Gun Policy News
Gun violence, gun control and small arms
Russia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Congo (DRC),Myanmar,Iran
UK Minister Calls for International Support on Arms Trade Treaty
17 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
The international arms trade has become the greatest threat to development and has to be controlled by a tough treaty to regulate weapons and munitions sales, a government minister warns.
In a speech to the Institute for Strategic Studies thinktank, Alan Duncan, the minister for international development, will urge allies such as the US to set aside their concerns and sign up to the comprehensive arms trade treaty (ATT), which will be hammered out during a month-long... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36143
United Kingdom
High Number of Guns on Island of Jersey, for Small Population
2 May 2012
BBC News
There are three times as many guns per head of population in Jersey than in England and Wales, according to the police.
The States of Jersey police said there were more than 9,700 guns in the island, with a population of 97,857.
The guns in Jersey are kept by 1,800 registered owners.
One islander owns more than 300 weapons but the police said they were a World War II enthusiast and all the guns had historical significance.
Home Affairs Minister Senator Ian Le... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
36098
South America,Asia,Turkey,United Kingdom,Mexico,United States
Proposal to Relax Export Restrictions on Firearms in U.S. Unpopular
2 May 2012
Wall Street Journal
U.S. homeland-security and law-enforcement agencies have objected to
Obama administration proposals to relax export restrictions on
high-powered firearms, threatening a centerpiece of the president's
trade and national-security agenda.
The agencies, in internal memos viewed by The Wall Street Journal,
warn the changes could help arm drug cartels and terrorists and make
it harder for the U.S. to crack down on gun-trafficking.
The arms proposal is part of a broader... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
36097
Oceania,Asia,Americas,Africa,United Kingdom,United States,Europe,Spain
New Forensic Technique Tags Firearm Type with Gunshot Residue
9 April 2012
United Press International
ALBANY, N.Y. -- A new forensic technique using lasers may allow investigators to match gunshot residue to a specific caliber of firearm, U.S. and European researchers say.
The new technique could lead to a stronger link between a suspect and a firearm, they said.
Researchers in Spain used spectroscopy to analyze six kinds of ammunition, assessing propellant from unfired cartridges then compared these spectra to the signature in residue from fired guns, ScienceNews.org... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
36018
Panama,Liberia,Oman,Yemen,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Mauritius,Seychelles,Mongolia,Djibouti,Madagascar,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom,Somalia,Kenya
Anti-piracy Security Firms Keep Guns in Floating Armouries to Avoid Law
22 March 2012
Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armories in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards for East Africa's pirate-infested waters can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say.
Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armories is a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35956
United Kingdom
Border Force Warns All Ships Entering UK: They Must Declare Guns on Board
16 March 2012
BBC News
Three shotguns and ammunition have been seized from the crew of an an oil tanker which docked in Milford Haven.
Officers from the Border Force boarded the Panamanian-registered ship for a routine search.
Members of the Chinese and South Korean crew told them the weapons were being carried as self-defence against pirates in the Indian Ocean.
But the Border Force is warning all ships entering UK waters they must declare any firearms on board.
The weapons were seized... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35917
Germany,Chad,Yemen,Egypt,Libya,France,United Kingdom,United States,Sudan,Belarus,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Syria,Russia
Towards an International Control of Arms Trade, NGOs Concerned [Francais]
19 February 2012
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: As negotiations were launched this week in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, Amnesty International, CCFD-Terre Solidaire and Oxfam France are concerned about the risk of a "Treaty at a discount ".]
La vente d'armes à un régime qui réprime sa population, comme le fait aujourd'hui la Russie à l'Etat syrien, sera-t-elle bientôt illégale ? C'est l'enjeu des négociations qui devraient aboutir, en juillet, à New York, à la signature d'un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
35854
Sudan,China,Egypt,Bahrain,Libya,Germany,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
At Last, the World Acts to Control Global Arms Trade, UN Talks Begin this Week
12 February 2012
Independent (Dublin)
The global arms trade, which produces two bullets for every person on the planet every year and the weapons that kill 1,500 people each day, is facing the first worldwide effort to control it. An unprecedented treaty that would attempt to restrict arms sales is expected to be drawn up at talks in the United Nations this week.
A campaign for such an agreement, begun six years ago by Nobel laureates, faces attempts by the United States and Russia to water the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
35825
Uganda,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Turkey,Scotland,United Kingdom,Oceania
Dunblane Father Urges End to Global Gun Trade Killing 1500 a Day
12 February 2012
Daily Record (Scotland)
A global campaign to control the trade in deadly weapons will be stepped up at Glasgow University tomorrow when anti-gun campaigner Dr Mick North - whose daughter Sophie was killed in Dunblane tragedy in 1996 - leads a new push by Oxfam and Amnesty towards a United Nations arms treaty.
Here, he explains why the issue means the difference between life and death.
_________
Next month marks the 16th anniversary of my daughter's death.
Sophie was just five when a gunman... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Record (Scotland)
35822
Germany,United Kingdom,China,Nigeria
British and German Arms Dealers Involved in Arms Shipment to Nigeria
8 February 2012
Daily Trust (Abuja)
British prosecutors recently vowed to pursue a legal case involving the shipment of large cache of weapons, allegedly from China and destined for Nigeria, after a London judge threw it out.
Those involved in the trade are said to be British and German arms dealers. Mr Gary Hyde, a 42-year old retired British volunteer police officer, is accused of conspiring with his German business partner Karl Kleber for the illegal shipment of 40,000 Ak47 assault rifles, 30,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
35808
United Kingdom
UK Govt is Considering Tougher Penalties for "Middle Men", Gun Runners
8 February 2012
Huffington Post (UK)
The government is considering plans to give tougher sentences to "middle men," gun runners who supply the firearms used in murders.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the "middle men are as responsible as those who pull the trigger", as she announced a consultation on the issue on Wednesday.
It follows concerns from police chiefs and politicians that current sentences of up to 10 years are too lenient.
"We need to target not just those who use illegal firearms but those... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (UK)
35807
United Kingdom
Children 'No Risk' with Shotguns, 7,071 Licences Issued to Under-18s in UK
18 January 2012
BBC News
Police revoked just two shotgun certificates given to children in the past decade, according to the Countryside Alliance.
The campaign group released the figures as MPs prepare to debate whether to introduce a minimum age of 14 for holding a shotgun certificate.
More than 7,000 under-18s received certificates between 2008 and 2010.
There is currently no minimum age for qualifying, but an anti-gun group said under-18s should not get certificates.
In a Freedom of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35745
United Kingdom
Debate Over Minimum Age for Shotgun Licence in UK
18 January 2012
Yorkshire Post (UK)
Countryside campaigners have attacked moves to set a minimum age for shotgun licences, claiming research proves under-14s with certificates "pose no risk to the public".
The Countryside Alliance said their figures, which show that in the past 10 years only two people under the age of 14 have had shotgun certificates withdrawn by the police, prove "conclusively" that the young take the responsibility of handling shotguns seriously and efforts to stop them entering the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Yorkshire Post (UK)
35740
Germany,Poland,Nigeria,China,United Kingdom
UK Arms Dealer Arranged to Sell 80,000 Chinese Guns to Nigeria - Court
10 January 2012
BBC News
A British-based arms dealer helped organise the shipment of thousands of guns from China to Nigeria without the necessary licence, a court has heard.
Gary Hyde partly arranged and organised the shipment in 2007 of 80,000 rifles and pistols and 32 million rounds of ammunition.
Southwark Crown Court heard he did not receive permission from the relevant government department.
Mr Hyde, from Derwent near York, denies the charges.
The court was told the shipment involved... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35724
United Kingdom,United States
Former Marine Gets 10yrs for Smuggling US Guns to English Crime Gangs
10 January 2012
News & Observer (North Carolina)
GREENVILLE -- A former U.S. Marine has been sentenced to 10 years in prison today for illegally trafficking dozens of handguns to the United Kingdom.
Steven Neal Greenoe, 37, a former Raleigh resident, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charges, which allege that the joint U.S. and U.K. citizen took nine trips from North Carolina – where he grew up – purchased handguns, and concealed a total of 63 pistols in his luggage before returning to England, where he... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News & Observer (North Carolina)
35722
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
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)
Read More: BBC News
35669
Europe,United Kingdom,Scotland
Every Crime Gun, Spent Bullet, Cartridge Case to Be Traced in Scotland
24 November 2011
BBC News
Scottish police have announced a new weapon in the fight against gun crime.
Using computer techniques they will identify weapons more quickly and link firearms incidents across the UK.
Previously it was possible to compare firearms and ballistic materials such as cartridges and bullets for links with other crimes.
But the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (Nabis) will allow police to check databases in England and eventually parts of Europe.
Within 48 hours... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35570
United States,United Kingdom
UK Man Guilty of Receiving Handguns Smuggled from US, Selling to Gangs
10 November 2011
Guardian (UK)
A man has been found guilty of helping an international gun runner to smuggle dozens of handguns into Britain on commercial transatlantic flights.
Over a six-month period gun runner Steven Greenoe, 37, – an American who lived in Shrewsbury and is currently awaiting sentence in the US – repeatedly crossed the Atlantic to purchase weapons to sell on to the criminal underworld for a huge profit. He broke the guns down to their component parts and smuggled them into... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35529
India,Afghanistan,Iraq,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Saudi Arabia,United States,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
'The Shadow World', an Incisive Exposé of the ArmsTrade - Book Review
1 November 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
If there is one book unlikely to appear on the Christmas reading lists of the former defence secretary Liam Fox and his self-professed adviser Adam Werritty, one suspects that this is it. The sorry case of Dr Fox and the mystery chum-cum-lobbyist amplifies what critics of the defence procurement industry – Feinstein prefers the racier "global arms trade" – have long argued. To put it mildly, and in a nutshell, it is not known for its transparency. Nor, for that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
35511
Scotland,United Kingdom
Scottish Gun Crime Decreased by 24% between 2009-10 and 2010-11
25 October 2011
BBC News
The total number of offences involving firearms recorded by police across Scotland decreased by 24% between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
There were 154 shootings in which people were killed or injured last year, a drop of 28%.
The justice minister praised the efforts of Scotland's police forces in getting guns off the streets.
Kenny MacAskill said: "The message appears to be getting across that guns put lives at risk and anyone caught using them can and will be punished... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35463
India,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,Russia,United States
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35448
United Kingdom,Lithuania,Ireland
Irish Man Accused of Real IRA Gun Running Found Guilty in Lithuania
21 October 2011
BBC News
An Irish man accused of involvement in weapons smuggling for the Real IRA in Lithuania has been found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Michael Campbell, 39, from County Louth was caught in an MI5 weapons sting operation in 2008.
He was convicted of supporting a terrorist group, illegal possession of weapons and attempted smuggling.
He denied the charges against him, saying MI5 had set him up and claiming he was a victim of entrapment.
His two-year trial... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35445
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
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,North America,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,United States,Russia,Italy,Spain
Arab Spring Abuses Show Need for Arms Trade Curb - Amnesty
18 October 2011
Reuters (Africa)
LONDON - Russia, the United States and European countries ignored fears over human rights abuses and sold large numbers of weapons to governments in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday.
Rights group Amnesty said the failings showed the need for a meaningful international arms trade treaty to choke off the supply of weapons to countries seen at risk of turning them on their own people.
"The Arab Spring... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters (Africa)
35431
United Kingdom,Hungary
Machine Guns, Handguns for Brad Pitt Film Seized by Hungarian Police
11 October 2011
Washington Post / AP
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Nearly 100 weapons to be used in Brad Pitt's "World War Z" film were confiscated in Hungary because they had not been properly deactivated, authorities said Tuesday. The weapons included machine guns, rifles and pistols.
The weapons arrived from London to Budapest's Ferenc Liszt Airport on Saturday and were discovered at a nearby duty free zone, Janos Hajdu, head of Hungary's Counterterrorism Center, said. He said he could not confirm they were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post / AP
35415
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
United Kingdom,United States
Former US Marine Smuggled up to 80 Guns for UK Criminals - Court
5 October 2011
Guardian (UK)
Guns smuggled into the UK on commercial flights by a former US marine captain were used to carry out crimes on the streets of Britain, including a fatal shooting, a court was told.
Steven Greenoe, 37, bought weapons from American gun shops, broke them down to their component parts, and smuggled them into the UK in his luggage, Liverpool crown court heard on Wednesday.
Two British men were also said to have been involved in the alleged conspiracy: Steven Cardwell, 31,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35376
United Kingdom
People Given Suspended Sentence in UK May Be Refused Gun Licence
4 October 2011
News and Star (UK)
People given suspended prison sentences might be refused a firearms licence following a report in the wake of the Derrick Bird shootings, the Home Office has said.
Bird, 52, shot dead 12 people and seriously injured 11 others after going on a rampage in west Cumbria on June 2, 2010. He then turned the gun on himself.
Last December, the Home Affairs Select Committee made a series of recommendations, saying current gun law was "a mess".
Responding, the Home Office said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News and Star (UK)
35366
United Kingdom
Gun Dealer Trapped After UK Police Set Up Fake Shop in Manchester
4 October 2011
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A gun dealer was trapped after police set up a fake shop selling combat clothing.
Undercover cops posed as shop workers who were looking for lethal weapons in the elaborate sting.
The store was set up after police became concerned at the number of firearms on the streets of Manchester.
After weeks at the store on Princess Road, Moss Side, a gang member customer introduced the plain clothes officers to Marc Billingham, who supplied them with two working guns, an air... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Manchester Evening News (UK)
35361
Nigeria,Bahrain,Saudi Arabia,United Kingdom
UN Estimate: 1 to 3 Million Automatic Guns in Civilian Hands in Nigeria
17 September 2011
Next (Nigeria), Opinion
Arms manufacturers and dealers are delighted when a new conflict breaks out.
Desert Storm was a fantastic business opportunity for arms manufacturers. Every round shot through the barrel of a gun was another "ching-ching" in the cash register.
They are not the only ones that benefit through conflict. The likes of Halliburton rejoice with every airstrike and artillery shell that destroys a building or some part of national infrastructure in a foreign country. Every bit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Next (Nigeria)
35300
United Kingdom
UK Gangsters Get 400yrs for Pistol Factory, Drug & Gun Trafficking
12 September 2011
London Daily News (UK)
A group of 37 gun traders and drug suppliers have been sentenced to a total in excess of 400 years imprisonment following a successful Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) sting operation.
The men appeared at Wood Green Crown Court following an undercover initiative designed to target serious and organised crime in and around Enfield borough. The last sentencing took place on 9 September 2011.
Codenamed Operation Peyzac, the initiative involved detectives launching a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: London Daily News (UK)
35269
Ukraine,North Africa,Niger,Algeria,Mali,France,United Kingdom,United States,Libya
Libya Warned Smugglers Are Looting Gaddafi's Guns
2 September 2011
Guardian (UK)
Libya must urgently secure weapons hoarded by the Gaddafi regime amid growing fears that smugglers are exploiting the chaos there to loot hundreds of portable missiles and other small arms, western officials have warned.
The US and Nato are pressing the National Transitional Council to make the issue a priority because of concerns that the trade has already begun, with reports that some African mercenaries who fought for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are returning home laden... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35237
United Kingdom,France,Russia,Bahrain
Russia Ignores European Human Rights Embargo, Offers Guns to Bahrain
29 August 2011
Moscow Times / Bloomberg
Russia for the first time is selling weapons to Bahrain after Britain and France banned deliveries of security equipment to the Gulf monarchy because of its crackdown on protesters.
State arms trader Rosoboronexport says it wants more business in Bahrain. The country is selling AK-103 Kalashnikovs with grenade launchers and ammunition for tens of millions of dollars to Bahrain, according to a person close to the Russian Defense Ministry who declined to be identified... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times / Bloomberg
35224
United States,United Kingdom,Australia
UK Rioting Proves that Gun Control Is Not Crime Control
16 August 2011
Menzies House (Australia)
Peter Whelan demonstrates how gun control leads to greater crime as law-abiding citizens are no longer allowed to defend themselves:
"Armed shopkeepers fight back" (headline in Sydney Morning Herald Aug 11, 2011)
The comment from the manager of the Turkish Food Market, Greens Lane, Haringey, during last week's London riots, as reported by the Guardian News and Media Service, said it all. "I'm scared that the police and the government will attack us if we defend our... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Menzies House (Australia)
35203
United Kingdom
UK Home Secretary Accused of Resisting Calls to Tighten Gun Laws
2 August 2011
Independent (UK)
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, was accused last night of resisting calls to tighten gun laws following the shooting spree of Derrick Bird in which 12 people were murdered.
A report by MPs more than seven months ago denounced the legislation in England and Wales as a "complex and confused" mess and condemned the loopholes that allowed convicted criminals to acquire firearms legally.
Ms May is yet to respond to demand for action by the Commons Home Affairs Select... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK)
35150
United States,Norway,United Kingdom,Africa,Afghanistan,Mexico
Gun Trade Inevitably Leads to the Sort of Atrocity Inflicted on Norway
31 July 2011
Independent (UK), Opinion
In discussion of the atrocity in Norway last week, there is one subject which has been notable by the almost total silence about it: guns. In response to recurring massacres in American high schools and British villages, in response to footage from Africa and Afghanistan showing ragged, untrained young men brandishing automatic small arms, in response to a man coolly murdering dozens of youngsters in an hour-and-a-half, funfair-like shooting spree on a Norwegian island,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK)
35146
Iceland,United Kingdom,Norway
Norway Mass Shooting: Police Preparedness, Delays Questioned [Francais]
26 July 2011
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: The Norwegian Police intervention in the attacks of July 22 is questioned. Succession of contretemps, an unarmed police officer on the island, the authorisation to carry firearms, or the rise of criminality?]
Quand un homme vêtu d'un uniforme policier et muni de deux armes à feu commence à tirer sur l'île norvégienne d'Utoya, où se trouvent 600 jeunes réunis pour le camp d'été du Parti travailliste, personne ne se méfie. Il est alors 17... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
35128
Sweden,Iceland,United Kingdom,Norway
Unsettling Wariness In Norway, Where Police Are Rarely Armed
25 July 2011
New York Times
OSLO — When a man dressed in a police uniform began slaughtering young people at a Norwegian summer camp last week, one of the first to be killed was a real police officer named Trond Berntsen, who for years had worked in security at the camp.
Whether Officer Berntsen tried to stop the gunman is still being debated. But facing a man carrying multiple guns and ample ammunition, there was little he could do. Like most other police officers here, he had no weapon.
By... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35125
Pakistan,South Asia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Germany,France,India,Nepal
Global Gun Trade Treaty the Only Way to Control 'Arms Bazaar'
25 July 2011
República (Kathmandu), Opinion
In 2009, I recall visiting a militant camp in India's North East a day before they would surrender. The deputy commander who was in charge and allegedly responsible for the death of at least 200 people brandished his M16 assault rifle and flaunted his bodyguard who was following him with a rocket launcher. He was calm but shifty-eyed and admitted having a personal saving of a few billion INR in his account. Barely 24 hours after his formal surrender, he was in seen in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: República (Kathmandu)
35116
United Kingdom,Scotland
Man Who 'Unwittingly' Stole Gun Sentenced to 5-yr Prison in Scotland
21 July 2011
BBC News
Guy Whitelaw, 28, from Forres, told police he discovered the handgun in a cash box he took from the house.
Whitelaw admitted having the gun and was given minimum jail term for illegal possession of a firearm.
He told the court the victim, a 63-year-old woman who said the gun had belonged to her late husband, should be prosecuted for not having a permit.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Whitelaw broke into the house in March and took jewellery, money and the cash box... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35092
Northern Ireland
Stolen Gun Used in Dissident Republican Shooting in Northern Ireland
20 July 2011
BBC News
A gun stolen during a raid on a west Belfast home was later used in a dissident republican punishment shooting, the High Court has been told.
The loaded semi-automatic pistol was then found in the bedroom of another house in the city, prosecutors said.
Police have charged a 23-year-old man with an arms offence after DNA from the weapon was matched to their database.
Sean Megaw, of Glasvey Drive, Dunmurry, is accused of possessing a firearm and ammunition in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35089
France,Qatar,United Kingdom,Libya,Russia,Italy
Small Arms Seized by Italy Gone Missing, Libya Likely Destination
20 July 2011
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
A shipment of weapons seized by the Italian navy following a tip-off from British secret agents has gone missing - most likely ending up in the hands of Libya's rebels.
The haul, which was described by one military expert as "enough to start and win a small war", included 400 anti-tank missiles and 50 launchers for them; 30,000 AK47s; 5,000 Katusha rockets; 11,000 anti-tank rockets and 32 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
All of the Russian-made weapons were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Scotsman (Edinburgh)
35083
Israel,United Kingdom,Russia,France,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,United States
Productive Negotiations at the UN on Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
18 July 2011
Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
[Translated summary: Member States of the UN "made significant progress" during the week of negotiations in New York for the adoption in July 2012 of the Arms Trade Treaty, said on July 15 Eric Danon, representative of France in the negotiations.]
Les États membres de l'ONU ont "beaucoup progressé" pendant une semaine de négociations à New York en vue de l'adoption en juillet 2012 d'un traité sur le commerce des armes, a déclaré le 15 juillet Eric Danon,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Courrier du Vietnam / AFP
35078
United States,European Union,United Kingdom,Germany,France,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Skepticism, Caution as UN 'Stumbles' Toward Global Gun Trade Treaty
14 July 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - After six years of protracted negotiations, a largely sceptical international community is moving towards readying a long outstanding global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) for signature by July next year.
"Governments have made a tremendous amount of progress toward this important treaty," Dr. Natalie Goldring, a senior research fellow at the Center for Peace and Security Studies of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, told... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35111
European Union,Bulgaria,Russia,West Africa,Pakistan,France,Australia,United Kingdom,Canada,Germany,Italy,United States,Haiti,Côte d'Ivoire,Madagascar
Study Finds Small Arms Have Serious Impact on Fragile States
6 July 2011
Voice of America
A new study finds the global authorized trade in small arms, light weapons, and their ammunition is worth nearly $7.1 billion a year. In its annual report, the independent think tank, the Geneva Forum, also examines the serious impact small arms proliferation is having upon three so-called fragile states-Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Haiti.
Arms exporters
The survey finds in 2008, the United States, Italy and Germany topped the list of 14 top exporters of small arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
35022
United Kingdom,United States,Ireland
List of Northern Ireland's Decommissioned Guns Will Be Kept Secret
4 July 2011
Guardian (UK)
The inventory of every gun, bullet, rocket launcher, grenade and explosive put beyond use by the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries will not be made public, the body that oversaw the disarmament process in Northern Ireland has said.
In the final report of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, it said files on the weapons and explosives decommissioned by the paramilitary organisations will instead be held by the US state department in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35016
United Kingdom,United States,Europe,India,China,Russia,Libya,France
France Air-dropped Guns to Libyan Civilians: In Breach of Arms Embargo?
30 June 2011
Le Point (France) / Reuters
[Translated summary: France acknowledged that it airlifted small arms to Libyan civilians fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces in a besieged mountain region south of Tripoli. Critics say that this is against the UN arms embargo].
NEW YORK, PARIS - La France a défendu sa décision de parachuter des armes aux insurgés libyens, une opération à laquelle l'Otan n'a pas été associée et qui suscite jeudi une controverse, les Nations unies ayant imposé en février un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Point (France) / Reuters
35000
United Kingdom
UK MPs Condemned Judges of 'Resisting' Tough Penalty for Gun Crimes
8 June 2011
Sun (UK)
FURIOUS MPs condemned judges last night for giving less than the "minimum" sentence for hundreds of firearms crimes.
Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett - who brought in five-year compulsory terms for carrying a gun - accused the judiciary of "resisting" tough punishments.
Other MPs, backing The Sun's No to Soft Justice campaign, hit out at judges for being a law unto themselves.
Compulsory minimum sentences are meant to guarantee that serious criminals... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sun (UK)
34909
United Kingdom,Canada
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)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
35051
United States,United Kingdom
British Immigrant Sues Massachusetts Police for Right to Possess Guns
20 April 2011
Associated Press
NORTHBOROUGH - A Northborough man and two gun rights groups have sued the town police chief and the head of the state Firearms Records Bureau in federal court, claiming a state law that bars legal immigrants from owning handguns is unconstitutional.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court on Friday, says Eoin Pryal was denied an application for a license to carry a handgun by Northborough police because he is not a U.S. citizen, but a permanent resident alien from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34703
Scotland
Trainee Gets First Gun, Shoots, Kills Girlfriend, Then Himself in Scotland
15 April 2011
Daily Record (Scotland)
The trainee gamekeeper who accidentally shot his girlfriend then killed himself had just been given his first hunting gun.
It is believed Calum Murray, 18, had been cleaning the weapon when it went off, killing 16-year-old Sophie Taylor.
Griefstricken Calum then shot himself in a cottage near the Highland village of Tomintoul on Tuesday.
Last night, his devastated pal Allan Donald revealed: "He was kind, generous - a typical lad. He wouldn't have hurt a fly.
"His... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Record (Scotland)
34678
United Kingdom
Gang Gun Used to Shoot Innocent UK Girl Had Been in 6 Other Shootings
12 April 2011
BBC News
Two men have been been jailed for life for shooting dead a 16-year-old as she waited for pizza in an east London takeaway. What the jury did not know was the gun that killed her had been used in six other shootings.
On a Wednesday evening in April last year, Agnes Sina-Inakoju met two friends at a chicken and pizza shop in Hoxton, east London.
Agnes, who was described by her family as "charismatic, ambitious, loving and caring", had been doing well at school and had... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34664
United Kingdom
Gun Control Cuts Shootings by 2/3rds in UK City Once Named 'Gunchester'
11 April 2011
Guardian (UK)
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police has said that the city has finally shrugged off its notorious Gunchester image thanks to their intensive efforts to combat gangs.
Manchester has long sought to shed the awful label that made the city synonymous with gun crime due to a series of high profile murders.
Statistics released today, and published by the Evening News newspaper, show the number of recorded gunshots is now at its lowest level since police started... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34658
United Kingdom
Sailor Charged with Murder Fired Assault Rifle in British Nuclear Submarine
11 April 2011
Associated Press
LONDON, United Kingdom - A Royal Navy sailor appeared in court Monday, charged with murdering an officer and shooting at three other crewmen in a gun spree aboard a British nuclear-powered submarine.
Able Seaman Ryan Donovan, 22, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during the brief hearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court in southern England.
Prosecutor Nick Hawkins said Donovan was accused of "the deliberate discharge of a SA80 rifle six times, aimed at... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34656
United Kingdom
Deadly Arsenal of Self Confessed British 'Gun Fanatic' Jailed for 16 Years
8 April 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
It is a fearsome array of weapons including a Kalashnikov, Uzi sub-machine gun, shotguns and pistols.
But this astonishing arsenal was not seized from a gang of organised criminals, but the private collection of a fruit and veg trader.
David Evans had claimed he only bought replica weapons to use for 'war games' in his loft, where he kitted out mannequins with imitation guns to recreate scenes from war movies such as Saving Private Ryan.
But yesterday the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
34645
United Kingdom
Police Figures Show 800 Guns Reported Stolen in 2 Years in East England
7 April 2011
BBC News
Almost 800 guns were reported stolen in the eastern region over the past two years, figures have revealed.
In Essex alone, gun owners reported 98 firearms stolen in one year, 32 of them shotguns. Police released the figures to BBC Look East following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Police say there is very little evidence linking stolen licensed guns to crime but there is evidence that some guns are stolen to order.
[Video follows in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34641
Morocco,Algeria,Syria,Tunisia,Egypt,Yemen,Bahrain,Libya,United Kingdom
Lawmakers Report Says Britain Misjudged Its Middle East Gun Sales
5 April 2011
Associated Press
LONDON, United Kingdom - British lawmakers issued a critical report Tuesday showing that Britain approved sales of shotguns and tear gas to Libya, machine guns and sniper rifles to Bahrain and military technology to Yemen over the last three years.
Parliament's foreign affairs, defense, international development and business committees said in a joint report that ministers failed to consider the implications of weapons sales to the Middle East and elsewhere.
"Both the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34635
United Kingdom,United States,United Arab Emirates,Jordan
Former UK Gun Lobby Leader Nears Plea on US-Middle East Gun Running
27 March 2011
Tennessean (Nashville)
Illegally trafficked assault rifles and gun parts manufactured in Nashville ultimately found their way to Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to federal court documents unsealed Wednesday.
The documents — sworn statements written by federal agents in support of search warrants for facilities owned by Sabre Defence Industries — reveal many new details about an alleged conspiracy to skirt U.S. regulators and law enforcement... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tennessean (Nashville)
34597
United Kingdom
Gun Ownership in England and Wales: Your Local Police Figures Revealed
25 March 2011
Guardian (UK)
Gun ownership is always thought of as a rarity in the UK. We may like to think that this country has lower levels of gun crime than the US, and that we don't have the same problems of US gun control - especially after the Tucson shooting last year.
But there are still plenty of firearms around here, all held legally. These latest figures from the Home Office have just been released and they show that more guns have been licensed than ever before.
Shotguns are covered... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34594
United Kingdom
UK Police Issue Thousands of Gun Licences to Children, One Only 7yrs Old
24 March 2011
Press Association (UK)
Children as young as seven have been issued with shotgun certificates, data released under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed.
The figures showed 13 children under the age of 10 have been issued with licences in the UK over the past three years.
Gloucestershire police granted a licence to a seven-year-old, West Mercia and Cumbria approved a licence for an eight year old, and 10 other certificates were issued to nine year olds.
The figures, obtained by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Association (UK)
34587
United Kingdom
Shotgun Licences Issues to Children Under 10, One 7yr-old in Britain
24 March 2011
BBC News
Thirteen children under the age of 10 have been issued with shotgun certificates in the UK over the past three years.
The youngest child to be granted a licence was seven years old, figures obtained by BBC News show.
Last year, the Association of Chief Police Officers suggested under-10s should be banned from using shotguns.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation says children use shotguns for sports and on farms.
The statistics were released by 51... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34586
United Kingdom
English 'Gun Fanatics' Illegally Held Assault Rifle, Uzi, Handguns - Police
23 March 2011
Stourbridge News (UK)
A Wordsley "gun fanatic" ignored a ban on keeping weapons and built up an arsenal of deadly firearms.
David Evans, aged 42, had been barred from keeping or being involved with guns after being convicted in 2005 of possessing an automatic weapon.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Evans amassed a collection of ten guns including a Kalashnikov rifle and hundreds of rounds of live ammunition.
Philip Bradley, prosecuting, alleged Evans kept the collection at the fruit and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Stourbridge News (UK)
34582
United Kingdom
Dead Men Risen: The Snipers' Story
13 March 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
The arrival at the newly-established Patrol Base Shamal Storrai (Pashto for "North Star") in late August 2009 of Serjeant Tom Potter and Rifleman Mark Osmond marked the start of an astonishing episode in the history of British Army sniping.
Within 40 days, the two marksmen from 4 Rifles, part of the Welsh Guards Battle group, had achieved 75 confirmed kills with 31 attributed to Potter and 44 to Osmond. Each kill was chalked up as a little stick man on the beam above... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
34555
United Kingdom,United States
Gun Runner Smuggled Dozens of Handguns from US to UK, Pleads Guilty
2 March 2011
BBC News
An American man accused of smuggling 62 guns into the UK has pleaded guilty in an US court.
Steven Greenoe, 37, who appeared in court in Raleigh, North Carolina, faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1m (£610,000) fine.
In exchange for federal prosecutors dropping 48 other weapons charges against him, he pleaded guilty to two counts of transporting guns outside the US without a federal export licence.
He is expected to be sentenced in June.
Arsenal
US prosecutors... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34491
United Kingdom
UK Mass Killer 'Driven Mad' by Money Worries, Unpaid Tax, Inquest Told
2 March 2011
Mirror (UK)
Derrick Bird was driven crazy by money worries and an unpaid tax bill, his family revealed for the first time yesterday.
Eldest son Graeme Bird, 29, told the inquest how his dad had "his head in his hands" the last time he saw him alive.
He said Bird, 52, visited him on June 1 last year – the day before the killings – and was convinced he was going to jail.
The demented cabbie had "squirrelled away" £60,000 in a bank, but had not declared it to the taxman.
He... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mirror (UK)
34478
United Kingdom
UK Gun Killer Boasted to Friends: This Town 'Will Be Famous as Dunblane'
2 March 2011
Press Association (UK)
Gunman Derrick Bird boasted "Whitehaven will be as famous as Dunblane" just weeks before he massacred 12 people, an inquest has heard.
Bird, 52, gave the chilling warning in the foyer of a swimming pool in Hensingham, near Whitehaven, where he had been diving while training with Solway Sub Aqua Club.
Peter McLean, also a member of the club, told the hearing the pair had been talking about a boat trip that taxi-driver Bird was planning when - out of the blue - he... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Association (UK)
34467
United States,United Kingdom
UK Gun Dealers Face US Charges Involving Tens of Thousands of AK47s
20 February 2011
Guardian (UK)
His lawyers contend he is a model citizen. And as a successful businessman, Gary Hyde certainly exudes an aura of respectability. For years the 41-year-old father of two was a volunteer police officer in his home town of York, until a serious injury forced him to retire. "He is an upstanding and respected member of that community," his lawyers argued last week.
But now another picture of Hyde is emerging. A man who had turned his enthusiasm for guns and military... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34436
United Kingdom
Minister Reminds UK Police Bosses of Risk Posed by Unvisited Gun Owners
18 February 2011
BBC News
A government minister has intervened after police in Essex, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire said they intended to stop blanket home visits to gun holders renewing their licences.
The forces want to process most licence checks by phone or post to save money.
Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire is writing to all chief constables in England and Wales reminding them of guidelines.
He is also to review licence fees to ensure the cost of the scheme is... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34414
United States,United Kingdom
Judge: UK Gun Dealer Must Stay in New York to Await Gun Running Trial
15 February 2011
Washington Post
ROCHESTER, New York - A British arms dealer was denied permission Tuesday to return home while awaiting trial in western New York on charges of scheming to import banned Chinese assault rifle parts.
U.S. District Judge Charles Siragusa ordered Gary Hyde of York, England, to remain in the Rochester area in a case involving a trio of gun dealers that could shed light on the illicit global arms trade.
The 41-year-old Hyde pleaded not guilty to the charges last week,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
34415
Iraq,United States,United Kingdom
New York, UK, German Gun Dealers' Links to Global Arms Trafficking Deal
13 February 2011
Democrat and Chronicle (New York)
In May 2007 a British firearms dealer — Mil Tec Marketing Inc. — signed off on a contract to supply weapons parts to a Florida-based company that provides munitions and equipment to the U.S. military and other national defenses.
Under that agreement, weaponry and accessories would have ended up in Iraq for the war effort. But the British firm was unable to meet the contractual promises. Oddly, an ensuing spat between the companies is the seed of an international... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democrat and Chronicle (New York)
34379
Germany,United Kingdom,Portugal,China,United States,Europe
Gun Runner Turns on Licensed Dealers in UK/US/Europe Trafficking Case
10 February 2011
Associated Press
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A sudden plea agreement in a federal prosecution of a trio of international weapons dealers has heightened momentum in a case that could shed light on the illicit global arms trade, including irregularities in U.S.-backed shipments of assault rifles to Iraq.
Gun dealer Karl Kleber, a German national who had been living in Portugal, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a U.S. district courtroom, admitting to violating federal arms laws in a scheme to import... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
34372
United States,United Kingdom
Tennessee Grand Jury Charges UK Gun Lobby Figure with Arms Trafficking
9 February 2011
Tennessean (Nashville)
A federal grand jury charged Nashville-based gun manufacturer and U.S. military supplier Sabre Defence Industries and five company officers with illegal international arms trafficking.
Sabre owner Guy Savage, a United Kingdom citizen, and Middle Tennessee residents President Charles Shearon, Chief Financial Officer Elmer Hill, Director of Sales Michael Curlett and International Purchasing Manager Arnold See Jr., are the individuals charged.
They also face charges of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tennessean (Nashville)
34366
United Kingdom
British Police Forces Drop Gun Owner Home Re-visits, Storage Inspections
9 February 2011
Independent (UK)
Police chiefs today defended cost-cutting plans which could see changes to the way checks are carried out on gun owners.
At least three forces aim to abandon automatic home checks when gun owners apply to renew firearms licences.
Police in Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire say ending blanket home visits would save money and time but would not "impact on public safety".
Essex Police said they planned to write to gun owners to check that circumstances had not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK)
34362
United Kingdom
UK Police Budget Cuts Curb Home Visits for Storage, Background Checks
8 February 2011
BBC News
Gun licence regulations could be relaxed by police in parts of eastern England to save money.
Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire police plan to scrap blanket home visits, with people renewing licences on the phone.
In Essex police are considering carrying out gun licence renewals by post.
The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers said the steps were against the guideline of a home visit every five years.
David Guest, who lives in Hertfordshire and has... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34353
Libya,United Kingdom,United States
Licensed US/UK Gun Dealers Planned to Sell 130,000 AKs to Libya
3 February 2011
Democrat and Chronicle (New York)
A British company linked to the alleged illegal smuggling of AK-47 magazines bought by a Chili-based firearms dealer was the focus of 2008 U.S. State Department classified memos released recently by WikiLeaks.
The memos, published by the Telegraph newspaper in the United Kingdom, centered on the planned purchase of 130,000 Kalashnikov semiautomatic rifles by Libya. The British company York Guns intended to act as an intermediary for the sale, the memos allege, and York... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Democrat and Chronicle (New York)
34332
United States,United Kingdom
Licensed British Gun Dealers Charged in UK-US 'AK-47 Conspiracy'
30 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
The shadowy world of Britain's arms dealers has been thrust into the spotlight after the directors of two companies based in York and Kent were charged with conspiring to illegally export to the US hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles in breach of an American embargo.
Court documents filed in the US claim that British businessman Gary Hyde and his associate Karl Kleber fraudulently imported more than 5,000 Chinese-produced AK-47 drum... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34301
Iraq,United Kingdom,United States,Germany
Global Arms Import Case Implicates Gun Dealers in US, UK, Germany
27 January 2011
WHAM-TV (New York)
CHILI, New York - On Friday a German man will appear in Rochester's Federal Courthouse to answer to charges related to an international gun smuggling operation. Authorities claim 56 year-old Karl Kleber illegally sold AK-47 drum magazines to a Chili-based gun business; American Tactical Imports (ATI) and its sister-company AmChar.
The basis for the smuggling charge Kleber now faces is a shipment of 5,760 75-round AK-47 drum magazines that federal agents believe were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: WHAM-TV (New York)
34282
United Kingdom,United States
Ex-Marine Smuggled 66 Guns from US to UK, Sold Them to Gangs - Police
25 January 2011
Press Association (UK)
A former Marine faces trial in the United States accused of smuggling more than 60 handguns into Britain in his luggage.
Steven Greenoe, 37, is alleged to have imported at least 66 weapons into the country from his home in North Carolina.
Police fear many of the guns, which included Glock and Ruger 9mm pistols, were sold to criminal gangs in north-west England.
One drive-by shooting in Wythenshawe, Manchester, last October, in which a man was hit in the leg,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press Association (UK)
34247
United Kingdom,United States
Gun Owner Smuggled 80 Handguns in His Checked Bags from US to UK
25 January 2011
News.com.au
British and American authorities held crisis talks, it emerged today, after dozens of handguns were smuggled into the UK on passenger flights from the US.
Serious flaws in trans-atlantic aviation security were exposed by the arrest of private security consultant Steven Greenoe, who is accused of trafficking more than 80 guns in his hold luggage.
The 37-year-old American was stopped by security staff on at least one occasion when screening detected "multiple firearms"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News.com.au
34246
United Kingdom,Israel,Germany,China,Canada,United States,New Zealand,Australia
World Media Reacts to Arizona Shooting: America's Gun Laws Are Nuts
11 January 2011
Wrap (California)
While the shootings in Tucson continue to inflame the debate over violent rhetoric in American politics, the international media's reaction to the tragedy is largely focused on alleged killer Jared Lee Loughner's weapon of choice: a gun.
In doing so, it's gotten to the debate over gun laws faster than a U.S. media hung up on the politics.
"This guy was a nutjob. What he did was sick and evil," a Tucson gunshop owner told Agence France-Presse in a piece entitled,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wrap (California)
34029
United Kingdom,Switzerland,Russia,Norway,Mexico,Japan,Italy,Germany,Austria,Czech Republic,India,China,Canada,Brazil,Australia,United States
How Gun Control Laws Vary in 16 Countries Around the World
10 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Australia
Ownership is strictly prohibited unless there are "genuine reasons" such as licensed sport, animal control or employment requirements.
Brazil
If you are over 25 and have registered a weapon, you are free to keep it indoors. The country has the second-highest gun-related death rate after the US.
Canada
Significantly stricter than the neighbouring US. To acquire a licence, applicants must undertake a safety course, pass a criminal records check and be... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
34020
United Kingdom,England & Wales
Gun Laws Blasted After Child, 10, Given Shotgun Licence in Wales
26 December 2010
WalesOnline (UK)
More than 250 Welsh children hold shotgun certificates – including one child aged just 10.
The figures were revealed as MPs said gun law is "a mess" and called for a review on the minimum-age limits on the use of firearms.
The head of a leading Welsh children's charity said allowing kids as young as 10 to have a shotgun certificate was a "risky venture".
But the Government defended gun legislation as among the toughest in the world, while a firearms expert said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: WalesOnline (UK)
33905
United Kingdom
British MPs Clash in Fiery Commons Debate on Gun Culture, Firearm Law
22 December 2010
Derby Telegram (UK)
Fierce debating over reform of the UK's gun laws has seen Labour and Conservative MPs from the city and county locking horns in Parliament.
Derby North's Labour MP Chris Williamson advocated a complete ban on all firearms, whereas Tory South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler – a shotgun owner herself – called for shooting as a sport to be protected.
Their comments were made as Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee released a key report warning that under current... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Derby Telegram (UK)
33900
Scotland
Gun Licence Issued to Scottish 10yr-old Prompts Call to Raise UK Age Limit
20 December 2010
Herald (Scotland)
A minimum age limit for shotgun licences should be introduced, according to the Scottish Government, after it emerged one had been given to a child of 10.
Scottish ministers believe the Coalition Government should introduce the limit if it is not prepared to hand over power on gun control to Holyrood, a spokesman said.
As well as the 10-year-old, licences were given to a 13-year-old, five 14-year-olds and 11 children aged 15, official figures from the Lothian and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Herald (Scotland)
33898
United Kingdom
Inquiry: UK Gun Laws Complex and Confused - 39 Gun Homicides in 2010
20 December 2010
Telegraph (UK)
Criminals who escape with suspended sentences should not be allowed to keep firearms licence, MPs have suggested.
The Commons' Home Affairs Committee also urged ministers to simplify the minimum age when children can legally fire guns.
It warned that current laws controlling the use of guns are "complex and confused".
The committee started its inquiry after Derrick Bird ran amok with a legally-held gun in Cumbria in June, killing 12 and injuring a further 11... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
33897
United Kingdom
UK Inquiry Suggests Tighter Shotgun Licensing, 'Targets Wrong People'
20 December 2010
Telegraph (UK), Column
The carnage wrought by Derrick Bird during his murderous foray through Cumbria earlier this year brought tragedy and heartache to those whose loved ones were killed. Armed with guns he lawfully owned, Bird shot dead 12 men and women and wounded 11 others. The death toll was one of the highest caused by a lone gunman in British history, surpassed only by the Hungerford and Dunblane massacres.
After Michael Ryan killed 16 people in Hungerford in 1987, the ownership of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
33887
United Kingdom
UK's 34 Gun Control Laws 'Complex and Confused' - Lawmaker Panel
20 December 2010
Bloomberg (USA)
The U.K.'s 34 laws governing the control of guns are "complex and confused," placing an "onerous burden" on police and firearms owners, a panel of lawmakers said.
In a report published today, Parliament's Home Affairs Committee said well-designed legislation that regulates and restricts the legal supply of firearms would help to reduce gun crime. The cross-party panel recommended introducing one licensing system to cover all firearms that require a license.
While the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bloomberg (USA)
33873
United Kingdom
Britain's Gun Laws a 'Complex and Confused' Mess, Say Panel of MPs
20 December 2010
BBC News
Gun laws are a "complex and confused" mess and tighter controls on firearms licences are required, MPs have said.
Replacing 34 laws applying to England and Wales with one system to cover all firearms could help cut gun crime, the Home Affairs Committee reports.
The review, launched after Derrick Bird shot dead 12 people in Cumbria in June, recommends criminals given suspended sentences be stripped of gun licences.
Campaigners say other recommendations would punish... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
33872
Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Japan,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Finland,Yemen,United States
Civilians Own 74% Of All Guns Globally, Firearm Laws Differ Greatly
15 December 2010
Times of India
The 'Gun Debate' has engaged many parts of the world for decades and both public opinion and lawmakers in different countries differ considerably on this question. Interestingly, 74% of all firearms globally are owned by civilians.
The right to own a firearm is a major issue in US politics and many Americans consider the possession of firearms a time-honoured custom. Strong gun-supporting lobbies like the National Rifle Association spend millions of dollars to fight... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of India
33838
United Kingdom
150 Children 10yrs and Older Have a Shotgun Licence in Lancashire
6 December 2010
Blackpool Citizen (UK)
More than 150 children in Lancashire hold a shotgun licence — including one aged 10.
Home Office figures released in the House of Commons showed a further 10 children aged 11 have also been grated a certificate to use the weapon.
Shotgun certificates last for five years and the statistics also show that 47 children aged 17 have been granted a licence between 2005 and September 2010. There's a total of 153 across the county.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said:... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Blackpool Citizen (UK)
33776
United Kingdom
Fury as UK Police Chief Says 'Let Children Aged 10 Have a Gun Licence'
22 November 2010
Daily Mail (UK)
A police chief has been heavily criticised after calling for children as young as ten to be granted licences to use guns such as rifles.
Adrian Whiting, Assistant Chief Constable of Dorset Police, wants the age at which people can apply for a firearms certificate to be lowered from 14 to ten.
He said that the current minimum age of 14 can be circumvented in some instances – such as for pest control – so some children younger than ten can legally shoot rifles and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
33675
United Kingdom,Scotland
Scots Gun Granny Kept WWII Pistol in Bed, Gets 5yr Sentence Quashed
18 November 2010
Daily Record (Scotland)
A Scottish granny jailed for five years for having her dad's World War II pistol under her mattress has had her sentence quashed.
Gail Cochrane was sent to prison after police found the family herirloom a Browning automatic, during a search of her home in Dundee last year while looking for her son.
At the High Court in Edinburgh Cochrane admitted illegal possession of the firearm, an offence with a minimum five-year jail term under Scots law.
The gun was found after... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Record (Scotland)
33665
United Kingdom
Modern Pentathlon Drops Plan to Swap Pistols for Laser Guns at Olympics
7 November 2010
BBC News
The International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) has voted against a plan to replace air pistols with laser guns for the 2012 London Olympics.
The proposal would have cut costs and allowed events to be staged at more venues as it would have been safer.
Pentathlon GB chairman Anthony Temple welcomed the rule clarification.
"This tells athletes and organisers what they need to know and will allow us all to work together to deliver a successful competition," Temple... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
33603
United Kingdom
Army Cadets Can't Carry, 'Glamorise' Guns in UK Remembrance Day March
7 November 2010
Daily Mail (UK)
Army cadets have been left 'bitterly disappointed' after being banned from carrying rifles on a Remembrance Day parade - amid fears the weapons might 'upset' onlookers.
The young cadets have proudly marched with rifles for decades and around 100 had spent months fine-tuning the drill where they would showcase their skills.
But the cadets were left 'gutted' just days before the big event when military top brass cut the rifles from the display following complaints... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
33599
United Kingdom
2012 Olympic Pentathlon: Move to Replace Airguns with Lasers Vetoed
7 November 2010
Telegraph (UK)
The switch to laser guns - calibrated to recoil and make a sound like the traditional pellet pistol - were exposed during this year's World Cup Final in Moscow and Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
Klaus Schormann, the UIPM president, had been a key supporter of the cost-effective new technology, while the improved safety meant new venues such as parks and shopping malls could be used.
But following a congress vote in Latvia, Anthony Temple, Pentathlon GB's chairman,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
33598
United Kingdom
Police Did Nothing Wrong, Licensing Cumbria Mass Killer to Own 4 Guns
3 November 2010
Daily Mail (UK)
Cumbrian killer Derrick Bird tried to obtain a third weapon midway through his murder spree -– which would have allowed him to pick off more victims at greater speed.
An official report revealed yesterday how the taxi driver attempted to retrieve a 12-gauge Winchester shotgun from a friend, who was storing it.
But following a short conversation, the friend refused to hand it over.
Police believe the killer wanted the gun because its automatic ejector mechanism... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Mail (UK)
33579
Scotland,United States,United Kingdom
Gun Control and Ownership Laws in the UK
2 November 2010
BBC News
Derrick Bird, who shot dead 12 people in Cumbria, had held a firearms licence for 20 years.
The taxi driver - who also injured 11 others before turning the gun on himself - had a shotgun certificate and a firearms licence for weapons for pest control and to go clay pigeon shooting.
In the official police review of the tragedy, the country's top firearms licensing officer has said that Bird fulfilled the necessary requirements for issuing the licences.
But are there... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35191
United Kingdom
Cumbria Mass Killer Owned 3 Licensed Guns 'Perfectly Legally' - Inquiry
2 November 2010
Guardian (UK)
Firearms laws should be strengthened in the wake of the murderous rampage in Cumbria by Derrick Bird, an independent report said yesterday. But only "far more fundamental changes" on private ownership of guns could have prevented the tragedy, the UK's senior firearms licensing specialist concluded.
The report clears Cumbria police of mishandling licences for three shotguns and a rifle granted to Bird, who murdered 12 people and seriously injured 11 others before... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
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