Rash of Gun Robberies Prompts Uganda to Disarm Private Security Firms
New Vision (Kampala)
3 February 2010
KAMPALA -- Government is considering withdrawing fire arms from private security firms. State minister for internal affairs Matia Kasaija says some officers from private security organisations have been implicated in using their guns to rob and kill innocent people. Kasaija said private security companies will now have to use batons to carry out their work. ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Two US Gun Dealers Charged with Straw Purchase Sales in ATF Sting
Water Town Daily Times (New York)
27 January 2010
NORFOLK, Virginia -- The owner of Straight Shooters gun shop on Route 420 faces federal charges following a raid Tuesday morning by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and state police. Richard M. Oakes, 50, pleaded not guilty Tuesday before Judge David E. Peebles in U.S. District Court, Syracuse, to failure to record a firearm purchaser's identity, federal prosecutors said. He could serve up to five... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
South Africa Imports More Handguns to Replace Thousands Lost by Police
Telegraph (UK)
27 January 2010
Almost 3,000 South African police firearms were lost or stolen in just nine months, it emerged today -- about three for every police station in the country, which has some of the highest crime rates in the world The worrying statistic comes less than six months before the football World Cup kicks off in the country. Dianne Kohler Barnard, the opposition Democratic Alliance shadow police minister, said that the state weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Police 'Lose' 3,000 Pistols a Year, Fuel Crime Gun Trade in South Africa
South African Press Association
27 January 2010
The police are "unwittingly fuelling the illegal arms trade" by ordering thousands of new pistols to replace those that have been lost or stolen, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday. Dianne Kohler Barnard said 4 000 new pistols ordered by the South African Police Service (SAPS) were not to boost firepower, but "mostly to replace lost and stolen firearms". "As revealed on the Armscor website, the ordering of 4 000... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Caught in Straw Purchase Sting, US Gun Dealer Feels 'Duped' by ATF
Water Town Daily Times (New York)
27 January 2010
ALEXANDRIA BAY, New York - The owner of Panunzio's Guns, Route 37, said he was duped by federal authorities when he sold a rifle to a woman he later learned was an undercover agent. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and state police executed a search warrant Tuesday afternoon at the town of Alexandria store. Louis R. Panunzio, the 79-year-old shop owner, who has been selling guns for more than 40 years,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Sheriff Probes Sale of Police Guns, Machine Gun to Dealer
Times Leader (Pennsylvania)
26 January 2010
Luzerne County Solicitor Vito DeLuca said he is investigating the possible sale of other sheriff's office guns and researching whether any guns that could have been sold to make money have disappeared. DeLuca said he is basing his investigation on information he has received. Sheriff's office gun sales are an issue because the county administration recently learned that former Sheriff Michael Savokinas had agreed to sell... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
In Sweep to Seize, Destroy Illegal Firearms, Kenya Police Kill Gun Owner
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
26 January 2010
NAIROBI -- A man was killed and 13 others arrested in a police operation to recover illegal firearms in Trans Mara District. District commissioner Albert Mwiritza said police shot the man who defied orders to surrender and instead fired his gun at the officers. He said an AK-47 rifle and 16 rounds of ammunition were found on the deceased. Among the 13 who were arrested was a taxi driver who was found with nine... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Loophole Allows British Arms Dealers to Sell Deactivated Machine Guns
Birmingham Mail (UK)
25 January 2010
As long as you have the cash, you can snap up a deactivated weapon -- because the law currently classes them as metal ornaments. But those with the know-how and the tools can easily reactivate them to fire live ammunition. Guns on display at the shop have included a Russian Kalashnikov AK-47 machine gun, a British-made World War II era Sten machine gun and a German Luger hand gun. The Mail found the fearsome looking... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon,Israel,United States
22 Prominent Gun Dealers Arrested in Arms Trade Plagued by Corruption
United Press International
25 January 2010
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Four Israeli business executives were arrested in Las Vegas, along with 18 Americans, Britons and other nationals, on charges of trying to bribe someone they thought was an African defense minister to obtain a $15 million arms contract. The swoop on Jan. 19 was the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year undercover sting operation by the U.S. Justice Department. It was the largest single investigation under... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Loopholes in US Gun Show Laws Should Raise Security Alarms
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul), Column
24 January 2010
It is hypocritical for lawmakers to decry steps not taken to prevent Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from boarding NWA Flight 253 on Christmas Day when they willfully ignore other glaring holes in Americans' security. A security risk big enough to accommodate a jumbo jet full of terrorists is the failure, both in federal and most state laws, to mandate background checks at gun shows when the seller is not a federally licensed firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Shooting of 2 Police Officers Spurs Wisconsin to Close Gun Sale Loophole
TMJ-4 TV News (Milwaukee)
22 January 2010
MILWAUKEE - Before Julius Burton shot two Milwaukee Police officers at point blank range, he bought the gun he used in the crime illegally through what is called a "straw purchase." Burton is now heading to prison. What is being done to keep something like this from happening again? Officials in both city and state government are working together to make straw purchases a felony. A bill is being drafted... ( gunpolicy.org )
North Korea,New Zealand,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Iran
Complex International Web Entangles Weapon Cargo Seized In Thailand
Associated Press
22 January 2010
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan - The trail of the plane seized in Thailand last month for reportedly smuggling North Korean weapons to Iran leads back to a small air freight company housed near an old Soviet airfield on the edge of the Kazakh steppe. The aging Russian plane's odyssey took it through a web of companies, financiers and air cargo carriers with addresses stretching from New York through the Persian Gulf to New Zealand, an Associated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Taiwan
Taiwan Threatens to Sue Client Countries Re-exporting Its Ammunition
Taiwan News / CNA
20 January 2010
TAIPEI -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) will sue contractors if they have resold expired ammunition owned by Taiwan to an African country as has been reported, an official said Wednesday. "We have a detailed and sophisticated plan to oversee contracts on the destruction of outdated ammunition, " said Wang Kuo-wu, director of the military procurement center under the MND Armaments Bureau. "In terms of form and documentation,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Show Selling to Felons, Illegal Immigrants: Feds Make 8 Arrests
KTBC-TV News (Texas)
19 January 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- Several federal law enforcement agencies as well as local police recently conducted a sting operation at the Texas Gun Show at North Lamar near Rundberg. Authorities made eight arrests. The Austin Police Department worked with Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement and Alcohol, Tabacco & Firearms agents. Investigators say that convicted felons and illegal immigrants were able to buy guns in and around the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Gun Show Fights Police for Right to Sell Guns to Felons, Anyone
Austin American-Statesman (Texas)
19 January 2010
An Austin police effort to curtail the illegal sales of firearms at a weekend gun show sparked an angry response from the event's organizer and raised concerns about whether the department overstepped its authority. Several police recommendations about the operation of the show were intended to curtail crime there and should not have been viewed as requirements, authorities said Tuesday. But the show organizer said he thought... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel,United Kingdom,United States
Smith & Wesson Executive Among 22 Charged in Gun Sale Bribery Case
Bloomberg (USA)
19 January 2010
A Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. sales executive and a former U.S. Secret Service officer were among 22 officials at companies that supply law enforcement and the military who were charged with violating U.S. anti-bribery laws. Amaro Goncalves, vice president of sales at Smith & Wesson, and R. Patrick Caldwell, chief executive officer of Protective Products Of America Inc. and a former deputy director of the Secret Service, were... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Kingdom,Israel
Smith & Wesson Exec, 21 Others Charged in FBI Gun Sale Bribery Sting
Boston Herald
19 January 2010
A Smith & Wesson executive was among 22 officials at suppliers to police and the military who were charged Monday in Las Vegas with violating anti-bribery laws, the Justice Department announced today. Amaro Goncalves, the Springfield-based gun maker's vice president of sales, was arrested with the others after a 2½-year undercover sting operation aimed at schemes to bribe a foreign official. Smith & Wesson released the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel,United Kingdom,United States
FBI Charges S&W Exec, 21 US-UK-Israeli Arms Dealers for Gun Sale Bribes
Reuters
19 January 2010
WASHINGTON -- An executive for Smith & Wesson Holding Corp (SWHC.O) and 21 others have been charged with violating federal bribery laws involving the sale of weapons and protective gear, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. The indictments accused the individuals, including Smith & Wesson Vice President for Sales Amaro Goncalves, with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Arms Dealer Sold Guns to War Torn Countries Without a Licence
Press Association (UK)
19 January 2010
A British arms dealer from west London traded thousands of military weapons with war-torn countries across the globe without a UK licence, a court has heard. Gideon Sarig 58, of Lauderale Road, Maida Vale, deliberately chose not to apply for the licence as he arranged for armour-piercing ammunition, pump-action shotguns, bombs and other weapons to be sent to countries including Sri Lanka and Israel. Sarig used contacts... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thousands of Mental Patients Allowed to Buy Guns in Alabama
Press-Register (Alabama)
17 January 2010
Less than a year after a court-ordered stay at a state mental hospital, David Otto Gluth Jr. went gun shopping. His involuntary commitment in 2008 to Searcy Hospital in Mount Vernon made him ineligible under federal law to have a gun. The instant background check run by the Bass Pro Shops store in Spanish Fort failed to flag Gluth, however, because Alabama reports only a tiny fraction of mental health commitments to a national... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Gun Show Patrons Far Too Honest to Traffic in Firearms
Philadelphia Inquirer
17 January 2010
They began arriving well before the 9 a.m. Sunday opening, cramming the parking lots and forcing latecomers onto snowy fields. At least half the vehicles were pickups, peppered with road salt and bearing such bumper stickers as "Don't blame me, I voted for McCain" and "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." When the doors to the Lebanon Valley Exposition Center finally opened, they stepped inside and paid $5 to attend... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permits Double, Assault Weapoin Sales Up in Michigan
WLUC-TV6 News (Michigan)
15 January 2010
NEGAUNEE, Michigan - Michigan State Police are reporting that more and more people want to carry a gun. During the 12 month period that ended in June of 2009, the number of applications to carry and conceal a weapon in the state of Michigan more than doubled from the year before. In 2001, Michigan became a "Shall Issue" state. That means the only people denied permits are convicted felons and those with mental illness.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Victoria Police Close to Finalising Rearmament with Semi-auto Pistols
Age (Melbourne)
14 January 2010
The prolonged wait to arm Victoria Police with semi-automatic guns will be over within months, with the force primed to sign a contract with suppliers. Police yesterday called for tenders for holsters for the semi-automatics, saying that while it was studying the bids, it expected to finalise details for the purchase of the guns. "It is Victoria Police's intention to select a supplier of suitable holsters for semi-automatic... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Kentucky Bill to Seize Domestic Violence Guns
Lexington Herald (Kentucky)
9 January 2010
FRANKFORT -- Kentucky sheriffs would have to collect the guns of people with domestic violence orders against them under a bill filed this week in the General Assembly. The measure, which faces opposition from gun-ownership proponents, is another in a growing number of proposals to strengthen Kentucky's domestic violence laws after the shooting death of state worker Amanda Ross last year, allegedly by former state Rep. Steve Nunn.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Vietnam,Yemen,United States
Virginian Company Fined for Attempted Yemeni Arms Brokering Deal
Associated Press
7 January 2010
Alexandria,Virginia - A Virginia company run by a would-be arms merchant pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to sell guns, night vision goggles and other military equipment to people in Yemen, Libya and other foreign countries. Ioannis "John" Papathanassiou, 51, of Vienna, Va., entered the guilty plea on behalf of his company, Taipan Enterprises Ltd., at a hearing Thursday in U.S. District Court, admitting that his company sought... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Serbia 'Largest' Military Arms Exporter in SE Europe
Balkans.com (Belgrade)
4 January 2010
Serbia has become the largest exporter of arms and military equipment in southeastern Europe, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said. "In 2009, the Serbian military industry exported arms and equipment worth 300 million euros. I hope at the end of 2010 we can say that we earned a billion euros just by exporting military equipment," Sutanovac told International Radio Serbia in a recent interview. "Besides the fact that we... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Plan 'Vast Roll-back of Handgun Regulations'
Washington Examiner
3 January 2010
Gun control opponents in Virginia's legislature are proposing what would amount to a vast roll-back of handgun regulations, hoping to capitalize on a friendlier administration in Richmond to undo long-standing firearms restrictions. Conservative lawmakers have filed a flurry of bills including abolishing the state's one-handgun-per-month rule and allowing college faculty to carry a concealed weapon on campus. Despite the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Congress, Feds Shield Negligent Gun Dealers from Public Scrutiny
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
3 January 2010
The public can't see records that reveal whether gun dealers are following the law - thanks to Congress. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' spending law strictly limits what information the agency can release on gun shop inspections. That law required ATF to heavily redact inspection documents on the West Milwaukee gun store that has operated as Badger Guns & Ammo, Badger Outdoors and Badger Guns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Notorious Wisconsin Gun Dealer Dodges Law Simply by Swapping 'Owner'
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
3 January 2010
Federal investigators recommended revoking the license of Badger Outdoors gun shop after a 2006 inspection - a rare move that could have closed the West Milwaukee business, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation has found. But there was no revocation and the store remains open, operating as Badger Guns. Federal records show the license recommended for revocation was voluntarily relinquished, the players inside the operation... ( gunpolicy.org )
India,Nepal
India Resumes Weapon Sales, Gun 'Loans' to Nepal After 4 Year Ban
Indian Express
23 December 2009
Ending a four-year self-imposed ban, India has decided to resume supply of small arms to Nepal. The ban came into effect in February 2005 when then King Gyanendra sacked the democratically elected government. The decision to resume supplies -- to begin with, only small arms will be supplied on "loan" -- was taken at a meeting convened by the Home Ministry earlier this month. Incidentally, Nepalese Maoists oppose any move... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Philadelphia Man Regrets Trafficking, Wants Gun Dealers Accountable
Philadelphia Inquirer, Column
20 December 2009
Reading my colleagues' recent investigation, "Justice: Delayed, Dismissed, Denied," you may have noticed a theme in the criminal cases that stall and die in Philadelphia's crazy court system: guns. Specifically, guns that their owners had no earthly right possessing, given their age or rap sheets. Today, I introduce you to a guy who put guns in criminals' hands. I'll call him "Jerome," because now that he's served 4½ years... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
'Stricter Measures' Imposed in 2010 Philippine Election Gun Ban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
19 December 2009
MANILA, Philippines -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will implement total gun ban for the May 2010 elections, prohibiting private individuals from carrying firearms and allowing only two security personnel for each candidate, an official said Friday. Comelec Resolution 8714 promulgated on December 16 states stricter gun ban provisions such that, "No person shall bear, carry or transport licensed or unregistered firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pistols from Virginia Gun Shows Fuel New York Gang, Street Crime
Daily Press
17 December 2009
NEW YORK - Hundreds of guns are seized in New York City everyday by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular crime guns that are recovered on the streets of New York today. In fact, it was the same type of gun used in Times Square last Thursday, when a street peddler tried to take on a New York City police sergeant and lost. Raymond Martinez was killed in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Belarus,North Korea,Kazakhstan,Ukraine,Serbia,Russia
Ex-Soviet Pilots, Aircraft Ship Weapons for Global Gun Running Networks
Time (USA)
17 December 2009
KIEV -- It was no ordinary smuggling bust. On Dec. 11, an old Russian plane landed in Thailand to refuel after taking off hours earlier from Pyongyang, North Korea. In its hull, police found 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and components for surface-to-air missiles, all being transported from North Korea in breach of U.N. sanctions. The captain and his crew were promptly arrested and charged with illegally transporting arms.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Texas Moves Slowly to Prevent Severely Mentally Ill People Buying Guns
San Antonio Express News (Texas)
16 December 2009
Gun-control advocates Tuesday promoted a recent federal law that encourages states to report people with severe mental illnesses to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The NICS, established in 1998, is used by licensed gun dealers to check records on people who might be disqualified from buying firearms. People deemed "mentally defective" or who have been committed to a mental institution are among... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Gun Shop Worker Pleads Guilty to Illegal Sale in US Fed Sting
New Britain Herald (Connecticut)
16 December 2009
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut -- A Bristol pawn shop employee pleaded guilty Monday to one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm as part of a federal gun sting, federal authorities said. Philip DeFrancesco, 40, of Waterbury was an employee of G&G Pawnbrokers at 294 Middle St., Bristol, in January when two undercover federal agents acting as part of a firearms sting came in to see if they could purchase a gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
North Korea,Serbia,Thailand
North Korean Arms Plane Cargo Linked to East European Gun Traffickers
Times (UK)
15 December 2009
The weapons laden plane seized in Bangkok en route from North Korea at the weekend has been linked to two renowned East European arms traffickers by a respected Swedish think-tank in the latest twist in the mysterious saga. The Ilyushin-76 aircraft, which was found to be carrying 35 tons of weapons including rockets and grenades, was most recently registered under a company called Beibars, linked to Serbian arms dealer Tomislav... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Record Taxes on Gun, Ammo Sales Fund America's Wildlife Management
Detroit Free Press
14 December 2009
The continued high-volume sale of guns and ammunition nationwide in the last year will lead to a big increase in funds for wildlife habitat and management across the country, including Michigan. A federal tax collected on firearms and ammunition sales is redistributed to wildlife and hunting programs in each state, and only three -- Alaska, Texas and Pennsylvania -- get more money than the $17 million Michigan is expecting this... ( gunpolicy.org )
Malaysia,Burundi
Malaysia Escapes UN Censure After Officials Scrap Arms Sale to Burundi
Malay Mail (Malaysia)
10 December 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - An attempt by a local company to export some 30,000 assault rifles to Burundi, worth more than RM200 million, nearly caused Malaysia to be censured by the United Nations Security Council, if not for the prompt action by Malaysian officials at the UN body. The Malay Mail learnt that officials from the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN in New York had managed to assure the world body that the Malaysian... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations,United States
In 'Significant Shift' at UN, US Votes to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
Arms Control Today (USA)
10 December 2009
The Obama administration's voting record this year at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly marked a departure from the Bush administration in several key ballots. In other votes, however, the new administration's vote was the same as its predecessor's. The First Committee is responsible for drafting resolutions on arms control and international security issues. One of the shifts was on a resolution on disarmament... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wisconsin Lawmakers Buck National Trend, Tackle Gun Lobby Head On
Cap Times (Wisconsin)
9 December 2009
Earlier this fall, while scanning the merchandise at a state gun show for an antique handgun, longtime gun enthusiast Guy Gorsky took notice of more than the array of potential investment pieces. Based on the attire worn, questions asked and weapons eyed by a group of young men, Gorsky, who attends three or four gun shows a year, had a feeling they were gang members looking to make a quick purchase. "They were only looking... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Congress Should Close 'Ridiculous Loophole,' 'Terror Gap' in US Gun Law
New York Times, Editorial
9 December 2009
Under federal law, people who pose a heightened risk of violence cannot buy or own firearms, including convicted felons, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill and several other categories. Suspected terrorist is not one them. Individuals on the government's terrorist watch list can be barred from boarding airplanes, but not from purchasing high-powered guns or explosives. Bipartisan legislation in both houses of Congress... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Firearms Riding High on America's Holiday Gift Lists, Say Gun Dealers
St Petersburg Times (Florida) / Scripps Howard News Service
7 December 2009
On Kevin Wence's 10th Christmas, he opened a gift from his father and discovered what would become "A Christmas Story" legend: a Red Ryder BB air rifle. His first gun. Last week, Wence bought his 15th, a stainless-steel Smith & Wesson Model 686 revolver. Unlike the air rifle, this gun won't sit under the Christmas tree, he said. But it would be a family gift that he, his wife and his 24-year-old son, all trained in shooting, could... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Court Ruling Could Free Up Interstate Gun Buying in America
CBS News (USA) / Taking Liberties, Blog
7 December 2009
You can buy a car from an out-of-state dealer and pick it up there. You can buy a house in another part of the country, as speculators unwisely did during the real estate bubble, sight unseen. But even though the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own firearms -- and presumably to buy them -- you can't purchase a handgun while you're visiting another state. A gun rights group has sued the Justice Department to overturn... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smart Gun Control Proposals Could Deny Weapons to US Terrorists
Washington Post, Editorial
6 December 2009
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of roughly 500 U.S. mayors, has been pushing for smart and sensible law enforcement solutions to reduce the number of illegal guns obtained by criminals or would-be criminals. Last month the mayors renewed their call for adoption of two relatively modest but potentially powerful proposals. The first aims to close the so-called "terror gap" in existing gun laws by prohibiting any... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,United Nations
Fear, Fundraising Drive US Misinformation Attack on UN Gun Trade Treaty
FactCheck.org (USA), Fact sheet
5 December 2009
International Gun Ban Treaty? Q: Has Obama found a "legal way around the Second Amendment"? A: The administration's agreement to talk about writing a United Nations treaty to regulate arms exports and imports is a far cry from banning possession of firearms, which Obama says he doesn't want to do and the Supreme Court has said can't be done anyway. FULL QUESTION Is this correct? Obama Finds Legal Way... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Background Checks Deny Guns to Colorado Abusers, Felons, 26 Murderers
Associated Press
5 December 2009
DENVER -- Twenty-six convicted killers tried to buy guns in Colorado this year but were denied as part of the state's instant background check program. The 26 killers were among the nearly 5,000 people who were denied a gun purchase because of their criminal records through November of this year, according to data from the state's InstaCheck program. Colorado is one of just 14 states that conduct its own criminal background... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smith & Wesson Shares Slump as US Shooters' 'Obama Panic' Subsides
Associated Press
4 December 2009
HARTFORD, Connectticut - Shares of Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. fell in Friday premarket trading a day after the gun maker offered a weak sales outlook for the coming quarter. Analyst Eric Wold of Merriman Curhan Ford downgraded the Springfield, Mass., company to "Neutral" from "Buy," saying its outlook has worsened due to a decline in unfilled orders and other factors, an analyst said Friday. However, Wold said in a client... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Florida Gun Owner Bought 3 Guns a Day Before Killing Family
WTVJ-TV News (Florida)
4 December 2009
MIAMI, Florida -- Jupiter police have released more surveillance video Friday with footage showing fugitive Paul Michael Merhige buying a gun at a Fort Lauderdale gun shop. The video is from Nov. 25, the day before Merhige drove to Jupiter and shot six of his family members, killing four of them including his twin sisters and a 6-year-old cousin. The owner of the shop, who did not want to be identified, said Merhige... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fear Drives Hawaiians to Buy, Register Guns at Record Pace
Honolulu Advertiser
4 December 2009
Hawai'i residents have registered guns at a record pace for each of the past four years, and appear headed for a new high again this year, preliminary figures show. Nearly 26,000 firearms -- an annual record -- were registered with the four county police departments during 2008. Yearly gun registrations in Hawai'i have marched steadily upward for most of the past decade -- from about 13,600 in 2000 to 25,996 in 2008 --... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smith & Wesson Reports 49% Increase in Gun Sales for 3rd Quarter
Republican (Massachusetts)
3 December 2009
SPRINGFIELD -- Smith & Wesson announced strong sales Thursday to police and civilian consumers and it remains hopeful of landing $500 million in firearm orders from the Army, Air Force and Special Forces Command. Michael F. Golden, Smith & Wesson president and chief executive officer, said he expects the Pentagon to put those contracts out sometime in 2010. He spoke Thursday evening during a conference call with reporters and stock... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Prosecutors Vow to Stem Flood of US-Mexico Border Gun Smuggling
Latin American Herald Tribune (Caracas) / EFE
3 December 2009
PHOENIX -- The head-on fight against weapons trafficking along the border with Mexico is one way to weaken the drug cartels, according to U.S. attorneys general assembled at their national convention on Wednesday. "The United States has increased its efforts to halt the flow of weapons toward Mexico," Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told Efe. "The weapons are used by the cartels to carry out violent acts and try... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NY Mayor Slams US Congress for Hiding Gun Trace Records from FBI
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
3 December 2009
The news from Fort Hood shocked the nation: American soldiers shot on American soil. Thirteen dead and 38 injured. It was almost too terrible to believe. Almost. Unfortunately, the Fort Hood rampage was not the first time that our military personnel have been murdered in the United States this year. In June, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad shot and killed an Army private and wounded another soldier at a military recruiting... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Disciplinary Action Against 46 Indian Army Officers Selling Service Weapon
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
3 December 2009
Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that action had been initiated against serving and retired army officers for selling/disposing of firearms illegally. "Sriganganagar District Collector (in Rajasthan) provided a list of officers who sold their non-service pattern weapons (NSP). The list included two major generals and two brigadiers," he said. A non-service pattern weapon is one for which... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill to Allow 'Mentally Defective' US Veterans to Buy Guns Triggers Debate
Kansas City Star (Missouri)
1 December 2009
Legislation allowing veterans classified as "mentally defective" to buy firearms is drawing sharp criticism from gun-control advocates, but proponents argue that it is not as risky as it may sound. Eighteen senators -- including Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback of Kansas -- have endorsed the measure. It would require a legal authority to find a veteran is a danger to himself or others before his name is put in the national criminal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Americans Pay a Steep Price for 'Gun Crazy' Fascination with Firepower
Los Angeles Times, Editorial
1 December 2009
News that an armed fugitive who shot and killed four police officers near Seattle on Sunday was still at large prompted fear, anger, sorrow and something else: The desire to grab a gun. "I can tell you that most people have probably got their weapons loaded right now," a retired computer worker from Parkland, Wash., told The Times. "I think people should carry their guns and be ready," a local taxi driver told National Public Radio. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Obstructs FBI Attempts to Stop Gun Sales to Terrorists
Christian Science Monitor
28 November 2009
Anything involving guns in the United States is sure to stir up the debate over government gun control. And the recent rampage at Ft. Hood, Texas, where 13 people were killed and 38 wounded, is no exception. Until 2003, the FBI had up to 180 days to investigate information found in gun purchase background checks. But since then, such information -- which might raise red flags for the FBI -- has been available to the agency for just... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Congress Needs Courage to Tear Down Gun Lobby Interference
Washington Post, Opinion
27 November 2009
The news from Fort Hood shocked the nation: American soldiers shot on American soil. Thirteen dead and 38 injured. It was almost too terrible to believe. Almost. Unfortunately, the Fort Hood rampage was not the first time that our military personnel have been murdered in the United States this year. In June, Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad shot and killed an Army private and wounded another soldier at a military recruiting station in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
South Carolina Puts Sick Twist on Black Friday, Offers Tax Break on Guns
New York Daily News
24 November 2009
The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick twist on Black Friday with a tax holiday on firearm purchases. Not cars. Not clothes. Certainly not books. Just guns. For the 48 hours following Thanksgiving, gun buyers will enjoy a break of up to 9% in state and local taxes. Firearms traffickers are not expected to pass the savings on to New York criminals, but what is called... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Democrats Gillibrand, McCarthy Tout Bill to Curb Gun Trafficking
Associated Press
24 November 2009
NEW YORK -- New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy are introducing a bill to crack down on illegal gun trafficking. They said Tuesday the bill would make it a crime to traffic in firearms and would also go after middlemen who buy a gun for someone else so that person can evade background checks. The bill would provide funding for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to hire 1,500 agents... ( gunpolicy.org )
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