Top of PageGun Policy News
Trading firearms, small arms at gun shows
Report Shows Drop in US Gun Violence but Most Killings Still With Guns
8 May 2013
Washington Post
Gun violence dropped dramatically nationwide over the past two decades, but nearly three-quarters of all homicides are still committed with a firearm, the Justice Department said in a report released Tuesday.
The report, by the department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, painted an encouraging picture of long-term trends at a time of divisive political debate over guns and legislation to regulate them. Firearms-related homicides declined 39 percent between 1993 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Aren't US Gun Control Advocates Focusing More on Online Sales?
17 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Despite clear demonstrations of the ease with which anonymous weapons transactions can occur online — including ties to mass shooting incidents — the issue has been largely sidelined during the political debate.
After all, the "gun show loophole" — the shorthand expression for exempting a number of gun buyers from background checks — is much more than a gun show loophole. The image of two guy shaking hands to finalize a sale in a crowded, well-lit conference... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip
17 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
Senators say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived the massacre must feel every time they remember their teachers stacking them into closets and bathrooms, whispering that they loved them, so that love would be the last thing the students heard if the gunman found... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada's Gun Show Dealers Unhappy Over Trigger Lock Law Enforcement
31 March 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Dealers at this year's Calgary Gun Show say that stricter rules on trigger locks go too far.
The province is starting to enforce a trigger-lock law designed to make handling and transporting guns safer. The law has been in place for 15 years but hasn't been enforced until now. Dealers say that the precaution is unnecessary.
"We don't look at them as a very safe device," says Hank Holm, president of the Alberta Arms and Cartridge Collectors' Association. "If you put... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Advocates Want Provincial Firearms Officers Scrapped
18 March 2013
CBC News (Canada), Canadian Press
A pro-gun advocacy group that has two representatives on a federal firearms advisory panel wants the Conservative government to eliminate all provincial firearms offices, saying they have "poked the lion" once too often.
The Canadian Sports Shooting Association has launched a national petition that asks Ottawa to establish a single "civilian agency" in place of provincial and territorial firearms officers that oversee licensing and other gun regulations.
The group is... (GunPolicy.org)
How the Gun-Control Movement in America Got Smart
7 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Here is how advocates of gun control used to talk about their cause: They openly disputed that the Second Amendment conferred the right to own a gun. Their major policy goals were to make handguns illegal and enroll all U.S. gun owners in a federal database. The group now known as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was once known as Handgun Control Inc.; a 2001 book by the executive director of the Violence Policy Center was entitled Every Handgun Is Aimed at... (GunPolicy.org)
12 Separate Polls Show Americans Support Gun Control
1 February 2013
Salon (USA), Poll
Another day, another poll showing a majority of Americans favor many of the proposed gun control measures being discussed in Congress right now. Today's poll comes from the University of Connecticut and the Hartford Courant, which found that majorities of American nationally favor requiring background checks on all firearm purchases, thus closing the so-called gun show loophole (84 percent); support reinstating the ban on assault weapons (57 percent); and back banning... (GunPolicy.org)
5 People Shot at 3 Different Gun Shows on US Gun Appreciation Day
19 January 2013
Think Progress
If the gun advocates behind this year's inaugural Gun Appreciation Day had hoped to use the day's festivities to build support for their anti-regulation platform, they are going to have to wait another year.
Emergency personnel had to be called to the scene of the Dixie Gun and Knife Show in Raleigh, North Carolina after a gun accidentally discharged and shot two people at the show's safety check-in booth just after 1 pm. Both victims were transported to an area... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Brazil,United States
What the US Can Learn From Brazil's Epidemic of Gun Violence
18 January 2013
Latitude News
A man walks into an elementary school with two handguns. Within minutes, more than thirty children are dead or wounded.
This isn't Newtown, Connecticut, but Realengo, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On April 7th, 2011, Wellington Oliveira murdered twelve children and wounded twenty others. The tragedy sparked a national conversation on gun violence, a huge problem in Brazil.
On Wednesday, in reaction to a different massacre, President Obama proposed a series... (GunPolicy.org)
Interactive Display: US Gun Laws by State
16 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defence and carry laws.
Carrying firearms: open and concealed
Open-carry and concealed-carry laws determine how public citizens can carry... (GunPolicy.org)
US School Shooting a Watershed: Think Pearl Harbour, 9/11 – Wintemute
4 January 2013
Sacramento Bee (California)
Gun violence has not been far from our collective minds since the nation was shocked Dec. 14 by the shooting of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn. Now a New Year's Eve shootout in Old Sacramento has left two people dead and three wounded in our own community, bringing the issue of public violence closer to home.
Perhaps no one in the Sacramento region is better known for his research on gun violence than Dr. Garen Wintemute, who as director of the UC Davis Violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun, Ammo, Bulletproof Gear Sales Rocket in US Due to Fears of Ban
28 December 2012
CBS News (USA) / Associated Press
The phones at Red's Trading Post wouldn't stop ringing. Would-be customers from as far away as New York wanted to know if the Twin Falls, Idaho gun shop had firearms in stock. Others clamored to find out if their orders had been shipped.
Overwhelmed, gun store manager Ryan Horsley had to do what no employee would ever think of doing just days before Christmas: He disconnected the phone lines for three whole days.
"We had to shut everything off," says Horsley, whose... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear that Canada Is Moving to Further Loosen Its Gun Control Laws
17 December 2012
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
As debate over stricter gun control ratchets up in the U.S. in the wake of last week's mass shooting in Connecticut, there is fear among gun-control advocates in Canada that the Conservative government is moving to further loosen some of this country's gun rules.
While Prime Minister Harper earlier this month threw cold water on a government committee's suggestion of reclassifying "prohibited" weapons as "restricted" ones, the government appears to be open to some of... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico,Mexico,Honduras,Barbados,United States,Colombia
US Man Breaks Silence on Pre-Fast and Furious Operation, 'Castaway'
8 October 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Miami Herald
A sensational election-season report into the botched Operation Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation has cast new light on a simultaneous Florida firearms investigation linked to violence in Colombia, Honduras and Puerto Rico.
Called Operation Castaway, the Florida case has received far less attention than Fast and Furious. The latter became an embarrassing distraction for Obama's administration when it was implicated in the death of a federal agent and Mexico... (GunPolicy.org)
Court in Canada Rules Gun Registry Data Can't be Destroyed Yet
10 September 2012
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
According to Google Maps, it would take you 27 hours to drive the 2,224 kilometres from Steinbach, Manitoba, home of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, to Metropolis, the downtown Montreal nightclub, where Denis Blanchette was gunned down at a political rally a week ago.
It would be funny if the people in Steinbach and the people of downtown Montreal saw the world the same way.
They speak different languages, practice different religions and earn their livings in... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Lack of Political Support, US Gun Control Isn't a Lost Cause
28 July 2012
Washington Post
Dozens of college students murdered in their classrooms; a member of Congress shot at point-blank range; innocents gunned down in a movie theater. Then, in the aftermath of a mass gun crime, the same ritual: national shock and anger, traumatized communities asking how this could happen, followed by . . . nothing. At least, no progress on gun safety.
In a speech to the Urban League on Wednesday, President Obama called for a conversation on youth violence and more... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Philippines
Gun Makers Tool Up Illegal Production Lines for Philippine Election
28 July 2012
Reuters
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines - In the Philippines, they vote with their trigger fingers. Elections mean big business for illegal gunsmiths, who are looking forward to 2013 mid-term polls.
With election-related violence commonplace, the Philippines imposes a ban on the carrying of guns for six months, from campaigning to the proclamation of winners.
With legal access denied, Filipinos simply turn to the many illegal gunsmiths who ply their trade in back alleys and on the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Presidential Candidates Cower on Gun Control - New York Times
26 July 2012
New York Times, Editorial
At a moment when the country needs resolve and fearlessness to reduce the affliction of gun violence that kills more than 80 people a day, both presidential candidates have kicked away the opportunity for leadership. On Wednesday, reacting to the mass murder in Colorado last week, Mitt Romney and President Obama paid lip service to the problem but ducked when the chance arose to stand up for their former principles.
That's not terribly surprising in the case of Mitt... (GunPolicy.org)
America Resigned to No Change in Gun Laws Despite Mass Shooting
23 July 2012
Agence France Presse
WASHINGTON — The alleged Colorado gunman legally purchased four guns, including a military-style assault rifle and a special magazine that meant he could fire off 50 to 60 deadly bullets a minute.
Over eight weeks he stocked up over the Internet on 6,300 rounds of ammunition: 3,000 for his .233 semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, another 3,000 for his two .22 Glocks, and 300 cartridges for his pump-action shotgun.
When the gun dealers performed the minimal background checks... (GunPolicy.org)
How America's Lax Gun Laws Enable Drug Cartel Killings in Mexico
5 February 2012
Washington Post, Editorial
Do America's failed gun policies contribute to the terrible violence in Mexico? Alejandro A. Poire Romero makes a compelling case that the answer is yes.
Law enforcement officials in both countries acknowledge that 70 to 80 percent of the traceable guns seized in Mexico can be tracked to the United States. Mr. Poire Romero, a top Mexican national security and criminal justice official, offers additional evidence that the United States has been an enabler of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Super Bowl TV Ad Makes New York Mayor Bloomberg US Gun Control King
4 February 2012
Christian Science Monitor
The gun control movement has faltered in recent years. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has vowed to spend his own fortune to buck that trend, most notably with a Super Bowl ad.
ATLANTA - With little political capital to lose and millions of his own cash to spend, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is determined to check the role of guns in American society.
A 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring Mr. Bloomberg on a couch with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will go a long way... (GunPolicy.org)
New York, Boston Mayors Lead Influential American Gun Control Group
4 February 2012
Reuters
NEW YORK - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they... (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)
Illegal Gun Sales Run Rampant on US Internet, Arm 'Craigslist Killers'
14 December 2011
Huffington Post (USA)
A New York City undercover investigation heralded as the first of its kind has found a "vast and largely unregulated market for illegal guns" on the Internet, and the worst offender is a website that has gotten mixed up with the law before: Craigslist.
In the report released Wednesday, entitled, "Point, Click, Fire: An Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales," investigators found that sellers on Craigslist agreed 82 percent of the time to sell guns to a purchaser who... (GunPolicy.org)
Want an Illegal Gun? Go to a Gun Show, Says Tennessee Gun Show Promoter
5 December 2011
Tennessean (Nashville)
Let there be no doubt: Bob Pope is a gun-packing Republican. The sixth-generation Tennessean is a Newt Gingrich-supporting Second Amendment advocate who ran gun shows for 25 years.
But he said his buddies in the Tennessee Firearms Association are irritated by his one-man campaign to close the so-called "gun show loophole," which he claims allows murderers and thieves to buy stolen guns.
"If I was going to buy an illegal gun, I'd go to a gun show and buy it," said... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Founding Fathers, Towns Once Imposed Strict Gun Control
9 October 2011
New York Times, Book review
In "Gunfight," his provocative, highly uneven new book about the fight over gun control, the constitutional law professor Adam Winkler writes that "gun rights and gun control are not only compatible; they have lived together since the birth of America." He argues that "despite the controversy over the meaning of the Second Amendment, Americans have always had the right to keep and bear arms as a matter of state constitutional law. Today, nearly every state has such a... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
US Gun Lobby Tries to Kill New Law on Reporting of Multiple Gun Sales
9 August 2011
USA Today, Editorial
Martin Johnson had a nice little business going in 2008 and 2009. He'd leave home in California and buy dozens of guns in Arizona, where the gun laws are much looser, using an Arizona driver's license to pretend that he still lived there. Back in California, Johnson sold the guns to his neighbor, a convicted felon who couldn't legally buy guns at all. The neighbor sold some of the guns to his buddies, none of whom was a legal buyer, either.
NRA: Gun form won't deter... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Show Loophole in Federal Laws, Hot Debate Continues in US
8 August 2011
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
DAYTON — Two years after a local gun show was a target of a New York City investigation highlighting a loophole in federal firearms laws, local authorities arrested four men Saturday on a variety of weapons violations.
The operation targeted "private" or "occasional" sellers and buyers at Bill Goodman's Gun & Knife Show at the Hara Arena on Saturday. Under federal laws, licensed firearms dealers must conduct background checks on those purchasing weapons. Private... (GunPolicy.org)
Dangerous Omissions, US Controversy over Mental Background Checks
10 July 2011
New York Times, Editorial
The gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre, Seung-Hui Cho, should never have been allowed to buy the weapons he used in the 2007 rampage. He had been found mentally ill and ordered into treatment by a court, yet that record never made it into the database of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System used for screening prospective gun purchasers.
Prompted by that tragedy, Congress approved a law, signed by President Bush in 2008, authorizing new grant money... (GunPolicy.org)
600 US Mayors Invoke Terrorism as an Argument for Stricter Gun Control
29 June 2011
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
WASHINGTON -- America's love affair with guns is a passionate and enduring one, the bonds strengthening even further in recent years thanks to the country's powerful pro-gun lobby.
But could the prospect of al-Qaida terrorists exploiting U.S. gun loopholes to purchase weapons for sinister purposes change historic attitudes about the right to bear arms in America?
A group of more than 600 urban mayors is clearly hoping recent remarks by Adam Gadahn, an American-born... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Cripples US Agency in Charge of Tracking Down Illegal Guns
27 June 2011
Washington Post, Editorial
The gun rights lobby has spent considerable time and energy in pursuit of one goal: crippling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It has largely succeeded — and with dire consequences.
Concerned to the point of paranoia about the erosion of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, the National Rifle Association and far too many lawmakers have fought against virtually every proposal to empower the bureau to better track and crack down... (GunPolicy.org)
With Gun-running Scandal, Now's the Time to Target US Gun Control
24 June 2011
Guardian (UK)
When Republican chairman of the House oversight and government reform committee, Representative Darrel Issa, called for the resignation of ATF acting director Kenneth Melson, few in American political circles found it controversial. Melson, after all, was responsible for overseeing the ATF's botched gun-tracking operations that led to the trafficking of thousands of weapons into Mexico and countless consequent deaths – including that of US customs agent Brian... (GunPolicy.org)
Badly Flawed US Background Check System Fails to Contain Gun Sales
23 June 2011
Center for Public Integrity / iWatch News (USA)
Like many states, Maine depends on the FBI to conduct background checks of people who want to acquire firearms from the state's federally licensed gun dealers.
And like many states, Maine is a slacker in supplying the records that the FBI depends on to run those checks.
That's how Raymond Geisel got his guns, including a Glock Model 17 pistol and a semi-automatic version of the AK-47 assault rifle. Geisel had previously been committed to a psychiatric hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Offers No Change, 'No Leadership to Combat Gun Violence' in US
20 June 2011
Associated Press
More than five months after Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head, the White House has yet to take any new steps on gun violence, even though that's what President Barack Obama called for in the wake of the shooting.
The silence from the administration is drawing criticism from gun control activists and even some of Obama's Democratic allies. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., told the president in a letter last week that the administration "has not shown the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Al Qaeda New Message Revives the Debate over Gun Control Laws
8 June 2011
Al Arabiya News (UAE)
File it under "Fact is Stranger than Fiction." An American citizen working for Al Qaeda calls on Americans in the US to take advantage of their country's lax gun laws to better kill fellow Americans.
"What are you waiting for?" he asks in a video thought to have been produced somewhere in Pakistan.
The question came from Adam Yahiyeh Gadahn, who was born in Oregon, grew up in California, converted to Islam and became a spokesman for al Qaeda.
His message has the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Govt. Urged to Move on Legislation to Close the Gun Show Loophole
7 June 2011
Washington Post, Editorial
THERE MAY NEVER be a better spokesman for closing the gun show loophole than Adam Yahiye Gadahn.
A 32-year-old American and convert to Islam, Mr. Gadahn referred to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as "blessed raids" and called for additional "jihad against America." He has been on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list and faces criminal charges for treason and for providing material support to al-Qaeda. Mr. Gadahn is believed to have left his native Orange... (GunPolicy.org)
Al Qaeda Urges US Muslims to Take Advantage of the Easy Access to Firearms
4 June 2011
Fox News (USA)
Al Qaeda has released a video urging Muslims who live in the U.S. to take advantage of the easy access to firearms and buy guns to kill Americans.
In the two-hour video released Friday, Adam Gadahn, an American-born spokesman for the terror network, cited America as an example where Muslims in the West have tools at their disposal for a holy war against "the enemies of Islam."
"America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms," said Gadahn, who is known as... (GunPolicy.org)
New Al Qaeda Video Calls on US Muslims to Carry Out Terrorist Acts Using Guns
3 June 2011
ABC News (USA)
In a new video message released on the internet Friday, American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn calls on Muslims living in America to carry out deadly one-man terrorist acts using fully automatic weapons purchased at gun shows, and to target major institutions and public figures.
"What are you waiting for?" asks Gadahn in English, and then adds that jihadis shouldn't worry about getting caught, since so many have been released. "Over these past few years, I've... (GunPolicy.org)
The Campus Carry Movement Stutter-Steps Across US
10 May 2011
Atlantic (USA), Opinion
Last October, an email popped into my inbox from Mike Stollenwerk, co-founder of gun rights networking hub OpenCarry.org, which boasts the motto, "A right un-exercised is a right lost." He was responding to a question I had about the possible re-tabling of a bill in the Texas legislature which would, if passed, allow students to carry handguns with them to college.
At the time, only Utah allowed the carrying of concealed weapons into the classrooms of public... (GunPolicy.org)
Boston Mayor Lobbies Senators to Support Gun Show Background Checks
4 May 2011
Boston Globe
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino today called on US Senator Scott Brown to support a bill in Congress that would require background checks for sales at gun shows, in an attempt to slow the flow of illegal firearms into Massachusetts.
At a press conference flanked by people who lost family members to gun violence, Menino took direct aim at Brown, a Republican who maintains a surprisingly close relationship with the Democratic mayor.
"We haven't heard from Senator Brown,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Court Sides With California in Long-running Case to Defeat Gun Show Ban
3 May 2011
Los Angeles Times
Local governments have a legitimate purpose in keeping guns out of public places, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a gun-rights case that has been in dispute for a dozen years.
Gun show promoters Russell and Sallie Nordyke brought a lawsuit after Alameda County officials passed an ordinance in 1999 prohibiting firearms and ammunition from public property, including the county fairgrounds where the couple had displayed and sold guns for years.
The Nordykes... (GunPolicy.org)
Target of Gun Sting Says US Feds 'Scaring People Out of Gun Shows'
3 May 2011
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A day after news that a grand jury has indicted him and three others accused of illegal gun dealing, one man targeted claims the federal probe is a shot against Western Washington gun shows.
Belfair resident Mark Skiles was among the four men indicted late last week on charges of unlawful gun dealing. Two of the men were also accused of other more serious gun crimes.
Federal prosecutors contend Skiles, 46, and the others were essentially professional gun dealers who... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Washington Narcotics Detective Accused of Illegal Gun Show Sales
3 May 2011
Seattle Post-Intelligencer / Kitsap Sun (Washington)
BREMERTON, Washington — The lawyer for a former Bremerton police officer accused of illegally selling guns says it's a regulatory issue that could have been handled without accusing him of a crime.
Roy Alloway was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged Friday in federal court in Tacoma with unlawfully dealing in firearms at gun shows.
Attorney Bob Goldsmith says Alloway never thought he was breaking the law and it's largely a paperwork problem.
The Kitsap Sun... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Seattle Post-Intelligencer / Kitsap Sun (Washington)
Appeals Court Upholds California Gun Show Ban Following 12-year Battle
3 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle
PLEASANTON - A federal appeals court panel ruled Monday that gun show promoters have failed to show that a ban on firearms at the Alameda County Fairgrounds violates their right to keep and bear arms.
Rather than dismissing the promoters' 12-year-old lawsuit, however, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco gave the plaintiffs another chance to produce evidence that the ban unreasonably restricts law-abiding citizens' ability to obtain guns for... (GunPolicy.org)
Appeals Court Upholds Gun Show Ban on Government Property in California
2 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
SAN FRANCISCO, California - An appeals court has upheld Alameda County's ban on gun shows on government property.
But in issuing its decision Monday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave challengers of the ban a chance to rewrite their lawsuit in light of two significant U.S. Supreme Court rulings confirming gun ownership as a fundamental right.
Attorney Don Kilmer, who represents organizers of gun shows, said he and his clients are undecided over whether to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Promising 'Acres of Guns' to All: Including Future Criminals
1 May 2011
Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh), Opinion
The National Rifle Association has been holding its annual meeting in Pittsburgh for the past few days, heralded with billboards promising "acres of guns and gear."
Here's a billboard you didn't see, but would have if the group was honest about its mission to paint even the most sensible gun laws as a step toward tyranny: "The NRA: Because if Richard Poplawski can't have an arsenal, neither can you."
Mr. Poplawski, of course, was one of those "law-abiding" citizens... (GunPolicy.org)
Pink Pistols, Fitted 'Girlie' Gear: US Gun Lobby Convention Courts Women
25 April 2011
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
Dyanna Auston is the kind of woman the National Rifle Association looks for.
The single mom browsed Anthony Arms & Accessories in West Mifflin last week and bought a .38-caliber, pink-gripped Taurus pistol for personal protection. It's the first gun for Auston of Duquesne, and though she's not a member of the NRA, she said she'd consider joining and checking out this weekend's 2011 Annual Meetings & Exhibits in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Democratic National Party Boss Slams 'Outrageous' US Gun Sale Loophole
23 April 2011
New York Times, Editorial
Months after Al Gore's defeat in 2000, Terry McAuliffe, then the Democratic Party chief, urged Democrats to steer clear of gun control, warning of the "devastating impact on elections" wrought by the gun lobby's monied campaign attacks. Far too many Democratic politicians have since followed that cynical doctrine. The gun lobby's power has only grown while 30,000 Americans die each year by gun violence.
So it is heartening to hear an unwavering call for stronger... (GunPolicy.org)
Looking Down the Barrel of Debate - Oscar Winner's Take on Guns in USA
13 April 2011
New York Times, TV preview
Barbara Kopple's engrossing, frustrating documentary "Gun Fight" — it's not liable to inspire happy thoughts in people on either side of the gun-control debate — begins with eerie cellphone video footage taken during the Virginia Tech shootings in April 2007, and the aftermath of that rampage provides the film's emotional ballast.
But events have rushed along since Virginia Tech, and Ms. Kopple has had to account for, among other developments, the Supreme Court... (GunPolicy.org)
Oscar Winner Launches 'Gun Fight' Documentary on US Armed Violence
13 April 2011
Daily Democrat (California), TV preview
Garen Wintemute, an emergency room physician and public health epidemiologist at UC Davis Medical Center, is among the featured experts in the documentary "Gun Fight," which premieres on HBO Wednesday.
The documentary, directed by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple, looks at the complex issues surrounding firearms and debate over how best to reduce gun violence in the U.S.
Kopple and her film team shadowed Wintemute and emergency department physicians and... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Tragedies Have Little Sway in Changing America's Gun Laws
11 April 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Emblazoned on the red billboard truck that motored through downtown Houston last week was this number: 2,995 — a tally of the people believed slain with guns since the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The truck started off in New York's Times Square and will traverse the U.S., keeping a running tab on gun deaths as part of an effort by 550 Mayors Against Illegal Guns to galvanize... (GunPolicy.org)
Drinking Gun Show Patron Loads .45cal Handgun, Injures 2 in Indiana
10 April 2011
Associated Press
EVANSVILLE, Indiana — Police say a man who'd been drinking accidentally fired his .45 caliber handgun at a gun and knife show inside the Evansville National Guard Armory, slightly injuring a 72-year-old man and 16-year-old boy.
It happened Saturday at the Tri-State Gun and Knife Show.
The Evansville Courier & Press says 30-year-old Joshua Wilkinson of Boonville is charged with criminal recklessness.
Police say he removed a round from the gun and applied a flex tie... (GunPolicy.org)
Alleged Tennessee Cop Killer May Have Bought Gun at Local Gun Show
7 April 2011
WRCB-TV News (Tennessee)
CHATTANOOGA - Eyewitness News has learned the gun used to kill Sergeant Tim Chapin may have been purchased at a gun show days before his death.
Channel 3 has confirmed an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is underway.
Acting on a tip, Channel 3 contacted R.K. Shows Inc., a traveling gun and knife show.
Its owner confirms he is cooperating with the ATF as they investigate whether 25-year-old Jesse Mathews purchased a firearm at,... (GunPolicy.org)
30 Years After Reagan Shooting, Jim, Sarah Brady Still Push Gun Control
1 April 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
Remember the Bradys? Not the bunch, but the dedicated couple that has pushed gun control for decades.
Thirty years ago, Jim Brady was shot in the head as part of the assassination attempt on President Reagan by John Hinckley. At the time, Mr. Brady was the president's press secretary. This week, Brady – in a wheelchair – and his wife, Sarah, visited the Capitol and White House to again advocate for restrictions on guns.
One marvels that they have not yet given up.... (GunPolicy.org)
Alberta Duo Charged with Buying at US Gun Shows, Smuggling to Canada
28 March 2011
Billings Gazette (Montana)
Two Canadians suspected of buying guns in Billings for resale in Canada in a smuggling operation face federal charges.
When the two were arrested in Billings on Sunday after attending a weekend gun show at the Holiday Inn's Montana Convention Center, federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations found 12 guns in the pair's vehicle.
The firearms included 9mm, .45- and .380-caliber handguns.
Harley Clifford Combres, 28, and... (GunPolicy.org)
30 Years After Reagan Shot, Outlook Looks Dim for American Gun Control
28 March 2011
Miami Herald
WASHINGTON - Wednesday is the 30th anniversary of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Gun-control advocates, including Reagan's wounded press secretary, Jim Brady, will use the day to launch a renewed push for curbs on guns.
Once again, chances are they won't get very far.
The public remains sharply divided, largely along geographic lines, over gun rights vs. gun control. Gun-rights groups, led by the National Rifle Association, dramatically outspend... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Owners, Dealers, Gun Shows Fuel Minneapolis Gun Violence
22 March 2011
Minnesota Public Radio, Transcript
MINNEAPOLIS — In January 2010, three men were gunned down during an apparent robbery attempt at the Seward Market in south Minneapolis. One of the victims worked at the store. The second victim was the clerk's cousin who stopped by to chat. The third was a man who just happened to walk in at the wrong time.
The report from the police homicide investigation shows that five shell casings found at the crime scene likely match a test casing provided by the maker of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Thieves Lift 3 Guns from 3 Stalls in Same Day at North Carolina Gun Show
22 March 2011
Hickory Daily Record (North Carolina)
HICKORY - Thieves walked away with three stolen guns from last weekend's C&E Gun Show at the Hickory Metro Convention Center.
Two handguns were reported stolen Saturday at about 11:30 a.m.
One was a Smith & Wesson Chiefs Special model .38 special worth an estimated $575. A 72-year-old Hickory man was selling the gun from his private collection, according to the police report.
It was on display on his table. When he finished helping a customer, the revolver was... (GunPolicy.org)
In Op-Ed to Our Paper, Obama's Political Self Interest Trumps Public Safety
20 March 2011
Daily Star (Arizona), Editorial
Political self-interest must never trump public safety - and yet President Obama is dancing delicately around the fringes of life-and-death gun-control issues rather than facing them down. This is not leadership.
Obama's call in the Arizona Daily Star last week for better firearms enforcement fell far short of the kind of common-sense, middle-of-the-road reforms that are needed in this country - and that also, ironically, generally prevail in public opinion polls.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
In US Gun Control, 'NRA Has Shown, Once Again, That It Is the Problem'
17 March 2011
Huffington Post (USA)
President Obama has broken his silence on the gun issue. His opinion piece in Sunday's Arizona Daily Star is a meticulously worded effort to define a middle ground on the issue on the president's terms, and then to invite those serious about finding solutions to join him in that middle, where ultimate agreement is possible. Although one gets the distinct impression that the president would prefer not to receive a positive reaction from gun control advocates like myself,... (GunPolicy.org)
To 'Lingering Shame' of Gun Lobby, Obama, American Public Face Disdain
17 March 2011
New York Times, Editorial
More than two months after the killings in Tucson, Ariz., and some 2,400 American gun deaths later, President Obama has finally broken his silence on gun violence.
In an op-ed article on Sunday in The Arizona Daily Star, Mr. Obama called on gun control and gun rights advocates to set aside their broader differences for now and support a worthwhile goal: fixing gaps in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System so that it would be harder for dangerous people... (GunPolicy.org)
Why the US Gun Lobby Leader Won't Talk Gun Control With Obama
16 March 2011
CNN
WASHINGTON - The chief spokesman for the National Rifle Association is expected to get an invitation any day now to sit down at the Justice Department for talks aimed at reaching a consensus on new gun control legislation.
But don't put down NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre as a "yes."
In an interview with CNN, LaPierre accused the White House of trying to pull off a "political maneuver" aimed at weakening the Constitution's Second Amendment right to "keep... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control 'No Longer a Dormant Issue' Following Obama's Editorial
14 March 2011
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama's new call for tougher gun rules following the shooting of an Arizona congresswoman has energized gun-control advocates, but one leading Democrat isn't holding his breath for reform.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and a long-time proponent of stronger gun laws, said it's unlikely any Second Amendment reforms will move through Congress while Republicans control the lower chamber. Obama's push for... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Refuses to Meet Obama, 'Dooming' Gun Policy Talks from the Start?
13 March 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — More than two months after the Tucson shootings, the administration is calling together both the gun lobby and gun safety groups to find common ground. But President Obama has no plans to take the lead in proposing further gun control legislation, aides say, and the nation's major gun rights group is snubbing the invitation.
On Tuesday, officials at the Justice Department will meet with gun control advocates in the first of what will be a series of... (GunPolicy.org)
2,405 More Americans Have Been Shot Dead Since Tucson Mass Shooting
13 March 2011
Newsweek (USA)
On a snowy Wednesday evening in February, the main attraction on the marquee at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Va., was True Grit, the Coen Brothers' bloody homage to the shoot-'em-up Westerns of Hollywood's Golden Age. But the movie playing inside had a very different message to send.
Four years ago, on April 16, 2007, Colin Goddard was one of 49 people shot by Seung-Hui Cho in Virginia Tech's Norris Hall, a mere 1,000 yards from the Lyric Theatre — and one of... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifle Bullet Hits Two Patrons, One Critically Injured at Illinois Gun Show
26 February 2011
Pantagraph (Illinois)
BLOOMINGTON — Two men were injured in an accidental shooting Saturday morning at the ECA Gun and Knife Show at Bloomington's Sale Barn.
An attendee at the show was handling a mini-14 semiautomatic rifle at about 11:15 a.m. As the patron was laying the rifle back on a vendor table, the gun accidentally discharged, said McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery.
"The round went through a post, through a person and then into another person," Emery said.
The sheriff described... (GunPolicy.org)
No US Gun Control Law Has Passed Since Obama: New Bill Said Doomed
23 February 2011
Reuters
U.S. states should turn over more records to a national list of people barred from buying guns or face rising penalties, Sen. Charles Schumer said in introducing new legislation to Congress on Wednesday.
The proposal is part of efforts to keep those who could not pass background checks from buying guns, spurred by the January 8 shootings in Tucson, Arizona which left six people dead and wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others.
The U.S. maintains a database... (GunPolicy.org)
Once Again, US Gun Lobby Escapes Curbs on Arming Mexico Drug Cartels
22 February 2011
Washington Post, Editorial
Law-abifing gun dealers and gun owners have rights. So says the Second Amendment and so says the Supreme Court. But that doesn't make common-sense regulation unconstitutional.
Yet the gun industry continues to resist modest provisions that do not infringe on dealers' or gun owners' legitimate interests but that could significantly enhance public safety. And lawmakers - some perhaps acting as much out of fear of the powerful lobby as on principle - continue to enable... (GunPolicy.org)
US Should Follow Canadian Example of Tougher Gun Registration
21 February 2011
News-Press (Florida), Opinion
Taking on the gun lobby is an exercise in futility. No politician - Democrat or Republican - will risk having the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA) campaign against them at election time. It would have been a losing battle especially in the face of the 2008 Supreme Court 5-4 majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller which held that the second amendment was not limited to a "well regulated Militia" but secures an individual's right to own firearms.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Giant, Well-oiled National Gun Registry 'Exactly What We Need' in America
16 February 2011
Lake County News-Sun (Illinois), Column
I had all but forgotten about the Valentine's Day shooting rampage at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Three years to the day that five people were shot to death and 18 wounded in a murder/suicide, I sat at my dining room table, typing the FAFSA school code for NIU, a preliminary choice for the next kid off to college.
Steve Kazmierczak, the 27-year-old former NIU graduate student who shot up a geology lecture hall, had been treated for mental illness since high... (GunPolicy.org)
Congress Should Close Gun Show Loophole, Require Background Checks
8 February 2011
Boston Globe, Editorial
If New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hadn't exposed disturbing violations of federal laws at gun shows in Arizona, who would have?
Under federal law, unlicensed "occasional sellers" of the sort who peddle firearms at gun shows — or, for that matter, out of their homes or car trunks — aren't required to do an instant federal background check on purchasers. They are, however, supposed to turn away potential customers if they have reason to believe that person would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Barack Obama's Silence, 'Passivity' on Gun Control Pleases No One
7 February 2011
Time (USA)
There are some issues Democratic Presidents can't seem to win, and gun control is one of them. As a legislator, Barack Obama backed tighter gun laws; as a presidential candidate, he pledged restraint. "I'm not going to take away your guns," he said at a Pennsylvania glass factory in September 2008. He hasn't. Last year the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, citing "extraordinary silence and passivity," graded Obama an F on gun control.
During his tenure, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners Make 'Ridiculous Claims,' Reason Fails in Virginia Gun Debate
7 February 2011
Virginian-Pilot (Virginia), Editorial
Why should anyone be allowed to buy a crate full of rifles at a gun show without submitting to a criminal background check?
Why should someone be allowed to drink alcohol while openly carrying a gun?
Why should a gunowner be allowed to buy a 20-round magazine?
It's hard to come up with rational arguments in favor of any of those positions, but the number and creativity of irrational arguments can't be appreciated without a visit to the legislative subcommittee that... (GunPolicy.org)
Video of Easy, Illegal US Gun Show Purchase Stokes Gun Control Debate
4 February 2011
Voice of America
Last month's shooting in Arizona of a local member of Congress and the killing of six people has again focused attention on the issue of regulating the purchase of firearms. A recent undercover investigation in that state show that guns can be easily purchased by suspicious individuals.
Nonetheless, gun control opponents remain adamant that stricter control would infringe upon the constitutional right Americans have to keep and bear arms.
Gun shows are common across... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Governor Slams New York Mayor for Phoenix Gun Show Sting
3 February 2011
Fox News (USA)
Michael Bloomberg's undercover investigation at a gun show in Arizona must be a result of the extra time the mayor has on his hands from running the well-oiled machine that is New York City, says Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer.
The governor, appearing Tuesday night on Fox News' "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren," said it's "interesting" that Bloomberg chose to launch a sting operation in the Grand Canyon state.
"He's out here in Arizona solving our problems. I guess he... (GunPolicy.org)
Republican Senator Promotes Bill to Close Gun Show Loophole in Arizona
2 February 2011
Arizona Capitol Times
A Democratic state lawmaker says it's time to close what he calls a gap in state law that allows people to purchase firearms at gun shows without the same background check required at shops.
Sen. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, pointed to reports that at a Phoenix gun show New York City undercover officers recently were able to buy the same type of gun used to shoot U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and kill six others even after one told a seller he probably couldn't... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Challenges Obama to Enforce, Toughen Gun Control Law
2 February 2011
Washington Post
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is demanding the Obama administration increase enforcement of the nation's gun laws, escalating his longtime push on the issue in the wake of the last month's shooting rampage in Arizona.
The mayor's office hired private investigators to buy guns at a gun show in Phoenix, and Bloomberg then played video of the sting at a press conference on Monday in New York. It depicts a man who is sold a gun even after he acknowledges that he would... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Must Refuse to Further Gut America's Federal Gun Control Agency
2 February 2011
Washington Post, Editorial
Many Presidents, fearful of alienating the powerful gun lobby, have neglected the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Funding requests are often skimpy, making it that much more difficult for the emaciated agency to crack down on illegal sales and trafficking of firearms.
The Obama administration was headed in this direction in mid-December, just weeks before the Arizona shootings that took the lives of six people and injured 13 others, including... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor Pleads with Obama to 'Stand Up' on Gun Control
1 February 2011
Politico (Washington DC)
New York Mayor Michael Michael Bloomberg talked tough on gun control, saying President Barack Obama should "stand up."
"The president should stand up and I will keep urging him to say so," Bloomberg told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Tuesday night. "We've got to stop all this carnage."
Bloomberg appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show" to promote the quasi-sting operation where he sent undercover investigators to a Phoenix gun show, just 15 days after the Tuscon shooting that... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Republican Moves to Close 'Gun Show Loophole' Following Stings
1 February 2011
KSAZ-TV News (Arizona)
PHOENIX - It started with undercover video of an Arizona gun show from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Now an Arizona senator is trying to pass a law on gun show background checks.
State Sen. Steve Gallardo, who is proposing the bill, says chances of passing it in this state will be a problem -- but that didn't stop him, or victims of gun violence, from raising the issue with passion.
"It is very tragic when you lose a child. It's been five years and we still... (GunPolicy.org)
Ohio Gun Show Promoter Now Demands Background Checks on All Sales
1 February 2011
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
DAYTON — Bill Goodman Gun and Knife Shows have tightened rules governing who can buy guns at Hara Arena and other Goodman shows.
Background checks of buyers are required by licensed and non-licensed vendors selling guns at the shows promoted by Goodman, company officials confirmed Monday.
"All vendors who have any firearms on display must display a 'Background Checks Required' signage provided by the promoter," according to new guidelines posted online by... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor's Undercover Gun Stings Get Results, Gripes from Arizona
1 February 2011
New York Daily News
More than three dozen gun shows have cleaned up their act after Mayor Bloomberg staged undercover sting operations exposing illegal sales.
Private detectives hired by the city in 2009 were able to buy guns at seven shows despite telling the sellers they probably couldn't pass a background check.
Since then, the mayor said Monday that four of the gun show operators have agreed to require all buyers to submit to background checks - and one has vowed changes at all 34 of... (GunPolicy.org)
NY Mayor Videos Arizona Gun Show Sales 'As Easy as Hamburger & Fries'
1 February 2011
Los Angeles Times
NEW YORK — New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg wanted to illustrate that buying a gun like the one used in the recent Arizona shootings is as easy as buying "a hamburger and fries at a McDonald's." So he sent out undercover investigators to help him prove it.
But not in his own city. This time, the mayor sent New York investigators to Arizona.
So what do gun sales in Arizona have to do with life in New York?
Bloomberg has long campaigned for tougher federal gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Nevada Gun Show Tightens Rules After NY Mayor's Scofflaw Dealer Sting
1 February 2011
Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada)
The Big Reno Show has toughened its rules on background checks after a 2009 investigation in Nevada revealed illegal sales at gun shows, the New York City mayor's office reported Monday.
Louis Fascio, the Reno show's promoter, signed an agreement in May stating that it would require background checks for all gun sales, develop a tag or bracelet system so security knows the check was done and kick out any vendors who violate the rules.
The agreement came as part of New... (GunPolicy.org)
New York City Sting Videotapes More Illegal Sales at Arizona Gun Show
31 January 2011
New York Times
PHOENIX — Weeks after a shooting left six dead and 13 injured in Tucson, New York City sent undercover investigators to an Arizona gun show and found instances in which private sellers sold semiautomatic pistols even after buyers said they probably could not pass background checks, city officials said.
The investigation, part of an effort by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's administration to crack down on illegal gun sales nationwide, took place Jan. 23 at the... (GunPolicy.org)
Undercover Agents Once Again Expose Gun Show Loophole in US Law
31 January 2011
Guardian (UK)
Undercover investigators have exposed the ease with which high-powered guns can be bought in the US, purchasing the same type of pistol used in the Tucson massacre just two weeks later in a neighbouring city – with no questions asked.
New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, sent a team of undercover agents to the Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix, Arizona, just 120 miles away from the scene of the Tucson shooting. There, on 23 January, they bought a Glock 9mm... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Under Increasing Pressure to At Least Mention US Gun Control
31 January 2011
National Public Radio (USA)
President Obama has been under increasing pressure to say something — anything — about whether he intends to push for stricter gun control measures in the wake of the Jan. 8 massacre in Tucson.
On Monday, gun control advocates intensified their push for a presidential weigh-in, after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that his investigators bought semi-automatic weapons at an Arizona gun show without undergoing criminal background checks.
When asked... (GunPolicy.org)
NY Mayor Once Again Films Dealers Selling Illegally at Arizona Gun Show
31 January 2011
Reuters
An undercover sting at a Phoenix gun show found dealers sold weapons like the one used in the Tucson shooting rampage to questionable buyers without conducting background checks, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday.
Investigators working for New York City, prompted by the Tucson shooting that killed six people and injured 13, bought 9mm handguns at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in Phoenix and secretly videotaped the transactions, Bloomberg said.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
NY Mayor's New Sting Shows the Ease of Getting Illegal Guns in America
31 January 2011
Postmedia News (Canada)
NEW YORK — Undercover investigators have exposed how easy it is in the United States to buy high-powered weapons — even when the buyer admits to being unable to pass a background check.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday he sent the investigators to the Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix, Arizona, two weeks after the Jan. 8 shootings in nearby Tucson, to highlight that the general rule remains "no questions asked" if the buyer has a simple ID... (GunPolicy.org)
After Yet Another Gun Show Sting, Arizona Defends Lax Law, Loopholes
31 January 2011
Daily Sun (Arizona)
PHOENIX - Gov. Jan Brewer is defending Arizona laws that allow the sale of firearms at gun shows without a background check and forbid cities from imposing such requirements.
"We believe our laws are fair and just in the state of Arizona," the governor said Monday.
Her comments come on the heels of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg releasing videos Monday taken by undercover agents at a Phoenix gun show just 15 days after the Tucson shootings. There, Arizona... (GunPolicy.org)
Arizona Gun Dealers Still Sell Semi-automatics Without Background Checks
30 January 2011
New York Daily News
The Tucson massacre that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others did not stop Arizona gun dealers from selling high-powered semiautomatics last week to buyers who said they couldn't pass background checks.
The sales were captured on undercover video by private detectives working for Mayor Bloomberg's crusade against illegal guns. The detectives went to the Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix on Jan.23 to expose the deadly loopholes in America's gun... (GunPolicy.org)
What Obama Can Do Right Now About Lax Gun Laws - Without Congress
28 January 2011
Salon (USA)
The new line coming from the White House -- first from senior advisor David Plouffe, then from political advisor David Axelrod -- is that President Obama will "address" the issue of gun control at some point.
Exactly what Obama will do isn't clear, though Plouffe mentioned as an example the president's support for renewing the assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004 and made it illegal to manufacture the type of high-capacity clip used in the Tucson, Ariz., mass... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Does Gun Control Better: More Stringent Background Checks
28 January 2011
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
Could the Tucson shooting rampage been avoided had Arizona made it harder for would-be gun owners to get a pistol permit? Maybe. Robert Spitzer, political scientist and author of "The Politics of Gun Control," joined Terry Gross for Thursday's episode of NPR's "Fresh Air" to explain.
"Mental health information is gathered on a state-by-state basis, and state practices vary widely. So in the state of Arizona, [accused killer] Jared Loughner didn't need to get a permit... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Gun Control in US Congress: Lawmakers Must Shed Their Fear of the NRA
27 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor, Editorial
In the wake of the Tucson shootings, reasonable gun control legislation has made an appearance on Capitol Hill. It can survive and become law, but only if lawmakers find the courage to back it.
One proposal – introduced in both the House and Senate – would ban high-capacity ammunition clips that hold more than 10 bullets. Arizona shooter suspect Jared Loughner allegedly wielded a semiautomatic pistol with a clip containing 31 rounds. Nineteen people were hit (six... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama's Speech Didn't Mention Guns: 'Terror of NRA too Pervasive'
27 January 2011
New York Times, Opinion
This week in Washington, Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced three very modest gun regulation bills, including one making it more difficult to sell guns to people on the terror watch list.
Meanwhile, in Salt Lake City, the State Legislature is considering a bill to honor the Browning M1911 pistol by making it the official state firearm.
Guess which idea has the better chance of passage? Can I see a show of hands? Oh, you cynics, you!
Yes, a committee... (GunPolicy.org)
Democrats Launch Three New/Old Gun Control Bills in US Senate
25 January 2011
Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three federal gun-control bills introduced Tuesday would help prevent such violence as the Tucson attack that left six dead and 14 injured, according to the New Jersey Democratic senators sponsoring the package.
One bill, called the "Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act," would prohibit the manufacture and sale of firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Such a ban existed until 2004, when it was not renewed by Congress.
Two other... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
Can US Mayors Make Arizona Mass Killer the Poster Boy for Gun Control?
24 January 2011
Christian Science Monitor
NEW YORK - As Congress begins its new session, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants it to add one more piece of legislation: a bill to tighten up the nation's background checks on people buying a gun.
Mayor Bloomberg, who is co-head of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, says the no-buy registry is not up-to-date, and there are still loopholes that allow guns to be purchased without a background check.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is made up of 550 mayors around the... (GunPolicy.org)
