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Unintentional gunshot injury and prevention
Russian Boy Unintentionally Kills Brother with Unregistered Gun
12 May 2013
Reuters
A 7-year-old Russian boy told investigators he had shot and killed his 4-year-old brother by accident with their grandfather's rifle on Sunday, law enforcement authorities said.
The boy said he and his brother had found the gun under a bed in their grandparents' house in the Siberian town of Bukachacha and were playing with it on the porch while the adults slept, the federal Investigative Committee said.
The boy said he accidentally pulled the trigger while trying to... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Why Real Guns That Look Like Toys Should be Banned
9 May 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
CHICAGO — Two summers ago, my husband and I took our sons to a shooting range for multiple days of firearms training with a certified instructor. Our logic was simple: In our low-income community with lots of gang activity, it was laughable to imagine that our boys wouldn't someday find themselves in a situation where a pal had brought a gun to school or asked them to come see his parents' gun.
Did we want them to clumsily handle a deadly weapon — seduced by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Scottish Man Dies After Being Accidentally Shot in Car
9 May 2013
Daily Record (Scotland)
A young dad bled to death after an accidental shooting on his family farm.
Adam Hepburn, 22, was in his Land Rover with another man when a rifle went off.
A high-velocity bullet passed through the father-of-one's left thigh, leaving him writhing in agony.
The other man in the Freelander 4x4 dialled 999 and rushed Adam on a 10-mile trip to Hawick Cottage Hospital, which does not have an accident and emergency department.
An ambulance raced to the hospital, where... (GunPolicy.org)
US Girl's Death By Gunshot is Rejected as Symbol
5 May 2013
New York Times
BURKESVILLE, Kentucky — Last Monday, Kristian Sparks and his sister, Caroline, visited a Fred's Super Dollar store here. A store manager recalled that it was an ordinary shopping trip, saying that the boy was outgoing and energetic, his little sister was cute and their grandmother was "like any grandmother — she bought them anything they wanted."
The next day Kristian, 5, shot and killed his 2-year-old sister with a gun marketed for children as "My First Rifle" in... (GunPolicy.org)
Five-Year-Old US Boy Accidentally Kills Sister With His Own Rifle
1 May 2013
Reuters
A 2-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother with a rifle he received as a birthday gift, Kentucky authorities said on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Burkesville, Kentucky, a community in the south-central part of the state, when the boy was playing with the .22-caliber rifle and accidentally shot his sister in the chest, state police said.
The boy had received the Crickett "youth model" gun for his birthday in... (GunPolicy.org)
Questions Over Gun Ownership Rates in Israel as Gun Crime, Theft Rises
26 April 2013
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
A 36-year-old mother of four was killed Tuesday by a gunshot in the Galilee village of Rama. Preliminary evidence shows she was killed while her husband, a career soldier in the Israeli army, who possesses a registered weapon as part of his duties, was cleaning his weapon. The loaded firearm apparently discharged a bullet by accident, hitting the woman.
This incident raises – yet again – the question of whether there is a need for all members of the Israeli armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Banned Gun Owner Accidentally Kills Self in Austria with Illegal Handgun
24 April 2013
Croatian Times
An Austrian man banned from owning a gun after police ruled that he was not mature enough accidentally shot himself in the head after buying an illegal handgun in his local pub.
38-year-old Walter Mainz proved that police had a point when he took the gun out to show his pals at his home in Löffelbach, Austria, and then removed the magazine believing this meant that the gun was unloaded.
But he didn't realise that one bullet was still inside the gun, and when he put... (GunPolicy.org)
The Gun Fighter: Garen Wintemute's Battle for US Gun Violence Research
24 April 2013
Nature
With his crisp blue suit and wire-framed spectacles, Garen Wintemute hardly looked frightening as he stepped to the podium last month to address a conference on paediatric emergency medicine in San Francisco, California. But his presence there made the organizers nervous.
Wintemute, an emergency-department doctor, is better known as the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California (UC), Davis. As such, he has published dozens of... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promises Gun Violence Prevention - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promising Path to Reducing Gun Violence - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,England & Wales,United States,Macedonia,Croatia,Slovenia,Kosovo,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Montenegro,Serbia
Citizens in Former Yugoslavia 'Traumatised and Heavily Armed'
10 April 2013
Washington Post
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The wars from 1991 to 1999 as Yugoslavia broke up took up to 200,000 lives, turned millions into refugees and left much of the region's people traumatized and heavily armed. It was the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The millions of weapons that remained in possession of civilians after the fighting have caused fatalities every week, as traumatized former soldiers either shoot family members or commit suicide or... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Lobby Group Plans Giving Guns to Homeowners to Fight Crime
7 April 2013
The DePaulia (USA)
The nonprofit organization known as the Armed Citizen Project recently announced its plans to start a gun giveaway in Tucson, Ariz., that would function as a crime-fighting measure.
Fighting guns with guns? It's a novel idea. Undoubtedly, this will create a world of controversy, especially in a city such as Tucson, which was the site of the shooting of former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the mass killing of six other people in 2011.
Yet the measure, which is... (GunPolicy.org)
New US Research Proves Guns in Homes are Health Hazard
25 March 2013
New York Daily News
According to a poll released this month by the Pew Research Center, nearly half of American gun owners report that their main reason for having a gun is protection; fewer than a third own a gun primarily for hunting. This is a striking change from 1999, when nearly half of gun owners kept firearms mainly for hunting and only about one quarter cited protection as their most important reason.
Pew's results might make sense if violent crime were surging. But it's not.... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns and Family Violence: How Many Tragedies Does It Take?
25 March 2013
al Jazeera, Opinion
On December 1, 2012, NFL linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins. He then drove to Arrowhead Stadium and then shot and killed himself in front of his two coaches and the general manager of his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 14, 2013, South African track star Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the bathroom door of his home. Two well-known athletes, two horrifying acts. While we don't know... (GunPolicy.org)
Child-Proof Medicine Bottles Save Lives. So Could Child-Proof Guns
22 March 2013
New York Times, Opinion
For nearly two months, my assistant, Jennifer Mascia, and I have been publishing a daily blog in which we aggregate articles about shootings from the previous day. Of all the stories we link to, the ones I find hardest to read are those about young children who accidentally shoot themselves or another child. They just break my heart. Yet Jennifer and I find new examples almost every day.
Partly, I react by thinking, "How can anyone be so stupid as to leave a loaded gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths: How Australia Stepped Off "The American Path"
12 March 2013
American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Australia and the United States share many characteristics. Both are English-speaking democracies of multicultural immigrants. The 2 nations have been allies for nearly a century. Australians and Americans consume similar diets of movies, video games, popular music, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Both have vast interiors, early histories of armed European settlers mistreating native populations, plenty of feral pests to shoot, and many firearm enthusiasts. Yet the 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
The Need for Improved Firearms Control in South Africa - Analysis
11 March 2013
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
In his affidavit before the court, South African 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius stated that he kept a 9mm pistol underneath his bed because he was scared of criminals.
Following the events in the early hours of 14 February 2013 that saw him fatally shoot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, he now faces charges of murder. This is not the first such case. In 2009 Johannesburg homeowner Warren Voster accidentally killed his domestic worker's 12-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
More Gun Laws May Be Linked to Lower Rates of US Gun Fatalities: Study
6 March 2013
Journal of the American Medical Association
METHOD
Importance - Over 30 000 people die annually in the United States from injuries caused by firearms. Although most firearm laws are enacted by states, whether the laws are associated with rates of firearm deaths is uncertain.
Objective - To evaluate whether more firearm laws in a state are associated with fewer firearm fatalities.
Design - Using an ecological and cross-sectional method, we retrospectively analyzed all firearm-related deaths reported to the... (GunPolicy.org)
American Doctors Beg Govt to be Able to Do Gun Research
28 February 2013
NBC News (USA)
Dr. William Begg wiped away tears as he pleaded with Congress on Wednesday to help rescind laws that limit medical research into gun deaths and that restrict doctors from asking patients about guns in their homes.
Begg's testimony highlighted a growing battle between some doctors and some gun advocates over whether federal health dollars should be spent on research into gun violence, and on whether doctors should counsel their patients about gun safety.
Medical groups... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen in Court After Taking Gun to School to Impress
21 February 2013
Local (Germany)
A 15-year-old German boy who became embroiled in a tense armed stand-off with police after taking guns into his school has been sentenced to four and a half years in youth custody.
The boy, then 14, who was not named, was in a fragile state after splitting up with his girlfriend in May and took the weapons in to his classroom.
He did not go with the intention of creating a bloodbath, ruled the regional court in Memmingen, southern Germany, but rather of impressing his... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Athlete Case Shows Risk of Having Guns at Home
18 February 2013
Guardian (UK)
There is a rule in screenwriting that if you introduce a gun into a scene, at some point you must use it. The rule applies to real life too. That's how Reeva Steenkamp lost her life. A gun appeared in her story, and she got shot dead. Regardless of the circumstances, when guns are near people, they kill people.
I know the gun fraternity will say that it was Oscar Pistorius who pulled the trigger, and not the rest of the gun community out there. But that's what... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Gun Culture in Spotlight After Athlete's Murder Charge
14 February 2013
Telegraph (UK), Video
About one citizen in every 20 owns a registered firearm and millions more weapons circulate illegally. The gnawing fear of violent crime is such that most houses are surrounded by walls and barbed wire, often electrified to deter intruders.
The wealthier neighbourhoods of Pretoria and Johannesburg are patrolled by armed guards from private security firms, who can be summoned at the touch of a panic button.
Even so, many people opt to live – like Oscar Pistorius –... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder-Accused South African Athlete 'Enjoys' Target Shooting
14 February 2013
Guardian (UK), Video
Oscar Pistorius the Paralympic star and inspiration to millions around the world, was contemplating his future from a police cell on Thursday night after being charged with murdering his girlfriend.
In a drama that stunned South Africa and admirers abroad, Pistorius allegedly fired four bullets into Reeva Steenkamp's head, chest and arm at his home in the capital, Pretoria, in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The life of the glamorous athlete, known as the Blade... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Europe,Sudan,South Africa,Colombia,Finland,Estonia,United States
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysian Journalist Dies in Lebanon Gun Accident
4 February 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR - A Malaysian journalist was killed in a firearm accident in Lebanon on Saturday.
Claudia Theophilus, 42, who worked as a web producer with Al-Jazeera English news agency, died after a rifle - which she was looking at, went off accidentally about 2.30am (8.30am Malaysian time).
The incident happened in Baakleen - 45km from Beirut.
Malaysian ambassador to Lebanon Ilango Karuppannan said Theophilus died shortly after she arrived at a general hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Fact-Check: Dispelling Pro-Gun Myths in America
31 January 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica to Tighten Gun Control, as Gun Crime Rises
25 January 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Two years ago, 32 women, 48 children and 172 men were killed by firearms in Costa Rica.
Those statistics glow from backlit posters on Avenida Escazú, southwest of the capital, and overlook highways in Curridabat, east of the city, emblazoned on giant billboards.
"The goal is to inform people that firearms in general have a negative effect," said Randal Arias, director of the governance and justice program at Costa Rica's Peace and Democracy Foundation and manager of... (GunPolicy.org)
5 People Shot at 3 Different Gun Shows on US Gun Appreciation Day
19 January 2013
Think Progress
If the gun advocates behind this year's inaugural Gun Appreciation Day had hoped to use the day's festivities to build support for their anti-regulation platform, they are going to have to wait another year.
Emergency personnel had to be called to the scene of the Dixie Gun and Knife Show in Raleigh, North Carolina after a gun accidentally discharged and shot two people at the show's safety check-in booth just after 1 pm. Both victims were transported to an area... (GunPolicy.org)
Iceland: Plenty Of Guns, But Hardly Any Violence
17 January 2013
International Business Times (USA)
The tragic shooting deaths of 26 people, including 20 small children, at an elementary school in Connecticut last year has cast a harsh glare on U.S. gun laws and the political power and influence of the National Rifle Association.
Even a political leader in Iceland, a tiny island country of only about 320,000 souls near the Arctic Ocean, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding America's obsession with guns.
According to the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper,... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraqis Celebrate Soccer Win with Fatal Gunfire, Authorities Blame Culture
17 January 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Prague), Blog
Iraq's soccer team sparked widespread jubilation across the country on January 15 when Ahmad Khalil's last-gasp goal gave them victory over Bahrain in the semifinals of the Gulf Cup.
Now only the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) stands between "The Lions of Mesopotamia" and their first major international trophy since they surprised the world by winning the Asian Cup in 2007.
In a proud soccer country that has long been starved of success, it's no surprise that many... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Death Rate Falls After Gun Buyback, Law Change Says MP
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Since the 1997 gun buyback, your chance of being a victim of gun violence has more than halved. Yet as Monday's Herald pointed out, the number of guns in Australia has increased by nearly one-fifth over the same period. What's going on?
The simplest answer is that the population is a fifth larger than it was in 1997. In reality, Australia has about as many guns per person as we did after the gun buyback. The only way to conclude the gun buyback has been undone is to... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Teen Dies in Airgun Shooting, Lobby Says No Law Change Needed
14 January 2013
Radio New Zealand
A post-mortem has revealed an 18-year-old killed in an airgun accident in Auckland was shot through the heart.
Shaun Townsley was fatally shot while he and a group of friends were drinking and firing air rifles and air pistols at cans at his home in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Saturday evening.
Police say the shooting appeared to be accidental but an investigation is looking at whether charges relating to careless or dangerous use of a firearm should be... (GunPolicy.org)
Curbing Gun Violence in America: Lessons From Public Health Successes
7 January 2013
Journal of the American Medical Association
The tragic slaughter of innocents in Newtown, Connecticut, has horrified and refocused the nation on the burden of gun violence. Each year in the United States, more than 30 000 individuals are killed by guns (homicides, suicides, and unintentional fatalities) — 85 deaths per day plus many hundreds of nonfatal injuries. Gun homicide alone causes 11,000 deaths each year, more than all US troops killed throughout the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. Remarkably, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsecured Antique Gun Kills Brazilian Teen in Accidental Shooting
4 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
A Brazilian teenager died after an antique shotgun which had been hidden for years fell to the floor and went off as he was cleaning his room.
Helciane Pereira da Silva, 14, was shot in the stomach by the gun, which is believed had been placed in a gap near the ceiling of the boy's room by a previous owner.
Police in Monteiropolis, in Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas, said the teenager had been rearranging his room at the time of the accident and had probably... (GunPolicy.org)
9 US States Gave Millions in Tax Breaks to Support Assault Rifle Makers
2 January 2013
Pine Tree Watchdog (Maine)
Taxpayers across the country are subsidizing the manufacturers of assault rifles used in multiple mass killings, including the massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. last month.
A Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting examination of tax records shows that five companies that make semi-automatic rifles have received more than $19 million in tax breaks, most within with the past five years.
"I feel horrified at the power of... (GunPolicy.org)
Stop the Gun Madness in the US - Opinion
1 January 2013
Washington Post, Opinion
Guns do kill people. Our national New Year's resolution must be to stop the madness.
It is shameful that gun control only becomes worthy of public debate following an unspeakable massacre such as Newtown — and even more shameful that these mass killings occur so often. What usually happens is that we spend a few weeks pretending to have a "conversation" about guns, then the horror begins to fade and we turn to other issues. Everything goes back to normal.
"Normal,"... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Deaths Projected to Top Car Fatalities by 2015
20 December 2012
Independent (UK) / Bloomberg (USA)
Guns and cars have long been among the leading causes of non-medical deaths in the U.S. By 2015, firearm fatalities will probably exceed traffic fatalities for the first time, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.
While motor-vehicle deaths dropped 22 percent from 2005 to 2010, gun fatalities are rising again after a low point in 2000, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shooting deaths in 2015 will probably rise to almost 33,000,... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Growing Gun Culture, 40 Million Firearms 'A Concern'
20 December 2012
Gulf News (Dubai)
At about noon on November 17, Ponty Chadha, 55, a shady liquor baron, was gunned down outside his family farmhouse near New Delhi — by his brother, Hardeep Chadha, who was in turn was killed by the billionaire's guards. The feud centred on a property dispute. Things came to a head after Ponty asked his guards to deface the farmhouse board carrying Hardeep's name. When the younger brother got wind of this, he rushed to the spot and opened fire. Fifteen slugs were... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Debates Relaxing Gun Laws for Civilians as Crime Rate Escalates
4 November 2012
Leadership (Abuja), Opinion
The rising case of insecurity in the country has given room for many debates, one of which included the creation of state police to tackle the spate of general insecurity in the country. However, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) added a new twist to the whole debate when it recently called the Federal Government to consider the relaxation of gun ownership laws as a way to reduce crime. In other words, he wanted more private citizens to have access to guns. Michael... (GunPolicy.org)
8-Year-Old Samoan Boy Accidentally Shoots, Kills 5-Year-Old Cousin
29 October 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Kiwi father of a 5-year-old boy shot dead by his 8-year-old cousin has flown to Samoa to be with the child's body.
James May was visiting the village of Samamea, 44km from the capital Apia, with his family when he, his cousin and uncle went into the woods to shoot pigeons and collect coconuts on Wednesday, Samoa's Weekend Observer reported.
James was shot in the face and killed.
The shooting happened when the uncle reportedly put the loaded gun down briefly while... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia Gets Tough on Celebratory Gunfire at Weddings
28 October 2012
Daily Beast (Russia)
A caravan of cars with tinted windows and streaming ribbons stretches along the highway. Drum music accompanies the proud procession; gun-shot salutes ring out, calling neighbors to join the happy event. Guests gather outside in the courtyards of apartment buildings to clap, fire off more guns, and cheer. Couples perform the Lezginka, the traditional dance of the region.
This is a typical scene for a wedding in the North Caucasus, and for many years, one rarely seen... (GunPolicy.org)
Hong Kong Prison Officer Jailed for Cache of Unlicensed Weapons, Ammo
27 October 2012
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
The city's firearms licensing system is being reviewed after a horde of guns, silencers, grenades and almost 4,000 rounds of ammunition were discovered at a retired prison officer's flat.
The Court of First Instance was told of the review as the former guard was jailed for 18 months yesterday.
Leung Kwok-chi's arsenal was discovered after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh while cleaning a rifle in his public housing flat on the Fu Cheong Estate in Sham Shui... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Criminals Shun Craft Guns for More Expensive Modern Pistols
23 October 2012
Gulf News (Dubai) / Indo-Asian News Service (India)
NEW DELHI - A bank van was recently robbed of Rs52.5 billion (Dh3.58 billion) and its guard shot dead. The disturbing use of a weapon in the crime indicates the growing use of modern firearms by criminals in Delhi.
Be it robbery or murder, more and more criminals in the capital are opting for guns in particular, for a better strike rate and efficiency. Gone is the infamous 'katta' (home-made firearm), according to Delhi Police data.
The gun's steep price is clearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gulf News (Dubai) / Indo-Asian News Service (India)
US Pediatricians Want Tough Gun Laws to Prevent Kids Dying at Home
18 October 2012
Reuters
Pediatricians Thursday called for the strictest possible regulation of gun sales, as well as more education for parents on the dangers of having a gun at home, to prevent deaths of kids and teens.
In a policy statement published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers representing the American Academy of Pediatrics said the number of gun-related deaths in youth has dropped nationally since the mid-1990s, but is still many times higher than rates in other wealthy... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Rail Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Own Foot
17 October 2012
Local (Switzerland)
Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) police only started carrying guns three months ago but already an officer has hurt himself with a firearm.
The SBB said one of its security officers accidentally shot himself in the foot with a handgun early on Wednesday while at the transport police service premises in Bern.
The bullet pierced the man's left heel, the state-owned rail company said in a news release.
The officer was taken to hospital, where his condition was "good under... (GunPolicy.org)
Teen Accidentally Shot Dead by Brother in France
16 October 2012
Local (France)
A teenage boy has died after his brother accidentally shot him in the head with a handgun in the town of Metz, north east France.
The police were called out to a fourth-floor family apartment in the town just after midnight last night, newspaper Le Parisien reports.
A 17-year-old boy was found shot in the living room, but his brother was missing.
It is thought the boys stayed up late after the rest of their family had gone to bed, and were playing with a 9mm... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoa Considers Gun Amnesty After Recent Shooting Deaths
15 October 2012
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Samoa's Ministry of Police is considering calling a gun amnesty following concerns over the increasing number of unlicensed and illegal firearms in the community.
The assistant police commissioner, Leaupepe Fatu Pula, says it's not only the public who are worried but police officers have also raised their concerns.
He says guns were found at a recent police drug raid, and a gun was used recently to kill a local taxi driver.
He also says police are investigating the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Finds Firearms-Related Crime Costs Canada $3.1b a Year
14 October 2012
CBC News (Canada) / The Canadian Press
Crimes involving guns cost Canadians more than $3 billion a year, suggests an internal Justice Department study that may stoke the gun-control debate.
The newly released report examined all firearm-related crime in 2008, and calculated costs across a broad range, including the value of policing and prosecuting offenders, lost income and even burial fees for victims.
The total came to $3.1 billion, or about $93 for every person in the country, says the study, completed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airport Officials Report Rise in 'Forgotten' Guns in Carry-On Bags
28 September 2012
New York Times
The list of potentially lethal weapons was certainly eye-opening: 47 guns (38 of them loaded, including six with rounds in their chambers), three inert hand grenades, supplies of black powder, hunting knives, timing fuses and a sword.
Then, consider that the list was compiled by the Transportation Security Administration, of weapons found in airline travelers' carry-on bags in the seven days that ended on Sept. 20.
In fact, the T.S.A. says the number of guns found at... (GunPolicy.org)
French Hunter Loses Hand After Dog Fires Shotgun
17 September 2012
BBC News
A leaping dog inadvertently shot his master in the hand by catching the trigger of his shotgun during a hunt in the Dordogne, south-western France.
The shot blew off part of the huntsman's right hand, which he had to have amputated after being flown to hospital in Bordeaux.
But the victim, whose name was given as Rene, said he had only himself to blame for not applying the safety catch.
"It wasn't the dog's fault - and he's adorable!" he told France Bleu radio.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Libyan Civilians at Risk From Guns, Mines Left After Conflict
14 September 2012
Inter Press Service News Agency
TRIPOLI - The revolution might officially be over in Libya but the ground war continues. But one enemy is motionless and often hidden, and Libyans are continuing to pay the price with hundreds maimed and killed.
"While the guns may have stopped, landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and discarded or poorly-stored ammunition continue to pose a serious risk to life and limb of the civilian population and to hold potentially serious implications for international... (GunPolicy.org)
Daytime Shootings On The Rise In Sweden, Police Say People at Risk
10 September 2012
Local (Sweden)
Criminals in Sweden are becoming more prone to firing gunshots in broad daylight, according to a new study, increasingly putting innocent passersby in harm's way.
Gunfire in Sweden is no longer a phenomenon restricted to out of the way alleys in the cover of darkness.
To an ever greater extent, Swedish criminals are opening fire in the middle of the day and in places where there is an increased risk of innocent bystanders getting caught in the crossfire.
On Sunday... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland MP Calls for Law Review After Two Children Shot Dead
29 August 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen (Christ. Dem.) called for tighter legislation on gun safety on Sunday.
She voiced her views to Helsingin Sanomat after two shocking incidents at the weekend in the North Savo region, in which two children were killed by accidental gunfire.
The first tragedy took place on Friday night when two brothers, aged five and eight, found a gun in their house.
The loaded firearm went off and hit the five-year-old in... (GunPolicy.org)
Drunken Russian Cop Kills Colleague While Shooting Bottles
28 August 2012
Moscow Times
A drunken cop accidentally killed a colleague while out shooting bottles near a Chelyabinsk region railroad, Urals transportation investigators said Monday.
According to investigators, the 25-year-old policeman killed his 30-year-old colleague in February after inadvertently firing at him while passing him a rifle by the Nyazepetrovsk-Uraim railroad.
The rifle, which the pair were using for target practice, was pointed at the head of the colleague at the time.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Nine Bystanders Injured After Two US Police Open Fire in Central NYC
24 August 2012
New York Times
As the two officers confronted a gunman in front of the Empire State Building on a busy Friday morning, they had to make a snap decision: Do they open fire in the middle of Midtown?
From a distance of less than 10 feet, the officers, Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj, answered in unison; one shot nine times and the other seven.
Investigators believe at least 7 of those 16 bullets struck the gunman, said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman. But... (GunPolicy.org)
Oman,Saudi Arabia,Bahrain,Kuwait
Friend Kills Groom at Kuwait Wedding with Celebratory Gunfire
22 August 2012
National (Abu Dhabi)
KUWAIT CITY - A Kuwaiti groom was killed on his wedding day after his friend accidentally shot him.
The friend, who surrendered to police, shot Abdullah Al Khaldi, 24, inside a car that was taking the wedding party to the marriage celebration.
Mr Khaldi, who worked for the ministry of defence, died before reaching hospital.
The incident, in Al Jahra neighbourhood of Kuwait City, has reignited a debate about civilian possession of firearms, which is legal in... (GunPolicy.org)
Toddler Shot Dead During Family Argument in France
21 August 2012
Local (France)
A four-year-old girl died on Monday after being shot in the head during a family argument in an apartment in Toulouse in south-western France.
A man has been taken into custody on suspicion of having fired the deadly shot.
The police were called to the apartment in the Empalot area of Toulouse at around 5.15pm on Monday and arrived to find the girl, named as Shaloma C, bleeding profusely from a head wound, according to a report in the La Dépêche du Midi... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile Authorities Undertake New Gun Amnesty Campaign
20 August 2012
Infosurhoy (Chile)
SANTIAGO, Chile – Neighbor, be conscientious.
That's the motto of the campaign the Carabineros de Chile police force is carrying out to reduce the number of firearms in the hands of Chileans in response to the growing number of robberies and murders involving guns.
There were 11,783 robberies and 93 murders involving firearms last year. In 2010 there were 12,987 armed robberies, but that number should plummet this year, as there were 4,699 armed robberies committed... (GunPolicy.org)
Zambia Security Guard Shoots Self in Leg at Shopping Mall
18 August 2012
Times (Zambia)
A security guard from Armguard Security Company yesterday accidentally shot himself in the leg in a bizarre incident at Great East Mall in Chipata, Eastern Province.
The guard, who has been identified as Tazman Siyamboni, was on duty providing security to bank officials who were loading money in the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) when he accidentally pulled the trigger of a green rifle gun and shot himself in the leg.
The incident happened in full view of some... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Stops Publishing Data On Gun Deaths Linked to Organised Crime
16 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Mexican government will not continue to release statistics on the number of homicides related to organized crime, leading critics to accuse the administration of withholding the data for political reasons.
In an interview with Reforma, an official from Mexico's federal ministry of security said they would not publish data on Mexico's crime-related murders from before President Felipe Calderon leaves office on November 30.
Jaime Lopez Aranda, the head of the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Australian State Considers Gun Law Change, Allow Teens to Hunt Alone
14 August 2012
BBC News
A plan to change the law in Australia could see children as young as 12 hunting by themselves. Is that a sensible step or a dangerous one?
Condemned by some as a bloodthirsty move to impose a violent culture on children, authorities in Australia's most populous state are considering a plan to allow under-18s to hunt feral animals on their own with knives, dogs and bows and arrows.
The hunting lobby in New South Wales says the proposal will encourage more families to... (GunPolicy.org)
Thai MP Accidentally Kills Secretary With Submachine Gun During Meal
13 August 2012
BBC News
Police in Thailand say that they will charge a member of the Thai parliament with causing death by negligence for accidentally shooting his secretary dead with a submachine gun.
They say that the accident happened in a restaurant on Sunday night.
Senator Boonsong Kowawisarat took out a 9mm Uzi submachine gun while waiting for food, the Bangkok Post reported.
He told police the gun accidentally discharged and his secretary was shot in the stomach.
Police say that the... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Parents Of Shot Teen Want Gun Law Change, Police Say No Need
13 August 2012
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Aaron Grimwood should have turned 21 tomorrow.
But instead of celebrating his birthday his parents will be campaigning for tighter gun laws, after he was shot dead by a close friend.
"We definitely don't want any other families to go through hell," his mother Ann-Maree Grimwood said.
In September 2010, after an inquest into Mr Grimwood's death, Wellington coroner Ian Smith recommended Parliament consider a review of the law with a view to establishing a range of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Doctors Call for Scientific Approach to Gun Violence Health Issue
12 August 2012
Australian (Sydney)
Is a gun like a virus, a car, tobacco or alcohol? Yes, say public health experts, who in the wake of recent mass shootings are calling for a fresh look at gun violence as a social disease.
What we need, they say, is a public health approach to the problem, like the highway safety measures, product changes and driving laws that slashed deaths from car crashes decades ago, even as the number of vehicles on the road rose.
One example: Guardrails are now curved to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Tampering With Guns Results in Hundreds of Casualties in Yemen
2 August 2012
Yemen Observer
Abdulkhaleq, 8-year-old child, was killed last Wednesday when he was tampering with Russian-made pistol in his district of al-Qaflah, Amran governorate. According to the police, the bullet lodged in his head and died on the spot.
In another accident, an 8-year-old child killed his father during his tampering with a machine gun in his home in Sabwah governorate.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the bullet launched from his fathers' gun that the child was playing... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Advocates Use Unreliable Data to Claim a Need for Weapons
30 July 2012
CNN, Opinion
WASHINGTON - Do guns make us safer?
It's an article of faith among many gun owners that yes they do.
Last week, I presented in this space some evidence of the dangers of gun ownership: the elevated risks of accident and suicide in households that own guns. I pointed to a paradox: More Americans support gun rights, even as fewer Americans own guns. I explained this paradox with data that suggested many Americans hold false ideas about the prevalence of crime - and... (GunPolicy.org)
Tunisia,Yemen,United States,Japan
Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Firearm Deaths
23 July 2012
Atlantic (USA)
I've heard it said that, if you take a walk around Waikiki, it's only a matter of time until someone hands you a flyer of scantily clad women clutching handguns, overlaid with English and maybe Japanese text advertising one of the many local shooting ranges. The city's largest, the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club, advertises instructors fluent in Japanese, which is also the default language of its website. For years, this peculiar Hawaiian industry has explicitly targeted... (GunPolicy.org)
German Club Allows Unlicensed Visitors to Try Out Guns: 2 Injured
9 July 2012
Local (Germany)
Organisers of a public relations event at a German gun club were left red-faced on Sunday, after a woman accidentally shot a man in the foot. Both had to be treated for injuries.
The embarrassing - and painful - accident happened at the open day at a shooting club in the small town of Sallgast in the state of Brandenburg, eastern Germany, the Express newspaper reported.
The club took the ill-fated decision to allow visitors without firearms licenses to try out guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 2 Million Lawfully Held Guns in Italy but a Very Soft Law [Italian]
29 June 2012
La Stampa (Italy)
[Translated summary: Yesterday in Giugliano, Naples, a three-year-old child found a gun in his house and accidentally shot himself to death. An analogous fact took place in Catania on June 18 and caused the death of a fifteen-year-old. But how many weapons are in circulation in Italian homes? The exact number has never been released by the Interior Ministry, but it is estimated that there are over 2 million lawfully held guns.]
ROMA - Ieri a Giugliano (Napoli) un... (GunPolicy.org)
Uncontrolled Circulation of Guns in Indonesia Jeopardizes Development
22 May 2012
Jakarta Post
The media coverage of an Army officer who brandished his gun in a street quarrel with a motorcycle rider recently raised concerns about the inappropriate use of arms.
The circulation of small arms has clearly reached a point that puts development sustainability and security in many countries in the world at risk.
The uncontrolled circulation of arms has contributed much to the mounting tension, terrorism or any other security threats to a country, such as what has... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,France,China,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Sweden
Pakistan a 'Very Gun-friendly Society,' 9 in 10 Owners Unlicensed
30 April 2012
Dawn (Karachi)
On January 25 this year, 32-year-old Waqas, a garment factory employee was hit by a bullet in New Karachi and he died. The bullet was not fired from the gun of a target killer, but by friends of a bridegroom amidst late-night wedding celebrations.
Two children aged 10 and 12, died in Sialkot in a similar incident on February 20, when the jubilant brother of a bridegroom unleashed a burst of bullets.
Such accidents, almost an every-day affair in Pakistan, never make it... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Vow to Strip Celebratory Shooters of Licence in Uttar Pradesh, India
25 April 2012
Indian Express
After several incidents of celebratory firings during victory processions of SP leaders and weddings, DGP AC Sharma has issued a circular to book gun licence holders involved in such incidents. The circular also said their licences will be cancelled within a month of the occurrence of such incidents.
The DGP has said that local police station officers will be accountable for such incidents taking place in their areas. The district police chiefs will ensure penal action... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings Not Tightening US Gun Control Laws Anymore - Expert
22 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — The statistics are staggering, the stories heartbreaking, yet there is little chance that any amount of bloodshed will lead to stiffer gun controls in the United States in the foreseeable future.
"It's not something that any politician thinks is winnable," said Kristin Goss, a politics professor at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America."
Five years after the worst school shooting in US history left 32... (GunPolicy.org)
Easy Access to Guns for Minors in Castellón Province, Spain [Espanol]
20 April 2012
El Periódico Mediterráneo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: More than 400 minors have the permission from the province of Castellón to use arms. The accident involving King Felipe's grandson Juan Froilán, in which he accidentally shot himself in the foot with a hunting rifle, has brought the use of firearms by minors back into the spotlight.]
Más de 400 menores tienen permiso de Castellón para usar armas. El accidente del nieto del rey Felipe Juan Froilán, que se disparó accidentalmente en un pie con... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Americans Back Gun Lobby, Right to Use Deadly Force, Shoot to Kill
13 April 2012
Reuters
WASHINGTON - Most Americans support the right to use deadly force to protect themselves - even in public places - and have a favorable view of the National Rifle Association, the main gun-lobby group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
The online survey showed that 68 percent, or two out of three respondents, had a favorable opinion of the NRA, which starts its annual convention in St. Louis, Missouri, on Friday.
Eighty-two percent of Republicans saw the gun lobbying group... (GunPolicy.org)
Scandal as 13yr-old Underage Spanish Royal Shoots Himself in Foot
10 April 2012
Daily News (Durban) / SAPA-AFP
MADRID - Spanish King Juan Carlos' 13-year-old grandson has shot himself in the foot, the royal family said Tuesday, sparking a scandal because he is below the legal age for using a firearm.
The boy, Felipe Marichalar Borbon, shot himself while learning to use a shotgun on the family's estate in Soria, north-central Spain, on Monday, the royal household said in a statement.
"While on the patio of the house with his father, he shot himself with a small .36 calibre... (GunPolicy.org)
9-yr Old Boy Accidentally Shot Dead by 13-yr Old in France [Francais]
5 April 2012
Europe 1 (France)
[Translated summary: It is in his father's arms collection that a 13 years old teenager has found the rifle used in the unintentional shooting that killed a 9 years old this week in France. Europe 1 parses French regulations on possession of firearms: categories, storage, conditions for lawful possession and latest amendments.]
C'est dans la collection d'armes à feu de son père que l'adolescent de 13 ans aurait trouvé le fusil qui a tué un enfant de 9 ans mercredi... (GunPolicy.org)
'Child-access Prevention' Laws to Prevent Accidental Shootings in US
20 March 2012
Seattle Times, Opinion
Gun owners can help protect others by storing their guns responsibly; a useful site for starters is lokitup.org, says Dr. Frederick P. Rivara, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington.
In our local community and in the nation, parents are grieving for their children who have been injured or killed recently by guns. We have all read the headlines, seen the news reports and shaken our heads about these tragedies. While we all agree that such events... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil: 4.3 Million Guns Sold in 5yrs, 40,000 Gun Deaths in 2009 [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: domestic manufacturers alone sold 4.3 million guns in Brazil over the past five years. Nearly 40,000 people died in 2009 in episodes involving firearms, including homicides, suicides and accidents, according to latest figures provided by the Ministry of Health. A study by Pablo Dreyfuss, who was a leading expert on the subject, showed that 90% of these deaths are the result of crimes and the risk of dying from injuries caused by firearms in Brazil... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock: The Rise of America's Favourite Handgun
27 January 2012
New York Times, Book review
You rarely pull a gun to start a conversation, but when I recently told an in-law that I was writing about Glock pistols, he improvised a research project. Reaching beneath his jacket, he quickly unholstered, unloaded and handed me his Glock 9 millimeter — this was in Kentucky, land of permissive concealed-carry laws. "I always carry this, and I always will," he said before giving me a primer that could have been used in a promotional video for both the pistol and... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Gun Love Under Fire - Experts Call for National Firearm Registry
5 January 2012
Local (Switzerland)
Almost two centuries have passed since Switzerland last fought in a war, yet the country's gun ownership rate remains the highest in Europe. After a series of gun-related killings at the end of last year, The Local's Meritxell Mir looks at what's being done to get fingers off triggers.
Every year, more than 300 people die in Switzerland in gun-related incidents. In many ways, the figure is quite low, when one considers the country has about 2.5 million weapons in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Possession a Status Symbol in India, Firearms a Common Dowry Item
22 December 2011
Star Online ((Malaysia)
Possessing firearms is a status symbol in India's northern rural belt and it isn't unusual to find guns as part of a bride's dowry.
For a country that witnesses a whopping 10 million marriages a year, India boasts a cachet of interesting nuptial traditions as well.
While the big cities are synonymous with the Big Fat Indian Wedding – occasions which showcase opulence, financial clout and the social pecking order of well-to-do families – swathes of the northern... (GunPolicy.org)
Amish Girl Shot in Head, Killed by Man Cleaning Rifle 2km Away in Ohio
21 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AP
The shooting death of a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy was caused by a man who accidentally shot his rifle into the air while cleaning it two kilometres away, US police say.
Rachel Yoder was shot in the head on Thursday night while travelling to her home in Fredericksburg, Ohio.
She had attended a Christmas party for employees at an Amish produce farm and was riding home alone when she was shot, police Captain Douglas Hunter said on... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Govt Recorded More Than 38,000 Gun Deaths in 2010 [Espanol]
12 December 2011
La Nueva (Argentina)
[Translated summary: According to data released by Brazil Ministry of Health, 70.5% of the murders of 2010 involved firearms. If suicides, accidents and gun deaths from undetermined cause are taken into account, firearms were involved in the death of more than 38,000 people.]
El 70,5 % de los asesinatos que se registraron en Brasil en 2010, 35.233 personas, fueron muertos con armas de fuego, según datos difundidos hoy por el Ministerio de Salud.
Si se cuentan los... (GunPolicy.org)
Libyan Civilians Hold On to a Deadly Legacy: Assault Rifles, Machine Guns
7 December 2011
New York Times
MISURATA, Libya — On the night that he was to die, Hassan Nahassi should have been safe.
It was Oct. 20. A middle-age man turned Libyan rebel commander, Mr. Nahassi had returned home in the evening, leaving behind the front lines of Surt for a reprieve from the fighting. He wanted to rest with his wife and children.
Then came the news. Muatassim el-Qaddafi, a son of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, had been captured on the front that Mr. Nahassi had left only hours... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Oppose Gun Lobby Push to Slacken Law, Reduce Gun Limits in Japan
7 December 2011
Japan Today
TOKYO — Farmers in rural areas have been reporting increasing damage to their crops by wild boar, deer and other animals. To make firearms more accessible, a bill that would loosen the currently tight restrictions on hunting rifles has been proposed in the Diet. But, the Sankei Shimbun (Dec 4) reports, the police remain adamantly opposed to changes in the law.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in 2009, crop damage from... (GunPolicy.org)
In a Year, NYC Police Fire 20% of Bullets Fired in Hours by Kenya Police
4 December 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Consider this and think of the situation in Kenya as you read on: Last year, 52 officers out of a force of 34,565 officers from the New York Police Department intentionally fired 236 bullets during confrontations with suspects.
The officers reportedly shot and killed only eight people and injured 16 the whole year, in what the Police Department say marked record lows.
Of course the social and economic realities of Nairobi and New York are totally different but there... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Nuts Need Fear, Conspiracies, Obama to Hate, Flourish, Raise Money
1 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
PHOENIX — When it became clear in the early fall of 2008 that Barack Obama, son of a Kansan and a Kenyan, would be the 44th President of the United States, many citizens rushed to their gun shops, stocked up on ammo and camo, and tried to fortify their nests with all manner of lethal weapons.
Though he had said nothing about gun control in the campaign, Obama, to a certain kind of person, appeared to be a grave threat to the Second Amendment. He was urban —... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodia,Thailand,India,Myanmar,Bangladesh
Menace of Illicit Small Arms Industry, Trade, Violence in India - Opinion
28 November 2011
Express Buzz (India), Opinion
According to a recent study, India witnessed 4,100 gunshot murders in 2008. These murders would work out to 12.2 per cent of the over 33,700 murders reported during the year. Overall, there were over 6,200 deaths due to gunshots; about 66 per cent of them were murders, 26.3 per cent were accidental deaths and 7.7 per cent were suicides. It was also reported that most of the victims of firearm murders in India were killed using unlicensed firearms.
Studies conducted... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Police Protests, Blind American Man Legally Holds 12+ Handguns
25 November 2011
New York Times
ROCKAWAY, N.J. — Judging by what the authorities say about him, Steven Hopler has really been testing the limits of the Second Amendment.
Mr. Hopler, 49, who lives on a winding road here, is once again fighting for his right to keep and bear arms despite having been totally blind for most of his adult life. He has repeatedly persuaded judges to let him keep his collection of more than a dozen handguns, but doing so has been more complicated since 2008, when he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Handicap International Graffiti Contest Promotes Gun Control in Libya
21 November 2011
Tripoli Post (Libya)
The Saturday forecast warned of a rainy November afternoon - a crowd gathered nonetheless at the Tashkil Libya Al-Hurra Brigade in Keesh for one of Benghazi's first ever formal graffiti contests organised by French NGO Handicap International to raise awareness of the dangers posed by small arms and light weapons.
However, for many of the young contestants it was as much an opportunity for personal expression, as it was about tackling one of Libya's most pressing... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Shoots Himself, Dies at Florida Gun Range
19 November 2011
Miami Herald / AP
ORLANDO, Florida - Authorities are investigating after a man fatally shot himself in the head at a central Florida gun range.
Orange County deputies said the 45-year-old man arrived at the gun range Friday night and began shooting in the practice lanes. The Orlando Sentinel (http://lb.vg/S5oh9) reports he then shot himself in the head. He later died at the hospital. His name has not been released.
Authorities are investigating whether the shooting was accidental or... (GunPolicy.org)
US Baseball Hero Cleared of Celebratory Shooting in Dominican Republic
9 November 2011
BBC News
Dominican Republic baseball star Alfredo Simon has been cleared of charges over a fatal shooting in the country on 1 January.
Simon, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, was accused of shooting dead one man and injuring another during New Year celebrations.
Defence lawyers said the prosecution had failed to prove he fired the shots.
The baseball player was held for two months earlier this year as the main suspect before being released on bail.
Simon was accused of... (GunPolicy.org)
Growing Spread of Homemade Firearms in Cameroon, Debate Revived
3 November 2011
Radio Netherlands
Last July, 21-year-old Giulien Tchouangang accidentally shot and killed his little brother, Sidou Dzongang, who was only 13. The two brothers were playing with a firearm they found in their living room, unaware that it was loaded.
"The firearm Giulien Tchouangang used is a homemade 5.5mm calibre rifle which was modified into a 12 mm calibre that is used for hunting," says Sergeant Wassaing Albert, who heads the Bangou gendarmerie unit in Western Province of Cameroon,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Central African Republic,Sri Lanka,Colombia,Jamaica,Iraq,El Salvador,Central Africa,Caribbean,Central America,South America
Study Finds Again That Crime, Not War is Main Source of Gun Violence
29 October 2011
Associated Press
GENEVA — More people are killed by armed violence resulting from crime than are killed in war, with Latin America and a swath of countries through the middle of Africa among the hardest hit, an international study claimed Thursday.
About 526,000 people die violently every year — or more than 1,400 people every day — according to the 2011 Global Burden of Armed Violence report.
Only about 55,000 of those killed die in warfare, while an estimated 396,000 people... (GunPolicy.org)
Scrapping Canada Long-Gun Registry: Some Relevant Numbers
26 October 2011
CBC News (Canada)
Since the introduction of stricter gun laws in 1991, there has been a 65 per cent reduction in homicides by long guns, Statistics Canada data shows. The reduction in homicides involving any type of firearm was 37 per cent.
Statistics Canada released a report on Oct. 26, 2011, on homicides in Canada in 2010. That year, there were 170 shooting homicides, about 32 per cent of all homicides. The total homicide rate fell to its lowest level since 1966 (1.62 per 100,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Should French Police Officers Keep Service Guns at Home? [Francais]
19 October 2011
TF1 News (France)
[Translated summary: Three police suicides, two family tragedies and one fatal accident in a single month. Should French police officers be banned from keeping their firearms at home?]
Après une série de suicides et de faits divers tragiques impliquant des policiers munis de leur arme au domicile, la question se pose plus que jamais. Mais ni l'Intérieur ni les syndicats n'envisagent une telle solution pour l'instant.
Le 22 septembre 2011, un gardien de la paix en... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Injuries to Patients Younger than 19 Up Sharply in US, Says Study
18 October 2011
MedPage Today (New Jersey)
BOSTON -- Firearm-related injuries to patients younger than 19 accounted for an estimated 186,000 emergency department (ED) visits over the period from 1999 to 2007, investigators reported here.
As a proportion of total ED visits for that age group, firearm injuries accounted for 30% more visits than documented in earlier studies.
The findings could reflect differences in the data and methods used to calculate firearm-injury rates, but might also reflect a true... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Injuries to Kids in US are Underestimated, Study Shows
17 October 2011
CBS News (USA)
How likely are children to be injured by firearms? A lot more likely than doctors used to think. In fact, a new study shows that the rate of non-fatal firearm injuries in kids is 30 percent higher than previous estimates.
Each year, the study showed, there are 20,600 firearm injuries - including 8,368 injuries resulting in death - in people age 19 and younger. More than a third of these injuries - 37 percent - were unintentional.
The study, based on the National... (GunPolicy.org)
