United States
Texas Target Shooter Kills 7yr-old Neighbour on Trampoline, Gets 8 Years
Associated Press
4 July 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -- A Central Texas man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of his 7-year-old neighbor has received an eight-year prison sentence. Jose Barrera Espitia told investigators that he was target shooting in the backyard of his rural Hays County home in April 2007 when he accidentally hit and killed the boy, who was jumping on a trampoline. Espitia said he did not see Daniel Galicia jumping... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Courts Across America 'Opening Pandora's Box of New Gun Litigation'
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Column
1 July 2008
The gun lobby at last holds its Holy Grail: a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that the oddly worded Second Amendment, which speaks of a "well regulated militia" in the same sentence as "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," does, in fact, bestow upon individuals a constitutional right to own weapons. Yet it seems that the most extreme crusaders of the right were not sufficiently careful in what they wished for. Even... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Stray Bullet Kills 15yr-old New York Boy, Walking With Friend in Harlem
New York Times
30 June 2008
A 15-year-old boy was killed early Sunday by what appeared to be a stray bullet while walking with a friend in Harlem, the police said. Nathan Allsbrook may not have been the intended target, the authorities said. The boy, Nathan Allsbrook, was shot about 2:30 a.m. at the corner of 127th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, near a deserted site where an apartment building was under construction, the police said. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Against Backdrop of US Gun Ruling, Another Young Victim is Buried
Washington Post
28 June 2008
Walter Robinson was buried yesterday, a week after he died and a day after the Supreme Court ruled that the District's gun ban is unconstitutional. He was 16, and he was shot in the head June 20 in Ward 8, a part of the city where far too many boys have died before reaching adulthood. A student at Ballou High School, he was killed in an apparent accident. The suspect is a 14-year-old friend who appeared yesterday in juvenile court,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Right to Own Guns in America 'Should Not Extend to Assault Weapons'
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
28 June 2008
'Today I didn't even have to use my AK / I got to say it was a good day' -- Ice Cube No one would mistake the Flat Rock area of Powhatan County for South Central Los Angeles. Homicides are a shocking rarity in this slice of rural Virginia, much less those involving an assault rifle. But Powhatan Sheriff Gregory A. Neal said an AK-47 is what killed 18-year-old Tahliek Taliaferro. The AK-47 and its imitators have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Sheriff Says 'Fanatic' Gun Collector Caught by Own 'Perversion'
St. Tammany News (Louisiana)
27 June 2008
Sheriff's Office deputies seized $150,000 in guns from a Slidell area gun collector whose "perversion" with weapons led to picture taking of his 1-year-old son, in diapers, clutching an AK-47 machine gun, Sheriff Jack Strain said Thursday. Fai Yui "Frank" Kwan, 42, 101 Foxcraft Drive, was arrested and charged with several felonies, including two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, when the cache was discovered... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Recent Deadly Mass Shootings in the United States, 2007-2008
Reuters
26 June 2008
Thursday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that individual Americans have the right to own guns is likely to revive the debate over gun ownership and violent crime -- a debate that is periodically ignited by mass shootings in the country. Following is a chronology of some recent deadly mass shootings in the United States: April 16, 2007 -- Virginia Tech, a university in Blacksburg, Virginia, became the site of the deadliest... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Sharp Rise in Gun Homicide Among Young US Black Men - New Study
Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
26 June 2008
Gun-related murder among young men has risen sharply in the United States even as the overall homicide rate remained flat, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Between 1999 and 2005, homicide involving firearms increased 31 percent among black men ages 25 to 44 and 12 percent among white men of the same age. The study appears in the Journal of Urban Health. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Ban Worth Considering, Says Tennessee Juvenile Attorney
Tennessean (Nashville), Opinion
23 June 2008
Current laws on possession of handguns by juveniles are fine and appear to be enforced, from my vantage point in Juvenile Court. But as we all know, handguns continue to be available to Nashville kids. Something more needs to be done. The current laws are not curing the problem. They are a Band-Aid. Kids are still carrying handguns, still being charged with robberies using handguns, and kids are still being injured by handguns.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sri Lanka
35,000 Illegal Guns Said to Be in Sri Lanka, Most Held by Young People
Nation (Colombo)
22 June 2008
Nearly 35,000 illegal firearms are in circulation in Sri Lanka, disclosed South Asian Small Arms Network (Sri Lanka) (SASA Net) Chairman Kingsley Rodrigo, recently said. The situation, Rodrigo pointed out, was exacerbating the prevailing insecurity in the country. He added that majority of those who hold the illegal firearms were the youth. "Around 15,000 weapons had been given to politicians and their supporters during... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Popularity of Imitation Guns Alarms Police: Airguns Injure 20,000 a Year
Washington Post
21 June 2008
An alarm went off one night at Potowmack Elementary School in Sterling, and a surveillance camera recorded the scene: five intruders in masks and hoods darting through hallways and corridors, their assault rifles pointed. In minutes, sheriff's deputies arrived, their own guns loaded and drawn. Only after the gunmen were taken into custody did deputies discover that the assault rifles were replicas -- so-called "airsoft"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
UK Dad Tips Off Police, Son Gets 3yrs' Jail for Illegal Gun Possession
BBC News
20 June 2008
A teenager has been jailed for three years after his father told police he had found bullets in his son's bedroom. Paul Metcalfe's father discovered 11 bullets in the room and called police -- who also found a handgun under the bed. The 19-year-old, of Hibson Road in Nelson, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon and the ammunition at Burnley Crown Court. His father Neil Metcalfe, 43, said he had... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian State Premier Enlists Sweetheart Shooters in Power Push
Crikey (Australia), Web Page
19 June 2008
The Iemma Government has put the future of its power privatisation legislation into the hands of its political enemies in the Coalition, and now it is doing dirty deals with the Shooters Party to scrounge the redneck vote. In the NSW Legislative Council today, Shooters MPs Roy Smith and Robert Jones will be pushing their Firearms Amendment Bill which amends the Firearms Act 1996 brought in following Martin Bryant's massacre at Port... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Shooters Party Gets 2-party Support to Relax Australian State's Gun Law
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
18 June 2008
New gun laws passed in NSW parliament will start unravelling strict measures brought in after the Port Arthur massacre, the NSW Greens say. A bill, passed on Thursday by the upper house, removes the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting for a second or subsequent gun. The Shooters Party-initiated bill also removes the need to register guns made prior to 1900 and introduces more exemptions for people... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Stray Bullet from Police Rifle Kills Boy, Shatters TV in Nigerian Sitting Room
Daily Trust (Abuja)
18 June 2008
MINNA -- A 14 year old boy, Abubakar Onifade was killed in Minna on Monday night by a stray bullet from a police officer while watching television in his father's sitting room. Our correspondent gathered that the stray bullet which went through the door of the sitting room hit the boy, an SS2 student of Hill Top Secondary School Minna on the chest and shattered the television screen. It was also gathered that the tragedy... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Lobbyists Wear Loaded Guns, Complain Police Stop Them on Street
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
18 June 2008
WEST VALLEY CITY -- With his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic holstered on his right hip, Travis Deveraux addressed the mayor and City Council on Tuesday. Deveraux says he has been harassed by West Valley City police for carrying that gun and treated like a criminal. "A criminal does not want [police] attention, and they will not openly carry a gun," Deveraux said. With 10 other gun-toting civilians --... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
15yr-old New York Youth Killed 10yr-old Girl with 'Neighbourhood Gun'
ABC News (USA)
17 June 2008
A teenager is expected to plead not guilty today to charges that he shot and killed a 10-year-old girl with a "community gun" that he allegedly claims was shared by "everyone in the neighborhood." Kathina Thomas was killed late last month after a stray bullet, allegedly fired by 15-year-old Jermayne Timmons, struck her in the back. The crime has shocked the city of Albany and prompted law enforcement to ramp up a crackdown on so-called... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Handguns for Children: Shooters Party Wants Law Relaxed in Australia
ABC News (Australia)
17 June 2008
The Shooters Party has defended its push to allow minors as young as 12 to use high-calibre handguns in shooting competitions. The proposal is contained in a draft bill that is before the New South Wales Upper House. Under the current laws, juniors can only use low-calibre firearms in supervised shooting competitions. The National Coalition for Gun Control says the bill aims to drastically water down the state's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
iPods, Guns as the Norm in American Street Wear - Get Used To It
Boston Globe, Column
16 June 2008
Imagine a child barely tall enough to reach the top drawer of the bedroom dresser. Imagine the child on tip-toes opening the drawer because the forbidden object is hidden there. The naughty thrill of reaching under the socks, the shock of actually touching the thing, finding it cold, as if on ice. Such is my memory of furtive encounters with my father's handgun. At the time, Dad was an FBI agent. Where he stowed his weapon when off-duty... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
More US Preschoolers Shot than Police Officers; US Leads in Gun Death
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Editorial
15 June 2008
Who dies in greater numbers from firearms, police in the line of duty or preschoolers? The answer -- contained in a searing new report by the Children's Defense Fund -- is surprising and disturbing. In 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, guns killed 69 preschoolers, compared with 53 law enforcement officers. That's just one of the alarming facts in the Washington-based child advocacy group's "Protect... ( 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 )
Australia
Shooters Party Accused of Vote Deal to Ease Gun Law in Australian State
Sydney Morning Herald
12 June 2008
A proposal to wind back the gun laws enacted by Bob Carr after the Port Arthur massacre will be taken to cabinet by the Police Minister amid accusations the Government is doing a deal with the Shooters Party to win its support in the upper house for key legislation. The police ministry has provided advice to the Shooters MP Roy Smith on drafting a private member's bill he has introduced that would allow people renewing their gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Group Targets 11-18 Year-old Australian Youth to Become Shooters
ABC News, Wide Bay (Bundaberg), Transcript
11 June 2008
David Dowsett: A division of the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia has published The Junior Shooter. The junior shooting magazine to their parent magazine Australia Shooter has resulted in a fair amount of anger from those representing the anti-gun lobby. While the Sporting Shooters' Association says that shooting and hunting are challenging, exciting and also safe disciplines with a wide variety of competitions, the anti-gun voices... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Gun Group Targets Young Australian Shooters, Uses 'Sexualised Photos'
ABC News, Wide Bay (Bundaberg), Transcript
11 June 2008
David Dowsett: Well, Roland Brown is Chair of the National Coalition for Gun Control, so what does he make of the magazine? Roland, good morning. Roland Brown: Good morning, David, how are you? David Dowsett: Good thanks, Roland, what are your thoughts on this magazine for junior shooters, is it a bit of a concern for you? Roland Brown: It's a concern for me for a couple of reasons. I want to talk about some of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In US Store, 4yr-old Shoots Herself with Grandma's Licensed Purse Gun
Associated Press
10 June 2008
COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A 4-year-old girl shot herself in the chest Monday after snatching her grandmother's handgun from the woman's purse while riding in a shopping cart at a Sam's Club store, authorities said. A witness, Lueen Homewood, said store workers grabbed first-aid materials off store shelves to help the grandmother as she cradled the wounded child near the store's pharmacy, The (Columbia) State newspaper reported... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Louisiana Becomes 16th US State to Repel 'Guns on Campus' Law
Shreveport Times (Louisiana)
10 June 2008
BATON ROUGE -- The possibility of carrying concealed weapons on Louisiana's college campuses was laid to rest Monday when the bill's author decided not to push it to a vote. Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, said he had the support of 45 House members but since 53 votes are needed to pass a bill in the House, he chose not to go forward. "Put the bill on the calendar until next year," Wooton asked House Clerk Butch Speer,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Students Packing Heat Surely Would Liven Up American Campus Life
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh), Column
10 June 2008
Before classes adjourned for the academic year, students at the University of Pittsburgh squared off over whether guns should be legally carried on campus. Although the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus have yet to convince lawmakers to allow them to pack .45s alongside their copies of Roget's Thesaurus, I hear the pro-gunplay group plans a major offensive aimed -- pardon the pun -- at overturning the campus anti-gun policy.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Report Shows New Increase in Child, Teen Gun Deaths in America
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
9 June 2008
Imagine a bullet fired from a semiautomatic pistol, moving through the night darkness faster than the speed of sound -- more than 1,200 feet per second or four football fields end to end. Now imagine that bullet slamming into the body of a child like a brick through a picture window. Hold that image in your mind as you consider some of the leads of recent news articles of child firearm victims: -Chicago, May 3 -Cortney... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Experts Fear Growing Gun Death Rate Among Black Male Teens
Associated Press
9 June 2008
WASHINGTON -- Both violent and property crimes declined in 2007 from the previous year, the FBI reported Monday. But one expert warned the figures could mask rising murder rates among young black men. In preliminary figures for crimes reported to police, the bureau said the number of violent crimes declined by 1.4 percent from 2006, reversing two years of rising violent crime numbers. Violent crime had climbed 1.9 percent in 2006... ( 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 )
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 )
United Kingdom
London Youth Rally Protests Recent Knife, Gun Violence in Britain
BBC News
7 June 2008
At least 2,000 people, including many teenagers, have joined an anti-gun and knife crime march through London. The demonstrators began their walk from Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon which culminated in a rally at Kennington Park, south London. The march, which urged youths to keep off weapons, comes following the deaths of 16 teenagers in London this year. Relatives of youths killed in London also joined... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wants Handgun Registration, Tighter Gun Laws
Tulsa World (Oklahoma) / AP
2 June 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Police Chief Bill Citty called Monday for tighter gun control laws to curb the kind of gang violence that left six teenagers with gunshot wounds following a drive-by shooting in southeast Oklahoma City two days earlier. Citty, speaking at a news conference by a coalition of social services, clergy and community groups opposed to gang violence, said he believes in a citizen's right to carry firearms but that too... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Harlem Shootings: New York Calls Emergency Summit on Gun Violence
NY1 News (New York)
1 June 2008
In response to an increase in shootings throughout the five boroughs, Governor David Paterson attended a brainstorming meeting Sunday with leaders to see what can be done. When gunshots rang out through Harlem last Monday, they resonated all the way to the governor's office. "I wanted to come here today to send a message that government is listening and government is acting," said Paterson. Paterson joined dozens... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
7yr-old Florida Girl Finds Loaded Gun, Shoots Mom: 'You Know, It Went Off'
WPTV News (Florida)
31 May 2008
SUBURBAN BOCA RATON, Florida -- It was just last week when Sharda Brijmohan was napping in her bed. She said she never could have imagined that her first grade daughter would find a gun in a nightstand and shoot her. "She probably, I don't know, in her little mind thought it was not loaded and she took it out and you know, it went off," Brijmohan said. Two shots, one in her arm, another in her chest. Her voice... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Stray Bullet Kills 10yr-old Girl in Albany, New York Street: No Suspects
Albany Times-Union (New York)
30 May 2008
ALBANY -- A 10-year-old girl was shot to death about 8:20 p.m. Thursday -- apparently by a stray bullet -- as she played outside in a West Hill neighborhood, city police said. The girl, identified by police as Katina Thomas, was on her bicycle in front of a home in the 400 block of First Street with a young sibling. When the family came outside they found her bleeding on the ground, Police Chief James Tuffey said. She was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Youth Group Launches Global Week of Action Against Gun Abuse in Nigeria
Leadership (Abuja)
30 May 2008
A coalition group under the auspices of Youth for Peace (YFP), said every year thousand of people die while millions are injured from gunshots which if not redressed, would undermine people's livelihood and security. To this end, the group disclosed that first week of June will be the global week of action against gun abuse, stressing that all stakeholders should participate so as to remind the government of their responsibility... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Encouraging More Hidden Handguns on US Campuses Is a Bad Idea
Times-Picayune (Louisiana), Editorial
26 May 2008
Rep. Ernest Wooton keeps threatening to revive his bill to allow guns on college campuses. He shouldn't. Lifting gun prohibitions from colleges, universities and vocational-technical schools is a bad idea. Rep. Wooton delayed a vote by the House May 12 in the face of opposition to the bill. He said then that he would bring House Bill 199 back up in two weeks, which would be this week. "I intend to stay with this bill,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oakland is Drowning in Guns: California Women Fed Up with Gun Violence
Oakland Tribune (California), Column
26 May 2008
Consider the 127 people who were murdered in Oakland last year and one similarity leaps out: All but 20 were shot to death. It's hardly any secret to any of us who live in the city that Oakland is drowning in guns. And for all of you Second Amendment watchdogs, I'm not talking about guns like my late grandmother's .38 special, which she kept loaded in a nightstand by the side of her bed, despite the crippling arthritis... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
5yr-old Kansas Girl, Hit in Head by Stray Bullet, Makes 'Amazing' Progress
Kansas City Star (Missouri)
24 May 2008
Katherine Cook walks through the doors of The Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City and is greeted with, "Good morning, princess. How are you?" The 5-year-old responds to the man at the front desk as if she doesn't have a care in the world. "I'm fine!" she says in a high-pitched voice. This is the irrepressibly social Katherine that her parents, JoAnne and LaMont Cook, have always known -- easygoing and eager to please.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
Britain Launches New Push Against Youth Gun Crime, Armed Violence
Guardian (UK)
22 May 2008
The government today began a new push against gun and knife gang crime. The initiative is intended to halt the increase in the number of people being killed in violent attacks throughout Britain. Addressing a conference in Birmingham, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, said £5m would be committed to tackle gun and knife crime, while witnesses would be offered anonymity to encourage them to come forward. Smith called... ( 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 )
United Kingdom
Gun Injury Halved, Gun Crime Down as UK Cities Adopt Gang Violence Plan
Press Association (UK)
21 May 2008
An action plan targeting gun and gang violence in four of Britain's major cities has halved the number of firearms-related injuries, according to the Home Office. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the Tackling Gangs Action Programme saw a 51% fall in gun injuries from 93 in October to 46 in February. There was also a 27% decrease in the overall number of gun offences in the four areas -- London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Gunman Uses Assault Weapon to Kill 5 Children, 3 Adults in Philippines
BBC News
19 May 2008
A man has shot eight people dead, five of them children, in a village near the Philippines capital, Manila. The man, reportedly drunk, opened fire in Calamba with a M-16 rifle, and escaped from the scene before he could be arrested by police. Six other people were wounded, after two houses next door to each other came under fire. Five of the dead were under 12 years old, and police speculated that a family feud... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Sleeping Children Killed, 9 Dead in Philippines Family Feud Mass Shooting
Australian (Sydney)
19 May 2008
Nine people, most of them sleeping children, were killed when a farming village was sprayed with automatic gunfire outside the Philippines capital of Manila, police said today. Police had earlier suspected a lone gunman was responsible for the shooting near Calamba town last night. But regional police chief Ricardo Padilla told Reuters several men were involved and that an old feud was believed to be the motive. "We... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago's Deadly Weekend: 40 Shot - A Chronicle of Gun Injury and Death
Chicago Sun-Times
18 May 2008
Angel Ramirez had Friday off, so he enjoyed a late sleep. At 10 o'clock, his mother called to make sure he was up in time to take his grandfather to the doctor as he promised. Angel jumped in the shower, had a bite for breakfast and by noon was on the way to Stroger Hospital with his grandfather in tow. It was already a beautiful day -- clear skies and bright sun that warmed the air enough to pull tulips from their beds... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Students Petition for Tougher Gun Laws, Assault Weapon Ban
CBS News (Chicago)
18 May 2008
CHICAGO -- More students are speaking out against gun violence in their neighborhoods. They met Sunday to show Illinois lawmakers and the governor that they want tougher gun laws. CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports that the high school students have collected more than 1,000 petition signatures. Each stood with their own story of gun violence. "It hurts me to see the youth, because I have a friend who died,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Students Petition State Lawmakers for Common Sense Gun Control
ABC News (USA), Video
18 May 2008
State lawmakers have received 1,000 signatures to represent the 1,000 people in Illinois who die each year from gun violence. High school students from the Chicago area delivered petitions containing those signatures to the lawmakers Sunday calling on them to pass common sense gun laws. As one student, Christine Goggins, looked over the hundreds of pages of petitions, she couldn't help but think of one of her best friends,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana 5yr-old Killed 4yr-old Sister with Dad's Gun: Dad Faces 50yrs in Jail
Indianapolis Star (Indiana), Editorial
12 May 2008
The tragic case of the Booher family presents the community with questions that all but defy answering. What punishment is appropriate for a man already grieving over the death of his 4-year-old daughter at the hand of his 5-year-old son? What new laws might prevent such incidents to any significant degree, given the countless armed households, the determination of citizens to have defense weapons at the ready, and a plain... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Campaign Targets Illinois Lawmakers Who Vote Against Gun Control
Daily Herald (Chicago)
8 May 2008
Postcards with a picture of a handgun and children as targets started appearing in mailboxes and on windshields in a few central Lake County towns this week. The postcards, distributed by representatives of the Brady Campaign, a national gun control advocacy group, criticize Republican state Rep. Sandy Cole of Grayslake for voting against legislation that would require background checks on all handgun sales. "She is against... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica, Brazil
Brazil Youth, Gun Focus May Hold Answer to Jamaica's Gun Crime Problem
Jamaica Gleaner
7 May 2008
A multidimensional strategy including a strong emphasis on improved police-community relations has been credited for Brazil's success in curbing crime in its second largest city. The anti-crime push -- which is also hinged on rehabilitating troubled youths and seizing guns from the streets -- has been critical to Cesar Rubem battling lawlessness in his native Rio de Janeiro. "Our work has tried to look at these three components... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Hidden Handgun Owner Kills Children, Their Mother, Self in Virginia
Free Lance-Star (Virginia)
6 May 2008
A man accused of killing his two small children, their mother and himself Monday night in southern Stafford was heavily armed, police said. Aaron Poseidon Jackson, 24, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was surrounded by guns and scads of ammunition when police found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday night in the Walt Lou Trailer Park off U.S. 1. Before ending his own life, police said, Jackson... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana 5yr-old Finds Parents' Pistol on Top of Wardrobe, Kills 4yr-old Sister
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
4 May 2008
A 5-year-old boy who climbed to the top of a bookcase and found his father's pistol began playing with the weapon and fatally shot his sister today, police said. Officers were dispatched to the 6000 block of Massachusetts Avenue at 10:03 a.m. "They arrived a minute later to find 4-year-old Makayla Booher on the floor of an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head," Indianapolis Metro Police spokesman Sgt. Matt... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illinois Vows to Strip Parents of Gun Rights After Child's 3rd Firearm Offence
Chicago Tribune
30 April 2008
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois House passed legislation Wednesday that would allow the state to permanently revoke the gun rights of parents who repeatedly allow their troubled children to gain access to guns or ammunition. The bill, which heads to the Senate, was drafted in response to a Rockford area case in which a 14-year-old boy shot his 15-year-old friend in the chest with his parents' gun. State officials said the boy had gotten... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Paralysed by Stray Bullet, 7yr-old US Girl Accepts Gunman's Apology
Boston Herald
30 April 2008
Five years after a stray bullet severed her spine as she played on her front porch, 7-year-old Kai Leigh Harriott thanked her shooter today for apologizing from behind bars and urging youngsters to learn from his mistakes. "I would tell him thank you for making an apology because you can inspire so many people by telling them, 'Don't do bad things,' " Kai Leigh said after watching Anthony Warren's videotaped apology at a Dorchester... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
South Carolina 18yr-old Arrested for Shooting Parents, Brother, Sister
Associated Press
28 April 2008
EASLEY, South Carolina -- A teenager who had recently moved back home after breaking up with his live-in girlfriend is accused of gunning down and killing four family members, stunning friends and neighbors. Nathaniel Dickson, 18, was arrested Saturday night at a home in Belton about 20 miles from where the bodies of his father, stepmother, stepsister and younger brother were found, authorities said. Those who knew Dickson... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago 'Doesn't Dare Stop Trying' to Confront Carnage, Curb Gun Violence
Chicago Sun-Times, Editorial
25 April 2008
We can't stop trying. The problem is guns. No, it's not about guns. The problem is bad parents. No, we can't make bad parents good. The problem is drugs. No, we can't stop the drugs. The problem is jobs. No, we can't bring back the good jobs. The problem is our schools. No, we can't ask our schools to solve all the problems that flow from broken families and broken neighborhoods. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Now Touts Guns at Virginia Tech
Associated Press
25 April 2008
BLACKSBURG, Virginia -- The online weapons dealer who sold one of the guns used in the Virginia Tech shootings visited the campus, a decision the school's spokesman called "terribly offensive." Dealer Eric Thompson spoke at the school Thursday night as part of a weeklong demonstration in favor of allowing people to carry concealed weapons at colleges. "For people who want to arm themselves, there shouldn't be policies in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Slams Visit by Gun Dealer Who Armed Campus Shooters
New York Times / The Lede, Blog
25 April 2008
Many news accounts have accurately described Eric Thompson as the owner of an online firearms store linked to two mass shootings -- Seung-Hui Cho bought a gun there, Steve Kazmierczak bought ammunition. In attacks less than a year apart, they killed 37 people at two universities. But his company tells a more complicated story, explaining that an "unfortunate twist of fate is spurring him to take a more active role in protecting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Mayor Calls Urgent Summit to Tackle Spate of Gun Crime
Chicago Sun-Times
24 April 2008
Determined to stop the bloodbath on Chicago streets, Mayor Daley has summoned police, school, religious and community leaders to his City Hall office on Friday to search for solutions to gun violence. In less than a week, 40 people have been shot in Chicago and 12 have been killed, five of them in a Chatham home. Daley has tried rolling back curfew by 30 minutes -- to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends -- and pressuring... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealer Sold to Campus Killers, Touts Cheap Guns at Virginia Tech
CNN
24 April 2008
The owner of a company that sold firearm merchandise to both the Virginia Tech University and Northern Illinois University shooters said he will sell his guns at cost for the next two weeks in hopes that "law-abiding" citizens will buy them to prevent similar tragedies. A gunman killed 32 people in April 2007 at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg. "I want to help people save lives," Eric Thompson said Thursday. He was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Tech Gun Dealer Offers Student Discount, Touts Pistols on Campus
ABC News (USA)
24 April 2008
The owner of an Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. The company, TGSCOM Inc., also sold two 9mm Glock magazines to Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five people at Northern Illinois University earlier this year. The owner of TGSCOM, Eric Thompson, announced today that for the next... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Newspaper Prints Front Page in Reverse to Highlight Gun Violence
Editor and Publisher (USA)
22 April 2008
CHICAGO -- To draw attention to the launch of a campaign to stop gun violence against children, the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday printed its front page in reverse. "Stop the killing," the bold headline read in mirror image. "Turning our backs doesn't help," the newspaper said in normal type beneath a photo of the backs of pedestrians waiting at a street corner. The tabloid said it was kicking off a series examining... ( gunpolicy.org )
World
Internet Sleuths Could Scour Web for Gunmen, Prevent Campus Shootings
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
22 April 2008
Alone in his bedroom, week after week, the young killer-in-waiting stares into his computer screen, plotting the worst and telling the world. But his plans to shoot up his high school or university campus never materialize. Instead, there's an early-morning door knock from police who've been stealthily tracking his online activities. A plausible scenario? Could mass school shootings be averted with cyberspace snooping and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Nine People Shot Dead in 36 Shootings Over the Weekend in Chicago
Associated Press
22 April 2008
CHICAGO -- Nine people were killed in 36 shootings over the weekend in Chicago, reflecting what some community leaders say is a deadly breakdown in discipline among gang members after a crackdown over the past few years put many of their leaders behind bars. "The older guys in the past looked out for the little ones. Now they're all locked up," said Nick Stames, a social studies teacher at Crane Tech High School on the city's gang-ridden... ( gunpolicy.org )
Iraq
To Curb Children's Aggressive Behaviour, Iraq Mulls Ban on Toy Gun Imports
Associated Press
22 April 2008
BAGHDAD -- A parliamentary committee is drafting a bill that would ban imports of toy guns and fireworks into Iraq, hoping to curb increasingly aggressive behavior among children who have grown up amid real war, a lawmaker said Tuesday. "The culture of violence has prevailed in our society and controlled the Iraqi family, and that has affected the culture of children," said Samira al-Moussawi, head of parliament's committee on children... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Weekend of Gun Violence Kills at Least 7, Wounds Dozens in Chicago
Chicago Tribune
22 April 2008
Weekend gun violence in Chicago that sparked heightened concern from city leaders and the public killed at least seven people and left three dozen wounded, officials reported Monday. The weekend shootings came as warm temperatures in the Chicago area drew many people outdoors. Thirteen of the victims were Chicago Public School students, Mayor Richard Daley said Monday. "One thing we know, it's unacceptable. Whether it's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
In Year After Virginia Tech Campus Killings, US Gun Laws Were Relaxed
Sunday Mirror (UK)
20 April 2008
A year ago this week I stood at a candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech University in America and watched a campus mourn. A day earlier Seung-hui Cho, a mentally disturbed undergraduate, armed himself to the teeth, walked calmly into the university building and shot dead 32 students and five members of staff. He then blasted himself in the head. It was the worst college massacre in American history and for days afterwards... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Georgia Lawmaker Claims Support for More Hidden Handguns in US Schools
Augusta Chronicle (Georgia)
19 April 2008
In light of some shootings on college campuses in the past year, some students and faculty in Georgia are pushing for the right to carry handguns on campus. A proposal in the Georgia Legislature earlier this year that would have allowed gun-toting students and faculty on college campuses failed, but part of the legislation remained allowing permitted gun holders on public transit and in restaurants. Some still hold out... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Michigan Students Rally to Oppose 'Guns on Campus' Policy Change
Grand Rapids Press (Michigan)
17 April 2008
GRAND RAPIDS -- About 65 Calvin College students are marching on campus this afternoon to protest a plan to have campus safety supervisors carry handguns. Students carried "no guns" signs and chanted "No more weaponry. We want community," as they walked peacefully from the campus green to the president's home. School leaders plan to begin the gun policy this fall. The board is expected to approve the plan next month, making... ( gunpolicy.org )
Finland
Report on Finland's Campus Mass Shooting Sees Little Hope of Prevention
International Herald Tribune
17 April 2008
TUUSULA, Finland -- Five months after an 18-year-old student killed eight people at a Finnish school before turning the gun on himself, authorities say they can do little to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. A police investigation that wrapped up on Thursday concluded 18-year-old gunman Pekka-Eric Auvinen acted alone in the November 7 shooting. In the days and hours before the massacre the teenager posted messages detailing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto Mayor Joins 11yr-old Gun Victim's Family in Handgun Ban Petition
Grand Falls-Windsor Advertiser (Newfoundland)
17 April 2008
Verdon Brown, the uncle of 11-year-old Ephraim Brown, has found a new ally in his struggle to have handguns banned in Canada. The Peterview resident, like his brother Gerald and wife Lorna, the parents of Ephraim, was devastated when the little boy was shot to death at a neighbourhood birthday party for a relative, having the misfortune of being caught in the crossfire of a gang shoot out. Ephraim had been looking forward... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ignoring Virginia Tech: Hardened Pre-existing Opinions and No Gun Control
Time (USA)
15 April 2008
A year after the deadliest shooting in America, when a sad and angry English major killed 32 people and himself at the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech, only modest changes have been made to the country's gun control laws. These days it appears that the most lasting effect of mass-casualty shootings is to harden people's pre-existing opinions on emotionally loaded issues like gun control and privacy rights. While it's true that... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro-gun US Students Lobby to Carry Hidden Handguns on Campus, in Class
CNN
15 April 2008
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- "Would you rather just sit there and cower underneath a desk when someone executes you or would you rather have a chance to defend your life? That's what it really boils down to." Michael Flitcraft, a 23-year-old sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, has become a leading advocate for college students to carry weapons on campus. He's an organizer for Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, a grass-roots organization... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Stray Bullet Kills Innocent Californian Man as Gang Drive-by Sprays Street
Modesto Bee (California)
15 April 2008
A father of four visiting Modesto from Long Beach for the Cambodian new year died after being hit by a stray bullet fired Sunday evening during what police believe was a gang-related fight. Chanthol Ouk was an innocent bystander, Modesto police spokesman Sgt. Craig Gundlach said. Ouk, pronounced "oak," used to live in Modesto but moved to Long Beach 11 years ago, said his friend, Dottie Vath, 37, of Modesto. Ouk often visited... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Drive-by Gang Shooting Injures 23mth-old Girl in Canadian Tribal Settlement
CBC News (Canada)
14 April 2008
Local gangs are to blame for a drive-by shooting Sunday that left a 23-month-old girl in critical condition, the chief of the Samson First Nation said Monday. Marvin Yellowbird said gang violence has reached a crisis level in the Hobbema area, about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton, which is home to a number of First Nation groups. Yellowbird has called a special meeting of the tribal administration to discuss how to deal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado College Students Want Law to Allow Hidden Handguns at School
Associated Press
12 April 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS -- College students who say they're powerless against campus attacks by gunmen want to push legislators and school administrators to let them arm themselves. In the wake of recent campus shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, a nationwide student group called Students for Concealed Carry on Campus says they've recruited 25,000 members in the last year. John Davis, a 30-year-old University... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Teen Boys Stole Handguns from Iowa Gun Show Stand, Home Burglary
Cedar Rapids Gazette (Iowa)
11 April 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS -- Additional charges have been filed against two Iowa City teenagers accused of stealing guns from a gun show at Hawkeye Downs in January. Tyler H. Carter, 17, of 2065 Little Creek Lane, and Ethan S. Johnston, 18, of 2889 IWV Rd. SW, are now facing charges in both Linn and Johnson counties of trafficking in stolen weapons, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine ranging from $750 to $7,500.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
10yr-old Ohio Boy Found Parents' Handgun, Killed 11yr-old Sister, Say Police
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) / AP
10 April 2008
CLEVELAND -- An 11-year-old girl died Wednesday after being shot in the head by her 10-year-old brother, who found a handgun while searching for school clothes in a closet, police said. Andrea Williams was shot Tuesday night at home, said police Lt. Thomas Stacho. She died Wednesday morning at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Stacho said the boy pulled the .22-caliber revolver from the closet and asked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
3yr-old Son of California Sheriff's Deputy Finds Dad's Service Gun, Dies
Sacramento Bee (California)
7 April 2008
A 3-year-old boy -- the son of a Sutter County sheriff's deputy -- died at his Yuba County home Sunday night when he accidentally shot himself with his father's service handgun, according to police. The boy, Tyler Whiteaker, is the child of Sgt. David Whiteaker, 33, an 11-year veteran of the Sutter County Sheriff's Department and himself the son of a retired deputy. Emergency personnel arrived at the home at 9:14 p.m. Sunday,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
3 Year-old Detroit Girl Shoots Herself in the Head with Parents' Handgun
Detroit Free Press (Michigan)
6 April 2008
A 3-year-old girl, who found a gun in a bedroom in her home on Detroit's west side, shot herself in the head this afternoon. Detroit Police said the shooting took place at the girl's home in the 12800 block of Lahser around 2:30 p.m. The girl found the handgun, reportedly owned by one of her parents, and shot herself in the right side of the head. At least one of her parents was home at the time of the shooting. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom
British Gun Control Group Deplores Sale of 'Bullet Proof' Hoodies to Youth
United Press International
5 April 2008
A London company is defending its invention of a bullet-proof hoodie from criticism from anti-gun groups. Barry Samms, owner of Bladerunner, said the product is designed to protect people from violent attacks, The Times of London reported Friday. "Our current customers range from undercover police officers to concerned parents," he said. Some gun control advocates said the product, which is scheduled to go on sale... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Teacher Arrested After Students Find Handgun in Her Class
Los Angeles Times
4 April 2008
A Santa Ana elementary school teacher was arrested after students found a handgun and ammunition in the drawer of a supply cabinet of her classroom, officials said Thursday. Jayne DeArmond, 51, a third-grade teacher at Diamond Elementary School, was arrested on charges of felony possession of a firearm on a campus and misdemeanor child endangerment after students discovered the unloaded handgun and ammunition about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio Man Took Assault Rifle to Work, Fired Out Window, Shot 14yr-old Girl
Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio)
4 April 2008
A Morrow man who accidentally shot a 14 year-old girl Thursday will answer to a Hamilton County judge at 9 a.m. this morning. Cameron Barrett, 23, is held at the Hamilton County jail this morning on charges of assault, records show. He took an AR-15 assault rifle to work and fired one round into the street, Sharonville police said. The bullet hit a black Dodge Durango through the passenger side door while the vehicle was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon
Stray Bullets Often Kill Passersby, Children in Lebanese Celebratory Gunfire
Agence France Presse
4 April 2008
The frequent celebratory gunfire in this heavily armed city is killing Beirut, literally, as one man's burst of joy turns into another's mourning. The parents of 14-year-old Ahmed Ali al-Sahili know this all too well -- they lost their son when a bullet pierced his skull as he played outside their home in the capital's suburbs. And Sonia Saade, 49, thought her ulcer was acting up when a pain so sudden and sharp knocked... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Washington DC Scales Back Plan to Search Kids' Homes for Guns, Drugs
Washington Post
4 April 2008
D.C. police have scaled back plans to go door-to-door asking residents in high-crime neighborhoods whether officers can search their homes for guns as part of a new amnesty program aimed at getting weapons off the streets. The Safe Homes program instead will be offered by appointment only at residents' request, said Chief Cathy L. Lanier. The program was supposed to begin last month but was delayed after a backlash from... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Connecticut 9yr-old Steals Gun, Shoots Father: Dad Faces Gun Charges
WTNH-TV News (Connecticut)
3 April 2008
MIDDLETOWN -- A 9-year old son got his hands on one of his father's guns and now the father faces a list of charges. "They were under lock and key," Joseph Simonelli, of East Hampton, said. When asked how his son accessed the gun, Simonelli said, "He broke the lock." Leaving Middletown Superior Court after posting $10,000 bond, Simonelli insists he is a victim, not a criminal. Simonelli was accidentally shot Sunday... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns, Fear, the Constitution, and the Public's Health in America - NEJM
New England Journal of Medicine (USA), 358:14:1421-1424, Opinion
3 April 2008
It is 1992, and schoolmates Yoshihiro Hattori and Webb Haymaker have been invited to a Halloween party. Yoshi, a 16-year-old exchange student and avid dancer, wears a white tuxedo like John Travolta's in Saturday Night Fever. By mistake, they stop at a house up the block from their destination. No one answers the doorbell. Inside are Rodney and Bonnie Peairs. She opens a side door momentarily, sees the boys, and yells to her husband,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Handgun Violence, Public Health, and the Law: America's Situation Today
New England Journal of Medicine (USA) 358:14:1503-1504, Editorial
3 April 2008
Firearms were used to kill 30,143 people in the United States in 2005, the most recent year with complete data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [1] A total of 17,002 of these were suicides, 12,352 homicides, and 789 accidental firearm deaths. Nearly half of these deaths occurred in people under the age of 35. When we consider that there were also nearly 70,000 nonfatal injuries from firearms, we are left with the staggering... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
20 Chicago Public School Students Fatally Shot So Far This School Year
Washington Post
2 April 2008
CHICAGO -- Chavez Clarke, 18, had spent this past Saturday taking catch-up classes so he could graduate on time. As he left a South Side high school that afternoon, he was fatally shot, in broad daylight and in plain view of other students. His death marked a grim end to a week when police and school officials had stepped up their efforts to combat a spike in killings of public school students. The day before, an eighth-grader at... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US States Lower Handgun Ownership Age from 21 to 18, 16, 14yr-olds
State (South Carolina) / AP
2 April 2008
COLUMBIA, South Carolina --People as young as 18 can now buy and own handguns in South Carolina. Gov. Mark Sanford signed a bill into law Wednesday to lower the minimum age from 21. "People who are old enough to fight and die in the military should be able to purchase handguns, and the bill will put our laws more in line with those of other states," Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said. The law went into effect immediately.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
300 Rally for Gun Control Following Shooting Death of 20th Chicago Student
Chicago Sun-Times
1 April 2008
Three hundred anti-violence activists and Chicago Public Schools students joined local leaders in their fight for gun control this morning following the shooting death of an 18-year-old Simeon Career Academy student over the weekend. "It's up to the children to tell the adults to do what's right," Mayor Daley said while standing outside the Thompson Center next to 20 empty desks representing the 20 CPS students killed in shootings... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Another US 7-year-old Brings Loaded Guns to School, This Time in Baltimore
CNN
1 April 2008
A 7-year-old first-grader showed up at school Monday with two loaded handguns, Baltimore County, Maryland, police told CNN Tuesday. One of the guns was discovered about 10:15 a.m. when it fell out of the student's pocket at Randallstown Elementary School, just outside of Baltimore, police said. The teacher immediately took the student to the office and police were called. After police arrived, they searched the child's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Several Hundred Children, Teachers, Mayor Rally for Gun Control in Illinois
CNN / AP
1 April 2008
CHICAGO, Illinois -- Twenty desks -- enough to fill a classroom -- sat empty in a downtown plaza Tuesday, each bearing a pair of sneakers and representing a Chicago Public Schools student killed by gunfire this school year. Several hundred more sat empty in city schools, as busloads of teens skipped classes to attend a gun-control rally -- their absences sanctioned by the district, whose CEO says he's angry that too many students... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
America's Founders Didn't Foresee Bloodshed, Mass Murder on Campus
Austin American-Statesman (Texas), Opinion
31 March 2008
"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? [T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of the government, but in the hands of the people." -- Federalist Tench Coxe proposing the Right to Bear Arms in 1791 Today gun legislation is plagued by loopholes and lack of information, the power of the sword is, unfortunately, increasingly to be found in the hands of our children and mentally ill. Two centennials ago, Coxe could... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Murder Now Leading Cause of US Youth Death: 81 Percent Is Gun Homicide
New York Times / AP
27 March 2008
CHICAGO -- The morning trip to school for dozens of teenagers here had all the normal signs: bleary eyes, oversized jackets zipped up against the chill, the seemingly endless wait for the bus. But there was tension underlying the routine: The trip was under the watchful eyes of parents, an alderman, a principal and police. The escort to and from Crane Tech High School this week, dubbed "Operation Safe Passage" is just one... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Oklahoma Legislators Encourage Students, Staff to Carry Guns on Campus
Bloomberg (USA)
27 March 2008
Oklahoma lawmakers have a plan to prevent violent outbreaks at colleges: let students carry guns. The state's House of Representatives voted March 13 to allow students and employees who have law-enforcement or military backgrounds, or who undergo training, to carry concealed weapons on public campuses. If the measure is enacted, Oklahoma will be the fourth state where collegians can be armed legally, as a result of legislative,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Public School Students Just Hope to Survive Each Violent Day
Chicago Defender (Illinois)
26 March 2008
Five Chicago Public School (CPS) students were shot and killed in the first two weeks of March, bringing the year's total to 18. But amid the media uproar, a critical set of victims has been overlooked; the students left behind, who struggle to lead normal high school lives in a culture of gun violence and death. The Defender met with a group of 16 and 17-year-old Black male students at John Hope College Prep High School,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maine Decides to Prohibit Direct Gun Sales to 16 and 17yr-old Youths
Boston Globe
26 March 2008
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Maine is tightening up its regulations on purchases of guns by youths. Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday signed a bill that prohibits sales of firearms to 16 and 17 year-olds. The law will allow exceptions for sales by a parent, foster parent or guardian -- or if the young buyer gets permission from one of those. Violations can lead to a maximum fine of $500. Most bills become law three months after... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Neighbour Killed 7yr-old on Trampoline: Backyard Gunfire Still Legal in Texas
KVUE-TV News (Texas)
26 March 2008
AUSTIN, Texas -- Shooting guns in some Hays County neighborhoods will remain legal, despite the recent death of a little boy. "It's pretty difficult still ... and depressing, too," said 16 year old Julianna Galicia whose brother was killed by a stray bullet last year. Daniel Galicia, 7, was killed outside their home east of Kyle in April. He was jumping on the trampoline when a neighbor's stray bullet hit him. It... ( gunpolicy.org )
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