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Gender, guns and armed violence

United States

Breast Cancer Foundation, US Gun Dealer Team Up to Sell Pink Pistol

3 February 2012

CBS News (USA) / AP

SEATTLE – The Susan G. Komen Foundation is teaming up with Seattle gun distributor Discount Gun Sales, LLC, to sell a pink handgun to help raise money for the breast cancer organization. The gun, a Walther P-22, is already available for purchase at $429.99. "Discount Gun Sales is proud to team up with the Susan B. Koman [sic] Foundation to offer the Walther P-22 Hope Edition in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month," the page reads. "A portion of each P-22... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: CBS News (USA) / AP

35798

Uganda

Uganda Opposition Party Asks Govt to Strengthen Gun Laws after Shooting

24 January 2012

New Vision (Kampala)

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has asked government to explain the Sunday shooting incident at Port Bell, Luzira that left two people dead and one injured. During the eviction exercise by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials, a guard to George Agaba, the authority's director of planning, went on a shooting spree when the exercise was met with resistance from the locals and shot dead two men and injured a woman in the arm. Addressing journalists... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New Vision (Kampala)

35761

Sudan

South Sudan Disarmament Condemned by Civilians, Resulted in Insecurity

21 January 2012

Sudan Tribune (France), Opinion

It is extremely appalling to continually see the killing going on unabated in Duk Padiet for two consecutive weeks. The media puts death toll at 89. All these deaths are due to orchestrated violence by human action. It seems there is no immediate government gangbuster amelioration in sight for the people of Dukein who have been rendered defenceless through the disarmament process that took place in the area prior to independence. One thought such a bold move by the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)

35760

Turkey

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)

Read More: New York Times

35749

South Africa

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)

35726

United States

Gun Sales Up? It's a Beat-up Story: Real US Industry Figures Suppressed

9 January 2012

Huffington Post (USA)

The media has been awash this holiday season with stories about a "dramatic increase" in gun sales in the United States. CNN, for example, declared, "December holiday shoppers were not just interested in buying the hottest electronics and toys--they also were purchasing record numbers of guns." USA Today claimed, "Along with millions of Kindles, Angry Birds and gift cards, Santa left a record number of guns under Americans' Christmas trees." Reuters gushed about "16.5... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Huffington Post (USA)

35719

Switzerland

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)

Read More: Local (Switzerland)

35707

United Kingdom

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)

Read More: Independent (UK)

35701

Guam

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)

Read More: Pacific Daily News (Guam)

35694

United States,India

Gun Possession a Status Symbol in India, Firearms a Common Dowry Item

22 December 2011

Star Online ((Malaysia)

Possessing firearms is a status symbol in India's northern rural belt and it isn't unusual to find guns as part of a bride's dowry. For a country that witnesses a whopping 10 million marriages a year, India boasts a cachet of interesting nuptial traditions as well. While the big cities are synonymous with the Big Fat Indian Wedding – occasions which showcase opulence, financial clout and the social pecking order of well-to-do families – swathes of the northern... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Star Online ((Malaysia)

35686

United States

Amish Girl Shot in Head, Killed by Man Cleaning Rifle 2km Away in Ohio

21 December 2011

Sydney Morning Herald / AP

The shooting death of a 15-year-old Amish girl driving a horse-drawn buggy was caused by a man who accidentally shot his rifle into the air while cleaning it two kilometres away, US police say. Rachel Yoder was shot in the head on Thursday night while travelling to her home in Fredericksburg, Ohio. She had attended a Christmas party for employees at an Amish produce farm and was riding home alone when she was shot, police Captain Douglas Hunter said on... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Sydney Morning Herald / AP

35682

Egypt

Arms Suppliers Urged to End Transfers of Small Arms to Egypt Army - AI

19 December 2011

Bikya Masr (Egypt)

Global arms suppliers must halt the transfer of small arms, ammunition and other repressive equipment to the Egyptian military and security forces, Amnesty International said today after the army again violently dispersed protests in Cairo. The organization condemned the excessive use of force against protesters and called for a cessation of all transfers of small arms, light weapons and related munitions and equipment to Egypt, as well as a halt to all internal... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Bikya Masr (Egypt)

35684

United States

Registration, Ballistics Tie Baltimore Police Glock to Murder of 2 Girls

17 December 2011

Baltimore Sun

The wanted poster portrays a .40-caliber Glock Model 22 semiautomatic pistol, serial number EKG463US, that resembles thousands of standard-issue guns owned by the Baltimore Police Department. But this particular weapon found its way out of the hands of law enforcement and into the hands of a suspected killer — an above-board but nightmarish scenario for city police. Authorities say the gun was used three years ago to shoot two young girls on a dirt road outside a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Baltimore Sun

35678

Australia

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)

Read More: ABC News (Australia)

35673

Belgium

Belgium Mass Shooting: 'Convicted Gun Fanatic' Kills 6, Wounds Dozens

14 December 2011

Guardian (UK)

A convicted gun fanatic threw hand grenades and opened fire on a square bustling with Christmas shoppers in the centre of the Belgian city of Liège, killing at least six people, including himself, and wounding at least 122, some critically. Hours after failing to show up for police questions about his preoccupation with guns, the 33-year-old unleashed a lunchtime attack on Place Saint Lambert, which was hosting a Christmas market that attracts 1.5 million visitors a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Guardian (UK)

35659

France

France: 10,464 Suicides Recorded in 2009, 10-20 Million Guns [Francais]

13 December 2011

Le Figaro (France)

[Translated summary: In France, nearly one death out of fifty is a suicide. women (7.6%) tried to commit suicide more than men (3.2%). In 2009, 10,464 deaths by suicide were recorded. "10 to 20 Million firearms are recorded in France. To have a gun at home reduces the reflection period if one plans to end his life.", says a specialist in suicide prevention.] Les femmes sont plus concernées que les hommes. Les individus les plus susceptibles d'avoir des pensées... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Le Figaro (France)

35675

Canada

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)

Read More: Montreal Gazette (Québec)

35661

United States

US Handgun Production, Imports Double in 4 Years: Women Lead Trend?

11 December 2011

Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg (USA)

NEW YORK -- Robin Natanel picks up a compact black pistol, barrel pointed down range. Gripping the gun with both hands, left foot forward, she raises the semi-automatic and methodically squeezes off five shots. The first one creases the left edge of a red bull's-eye on a target 7.5 metres away. The four others paint a 7.5-centimetre pattern around the first. If the target were a person's head or heart, he would probably be dead. Natanel is a Buddhist, a self-avowed... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Sydney Morning Herald, Bloomberg (USA)

35655

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)

Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency

35654

United States

Gun Control Off the Table as US Congress Feels Heat from Influential NRA

8 December 2011

Guardian (UK)

Mexico's drug cartels have for years armed themselves courtesy of America's love for guns. Many Americans, wedded to their right to own guns under the second amendment of the US constitution, are viscerally opposed to stronger laws to curb weapons trafficking, out of fear that it may prove to be the thin end of a wedge that they say will result in the government confiscating all firearms. Some are wedded to their guns out of fear of crime. Others see them as a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Guardian (UK)

35644

Australia

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)

Read More: ABC News (Australia)

35638

Canada

Canadian MPs Mark Country's Worst Gun Massacre, But Tories Not Welcome

6 December 2011

Globe & Mail (Toronto)

As women across Canada mark the 22nd anniversary of the massacre at Montreal's École Polytechnique on Tuesday, Conservative women on Parliament Hill continue to work to scrap the long-gun registry that was created in response to those shootings. That has people on the Hill so upset that government MPs have been purposely shut out from officially speaking at and attending an event on Parliament Hill to honour the 14 young women who were shot dead in 1989. The two... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Globe & Mail (Toronto)

35636

Israel

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)

Read More: Jerusalem Post (Israel)

35633

Canada

Canadian Gun Laws, Scrapping of Long Gun Registry Explained, Debated

6 December 2011

CBC News (Canada)

The contentious long-gun registry is on the cusp of being abolished, meaning rifles and shotguns like those sold at Stephen Milton's King City, Ont., shop will disappear from government records. But while police say that would make it harder for them to do their jobs, Milton says it would be a good move. "We don't have a gun problem. We have a criminal problem, we have a gang problem, we have problems with people who have no regard for the law whatsoever," he said.... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: CBC News (Canada)

35631

South Africa

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)

Read More: The Witness (South Africa)

35628

United States

Industry Group Says US Gun Sale Checks Hit All-time High Last Weekend

3 December 2011

AFP

WASHINGTON — US firearms sales reached a record 129,166 during last week's Black Friday that kicked off the holiday shopping season, a 32 percent increase from the previous all-time high, officials said. The FBI confirmed the jump from the last peak of 97,848 weapons sold during Black Friday of 2008, telling AFP that "we do not have an explanation for the increase." The figures, first reported by USA Today, are based on the number of background check requests for... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: AFP

35618

United States

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)

Read More: Associated Press

35608

United States

Obama Treads Warily, Democrats Mute in America's Gun Control Minefield

25 November 2011

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — They are fuzzy about some issues but the Republican presidential candidates leave little doubt about where they stand on gun rights. Rick Perry and Rick Santorum go pheasant hunting and give interviews before heading out. Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain speak to the National Rifle Association convention. Michele Bachmann tells People magazine she wants to teach her daughters how to shoot because women need to be able to protect themselves. Mitt Romney,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

35579

Switzerland

Household Shootings Prompt Swiss to Rethink Army Guns Kept at Home

23 November 2011

Local (Stockholm)

Several killings in the last few weeks have led Switzerland's Security Policy Committee to take steps to remove weapons from the hands of people with a history of violence. The parliamentary committee said confiscating firearms was a matter of urgency for individuals known to have made threats or perpetrated acts of violence. To help avoid further tragedies, a unanimous committee called on the National Assembly to pass a motion requiring the Federal Council to combat... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Local (Stockholm)

35572

Pakistan

Guns Used in 80% of Violence Against Pakistani Women, Claims NGO Survey

18 November 2011

International News (Karachi)

Raising serious questions regarding the free availability of small arms in the country, a survey conducted by a local civil society organisation says that in almost 80% cases of violence against women the perpetrators use small arms to torture or kill the victims. The findings were shared by a representative of a national NGO Awaz Foundation at a two-day multilateral consultative workshop titled 'Towards Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report 2012,'... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: International News (Karachi)

35558

United States

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)

Read More: New York Times

35535

Switzerland

Swiss Reopen Debate on Keeping Army Assault Weapons, Pistols in Homes

13 November 2011

SwissInfo

The army says it wants to work more closely with the cantonal authorities to prevent shootings with army-issue guns. A spokesman told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper that army chief, André Blattmann, wants the cantonal justice departments to inform the army of any criminal investigations involving men still on active service. Due to the set-up of Switzerland's militia army, men on active service are allowed to keep their army-issue firearms at home. Currently, Swiss... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: SwissInfo

35534

Australia

Australian Gun Imports, Shooter Numbers Up, Firearm Records 'In a Mess'

12 November 2011

ABC News (Australia)

More than a decade after the horrific Port Arthur Massacre, gun ownership is on the rise in Australia, but experts say this resurgence is highlighting serious problems with the current regulation and registration system. In the 15 years since Martin Bryant killed 35 people at the popular Tasmanian tourist site, the flow of firearms into Australia has eclipsed the amount recovered in the government funded buy-back scheme. Last financial year alone Australians imported... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: ABC News (Australia)

35532

United States

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)

Read More: Reuters

35527

Switzerland

Swiss Soldier Kills Girlfriend with Army Rifle, Restarts Guns-at-home Debate

9 November 2011

Local (Switzerland)

Politicians, criminologists and police have called for army-issue weapons to be kept out of the hands of lawbreakers after a young man with a criminal record shot and killed his girlfriend last Friday. The alleged murderer, a 23-year-old-man had several previous convictions for threatening behaviour and property damage before he shot his girlfriend in the head with his army assault rifle. A heated debate has raged for years in Switzerland about firearm control and... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Local (Switzerland)

35523

Canada

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)

Read More: McGill Tribune (Montreal)

35517

Canada

New Canadian Law Would Allow Even Gun Dealer Sales to Escape Registration

5 November 2011

Montreal Gazette (Québec)

As tensions mount between Quebec and Ottawa over the federal government's proposed law to abolish the longgun registry, a wide-ranging group of activists and politicians gathered at Dawson College on Friday to urge the province to take legal action to save the registry and its vast database. Heidi Rathjen of Poly sesouvient.ca, a group that has tracked gun laws since the massacre at the École Polytechnique that killed 14 women on Dec. 6, 1989, said Quebec should do... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Montreal Gazette (Québec)

35509

Mexico,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Central African Republic,Sri Lanka,Colombia,Jamaica,Iraq,El Salvador,Central Africa,Caribbean,Central America,South America

Study Finds Again That Crime, Not War is Main Source of Gun Violence

29 October 2011

Associated Press

GENEVA — More people are killed by armed violence resulting from crime than are killed in war, with Latin America and a swath of countries through the middle of Africa among the hardest hit, an international study claimed Thursday. About 526,000 people die violently every year — or more than 1,400 people every day — according to the 2011 Global Burden of Armed Violence report. Only about 55,000 of those killed die in warfare, while an estimated 396,000 people... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

35488

West Africa,Africa,Nigeria

Nigeria Urges International Community to Tackle Proliferation of Illicit Arms

27 October 2011

Africa Report (Jeune Afrique)

Lawrence Olefumi Obisakin, a senior director in Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a United Nations General Assembly committee responsible for disarmament and international security that it was time the international community tackled the proliferation of illicit arms. "We expect no less of a treaty which provides the legal basis for international trade in conventional weapons," he said. "The government of Nigeria is deeply concerned at the magnitude of human... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Africa Report (Jeune Afrique)

35479

United States

Number of US Women Who Say Household Has a Gun Hits Record High

26 October 2011

Los Angeles Times, Blog

The number of U.S. women who say their household possesses a gun is at a record high. A Gallup poll on Wednesday said 43% of American women reported a gun in their home or somewhere on their property. That number is up seven percentage points, from 36% in 2010. Men were even more likely to say their household has a gun. This year 52% of men reported a gun in their house or on their property -- also seven points higher than in 2010, when 45% said so. The gender gap is... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Los Angeles Times

35476

Canada

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)

Read More: Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)

35461

United States,Canada

Canadian Government Presses Ahead with Plan to Ease Gun Laws

25 October 2011

Reuters

OTTAWA - The government pressed ahead on Tuesday with plans to scrap a registry of shotguns and rifles, brushing off police complaints the move will make their life tougher. The Conservatives - who enjoy considerable support in rural areas - have long argued that the long-gun registry is wasteful, does nothing to cut crime and unfairly targets law-abiding farmers and hunters. "Our government will continue to uphold our commitment to effective gun control measures that... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Reuters

35474

Venezuela

Venezuela Women Less Involved in Gun Crimes [Espanol]

24 October 2011

El Universal (Caracas)

[Translated summary: A more detailed review of Venezuela National Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Safety 2009 allows to affirm that women are consistently less involved in episodes involving firearms, either as victims or as perpetrators. The age group mainly victimised by firearms, for all crimes, is between 45 and 54 years.] Una revisión más detallada de la Encuesta Nacional de Victimización y Percepción de Seguridad Ciudadana 2009 permite... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: El Universal (Caracas)

35453

Syria,Iran,Lebanon,Canada

Quebec Woman Charged with Trying to Export Assault Rifle Parts to Lebanon

21 October 2011

National Post (Toronto)

MONTREAL — Young and striking in her black hijab, Mouna Diab was once active in a Quebec youth group that fought discrimination against Muslims by challenging the stereotypes that too often associate them with violence and terror. But the outspoken 26-year-old activist had little to say this week after appearing in a Montreal courtroom to face a charge alleging she had violated a United Nations Security Council arms embargo that prohibits the export of weapons to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: National Post (Toronto)

35444

United States,United Kingdom

Gang Leaders Jailed for 24 Years for Smuggling Guns into UK from US

21 October 2011

Guardian (UK) / PA

Two ringleaders of a gang which smuggled guns into the UK from the United States have each been jailed for 24 years. Mohammed Tariq, 33, and Atique Arif, 32, were sentenced at Bradford crown court along with six other men who were sent to prison for up to 12 years. The gang imported guns concealed with electrical equipment including DVD players and portable radios. Police said they smuggled 13 firearms into the UK over a 12-month period. West Yorkshire police said the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Guardian (UK) / PA

35442

United States,Canada

London, Ontario Gun Violence Fear: Toronto's Guns Land Here

19 October 2011

London Free Press (Ontario)

Many come from the U.S. - ripped off, smuggled across the border and often secreted here with the illegal drug trade. But London also pays for crime in the Big Smoke - Toronto, with many of the illegal guns seized here by police originating in the mega-city as well. As recently as four years ago, four of every 10 guns seized by a special London squad could be traced back to the Toronto area. But the truth is, illegal weapons scooped off London streets - 441 so far... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: London Free Press (Ontario)

35437

France

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)

Read More: TF1 News (France)

35434

Pakistan

Spread of Armed Violence in Pakistan Truly Alarming: 'Too Many Guns'

18 October 2011

Tribune (Pakistan), Editorial

The rate at which violence is spreading in our society is truly alarming. On the afternoon of October 17, hundreds witnessed an incident on Lahore's busy Jail Road, on the pedestrian bridge located outside the city's prestigious Kinnaird College, where a young man pumped five bullets into a second year student from the institute and then shot himself dead. The killer, Shams Alam, was 23; the victim, Samar Wasti was 19. Two young lives have ended tragically, leaving many... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Tribune (Pakistan)

35439

United States

Gun Injuries to Patients Younger than 19 Up Sharply in US, Says Study

18 October 2011

MedPage Today (New Jersey)

BOSTON -- Firearm-related injuries to patients younger than 19 accounted for an estimated 186,000 emergency department (ED) visits over the period from 1999 to 2007, investigators reported here. As a proportion of total ED visits for that age group, firearm injuries accounted for 30% more visits than documented in earlier studies. The findings could reflect differences in the data and methods used to calculate firearm-injury rates, but might also reflect a true... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: MedPage Today (New Jersey)

35430

United States

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)

Read More: Reuters

35407

United States

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)

Read More: Associated Press

35403

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)

Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer

35398

Mexico

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)

Read More: Periodico Digital (Mexico)

35395

United States,United Kingdom

Handguns Smuggled into UK from US in Major Criminal Enterprise

11 October 2011

Yorkshire Post (UK)

Lethal handguns were smuggled into Yorkshire from the US in a major criminal enterprise which saw weapons dismantled and hidden in hollowed-out electrical goods. Self-loading Glock pistols, normally used only by police, were bought in Texas and shipped to the region in an operation involving 15 Yorkshire-based conspirators, a court heard yesterday. The group succeeded in smuggling 12 pistols into the country and wanted 18 in total, but the plot was foiled by a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Yorkshire Post (UK)

35390

Central America,Guatemala

Of 2,496 Murders in Guatemala, 86% Were Shootings [Espanol]

6 October 2011

EFE News Agency

[Translated summary: 2,496 murders, including 360 of women, were committed in Guatemala during the first nine months of 2011, says an NGO that monitors human rights. Firearms were used in 85,66% of the crimes committed between January and September 2011.] Guatemala - Unos 2.496 asesinatos, 360 de ellos de mujeres, fueron perpetrados en Guatemala durante los primeros nueve meses de 2011, denunció hoy el Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM), una organización no gubernamental... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: EFE News Agency

35380

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)

Read More: Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)

35379

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)

Read More: Le Parisien (France) / AFP

35377

India,Russia,Germany,United States

India's Unlicensed Gun Market Thrives on Smuggled, Home Made Firearms

5 October 2011

First Post (Mumbai)

A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead by his 12-year-old neighbour while they were playing cop and thief in West Delhi earlier this week. On 24 September, 23-year-old toll attendant, Umeshkant Pandey, was shot dead by the driver of a white Bolero. His crime: he asked the driver to pay Rs 27 as toll tax. Gun crime has consistently been on the rise in India, and every few weeks, there is a new tragedy. An armed gang shoots a woman over a small piece of jewellery,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: First Post (Mumbai)

35375

Canada

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)

Read More: National Post (Toronto)

35371

Pakistan

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)

Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency

35342

Papua New Guinea

On Peace Day, UN Notes Papua New Guinea's Gun Control Problems

21 September 2011

Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)

The United Nations resident co-ordinator to Papua New Guinea, David McLachlan-Karr, says gun control in the country is a matter of urgency. Marking International Day of Peace, Mr McLachlan-Karr, says PNG is no stranger to conflict, with competition over land, resources and local political tensions often leading to violence. He says the most affected by fighting are very often the most vulnerable - the women, children and the elderly - who are least able to defend... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)

35310

Lebanon

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)

Read More: Press TV (Beirut)

35309

India,Nepal,South Africa

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)

Read More: Telegraph (Nepal)

35304

United States

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)

Read More: Daily Mail (UK)

35301

Australia

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)

Read More: Sydney Morning Herald

35289

South America,Venezuela

Of all Murders in Venezuela, 98% Are Committed With Guns [Espanol]

16 September 2011

El Carabobeno (Venezuela)

[Translated summary: In Venezuela, 98% of homicides are committed with firearms. In 2009, the Security and Defence Committee of the National Assembly estimated that between 9 and 15 million firearms - legal and illegal - were in the hands of the population. Only 1,300,000 of these were lawfully possessed, said the report]. En los últimos diez años en el país han fallecido 124.500 personas por violencia homicida, constituyendo la inseguridad la primera preocupación... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: El Carabobeno (Venezuela)

35286

Canada

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)

Read More: Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)

35283

Switzerland

More Than a Quarter of Swiss Households Have Access to a Gun - Study

12 September 2011

Local (Switzerland)

More than a quarter of Swiss households have access to a gun, according to a study carried out by the Institute of Criminology at the University of Zurich. In a victim study carried out on behalf of the conference of cantonal police chiefs, Martin Killias at the Institute of Criminology found that around 27 percent of Swiss homes have access to a firearm. Furthermore, the number of gun licences has increased sharply in many cantons since 2008, the SonntagsZeitung... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Local (Switzerland)

35264

Trinidad & Tobago

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)

Read More: Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday

35258

United States

US 'Gun Murder Capital of World' as 6 Shot Dead in West Virginia

8 September 2011

Charleston Gazette (West Virginia), Editorial

CHARLESTON, West Virginia - A troubled young Morgantown man, barely beyond teen age, used two rifles and a pistol in a stunning murder rampage Tuesday. After writing weirdo notes on Facebook, he killed five at a farmhouse near Morgantown, then wounded a service station worker in Roane County, then killed himself in Kentucky. His bloodbath was just one of several gun killings in Wednesday's news. On the same day, a pistol-carrier pleaded self-defense after gunning down... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)

35268

Cayman Islands

Man and Woman in Custody for Unlawful Possession of Gun in Cayman

8 September 2011

Cayman 27 (Cayman Islands)

A man and woman are behind bars this afternoon following a police operation in the Prospect area which resulted in the recovery of a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Around 11:30 a.m. the RCIPS Air Operations and K-9 Units along with the Uniform Support Group and Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force mounted a targeted operation on a house in the Marina Drive area of Prospect. "During that operation a loaded .45 semi-automatic pistol was recovered along with a ski mask,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Cayman 27 (Cayman Islands)

35257

Kenya

Brew Trader Woman Shot Dead by Armed Gunmen in Kenya Slums

7 September 2011

Nairobi Star (Kenya)

An illegal brew trader was on Monday night shot dead by armed gunmen in Kibera slums. According to police, the woman is known to sell traditional brew Chang'aa within Siranga area of the slums. Kilimani OCPD Benard Muli confirmed the 8pm shooting and added that a group of about six armed men carried out the murder. She was attacked in her house while in the company of her customers. Muli said that they were investigating the incident to establish why they only shot her... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Nairobi Star (Kenya)

35255

United States

Armed Gun Owner Takes Cover as Nevada Killer Shoots 10 with AK-47

6 September 2011

New York Times

LOS ANGELES — A man armed with an AK-47 assault rifle opened fire Tuesday morning on a group of uniformed National Guard members as they ate breakfast at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City, Nev. He hit all five Guard members, killing three of them, and killed another woman and wounded five other people before taking his own life. The gunman, identified by the police as Eduardo Sencion, 32, began his five-minute shooting rampage around 9 a.m. as people flocked to the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New York Times

35267

Australia

Majority of Shootings in New South Wales Are Drug Related, Police

6 September 2011

Sydney Morning Herald

Police say they are frustrated the people targeted in the recent spate of Sydney shootings are not speaking up. The comments followed two Sydney shootings in the past day in Arncliffe and Revesby. The Revesby attack was the 12th Sydney shooting in three weeks. "The majority of these incidents are drug-related," said Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli, the NSW Police South West Metropolitan Region Commander in a statement today. He said the victims' reluctance to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Sydney Morning Herald

35252

Uganda

Uganda to Reinforce Control of Small Arms Owned by Civilians

6 September 2011

New Vision (Kampala)

Uganda is in the process of reviewing the national action plan on the control of small arms and light weapons. The plan will provide for the issuance of certificates of competence to holders of private arms. Under the plan, the country will establish a firearms registry and establish the number and gender of persons with arms besides those under the custody of the security personnel. The five-year plan covering 2011-2015 will restrict issuance of certificates of... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New Vision (Kampala)

35249

Argentina

Guns Used in 68% of Murders, 30% of Suicides in Argentina [Espanol]

31 August 2011

Los Andes (Argentina)

[Translated summary: Guns were used in 68% of a total of 40,318 homicides and 30.5% of 37,170 suicides in Argentina between 1997 and 2009, according to Asociación para Políticas Públicas (APP). Most of the victims were between 15 and 29 years old.] Sólo en los últimos cuatro meses murieron 16 chicos por disparos. Alientan los programas de desarme. "A las armas las carga el diablo" reza un viejo proverbio, casi tan viejo como la pólvora. Es que las consecuencias... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Los Andes (Argentina)

35234

Australia

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)

Read More: Herald Sun (Melbourne)

35227

Philippines

Policeman, Woman, 3 Men Arrested for Gun Trafficking in Philippines

18 August 2011

Journal Online (Philippines)

Five persons, including a policeman, were arrested by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for their gun-running activities. CIDG chief Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. identified the suspects as PO1 Jerome Javier, 26, assigned at Headquarters Support Service (HSS) in Camp Crame and resident of Asalea St., Maligaya Park Subdivision, North Caloocan; Joran Abero, 26, of Ignacia St., Tandang Sora, Quezon City; Virgilio Catangay, 48, of Bgy.... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Journal Online (Philippines)

35205

Canada

All Canadian Women Should Own Guns for Self-protection? - Opinion

17 August 2011

British Columbia Local News (Canada), Opinion

Recently someone suggested for self-protection all Canadian women should own guns, a notion as sane as a daycare handing every 3-year-old a pair of sharp scissors before inviting them to join in a game of tag. The suggestion stems from the shocking statistic of how many women even in this country are murdered, maimed, beaten, or abused every day often by someone they know. Current gun laws decree ensuring firearms are unloaded at all times when stored, secured by a ... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: British Columbia Local News (Canada)

35204

Argentina

Gun Links 8 Suspects in Argentina Rape, Shooting of French Women

16 August 2011

Washington Post / AP

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine investigators have DNA and ballistics evidence that implicates some of the eight suspects under arrest in last month's slayings of two French tourists, a court spokesman said Tuesday. Investigators believe Cassandre Bouvier, 29, and Houria Moumni, 20, were raped and killed July 15 by a group of men who followed the academics from Sorbonne University up a popular hiking trail, the Quebrada de San Lorenzo, outside the provincial... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Washington Post / AP

35202

Turkey

NGO Criticizes Proposed Gun Law in Turkey, Offers Alternatives

11 August 2011

Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)

The Hope Foundation has criticized the draft law on guns that is set to be discussed in Parliament during the coming term by sending deputies a letter detailing new suggestions to regulate the sale and use of arms in the country. "Some 4,500 people on average lose their lives due to gun fire in our country every year. If you include the victims' families, the lives of at least 25,000 people are negatively affected every year because of personal arms," said Nazire... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Hürriyet Daily News (Istanbul)

35182

United States

US Study on Stray-bullet Shootings Finds Most Harm Women and Youth

2 August 2011

Oregonian (Portland)

A University of California-Davis professor who studied stray-bullet shootings across the country found that most harm women, young children, older adults and individuals who are at low-risk for violence. The study, which will be published as a letter in tomorrow's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, identified 284 stray-bullet shootings in a one-year period between 2008 and 2009, in which 317 people were killed or injured. Unlike the risk... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Oregonian (Portland)

35165

Norway,Canada

Gun Control in Canada: Crime and the Long-gun Registry

30 July 2011

Montreal Gazette (Québec)

MONTREAL - There are two basic crime scenes when it comes to gun violence in Canada. One involves weapons that are traceable - sometimes using the $1 billion long-gun registry that is likely to be scrapped by the Conservative government this fall, as promised. The other - far more common - involves guns that are not traceable because they are not registered, the registration number was erased or the guns used to kill are never found. The looming question as MPs get set... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Montreal Gazette (Québec)

35148

Mexico

Mexican Prison Massacre Using Assault Weapons Left 17 Dead, Including Girl

28 July 2011

Guardian (UK)

Two days of debauchery and horror inside the municipal jail in Mexico's Ciudad Juárez began with alcohol, drugs and sex with minors, and ended with the massacre of 17 people using high-powered firearms later successfully concealed from police. Some of the violence was captured on a surveillance video released by the state-level authority investigating what happened. It shows two prisoners clearing a corridor of guards before unlocking a door to allow armed men to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Guardian (UK)

35137

Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States

US Senate Opposition Mounts to UN Arms Trade Treaty

26 July 2011

US News & World Report

Senate opposition is growing to President Obama's support for a United Nations effort that could bring international gun control into the United States and slap America's gun owners with severe restrictions. At last count, 55 senators, including 10 Democrats, have signed letters to the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying they will oppose the Arms Trade Treaty . The treaty must win a two-thirds majority to win passage, meaning that approval appears... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: US News & World Report

35151

United States

Largest Settlement Against Gun Maker, Says US Gun Control Group

26 July 2011

Reuters

WASHINGTON - A firearms maker has agreed to pay $600,000 to the family of a shooting victim in what a gun control group said on Tuesday was a record settlement in such a case. A company employee with a history of assault and drug addiction stole the gun later used to kill a man, according to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, whose Legal Action Project in 2002 brought suit against Kahr Arms over the incident. The settlement on behalf of the deceased Danny... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Reuters

35122

Belgium,Norway

Would Belgian Gun Law Prevent a Norway-style Shooting? [Francais]

26 July 2011

RTBF (Belgium)

[Translated summary: Lawfully acquire a weapon of war in order to commit a massacre as in Norway raises questions. Would the new Belgian legislation on firearms have prevented such tragedy for us?] Se procurer une arme de guerre en toute légalité pour commettre un massacre comme en Norvège, pose question. La nouvelle législation belge sur les armes aurait-elle permis d'éviter un tel drame chez nous ? Les conditions de base La majorité des clients des armureries... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: RTBF (Belgium)

35121

United States

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)

Read More: Sydney Morning Herald / AP

35107

India,Nepal

14-yr Old Nepal Girl Arrested for Illegal Handgun Possession in India

22 July 2011

Deccan Herald (Kathmandu)

Ninth-grader Sadhana Limbu was expecting to return to her school in Nepal's tea garden district of Jhapa next week after spending a brief vacation with her family in Kathmandu. Instead, the 14-year-old girl is now in police custody in the capital, facing interrogation and a tough ordeal that could include imprisonment. She was caught by Nepal's airport authorities Thursday while trying to board a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Jhapa. Among the books and clothes in... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Deccan Herald (Kathmandu)

35095

United States

Arizona Lawmaker Pointing Her Handgun at a Journalist Draws Fire

16 July 2011

New York Times, Opinion

While all the country gaped last week at the acrimony ensnarling the Federal government, Arizonans were treated to an additional, equally bizarre spectacle. You'll be shocked to hear that a firearm was involved. It was a classic case of he said/she said, but of a particular stripe hard to imagine outside Arizona, where guns are so fervently embraced that I imagine they rank above waffle irons as popular wedding gifts and make the occasional appearance at christenings,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New York Times

35069

Canada

Consider the Quebec Long-gun Registry Realistically, Not Emotionally

14 July 2011

Montreal Gazette (Québec)

MONTREAL - With a Conservative majority government now ensconced in both houses of Parliament, it is no longer a question of whether a vote to abolish the national long-gun registry will pass. The question now is when it will happen, and that seems most likely to be this fall. In light of this impending abolition, the Quebec government is now considering the idea of setting up its own long-gun registry for the province. Public Security Minister Robert Dutil said he... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Montreal Gazette (Québec)

35064

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)

Read More: Observer (Pakistan)

34973

Philippines

Philippine Government Supports a Strong Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

19 June 2011

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion

Every day around the world, armed violence kills approximately 2,000 people. In the Philippines, reports estimate the casualties at between 16 and 22 each day. The Philippine Action Network to Control Arms (PhilANCA) is pleased that the Philippines is supporting an Arms Trade Treaty in the United Nations. The treaty aims to diminish and prevent the obscene human cost of the irresponsible trade in arms. However, we do not need just any Arms Trade Treaty. We need a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer

34960

India

India: Gun Survivors Predict Manipur Could Soon Be Land of Widows

18 June 2011

Morung Express (India)

IMPHAL -- "Manipur will be called a land of widows if armed conflict is not stopped", said founder and secretary general of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network (MWGSN) Binalaksmi Nepram at the fifth day of the week long Global Week of Action on Gun Violence Friday. Over 20,000 people have been killed in the last five decades in Manipur due to arm related conflicts, she said and pointed out that according to official statistics, in 2008 alone more than 400 people have... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Morung Express (India)

34965

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)

Read More: MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service

34975

United States

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)

Read More: Houston Chronicle (Texas) / AP

34945

Canada

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)

Read More: Huffington Post (Canada)

34920

United States

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)

Read More: Yuma Sun (Arizona)

34886

United States

Ohio Gun Laws and Criminal Background Checks Easily Circumvented

30 May 2011

Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)

When Rasi Robinson was arrested with a gun in 1999, he told Washington, D.C., police he probably would get more guns once that case was over. He kept his word. Robinson is now serving time for gun trafficking and manslaughter. Officials say his case illustrates how easily gun laws can be circumvented and how guns bought at a central Ohio store can be used in crimes both near and far. Robinson, now 33, called D.C. home, but he moved to Columbus around 2002 and started... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)

34871

United States

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)

Read More: San Francisco Chronicle / AP

34857