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Guns, small arms from Beretta in the news
In North Carolina, 2,400 Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Had Convictions
26 December 2011
New York Times
Alan Simons was enjoying a Sunday morning bicycle ride with his family in Asheville, N.C., two years ago when a man in a sport utility vehicle suddenly pulled alongside him and started berating him for riding on the highway.
Mr. Simons, his 4-year-old son strapped in behind him, slowed to a halt. The driver, Charles Diez, an Asheville firefighter, stopped as well. When Mr. Simons walked over, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Go ahead, I'll shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Sues Ottawa to Save Long Gun Registry Records from Trash
13 December 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
QUEBEC – Quebec wants to create its own long-gun registry, using data already collected for the federal registry, and is prepared to go to court to stop Ottawa destroying gun ownership records.
Public Security Minister Robert Dutil announced Tuesday that Quebec would take legal action to recover the data once Ottawa's Bill C-19, abolishing the federal long-gun registry, becomes law.
Dutil said C-19 was "a step backwards" and called the destruction "unjust and... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Guatemala,El Salvador,Central America,United States,Mexico
Black Market Gun Runners Develop New Central American Routes - Report
21 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Because the recent spike in drug-related violence in Mexico has coincided with the 2004 expiration of the U.S. assault weapons ban, and because a significant portion of the weapons used in Mexican crimes have been traced to U.S. vendors, Mexican officials often accuse liberal U.S. gun laws of being a major obstacle to a safer Mexico. Indeed, President Felipe Calderon made precisely this point during a speech to U.S. Congress in 2010.
U.S. officials have not denied that... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,United States,Mexico,Central America
Arms Trafficking, Business of Death: Guns in Central America [Espanol]
16 November 2011
Contralinea (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Contralinea magazine details the routes by which guns are trafficked into Mexico, including the flow of arms from the US directly to Guatemala, and then over Mexico's southern border. English translation at: http://bit.ly/uBnEGu]
En la última década, México pasó del lugar vigesimosegundo al quinto en tráfico de armas en el ámbito mundial. Se calcula que cada día ingresan al país unas 2 mil para abastecer a los cárteles de la droga, la... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Demand Growing in Canada for High-Tech Guns Popularised in Games, Movies
26 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Whether it's computers, cars, motorbikes or guns, 28-year-old Greg MacDonald — a self-confessed "tech nerd" — is always looking for the latest and greatest technology.
A Newfoundlander and lover of fine machinery, MacDonald says the rigorous research and development that goes into modern military-grade firearms — known as "black rifles" within shooter circles — is a sort of poetry in motion.
"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Groups Want Some Guns Banned Before Registry Is Scrapped
23 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
After finishing a rotation through Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 22-year-old Dan Styles is back in Canada, safe and sound with his young family.
When he's not caring for his one-year-old baby daughter, Styles now spends a lot of his personal time at the shooting range near his home at CFB Petawawa, in eastern Ontario. There, he hones the skills he relied on in the field.
"It's practice, practice, practice," he says. "The better you get at it,... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms and High Powered Rifles Stolen from Belize Defence Force
13 October 2011
Guardian (Belize)
The Ministry of Defense called a press conference at Price Barracks on Wednesday evening to inform the media that there was a security breach at the Price Barracks compound and a number of small arms and high powered rifles were stolen.
Allen Whylie, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Defense, said it is a devastating breach and the Ministry will leave no stones unturned to get to the bottom of the heist. The discovery was made at about 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Burden of Proof' Should Be on Gun Suspects, Say Cayman Police
11 October 2011
Cayman Compass (Cayman Islands)
Cayman's top cop is advocating a major change in the way the 'burden of proof' is applied in court with regard to firearms possession cases.
Expanding and clarifying comments made on the subject by Governor Duncan Taylor last month, Police Commissioner David Baines said Friday that what's being reviewed with the attorney general's office now is essentially a "reversal" in the burden of proof for people found in possession of unlicensed guns in their homes or vehicles.... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Trapped After UK Police Set Up Fake Shop in Manchester
4 October 2011
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A gun dealer was trapped after police set up a fake shop selling combat clothing.
Undercover cops posed as shop workers who were looking for lethal weapons in the elaborate sting.
The store was set up after police became concerned at the number of firearms on the streets of Manchester.
After weeks at the store on Princess Road, Moss Side, a gang member customer introduced the plain clothes officers to Marc Billingham, who supplied them with two working guns, an air... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Kills his Parents and Himself with Legally Owned Gun in Quebec
16 September 2011
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
A Gatineau man shot and killed his parents and then shot himself with a handgun that he legally owned, police said Thursday.
Police confirmed Patrick Mongeon-Johnson, 32, used his licensed and registered nine-millimetre handgun to kill his mother and stepfather before turning it on himself at 115 De Saguenay Street on Sept. 7.
An autopsy confirmed Lucie Johnson, 51, and Denis Lagacé, 59, died of gunshot wounds.
A handgun is considered a restricted firearm under... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Seizures of Guns Mainly Firearm Dealer Imports - Australia Customs
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
December 23, 2008
Sydney
Huge haul of weapons including:
Assault rifles: Steyr F88, Norinco SKS, Marlin 60 and ADI SLR L1A1
Handguns: Beretta 92FS and Remington 870 Wingmaster
Shot guns: Mossberg 500A
Teargas
16cm rifle silencer
Pistol scope
Megatron Transformer
December 8, 2009
Sydney
980 rounds of FMJ green tip M855 Penetrator armour piercing bullets
July 25, 2006
Brisbane
Steyer tactical scout elite .308 calibre rifle, with telescopic sight
May 30,... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad: 'For Such a Small Country, a Large Number of Illegal Guns'
12 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
Nine more guns including a high-powered AK 47 assault rifle, have been recovered by the police within the past three days in various exercises in North, Central and West Trinidad from Friday to yesterday. This brings to 88 the number of guns seized since the start of the State of Emergency (SOE) on August 22.
A nitrogen cannister believed to be used in the manufacturing of silencers for firearms was also recovered and seized. A silencer is a component of a firearm used... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Police Fuel Illegal Trade: 11,935 Guns Missing Over 5 Years
11 September 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
Once again it has been revealed to the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been fueling the illegal arms trade. In a reply to a parliamentary question asked by the DA to the Minister of Police, he admits that in 2010/11 a total of 1 335 SAPS firearms were 'lost or stolen'. 101 of these were rifles, 46 were shotguns and the rest were handguns. Only 167 of the firearms have been recovered.
A copy of the DA question and the Ministers... (GunPolicy.org)
Los Angeles Police Department Seeks Tighter Regulations on Airguns
7 June 2011
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck is proposing that the city require BB-gun replicas of actual firearms to be brightly colored so that police officers don't mistake them for real weapons.
The proposal, which the Los Angeles Police Commission will consider Tuesday, comes after two shootings involving officers and people with replica weapons, including one in which a teenager was wounded. Under the new rule, all such toys sold in Los Angeles would have the "entire... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Trafficking Network Dismantled in Algeria: 16 Charged
31 May 2011
Le Temps d'Algérie
Un réseau de trafic d'armes à feu a été démantelé dans la wilaya de Mostaganem par le groupement de la Gendarmerie nationale de la wilaya selon son premier responsable, le commandant Mohamed Ben Hmida. Ce réseau est composé de seize personnes dont trois accusées de soutien au terrorisme.
Trois autres personnes demeurent actuellement en fuite et font l'objet de recherches. La gendarmerie a aussi récupéré 22 armes à feu dont 16 pistolets automatiques (PA) de... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapons Lawfully Bought in US End Up in the Hands of Mexican Cartels
28 May 2011
Deseret News (Utah)
WASHINGTON — Convicted gun smuggler John Phillip Hernandez of Houston was likely not the kind of customer that Bushmaster Firearms International had in mind when he purchased 14 of the company's .223 caliber AR-15s at Houston area gun shops in 2006 and 2007.
Bushmaster describes the AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the U.S. military's standard-issue M-16, as intended "for law enforcement, security and private consumer use." But the weapons that Hernandez and his... (GunPolicy.org)
Long Battle Against Guns in US Began With a Son's Death
13 May 2011
Bay Citizen (San Francisco), Column
Kenzo Dix was named for the Japanese characters for "health" and "creativity," and at age 15 he embodied those attributes, playing on the Berkeley High School basketball team and enjoying school art projects.
After finishing a class assignment — a graffiti-style display on a school handball court — he called his father for permission to go to a friend's house. A few hours later, his father received another call: Kenzo was at Children's Hospital in Oakland.
"The... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Owners, Dealers, Gun Shows Fuel Minneapolis Gun Violence
22 March 2011
Minnesota Public Radio, Transcript
MINNEAPOLIS — In January 2010, three men were gunned down during an apparent robbery attempt at the Seward Market in south Minneapolis. One of the victims worked at the store. The second victim was the clerk's cousin who stopped by to chat. The third was a man who just happened to walk in at the wrong time.
The report from the police homicide investigation shows that five shell casings found at the crime scene likely match a test casing provided by the maker of a... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gun Dealers Face US Charges Involving Tens of Thousands of AK47s
20 February 2011
Guardian (UK)
His lawyers contend he is a model citizen. And as a successful businessman, Gary Hyde certainly exudes an aura of respectability. For years the 41-year-old father of two was a volunteer police officer in his home town of York, until a serious injury forced him to retire. "He is an upstanding and respected member of that community," his lawyers argued last week.
But now another picture of Hyde is emerging. A man who had turned his enthusiasm for guns and military... (GunPolicy.org)
German Father Guilty of Manslaughter After Son Killed 15 with Dad's Gun
10 February 2011
Deutsche Welle
Two years ago, a 17-year-old went on a shooting rampage in the southern German town of Winnenden, killing 15 people and himself. Now the gunman's father has been found guilty of manslaughter and breaking gun laws.
The father of the 17-year-old boy who shot dead 15 people in the southern German town of Winnenden has been convicted of breaking gun laws, for failing to store his weapons properly, and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Jörg K., 52, was given a... (GunPolicy.org)
Business Brisk at Tucson Gun Show Just a Week After Shooting Rampage
15 January 2011
Reuters
TUCSON, Arizona - Thousands of shoppers browsed for guns at a trade show in Tucson on Saturday, a week after a shooting rampage that killed six people and raised questions about permissive gun laws in the United States.
"People see it as either guns are going to get banned, or I'm going to get shot," said stall holder Randall Record, 27, explaining the mood at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show on the outskirts of the city. "Either way, it drives sales."
The show was... (GunPolicy.org)
How Glock Became Weapon of Choice for Cops, Gun Hobbyists and Killers
13 January 2011
Business Week / Bloomberg (USA)
For all the anguish and outcry in the days after a community college dropout named Jared Loughner allegedly sprayed a Tucson crowd with 33 bullets from a semiautomatic pistol, one response was notably absent: any sense that America's latest shooting spree, which killed six people and wounded 14, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, would bring new restrictions on the right to own or carry large-capacity, rapid-fire weapons.
The gun control debate has vanished... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Shop Raided, Police Guns Being Sold to Criminals in Jamaica
31 December 2010
Jamaica Gleaner
Senior police investigators are now trying to identify the mastermind behind a suspected gun shop which operated out of premises along McWhinney Street, near the Tower Street Adult Centre, in east Kingston.
Yesterday, the police stumbled on to the gun shop during a routine operation and seized seven firearms, 25 loaded magazines and 33 rounds of ammunition.
According to an official report, police operatives from the Trans-national Crime and Narcotics Division, the... (GunPolicy.org)
LAPD Shoots 13-yr-old, Then Finds He Was Playing with a Pellet Gun
18 December 2010
Los Angeles Times
The shooting of a 13-year-old Glassell Park boy carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun by a Los Angeles Police Department officer is a "tragedy," Chief Charlie Beck said.
"This is a tragedy for all involved, but in particular for the young man injured in this police shooting and for the officer who believed that he was protecting himself and his partner from a real threat," Beck said in a statement. "The pellet gun the juvenile was using is the exact dimensions of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Tracing Regulations Delayed for Third Time by Canadian Government
5 December 2010
Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The Harper government has once again delayed implementation of regulations that police say they need to quickly trace guns used in crimes.
The government quietly posted a notice last Tuesday — one day before the firearms marking regulations were to have come into force — disclosing that implementation has been postponed until Dec. 1, 2012.
This is the third time the Harper government has delayed the regulations, which were created by the Liberal... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey,Italy,Portugal,Netherlands,Europe
Italian Gas Guns Illegally Converted in Portugal to Arm European Criminals
19 November 2010
NRC Handelsblad (Rotterdam)
As the EU cracks down on firearms, illegal trafficking in altered alarm guns is booming on the Continent. They're cheap, easy to alter, impossible to trace – so they're becoming the criminal's weapon of choice.
At the age of 10, Massimo Tanfoglio was already packaging pistols in his father's factory. Now, age 57, he manages the Fratelli Tanfoglio firearms factory in Gardone Val Trompia, in northern Italy. Strolling down the streets of this small town, you'll see... (GunPolicy.org)
Mel Gibson Surrenders Handguns, Rifle, Shotgun in Domestic Abuse Case
14 November 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
Troubled actor Mel Gibson has surrendered a cache of lethal weapons to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The court order came after his former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, accused the star of domestic violence, the celebrity website Gossip Cop reports. A judge ordered Gibson to give up his guns, which he did on July 15.
Police records show Gibson had a 9mm Glock handgun; a 9mm Beretta handgun; a shotgun and rifle, and ammunition for all the weapons.
The revelation... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Predict 'Someone Will Be Shot' Unless More NZ Airguns Controlled
11 October 2010
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Replica firearms not covered by a law change coming into effect this week could just as easily cost a life if they appear real, police warn after incidents in Napier.
Napier Detective Sergeant Emmet Lynch and his colleagues have dealt with three firearms in the past week that were either replicas or looked like more powerful weapons.
One, a rifle that fires slug pellets, was used in a random drive-by shooting in which a man was shot in the stomach while socialising... (GunPolicy.org)
Woman Shoots, Kills 3, Dies After Explosion, Police Shootout in Germany
20 September 2010
Agence France Presse
Four people died and a police officer was seriously wounded yesterday after an explosion and a shootout that ended at a hospital in the town of Loerrach, southwest Germany, police said.
"At around 1600 GMT, firefighters were called out to an explosion at an apartment in a street near the hospital," a spokesman for Loerrach police said.
"An armed woman came out of the burning apartment and headed towards the establishment (the hospital), where a shootout with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Conservative MP Sees Police Conspiracy in Canadian Gun Registry Debate
1 September 2010
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — A controversial Saskatchewan Conservative MP says the support of Canada's police chiefs for the long-gun registry is part of a conspiracy to take away Canadians' guns.
His remarks, publicized in an online magazine, have flabbergasted even those who are critical of the registry, and may be enough for at least one rural NDP MP to vote against a Conservative private member's bill later this month to kill the registry.
"Why are police chiefs so strident in... (GunPolicy.org)
Calgary Gun Dealer Loses 54 Handguns, Firearm Registry Fingers His Clerk
4 August 2010
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
A man who collaborated with his common-law wife to steal four restricted handguns from a Calgary sporting goods store where she worked as a clerk has been sent to prison.
Steve Claudio Todd, 25, was given three years jail on Tuesday, while Cara Patricia Gavin, 27, got a conditional sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community -- the first year under house arrest at their Airdrie residence.
Both had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of theft... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Tipped to Shoot Up In Wake of New US Supreme Court Ruling
16 July 2010
ABC News (USA)
After a Supreme Court decision affirming the right to bear arms was handed down in June, the owners of Midwest Sporting Goods, just outside of Chicago, started noticed something any retailer would find encouraging an increasing number of customers.
With Chicago's 28-year ban on handgun ownership rendered unconstitutional, more people were coming into Midwest, in Lyons, Illinois, to exercise their Second Amendment rights, according to Noel, the store's owner. He asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Reporter Tests for Gun Show Loopholes, Describes Scene in Minnesota
3 June 2010
City Pages (Minneapolis)
"If there's an unequivocal opposite to growing up around guns," says Andrew Rothman, "it's being raised by New York Jews." He puts down his glass of water and wipes his dark goatee with a napkin. It would be quite the outlandish statement were he not talking about himself.
"I grew up believing guns were bad," he continues. "That's what my parents taught me. But they also taught me to read. That was their first mistake."
Rothman is the executive director of the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Tourists Smuggled 83% of Guns Seized at Canadian Border [Francais]
1 June 2010
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Of 2,777 illegal weapons seized at the Canadian border, 83% were smuggled by American tourists. Of the firearms confiscated, 72% were easily concealable handguns.]
OTTAWA - Les touristes américains qui viennent au Canada n'apportent pas que leurs dollars. Plusieurs d'entre eux tentent de franchir la frontière munis de leurs armes à feu.
En fait, la majorité des armes à feu saisies par les douaniers canadiens appartiennent à des voyageurs... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor's Gun Law Revision Aims for More Controversial Measures
25 May 2010
WJI Times Observer (New York)
A proposed package of changes in New York City's gun laws has lit a fire under gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment rights groups. The changes are a part of the gun law reforms proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Bloomberg touts the proposals as a way to streamline the process by which New Yorkers can obtain gun permits. One key change involves reducing the famously lengthy time and difficulty in obtaining a gun permit in New... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Gun Maker Beretta Rescues Russian Weapon Plant in Joint Venture
7 May 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - State Technology Corporation Rostekhnologii plans to embark on a joint small arms production venture with Italian firearms company Beretta, Kommersant business daily reported on Friday.
Director General of Rostehnologii Sergei Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday the state corporation is negotiating with the Italian company on the production of "hunting and sporting arms, and handguns for the special services and police."
A source... (GunPolicy.org)
Estranged Husband Welcomed Wife, 4yr-old Daughter, Shot Them Both
31 March 2010
Berwickshire-News (UK)
A tearful neighbour has told an inquest how she saw a Hampshire mother shot by a her ex-partner who then also shot dead the couple's four-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.
Rachel Southon was putting her two boys in a car outside her house in Aldershot, on December 29 last year when Julie Harrison, 40, pulled up with her daughter Maisie.
Mrs Southon told the inquest in Alton, Hampshire, that Ms Harrison kept the engine running as the door was opened... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Carefully Chose an African-American for Pivotal Court Case
30 January 2010
Chicago Tribune
From behind the wheel of his hulking GMC Suburban, 76-year-old Otis McDonald leads a crime-themed tour of his Morgan Park neighborhood. He points to the yellow brick bungalow he says is a haven for drug dealers. Down the street is the alley where five years ago he saw a teenager pull out a gun and take aim at a passing car.
Around the corner, he gestures to the weed-bitten roadside where three thugs once threatened his life.
"I know every day that I come out in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police 'Lose' 3,000 Pistols a Year, Fuel Crime Gun Trade in South Africa
27 January 2010
South African Press Association
The police are "unwittingly fuelling the illegal arms trade" by ordering thousands of new pistols to replace those that have been lost or stolen, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday.
Dianne Kohler Barnard said 4 000 new pistols ordered by the South African Police Service (SAPS) were not to boost firepower, but "mostly to replace lost and stolen firearms".
"As revealed on the Armscor website, the ordering of 4 000 new Beretta pistols means that another... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Imports More Handguns to Replace Thousands Lost by Police
27 January 2010
Telegraph (UK)
Almost 3,000 South African police firearms were lost or stolen in just nine months, it emerged today – about three for every police station in the country, which has some of the highest crime rates in the world
The worrying statistic comes less than six months before the football World Cup kicks off in the country.
Dianne Kohler Barnard, the opposition Democratic Alliance shadow police minister, said that the state weapons manufacturer Armscor had recently ordered... (GunPolicy.org)
Many Cops and Military Violating Philippine Election Gun Ban
10 January 2010
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines -- Thirty minutes into Sunday, police officer Dennis Quinto, in civilian clothes, came down the road on a motorcycle with a .45-cal Armscor pistol tucked in his waist.
Quinto, a Police Officer 1 belonging to the regional mobile group of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), never got past the police checkpoint in Quezon City.
He was the first violator of the nationwide election gun ban and one of a total of 18 people arrested in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Bush Employee Nabbed Near US Capitol with 2 Guns and Ammo
23 December 2009
Mother Jones (USA)
The man who was arrested with two guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition
near the Capitol during President Barack Obama's health care speech in
September had been an employee of the George W. Bush White House. The arrest
of the man, Joshua Bowman, was widely reported at the time, but the news
stories made no mention of his previous employment: For several years he
worked in the Executive Office of the President, dealing with tech issues,
including White House emails,... (GunPolicy.org)
Civilians, Reservists Surrender Assault Weapons in Kenya Gun Ban Drive
21 December 2009
Kenyan Broadcasting Service
Residents of Iisiolo district have surrendered 177 assault rifles to the government in a bid to beat the amnesty period deadline.
Security personnel have in the past two weeks also recovered 7,939 rounds of ammunition from civilians while Kenya police reservists have handed back 217 guns issued to them by the government.
Isiolo DC Mr. James Mwaura commended the residents for surrendering illegal firearms and expressed optimism that those in possession of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Mystery New York 'Drug-related' Shooting Yields Second Handgun
20 December 2009
New York Times
When the police arrived at the crime scene on Amsterdam Avenue between West 83rd and West 84th Streets on Thursday, all the pieces of an initial homicide investigation seemed to fit.
Three dead bodies were found in a third-floor apartment, and a fourth — who, the police suspected, was the killer — was found outside in the back; he was presumed to have fallen out a window.
Two weapons were found: a .380 Hi Point semiautomatic pistol and a bloody knife. And there... (GunPolicy.org)
US Supreme Court Exempts Gun Maker in Shooting of 13yr-old Boy
14 December 2009
WLS-TV News (Chicago)
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the current gun law.
The family of a boy who was shot to death was fighting a law that protects gun makers from lawsuits by shooting victims. But the court refused to hear an appeal from the uncle of a boy accidentally killed by a friend. The suit claimed the gun did not have the proper warnings or safety mechanism.
Family members say they're frustrated and believe there has been no accountability for the shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooter's Father Let Son Have Gun, Faces 15 Homicide Charges
27 November 2009
Deutsche Welle (Germany) / DPA / AP
German prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the father of a teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree in March. Victims' relatives have demanded that he pay for leaving the murder weapon unsecured.
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in the southwestern city of Stuttgart said on Friday that the father of Tim K. had been charged with 15 counts of negligent homicide. A trial date is yet to be announced.
In March, the 17-year-old killed... (GunPolicy.org)
Supreme Court Case Puts Gun Control on US Culture War's Front Burner
18 October 2009
United Press International
WASHINGTON — As the U.S. Supreme Court makes its stately way into the new term, a case over the horizon promises to hit the 20,000 gun control laws in this country with the impact of a 9mm round.
The prep work came last year in District of Columbia vs. Heller. A narrow 5-4 majority struck down the gun control law in the nation's capital, and for the moment settled an argument over just what the Second Amendment to the Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Take Handgun from Drugged Drunk, Montana Judge Gives it Back
8 October 2009
Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri)
Earlier this year, the General Assembly seriously considered allowing concealed firearms on college campuses. The twisted logic held that pistol-toting underclassmen would help prevent the next Virginia Tech-style massacre.
Now comes the curious case of John L. Richard (pronounced "ree-shard").
In November 2006, Scott County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Richard's home in Benton in response to a domestic dispute. His wife told a 911 operator that she had... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Lying Gun Nuts: Bloomberg Gun Show Sting Exposes Loophole
8 October 2009
Daily News (New York), Editorial
The latest gun sting ordered up by Mayor Bloomberg has blown a cannonball-size hole through some of the National Rifle Association's bloodiest lies.
Thanks to the NRA, Congress exempted many sales at gun shows from background-check requirements. Second Amendment fanatics won the day by portraying unlicensed vendors who sold weapons at gun shows as making:
(1) occasional sales,
(2) from personal collections and
(3) not engaged in trafficking for profit.
Lie.... (GunPolicy.org)
Handgun Registration, Tracing Nails US Cop Charged with Trafficking
1 October 2009
New Haven Independent (Connecticut)
Days after cops reported they found a gun owned by Police Sgt. Harold David Setzer in the hands of a convicted felon, Setzer's son came forward with a cover story.
Setzer, 41, of Davis Street in New Haven, remains on paid administrative leave from the Waterbury police force, where he's been a cop for 18 years and a firearms instructor for 10-15 years.
He was arraigned in Connecticut Superior Court on Elm Street Thursday morning. He was arrested Wednesday on seven... (GunPolicy.org)
Pistol Used in 5 US Shootings Traced to Police Sgt Trafficking in Guns
30 September 2009
Waterbury Republican-American (Connecticut)
WATERBURY, Connecticut — Two arrest warrants have been issued for a city police sergeant stemming from charges that several of his guns disappeared and wound up in the hands of felons.
Sgt. David Setzer, a decorated 17-year veteran of the department, is expected to surrender to police in New Haven today on charges of illegally transferring or selling firearms, manufacturing bombs, risk of injury to a minor, illegal possession of explosives and illegal possession of... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggled Handguns Detected by Indonesian Airport Cargo Company
18 September 2009
Jakarta Post
Police and customs and excise officials at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle a package containing two firearms, police said Friday.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Chrysnanda Dwi Laksana said an employee of a shipping company was the first to detect the package at the airport's cargo section on Thursday.
"The employee was suspicious of the package during an X-ray check," Chrysnanda said.
When opening the box, the employee found... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Gets 6yrs for Selling Registered Guns to US Drug Gangs
14 September 2009
The Hour (Connecticut)
NORWALK — A Norwalk man was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison on Friday for selling altered guns that were used in various crimes.
Matthew Caporizzo, 34, was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user of any controlled substance.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Caporizzo allegedly sold... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Dad Helped Son Buy Bullets Used in School Mass Shooting
14 September 2009
Spiegel (Germany)
Earlier this year, Tim K. killed 15 people and himself in a shooting spree that started at his former school in Winnenden, Germany.
According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, the investigation files show that Tim's father went with him to a gun store to buy 1,000 bullets seven weeks before the shooting.
Police investigators have found that the father of Tim K., the 17-year-old who killed 15 people and then himself in the March 11 school shooting spree in and around... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunmaker to Liverpool Underworld, Torch Gun Maker Jailed for 20 Years
12 September 2009
Times (UK)
A judge called a gunmaker who crafted weapons for Merseyside's gangsters as a "dealer in death" as he jailed him at Liverpool Crown Court for 20 years. David Hampson, 44, who could transform a replica firearm into a handgun in 20 minutes, was caught in a 12-month police undercover operation. His speciality was converting miniature torches into single-shot weapons.
Senior officers in Merseyside Police were jubilant at the severity of the sentence which, they say, will... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Encouraged, Gun Culture Thrives in Thailand's Climate of Fear
9 September 2009
Agence France Presse
NARATHIWAT, Thailand — The portly assistant school principal pushes aside his paperwork and from his old leather satchel draws a Chinese pistol — his protection here in the violent Thai south.
"The children don't know I carry a gun," says Prachin Ruengchim, as the laughter of young students carries down from the upstairs classroom. "Almost nobody knows, only close friends. Some other teachers don't know."
The 59-year-old reveals that he always carries the firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Collector Sold 121 Handguns, Machine Guns to NZ Gangs
29 August 2009
New Zealand Herald
The last act in laying bare John Noel Mabey's big lie occurred on Tuesday but the danger to the public will go on for years.
After two years, Mabey, 45, finally admitted in the Thames District Court that the burglary in which he claimed his entire collection of 121 restricted firearms (pistols, machine guns and military-style semi-automatics) was stolen, was an elaborate fake.
Not that anyone had believed him for long. The suspicion of the police officer who... (GunPolicy.org)
Interview with Gun-toting Protester at Obama Rally was Staged by Lobby
18 August 2009
CNN
PHOENIX, Arizona — He was to demonstrating his right to bear arms — and he wanted you to know it.
Video of the unidentified man toting an assault rifle outside President Obama's speech to veterans Monday was aired all over the country, causing a buzz about weapons popping up — legally — around recent presidential events.
The protester, who refused to give his name, was interviewed by a man carrying a microphone and said, "I am almost always armed."
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Tiny Caribbean State (pop. 23,000) Imports Guns, Ammo Worth $2 Million
17 July 2009
Turks & Caicos Weekly News
Almost $2m worth of guns and ammunition has been imported by Islanders in the last three years, the Weekly News can reveal.
The alarming number of licensed firearms in the TCI is raising fears that the nation could be headed for the same fate as many of its trigger-happy Caribbean neighbours, plagued by spiralling gun crime.
Figures — contained in the Government's external merchandise trade statistics 2008 — show that $649,467 worth of arms was brought into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Jailed Students Bought 22 Handguns in US, Smuggled them to Canada
15 July 2009
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
WINNIPEG — A young Winnipeg man attending a North Dakota college to play football has admitted to fuelling street crime in his home city by helping smuggle nearly two-dozen high-powered guns across the Canadian border in exchange for cash and drugs, according to court documents.
Thomas Scher, 20, was sentenced in an American courtroom Monday to 366 days jail, in addition to three years of supervised probation, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a... (GunPolicy.org)
Global 'Gun Fight' Tipped as Handgun Makers Bid to Equip Victoria Police
7 June 2009
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A global "gun fight" is expected to break out over the lucrative Victoria Police .
Police will go to tender on Tuesday and international arms makers from across the globe could be in the running.
The contract's specified requirement is that the semi-automatic pistol has a .40 calibre.
Austrian company Glock, Belgian gunsmiths Browning and US company Colt all make a semiautomatic pistol with that size bore.
James Bond's favourite arms manufacturers, Beretta, from... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Drug Cartels Go Bargain Gun Shopping In Houston, Texas
28 May 2009
Reuters
HOUSTON — Mexican drug gangs looking for weapons powerful enough to stop a vehicle, penetrate a bullet-resistant vest or confront an army detachment need look no further than the Houston area's 1,500 gun shops, where merchandise is priced to move.
Guns like the Barrett M-82 sniper rifle, the AK-47 and Bushmaster .223 are among those favoured by cartel hitmen that slaughtered some 6,300 people in Mexico border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana last year.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Governor Gives $6m Handgun Fund Back to 'Paranoid Gun Lobby'
28 May 2009
Orlando Sentinel (Florida), Column
Even in this time of budgetary sacrifice, Gov. Charlie Crist understands certain priorities.
The biggest one is not to offend the NRA when running for the U.S. Senate.
And so with a stroke of his veto pen, Charlie gave the very grateful gun lobby the $6 million it so loudly demanded.
The Legislature provided Charlie with this golden opportunity. Lawmakers played the anti-gun saps so he could play the pro-gun hero.
Desperate to plug budget holes, lawmakers raided... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP's No-show Scuttles Another Bid to Scrap Canada's Gun Registry
25 May 2009
National Post / Canwest News
OTTAWA — An attempt by a Saskatchewan Conservative MP to abolish the controversial long-gun registry quietly died Monday.
Garry Breitkreuz, who represents a riding in rural Saskatchewan, had introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons aimed at scrapping the controversial registry and the bill was to be debated in the House of Commons Monday morning. But Mr. Breitkreuz failed to show up for the debate and, according to rules of procedure in the House,... (GunPolicy.org)
How Pakistan's Notorious Illegal Gun Industry Runs Arms to Karachi
13 May 2009
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Jailed, Loses Firearm Licence for Life
6 May 2009
Kingston Whig-Standard (Ontario)
A 65-year-old gun collector, whose illegal outing with several of his weapons last month had Ontario Provincial Police scrambling to detour traffic away from a section of Highway 7 near Sharbot Lake, has been released from custody.
Raymond A. Fletcher was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to unsafe use of a firearm, unauthorized transportation of a loaded Ruger handgun and illegal possession of a loaded restricted... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP Stays Mum at Canadian Gun Lobby's Famous 'Pistol Raffle' Bash
19 April 2009
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz attended a gun-lobby dinner last night in Mississauga where a Beretta handgun was the advertised raffle prize — despite misgivings from the Prime Minister's Office and gun-control advocates.
The pro-gun Saskatchewan MP was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the annual general meeting and dinner for the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, but the invitation was withdrawn last month after Breitkreuz faced harsh... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mass Killer Kept His Fury Private, Rehearsed with Legal Pistols
12 April 2009
New York Times
In November, Jiverly A. Wong walked into an employment center in downtown Binghamton. He had been laid off from his job at a vacuum cleaner plant, and he needed help applying for unemployment benefits.
Speaking in broken English, he struggled to communicate with a receptionist. She told Mr. Wong that a phone number that he could call for assistance provided information in Chinese or Japanese. She asked him if he was either one.
"No, I'm Vietnamese!" Mr. Wong told her,... (GunPolicy.org)
98 Shots Fired in 1 Minute Makes New York Mass Killer 'New Rambo'
8 April 2009
Associated Press
The man who gunned down 13 people at an upstate New York immigration center fired 98 shots from two handguns in a little more than a minute, police said Wednesday, a gunslinging feat one expert said would make him a "new Rambo."
Gun control advocates said if a man who complained about not getting enough in unemployment benefits could afford enough ammunition to repeatedly practice shooting and go into his killing zone with a satchel of bullets around his neck, new ways... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police, Domestic Violence Groups Want to Keep Gun Registry
1 April 2009
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba), Opinion
The Conservatives, the party of law and order, appear on a collision course with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Saskatchewan MP Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville), a fervent opponent of the gun registry, has introduced a private member's bill that launches the most sweeping attack on Canadian gun control since its inception.
Bill C-301 not only has the full backing of the Conservative caucus, but also from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. If just 11... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax US Gun Laws Undermine Mexico's Efforts to Slow Flood of Weapons
31 March 2009
USA Today
MEXICO CITY — There is one gun store in Mexico. Only one. And not just anybody can shop here.
The "Directorate for Arms and Munitions Sales," as the store is called, is run by the Mexican army and occupies two rooms in an olive-green, heavily guarded building near the army's headquarters.
Prospective customers need a permit from the army that can take months to get. And once they buy a gun, there are reams of rules: how much ammunition they can buy each month; where... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Tories 'Disingenuous' Private Bill Tactic to Scrap Gun Registry
30 March 2009
Hill Times (Ottawa)
Conservatives are being "dishonest" by trying to win support on both sides of the divisive gun control issue by relying on Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz's private member's bill to end the long-gun registry rather than bringing in a government bill, says Liberal public safety and national security critic Mark Holland.
"They're trying to whisper in one ear to people who have concerns about the need to continue the registry which includes the chiefs of police by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Lobby, Tory Political Ally Take Flak for Poor Reasoning
23 March 2009
Star Phoenix (Saskatchewan), Editorial
In spite of his persistent electoral success in the Yorkton-Melville riding, Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz is anything but political.
If he had a little more finesse, the longtime opponent of the long gun registry would have trod a little more delicately when asked to address the Canadian Shooting Sports Association next month in Mississauga, Ont.
Not that there is anything wrong or the least bit unnatural with Mr. Breitkreuz addressing a group of gun enthusiasts.... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP 'Uninvited' as Gun Lobby Dinner Speaker Following Pistol Uproar
20 March 2009
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz has been dropped from the speaker's list at a convention of firearms enthusiasts, as the Harper government moves to distance itself from a plan to raffle off a semi-automatic handgun as part of the festivities.
Breitkreuz, who has long campaigned to ease federal gun control laws, had been scheduled to address the Canadian Shooting Sports Association next month — until news broke Thursday of the raffle prize: a Beretta PX4... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Lobby Blames 'Dirty Politics, Dirty Media' in Pistol Fiasco
20 March 2009
Toronto Globe and Mail (Ontario)
A Conservative MP won't be the guest of honour at a gun enthusiasts' dinner in Mississauga next month, but the organization still plans to raffle off a Beretta semi-automatic handgun — a decision that drew fire yesterday from Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and others.
"My advice to them is that they change the item they are going to raffle off to something that is more acceptable," Hazel McCallion said of the door prize the Canadian Shooting Sports Association... (GunPolicy.org)
'Screaming Anti-gunnners' Spoil Canadian Gun Lobby's Pistol Giveaway
19 March 2009
CTV News (Toronto)
An invitation for a Conservative MP to attend a gun lobby dinner near Toronto next month has been withdrawn after a controversy erupted over a handgun being raffled off at the event.
Saskatchewan MP Garry Breitkreuz had been scheduled to attend the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) dinner, where a rare Beretta semi-automatic handgun is being given away as a raffle prize.
Opposition MPs criticized Breitkreuz's choice to attend saying it was an insensitive... (GunPolicy.org)
German School Rampage Killer Told Me He Did It 'For Fun' - Hostage
19 March 2009
Agence France Presse
The man taken hostage by German gunman Tim Kretschmer last week has broken his silence, telling a magazine that the teenager had told him it was "for fun" and wanted to find another school.
Igor Wolf, hijacked by the 17-year-old and forced to drive 40km with a gun in his back, asked him: "Why are you doing this shit?"
"Because it is fun. Because I find it fun," the gunman replied, according to an interview with Wolf to appear in Thursday's edition of Stern magazine.... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Fired 423 Bullets in Pakistan Cricketer Ambush: Every Shot Missed
18 March 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — Gulberg Police have claimed firing 423 bullets in the Liberty shootout but at the same time admitted that none of the assailants were hit.
The Gulberg incident left six people dead and 16 others, including five Sri Lankan players, injured.
The police have claimed in its reports, copies of which are available with Daily Times, that 17 policemen through 21 weapons fired 423 bullets at the assailants, who fled unharmed.
In the first information report (FIR),... (GunPolicy.org)
Parents of German Killer Never Imagined Him Capable of Gun Massacre
17 March 2009
Associated Press
BERLIN — The family of a German teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree said Tuesday the deaths left them agonizing over how they failed to "notice his despair and hatred."
Expressing their shock and sorrow, Tim Kretschmer's parents and sister said they never imagined him capable of gunning down nine students and three teachers at his former high school then slaying three bystanders before taking his own life.
"We keep asking ourselves over and over again... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Debate Rages in Germany, Editorials Predict No Real Change
16 March 2009
Spiegel (Germany)
With memories of last week's school shooting in Winnenden still fresh, many in Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, would like to see stricter gun control laws. German commentators, though, don't think that will ever happen.
Does Germany need new gun control laws? That question has become the focus of political debate in Berlin six days after 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer went on a shooting spree in the southern German town of Winnenden, killing 15 people before... (GunPolicy.org)
German Chancellor Mulls Tighter Gun Law, 78% Want Private Gun Ban
15 March 2009
Reuters
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for greater supervision of her country's gun laws on Sunday, after a teenager shot dead 15 people last week before killing himself.
Merkel said she had been stunned by the massacre in the southwestern town of Winnenden, where 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer shot 15 people with his father's pistol, including 12 at his former school.
Merkel told Deutschlandfunk radio it was crucial that rules about the storage of weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Killings: Blame Violent Videos, or Easy Gun Access? [Nederlands]
14 March 2009
De Standaard (Antwerp)
[Translated summary: Blaming violent videos for triggering Germany's latest mass school shooting overlooks a more obvious cause: the easy availability to the killer of his father's insecurely stored 9mm semi-automatic pistol.]
Het worden stilaan klassieke beelden in Europese steden. Wenende, geschokte of rouwende mensen rond een openbare plek vol bloemen en brandende kaarsjes, om de slachtoffers te herdenken van een nieuw geval van 'zinloos geweld' door een wilde... (GunPolicy.org)
German Gun Club Killer Had 'Deep Fascination with Guns, Ready Access'
13 March 2009
Australian (Sydney) / Times (UK)
The "unremarkable" teenage killer who went on a rampage in southern Germany on Wednesday with his father's Beretta had a deep fascination with guns and ready access to a domestic arsenal.
To most who knew him, Tim Kretschmer seemed normal, but the 17-year-old from an affluent family, who came back to terrorise the school he left last year with poor grades, had a dark side that few would have guessed at.
His father, Jorg, who runs a packaging company that employs 20... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Trade in Karachi Traced to Craft Gun Industry in Dara Adam Khel
13 March 2009
International News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
German Killer a 'Reclusive Gun Freak, Well Trained in Use of Firearms'
13 March 2009
Independent (UK)
BERLIN — Tim Kretschmer was a reclusive gun freak who had dozens of airguns on display in his bedroom. He liked to practise with his father's arsenal of 15 pistols and rifles on a firing range in the basement of his home. Officials described the 17-year-old killer yesterday as "well trained in the use of firearms".
But the teenager who, on Wednesday, went on a rampage at his former school and shot dead 15 people, also saw himself as a failure. He was said to have... (GunPolicy.org)
Portrait Emerges of Troubled, Depressed, Well-armed German Gunman
13 March 2009
New York Times
FRANKFURT, Germany — A portrait of a troubled, depressed teenager with easy access to an unsecured pistol has begun to emerge in the days after the youth went on a rampage, killing 15 people before taking his own life.
The police have established that the teenager, Tim Kretschmer, 17, last year broke off a round of psychological counseling for depression.
Searching his bedroom, the police found violent computer games — in which, experts say, players digitally... (GunPolicy.org)
German School Massacre: 17yr-old Killer Was 'Totally Normal Teenager'
12 March 2009
Spiegel Online International (Germany)
WINNENDEN, Germany — Inconspicuous. Friendly. Shy. That's how former schoolmates of Tim K. describe him — one day after he gunned down 15 people in a rampage that started at his former school. An eyewitness reports how self-assured he looked with a Beretta in his hands.
She immediately threw herself onto the floor. It was an automatic reaction, as if she had rehearsed the move a thousand times. But she hadn't. Indeed, the first hint Sandra* had that something... (GunPolicy.org)
Detectives' Union Says German Gun Storage Law Weak, 'Not Enforced'
12 March 2009
Wall Street Journal
BERLIN — A shooting rampage that began in a southern German school on Wednesday and left 16 dead is likely to stoke fresh debate in Europe about gun control and public security.
The shooting began about 9:30 a.m., when 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer, a former student, entered Albertville high school in Winnenden, a suburb of Stuttgart. He killed nine students and three teachers with a Beretta 9mm pistol before fleeing, police say. In Winnenden, he killed a passerby and... (GunPolicy.org)
Dad's Legal Handgun Killed 16, Storage 'Negligent,' Say German Police
12 March 2009
Reuters
WINNENDEN, Germany — German authorities are looking into whether to press charges against the gun-collecting father of the teenager who went on a shooting rampage at his former school on Wednesday, killing 15 people.
The motive for the attack by 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer remained unclear a day after the massacre in the southwestern town of Winnenden.
The teenager, who neighbours described as a loner with a fondness for violent videos, appears to have taken his own... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen Killed 15, Self with Dad's Registered 9mm Beretta Pistol
12 March 2009
Washington Post
BERLIN — Residents of a small German town struggled Wednesday to decipher the motives of a teenager who burst into his former high school and went on a shooting rampage, killing 15 people before taking his own life.
Authorities said Tim Kretschmer, 17, entered the Albertville Realschule in the town of Winnenden about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, wearing black clothes and carrying a semiautomatic pistol. They said he fatally shot 12 people there — all but one of them... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen Aimed for Female Students, Told Parents of His 'Suffering'
12 March 2009
Associated Press
WINNENDEN, Germany — A 17-year-old wielding a Beretta 9mm pistol burst into classrooms at his former high school Wednesday and gunned down students — some of whom died with their pencils still in hand — in a rampage that ended with 15 dead before he took his own life, authorities said.
There was no immediate indication of motive, but the gunman's victims were primarily female: eight of nine students killed were girls, and all three teachers were women. Three men... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany Shocked by Teenager's Killing Spree with Dad's Legal Handgun
11 March 2009
Spiegel Online International (Germany)
Germany was in shock on Wednesday after a 17-year-old youth killed 15 people in a shooting rampage that began at his school, where he shot dead 10 pupils and three teachers. He later took a gun to his own head during a shootout with police. His motive remains a mystery.
A 17-year-old youth killed 15 people in a shooting rampage in Germany that began at his former school and ended in a wild shootout in the parking lot of a car dealer. According to the latest information... (GunPolicy.org)
Supreme Court Refusal Ends New York City's Suit Against Gun Industry
10 March 2009
New York Times
WASHINGTON — New York City's nine-year lawsuit accusing gun makers of flooding illicit markets with their firearms came to an end on Monday, when the United States Supreme Court refused to consider a lower court's dismissal of the case.
Without comment, the justices decided not to review a ruling by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which declared on April 30 that federal law protected the manufacturers from such... (GunPolicy.org)
New York City Loses 9-year Court Battle to Hold Gun Industry Accountable
9 March 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has turned away pleas by New York City and gun violence victims to hold the firearms industry responsible for selling guns that could end up in illegal markets.
The justices' decision Monday ends lawsuits first filed in 2000. Federal appeals courts in New York and Washington threw out the complaints after Congress passed a law in 2005 giving the gun industry broad immunity against such lawsuits.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Afghanistan,Albania
21yr-old US Gun Dealer Got $300m Pentagon Arms Contract, Handcuffs
18 February 2009
Details / GQ (USA)
On the afternoon of May 16, 2007, an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane rumbled down the tarmac at Burgas Airport in eastern Bulgaria, its hold packed with 110,000 grenades bound for Kabul, Afghanistan. The aircraft lifted off, climbed above the rolling farmlands to the west and the Black Sea to the east, and headed toward war.
Half a world away, on the first floor of a sun-dappled office building amid the palm trees of Miami Beach, Florida, a 21-year-old high-school dropout... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Officers Can Break Makarov Tradition, Buy Foreign Pistols - Putin
10 February 2009
Moscow Times
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing some law enforcement officials to carry imported guns for self-defense. The decision is unprecedented in Russia, which is proud of its arms-making traditions.
Putin signed a document Jan. 31 allowing prosecutors and investigators with the prosecutor's office to use the Italian-made Beretta 92, Czech CZ 75 and Austrian Glock 17 pistols, Interfax reported Monday.
Prosecutors previously could carry only Makarov... (GunPolicy.org)
Rush to Buy Guns Includes More Women, Say Florida Gun Show Dealers
28 January 2009
Florida Trend
MIAMI — It was a tough day for Victor Bean. Typically, a weekend in September would find 3,300 people at his Victor Bean Southern Classic Gun and Knife Show in Miami. But the threat of a hurricane had people in line at Home Depot and Publix, making for a very slow day for Bean, a friendly 49 year old. "When things are slow, we joke, 'Where's Bill Clinton when you need him?' "
Many a true word spoken in jest. Two months later, Barack Obama won the presidency, and... (GunPolicy.org)
'Landmark' Indiana Court Ruling Says US Gun Industry Can Be Sued
19 January 2009
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
One by one, local governments have filed lawsuits that try to hold firearms manufacturers responsible for gun violence on city streets.
And, one by one, the lawsuits have either been dismissed by courts or dropped. Until last week.
In what gun control advocates quickly hailed as a landmark decision, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled last week that a lawsuit filed by the city of Gary can proceed toward trial.
That leaves Gary as the last plaintiff standing among more... (GunPolicy.org)
