Canada, United States, Mexico
US Guns Fuel Both Mexican Drug Wars and Canadian Gang Violence
Canadian Press
4 July 2008
VANCOUVER -- Illicit guns that make their way across the U.S. border into Canada are a serious problem but a relative nuisance compared with the desperate battle being fought on the U.S.-Mexico border, say officials. More than 4,000 people -- including hundreds of police officers -- have died in the last 18 months as the Mexican government battles the country's powerful drug cartels. Border cities such as Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Rumour Has it that 97% of US-Canada Gun Smuggling Goes Undetected
Canadian Press
3 July 2008
VANCOUVER -- It was almost 5 a.m. when a suburban Vancouver police officer nearing the end of his shift watched a car's uncertain journey down a street a few kilometres north of the Canada-U.S. border. "He wasn't certain that perhaps we've got an impaired driver, somebody who is lost...," Const. Sharlene Brooks, spokeswoman for police in Delta, says of the routine traffic stop last Sept. 27. Instead, a search of the vehicle,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
4 New Gun Laws Would Make Americans Safer, Still Fit High Court Ruling
Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial
2 July 2008
If Charlton Heston were alive, he'd be beaming. The man who filled the silver screen with chariot races and a parting of the sea played another prominent role in later years -- president of the National Rifle Association. Heston treasured his constitutional right to own a gun and was fond of intoning at NRA conventions, with his rifle held aloft, that his weapon would be taken only "from my cold dead hands." Now, thousands... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Gun Crime, Firearm Trafficking Reportedly on the Rise in New Delhi
Times of India / TNN
2 July 2008
NEW DELHI -- An illegal arms bazaar is thriving in the Capital. From the simple desi kattas to the sophisticated smuggled guns from China, Malaysia, Italy and Pakistan -- everything is available for a price, even on rent. According to the police, illegal weapons outnumber the legal ones by more than eight times in the city and more than 90% of crimes in Delhi are committed using unlicensed guns. Sources say these easily obtainable... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sri Lanka
Guns a Threat to Business, High Cost of Armed Violence in Sri Lanka
Lanka Business Online, Web Page
2 July 2008
The proliferation of illicit small arms in Sri Lanka not only fuels crime but has indirect costs on business as well as the environment, a new survey says. It said 9mm pistols were sold in the underworld for 15,000 rupees and T-56 automatic assault rifles for 50,000 -- 75,000 rupees while ammunition is also easily available, according to information from criminals and prisoners. Crimes using small arms can impact the local... ( gunpolicy.org )
Gambia, West Africa, Europe
Legal Gun Trade is 'Source of All Weapons' as Europe Profits from Africa
The Point (Banjul), Editorial
1 July 2008
Many of our readers will be shocked by the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Interior, Honourable Ousman Sonko, that there are an estimated ten million (10,000,000) firearms in the West African sub-region. This is an extraordinary number and has the potential to wreak havoc and mayhem in our sub-region. It is very heartening however to see that the government is taking the issue so seriously. We must be very alert... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'At Last, Gun Rules We Can All Agree On,' Says Group of 300 US Mayors
Wall Street Journal, Opinion
30 June 2008
Finally. After decades of ideological debates over the meaning of every word and comma contained in the U.S. Constitution's one-sentence Second Amendment, the Supreme Court has issued a ruling that should largely settle the matter. In District of Columbia v. Heller, the court found that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to bear arms, while also affirming the constitutionality of reasonable restrictions aimed at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
DC Ruling Highlights Failure of US Congress to Control Gun Trafficking
Sacramento Bee (California), Editorial
30 June 2008
A sharply divided Supreme Court has settled the issue for now. The Second Amendment to the Constitution does confer upon individuals the right to bear arms. In the wake of the ruling, big-city mayors across the country are expressing alarm that their gun-control ordinances will be set aside, unleashing a new wave of urban gun violence. That may be an exaggeration. Local gun ordinances have had limited impact. As crime statistics... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Firearm Task Force Seizes 75 Guns in Drug Bust: 8 Arrested
London Free Press (Ontario)
27 June 2008
Another big bust has been made in the local police battle against guns, drugs and gangs in a targetted crackdown. Eight men and teens have been charged with drug possession and trafficking, police said, adding drugs with a street value of about $36,000 have been seized along with $7,000 in cash as a result of the latest investigation of Project Disarm. Officers assigned to the project, supported by emergency response and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Gun Show Loophole Lets US Weapon Dealers Arm Mexican Drug Wars
National Public Radio (USA), Transcript
26 June 2008
Violence across Mexico has intensified as the government has fought against the country's powerful drug cartels, often well-armed from the U.S. Host Bob Moon asks journalist James Verini what can be done to stem the cross-border arms trade. Text of Interview [Link to audio in the original] Bob Moon: It's now official: We've all got the right to own a gun. The Supreme Court settled the matter today for the first... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Federal Agents Raid Blackwater Armoury in Assault Weapon Probe
Associated Press
26 June 2008
RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Federal agents raided Blackwater Worldwide this week as part of an investigation into whether the private security company sidestepped federal laws prohibiting the private purchase of automatic assault rifles, the company said Thursday. Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched Blackwater's armory at its corporate headquarters... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Bans Don't Cut Crime: Gun Death, Injury Rose 340% in Britain
National Post (Toronto), Opinion
25 June 2008
Banning handguns is all the rage. Mayor David Miller's push for a national ban has been joined by other Canadian big-city mayors. Yet, dissatisfied with progress at the national level, Miller successfully asked city council this week to approve measures to further discourage gun ownership in Toronto, such as shutting down city-owned gun ranges. While it may seem obvious to many people that banning handguns will save lives and cut... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Dealer Sued by New York City, Gave it Up and Fell in Love
Village Voice (New York)
24 June 2008
In 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he was filing suit against 27 out-of-state gun dealers. He called the gun sellers a "scourge on our society," and claimed that they were illegally selling weapons that kept ending up on the streets of New York. Most of the dealers Bloomberg sued quietly settled their cases, agreeing to allow the city to place monitors in their stores to oversee transactions. Others shut down their... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
38 Arrested, Linked to Large-scale Gun Smuggling from US to Canada
City News (Toronto)
20 June 2008
Near the end of what's been one of the most violent months Toronto has seen for some time, police say they've crippled the operations of various organized crime groups that banded together to smuggle guns into Ontario from the United States in exchange for drugs. On Friday the Ontario Provincial Police released more details about the two-year investigation dubbed Project Blackhawk that authorities say dealt a serious blow to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Canada
Chicago Shop Owner Charged With Smuggling 220 Guns to Canada - Feds
Franklin Park Herald-Journal (Illinois)
20 June 2008
A former Franklin Park gun shop owner was charged Thursday with violating the federal Arms Export Control Act, allegedly for exporting 220 firearms to Canada. Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms took Ugur Yildiz into custody without incident near his home in Park Ridge, said federal law enforcement agents in a press release. He is in federal custody pending... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Walks on 50 Trafficking Charges
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
20 June 2008
A man accused of letting two dozen high-powered guns fall into the wrong hands has walked free on a legal technicality, the Free Press has learned. Terry Gale was arrested in 2002 following a raid on his Fort Rouge home. It was the largest weapons investigation in Manitoba history. Gale's case finally made it to court this month -- but the case abruptly collapsed earlier this week when a judge ruled Winnipeg police breached... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Licensed Chicago Gun Dealer Smuggled 220 Guns to Canada, Say Police
Windsor Star (Ontario)
20 June 2008
A former Chicago-area gun dealer looking to divest himself of his firearms stock crossed the Ambassador Bridge in a minivan in 2006 carrying 220 guns that he loaded in a Windsor storage locker before they found their way to the hands of criminals elsewhere in the province. Ugur "Mike" Yildiz was arrested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near his... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Nearly Half of Toronto's Traceable Crime Guns Came from Canadians
Toronto Star (Ontario)
20 June 2008
Of 2,603 firearms recovered by Toronto police last year, 817 were classed as "crime guns" -- meaning they had been used (or were suspected to have been used) in a crime, were illegally owned or had the serial number obliterated. About 45 per cent, or 366, of the 817 crime guns were pistols or revolvers, weapons that Mayor David Miller wants to ban, along with evicting gun clubs from city property and restricting the manufacture... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Canada
US Feds Arrest Former Gun Shop Owner, Allege Large-scale Trafficking
Chicago Sun-Times (Illinois)
20 June 2008
The former owner of a controversial suburban gun store is charged with illegally exporting hundreds of firearms -- two of which were used in attempted murders in Canada, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday in federal court in Chicago. Ugur Yildiz, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Turkey, ran Chicagoland Bells gun shop in Franklin Park until 2005, when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
30,000 Firearms 'Unaccounted For' in Feds' Sample of US Gun Dealers
New York Times
19 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- More than 30,000 firearms are unaccounted for in gun dealers' inventories nationwide, according to a new study by a gun control group. Further, the group, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says its finding most likely undercounts the missing firearms, since the data used, from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are drawn from the compliance inspections that were conducted at gun dealerships... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Killers Should Not Have Had Guns to Shoot Their Partners
Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia), Column
18 June 2008
I received an informative e-mail from Alice Johnson regarding "Fights Turn Fatal." I wrote the column on June 12 about the shooting deaths of Ashley Bruce of LaGrange and Sarahonica Thrasher of Columbus. Police said Bruce was shot by her ex, and Thrasher by the father of her then-unborn child. Johnson was in Columbus Monday to appear on the panel for the 100 Black Men forum on HB 89 concerning concealed firearms. She is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Dealers Provide Smugglers with Weapons for Mexican Drug War
BBC News
18 June 2008
MEXICO CITY -- So far this year more than 1,400 people have died in Mexico as drug cartels battle one another for control of the illegal drugs trade to the US, and battle the authorities trying to stop them. The dead include more than 400 police officers and other public officials. This follows 2,500 deaths last year and the same number in 2006. Estimates by the US Drug Enforcement Agency suggest the drugs trade... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
More Handgun Shootings in Toronto: Government Rejects Handgun Ban
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
17 June 2008
A handgun ban isn't the answer to Toronto's gun violence, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day insists. "Studies in a variety of jurisdictions around the world show that if you want to see gun crime reduced you've got to go after the criminals," Day said during a press conference at Polson Pier yesterday. He said a Canada-wide handgun ban would divert limited police resources to "going after innocent firearm owners." ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Almost All Guns in Mexico's Drug Wars Are From US Dealers, Gun Shows
Portfolio (USA), July Issue
16 June 2008
The U.S. has pledged more than $1 billion to help Mexico win its war on drugs. But even as the body count rises above 10,000, most of the guns that do the killing -- Colt .38 Supers and big-bore Barrett rifles among them -- keep pouring in from the U.S. Alfredo Beltrán Leyva was arrested on January 21 in Culiacán, capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The circumstances of his arrest lived up to his high standing in Mexico's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Thailand, Russia
Global Gun Runner Plays US-Russia 'Cold War' Card to Escape Prison
Sydney Morning Herald
16 June 2008
The Cold War has broken out again, and Thailand suddenly finds itself caught uncomfortably in the middle of competing US and Russian interests. At the centre of the conflict is the alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was arrested on March 6 in Thailand and is in detention in Bangkok. The US wants Bout extradited to stand trial in New York, where he has faces charges of conspiracy to provide weapons to a foreign terrorist... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Legal Gun Owner Acquitted of Killing Canadian Policeman in Drug Raid
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
15 June 2008
Awakened before dawn by police officers who battered down the door to his home, Basil Parasiris said he acted in self-defence when he shot at a stranger at his bedroom door. A jury agreed yesterday, acquitting the Montreal-area businessman of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Constable Daniel Tessier, a father of two. The verdict was the latest slap in this case for the Laval police. The trial had revealed that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US-to-Mexico 'Iron River' Provides 90% of Guns Used in Drug Gang Wars
El Paso Times (Texas)
15 June 2008
The rise in cartel violence in Juárez has made U.S. law enforcement officials all too aware that many of the weapons used for crimes in Mexico come from the United States. Insiders have come to describe illegal gun trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico as the Iron River, a trade route that extends well beyond the border as illegal gun dealers are pulling weapons from U.S. cities "The flow of weapons are going from the United... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Feds Allege US 'Militiamen' Had Illegal Assault Weapons, Flame Thrower
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
13 June 2008
Morgan Jones, said to be the captain of a local militia group, had a creative streak about him. At his property in Lucinda, Clarion County, the 64-year-old man hosted what were called "flamethrower parties." He fashioned a device only 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide that could shoot a flame 40 feet. But he also had a homemade cannon, made out of a vehicle's drive shaft, that he used to fire gasoline-filled beer cans;... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia is 'Leading Source' of Crime Guns, Trafficking to Other US States
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
12 June 2008
Georgia gun stores supplied more guns that were later recovered at crimes in other places than any other state in the nation, according to a Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence review of 2007 federal data. As a source for guns, Georgia outranked much more populous states such as Florida, which was second, and Texas, which was third. According to the Brady Center, federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives data... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Global Gun Trade Treaty Needed to Curb the Spread of Weapons
Statesman (Kolkata), Opinion
12 June 2008
The campaign to reduce small arms and to eliminate the use of landmines and cluster bombs can save millions of lives. In addition, animals and birds can also be protected. Although attention is generally focussed on heavy weapons, greater destruction is caused by "small arms and light weapons", a technical term (generally abbreviated to 'small arms') which covers revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, machine-guns, ammunition, shells,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mali, West Africa
Mali a Hub for Gun Running, Local Weapon Makers Thrive in West Africa
IRIN (UN News)
12 June 2008
BAMAKO/TIMBUKTU -- Mali has become an established transit route for weapons heading from West Africa's increasingly peaceful coastal states to active conflicts in West and Central Africa, an ECOWAS expert has warned. "There are two factors on the supply side -- stabilisation in Cote d'Ivoire and in Guinea Conakry," said Jonathan Sandy, small arms programme manager with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Bamako,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Must Not Tolerate 'Absurdly Easy Access to Guns' Among Youth
Albany Times-Union (New York), Editorial
12 June 2008
The community that still mourns the death of Kathina Thomas in Albany's West Hill has a new battle to wage. It must act upon the unsettling possibility that not only was a 10-year-old girl murdered by a stray bullet, but one from a stray gun. The battle to prevent another death like this begins in earnest only when the community makes it clear that it won't tolerate the availability of illegal guns, particularly among young people.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Texans Fuel Mexican Drug Wars with 'Virtual Arsenals' of Easy-buy Guns
Dallas Morning News (Texas), Editorial
12 June 2008
For every ounce of cocaine and heroin smuggled through Mexico into the United States, an equally deadly instrument of death moves south. Each year, virtual arsenals cross illegally from Texas into the hands of murderous drug cartels. The illicit weapons trade provides the muscle behind the Mexican cartels' brazen campaigns of kidnapping, torture and murder on both sides of the border. While some weapons are swiped from... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
27 Handguns, Machine Pistols Seized from US-Canada Gun Runners
Windsor Star (Ontario)
11 June 2008
Police have severed the pipeline of an international criminal organization that was allegedly smuggling high-powered, illegal firearms into Windsor to trade them to Toronto gangs for ecstasy. The eight-month undercover investigation, which centred on Windsor and involved authorities on both sides of the border, has resulted in the arrest of five people in Detroit and a brother, 18, and sister, 21, in South Windsor. Investigators... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, Africa
African Nations Collaborate to Prioritise Crackdown on Gun Trafficking
Nation (Nairobi)
10 June 2008
African countries will develop a combined approach to deal with the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, an African Union (AU) official said on Monday. AU director for peace and security department Geofrey Mugumya said African heads of states were committed to combating the problem jointly to help in taming internal conflicts which have torn apart some countries. Addressing journalists on the AU commission... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Calcutta Gun Shop Owner Faked Robbery, Sold Illegal Weapons - Police
Telegraph (Calcutta)
10 June 2008
PURULIA -- Police today accused the owner of a 190-year-old gun shop in Purulia town of "cooking up" a story of robbery to sell arms to people without valid licences. Shekhar Andia Mistri, 53, told the police seven men came "in the guise of customers" around 6.45am today. They allegedly woke him up for air guns and took away "five double-barrel guns, two revolvers and 20 air guns" after gagging him and tying him up at gun-point.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Canada Cracks Smuggling Ring, Seizes US Handguns, Machine Pistols
Windsor Star (Ontario)
10 June 2008
Police have cut the supply line of an organized gun smuggling ring and arrested two Windsorites, following an eight-month joint investigation into the flow of high-powered, illegal firearms through Windsor. Investigators said the guns came from the U.S. and were funnelled through Windsor -- where police focused their investigation -- and destined for Toronto. Canadian investigators seized 27 firearms, ammunition magazines... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Cops Stop Woman Driver, Seize WWII Japanese Machine Gun
Gainesville Sun (Florida)
10 June 2008
WILLISTON -- A woman reportedly driving five miles an hour over the speed limit in Williston led police to a World War II-era Japanese machine gun. Agents from the U. S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confirmed Monday that the gun seized June 5 was a rare Nambu machine gun used by Japanese soldiers during World War II. According to Police Chief Dan Davis, the case began when Cpl. Kevin Sheppard pulled over a red... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Unprecedented Policing Effort Tackles US-Mexico Gun Smuggling
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
10 June 2008
HOUSTON -- Tons of heroin and cocaine move north across the Southwestern border. And millions of dollars and truckloads of weapons move south -- feeding the escalating levels of violence that have turned parts of Mexico into war zones and spread as far as North Texas. At least 80 percent of all of the weapons used by drug traffickers in Mexico to kill one another as well as police and soldiers come from the U.S., Mexican officials... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Fuels, Fights Gun-led Insurrection in Mexico, Fosters Chaos at Home
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
10 June 2008
In towns along the United States-Mexico border, a battle is raging between drug cartels and the Mexican government that has left thousands of innocent civilians and Mexican police officials dead. A galvanizing moment occurred on May 8, when assassins shot and killed Edgar Gomez, Mexico's top cop and an anti-cartel crusader, as he exited his home north of Mexico City. Gomez is just one of 6,000 Mexican government officials and police officers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bangladesh
Licensed Bangladeshi Gun Owners Rent 1 in 5 Legal Guns to Criminals
New Nation (Bangladesh)
9 June 2008
DHAKA -- Director of Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BPDC) on Sunday said more than 25,000 out of 1,30,000 licensed arms in the country, are being used in various illegal means. "We carried out a survey across the county which showed that around 25,000 to 30,000 arms under legal arms licences are being rented to criminals," BPDC director Sharif K Kafi said at a press conference. The press briefing jointly organised... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Lobby Needs to Set Its Sights on Illegal Firearm Dealers
Daily News (New York), Column
9 June 2008
Bullets get around, and so do the high-speed limousines that propel them around: guns. Bullets and guns make a very cold team -- notorious for not caring about the identity of the target. When the gun is fired, anyone who is not wearing armor and is hit will go down. Bullets aren't concerned with important or unimportant, good or bad, brilliant or stupid. The bullet's job is mechanical indifference to identity, the persistent ignoring... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Canadian Dealers Import Guns as Movie Props, Sell to Gangs [Francais]
Presse canadienne
8 June 2008
[Translated summary: A Royal Canadian Mounted Police police report says gun dealers exploited a legal loophole to import handguns, assault weapons and machine guns from the United States as movie-props, then sell them to drug gangs]. OTTAWA -- Des armes à feu destinées à servir d'accessoires pour des acteurs de cinéma aboutissent entre les mains de véritables criminels à cause d'une "échappatoire" dans les lois canadiennes.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Canadian Gun Dealers Exploit Movie-prop 'Loophole' to Arm Drug Gangs
Canadian Press
8 June 2008
OTTAWA -- Guns intended for make-believe action on the silver screen are winding up in the hands of real-life criminals due to a "loophole" in Canadian laws, says an RCMP intelligence report. Some firearms dealers in British Columbia have taken advantage of movie production companies filming in various Canadian locations, says the newly declassified report on trends in gun trafficking and smuggling. Special permits allow... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bangladesh
Independent Gun Control Body Needed in Bangladesh, Say Local NGOs
Daily Star (Dhaka)
8 June 2008
Speakers at a rally here yesterday urged the government to form an independent national peace and security commission for checking use of illegal arms and counter terrorism in the country. They also demanded formulating rules and regulations under the arms act to strictly implement it for controlling smuggling and trafficking of illegal arms. The anti-arms trafficking rally was jointly organised by Bangladesh Development... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Milwaukee: One Wisconsin Gun Shop Sold 25% of Guns Seized in Crime
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
8 June 2008
A study released last month showed that one out of every four guns seized by Milwaukee police during an arrest came out of Badger Guns, which formerly was known as Badger Outdoors, in West Milwaukee. No other dealer accounted for more than 3% of the sales of such guns, according to the study by Steven Brandl of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Brandl also found that guns from Badger ended up at crime scenes more quickly... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Murder, Suicide Rates Lower Where Local US Police Check Backgrounds
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
8 June 2008
Gun suicide and homicide rates were about 25% lower when background checks on gun buyers were performed by local authorities as opposed to federal or state agencies, according to a study by the Medical College of Wisconsin. The study shows a patchwork of background check practices around the country. For example, in Wisconsin, checks are done on the state level, and across the border in Iowa and Minnesota, they are done locally.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica
UNICEF Urges Gun Control to Protect Children, Youth in Jamaica
Jamaica Observer
8 June 2008
The United Nations wants the Jamaican government to institute strict gun control regulations as a means of stemming the heavy inflow of guns and ammunition into the island. In a joint press release issued by UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, the UN urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts to tackle the arms flow, and embark on a social intervention... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, Venezuela
Venezuelan Sergeant Said Trafficking Ammunition to Colombia's FARC
Los Angeles Times
8 June 2008
BOGOTA, Colombia -- A Venezuelan national guard sergeant will face "the full weight of national law" after being arrested in a remote border area, allegedly on his way to deliver 40,000 rounds of ammunition to Colombia's largest rebel group, this country's foreign minister said Saturday. Sgt. Manuel Agudo Escalona, was arrested Friday with another Venezuelan and two Colombians in the eastern jungle state of Vichada with ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Mayor's Campaign Against Illegal Guns Wins Notable Court Victory
New York Times, Editorial
6 June 2008
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign against illegal guns won a notable victory this week when a Georgia gun dealer decided to default rather than go to trial in a civil lawsuit that accused him of illegally selling handguns that were later used to commit crimes in New York. The last-minute retreat by the dealer, Jay Wallace, is new vindication of Mr. Bloomberg's strategy for holding irresponsible gun dealers accountable. It is part... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
Southern African Nations Plan Moratorium on Gun Trade to Zimbabwe
South African Press Association
6 June 2008
Civil bodies yesterday urged the Southern African Development Community governments to impose a moratorium on the supply of arms to Zimbabwe. At a briefing in Johannesburg, Obby Chibuluma of the Coalition for Peace in Africa said: "We are asking for the moratorium on Zimbabwe to make sure security is guaranteed before and after the June 27 runoff elections." More than 110000 people globally had signed a petition on the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, Southern Africa
Global Gun Control Group, African NGOs Urge Arms Freeze on Zimbabwe
Reuters
5 June 2008
JOHANNESBURG -- A coalition of African-based civil society organisations urged southern African countries on Thursday to freeze arms shipments to Zimbabwe to avoid plunging the country into deeper political violence. Led by the International Action Network on Small Arms, the organisations said politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe was escalating ahead of a June 27 presidential run-off and any transfer of arms and military equipment... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia, Southern Africa
Southern Africa: 110,000 Sign Petition to Ban Gun Transfers to Zimbabwe
Namibian (Windhoek)
5 June 2008
Civil society in Namibia will today hand over a global petition of 110 000 signatures, which demands an immediate Southern African Development Community (SADC) moratorium on weapons transfers to Zimbabwe. The petition will be presented by representatives of the Legal Assistance Centre, the National Society for Human Rights, Breaking the Wall of Silence, International Action Network on Small Arms (Iansa) and Gun Free Namibia at 13h30.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Mayor Claims Victory as Georgia Gun Dealer Pulls Out of Trial
New York Times
3 June 2008
Saying he could not afford what he feared would be an unfair trial, a Georgia gun dealer accused by New York City of illegally selling handguns that made their way to New York backed out of his federal trial on Monday, the day it was set to begin. The city will now negotiate with the dealer, Jay Wallace, to allow a "special master" to oversee gun sales at his store, potentially joining 20 other dealers who have settled lawsuits... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Dealer 'David' Flees Court Fight with New York Mayor 'Goliath'
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / Cox News
2 June 2008
NEW YORK -- Smyrna gun shop owner Jay Wallace ended his current courtroom fight against a New York City lawsuit on Monday, saying that the trial was unfair and he accepted a judgment against him so he could appeal to a higher court. "I wasn't getting a fair shake here in this court, so why should I continue?" Wallace said after the morning's legal action. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the judgment a victory, but... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Dealer Drops Out at Trial: 'Important Victory for New Yorkers'
Associated Press
2 June 2008
NEW YORK -- A Georgia gun dealer accused in a federal lawsuit of selling weapons that ended up in the hands of New York City criminals has opted not to go to trial this week. A lawyer for Jay Wallace, the owner of Adventure Sports Inc. in Smyrna, Ga., said in court papers Monday that his client decided that a trial would be a waste of time and money. He also claimed that pretrial rulings against the defendant showed he couldn't... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
US Marine Won't Serve Time for Smuggling AK-47 'War Trophy' from Iraq
Associated Press
2 June 2008
SAN DIEGO - A Marine sergeant from El Paso, Texas, accused of bringing an AK-47 assault rifle home from Iraq as a war trophy accepted a plea deal Monday that will keep him out of federal prison. Sgt. Leonardo San Juan agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of possession of an unregistered firearm and pay a $100 fine, said his attorney, Joseph Low. San Juan accepted the deal shortly before jury selection was set to begin.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Where Illegal Guns Can Do No More Harm: New York Destroys Them All
New York Times
2 June 2008
In New York City, where taking illegal handguns off the streets is high on the mayor's agenda, thousands of firearms make it into the hands of law enforcement officers each year. Once they've been seized in crimes, whether after long and ignominious careers or short but violent ones, and once their owners have been prosecuted, the guns must be destroyed, never to be used again. The New York field office of the federal Bureau... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Dealers Broke Law, Sold Thousands of Weapons to Canadian Criminals
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
1 June 2008
In B.C., the RCMP's chief firearms officer can supply decommissioned guns to certified gun-safety course instructors, a federal RCMP firearms centre official told The Province. To be decommissioned, the weapons have their firing pins ground off or removed, or parts removed from the trigger mechanism. Those guns can come from border seizures, they can be handed over by the courts, or turned in by individuals, but are generally not... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illicit Guns Flow Into Maryland from Dealers, Thieves in Virginia, Other States
Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
1 June 2008
The burglar known as "white boy" cut a hole in the roof of a Virginia gun store last July and took 40 weapons. Within a month, some of those guns began showing up on the streets of Baltimore -- 100 miles from the tiny Shenandoah Valley town of Washington, Va. Police seized the first on West Lombard Street in August. A suspect fleeing from police tossed away another on Hollins Street in September. A third gun from that burglary... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Mounties Raid Gun Dealer, Ex-Cop, Firearm Lobbyist Over Gun Trafficking
Vancouver Province (British Columbia)
1 June 2008
A long-serving Vancouver police veteran and a Delta firearms-training company are at the centre of an RCMP investigation into the trafficking of guns, some of which are believed to be ending up in the hands of B.C. gangs. The secretive criminal probe involves the sale of decommissioned guns -- easily reassembled and gunsmithed back into working order -- to Lower Mainland gangsters, a police source told The Province. Gordon... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed US Gun Dealer Admits Forging Papers, Selling Handguns to Felon
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
31 May 2008
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -- A Pembroke Park gun dealer who sold dozens of weapons to a convicted felon and forged paperwork to cover his tracks pleaded guilty Friday to federal weapons charges. Victor Needleman, owner of American Range and Gun, changed his plea in the face of overwhelming evidence, including audiotapes, sales records and statements by one of his customers and some employees, his attorney said. Sentencing is set... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
84yr-old Australian Licensed Gun Dealer in 'Gun Trafficking Ring' - Police
ABC News (Australia)
30 May 2008
An 84-year-old registered gun dealer at the centre of an alleged gun trafficking ring in central western New South Wales has been refused bail. Norman Whybrow was one of five men arrested when police raided six businesses and homes in Forbes and Peak Hill on Wednesday. They seized almost 400 guns, tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition and other weapons, including illegal high-powered slingshots and silencers. Officers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bahrain
Bahraini MPs Sign Petition To End Gun Violence, Support Global Gun Treaty
All Headline News (Florida)
30 May 2008
MANAMA, Bahrain -- Four Bahraini lawmakers have signed an international petition calling for an end to gun violence and urging the United Nations to push for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) with all its members. Parliament member Jalal Fairooz, from Al Wefaq, the largest Shia bloc in the Bahrain parliament, is one of the signatories of the petition. He told AHN, "There have been several cases of shootings which are a matter of concern.... ( gunpolicy.org )
World
Global Gun Trade Treaty Next Step in Campaign to Curb Lethal Weapons
Scotsman (Edinburgh), Opinion
30 May 2008
The decision this week for a global treaty to ban cluster munitions in Dublin is a significant step towards reducing indiscriminate civilian deaths and making our world a safer place. But the world needs to do much more if we genuinely seek to stop civilians dying from weapons designed for war. This is because there is still a type of weaponry in the arsenals of every government on earth that continues to kill and maim... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Employee Said Stealing Guns from FedEx, Selling to New Jersey Criminals
Newsday (New York)
29 May 2008
JERSEY CITY, New Jersey -- Police in Jersey City arrest two men in an alleged gun-selling scheme. Authorities say 28-year-old Patrick Dolan of Keyport stole 11 guns while working for FedEx. FedEx spokeswoman Sandra Munoz confirmed that Dolan works for the company and says FedEx is cooperating fully with authorities. Police say Dolan and 32-year-old John Sozomenou of Aberdeen were selling the guns at a housing project for... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
Gun Crime Down Again in Germany: Only 1 in 4 Cases Involve Real Firearms
MNN / IRNA
29 May 2008
Gun crimes were down seven percent last year compared to 2006, according to a report released Wednesday by the Federal Crime Office "BKA" based in the southwestern city of Wiesbaden. Police registered 11,526 weapon law violations in 2007, while they confiscated 14,466 arms last year, up six percent from 2006. The use of fire-arms in felonies was continuing its downward trend in Germany. In three out of four cases,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya
Kenyan Prison Warden Arrested Selling Ammunition in Nairobi Supermarket
News24 (Cape Town)
29 May 2008
NAIROBI -- Kenyan police have arrested a prison warden who was caught selling ammunition in a Nairobi supermarket, says a spokesperson. The warden attached to the capital's Kamiti maximum-security prison was detained on Wednesday after being caught red-handed, said police spokesperson Eric Kiraithe. "Sixteen rounds of ammunition for a G3 rifle means utter devastation. The warden will be charged with illegal possession of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Criminals Easily Steal Shotguns from Legal Owners - Police
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
28 May 2008
The shotgun seems to be the firearm of choice for Winnipeg criminals, judging by the sheer number of them police pull off the street. According to Det. Rob Duttchen, a Winnipeg police officer who's a member of the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), the shotgun's status as a non-restricted weapon means they are easy to get, and therefore widely used in crime. "That's the easiest firearm to obtain lawfully.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Licensed Gun Dealer Arrested, 300 Firearms Seized in Australian Raids
Sydney Morning Herald
28 May 2008
Police say they have seized hundreds of firearms and 20,000 rounds of ammunition during raids on a licensed gun dealer and homes in the Central West region of NSW. Ballistics officers, detectives and dog unit officers this morning raided an arms dealer operating from a home in Forbes along with four other residences in the town and another home at Peak Hill. At one of the houses, police arrested an 84-year-old man who is... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mayor of Philadelphia Joins Fight to Ban Assault Weapons in Pennsylvania
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)
28 May 2008
HARRISBURG -- Philadelphia's new mayor, Michael Nutter, is joining with two Allegheny County legislators to push for new state laws aimed at reducing gun violence on Pennsylvania streets. But with the political power that sportsmen, hunters and the National Rifle Association have in the General Assembly, everyone admits it won't be easy to enact the measures. Mr. Nutter, a Democrat who took office in January, spoke to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
84yr-old Australian Gun Shop Owner Arrested, Hundreds of Firearms Seized
Australian (Sydney)
27 May 2008
A gang of alleged illegal firearms dealers, including an elderly gun shop owner, has been busted after the seizure of hundreds of weapons in a series of raids in central western NSW, police say. Five people were arrested today, including an 84-year-old licensed gun dealer from Forbes, in five raids in the town and one in nearby Peak Hill. Police said they seized more than 300 firearms, at least 200,000 rounds of ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Dealer Takes On New York City, 321 Big City Mayors in Court
Reuters
27 May 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's crusade against illegal guns entered the courtroom on Tuesday in a battle against a Georgia gun dealer. It is the first of two civil cases New York has brought against 27 gun dealers in five states -- Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia -- on the grounds that their sales practices allowed criminals to buy guns and then bring them into the city. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Ontario Urges Federal Anti-gun Smuggling Measures for US-Canada Border
Niagara Falls Review (Ontario)
27 May 2008
Every gun that is manufactured or imported into Canada should be marked with specific information because it would allow police to quickly trace guns used in crime and break up gun smuggling rings, says Ontario's Attorney General Chris Bentley. "It should have the date, the country where it is manufactured and it should have the location of its manufacturer or the importer," he said Tuesday during a press conference held at Oakes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto's 'Demagogue' Mayor Redirects Public Anger to Lawful Gun Owners
National Post (Toronto), Editorial
27 May 2008
Let's see if we have this right. Toronto has a problem with young gang members using smuggled handguns to kill one another in rave clubs and warehouses -- and in order to fight this trend, mayor David Miller wants to ... take away target pistols from Olympic shooters and close down law-abiding gun clubs. Mr. Miller's logic is so bizarre, it's hard to know where to begin to dismantle it. He either completely misunderstands the causes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto's Mayor Wants All Gun Clubs, Sport Shooting Ranges Shut Down
Toronto Star (Ontario)
27 May 2008
Mayor David Miller wants to close recreational shooting ranges in Toronto, along with giving the city power to block gun manufacturers and wholesalers from opening new plants or warehouses. "Nobody can deny that hobby directly results in people being shot and killed on the streets of our city," Miller said of sport shooting yesterday, amid debate on a possible gun bylaw. Canadian Olympic pistol shooter and downtown resident... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa
Concern Over Increase in Illegal Guns After Post-Poll Violence in Kenya
IRIN (UN News)
26 May 2008
NAIROBI -- Very little has been done to check the increase in illegal guns in parts of Kenya that were hardest hit by the post-election crisis, an official of a peace and development NGO said on 23 May. "The small arms problem is bigger at this point than at any other time in our country's history, especially owing to the post-election violence, which created new markets for illegal arms more than ever before," Mutuku Nguli, chief... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Licensed Texas Gun Dealer Supplied Mexican Drug Wars - Feds [Part 2 of 2]
Laredo Morning Times (Texas)
26 May 2008
While hundreds of firearms are illegally shipped into Mexico from Texas every year, not all weapons are necessarily meant to cross the Rio Grande. In 2006, ATF agents in Laredo arrested two men, Roberto Lopez and Norberto Olivares, after undercover investigations yielded evidence they were heavily involved in weapons trading. ATF agents, Laredo Police Department officers, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents found... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Texas Gun Dealer Supplied Mexican Drug Wars - Feds [Part 2 of 2] [Espanol]
El Tiempo (Laredo, Texas)
26 May 2008
Mientras que cientos de armas son ilegalmente enviadas a México desde Texas anualmente, no todas las armas necesariamente cruzan el Río Bravo. En el 2006, agentes de la ATF arrestaron a dos hombres, Roberto Lopez y Norberto Olivares, después de que una investigación secreta arrojara evidencia de que se encontraban fuertemente implicados en el comercio de armas. Agentes de la ATF, oficiales del Departamento de Policía... ( gunpolicy.org )
Japan
Yakuza Gangster Sentenced to Death for Shooting Mayor of Nagasaki
Associated Press
26 May 2008
TOKYO -- A court in Japan convicted an alleged gangster and sentenced him to death Monday for the fatal shooting of a popular mayor in a crime that stunned a nation that takes great pride in its rigid gun-control laws, media reports said. Tetsuya Shiroo, 60, who police say is a gang boss, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death Monday in Nagasaki District Court, according to Kyodo News and NHK TV. Court official Tomoya Nagata... ( gunpolicy.org )
Croatia, Sweden
57 Firearms, Explosives Seized from Croatia-to-Sweden Gun Running Gang
SEESAC (Belgrade) / BBC Monitoring Service / HINA, Transcript
25 May 2008
Zagreb police cracked down on a ring of arms producers and smugglers, and charged nine persons with having specialised in producing arms and explosives and smuggling them to western Europe, notably Sweden, the head of the Zagreb police, Marijan Tomurad, said at a news conference on Saturday. He stressed that the arms and bombs had been intended for clashed among underworld crime gangs and that the arms smugglers had no connections... ( 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 States, Mexico
Texas in First Place for Gun Running to Mexico [Part 1 of 2] [Espanol]
El Tiempo (Laredo, Texas)
25 May 2008
Agentes federales que trabajan a lo largo de la frontera de Texas con México se han percatado de que los cárteles de drogas tienen una nueva afinidad para un tipo en particular de armas. "Es una 5.7 (milímetros)", informó Elias Bazan, agente residente responsible de la oficina de Laredo del US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "En México ya la denominan 'mata policías'. Es una pequeña arma muy poderosa.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Shows, Dealers Fuel Gun Running to Mexican Drug War [Part 1 of 2]
Laredo Morning Times (Texas)
25 May 2008
Federal agents working along the Texas-Mexico border have noticed drug cartels have a new affinity for a particular type of firearm. "It's a 5.7 (mm)," said Elias Bazan, the resident agent in charge of the Laredo field office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "In Mexico, they already call it the 'cop killer.' It's a very powerful little handgun. Here recently, that has been more a weapon of choice."... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Nearly 50 Rifles Seized During Rural Canadian Drug Bust
Saint John Telegraph-Journal (New Brunswick)
24 May 2008
HAMPTON -- Police were surprised to find nearly 50 weapons during a raid on a rural Kings County home this week. "The large quantity of firearms were particularly surprising to us,"Acting Sgt. Phil Oliver of the Sussex RCMP told reporters at Hampton RCMP headquarters Thursday. "(With) these types of quantities, there is frequently an association with organized crime. Finding firearms of any quantity is a concern, but when... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Should Focus on Stemming Cross-Border Gun Running, Says Mexico
Reuters
24 May 2008
MEXICO CITY -- The chief of Mexico's war on drug gangs said Washington should concentrate on halting the flow of arms to Mexican drug cartels rather than haggle over how much aid to give Mexico's anti-smuggling operation. Reacting to a vote by U.S. lawmakers to trim an aid package for the drug war, Mexico's deputy attorney general, Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, said an alternative would be to keep the cash in the United States... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
Drug Gangs Smuggle Guns from US as Armed Crime Grows in Vancouver
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
23 May 2008
VANCOUVER -- Last Dec. 9, an alert Vancouver patrol officer stopped a GMC SUV as it cruised through East Vancouver. As the vehicle was pulled over, a passerby noticed a loaded handgun being thrown from the passenger side. Two well-known gangsters were inside. But it was the modifications made to the 4x4 that surprised VPD Insp. Dean Robinson, head of the Uniformed Gang Task Force: The vehicle was fully armoured to deflect gunfire.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
US Guns, Demand Fuel Mexican Drug Wars: Casualty Rate Higher Than Iraq
Denver Post (Colorado), Opinion
23 May 2008
Only lightly noted on this side of the border, our neighbor Mexico is engulfed in bloody, violent combat with and between death-dealing drug cartels. In a stunning reversal for President Felipe Calderon's crusade to subdue the drug trade and its perpetrators, Edgar Gomez, the national police chief and lead anti-cartel crusader, was assassinated this month outside his Mexico City home. "This could have a snowball effect, even leading... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Assault Weapons, Gun Trafficking Spread Among Canadian Drug Gangs
Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
22 May 2008
An assault rifle, a money counter and weigh scales are just tools for the trade for a new gang cutting into Edmonton's drug market, say police who displayed a drug seizure Wednesday. The items were seized from two homes in Edmonton raided last week. Police also seized 800 grams of cocaine and $8,000 in cash. The rifle sat next to T-shirts and ball caps with the gang's name, Independent Soldier. "We're not sure how many... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Court Hears Georgia Gun Dealer Sold 72 Crime Weapons Found in New York
New York Law Journal / Law.com
22 May 2008
New York City's public nuisance action against a Georgia sporting goods shop, one of the three remaining defendants in the city's effort to hold 27 out-of-state dealers responsible for the use in New York crimes of guns they sold, will go forward following a Brooklyn federal judge's denial of the shop's motion for summary judgment. In a written decision Wednesday, Eastern District of New York Judge Jack B. Weinstein found that the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Gang of 7 Converted, Sold Hundreds of Illegal Guns to Criminals Across UK
BBC News
22 May 2008
A 29-year-old man from Manchester has been found guilty of being involved in what is believed to the UK's biggest ever gun conspiracy. Kaleem Akhtar was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life. He supplied an "assassin's armoury" of handguns, and ammunition to gangsters across the UK, the court was told. Akhtar, of Chorlton, will be sentenced,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Gun Dealer 'David' Faces Up to New York Mayor 'Goliath' in Court
New York Times
22 May 2008
When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg stood at City Hall two years ago to announce that he had just filed suit against several gun shop owners, mainly in the South, it was in a certain fashion the capstone of a signature campaign. Mr. Bloomberg had already bashed the industry in several angry speeches, gone to Washington to pressure congressmen and lobbyists, and made his war against illegal guns a personal crusade. Now, however, Mr.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Judge Won't Allow New York Mayor to Testify Against Georgia Gun Dealer
New York Times
22 May 2008
Saying that he did not want "a media show," a federal judge ruled on Thursday that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg cannot testify at the pending civil trial of a Georgia gun dealer accused of creating a public nuisance in New York by selling weapons that were later used to commit crimes in the city. City officials said on Wednesday that Mr. Bloomberg was almost certain to take the stand next month in Federal District Court in Brooklyn... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Relaxed Gun Controls, Unlicensed Sales Help Fuel California Gun Violence
Oakland Tribune (California)
22 May 2008
OAKLAND -- Seventeen-year-old Dominique Nubie stood on a West Oakland street corner talking about what matters in his life. "Guns "... everybody here has guns," he said, motioning around. Instead of the usual high school concerns about finishing homework or making the basketball team, Dominique worries most about survival in a neighborhood where many of his peers own guns. Oakland is teeming with guns. They're... ( gunpolicy.org )
Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Europe
Terrorists Said Moving Guns to Croatia for Easier Smuggling Into Europe
SEESAC (Belgrade) / Blic Daily
22 May 2008
Members and supporters of Al Kaida and vehabias from Bosnia and Herzegovina have been transferring large numbers of weapons and explosives to Croatia, as stated by the intelligence agencies in BiH. The information held by the Independent paper ("Nezavisne novine") of Banja Luka, reads that they are taking advantage of the current political situation in BiH and involvement of the government in the current reform processes in order... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Texas Gun Dealers Fuel Mexican Drug Wars with Pistols, Assault Weapons
El Paso Times (Texas)
22 May 2008
High-powered rifles and handguns used by drug cartel hit men waging a bloody war in Mexico have been traced to suspected gun smugglers in El Paso, an ATF agent testified Wednesday at a federal detention hearing in El Paso. Money and weapons flowing from the United States fuel drug trafficking and organized crime in Mexico, to the tune of about $10 billion a year, Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, Mexico's deputy federal attorney general... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Guns Bought in US 'Fuel All the Violence' in Mexican Drug Wars, Say Feds
El Paso Times (Texas)
21 May 2008
One of two men arrested in El Paso last week by ATF agents on charges of smuggling firearms into Mexico is to appear in federal court today. In a six-count indictment, Mexican citizen and permanent legal resident Juan Carlos Meza and U.S. citizen Roberto Marquez are alleged to have taken part in a scheme to buy guns and rifles in El Paso and export them to Mexico, where they were purchased by someone who cannot legally purchase... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mayor Tells Judge Philadelphia Gun Shops Are 'Traffickers' in Crime Guns
Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania)
21 May 2008
The legal battle over new city gun-control laws turned into a war of words beyond the courtroom yesterday as Mayor Nutter laid into the two gun shops challenging the ordinances. The lawyer for Colosimo's Inc. and Firing Line Inc. threatened to sue the mayor yesterday after Nutter lambasted them for selling multiple guns to individuals. "These gun traffickers are not going to stop us from keeping the citizens of Philadelphia... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexican Drug War 'Hit Guns' Traced to Texas Gun Buyer, El Paso Gun Shop
El Paso Times (Texas)
21 May 2008
Guns recovered in a shootout in Chihuahua City in September 2006 were traced to an El Paso man, according to testimony by an ATF agent during a detention hearing today at the federal courthouse. Juan Carlos Meza is accused of buying several handguns and rifles at gun shops in El Paso that were then allegedly exported to Mexico, including buying weapons for a drug cartel hit man, testified Special Agent Frank Henderson in the U.S.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Calls Philadelphia Mayor a 'Tyrant' for Passing City Gun Control Laws
Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania)
21 May 2008
Lawyers for the National Rifle Association and the city continued to battle it out in court yesterday over five local gun-control laws passed last month. Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan, who may rule next week on whether to allow the laws to be enforced, has concerns with both sides. She repeatedly suggested that the city is trying to enforce power that state appellate-court rulings say belongs only to the state.... ( gunpolicy.org )
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