Top of PageGun Policy News
Guns and domestic conflict, firearms in the home
Police Rely Even More on Canadian Gun Registry Slated for Deletion
25 January 2012
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA - A new report shows that Canadian police services are using the firearms registry more than ever, relying on it more than 14,000 times a day rather than viewing it as an obsolete and unreliable database as the Conservative government claims.
The RCMP quietly posted on Monday annual report on the controversial firearms program which shows in 2010, law enforcement agencies across the country logged in and queried the Canadian Firearms Registry Online an average... (GunPolicy.org)
Call for 3-gun Ownership Limit as Firearm Licences Soar in NSW, Australia
23 January 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
The number of gun permits issued in NSW has almost doubled in the past five years, sparking calls for restrictions on how many guns people can acquire.
Figures from the NSW firearms registry show 111,792 permits to acquire a firearm were issued in 2009 and 2010. That was 29,427 more than for the previous two-year period. In 2005 and 2006, there were 65,997 permits issued.
The National Coalition for Gun Control, which obtained the latest figures under... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish Charity Tells Battered Women How to Save their Lives - With a Gun
18 January 2012
New York Times
ISTANBUL — When the police showed up at the home of Muzeyyen Yanik in Istanbul in October in response to her request for protection from an abusive former husband, she had been dead and buried for three months — shot four times in the head. He is now on trial for murder.
Another woman, Ferdane Col of Izmir, had actually succeeded in obtaining a restraining order against her husband before being stabbed to death in October. He has been arrested.
Then there was... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Law Enforcement: 'Armed and Dangerous' Police - Analysis
12 January 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
People who possess firearms in South Africa can generally be separated into three categories. The first group consists of individuals in possession of duly registered firearms. The next group is of greater concern. They are the people who are in illegal possession of firearms. Not all people who possess firearms that are, according to the letter of the law, illegal are violent criminals.
However, even this armed group is less of a concern than the last type. The third... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
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 Enthusiast Kills 3 Women, Self, Thrusts UK Gun Laws Back Into News
3 January 2012
Independent (UK)
A taxi driver who murdered his partner, her sister and her sister's daughter before shooting himself in a New Year's Day killing spree at the family home held licences for six weapons and had been known to police for three years after he threatened to harm himself.
His 19-year-old stepdaughter leapt to safety from an upstairs window after the man, named as Michael Atherton, opened fire in the crowded semi-detached house shortly before midnight. Police confirmed they... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder Rate Halved, But Guns Still Kill in Australia's Largest State
31 December 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
SYDNEY'S murder rate has halved in the past decade, falling to its lowest level in recent history.
But Sydney's streets are no safer, said Don Weatherburn, the director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Homicide cases have dropped from 88 in 2001 to 43 this year, reflecting a statewide trend in which murders fell from 119 to 77. The rate of one homicide per 100,000 people is the lowest Dr Weatherburn can remember.
"The puzzle is that homicide is... (GunPolicy.org)
Ranger Kills 2 Women, Self with Government Gun in Guam Domestic Dispute
29 December 2011
Pacific Daily News (Guam)
A relative of two slain women is questioning if the government of Guam should harden the psychological scrutiny of armed law enforcement in the wake of a double murder-suicide.
John Mamaligsa said yesterday that he is pushing local lawmakers to create a law establishing government-wide psychological evaluation standards for anyone who carries a gun in the name of GovGuam.
The standards should require all law enforcement to be reviewed by a psychologist periodically to... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney Woman Joined Gun Club, Shot Father, Acquitted as Mentally Ill
15 December 2011
ABC News (Australia)
A woman who joined a gun club so she could kill her 70-year-old father has been found not guilty of murder due to mental illness.
Shamin Fernando, 44, faced a judge-only trial for the 2010 murder of her father Vincent.
The Supreme Court heard she called him to her Glebe unit in inner Sydney to help with her computer then shot him several times with a pistol.
The court heard Fernando obtained the gun from the Sydney Pistol Club, where she was a provisional... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland,Finland,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Norway,Europe
Gun Attacks in Europe and Their Effect on Gun Control Laws
14 December 2011
BBC News
As more details emerge of the shooting spree and grenade attack in Belgium in which five people died, the BBC News website takes a look at other recent incidents in Europe - and the effect they have had on each country's laws.
Norway
Seventy-seven people were killed in twin attacks on 22 July 2011 in Norway. Anders Behring Breivik has admitted that he planted a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in the capital Oslo, killing eight people. He then drove... (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)
Jamaica,Honduras,Israel,Canada,Norway,Australia,Colombia,El Salvador,United States,Venezuela,Pakistan,Mexico
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Woman Joined Pistol Club, Stole Handgun to Kill Father - Court
7 December 2011
ABC News (Australia)
A Sydney court has heard a woman accused of shooting her father dead joined a local pistol club to obtain the gun she used in the killing.
Shamin Anne Fernando today faced a judge-only one-day trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court over the death of her father Vincent Fernando last year.
The 44-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of mental illness.
The court heard Fernando called her father to her unit at Glebe in inner Sydney to help with... (GunPolicy.org)
Israeli Security Guards Hold 130,000 Guns, Shot, Killed 24 Off Duty
6 December 2011
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women, demanded on Monday that security guards be required to leave their weapons at work, following a report that 24 people were killed in the last decade by guns belonging to off-duty security guards.
The report was issued by Woman to Woman, the Jerusalem Shelter for Battered Women.
"Security companies seem to have received an exemption from the law that forbids guards to remove their... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Firearms Act Reduced Violence Against Women, Why Change?
6 December 2011
The Witness (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN — The proposed amendments to the Firearms Control Act should be opposed at all costs, because in its current state the law has succeeded in reducing violence against women and children.
So says Dr Naeemah Abrahams, a researcher with the Medical Research Council. She pointed out the dangers of the proposed amendments during a discussion of the 16 Days Campaign of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children yesterday.
This year's campaign will... (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)
Texas Father Shoots His Estranged Wife, Kills Her 4 Children, Himself
1 December 2011
Associated Press
BAY CITY, Texas -- Laura Gonzalez was happy to be back at work after three weeks away that included a stay at a battered women's shelter. She saw it as the beginning of a new life. One without her husband and the father of her four children, she told co-workers. She wasn't going back to him this time, she said, and left for home.
Less than an hour later, her 24-year-old husband, Jose Avila, launched a brutal final assault. First he shot his wife three times. Then, he... (GunPolicy.org)
Federal Watchdog Criticises Plan to Destroy Canadian Gun Registry Data
22 November 2011
CTV News (Winnipeg) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal information watchdog says a government move to destroy gun-registry records sets a bad precedent.
Suzanne Legault told a Commons committee Tuesday that a federal bill to scrap the long-gun registry -- and delete millions of records -- violates the letter and spirit of the Library and Archives of Canada Act.
"It does raise major concerns in terms of transparency and accountability in general," Legault said.
"As information commissioner, I have... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Pressure Makes it Easier for US Felons to Legally Own Guns
13 November 2011
New York Times
In February 2005, Erik Zettergren came home from a party after midnight with his girlfriend and another couple. They had all been drinking heavily, and soon the other man and Mr. Zettergren's girlfriend passed out on his bed. When Mr. Zettergren went to check on them later, he found his girlfriend naked from the waist down and the other man, Jason Robinson, with his pants around his ankles.
Enraged, Mr. Zettergren ordered Mr. Robinson to leave. After a brief... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Woman Cleared of Murdering Husband Gets 5yrs for Using Gun
10 November 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - A New York woman cleared of murder charges in the shooting death of her retired police officer husband was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday for gun possession, a decision her lawyer described as disheartening.
In a case seen as a test of the battered-woman defense, Barbara Sheehan, 50, was acquitted of second-degree murder last month after her lawyers successfully argued that she fired a gun at her husband only after he threatened to kill... (GunPolicy.org)
US Psychiatric Nurses Need Training to Reduce Gun Suicides, Homicides
1 November 2011
Medical Xpress (USA)
"Graduate Psychiatric Nurses' Training on Firearm Injury Prevention" found that in spite of the concrete recommendations from American Psychiatric Nursing Association, only 9.4 percent of psychiatric nursing programs in the U.S. reported training their students to look for signs that patients might shoot themselves or someone else, said study co-author Jagdish Khubchandani, a community health education professor in the university's Global Health Institute and Department... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Lobby, Far Right Pushing for More Lenient Gun Laws
29 October 2011
al Jazeera, Opinion
If you are looking for the literal embodiment of dysfunction in US political culture and the institutions that serve it, look no further than the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the deadly and divisive role it plays in shaping the political agenda. Specifically, the radically and reliably dishonest, dangerous and deranged legislation they foist upon the American people day in and day out through their purchase of most Republican and many Blue-Dog Democratic... (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)
Canada's Conservative Government to Ease Gun Laws
25 October 2011
Associated Press
TORONTO — Canada's Conservative government introduced legislation Tuesday to scrap a controversial law that requires the registration of rifles and shotguns.
Canada has long required registration of hand guns, but the long-run registry law passed in 1995 faced bitter opposition from rural Canada, the Conservative party's base, which considered it an overreaction to the problem of urban crime.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said they don't want laws targeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Bill to End Canada Long-Gun Registry Will Destroy Data Already Collected
25 October 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper has acted to kill any attempt by a provincial or future federal government to recreate the doomed long-gun registry.
In a surprise move aimed at putting a bullet in the registry for good, the Conservative government bill tabled Wednesday orders the commissioner of firearms to destroy "as soon as feasible" records related to 7.1 million long-barreled guns collected over the past 15 years.
If passed, Bill C-19 would, as promised,... (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)
Suspect Identified in California Hair Salon Shooting
13 October 2011
Reuters
SEAL BEACH, California - Mourners laid flowers at a hair salon in Seal Beach on Thursday, a day after a gunman, identified as the ex-husband of a stylist there, killed eight people in a shooting rampage.
Police named the suspect as 42-year-old Scott Evans Dekraai of nearby Huntington Beach, who was expected to face multiple counts of murder in a mass killing that has been called the worst in Orange County history.
Dekraai's former wife, Michelle Fournier, was a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Kills 2 Men, 6 Women in Southern California Salon Shooting
13 October 2011
Associated Press
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — Every hair-dressing station was full at Salon Meritage when a gunman burst through the door and began shooting, sending terrified customers diving for cover in the upscale salon tucked just blocks from the beach in this quaint seaside town. The shooter then stepped outside, shot a man sitting in a truck in the parking lot and sped off.
By the time it was all over Wednesday, eight people were dead and another in critical condition in one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Japan,United States,Philippines
Philippines Needs Stricter Gun Control Laws - Opinion
11 October 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
Joke only: A Llama is a handgun.
But a Llamas is an AK-47.
* * *
Because of the AK-47 found in the vehicle of Presidential Political Adviser Ronald Llamas when it figured in an accident on Edsa (Llamas was away in Switzerland), the talk at the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday centered on guns in the hands of civilians.
And the guests were all well qualified to talk about guns: brand-new PNP chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: No Licence to Carry Guns if History of Domestic Violence [Espanol]
11 October 2011
Periodico Digital (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The National Defence Commission of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved a ruling that establishes new requirements for those applying for a licence to carry firearms, including no criminal record for willful or negligent use of firearms and no history of domestic violence.]
La Comisión de Defensa Nacional estableció nuevas obligaciones para este trámite
La Comisión de Defensa Nacional de la Cámara de Diputados federal aprobó el dictamen... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Founding Fathers, Towns Once Imposed Strict Gun Control
9 October 2011
New York Times, Book review
In "Gunfight," his provocative, highly uneven new book about the fight over gun control, the constitutional law professor Adam Winkler writes that "gun rights and gun control are not only compatible; they have lived together since the birth of America." He argues that "despite the controversy over the meaning of the Second Amendment, Americans have always had the right to keep and bear arms as a matter of state constitutional law. Today, nearly every state has such a... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden,European Union,Netherlands,Finland
Murder in Finland, Sweden, Netherlands: Drunk Friends v Criminals - Study
6 October 2011
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
Finland rightly appears rather high on the statistics for violent crime in Europe, but as so often behind the statistical data there lie a number of caveats and a lot of small print.
There are, for instance, large differences between different EU nations when it comes to the reasons for homicides and the methods used in such crimes.
In Finland, a typical person to commit a homicide is a middle-aged heavy consumer of alcohol and the victim is his drunken contemporary.... (GunPolicy.org)
Southern Africa,Central Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Africa,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Men Most Affected by Homicide, 40-60% Involve Guns, Says UN [Francais]
5 October 2011
Le Parisien (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: According to a new report on homicide from UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), most of the 468,000 homicides in 2010 took place in Africa and in Latin America. Firearms were involved in 42%. In Central America and the Caribbean, firearms were involved in three quarters of the homicides.]
La plupart des 468.000 homicides commis dans le monde en 2010 ont eu lieu en Afrique et en Amérique latine et concernent surtout des hommes, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Gun Control Not Linked to Homicide Rates - Study
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
Criminal record checks, 28-day waiting periods, the long-gun registry: none has done anything to stem Canadian firearm homicide rates, according to a new study by an emergency-medicine academic.
"No significant beneficial associations between firearms legislation and homicide or spousal homicide rates were found," reads the abstract on the study, written by Caillin Langmann, a resident in the division of emergency medicine at McMaster University, and himself a vocal... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Easily Available and Increasingly Used Against Women in Pakistan
30 September 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
PESHAWAR - Guns available in new abundance in the troubled north of Pakistan are increasingly being used on women in 'honour' killings and domestic disputes, according to local reports.
"About 65 percent of the women killed fall prey to gunfire in honour-related cases and issues relating to domestic violence," local security analyst Brigadier (retired) Muhammad Saad told IPS.
Citing a study by the local Awaz Foundation, he said the problem has been caused by easy... (GunPolicy.org)
85% of Gun Suicides Committed with Hunting Rifle in Quebec [Francais]
28 September 2011
La Seigneurie (Canada)
[Translated summary: With automn's arrival, many Quebecers take out their hunting equipment. The Director of Public Health would like to take this opportunity to remind hunters to be vigilant when handling their firearms to ensure their safety and that of their loved ones. Indeed, no less than 85% of suicides and 17% of homicides with firearms in Quebec are committed with a hunting carbine or shotgun.]
Avec l'arrivée de l'automne, de nombreux Montérégiens sortent... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines,United States,Asia,Japan
Stricter Gun Laws Needed to Stop the Massacre in Philippines
22 September 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The shooting by a 13-year-old of his 17-year-old boyfriend in an SM mall in Pampanga is just another proof that we have very liberal gun laws and that we should have stricter gun laws to curb crime, as the Gunless Society keeps insisting. How can such a young boy have access to a handgun, carry it past the security guards of the mall and then shoot his boyfriend if we had adequate gun laws?
The same with the abandoned wife who shot her estranged husband in another SM... (GunPolicy.org)
Family Killings, Fear of Violence Prompt Lebanon to Tighten Gun Control
21 September 2011
Press TV (Beirut)
Lebanon has witnessed years of civil war and internal fighting. Lately, Lebanon is facing a phenomenon that surpasses any political agreement or even disagreement.
The ownership of personal guns has become something that many take for granted.
Three incidents in the last month led to the killing of several people in one family as a result of feuds, and others in mysterious circumstances. In one of those incidents a pump-action shot gun was used to kill a mother and... (GunPolicy.org)
13-yr Old Boy Shoots 16-yr Old Friend, Then Himself in Philippines Mall
21 September 2011
Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines — A 13-year-old boy who shot his 16-year-old friend inside a busy Philippines mall then turned the weapon on himself died Wednesday and left the other boy brain dead, raising questions about gun control in a country awash in firearms.
Authorities were investigating how the 13-year-old obtained the .22-caliber pistol and smuggled it into the mall in Pampanga province's Mexico township, area police chief Wilson Santos said. He said the shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
Nepal: Impact of Small Arms on Gender
20 September 2011
Telegraph (Nepal), Opinion
1. Facts:
Small arms:
Small Arms mean the weapons that a single and individual can carry and operate. For example revolvers, self loading pistols, rifles, carbines, assault rifles, sub machineguns, light machineguns and associated ammunitions.[1]
Light weapons means that can be operate two or three people. They may include heavy machine gun, hand–held under barrel and mounted grenade launcher, portable anti-aircraft and missile launcher, explosives, anti personal... (GunPolicy.org)
US: 78-yr Old Husband Shot Dead 21-yr Old Wife Before Killing Himself
19 September 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
A 78-year-old man shot and killed his 21-year-old Filipino wife, then set their home on fire, before turning the gun on himself.
Geunther Floerchinger, from Port St Lucie, Florida, is believed to have murdered his wife Carhina in an apparent murder-suicide.
Police received two 911 calls to the property on Saturday after 1am.
One from a neighbour saying Mrs Floerchinger asked her to take her four-year-old daughter away earlier that day and one from the husband saying... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Returned by Australian Police in Domestic Violence Cases
19 September 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Firearms are being returned by police in a majority of domestic violence cases where one of the parties has a gun licence.
Figures obtained from the NSW Police firearms registry under freedom of information laws show up to 2309 licences were suspended in domestic violence cases from 2008 to 2010 under sections 22 and 23 of the Firearms Act. The figures show only 512 people lost their gun licence over the same period under section 24 of the Firearms Act because they... (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)
Fight Over Drug, Man Injured by His Brother with Shotgun in Swaziland
12 September 2011
The Swazi Observer (Swaziland)
A fight between two brothers over stolen dagga almost proved fatal after one shot the other with a 12- bore shotgun gun, injuring him on his back and arm.
Both brothers were allegedly armed when the fight ensued on Monday afternoon at Nyonyane, where families moved to open way for the construction of the Maguga Dam were relocated to.
The other, is alleged to have been armed with a pistol and the battle was thereafter decided by who had the quickest hand and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Montenegro,Bosnia & Herzegovina,European Union,Serbia,Eastern Europe,Southern Europe,Croatia,Kosovo,Albania
Balkan Countries Work To Round Up Privately Held Guns, Ammunition
5 September 2011
Southeast European Times (Pristina)
The statistics about gun ownership regionwide are surprising and the results can be deadly. In Albania alone, for example, analyst Jonuz Kola estimated this summer that 6% to 9% of the population has a weapon in the home. Scores of accidental shootings occur, including that of a 9-year-old in Shkodra, who died at the hands of his 11-year-old brother on July 18th.
Xhavit Shala, an expert within the Albanian Interior Ministry notes that in 1997, a considerable amount of... (GunPolicy.org)
Homicide Down, Gun Crime Up as More Victorians Carry Firearms in 2011
31 August 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
More than 400 people were robbed or assaulted at gunpoint in Victoria in the past year.
Gun robberies jumped more than 60 per cent to 190 incidents, while robberies involving a firearm rose 15 per cent to 240.
The gun crime surge outstripped a 2 per cent increase in knife assaults and robberies to 1725.
Acting Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay was at a loss to explain the rise in gun crimes.
"We need to understand this better because we can't accept the fact that... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Query Off Limits for Florida Doctors, Gun Injuries a Health Issue?
8 August 2011
New York Times, Letter
As a primary care physician, I regularly ask patients questions that many people would consider rude, inappropriately nosy or just irrelevant in polite conversation.
Do you wear your seat belt? How much alcohol do you usually drink? Do you use recreational drugs? Have you ever injected yourself with anything? Do you have sexual relations, and if so, with men, women or both?
Questions like these have long been a standard part of medical interviewing, and for good... (GunPolicy.org)
Brothers Guilty of Namibia Farm Massacre Where 8 Had Died, Son Walks Free
28 July 2011
Namibian (Windhoek)
After close to six and a half years of being accused of having masterminded the murder of his parents and six other people at their farm south of Rehoboth, 'Shorty' Erasmus is a free man again.
Windhoek resident Justus Christiaan ('Shorty') Erasmus was found not guilty on all charges - including eight counts of murder - in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.
The man whose claims led to Erasmus's arrest in mid-March 2005, Rehoboth resident Sylvester Beukes (26), and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gunman Kills Ex-wife and 4 Relatives at Son's Birthday Party
25 July 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AP
A US gunman shouted at children to leave his son's birthday party at a Texas roller rink as he fatally shot his estranged wife and four of her relatives, before then killing himself, police and witnesses say.
Police said the couple had been having ongoing marital problems that investigators believe led to the shootings about 7pm on Saturday at Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie, about 30 kilometres west of Dallas. No young children or rink employees were killed. Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Ottawa to Provinces: Feel Free to Create Your Own Shotgun Registries
11 July 2011
The Star (Canada) / Canadian Press
MONTREAL—The federal government says it would welcome proposals from any province wishing to set up its own long-gun registry if the Canadian program is eventually abolished.
Ottawa reacted Monday to a report that the Quebec government has a so-called "Plan B" to set up its own registry if the federal program is scrapped.
"Quebec or any of the provinces are free to move forward with any proposals within their jurisdictions," said Michael Patton, a spokesman for... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun-running Program Flaw Relies on Great Number of Mexican Deaths
22 June 2011
National Post (Toronto), Opinion
These are not halcyon days for the unique American combination of extreme drug prohibition and extreme firearms permissiveness. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is enduring its biggest scandal since Waco over an anti-drug operation very inappropriately titled "Fast and Furious." In a nutshell, ATF agents watched carefully as people in Arizona bought massive quantities of legal weapons (notably AK-47 assault rifles), knowing they'd be smuggled across the... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Africa,Pakistan,Americas,Europe,Asia
Need to 'Disarm Society to Make it More Secure and Strengthen Pakistan'
22 June 2011
Observer (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — "It is not the weapon but the sophistication of weapon which threatens the human beings and makes the militant stronger" commented Brig (R) Muhammad Saad at a seminar on 'Proliferation of Small Arms and their Impact on Internal Security Dynamics' held in Islamabad on Friday.
The speakers called for strict check on proliferation of small arms and prohibition of gun violence by restricting use of arms. Irfan Mufti of SAP-Pakistan suggested that "we should... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda Mulls Law Change to Include Politicians in Hidden Handgun Ban
21 June 2011
New Vision (Kampala)
The Government is to review the licensing of firearms to civilians in order to bar politicians from carrying guns to public places.
Internal affairs minister Hillary Onek said most leaders such as Members of Parliament, have continuously carried firearms in public places resulting in scenes of violence.
"I don't see the necessity of MPs carrying guns. It is a threat to the public. We have to review this policy," he said.
He made the remarks during the launch of the... (GunPolicy.org)
California Police Seize 1200 Illegal Guns, Aim to Confiscate 35,000 More
17 June 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
SACRAMENTO -- California law enforcement agents have seized 1,200 firearms from people who cannot legally own them because of mental illness or restraining orders.
However, Attorney General Kamala Harris said Thursday that more than 34,000 handguns and nearly 1,600 assault weapons are still believed to be held statewide by people who should not have them.
Most people bought the weapons legally but were later prohibited from owning guns.
But 12 people were arrested on... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,China,Nepal,Italy,India,United States
High Incidence of Small Arms Violence in Nepal: India Border, Armed Women
16 June 2011
MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
KATHMANDU -- As over 70 countries in the world Thursday begin observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, peace activists rue that even five years after the end of an armed insurrection, Nepal is still wracked by gunfire, thanks to the 1,800-km open border with India.
'There have been 1,013 incidents of violence caused by small arms in the last 17 months,' says Subodh Pyakurel, chief of Informal Sector Service Center (Insec), Nepal's largest NGO that... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Shoots, Kills His Estranged Wife, Two Children in Maine
14 June 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP
DEXTER, Maine — While known at school as a fun-loving kindergarten teacher whose students made ice cream and tie-dyed shirts, Amy Lake was living a nightmare at home as she sought to protect herself and her children from an estranged husband who threatened to take a knife to her and do things "you wouldn't do to farm animals," records show.
After being held at gunpoint a year ago, Lake and her children moved from home to home. When they moved to Dexter, she stopped... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Murder/Suicide: 4 Bodies Found, History of Domestic Violence
9 June 2011
Huffington Post (Canada)
Vivian Sula Enuaraq's family says the Iqaluit woman had finally had enough.
The 29-year-old had thought about leaving her husband several times during their troubled 11-year relationship, her sister Jolene Arreak recalled from Ottawa.
She had few friends in the northern community, however, and couldn't afford airfare out. So each time she decided to stay in the marriage for the sake of the couple's two young daughters, Arreak said.
But the last time Arreak talked... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Law that Bans Doctors from Asking about Guns Will Be Challenged
3 June 2011
ABC News (USA) / AP
Doctors and gun control groups say they will challenge a Florida law, signed Thursday by Gov. Rick Scott, that bans physicians from asking patients about gun ownership.
"Gov. Rick Scott should realize the risks to public health and safety that he would be sanctioning by giving into the gun lobby's agenda," the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence said in a joint statement with the Florida chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family... (GunPolicy.org)
73yr-old Arizona Gun Owner Kills 6, Including Estranged Wife, Her Lawyer
2 June 2011
Yuma Sun (Arizona)
A 73-year-old Foothills man went on a shooting spree Thursday morning across Yuma County, killing five people and wounding another before turning the gun on himself and taking his own life.
The man, identified as Carey Hal Dyess, was found dead inside his silver Mazda in the area of Blaisdell and Highway 95 at 10:47 a.m. by Yuma County sheriff's deputies. He died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Yuma County Sheriff Ralph Ogden said the murders... (GunPolicy.org)
2-yr Old Boy Accidentally Shot and Killed his 6-yr Old Sister in California
30 May 2011
Fresno Bee (California) / AP
FRESNO, California - Police are trying to determine how a 2-year-old Fresno boy got ahold of a gun with which he accidentally shot and killed his 6-year-old sister.
Sgt. Stephen Viveros tells the Fresno Bee the victim was playing with two other siblings in a bedroom in the family's home on Sunday when the toddler walked into the room with a loaded semi-automatic handgun. He says the boy fired a shot that mortally wounded his sister.
Viveros says officers seized a... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder-Suicide in California, Man Killed his Sister and Turned Gun on Himself
27 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
WESTMINSTER, California - Police say an Orange County man killed his sister and then turned the gun on himself.
A caller who reported hearing five to six gunshots sent Westminster police to a home on Navajo Road at about 11 p.m. Thursday.
A police statement says a woman met officers in the front yard and told them that her son had killed her daughter.
The sister was found dead in the hallway and the man's body was found in the backyard.
Their names were not... (GunPolicy.org)
Murder/Suicide in US: Man Shot Girlfriend, 2 Daughters Before Killing Himself
23 May 2011
Washington Post / AP
SHALER, Pennsylvania — A man fatally shot his girlfriend, her daughter and their 1-year-old child before turning the gun on himself, and authorities said what lay behind the shooting was still being investigated.
The shootings happened late Sunday night in a home rented by the family.
Police believe that Barry Hardesty, 43, shot his 38-year-old girlfriend, Lynette Gasparre, and then her 7-year-old daughter, Quinn Gasparre, and the couple's 1-year-old daughter, Nina... (GunPolicy.org)
Louisiana Restaurant Shooting: Man Kills Self after Killing Ex-girlfriend, Patron Injured
18 May 2011
Advocate (Louisiana) / AP
PIERRE PART, Louisiana — A man shot and killed himself outside a south Louisiana seafood restaurant just minutes after killing his ex-girlfriend and getting into a shootout with a patron, authorities said Tuesday.
Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike Waguespack said the shooting began about 10:30 a.m. at Landry's Seafood Restaurant, where the woman worked, in the unincorporated community of Pierre Part, about 50 miles west of New Orleans. Waguespack said Paul French, 51,... (GunPolicy.org)
Buffalo Held Its Latest Gun Buyback: Police Collected More Than 600 Firearms
15 May 2011
Buffalo News (New York)
Buffalo held its fourth gun buyback Saturday, and police collected more than 600 firearms at seven churches throughout the city.
The no-questions-asked program yielded more than 200 nonworking guns, 170 rifles, 219 handguns and even a 12-gauge "street sweeper" assault rifle.
A curious aspect of the program was that more than half the weapons were turned in at just one of the seven locations— St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in South Buffalo, considered among the... (GunPolicy.org)
Angry Father Turned Gun on 2 of his Daughter's Friends in Florida Shooting
14 May 2011
Times-Union (Florida)
Glen Conley was standing about 50 feet away when a bullet pierced his only child through the chest. Seconds before, he heard the last words of his 18-year-old daughter, Cami.
"Dad — help."
He couldn't.
"By the time I got up there," Conley said, "there was nothing I could do."
He'd been close before, less than two years ago, when the Middleburg father had to save his daughter's life. That day, he could. But now, Conley is making phone calls to relatives and funeral... (GunPolicy.org)
Groups Clash Over Doctors Asking Patients About Firearms in US
13 May 2011
USA Today
Three states are considering laws that would penalize doctors and other health care providers for asking patients or their parents whether they have a gun at home.
The National Rifle Association and other pro-gun interest groups argue that doctors violate patients' Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms by inquiring about gun ownership. Doctors say they ask only because of safety concerns. Prohibiting them from asking about guns likely violates the First... (GunPolicy.org)
Republicans Shot Down Bill Blocking Gun Sales to Suspected Terrorists in Washington DC
13 May 2011
The Hill (Washington DC)
Republicans on the House Judiciary panel shot down a proposal Thursday to prevent weapon sales to suspected terrorists.
In a party-line vote of 21-11, the committee Republicans killed an amendment from Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) that would have blocked firearm purchases by those on the FBI's terrorist watch list. The vote came during the markup of legislation renewing certain provisions of the Patriot Act that are slated to expire later this month.
Quigley accused... (GunPolicy.org)
Ohio Controversial New Law Allowing Guns in Places that Serve Alcohol
12 May 2011
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
A divided Ohio House voted yesterday to allow concealed-carry permit holders to take guns into restaurants, bars and open-air arenas that serve alcohol as long as they do not drink.
"I say we're not expanding Second Amendment rights. We are restoring Second Amendment rights," said Rep. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, one of the measure's sponsors. "How sad we have to do that. We have had substantial infringement upon our constitutional rights."
The bill passed 56-40 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Minnesota New Gun Bill: A 'License to Kill' Only Gun Lobby Could Love
10 May 2011
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul), Opinion
Minnesota lawmakers will soon have an opportunity to signal whether they support the public's interests or a narrow special interest. We should watch closely as they cast their votes on HF1467, a bill only the gun lobby could love.
While proponents portray the bill's primary provision as an expansion of the right to self-defense, law enforcement overwhelmingly opposes it as a threat to officer and public safety. In too many instances, it is a license to... (GunPolicy.org)
Father Shoots Girlfriend and 6yr-old Twins Before Killing Himself in California
9 May 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
A deranged father shot dead his girlfriend and their two children inside a car before turning the gun on himself.
Salvador Acevedo, 45, murdered Iris Oseguera, 33, and their six-year-old twins - a boy, Michael, and a girl, Michelle - while his three other teenage children were in the car with them.
Acevedo then drove the three surviving children to a relative's house and released them, before driving to a separate location and shooting himself.
Police in Los Angeles... (GunPolicy.org)
South Carolina Teenager Charged With Killing Mother On Mother's Day
9 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
GREENVILLE, South Carolina - A high school sophomore in South Carolina shot his mother to death and critically injured his brother after a family argument on Mother's Day, police said Monday.
Joshua David McEachern, 17, was ordered held without bond on a murder charge after a brief court appearance. It was not clear if he had an attorney.
Sheriff's deputies did not release details of the dispute that led to the shootings around 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the McEachern home... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights Guaranteed to People on US Terror Watch List but Barred from Boarding
9 May 2011
New York Times, Editorial
Here is a chilling and potentially lethal fact of life: A person on the F.B.I.'s terrorist watch list is barred from boarding an airplane yet is quite free to buy high-power firearms and ammunition at any American gun shop.
This bizarre "terror gap" is starkly underlined by the latest federal data showing that 272 individuals on the terrorist watch list attempted to buy firearms last year, and all but 25 were cleared to make purchases. Those rejected had records for... (GunPolicy.org)
California Man Shoots, Kills His 5yr-old Twins, Girlfriend, Himself in SUV
8 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
LOS ANGELES, California - A man shot and killed his girlfriend and two 5-year-old twins before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide inside an SUV that was witnessed by three other children, Los Angeles authorities said Sunday.
The shootings occurred Saturday night in a residential area of East Los Angeles, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Michael Thomas.
Salvador Acevedo, 45, was driving with his girlfriend, Iris Oseguera, their young twins and three other... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Your Ex Fit to Own a Gun? British Police Plan to Ask Former Partners
1 May 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
Police will question the former partners of gun licence applicants about their mental stability under a proposed tightening of the law.
Former wives, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends will be asked if the applicant has ever displayed violent traits or personality flaws.
If they say yes, officers will use their answers as grounds to reject the licence bid.
The move comes in response to last year's horrific killing spree in Cumbria by taxi driver Derrick Bird, 52,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Promising 'Acres of Guns' to All: Including Future Criminals
1 May 2011
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh), Opinion
The National Rifle Association has been holding its annual meeting in Pittsburgh for the past few days, heralded with billboards promising "acres of guns and gear."
Here's a billboard you didn't see, but would have if the group was honest about its mission to paint even the most sensible gun laws as a step toward tyranny: "The NRA: Because if Richard Poplawski can't have an arsenal, neither can you."
Mr. Poplawski, of course, was one of those "law-abiding" citizens... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Owner Shoots 5 Neighbours, Kills 3, Motive Unknown
30 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
Police are trying to establish a motive after an Adelaide man allegedly killed three of his neighbours and left a teenage boy and policeman fighting for life after a shooting spree.
A woman at the house in the suburb of Hectorville survived the bloodshed but her parents and husband were killed and her 14-year-old son was shot and seriously injured. An 11 year-old boy staying at the house survived injury after hiding in a bedroom.
The woman - who has not been named -... (GunPolicy.org)
Ohio 12yr-old Shot, Killed His Mother's Boyfriend, Faces Murder Charge
26 April 2011
Delaware Gazette (Ohio) / AP
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 12-year-old Ohio boy was charged with murder in juvenile court Tuesday, days after telling a 911 dispatcher he shot his mother's boyfriend because the man threatened him.
A complaint alleges that the boy used a .22-caliber revolver to shoot the man behind one ear early Saturday at a home in central Ohio's Delaware County.
The boy reported the shooting to a dispatcher just after midnight. Then his mother took the phone, saying between screams and... (GunPolicy.org)
Following the Firearms: Armed Violence and Gun Sources in Minneapolis
30 March 2011
Minnesota Public Radio, Transcript
Firearms are the most accessible and lethal tool people use to kill others. In Minneapolis last year, 30 of the city's 40 homicides were committed with a firearm. Law enforcement officials say a majority of people locked up for committing felony level gun crimes were felons forbidden by law to possess firearms. In a four-part series, MPR News examines several factors behind gun crime in Minneapolis including where the guns come from, gun offenders, the victims and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Policeman in Divorce Row Fires Submachine Gun at US SWAT Team, Dies
28 March 2011
Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
PISCATAWAY — A Piscataway police sergeant died from a gunshot wound after he barricaded himself in his home, told police he had hostages, then stepped on his front porch and fired a submachine gun at officers who returned fire, authorities said.
David Powell, 46, of 130 Parkside Ave., was pronounced dead in his home at 1:41 a.m. today, about 10 hours after the incident began, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said in a statement this afternoon.
Ballistic... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby's 'Physician Gag Bill' Under Attack from Florida Pediatricians
20 March 2011
Miami Herald, Opinion
How does a law-abiding pediatrician become a career criminal?
If the original "physician gag bill" filed by state. Rep. Jason Brodeur and Sen. Greg Evers became law, simply by speaking up to help families and save lives would we become criminals. Amendments reduced the offense, which would be punishable by a fine of $10,000 the first time, and a minimum of $100,000 for anyone who asks about safety more than twice. The bill, which will be taken up by the Senate Health... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney Gun Club's 'Negligent Attitude to Gun Safety' Cited in Family Killing
5 March 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
When the gun club official noticed a borrowed pistol had not been signed back into the register, he made a fatal assumption.
Without checking, he assumed it was a clerical error, packed up the club's firearms and drove home. It was 2pm and it took another 72 minutes for police to be told the pistol was missing.
In the meantime it was allegedly used in a murder.
Another club official eventually called police at 3.12pm. Two minutes later a mentally ill woman, Shamin... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado 12yr-old Shoots, Kills Parents, Wounds 2 Younger Siblings
4 March 2011
KUSA-TV News (Colorado)
BURLINGTON - A 12-year-old boy has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his parents were found dead in his home earlier this week. No decision has been made if he will eventually be charged as an adult.
Charles Long, 50, and his wife, Marilyn Long, 51, were found dead in their Burlington home on Tuesday evening. They are the 12-year-old's parents. Investigators say both the adults had suffered from gunshot wounds.
Two children of the Longs, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Playing with Air Rifle, North Carolina 4yr-old Shoots, Kills His 7yr-old Brother
28 February 2011
WITN-TV News (North Carolina)
Two children playing with a loaded air rifle has ended with one of them dead.
Wilson County deputies say 7-year-old Alejandro Mejia and his younger brother were playing outside their home with the rifle Friday night.
Authorities tell WITN News the air rifle in question is a Daisy Powerline 35 and can shoot both BBs or pellets. It is still not known whether BBs or pellets were in the gun.
Sergeant Wanda Samuel says the parents knew the children were playing with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Alabama Man Falls, Shoots Himself: Son Shoots Mother Retrieving Glock
27 February 2011
Press-Register (Alabama)
BAY MINETTE, Alabama - A Baldwin County husband and wife were wounded late Saturday night in what appeared to be accidental shootings at their home east of Bay Minette, authorities said.
One of the shots was fired by the couple's young son.
Baldwin County Sheriff's Office spokesman Maj. Anthony Lowery said Aleisha Jones was shot in the neck when the boy picked up the .40-caliber Glock handgun that had just injured his father, and fired.
Both were taken to University... (GunPolicy.org)
Granddad Fiddles with Airgun, Kills 8yr-old Grandson in North Carolina
24 February 2011
News & Observer (North Carolina)
RALEIGH - Police are urging young people and their parents to be careful with firearms after a pellet gun accidentally went off this week, killing an 8-year-old boy.
Police are particularly concerned about guns on which the safety mechanism is located next to the trigger. Ty-Rion Jayele Henry's grandfather was attempting to put the safety on a pellet gun when he accidentally hit the trigger, shooting Ty-Rion in the eye Monday.
He was pronounced dead Tuesday after he... (GunPolicy.org)
8yr-old West Virginia Boy Shoots His Mother Dead While Cleaning His Gun
23 February 2011
Charleston Daily Mail (West Virginia)
State Police say a Fayette County woman was killed when the firearm her eight-year-old son was cleaning went off.
Sgt. Michael Baylous, spokesman for the State Police, said Jennifer Bailes, 29, was shot and killed Tuesday morning at her home in Hico, which is just outside of Anstead.
The little boy had been cleaning a firearm near Bailes when it discharged, troopers said. Troopers would not specify what type of weapon it was.
Baylous said the incident is being... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Lawmakers Move to Prosecute Doctors for Asking About Guns
22 February 2011
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
TALLAHASSEE — Emergency room doctors, psychiatrists and pediatricians should not be able to ask a patient whether he or she owns a gun, a panel of Florida lawmakers said Tuesday, giving the OK to a proposal that pits two of the state's most politically powerful lobbying interests - the National Rifle Association and the Florida Medical Association - against each other.
The Senate Criminal Justice Association approved on a 4-1 vote a bill to bar doctors from asking... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Kills Ex-wife, Shoots, Kills New York Police Officer, Then Self
22 February 2011
Journal News (New York), Editorial
Shootings like the carnage in Tucson in January that claimed six lives and injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords galvanize gun control-advocates nationwide and focus attention on our gun culture … for about all of 5 minutes. Soon after, it is back to square one, and the everyday gun violence that riddles the nation with sorrow. Some of that pain is being felt in the Lower Hudson Valley and nearby communities after gun violence Friday claimed three lives, including a... (GunPolicy.org)
He Put Gun in My Mouth, Former Wife Tells Inquest Into 3 NZ Gun Deaths
16 February 2011
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Desmond Winnie murdered his wife and father-in-law then shot himself, a court has been told. And a former wife said he had once threatened her by putting a gun in her mouth.
The bodies of Mr Winnie, 65, Deborah Honeyfield, 51, and her father, Ian Ray Honeyfield, 86, were found in their home just outside Feilding, on August 23.
Detective Sergeant Gary Milligan, of Palmerston North, told an inquest into their deaths yesterday that a caregiver found Mr Winnie's body... (GunPolicy.org)
Mentally Ill Canadian Gun Owner Shot, Killed His Wife, Cleared of Murder
15 February 2011
Abbotsford Times (British Columbia)
An Abbotsford man who shot his wife three times and then burned her body was declared not criminally responsible in Chilliwack Supreme Court on Friday.
The man, who cannot be named due to a publication ban to protect the couple's two children, killed his 41-year-old wife on Remembrance Day 2009.
Justice Brian Joyce determined the man was not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder, and was incapable of determining that his actions were morally... (GunPolicy.org)
Permitted to Carry Hidden Handgun, US Man Tried to Kill His Ex in Canada
15 February 2011
Times-Colonist (British Columbia)
An American engineer who is accused of trying to kill his former fiancée and her husband outside their Saanich home had the authority to transport a restricted weapon through Canada when he arrived here, B.C. Supreme Court was told Tuesday.
"I thought it was unusual," said Canadian Border Services Agency officer Paul Olsen. "I asked if he was in law enforcement, because I find it interesting that he had the authority to transport a restricted pistol."
David Goldberg... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Vote to Keep 'a Gun in Every Closet,' Reject Calls for Gun Control
15 February 2011
Time (USA)
Perhaps the great paradox of peaceful and safety-conscious Switzerland, which hasn't been under military threat since World War II, is its cherished tradition of a gun in every closet. And, as the defeat of a Feb. 13 initiative seeking to tighten the nation's liberal gun law proves, the Swiss are not willing to bid a farewell to arms anytime soon.
Early polls in the midst of what was a heated and contentious campaign predicted victory for the anti-gun lobby, but on... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Voters Firmly Reject Push to Remove Assault Weapons from Homes
14 February 2011
Wall Street Journal
ZURICH — Following an emotional debate over gun control, Swiss voters firmly rejected a referendum that would have forced soldiers to end the longstanding practice of keeping army-issue firearms at home and tightened restrictions over civilian gun ownership.
According to exit polls, 57% of voters rejected the initiative. The referendum sparked a heated debate over the right to bear arms in a country that has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Rejects Tighter Gun Control, Keeps Army Guns in 1 in 4 Homes
13 February 2011
BBC News
Swiss voters have rejected proposed tighter controls on gun ownership, final results show.
Twenty of the 26 cantons and 56.3% of voters rejected the plan, meaning the current system allowing army-issue weapons to be kept at home will remain.
Supporters of the tighter curbs wanted to have weapons kept in armouries and were demanding stricter checks on gun owners.
Opponents said the move would have undermined trust in the army.
For the proposal to succeed, it required... (GunPolicy.org)
Cherished Tradition of Swiss Army Guns at Home Now Faces Referendum
12 February 2011
Wall Street Journal
ZURICH — Switzerland is in the midst of an emotional debate over a proposal to limit weapons in a country that cherishes its right to bear arms, echoing the U.S. reflection on the issue in the aftermath of a mass shooting in Arizona last month.
Gun ownership has long enjoyed strong support in Switzerland, both for national defense and cultural reasons, and the country has one of the highest arms rates in the world.
That is because of a longstanding tradition for the... (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)
Swiss Gun Culture, Assault Weapons at Home Under Fire in Referendum
9 February 2011
Associated Press
BUEREN AN DER AARE, Switzerland — The neutral Swiss do love their guns and their frequent, citizen-inspired referendums. Those two deeply cherished rights collide this weekend as Swiss voters decide whether to impose far-reaching restrictions on firearms.
The nationwide vote Sunday pits critics of Switzerland's high rate of firearms suicides against those who fear tighter rules may hurt the country's beloved village shooting clubs or cripple its citizen... (GunPolicy.org)
Before Killing Her 2 Teens, Mother Complained of Florida Gun Law Delay
8 February 2011
MSNBC News (USA) / AP
TAMPA, Florida — A Tampa mom accused of killing her "mouthy" children wrote a note before the shootings in which she complained about a three-day waiting period that Florida imposes on gun sales, police say.
Authorities say Julie Powers Schenecker bought a .38-caliber revolver the weekend before the shootings.
Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy told the St. Petersburg Times that Schenecker wrote in the note that the three-day gap between buying and taking a gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sale Wait Forced Delay in Massacre of Her Children, Wrote US Mother
8 February 2011
St Petersburg Times (Florida) / AP
TAMPA, Florida - Police say the Tampa mom accused of killing her teenage son and daughter wrote a note before the shootings in which she referred to her plan as a "massacre."
Authorities say Julie Powers Schenecker bought a .38-caliber revolver the weekend before the shootings. Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy told the St. Petersburg Times the mother also noted that the three-day waiting period to take a gun home would "delay the massacre."
Police have said... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Mother Shoots, Kills Her Two Teenage Children for 'Mouthy' Talk
30 January 2011
Sydney Morning Herald / AP
TAMPA, Florida - The wife of a senior US military officer shot and killed her 13-year-old son on their way to soccer practice, then returned home and shot her 16-year-old daughter in the head while she studied at her computer, police said.
The woman told detectives she killed the teenagers for being "mouthy".
Julie Powers Schenecker, 50, admitted the killings when officers found her covered in blood at the family home on Friday, a police spokeswoman said.
Ms... (GunPolicy.org)
