United States
Tennessee 3yr-old Grabs Wii 'Gun,' Kills Herself with Dad's Loaded Pistol
Tennessean (Nashville)
9 March 2010
NORENE, Tennessee -- A mix-up between a Wii game and a .380 caliber pistol led a 3-year-old to pluck the real gun from an end table and shoot herself in the abdomen, ending her life, Wilson County Sheriff Terry Ashe said. Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan's stepfather, Douglas Cronberger, and her mother, Tina Ann Cronberger, both 32, were inside their rural Norene home when the child shot herself Sunday night. Her mother was on the computer... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Las Vegas Police Officer, Mother Charged After 2yr-old Son Shot Himself
Fox News (USA)
1 March 2010
LAS VEGAS - A Las Vegas police officer and his wife will be charged with child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm after their 2-year-old shot himself with the officer's gun in February. Las Vegas Metro police officer Jared Bledsoe and his wife, Shawnee Bledsoe, both 27, face one count of the felony charge after their son discovered a loaded gun in their night stand after he was put to bed. The complaint, made in Moapa... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Loses Son to Careless Firearm Storage
NBC News (Miami )
28 February 2010
An 11-year-old boy was pronounced dead in Deerfield Beach last night after being accidentally shot in the face by his little brother. The boys' mother said the pair had been asked to go to the parking lot outside their home to their father's truck to retrieve a hat. While searching for it, 10-year-old Terrence Reddick found a gun inside the vehicle and shot and killed Randy Reddick. "[Terrence] just said, 'It was a mistake.... ( 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 )
Canada
Toronto Lawyer Loses 30 Handguns to Thieves, Police Remove 170 More
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
23 February 2010
Toronto Police seized about 170 firearms from a Toronto lawyer's downtown home following a break-in, but believe dozens of handguns have been stolen. And investigators fear those guns may already be in the hands of dangerous thugs. Toronto Police say they were called to a fourth-floor apartment on Isabella St., near Church St., around 7:30 a.m. Monday by someone who was looking after the place while the resident, lawyer... ( 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
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
Massachusetts Gun Owner Amassed Legal Weapon Cache for Armageddon
Boston Globe
11 February 2010
A Manchester-by-the-Sea man who allegedly had a cache of weapons in his house told police he was preparing for Armageddon, authorities said yesterday. Gregory D. Girard, 45, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with storing several tear-gas grenades and explosive pepper-ball projectiles. He was also charged with illegal possession of four police batons. Girard faces four counts of possession of an infernal device and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Army-issue Guns at the Heart of Family Violence in Switzerland [Francais]
24 Heures (Switzerland)
9 February 2010
[Translated summary: 76% of the homicide-suicide cases in Switzerland involve firearms, very often a gun kept at home by Swiss army reservists, according to a new university study.] Une étude criminologique le démontre: en Suisse, les auteurs de drames familiaux recourent trois fois sur quatre aux armes à feu et, très souvent, il s'agit d'une arme de service. Voilà qui apporte de l'eau au moulin des adversaires de l'arme détenue... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Hampshire Gun Owner Defies Wife-abuse Firearm Ban, Loses Licence
Union Leader (New Hampshire)
9 February 2010
GOFFSTOWN - A New Boston man at the center of a gun battle between a Manchester firing range and the New Boston Police escaped contempt charges in Goffstown District Court on Monday, but was ordered to relinquish his hunting and concealed weapons permits. Michael Murphy, 37, was supposed to give up the licenses on Jan. 27, when his wife, Paula Murphy, won a domestic violence temporary protection order against him. That... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica
Police Officers Probed in 19-gun Theft from Jamaica Constabulary Storage
Gleaner (Jamaica)
7 February 2010
Cracks in the existing security system at the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) Armoury were exposed on Thursday, following a major gun-ammo seizure. A concrete structure, the armoury, which was built more than two decades ago, is regarded as one of the most secure facilities of the JCF. "The security procedures at the armoury and stores are adequate for the guidance of honest and responsible people. What is appearing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Netherlands
Dutch Police, 500 Nightclubs Trial 'Drop Vaults' for Illegal Guns, Drugs
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
5 February 2010
Five hundred nightclubs and cafés in the Netherlands will be fitted with vaults where visitors can drop off their illegal weapons and drugs anonymously. Police will keep the keys to the vaults and will regularly open them to confiscate the contents. The vaults are a project of Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballinn who will officially install the first such receptacle in a bar in the town of Loosdrecht on Friday. Mr Hirsch Ballin... ( 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
Support for Assault Weapon Ban, Gun Control Lags in Washington State
Associated Press
24 January 2010
OLYMPIA -- After 2009 ended in a hail of high-profile gun violence, Washington state's gun-control advocates are frustrated by an apparent lack of political support for an assault weapons ban, warning that the state will likely face more deadly shootings without it. The bill comes just weeks after a spate of deadly police shootings, and proponents of the ban say those killings should force politicians to confront gun violence. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permit Details to Remain Suppressed in Indiana
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
15 January 2010
Lawmakers this session are having to weigh the constitutional rights of gun owners against those of the media and employers, and so far, gun owners are emerging the victors. Thursday, a House committee voted 11-0 to keep information about gun permits from being released to the public -- information The Indianapolis Star has used to document how guns have fallen into violent hands. That same committee is working on legislation... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Hostile BNP Member Gets 11 Years for Illegal Weapon Cache and Craft
Guardian (UK)
15 January 2010
A BNP member who spent a decade building up a cache of weapons in a bedroom hideaway was jailed for 11 years today. Bus driver Terrance Gavan manufactured highly dangerous firearms and explosives at the home where he lived with his mother in Batley, West Yorkshire. Police discovered 54 improvised bombs including nail bombs and a booby-trapped cigarette packet, as well as 12 firearms. The former soldier told detectives... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NBA All-Star Pleads Guilty Unlicensed Possession
Washington Examiner
15 January 2010
Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas pleaded guilty to a felony gun charge Friday, with prosecutors saying they would recommend the athlete spend no more than two years behind bars. The 28-year-old NBA All-Star appeared in D.C. Superior Court, pleading guilty to one count of carrying a pistol without a license, which carries a maximum prison term of five years. Channing Phillips, acting U.S. Attorney for the District... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NBA All-Star to Face Felony Possession Charge Over Locker Room Guns
Associated Press
15 January 2010
WASHINGTON - Ever since he first acknowledged keeping guns in his locker, NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas has publicly employed the "goof ball" defense, claiming he wasn't aware of the law, meant no harm and never takes anything seriously. re The NBA and the Washington Wizards had a far more serious response. Now it's time to see how it plays before a judge. Arenas is scheduled to appear in court Friday to answer a felony charge... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Owners' Lax Security Blamed for Rise in Australian Firearm Thefts
Sydney Morning Herald
13 January 2010
Lax security at home, a spate of gun thefts from armoured van guards and people keeping weapons in unlocked cars and under their pillows has contributed to an 11 per cent jump in the national gun theft rate. In the latest Firearm Theft in Australia report from the Australian Institute of Criminology, researchers found that 1,712 firearms - including rifles, shotguns, pistols and even black-powder revolvers - were stolen between... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Newfoundland Police Officer Charged After Handgun Stolen From Car
CBC News (Toronto)
13 January 2010
A veteran Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer is facing two firearms charges after his gun was stolen from his parked car in mid-December. A lawyer for Sgt. Campbell Feehan, 47, was in provincial court in St. John's Tuesday morning to hear a judge lay one charge of careless use of a firearm and a second charge of failure to properly store a firearm. Feehan's lawyer, Brad Wicks, is expected to appear in court again to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Incidents Hurt NBA's Image
Detroit News
11 January 2010
Auburn Hills -- Marvin "Bad News" Barnes played for Pistons teams in the early 1970s nicknamed the "Detroit Hoodlums" because at least four players routinely brought guns into the dressing room for protection. They weren't afraid of teammates, but wanted to protect themselves from the streets of downtown Detroit, which had a bad reputation for crime. Barnes told aol.com he carried an unregistered .45-caliber pistol and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Scottish Rugby Player Nabbed at Training for Unsecured Firearm Stash
Daily Record (Scotland)
11 January 2010
A RUGBY club captain was arrested in front of team-mates after police found a stash of guns in his home. Scottish Hydro Caledonia League 1 player Cameron Kennedy had left the weapons lying about in his house, with the door wide open. Acting Tayside chief constable Justine Curran told Kennedy: "I am no longer satisfied that you can be permitted to possess firearms and shotguns without danger to the public safety." At... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in Locker Room Case, 'Misguided Joke' Taken Very Seriously
New York Times
10 January 2010
WASHINGTON -- The office of Peter Nickles, the District of Columbia's attorney general, is on Pennsylvania Avenue, not far from the White House or the Verizon Center. The proximity of the three locations underlines how law, government, sports and the continuing threat of violence stand shoulder to shoulder in the nation's capital, creating a stark backdrop for Gilbert Arenas's decision to store several guns in a Verizon Center locker... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidates Talk Guns
The Commical Appeal (Tennessee)
10 January 2010
1. A Nashville judge has struck down as "unconstitutionally vague" the law passed by the legislature in 2009 allowing people with handgun-carry permits to take guns into places serving alcohol. The bill's sponsors say they will ask the legislature to approve a new version. Do you support or oppose a bill to allow handgun-carry permit holders to take guns into places that serve alcohol? Democrats: Jim Kyle: I strongly... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
'Guns a Privilege - They Won't Protect You': NBA Star and NRA Member
Sports Illustrated, Opinion
7 January 2010
Former NBA star Karl Malone is an avid hunter who publicly declared his advocacy of the right to bear arms by becoming a spokesman for the National Rifle Association. SI.com asked Malone for his thoughts on the situation involving three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who acknowledged Monday that he stored unloaded guns at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and said he displayed them in front of Wizards teammate as "a misguided effort... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Details on Locker-room Confrontation, Gun Loaded and Chambered
Washington Post
7 January 2010
National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern suspended Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas indefinitely without pay Wednesday, saying a gun incident in the Wizards' locker room last month and Arenas's behavior since had led him to conclude "that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game." Stern's action, announced in a scathing statement issued from his office in New York, cast into doubt the future... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NBA Star Suspended Indefinitely for Guns in the Locker Room
Associated Press
6 January 2010
New York - Gilbert Arenas tried joking about his gun trouble. David Stern found none of it funny. Arenas was suspended indefinitely without pay Wednesday by the NBA commissioner, who determined the player's behavior made him "not currently fit to take the court." A day after the Washington Wizards guard was photographed before a game in Philadelphia pointing his index fingers, as if they were guns, at his teammates, Stern warned... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
75 Percent of NBA Players Own Guns for Protection an 'Alarming Subject'
Associated Press
4 January 2010
Not only have David Stern's pleas to leave the guns at home been ignored, one player even brought his to work. The commissioner could hand Gilbert Arenas a severe punishment whenever he decides to take action, but it seems clear Stern can't convince NBA players not to carry firearms. As far as they're concerned, players have the right -- and maybe even the need -- to own weapons, as long as they're doing it legally. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns in the Locker a 'Misguided Joke' says NBA Star
Associated Press
4 January 2010
WASHINGTON,USA - Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas says he took unloaded guns from his locker in a "misguided effort to play a joke" on a teammate. Arenas released a written statement Monday after meeting with law enforcement officials. And Arenas' lawyer says the player voluntarily met with prosecutors and detectives and answered every question during a two-hour interview. In his statement, Arenas repeated his earlier... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Finland to Tighten 'Primitive' Gun Control Laws
Xinhua
1 January 2010
HELSINKI,Finland - Finnish Interior Minister Anne Holmlund said on Saturday that Finland will amend the gun law to tighten control on guns, Finnish media reported on Saturday. A 43-year-old man named Ibrahim Shkupolli, a Kosovo Albanian, shot and killed four employees at Sello shopping center in Espoo, southern Finland, as well as his ex-girlfriend at her home, who was also employed there, and finally himself on Thursday. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana Boy, 13, Shoots 14yr-old Girl with Grandma's Unsecured Handgun
Associated Press
1 January 2010
FRANKLIN, Indiana - Indiana authorities say two cousins were playing with a gun at their grandmother's house when the 13-year-old boy accidentally shot the 14-year-old girl in the forehead. Franklin police Chief Stan Linn says the girl was critically hurt Thursday. She was conscious when she was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Police say the children found the grandmother's .38-caliber handgun while the girl's... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
45 'High-powered' Guns Seized by NZ Police, but 'Public Safety Not at Risk'
New Zealand Press Association
31 December 2009
Police say the public were not in any danger when a huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition was discovered in South Auckland. About 45 high-powered rifles and shotguns were found at an Otahuhu property after police were called to a domestic incident about 9.30pm Wednesday. Bags of live ammunition of compatible types and calibres were also found. The firearms were correctly secured and public safety was not at risk,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NBA Star Stores Registered Guns in DC Stadium Locker for 'Safe Keeping'
Washington Post, Editorial
31 December 2009
PERHAPS THE situation is as innocent as described by Gilbert Arenas. Newly sensitized by the birth of his daughter to the danger of having guns around his house, the Washington Wizards star says he meant no harm when he brought the unloaded weapons to Verizon Center for safekeeping. But, in doing so, it seems that Mr. Arenas might have run afoul of D.C. law -- and it's important that authorities do their job investigating the matter. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Child Shot Dead with Illegal Handgun, How Many Children Must We Lose?
Record (New Jersey), Editorial
23 December 2009
SENSELESS. TRAGIC. This is where we begin in considering the terrible death of 5-year-old Daron Mayes of Paterson. He was playing with a 6-year-old relative at home on Sunday night. The 6-year-old found a loaded handgun - a semi-automatic, which loads a new bullet into the chamber each time it is fired. The child played with the weapon, and accidently shot Daron in the back of the head, police say. Police attempted to revive the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Minister Questions Credibility of Enraged Irish Combat Pistol Shooters
Argus (Ireland)
23 December 2009
DUNDALK -- Dundalk sharp shooters claim Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has targeted them in new legislation 'aligning us with criminals' after 23 handgun licences were refused in the last month. The has learned that new laws restricting hand gun ownership saw a group of local prize winning precision shooters forced to hand in their firearms in recent weeks. Now, the group say they are intending to challenge the licence refusals,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
6yr-old New Jersey Boy Finds Loaded Illegal Handgun, Kills 5yr-old Friend
Associated Press
21 December 2009
PATERSON,New Jersey - Police have arrested a 23-year-old man they say left an illegal, loaded handgun in the bedroom he shared with a 5-year-old child. The child was accidentally shot and killed by a 6-year-old relative after the two boys discovered the gun while playing. Jalik Jones was charged Monday with reckless manslaughter and firearms violations. Five-year-old Daron Mayes was shot in the back of the head... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Ownership 'Should Not Be Determining Factor' in Florida Adoptions
Tampa Tribune (Florida)
21 December 2009
TAMPA, Florida - The state Department of Children & Families will no longer document whether prospective foster parents own a gun. According to a Dec. 2 memorandum, DCF officials will discuss gun safety but won't document whether prospective parents have guns. Prospective parents must sign forms saying they're aware that Florida law requires people with loaded firearms keep them in a locked, secure place away from children. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Police Urge Safe Storage, Gun Owners Protest Destruction in South Africa
SABC News / SAPA
20 December 2009
People who own firearms and have a valid claim to them are set to start making presentations to National Police Commissioner Bheki Cele explaining why they should not be destroyed. According to a notice in the Government Gazette published on December 14, the State intends destroying all firearms and ammunition voluntarily surrendered or forfeited. Cele says the presentations should be made within 21 days after the publication of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Liverpool Police Christmas Card Warns Women Not to Hide Men's Guns
Telegraph (UK)
19 December 2009
Cards bearing the message 'Gun crime always ends in tears, make sure they're not yours', are being sent to the women by Merseyside Police and local councils to urge them to help stop the use of guns. The cards, showing a Christmas wreath on the front and a funeral wreath on the inside saying 'Make sure it is a Christmas to remember and not one to regret', are part of an anti-gun crime campaign targeting young people believed to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Soldiers Register Private Guns, Lock Guns on Base After Mass Shooting
Blast Magazine (Boston)
19 December 2009
A new policy regarding privately-owned firearms is now in effect at Fort Hood, Texas, U.S. Army reports. All resident service people and their families must now report any personally-owned firearms. Those residing temporarily on the base are required to do the same. Servicemembers living or residing temporarily on the base must also report to the Directorate of Emergency Service any sale, purchase, trade, gift, exchange... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Bust Yields 10 Stolen Firearms, Owners Urged to Lock Up Guns in Gauteng
South African Press Association
18 December 2009
"A total of ten stolen firearms were recovered when these arrests were made," said Senior Superintendent Eugene Opperman. Those arrested will appear in different courts in the province shortly. Opperman said legal gun owners should take steps to safe-guard their firearms and ammunition over the holiday season. "Firearms should be securely locked away in a prescribed safe, or otherwise it should be in the possession... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Dad Leaves Guns Around, Boy Kills 6yr-old, Dad Charged with Lax Storage
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
18 December 2009
The father of a teenager accused of accidentally shooting and killing his 6-year-old cousin turned himself in to Atascosa County authorities Friday morning, shortly after he was charged with leaving a loaded gun accessible to children. An arrest warrant was issued for Manuel Quinonez III, 37, Thursday night. He was charged with making a firearm accessible to a child and causing death. The Class A misdemeanor is punishable with up... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Man Caught Using 'I'm a Spy' Lie to Escape 'Dirty Harry' Handgun Rap
Telegraph (UK)
17 December 2009
A secret intelligence analyst, Neil McLellan, who escaped jail on firearms charges by claiming his job at GCHQ was pivotal to national security is behind bars after it was disclosed he had lied about his employment under oath. The 49 year-old escaped jail despite admitting possession of a "Dirty Harry" style .44 magnum handgun, after he lied about working at the intelligence centre in Cheltenham, Glos. He was given a suspended... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Army Base Ramps Up Gun Carry, Registration Policies After Massacre
Associated Press
17 December 2009
FORT HOOD, Texas -- Fort Hood is ramping up its gun-registration policy in the wake of last month's deadly mass shooting. Soldiers and their families living on the Army post and anyone staying there temporarily must register any personal weapon that's kept there. Now, the policy also applies to soldiers living off post and civilian hunters if they plan to use a gun at Fort Hood. Those who enter the post must tell... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Supreme Court Exempts Gun Maker in Shooting of 13yr-old Boy
WLS-TV News (Chicago)
14 December 2009
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the current gun law. The family of a boy who was shot to death was fighting a law that protects gun makers from lawsuits by shooting victims. But the court refused to hear an appeal from the uncle of a boy accidentally killed by a friend. The suit claimed the gun did not have the proper warnings or safety mechanism. Family members say they're frustrated and believe there... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Gun Shop Secures Handguns, Assault Weapons, Foils Ram Raid
Chicago Tribune
13 December 2009
Avon police are looking for four teenagers who used a stolen SUV to smash into a firearms store and steal guns. "It was complete chaos," said Lisa Daughtery, owner of Fort Liberty Firearms. Surveillance video shows how that chaos unfolded early Saturday morning. A stolen, black Ford Expedition slammed through the front door of Fort Liberty Firearms. Seconds later, four males in their late teens, jumped out and grabbed guns.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Detroit Woman Leaves Loaded Gun by Bed, 3yr-old Granddaughter Dies
Detroit Free Press
10 December 2009
A single shot from a 9-millimeter handgun in her grandmother's bedroom nightstand killed a Detroit 3-year-old Wednesday night, leading the city's police chief to renew a plea for gun safety. "This is the most egregious one: the gun was in a nightstand unlocked, right at a normal height for a 3-year-old," Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans said this morning. "But we have dozens and dozens of these a year." Alexia Bostick... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
School Shooter's Father Let Son Have Gun, Faces 15 Homicide Charges
Deutsche Welle (Germany) / DPA / AP
27 November 2009
German prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the father of a teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree in March. Victims' relatives have demanded that he pay for leaving the murder weapon unsecured. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in the southwestern city of Stuttgart said on Friday that the father of Tim K. had been charged with 15 counts of negligent homicide. A trial date is yet to be announced.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Swiss Reconsider Keeping Army Guns at Home, Cite Frequent Shootings
SwissInfo
27 November 2009
Swiss soldiers who do not want to keep their military-issue guns at home are to be allowed to store them for free at an army logistics centre. The new rule, which comes into force on January 1, was adopted by the Swiss government on Friday as part of its amendments to the regulations on firearms. The cabinet also called for earlier detection of soldiers who represent a potential threat. Under another amendment,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Woman Killed by Father Cleaning Glock was US Federal Investigator
Tampa Tribune (Florida)
8 November 2009
A father helping his 32-year-old daughter clean a pistol after target shooting accidently fired the weapon and killed her Saturday afternoon. Melissa Kupferberg, an investigator with the U.S. Public Defenders Office, died at a hospital after being shot in the upper body, the Tampa Police Department said. Police believe the shooting was an accident. Kupferberg and her father, Stephen Kupferberg, 65, who was visiting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Massachusetts Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Gun Storage Law
Associated Press
5 November 2009
BOSTON -- Gun control proponents argued before the state's highest court Thursday that a Massachusetts law requiring gun owners to lock weapons in their homes saves lives while gun advocates pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling holding that people have a constitutional right to keep weapons for self-defense. The case involves a Billerica man whose mentally disabled son allegedly shot at a neighbor with a BB gun. The 18-year-old... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Touts Law to Ban Adoption Agencies Asking About Gun Ownership
Miami Herald
5 November 2009
The National Rifle Association is pushing legislation to ban adoption agencies from asking potential parents if they have guns and ammunition in the home. NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer said adoption agencies are violating gun-owners' rights by asking about firearms in an adoption form. She said any request about gun ownership from an agency connected with government was tantamount to establishing a gun registry. "Gun registration... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Army Bans Gun Carrying on Base, Imposes Strict Gun Storage Rules
Newsday (New York)
5 November 2009
Rules on carrying weapons vary among U.S. military installations, but in general they are carefully regulated, military officials said Thursday. Soldiers typically carry weapons on bases only for specific purposes such as a training exercise, said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, an Army spokesman based at the Pentagon. "You would not see someone walking around with a military weapon at the PX," he said. In many cases, guns... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Now You Can Take Guns to Work in Florida But Not [Yet] Into the Office
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
3 November 2009
It was a three-year fight, and gun-rights advocates won. The law even survived a legal challenge in federal court. So, are you allowed to bring your gun to work? Yes -- sort of. "Florida's Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008" isn't completely cut-and-dried. So don't put your pistol in your lunchpail until you know the rules. Permit, please First,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Licensed Canadian Gun Dealer, Family Face 30 Criminal Weapon Counts
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
31 October 2009
Former Vancouver Police firearms expert Gordon Bader, his wife and three sons are facing more than 30 criminal charges including illegal storage of firearms and possession of restricted weapons and magazines. And the family firearms training business, Silvercore Advanced Training Systems, is named in 11 of the charges, according to court documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun. Yet Silvercore, which operates at 7198 Vantage... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Licensed Australian Gun Owners Face Police Visit, Storage Inspection
Cumberland Courier (New South Wales)
9 October 2009
Northern Beaches Police will be turning up on the doorstep of every licensed gun owner in the area over the next four years to check their firearms are stored correctly. Operation Aston follows the gun amnesty that ended on May 31 and will target guns stored incorrectly and the security of gun safes, Northern Beaches Commander Doreen Cruickshank said. "Gun owners have a responsibility to ensure their weapon is safely stored... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Sydney 16yr-old 'Just Playing' with Gun, Killed 18yr-old, Got 4yrs Jail
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
9 October 2009
A teenanger who said he was "playing" with a gun and "just showing off" when he shot his friend in a Sydney bedroom will be released in 2010, a court has heard. The boy, who was 16 at the time of the shooting and cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday to a maximum of four years for his friend's manslaughter. He was sentenced to a two-year non-parole period and with time already... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mother, Father Charged after California 8yr-old Kills 2yr-old with Handgun
Reporter (California)
7 October 2009
A Vacaville couple jailed Monday in connection with the accidental shooting death of their 2-year-old daughter has been released on bail. Michael and Daniela Shanahan of Vacaville were booked at Solano County Jail in Fairfield on Monday afternoon on multiple charges of child endangerment resulting in death or injury and first-degree criminal storage of a firearm accessible to children. The charges stem from the Sept. 23 shooting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Owner, Felon Challenge 'Unconstitutional' Massachusetts Gun Laws
South Coast Today (Massachusetts)
4 October 2009
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is expected to decide whether a state law that requires residents to apply for gun licenses with their local police departments is unconstitutional. The challenge is being brought before the court by Paul W. Patten, a Fall River defense attorney who is representing Nathaniel DePina, 19, a New Bedford man serving a 2-year jail sentence after being convicted last year of illegally carrying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
London Police Warn Girls Not to Hide Illegal Guns for Their Boyfriends
BBC News
30 September 2009
Young women are being warned not to hide guns for their boyfriends, brothers or male friends in a new campaign by the Metropolitan police. It is aimed at the growing number of teenage girls in London who, the Met says, are being persuaded to store weapons for male gang members. Police are primarily targeting black girls aged between 15 and 19. People caught hiding a gun for someone else can expect to receive a five-year prison sentence.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom,England & Wales
Welsh Community in Mourning After 10yr-old Boy Shot Dead with Air Rifle
Western Mail (Wales)
29 September 2009
A 10-year-old who was shot dead with an air rifle was playing a game of Cowboys and Indians at the time of the tragic accident. Rhys Johnson died yesterday morning after being shot in the chest with the gun, which he had found in a garage earlier in the afternoon. The schoolboy, from Llansamlet, Swansea, went out to play with it in fields behind his home with a 12-year-old boy, a close friend. Police yesterday... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Drunk, Law-abiding US Gun Owner Shoots Into Neighbour's Apartment
Washington Post
27 September 2009
Like a lot of bachelors, Russ Castle often eats cereal for dinner, sitting in front of a TV in a sparsely decorated apartment. Such was the case late one night this week. Cream of Wheat, with a little milk. Unknown to the 37-year-old at the time, his next-door neighbor, Gaithersburg Assistant City Manager Fred Felton, was cleaning his Ruger .357 magnum, according to court records made public Thursday. "What the hell?" Castle... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Toddler's Shooting Death Points to Widespread US Problem
Reporter (California)
25 September 2009
Wednesday's death of a Vacaville toddler, killed in what appears to be a tragic gun accident involving her 8-year-old brother, is a grim reminder of the need to keep guns out of children's reach. Sadly, such accidents are not as rare as one would hope. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reports that, during the first half of this decade, 173 children under the age of 19 were accidentally killed with a firearm.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Toddler, 2, Shot Dead by Brother, 8 in California Home
Sydney Morning Herald / AP
24 September 2009
Police in the US say a two-year-old northern California girl is dead after her eight-year-old brother accidentally shot her. Police say the boy was playing with a gun on Wednesday afternoon at the family home in Vacaville when it discharged, shooting the toddler in the head, according to The Reporter newspaper. The girl was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Vacaville police Lieutenant Craig Courtemanche said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Collector Loses Dozens of Handguns, Rifles from Storage Unit
Roseville Press Tribune (California)
24 September 2009
Twenty-one -- and likely many more -- firearms were reported stolen from a Roseville self-storage facility this month, according to a police report. The weapons, including both handguns and rifles, were part of a relative's collection that the Roseville victims had stored at All American Self Storage on Taylor Road since January 2008. But the victims didn't discover the burglary until Sept. 10, when they went to check on the facility.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Bought for Protection Ended Up in Illinois Mass Shooting, 7 Dead
Daily Herald (Chicago), Column
22 September 2009
As any firearm defender will tell you, a gun is just a cold, metal tool with no innate capacity for good or evil. But if you want to sell a gun, you play up the potential for lifesaving heroics without mentioning anything about a possible future link to mass murder. That image of a gun as protector is probably why law-abiding Robert Spiedel legally bought a stainless-steel, .38-caliber, snub-nosed revolver from a legitimate California... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Senate 'Guns on Trains' Law Threatens to Bankrupt National Railway
Baltimore Sun, Editorial
22 September 2009
Of all the myriad and pressing issues facing Amtrak these days, from replacing generations-old infrastructure to expanding high-speed rail service beyond the Northeast corridor, who knew that the U.S. Senate would decide that the most important matter of all was this -- making it easier for Amtrak passengers to take along guns? But that's exactly what happened last week when the U.S. Senate voted 68-30 on an amendment that would... ( gunpolicy.org )
Switzerland
Central Armouries Store Swiss Army Guns in 'Hot' Crime Areas [Francais]
20 Minutes (Switzerland)
21 September 2009
[Translated summary: Almost one-third of military weapons stored centrally in the Geneva canton come from neighbourhoods with high break-in rates. The Mayor of Vernier calls for all firearms to be centrally stored.] Près d'un tiers des armes de service déposées à l'arsenal viennent des quartiers sensibles du Lignon, des Libellules et des Avanchets. «Entre 180 et 200 armes sont actuellement en dépôt volontaire à... ( gunpolicy.org )
Burundi
Police, Military Weapon Storage Upgraded to Curb Gun Theft in Burundi
Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Media release
21 September 2009
MAG is improving security at Burundi's police stations and armouries in the run-up to next year's crucial general elections. Following decades of dictatorship and a 12-year long civil war that killed over 300,000, these first elections after the transition elections will be determining for the country's future. With the Burundian population and international community fearing electoral violence amid rising tensions, MAG... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Boston Disputes Ruling That Loaded, Unlocked Guns Are OK in Homes
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
19 September 2009
BOSTON -- Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office is weighing in on a Billerica gun case that is heading to the state Supreme Judicial Court, urging that court to side with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and reject the constitutional challenge to the state's safe-firearm storage law. Middlesex DA Gerard Leone is challenging a Lowell District Court ruling -- and in turn a U.S. Supreme Court decision -- that dismissed a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Firearm Instructor Mixed Ammo, Shot Colleague in UK Police Classroom
Telegraph (UK)
19 September 2009
A police firearms instructor shot and nearly killed a former champion rifle marksman during a gun awareness training exercise after mistakenly loading a Magnum.44 revolver with live ammunition he kept in a Quality Street tin, a court heard. Pc David Micklethwaite, 52, who has admitted breaching health and safe rules, pulled the trigger while pointing it at a civilian colleague on one of his classroom courses. London's Southwark... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Police Decision to Keep Guns from Violent NSW Mental Patient Reversed
Sydney Morning Herald
18 September 2009
A tribunal has ruled it safe for a NSW miner to store firearms at his home, despite his son's criminal history and alleged threats to kill a police officer. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had challenged a decision by the NSW Police Commissioner forbidding him to possess or store firearms at his rural property or to use them in the presence of his adult son, who has a history of violence directed at his partner and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Quebec Local Govt Sells $5 Trigger Locks to Curb Gun Suicide [Francais]
Le Soleil (Québec)
11 September 2009
[Translated Summary: A Quebec municipality launches a $5 triggerlock campaign to prevent gun suicide, with 500 locks already distributed.] Armes à feu: une clé contre le suicide (Rimouski) Le succès entraîne le succès. Après la récupération de près de 750 armes à feu depuis 2006, le Bas-Saint-Laurent lance une grande campagne d'installation de verrous de pontet (ou de sécurité) sur les armes à feu afin de prévenir... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Thief Kicks in Door of Oklahoma Home, Takes 34 Guns Worth $23,000
KSBI-TV News (Oklahoma)
1 September 2009
"This is obviously something we are very concerned about having the guns in the wrong hands," said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow, Oklahoma City Police Dept. Thirty-four guns stolen from this Oklahoma City home have police officers on edge. You can see how he got into the home, the owner believes the thief kicked in his back door and left 23-thousand dollars richer. "It is possible with this amount of guns they could be taking them... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Farmers Complain of Red Tape in Ireland's Newly Tightened Gun Law
Irish Examiner
22 August 2009
Farmers have called on Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to rethink gun laws that have just been introduced. No new handgun licences will be issued under the legislation, with limited exceptions for Olympic shooting sports. A Garda superintendent can now inquire into the medical, including mental, health of an applicant. Those seeking licences will need to have character references and proof of having installed secure... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Defence Ministry Has 'Lost' 1 in 4 Guns Due to Sloppy Bookkeeping
Daily Mail (UK)
20 August 2009
The Ministry of Defence is unable to find £6.6billion of military equipment due to inadequate bookkeeping, a scathing report found last night. Checks on MoD warehouses revealed more than one in four weapons and basic items of kit used by troops could not be accounted for. Inspectors from the National Audit Office, which monitors public spending, also discovered up to 20 per cent of vital BOWMAN communication systems did... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illegal Glock, NY Club Shooting Lands US Football Hero With 2 Years Jail
Daily News (New York)
20 August 2009
Ex-Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress took a surprise plea bargain Thursday that will land the talented but troubled wide receiver behind bars for two years. The unexpected agreement with the Manhattan district attorney came nine months after Burress, 32, shot himself through the thigh with an illegal .40-caliber Glock in a crowded nightclub. "Do you wish to plead guilty?" asked state Supreme Court Judge Michael Melkonian... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Gun Owners Up In Arms Over NZ Police Assault Rifle Licence Changes
New Zealand Press Association
17 August 2009
Gun owners remain angry at police changes to licensing rules over military-style semi-automatic weapons, with some taking official steps to try to stop them. One has applied for a judicial review of the police decision, while a group has complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). Gun owners have been told that if they own a semi-automatic firearm with a "military pattern, free-standing pistol grip",... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Police to Give 2 Weeks Notice Before Inspecting Private Guns in Finland
YLE (Finland)
16 August 2009
New gun control legislation may give police new enforcement powers. The Sunday newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen writes that new legislation, under preparation, will allow the police to inspect the homes of gun permit holders without the need to establish suspicion of a crime. However, they will have to inform the permit holder of their intention two weeks in advance. Tougher gun laws being formulated in the wake... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
Gun Makers Alter Assault Weapons to Avoid Law, NZ Police Draw Line
TV3 News (Auckland)
12 August 2009
Thousands of licensed gun owners may soon have to buy an expensive new safe to store their weapons, or get rid of them. Police have broadened the definition of 'military style semi-automatic weapons', but the gun lobby says police have acted simply because they do not like the look of the new style of weapons. With more of the military style semi-automatics coming on to the market, police have decided to make it harder... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Woman, Partner Stole 54 Handguns from Alberta Licensed Gun Dealer
SE Calgary News (Alberta)
28 July 2009
Southeast Calgary MP Jason Kenney says the provincial chief firearms officer needs the resources to conduct more inspections of stores selling restricted weapons in Calgary and he intends to take up the matter with his cabinet colleague Peter Van Loan, the federal minister responsible for the RCMP. Mr. Kenney, the federal minister for citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, was responding to an exclusive story by SE Calgary... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Another Rash of US Toddlers Shooting Toddlers with Parent's Handgun
BBC News
25 July 2009
Two young children have been shot by their siblings in the space of 24 hours in the United States. In Las Vegas, a two-year-old girl was in a critical condition after being shot by her four-year-old brother at their home, police said. In South Carolina, a four-year-old boy was shot in the stomach by his three-year-old brother after the little boy found a gun. The injured boy was expected to make a full recovery,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Handguns Banned as Ireland Signs New Gun Control Act Into Law
Belfast Telegraph
24 July 2009
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has signed new gun control legislation into law. The act bans handguns in Ireland and also introduces a requirement for referees, background medical checks and standards for the safe keeping of guns in the home for all firearms licence applicants. It also makes it an offence to brandish a realistic imitation firearm in public. Mr Ahern says the legislation is designed to halt the emergence... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Leaves Gun in Car, 5yr-old Kills Himself
Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada)
22 July 2009
The Las Vegas 5-year-old boy who fired a fatal gunshot to his head in a car Monday night found the gun on the console of the car, according to a police report released today. Giovanni Kopystenski died hours after the shooting, which occurred at a Walgreens pharmacy drive-through at Durango and Warm Spring roads. The boy's father, Alex Kopystenski, was talking to the pharmacist when he heard a gunshot and saw his son bleeding... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
5yr-old Las Vegas Boy Kills Himself: Dealer Touts Gun Training for Kids
KVVU-TV News (Nevada)
21 July 2009
LAS VEGAS -- Something as simple as a safety lock could have prevented the death of a 5-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself in the head. Employees at The Gun Store in Las Vegas said all children, especially those with parents who own firearms, should take some kind of safety class. Giovanni Kopystenski died early Tuesday morning at University Medical Center. Police said he was in the car near a Walgreens drive through... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Cache Seized from Licensed Toronto Gun Owner, White Supremacist
National Post (Toronto)
20 July 2009
Police today unveiled a stash of high calibre weaponry and ammunition seized from the Bay Street-area condo of a suspected white supremacist. A .50 calibre sniper rifle and several semi-automatic rifles were among 10 firearms seized. Det. Wayne Fowler described the collection as "lethal," although all the guns were registered and legally owned. Police have charged the man with storing the weapons unsafely. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Turks & Caicos
Tiny Caribbean State (pop. 23,000) Imports Guns, Ammo Worth $2 Million
Turks & Caicos Weekly News
17 July 2009
Almost $2m worth of guns and ammunition has been imported by Islanders in the last three years, the Weekly News can reveal. The alarming number of licensed firearms in the TCI is raising fears that the nation could be headed for the same fate as many of its trigger-happy Caribbean neighbours, plagued by spiralling gun crime. Figures -- contained in the Government's external merchandise trade statistics 2008 -- show that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Burundi
Burundi Police Armouries Audited to Prevent Gun Theft, Diversion
Reuters AlertNet, Media release
29 June 2009
MAG has completed an evaluation of every police weapons storage site in Burundi, aimed at improving the security and management of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). This is the first time MAG has conducted such a systematic and detailed nationwide survey of a country's police armouries. A comprehensive report containing recommendations for safer management and storage of SALW was officially handed to the Director General... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines, United Nations
Warning in Philippine Story '6yr-old Kills Soldier Dad with Own Handgun'
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Editorial
25 June 2009
Private First Class Apolonio Pacioles was home from the battlefield. He had managed to go on leave -- from the Army's 54th Infantry Battalion, based currently somewhere in Mindanao -- just in time for Father's Day. He returned to his house in Quezon City on Saturday, and he was up early the following day. At about 6 a.m, he asked his five-year-old son to do something for him: fetch his service firearm for him. A poignant passage... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Soldier Asks 6yr-old Son to Bring Loaded Gun, Boy Shoots, Kills His Dad
Associated Press
22 June 2009
MANILA, Philippines -- Police say a 6-year-old boy accidentally shot dead his father, a soldier home for Father's Day after fighting Muslim rebels in the south. Police Officer Hermogenes Capili says Private First Class Apolonio Pacioles asked his son to fetch his .45 caliber pistol at their home in Manila's Quezon City suburb early Sunday. Police Officer Edwin dela Cruz says the boy got the weapon and removed its magazine... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa
Gun Owners Could Face Arrest After Disposing of Guns, Say Shooters
South African Press Association
17 June 2009
BLOEMFONTEIN -- Thousands of South African firearm owners who have legally disposed of their firearms could be on the wrong side of the law due to no fault of their own by next month, a hunting body said on Monday. Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa (Chasa) spokesperson Neil Jones said many of its members and members of the public who were under the impression they had "legally disposed of" their firearms could... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mississippi Prison Inmates Working in Police Station Stole 11 Pistols
Associated Press
15 June 2009
ABERDEEN, Mississippi -- A former state inmate pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to steal guns from a police station in the Mississippi Delta and send them to Chicago. Andre Redmond pleaded guilty to four federal charges, including conspiring to steal 11 police pistols from the Greenwood Police Department in 2005 and 2006, according to court records. No sentencing date was immediately announced. Redmond was serving a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia
Serbians Own 1.1 Million Private Guns, Register 15,000 More Each Year
Glas Javnosti (Belgrade)
4 June 2009
BELGRADE -- In Serbia there are approximately 1,150,000 firearms, registered to the name of around 800,000 citizens and companies. According to the records of the Serbian Ministry of Interior, there are around 510,000 pistols and revolvers, while the rest are hunting rifles and small arms. Considering the number of citizens, legal entities and entrepreneurs, Belgrade has the most registered weapons. Discharged... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
New Gun Law Tightens German Background Checks, Age Limits, Storage
Associated Press
28 May 2009
BERLIN -- Germany's cabinet approved legislation that would tighten gun restrictions, two months after a teenager shot and killed 12 people. The law, which requires parliamentary approval, would mean stricter checks on weapons owners and a higher age limit for users of large-caliber weapons. Calls for tougher laws followed the March 11 shooting spree in which Tim Kretschmer, 17 years old, used a pistol taken from his father's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York County Bullet Bill Draws Heavy Fire, Re-election Threats
Albany Times-Union (New York)
27 May 2009
ALBANY -- Some 200 people jammed into the County Legislature chambers Tuesday night, nearly all to send a message to legislators that a proposed law requiring gun shops to register ammunition sales won't stop crime but could halt re-election bids. "The people of your towns, villages and cities are fed up with politics as usual, taxes and politicians who don't listen ...," said Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Law to Record Ammunition Sales Fuels Hot Debate in Upstate New York
Albany Times-Union (New York)
25 May 2009
ALBANY -- One of the most controversial measures to come before the County Legislature in some time is expected to draw an overflow crowd at a public hearing Tuesday night. At issue is a proposed law that would require gun shops to register sales of ammunition, a measure that has been condemned by gun proponents as a back-door means to register guns and learn what weapons people have. Supporters say it is merely an attempt to close... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Thousands More Guns Voluntarily Handed In for Destruction in Australia
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
25 May 2009
Residents of Cootamundra have surrendered the most weapons in NSW during a statewide firearms amnesty that's netted thousands of guns. NSW police said the firearms amnesty, which runs between March 1 and May 31, had resulted in 3,299 firearms being handed in, as of Monday. Police at Cootamundra, in southwest NSW, have collected some 200 illegal guns during the amnesty, which police say is the greatest number of firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
San Francisco Latest Target of Gun Lobby's 'Nationwide Suit-filing Spree'
San Francisco Chronicle
19 May 2009
The National Rifle Association has filed suit against the city of San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Police Chief Heather Fong, taking aim at city laws it contends violate the Second Amendment right to bear arms. The NRA filed the lawsuit in federal court Friday on behalf of six residents and the San Francisco Veteran Police Officers Association. It challenges three provisions of the city's police code that it says interfere... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
New German Gun Law to Ban 'Simulated Killing' Could Include Paintball?
Time (USA)
14 May 2009
BERLIN -- To its fans, paintball may seem like a harmless enough sport, a game of skill and tactics in which teams of players shoot colored paint pellets at one another. But under controversial new gun laws and other measures being considered by the German government, games that are deemed to "simulate the killing" of your opponent -- which, according to some, could include paintball -- may be banned. "This is about a ban on degrading... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany
Germany to Tighten Gun Control, National Firearm Registry, Ban Paintball
Deutsche Welle / AFP
12 May 2009
The Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrat Party agreed on Tuesday evening to reforms to Germany's gun laws, which include a controversial ban on war games like paintball or laser-tag. Both coalition parties still have to approve the negotiated outcomes. The reforms are to be presented to parliament in late May, so that they can be dealt with before the election in September. The draft law would also bar youths... ( gunpolicy.org )
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