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Firearm-related injury, or gunshot morbidity
In Turkey, Debating a Woman's Right to Have a Gun in Domestic Violence
19 May 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Turkey, hundreds of women die each year at the hands of a husband or family member, in a society that critics say too often ignores violence against women. After years of frustration, one organization has shaken up the debate with a controversial proposal: arming women and training them to defend themselves.
Looking back, Yagmur Askin thinks perhaps she should have paid more attention on her wedding day, when her husband's family welcomed her by saying, "You enter... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence in South Africa, a National Public Health Priority - Analysis
17 May 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
ANALYSIS
South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
This is, now more than ever, a national public health priority - one that needs to be monitored and controlled so as to limit the number of injuries and non-natural... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
Stricter Gun Control Strategy in Bahamas to Counter Rise in Gun Trafficking
14 May 2012
Eleutheran (Bahamas)
NASSAU -- The Government of The Bahamas will introduce a National Firearms
Control Strategy to counter the proliferation of illegal firearms within the country, Minister of
National Security Dr. the Hon. Bernard B.J. Nottage said Monday.
Dr. Nottage said violence associated with the use of those firearms will be reduced as a result of the Strategy. Dr. Nottage said the National Strategy, along with an improved gun registry, the marking and tracing of weapons, improved... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shootings Not Tightening US Gun Control Laws Anymore - Expert
22 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — The statistics are staggering, the stories heartbreaking, yet there is little chance that any amount of bloodshed will lead to stiffer gun controls in the United States in the foreseeable future.
"It's not something that any politician thinks is winnable," said Kristin Goss, a politics professor at Duke University and author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America."
Five years after the worst school shooting in US history left 32... (GunPolicy.org)
Easy Access to Guns for Minors in Castellón Province, Spain [Espanol]
20 April 2012
El Periódico Mediterráneo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: More than 400 minors have the permission from the province of Castellón to use arms. The accident involving King Felipe's grandson Juan Froilán, in which he accidentally shot himself in the foot with a hunting rifle, has brought the use of firearms by minors back into the spotlight.]
Más de 400 menores tienen permiso de Castellón para usar armas. El accidente del nieto del rey Felipe Juan Froilán, que se disparó accidentalmente en un pie con... (GunPolicy.org)
Escalating Gun War in Sydney, Five Drive-by Shootings Overnight
17 April 2012
Agence France Presse
SYDNEY — An escalating gun war in Sydney saw five overnight drive-by shooting attacks, Australian police said Tuesday, as they struggled to bring the gangland violence under control.
There have been eight shootings across the city in four days and 19 so far this month, mostly in Sydney's west and southwest.
Three homes and two tattoo parlours were sprayed with bullets in the latest attacks. No one was hurt but five young children were lucky to escape injury in one... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Deadly Devotion to Guns: A British Columnist Meets the NRA
16 April 2012
Guardian (UK)
There are around 90 guns for every 100 Americans yet, despite 85 fatal shootings a day, the mighty US gun lobby is as powerful as ever. In the wake of Trayvon Martin's killing, Gary Younge reports on the country's deadly attachment to firearms
At an organising breakfast for National Rifle Association (NRA) grassroots activists, Samuel Richardson, a man with whom I have not exchanged a word, passes me a note. "Please read the book Injustice by Adams," it reads. "He was... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Gun Control Dead in America? Adam Winkler in the Washington Post
13 April 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Monday marks five years since the massacre at Virginia Tech, where a mentally ill student, Seung Hui Cho, used two handguns he had bought legally to kill 32 people and wound 25 others. Other than a relatively minor law to improve the national database used for background checks, no significant gun-control legislation followed that tragedy.
Since then, there have been several mass shootings, including additional school rampages and the attempted assassination last year... (GunPolicy.org)
Majority of Illegal Guns in Australia Sourced Locally, Not Smuggled
12 April 2012
ABC News (Australia)
NSW Police say progress is being made in the operation to crackdown on gang related gun violence in Sydney, despite ten reported shootings in as many days.
The head of Operation Spartan, Assistant Commissioner Frank Mennilli says officers have seen some success however remain frustrated by the wall of silence around victims and witnesses.
Operation Spartan has seen 36 firearms seized since January with 314 people arrested and more than 515 charges laid by... (GunPolicy.org)
Scandal as 13yr-old Underage Spanish Royal Shoots Himself in Foot
10 April 2012
Daily News (Durban) / SAPA-AFP
MADRID - Spanish King Juan Carlos' 13-year-old grandson has shot himself in the foot, the royal family said Tuesday, sparking a scandal because he is below the legal age for using a firearm.
The boy, Felipe Marichalar Borbon, shot himself while learning to use a shotgun on the family's estate in Soria, north-central Spain, on Monday, the royal household said in a statement.
"While on the patio of the house with his father, he shot himself with a small .36 calibre... (GunPolicy.org)
Hoodlums Attack Police Station in Nigeria, Steal 14 AK-47 Rifles
5 April 2012
Vanguard (Lagos)
AWKA — Gunmen,numbering seven yesterday, attacked Amichi police station in Nnewi South Local Government Area and injured a police officer in the process. About 10 vehicles packed within and around the police premises were also riddled with bullets.
The hoodlums were said to have stormed the police station at about 2.30 am and after sporadic shooting, released two suspects believed to be their members and also allegedly made away with 14 AK-47 riffles belonging to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Berlin, Germany: Gunman Kills One, Injures Two
5 April 2012
Local (Germany)
Berlin police are hunting a gunman who walked up to a group of young people on Wednesday night, and opened fire, killing a 22-year-old and seriously wounding two others, before fleeing on foot.
The attacker, who remains on the run, approached the group of five people at around 1 am near a hospital in the southern Neukölln area of the city and shot three of them from close range. The other two escaped unharmed.
The 22-year-old, died shortly afterwards in hospital,... (GunPolicy.org)
Fearing the Public, US Politicians Carry Hidden Handguns in State Capitols
4 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — When Wisconsin lawmakers gather to discuss the business of the day at least one of them is legally packing a concealed weapon, amid the ever-present and heated gun law debate in the United States.
Wisconsin is one of just nine US states -- out of 50 -- which have expanded conceal-carry laws to allow gun owners to enter state capitols with their weapons, including on the assembly floor.
After the law was passed in November, state representative Bill Kramer... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns, Domestic Shootings Factor in Kenya's 1,756 Violent Deaths
4 April 2012
Nation (Kenya)
Some 1,756 people were killed last year by violent and armed criminals, a new police report shows.
The report, which records an increase in serious crimes like murder and violent robbery, cites the rise of criminal gangs and availability of guns on the black market as the reasons.
It shows a seven per cent surge in incidents reported to police compared to 2010.
Police, however, note that a "significant" number of victims were not killed by gangsters but died at the... (GunPolicy.org)
US University Mass Killer Bought His Gun Easily, Legally - Police
3 April 2012
Mercury (San Jose)
OAKLAND -- An extensive search probed the depths of a local waterway Tuesday as authorities worked to find the gun used in a shooting spree that killed seven and wounded three at a private college in East Oakland.
Oakland police cordoned off a stretch of the Oakland Estuary in the 7200 block of Doolittle Drive for most of the day as they deployed a police boat and a robot borrowed from San Francisco police that can conduct underwater searches. A police helicopter... (GunPolicy.org)
4,000 Gun Deaths in Yemen Mark 'Drastic Increase' in Armed Violence
3 April 2012
United Press International
SANAA, Yemen (UPI) -- Yemen's Interior Ministry says more than 4,000 Yemenis have been killed by drastically increased gun violence in the last two years.
In a statement posted to the Ministry's website in February, the ministry warned armed violence was holding Yemen back, Bikyamasr.com reported.
"Widespread weapons in the country as we have seen threaten security and stability in the society…increasing the crimes within the country such as killing, kidnapping,... (GunPolicy.org)
Lawyer Kills Police Officer in India - Handgun Licence Obtained in Jail
31 March 2012
Indian Express
A probe has been ordered into how lawyer Saurabh Verma, who shot dead sub-inspector (S-I) Devendra Kumar and injured a constable with his licenced revolver inside Naubasta police outpost on Thursday night, had procured firearms licence.
Verma has several criminal cases pending against him and is learnt to have procured the arms licence while he was in jail in 2004.
Kanpur SP (City) Umesh Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that the lawyer has been jailed thrice in... (GunPolicy.org)
In 23 Rich Nations, 80% of Gun Death, 87% of Kids Shot Are American
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly Twice as Many US Preschoolers Die by Gunshot Than Police
28 March 2012
New Jersey Today
In a report released this month, the Children's Defense Fund has analyzed recent national data on gunfire deaths and produced some alarming figures on child casualties.
The report also criticizes a wave of new state gun-rights laws that the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group argues put children in ever more peril.
The nonprofit advocacy group dedicated its report, "Protect Kids, Not Guns 2012,"to Florida teen Trayvon Martin, who was shot dead in February by a... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Police Report the Seizure of 11 Guns Per Day in 2012 [Espanol]
22 March 2012
La Prensa Gráfica (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: The Civil National Police (PNC) of El Salvador seized 901 firearms in 2012. According to Police, these firearms are linked to 56 homicides, 22 injuries, 27 robberies, 2 extortions and 6 thefts.]
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reportó el decomiso de 901 armas de fuego y la captura de 11,667 personas entre el 1.º de enero y el 19 de marzo en todo el país, según el subdirector de Seguridad Pública, comisionado Howard Cotto.
"Esto es el... (GunPolicy.org)
'Child-access Prevention' Laws to Prevent Accidental Shootings in US
20 March 2012
Seattle Times, Opinion
Gun owners can help protect others by storing their guns responsibly; a useful site for starters is lokitup.org, says Dr. Frederick P. Rivara, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington.
In our local community and in the nation, parents are grieving for their children who have been injured or killed recently by guns. We have all read the headlines, seen the news reports and shaken our heads about these tragedies. While we all agree that such events... (GunPolicy.org)
Sudan,Syria,Russia,China,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,Oceania
Pacific Nations Push for Global Arms Trade Treaty to Curb Gun Trade
19 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
Every year illicit trade in small arms results in thousands of deaths. Most of them in developing countries, including the Pacific, where the impact of gun violence has been devastating.
Now the international community is to meet at the United Nations to finalise the first ever global arms trade treaty.
HELEN HAKENA, WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER: I was seven months pregnant when gunmen came into our village terrorising the entire village community. My house was burnt to... (GunPolicy.org)
3 Children, Teacher Killed in Jewish School Shooting - Third in France
19 March 2012
Local (France) / AFP
A gunman burst into a Jewish school in France on Monday, shooting dead three children and a teacher in the third deadly gun attack in a week by a man who made his escape on a motorbike.
The children, aged three, six and 10, and a 30-year-old religious education teacher were mowed down as they arrived for class at the Ozar Hatorah school in the southwestern city of Toulouse, officials said.
Israel said it was "horrified" by the attack and a European rabbis' group... (GunPolicy.org)
Soaring Gun Death Body Count, Gun Crime & Injury Figures in Jamaica
9 March 2012
Jamaica Observer
ACED with harsh criticism over the recent killing of innocent persons during an operation in Denham Town earlier this week, the police have sought to assure the country that they are determined to reduce the body count as the try to beat back the crime monster.
Speaking in this week's force orders, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington, pointed to the difficult conditions members of the constabulary work under.
"We are determined to reduce incidence of fatal encounters... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Shootings, Trigger-happy Tactics Prompt Outrage in Jamaica
8 March 2012
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Security personnel armed with M16s and machine guns manned roadblocks and detained dozens of young men Thursday as part of a crackdown in a Jamaican ghetto where a 13-year-old girl, two elderly men and three others were killed during reported shootouts between police and gunmen.
Residents of the Denham Town slum in West Kingston blame officers for Monday's killings and the gritty area has been under curfew amid an ongoing security operation to... (GunPolicy.org)
Pakistan,Iran,Egypt,Russia,United States,Somalia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
Redundant Man Turns Hunting Rifle on His Former Employer in Greece
5 March 2012
Gulf News (Dubai) / Reuters
KOMOTINI - After more than 30 years as a factory worker, Dimitris Manikas was dreaming of retirement and planned to get married for the third time when a redundancy notice blew his hopes away.
Laid off from his job at a trash can factory in this northern Greek town, the 52-year-old father of two called off his wedding. Without any income, he feared his house would be next to go.
Driven to despair, Manikas on Thursday barged into the factory whose name he had tattooed... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Uganda
Uganda Government is Drafting a Bill to Tighten, Control, Limit Firearm Use
25 February 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
The government is drafting a bill to tighten, control and limit the use of firearms by security agencies and civilians across the country. The Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials Bill seeks to harmonise all existing laws governing possession of guns, including the Firearms Act, 1970.
The 1970 Act only regulates ownership of firearms held by individuals, while those held by the police and security agencies are governed under separate laws. It is not known how... (GunPolicy.org)
Somalia,Mozambique,Tanzania,Kenya,East Africa
Small Arms Proliferation in East Africa Fueling Conflicts and Instability - Opinion
23 February 2012
Pambazuka News (Africa), Opinion
A proliferation of small arms is fueling conflict and instability in East Africa. The ongoing pre-election violence in Kenya and the 'war on terror' will deter domestic and international investors, business people and economists say. These fears are valid given that illicit weapons are said to be hidden in parts of Kenya, especially in the Rift Valley Province.
On 9 December 2009 and on 2 February 2010, thousands of bullets, army uniforms, thousands of litres of fuel,... (GunPolicy.org)
The 'Intolerable' Availability of Guns in Israel Is Fueling Criminality - Police
23 February 2012
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Two young men stood under a residential building in Rehovot's Kiryat Moshe neighborhood last week, having a chat. Suddenly, shots were fired, probably from close range, and the two fell to the ground with gaping gunshot wounds.
What followed is a scene that has played itself out repeatedly in recent years. Shocked neighbors rushed to the scene. Within minutes, the sirens of ambulances drew closer, before paramedics arrived to rush the victims to hospital. Police came... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Culture Spreads in India: 40 Million Guns Second Only to USA
20 February 2012
Los Angeles Times
CHANDIGARH, India — Vikramjit Singh stands in the parking lot of a posh club in Chandigarh discussing one of his favorite subjects: guns. He owns 10 or so; he can't remember exactly. They may come in handy if the old family feud resurfaces.
In a Hatfield-versus-McCoy saga that haunts the 25-year-old student, his grandfather was shot to death here in the western state of Punjab and his father imprisoned for a retaliatory murder. Although the two clans signed a truce a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Yorkers Hide More 'Community Guns' for Impulse Street Shootings
10 February 2012
New York Times
Shanell Crute and her boyfriend were walking toward East 163rd Street in the Bronx to buy marijuana that night. With two blocks to go, they stopped when a group of five guys called out to her. The men had been drinking and smoking.
Ms. Crute's nickname was Sweetz because she was quite friendly, but that night, Sept. 30, 2010, she gave as good as she got for the last minutes of her 26-year-long life.
"She says, 'I might know these guys,' " said Lt. James Ruane of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Guerrilla-Turned-Mayor Bans Guns from the Streets of Bogotá
31 January 2012
Guardian (UK)
As a member of the M-19 guerrilla group in the 1980s, Gustavo Petro, who was known as Comandante Aureliano, served 18 months in prison for illegally carrying a firearm. Now mayor of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, Petro is leading an experiment in banning guns from the streets of this city of eight million people, where firearms are part of the backdrop to everyday life.
Bodyguards on high-speed motorbikes whizz through traffic wielding machine guns, security guards at... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Free Zones, Gun Owner Testing Proposed for New Law in Uganda
30 January 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
In its efforts to curb the abundance and abuse of small and light weapons, the government has launched a new policy on firearms and ammunition.
The policy calls for a new legal regime to oversee the acquisition, use and storage of firearms.
The policy was unveiled last week by the Uganda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons, a department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs that was created in 2003 to handle cases of illicit small arms.
The policy... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock: The Rise of America's Favourite Handgun
27 January 2012
New York Times, Book review
You rarely pull a gun to start a conversation, but when I recently told an in-law that I was writing about Glock pistols, he improvised a research project. Reaching beneath his jacket, he quickly unholstered, unloaded and handed me his Glock 9 millimeter — this was in Kentucky, land of permissive concealed-carry laws. "I always carry this, and I always will," he said before giving me a primer that could have been used in a promotional video for both the pistol and... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, US Congress Share 'Abject Failure' to Repair Gun Control Laws
26 January 2012
New York Times, Editorial
House members were moved to tears on Wednesday when Representative Gabrielle Giffords handed in her resignation because, she said, she needed more time to heal from the grievous gunshot wound she suffered last year at the hands of a would-be assassin. The rarest of Congressional events — a display of genuinely bipartisan tributes — was the parting gift from her colleagues along with unanimous approval of Ms. Giffords's bill to fight drug trafficking along the... (GunPolicy.org)
Opposition Demands Stricter Gun Control in Wake of Uganda Shootings
24 January 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
KAMPALA - Opposition Forum for Democratic Change party has asked government to strengthen laws governing the safe and proper use of firearms.
The comments came a day after Santos Komakech, a police bodyguard attached to the Kampala Capital City Authority physical planning director, Mr George Agaba, allegedly shot dead one person and injured several others in Luzira when an eviction exercise turned bloody on Sunday morning.
'We demand that police institutes rules on... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
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)
Filipino Police Gun Barrels Taped to Prevent NYE Celebratory Shootings
28 December 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
In many parts of the world, the traditional celebration of happy events is to fire gunshots into the air - a kind of makeshift personal firework, if you will.
The Philipines is no different, so to keep discipline over New Year's Eve in the country this year, officers in the Filipino police have taped their subordinates' firearms shut.
These pictures show policemen on parade for a 'sealing of firearms' ceremony at their headquarters in Camp Crame, suburban Quezon city,... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Belgian Killer Amassed Illegal Guns, Used Light Automatic Army Rifle
15 December 2011
CNN
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- A man who killed five people and himself in a gun and grenade attack in Belgium feared going back to prison and losing the life he had built, his lawyer said Thursday.
The attack on a crowded market square in Liege Tuesday by Nourdine Amrani, which also left at least 130 people wounded, shocked the nation.
His defense lawyer in Liege, Jean-Francois Dister, told CNN Amrani had called him late Monday and early Tuesday after the police called him in... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland,Finland,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Norway,Europe
Gun Attacks in Europe and Their Effect on Gun Control Laws
14 December 2011
BBC News
As more details emerge of the shooting spree and grenade attack in Belgium in which five people died, the BBC News website takes a look at other recent incidents in Europe - and the effect they have had on each country's laws.
Norway
Seventy-seven people were killed in twin attacks on 22 July 2011 in Norway. Anders Behring Breivik has admitted that he planted a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in the capital Oslo, killing eight people. He then drove... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
African Street Sellers Shot Dead in Florence by 'Racist Right Wing Extremist'
13 December 2011
Reuters
FLORENCE, Italy - An Italian man killed two African street sellers and wounded three others in an apparent racist shooting rampage in the heart of Florence on Tuesday before committing suicide, police said.
Gianluca Casseri, 50, who Italian officials said was a right-wing extremist, parked his car in the crowded Dalmazia square at lunch time, got out and started shooting with a large pistol, witnesses said.
Two Senegalese men were killed and one seriously... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Officer, Gun Owner Dead in New Virginia Tech University Shooting
8 December 2011
Reuters
BLACKSBURG, Virginia - A gunman ambushed and killed a campus police officer and was later reported to have been found dead on Thursday at Virginia Tech University, the site of one of the worst shooting rampages in U.S. history.
Authorities declared the campus safe and lifted a lock-down after a nearly four-hour manhunt, seeming to lend credence to television news reports that a body found in a Virginia Tech parking lot was that of the shooter.
Police at a televised... (GunPolicy.org)
Libyan Civilians Hold On to a Deadly Legacy: Assault Rifles, Machine Guns
7 December 2011
New York Times
MISURATA, Libya — On the night that he was to die, Hassan Nahassi should have been safe.
It was Oct. 20. A middle-age man turned Libyan rebel commander, Mr. Nahassi had returned home in the evening, leaving behind the front lines of Surt for a reprieve from the fighting. He wanted to rest with his wife and children.
Then came the news. Muatassim el-Qaddafi, a son of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, had been captured on the front that Mr. Nahassi had left only hours... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Oppose Gun Lobby Push to Slacken Law, Reduce Gun Limits in Japan
7 December 2011
Japan Today
TOKYO — Farmers in rural areas have been reporting increasing damage to their crops by wild boar, deer and other animals. To make firearms more accessible, a bill that would loosen the currently tight restrictions on hunting rifles has been proposed in the Diet. But, the Sankei Shimbun (Dec 4) reports, the police remain adamantly opposed to changes in the law.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in 2009, crop damage from... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Mozambique,Nigeria,India,Australia,East Africa,Eastern Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
In a Year, NYC Police Fire 20% of Bullets Fired in Hours by Kenya Police
4 December 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Consider this and think of the situation in Kenya as you read on: Last year, 52 officers out of a force of 34,565 officers from the New York Police Department intentionally fired 236 bullets during confrontations with suspects.
The officers reportedly shot and killed only eight people and injured 16 the whole year, in what the Police Department say marked record lows.
Of course the social and economic realities of Nairobi and New York are totally different but there... (GunPolicy.org)
Marseilles, France: Third Shooting with Assault Rifles in a Week [Francais]
2 December 2011
Le Nouvel Observateur (France) / AP
[Translated Summary: In a third such shooting in a week in Marseilles, law enforcement authorities bemoaned the fact that the use of assault rifles, such as Kalachnikovs, has become a banality. Kalachnikovs are available for 500 to 1,000 Euros on the streets of Marseilles.]
MARSEILLE — Une nouvelle fusillade a éclaté dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi dans le XVe arrondissement de Marseille, dans les quartiers nord de la ville, faisant un mort et un blessé grave,... (GunPolicy.org)
Cambodia,Thailand,India,Myanmar,Bangladesh
Menace of Illicit Small Arms Industry, Trade, Violence in India - Opinion
28 November 2011
Express Buzz (India), Opinion
According to a recent study, India witnessed 4,100 gunshot murders in 2008. These murders would work out to 12.2 per cent of the over 33,700 murders reported during the year. Overall, there were over 6,200 deaths due to gunshots; about 66 per cent of them were murders, 26.3 per cent were accidental deaths and 7.7 per cent were suicides. It was also reported that most of the victims of firearm murders in India were killed using unlicensed firearms.
Studies conducted... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Handicap International Graffiti Contest Promotes Gun Control in Libya
21 November 2011
Tripoli Post (Libya)
The Saturday forecast warned of a rainy November afternoon - a crowd gathered nonetheless at the Tashkil Libya Al-Hurra Brigade in Keesh for one of Benghazi's first ever formal graffiti contests organised by French NGO Handicap International to raise awareness of the dangers posed by small arms and light weapons.
However, for many of the young contestants it was as much an opportunity for personal expression, as it was about tackling one of Libya's most pressing... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
US Baseball Hero Cleared of Celebratory Shooting in Dominican Republic
9 November 2011
BBC News
Dominican Republic baseball star Alfredo Simon has been cleared of charges over a fatal shooting in the country on 1 January.
Simon, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, was accused of shooting dead one man and injuring another during New Year celebrations.
Defence lawyers said the prosecution had failed to prove he fired the shots.
The baseball player was held for two months earlier this year as the main suspect before being released on bail.
Simon was accused of... (GunPolicy.org)
Ten-year Drive to Disarm Uganda Results in 900 Deaths, Mainly Civilians
8 November 2011
Monitor (Kampala)
At least 900 people, majority of them civilians have been killed in the north-eastern Karamoja region since the UPDF launched a disarmament exercise 10 years ago.
According to a report released this year by the UPDF, 623 civilians and 269 soldiers were killed either in crossfire or ambushes, which brought the army under the spotlight over alleged human rights abuses as they carried out disarmament.
The report also shows that 417 civilians and 289 soldiers were injured... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
US Psychiatric Nurses Need Training to Reduce Gun Suicides, Homicides
1 November 2011
Medical Xpress (USA)
"Graduate Psychiatric Nurses' Training on Firearm Injury Prevention" found that in spite of the concrete recommendations from American Psychiatric Nursing Association, only 9.4 percent of psychiatric nursing programs in the U.S. reported training their students to look for signs that patients might shoot themselves or someone else, said study co-author Jagdish Khubchandani, a community health education professor in the university's Global Health Institute and Department... (GunPolicy.org)
Uganda,East Africa,South Africa,Kenya
Security Threat in Kenya Triggers Debate on Whether to Give Guards Guns
27 October 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
At the Majlis Resort on Manda Island, the night watchman carries only a radio and a torch. As dusk falls on the island, a team of local police officers armed with rifles arrives and settles down on the beachfront.
Less than a month ago, Somali pirates kidnapped French woman Marieu Dedieu from this very spot. Now police are here to guard a handful of tourists still remaining in Lamu, because they are the only ones who can do it.
"The government wrote a letter to... (GunPolicy.org)
Harper Government Pledged to Alter Canada's Laws Governing Self Defence
25 October 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
The Harper government has pledged to alter Canada's laws governing self defence, with an eye to giving citizens increased latitude to protect themselves and their property.
In recent years, Canadians who have used violence - and especially firearms - have often faced criminal charges for their actions.
When Ian Thomson awoke one night in August 2010 to find three men throwing firebombs at his rural home in southwest Ontario, he got out his revolver and fired a few... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
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)
Should French Police Officers Keep Service Guns at Home? [Francais]
19 October 2011
TF1 News (France)
[Translated summary: Three police suicides, two family tragedies and one fatal accident in a single month. Should French police officers be banned from keeping their firearms at home?]
Après une série de suicides et de faits divers tragiques impliquant des policiers munis de leur arme au domicile, la question se pose plus que jamais. Mais ni l'Intérieur ni les syndicats n'envisagent une telle solution pour l'instant.
Le 22 septembre 2011, un gardien de la paix en... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Injuries to Patients Younger than 19 Up Sharply in US, Says Study
18 October 2011
MedPage Today (New Jersey)
BOSTON -- Firearm-related injuries to patients younger than 19 accounted for an estimated 186,000 emergency department (ED) visits over the period from 1999 to 2007, investigators reported here.
As a proportion of total ED visits for that age group, firearm injuries accounted for 30% more visits than documented in earlier studies.
The findings could reflect differences in the data and methods used to calculate firearm-injury rates, but might also reflect a true... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Injuries to Kids in US are Underestimated, Study Shows
17 October 2011
CBS News (USA)
How likely are children to be injured by firearms? A lot more likely than doctors used to think. In fact, a new study shows that the rate of non-fatal firearm injuries in kids is 30 percent higher than previous estimates.
Each year, the study showed, there are 20,600 firearm injuries - including 8,368 injuries resulting in death - in people age 19 and younger. More than a third of these injuries - 37 percent - were unintentional.
The study, based on the National... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Sri Lanka President to Disarm Private Guards of Politicians
13 October 2011
Lanka Business Online (Pita Kotte)
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa said firearms kept by private 'guards' of politicians will be recovered in a special operation starting Thursday, in the wake of a deadly clash among rival factions of his party.
"A special operation aimed at disarming them has been launched from today by the police and the special task force assisted by the military," President Rajapaksa told a meeting of media chiefs.
Analysts said politicians of various colours had got into... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Kills 2 Men, 6 Women in Southern California Salon Shooting
13 October 2011
Associated Press
SEAL BEACH, Calif. — Every hair-dressing station was full at Salon Meritage when a gunman burst through the door and began shooting, sending terrified customers diving for cover in the upscale salon tucked just blocks from the beach in this quaint seaside town. The shooter then stepped outside, shot a man sitting in a truck in the parking lot and sped off.
By the time it was all over Wednesday, eight people were dead and another in critical condition in one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Burundi Launches 5-yr Programme to Control Proliferation of Firearms
9 October 2011
Coast Week (Kenya)
BUJUMBURA (Xinhua) - Burundian First Vice-President Therence Sinunguruza Friday launched here in the east African nation's capital Bujumbura a five-year national action plan to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
During the official launch of the new program, the Burundian first vice-president said the proliferation of small and illicit arms exists in Burundi.
"The proliferation of small and illicit arms is real in Burundi and constitutes a real... (GunPolicy.org)
After Accidental Handgun Shooting, India Police Need Training on Gun Use
6 October 2011
Daily News & Analysis (India)
The accidental firing from the service pistol of a traffic constable at the police commissionerate has brought to the fore the rather "amateurish" manner in which a section of the police force handles firearms.
On Tuesday afternoon, constable Vijay Bhusare (27) attached to the Pune police traffic branch was injured when a bullet hit him when his colleague, Amol Sarde, was displaying his pistol and explaining its functioning.
"Sarde initially loaded the pistol with... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Licence Applicants May Have to Prove Mental Health in Netherlands
4 October 2011
Auburn Journal (California)
A majority of Members of the Netherlands Parliament are supporting a recommendation from the public security council that applicants for a gun ownership license prove they are psychologically healthy before they can obtain a license.
In the Netherlands gun ownership is not a right but a privilege, with hunting and target shooting the only two legitimate reasons for owning a gun. Self-defense is not considered a legitimate reason for owning a gun and only the police may... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Libyans Launch Grassroots Efforts to Stop Deadly Proliferation of Guns
1 October 2011
Miami Herald
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Alarmed at the deadly arsenals piling up in ordinary Libyan neighborhoods, self-appointed community leaders in Tripoli have begun issuing their own gun licenses and, in some cases, conducting raids to retrieve land mines and rockets stored in private homes.
Qatar and other nations flooded Libya with arms during revolutionary forces' six-month struggle to overthrow longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. And when the NATO-backed former rebels finally toppled... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lawmakers Push to Allow Carrying Guns on College Campuses
30 September 2011
USA Today
State lawmakers across the USA are pushing a growing number of bills this year that would legalize carrying guns on college campuses, according to groups tracking the trend.
This year, at least 14 states have introduced 35 bills that would allow students and faculty to carry concealed weapons on state colleges and universities or loosen restrictions on gun bans on campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Meanwhile, two states, Maryland and... (GunPolicy.org)
Arming Yourself for Self-defence, the Trend in Costa Rica [Espanol]
25 September 2011
Veracruzanos (Costa Rica)
[Translated summary: The trend in Costa Rica seems to be to own firearms for self-defence. According to a recent survey, 60.3% of respondents answered 'yes' to the question 'Do you support the death penalty?'].
La mayoría de participantes en una encuesta telefónica llevada a cabo el pasado miércoles por un canal de la televisión local, en uno de sus espacios informativos, expresó su apoyo a la ejecución de los delincuentes, un castigo abolido hace más de un... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Warn Public Against Illegal Possession of Firearms in Rwanda
23 September 2011
New Times (Rwanda)
Kigali — Rwanda National Police (RNP) has warned people who illegally possess firearms, to voluntarily surrender them to the concerned authorities before stiff measures are taken.
Speaking to journalists yesterday, Police Spokesperson, Supt. Theos Badege, noted that despite the positive results registered in surrendering firearms in the recent past, some people still possess illegal guns.
The warning follows a series of armed robberies in several parts of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Still Waiting for Answers on US Gun-running Programme
19 September 2011
Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Mexico City and Washington— Last fall's slaying of Mario Gonzalez, the brother of a Mexican state prosecutor, shocked people on both sides of the border. Sensational news reports revealed that cartel hit men had tortured Gonzalez, and forced him to make a videotaped "confession" that his high-powered sister was on the take.
But American authorities concealed one disturbing fact about the case from their Mexican counterparts: U.S. federal agents had... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Law that Limited Doctors' Ability to Ask about Guns Is Blocked
19 September 2011
Time (USA)
A federal court has blocked a new Florida law that limited the ability of doctors to ask patients if they had guns in the home. Judge Monica Cooke, a Republican appointee, rightly said that the law interfered with both doctors' right to free speech and patients' right to receive information.
The ruling, which came down last week, struck an important blow for freedom of expression. But it did something more: it dealt a rare setback to a gun-rights lobby that is... (GunPolicy.org)
Boy Injures 2 Students with Unattended Police Assault Rifle in Russia
17 September 2011
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MAKHACHKALA - A high school student in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan accidentally wounded two other students after he made a shot from an assault rifle in a school, a local police spokesman said on Saturday.
He said several policemen were invited to a school in the Tarumovsky district of Dagestan to deliver a lecture for children.
"A senior class student was examining an assault rifle that was left unattended for some time by one of the policemen after... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Kills his Parents and Himself with Legally Owned Gun in Quebec
16 September 2011
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
A Gatineau man shot and killed his parents and then shot himself with a handgun that he legally owned, police said Thursday.
Police confirmed Patrick Mongeon-Johnson, 32, used his licensed and registered nine-millimetre handgun to kill his mother and stepfather before turning it on himself at 115 De Saguenay Street on Sept. 7.
An autopsy confirmed Lucie Johnson, 51, and Denis Lagacé, 59, died of gunshot wounds.
A handgun is considered a restricted firearm under... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Blocks Florida Law Enacted to Gag Doctors on Gun Safety
15 September 2011
Reuters
MIAMI - A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday blocked a Florida law limiting what doctors can say about guns to their patients, saying it violated free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state and Governor Rick Scott, a Tea Party-backed Republican and former healthcare executive, from enforcing the Firearm Owners' Privacy Act with immediate effect.
The law took effect in June and... (GunPolicy.org)
College Shooting Revives Debate Over Canadian Gun Registry [Francais]
14 September 2011
CapAcadie.com (Canada), Editorial
[Translated summary: The fifth anniversary of the Dawson College tragedy brings back the debate over the abolition of the firearm registry. The number of homicides in Canada involving a carbine or shotgun has dropped between 1975 and 2006, from 183 to 36. Pure coincidence?]
Il y avait exactement cinq ans hier, un étudiant du Collège Dawson à Montréal ramenait au souvenir des Montréalais et de tous les Canadiens le drame de la Polytechnique: armé d'une arme... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Fight Over Drug, Man Injured by His Brother with Shotgun in Swaziland
12 September 2011
The Swazi Observer (Swaziland)
A fight between two brothers over stolen dagga almost proved fatal after one shot the other with a 12- bore shotgun gun, injuring him on his back and arm.
Both brothers were allegedly armed when the fight ensued on Monday afternoon at Nyonyane, where families moved to open way for the construction of the Maguga Dam were relocated to.
The other, is alleged to have been armed with a pistol and the battle was thereafter decided by who had the quickest hand and the... (GunPolicy.org)
Security and Justice Minister to Ban Semi-auto Rifles in Netherlands
11 September 2011
Radio Netherlands
Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten says he is going to ban semi-automatic rifles.
Minister Opstelten referred to the massacre in the Dutch town of Alpen aan den Rijn in April of this year, when a man used a semi-automatic rifle as well as a pistol and a revolver to kill six people and injure 17 others before killing himself.
"Such weapons", the security minister said, "are not intended for use at a shooting club. They're made to hit moving targets. It's... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,United States,El Salvador,Honduras,Mexico,Venezuela
In Crime-Ridden Venezuela, Even Hospitals Are No Longer Safe
11 September 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
CARACAS, Venezuela - A young man dies of gunshot wounds, and enraged friends and relatives react by shooting up the hospital. A medical student leaving another hospital at the end of her shift is shot to death by a robber. Doctors working late take to sleeping in their workplace rather than risk being mugged.
In crime-ridden Venezuela, even hospitals are no longer safe.
No one was injured in the Aug. 20 shooting rampage at the Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas, but... (GunPolicy.org)
South Sudan Army Begins Civilian Disarmament in Lakes State
10 September 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) which became the official army of the newly established Republic of South Sudan in July said on Saturday it has begun disarming civilians in Lakes state.
The spokesman of the army said South Sudan's military is responding to an order by Lakes state governor, Chol Tong Mayay, requesting the SPLA in the area peacefully collect all types of weapons from the civilian population.
Governor Mayay's order is a response to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Caribbean,Jamaica,Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad Now Rivals Jamaica As the Most Violent Country in Caribbean
10 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago Express
Trinidad and Tobago now rivals Jamaica as the most violent country in the Caribbean, with the number of annual murders rising sharply from 98 to 550 over the last decade, with some areas in the Port of Spain police division being listed among the most dangerous in the world.
This is the finding of a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) draft report on Human Development and Citizen Security in the Caribbean, which noted, among other things, that the murder... (GunPolicy.org)
Tripoli Awash in Guns, Celebratory Shootings as Rebels Register Firearms
9 September 2011
Christian Science Monitor
TRIPOLI, Libya - As rebel forces moved on Libya's capital three weeks ago, the people of Tripoli prepared for the worst. They expected that Muammar Qaddafi would somehow "burn" the capital as he fell and state TV said the rebels would slaughter them.
Those apocalyptic fears have so far failed to materialize. Instead, three weeks after Mr. Qaddafi went into hiding, the celebrations continue. Now, the top cause of casualties in Tripoli is the number of bullets fired... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
New Yorkers Vent Frustation at Washington, Obama's Lack of Gun Control
7 September 2011
New York Times
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's efforts to stamp out gun violence in New York were challenged over the Labor Day weekend by a spate of shootings: Bullets flew at house parties, along parade routes and across stoops and street corners.
By Monday's close, 13 people had been killed and 67 injured in 52 shootings since early Friday. The toll stunned veteran police officers, leading some to wonder if violent crime, which has declined across the city for many years, was rising... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
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)
Mexico Arrests US Man Accused of Smuggling Arm Parts for Cartels
6 September 2011
Washington Post / AP
PHOENIX — Police have arrested an American man who allegedly smuggled parts for as many as 2,000 grenades into Mexico for drug cartels, more than a year after he was released by U.S. agents who stopped him at the Arizona-Mexico border for having more than a hundred grenade parts.
While a Department of Justice official said the case will be added to the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious, a flawed effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
New Bill Approved in Peru on Life Sentence for Gun Crimes [Espanol]
5 September 2011
Andina (Peru)
[Translated summary: The Special Committee on Public Safety of Congress approved a bill that proposing penalties, from 20 to 35 years of prison term up to life imprisonment, to those who commit crimes using firearms.]
LIMA - La Comisión Especial de Seguridad Ciudadana del Congreso aprobó hoy un proyecto de ley que propone sancionar con penas de 20 a 35 años de cárcel y hasta cadena perpetua, a quienes cometan delitos con uso de armas de fuego.
La iniciativa,... (GunPolicy.org)
Bullets from the Sky, Amateurs with Guns Multiply Firearm Injury in Libya
30 August 2011
Toronto Star (Ontario)
ZUWARA, Libya — If not for guns, there would be a lot of idle hands in Libya.
Out front of what used to be a high school, Fethi Karshman, 49, whose brother Samir lives in St. Catharines, Ont., is wiping down parts of a Russian anti-aircraft gun.
When he is done, Karshman, an engineer who studied Russian in university, will re-assemble the weapon, which sits on a flatbed truck.
"We take it from Gadhafi (forces) yesterday," he says.
Asked if he knows guns, Karshman... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Customer Rents Gun, Shoots Himself at Florida Pistol Range
25 August 2011
WESH-TV News (Florida)
APOPKA, Florida -- A man attempted to commit suicide at the Shoot Straight gun range in Apopka on Thursday afternoon, Apopka police said.
The man survived the self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
The man's identity was not immediately released.
In June, a man walked into the Casselberry Shoot Straight location and took his life, police said.
Casselberry police said an Altamonte Springs man walked in and waited until there was only one other customer inside.... (GunPolicy.org)
Macedonia,Puerto Rico,United States,Libya
How Dangerous is Celebratory Gunfire? Many Innocents Are Struck, Killed
24 August 2011
Guardian (UK)
Without doubt, war correspondents are wise to wear helmets and flak jackets while sending dispatches from shell-pounded streets crackling with gunfire.
But when Sky News reporter Alex Crawford rode into Tripoli this week on a rebel pickup truck, she was more worried about celebratory gunfire – because of the danger posed by bullets landing on her head.
While some early studies conjectured that bullets shot upwards simply vanished into space, the threat from falling... (GunPolicy.org)
Serbia,Macedonia,Kuwait,Iraq,Philippines,Jordan,Turkey,United States,Libya
Celebratory Shooting Injuries: How Dangerous is Firing a Gun Into the Air?
22 August 2011
BBC News
Libyan rebels have celebrated their advance into Tripoli by firing guns in the air. How hazardous is this?
It is, unarguably, an emphatic way to display one's jubilation.
Shooting an automatic weapon into the sky to signal an occasion one welcomes is a popular practice in much of the world, as the footage of Libyan anti-Gaddafi forces seizing the main square of the capital city has demonstrated.
But it is a potentially fatal activity, which regularly results in the... (GunPolicy.org)
