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Fully automatic firearms in the news
Canadian Govt Budgets to Seize Rifles Easily Converted to Automatic
1 May 2013
Global News (Canada)
Six years after approving German-made rifles that can be converted to machine guns "in minutes" – guns that by law should have been prohibited to begin with – the federal government will spend up to $260,000 buying them from their owners.
In February 2007, the RCMP classified the SSD BD38, a semi-automatic replica of a German Second World War-era sub-machine gun, as a 'restricted' firearm, meaning that it had the same legal status as a handgun. That classification... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,France,United States,Switzerland
Three Dead, Two Injured in Swiss Shooting
8 February 2013
Washington Post
DAILLON, Switzerland — On Jan. 3, the day Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to school in Newtown, Conn., Florian Berthouzoz leaned out his window and opened fire on this tranquil Swiss village with an old military carbine and a 12-gauge shotgun.
By the time he finished shooting, three women were killed, apparently at random, and two men were wounded. Berthouzoz was brought down by a police officer's bullet in the chest.
The shooting in Daillon, on a steep... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,India,Czech Republic,Switzerland,United States,Italy
Indian Factory to Make 1 Million Rifles for Army Upgrade
16 December 2012
Sunday Standard / New Indian Express (Chennai)
NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has half a million rifles and carbines it doesn't want, and now plans to junk them all over the next five years. The dark lining is that these infantry weapons were developed and manufactured in India to equip four lakh soldiers at an expenditure of Rs 25,000 crore over two decades. So far, so bad. Now add another Rs 50,000 crore that will have to be spent over the next decade to re-equip our soldiers with the four kinds of weapons that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysia Cop Acquitted of Fatal Youth Car-Chase Shooting in Appeal
5 December 2012
New Strait Times (Malaysia)
SHAH ALAM - Police corporal Jenain Subi was acting within the scope of his duties when he opened fire at the Proton Iswara driven by teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah two years ago.
The High Court found that Jenain had only answered was only doing his duty when he tried to stop a speeding vehicle.
Judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli said this yesterday before acquitting Jenain after allowing his appeal against his conviction and sentence of five years' jail for causing the... (GunPolicy.org)
SE Asian Soldiers Rent Army Machine Guns as Tourist Lure, Cash Cow
27 November 2012
New York Times
PHNOM PENH — Just after a Honda pickup truck screeched to a halt beyond the decommissioned Soviet-era Antonov aircraft, four resolute-looking Chinese men with a military escort climbed out, slammed the doors shut and neatly arranged a series of firearms they had been carrying on a nearby table.
Once the pistols' magazines were loaded with shiny golden bullets, they began emptying round after round into paper targets at a distance of 25 meters, or 82 feet.
Nearby,... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Recover 'Mini-Uzi' in Pursuit of Suspected Thieves
25 October 2012
BBC News
A mini-Uzi machine gun has been recovered in Greater Manchester by police in an "unusual" discovery that will have "saved people's lives".
The gun was found with live ammunition by officers investigating an attempted robbery in Broughton Park, Salford.
An incident was reported on Coke Street West, at about 22:50 BST on Wednesday.
As police arrived, two men fled and one dropped a bag containing the gun in an alleyway leading to Seymour Road, after officers gave chase... (GunPolicy.org)
Nigeria Authorities Seize Assault Weapons, Over 1,000 Bullets from Sect
13 September 2012
This Day (Lagos)
Operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State Wednesday arrested 11 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect in an overnight raid.
The suspects were arrested in the Waka-Biu region of the state.
Recovered from them were automatic weapons, ammunition and several homemade bombs.
Confirming the arrest, the spokesman of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, listed the dangerous weapons recovered from the sect to include a sub-machine gun, seven AK-47s, 1,568... (GunPolicy.org)
51 Guns Lost or Stolen from South Africa's Defence Force in Last 3 Years
5 September 2012
Defence Web (South Africa)
The South African National Defence Force has lost or had stolen 51 firearms since 2009, including 38 assault rifles, according to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stated that 51 firearms, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, have been lost by or stolen from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) since 2009. This emerged in response to a parliamentary question posed by Pieter Groenewald of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Loaded Sub-Machine Gun Seized in $2.5m Australia Drug, Weapons Bust
4 September 2012
Adelaide Now
Police have uncovered a fully-loaded Uzi sub-machine gun in Adelaide as part of a major ice ring bust, in which more than $2.5 million in drugs and weapons were seized. …
It is the biggest drug bust this year.
The rare gun - which was found alongside other purpose-made weapons such as handguns and a sawn-off shotgun - is unusual in South Australia and police are concerned about its origins.
Two men and a woman have been arrested after six house raids - on August... (GunPolicy.org)
US Courts Decide Against the 'Right' to Have a Machine Gun
9 August 2012
Wall Street Journal, Blog
Since the Supreme Court recognized an individual's right to keep and bear arms in 2008 — but declined to say which types of arms — several lower courts have had their say on whether Americans can own machine guns.
The U.S. courts of appeals for the Third, Sixth and Eighth circuits have all said, in so many words, no right exists to have a machine gun. You can add the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to the list.
In affirming the conviction of Alaskan... (GunPolicy.org)
Tampering With Guns Results in Hundreds of Casualties in Yemen
2 August 2012
Yemen Observer
Abdulkhaleq, 8-year-old child, was killed last Wednesday when he was tampering with Russian-made pistol in his district of al-Qaflah, Amran governorate. According to the police, the bullet lodged in his head and died on the spot.
In another accident, an 8-year-old child killed his father during his tampering with a machine gun in his home in Sabwah governorate.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the bullet launched from his fathers' gun that the child was playing... (GunPolicy.org)
US Killer Bought Assault Rifle, Pistols, Shotgun, 6000 Bullets Quite Legally
21 July 2012
CNN
Authorities in the Colorado movie theater massacre found an AR-15 rifle drum magazine Friday capable of carrying 100 rounds, and the police chief said thousands of rounds of ammunition for various weapons had been bought online in the weeks prior to the shooting.
Police took suspect James Holmes, 24, into custody Friday after they say he set off two devices and sprayed the theater with bullets from an AR-15, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber... (GunPolicy.org)
Eastern Europe,United Kingdom,Germany
UK Gangs Use Fake Guns, Real Ammo, Police Blame Smuggling
17 July 2012
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A tide of converted replica firearms began flooding the underworld in the first decade of the 21th century.
In the late nineties and early noughties, the weapon of choice had been the machine gun, as automatic weapons, many of them from former Eastern Bloc countries, were smuggled to the port of Liverpool before washing up in Manchester's gangland.
The MAC-10 was a particularly deadly weapon favoured by the gangs of Longsight and Moss Side.
One Manchester gang... (GunPolicy.org)
Misclassified Handguns to Be Deleted with Canadian Long Gun Registry
19 June 2012
Global News (Canada)
A Global News investigation has found dozens more misclassified firearms which might be deleted with the long gun registry.
Yesterday, Global News reported finding 361 handguns and three automatic weapons classified as if they were mainstream rifles or shotguns, which, all other things being equal, means that their data will be deleted.
Since that story appeared, we have found more than 120 weapons in the firearms registry which aren't classified at all. They include... (GunPolicy.org)
Las Vegas Tourist Machine Gun Range Features Gun-toting Hostesses
5 March 2012
New York Times
LAS VEGAS — For Vegas die-hards bored with the $750 tasting menu at Guy Savoy, the $250 Elton John tickets at Caesars or the $200,000 baccarat bet at the Bellagio, this city is serving up a new way to find high-priced thrills.
Machine Guns Vegas — an upscale indoor shooting range complete with skimpily dressed gun-toting hostesses — opened last week a half-mile from the Strip with an armory of weapons and a promise to fulfill the desires of anyone wanting to... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Trapped After UK Police Set Up Fake Shop in Manchester
4 October 2011
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A gun dealer was trapped after police set up a fake shop selling combat clothing.
Undercover cops posed as shop workers who were looking for lethal weapons in the elaborate sting.
The store was set up after police became concerned at the number of firearms on the streets of Manchester.
After weeks at the store on Princess Road, Moss Side, a gang member customer introduced the plain clothes officers to Marc Billingham, who supplied them with two working guns, an air... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Worker Hid Machine Gun, Other Guns, Lied to Cops, No Conviction
30 July 2011
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Military memorabilia enthusiast Patrick Phipps says he is giving up gun collecting after a judge discharged him without conviction for having two semi and fully automatic rifles hidden in plastic mannequins.
In the Wellington District Court yesterday Phipps was ordered to donate $3000 to the Starship Foundation, which Phipps said he was happy to do before leaving court.
"I would support that charity anyway, and I am happy to do it," he said after the hearing.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway Shooter's Ruger Mini-14: Very Popular, 'Poor Man's Assault Rifle'
27 July 2011
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
The attack in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik, apparently involving a Ruger Mini-14 assault rifle, is only the most horrific of the mass shootings involving the company's products.
Founded in 1949, the "corporate motto" of Sturm, Ruger & Co. is "Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens." But Sturm, Ruger firearms are also often found in the hands of mass shooters: last year's attack at a Connecticut beer distributor, leaving eight victims dead and two wounded; the 1999... (GunPolicy.org)
Paranoid Survivalist and Former Militia Leader Sought in Montana Manhunt
14 June 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
LOLO, Montana - A practiced survivalist and former militia leader whose mother said he slipped into paranoia after repeated run-ins with Montana law enforcement eluded authorities searching for him Tuesday in a remote mountain range near the Idaho border.
As the hunt for 47-year-old ex-convict David Burgert carried into its third day, court documents and interviews with law enforcement officials painted a picture of a well-armed "bully" who became convinced a decade... (GunPolicy.org)
Utah Booming Gun Markets Offer Hundreds of Rapid-Firing Military Guns
26 May 2011
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
Hundreds of the weapons advertised on KSL.com classifieds are rapid-firing military weapons with pedigrees from around the world.
The proliferation of these weapons, based on military designs, including the ubiquitous AK-47 by Mikhail Kalashnikov, have become wildly popular among shooting enthusiasts. And that popularity is a grave concern to gun-control activists.
"I don't know how anyone can justify having one of those weapons," says Steven Gunn, a spokesman for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners Set Up Trusts to Avoid US Machine Gun Background Checks
25 May 2011
CNN
PRESTONBURG, Kentucky -- For Benjamin Ferguson, the Dewey Lake Fish and Gun Club brings back memories. As a child, Ferguson came to the modest gun range in rural Floyd County, Kentucky, to learn gun safety so he could go deer hunting with his family.
Now, the Army veteran and drug counselor has children of his own, six in total. He passes along knowledge about gun operation and safety and encourages his children to explore the guns -- safely, of course.
"It's... (GunPolicy.org)
Government Forces Raided an Illegal Gun-Making Facility in Philippines
22 May 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — Police and military forces raided here, on Saturday, a gun-making facility found illegally manufacturing, repairing or tampering with high-powered firearms.
Government forces seized several guns and paraphernalia and equipment for the repair and manufacture of, and tampering with high-powered firearms.
Recovered from the raid on the house of Gualberto Gonzaga in Doña Soledad Subdivision in Labangal village here, were barrels and... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Police Seize Arsenal of Heavy Weapons from Private Home
1 May 2011
Associated Press
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Mexican federal police said Saturday they discovered a basement arsenal hidden behind the mirrors of a home gym that included three anti-aircraft guns, dozens of grenades, a grenade launcher, AK-47s and other high-powered weapons.
The neatly ordered stockpile found in an upscale neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, also contained several makes of machine guns, rifles, a shotgun and more than 26,000 ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Gun Used to Shoot Innocent UK Girl Had Been in 6 Other Shootings
12 April 2011
BBC News
Two men have been been jailed for life for shooting dead a 16-year-old as she waited for pizza in an east London takeaway. What the jury did not know was the gun that killed her had been used in six other shootings.
On a Wednesday evening in April last year, Agnes Sina-Inakoju met two friends at a chicken and pizza shop in Hoxton, east London.
Agnes, who was described by her family as "charismatic, ambitious, loving and caring", had been doing well at school and had... (GunPolicy.org)
Dutch Mass Shooter Faced Gun Charge as Teen, Legally Owned 5 Guns
11 April 2011
Irish Times (Dublin)
As the death toll from Saturday's shooting by a 24-year-old gunman in a Dutch shopping mall reached seven last night, a heated national debate was under way about how he had come to have legal permits for five weapons.
"This will definitely be part of our investigation," said local prosecutor Kitty Nooy, as it emerged the gunman had had a number of previous run-ins with the police, including a weapons possession charge in 2003 when he was just 17. That charge was... (GunPolicy.org)
Deadly Arsenal of Self Confessed British 'Gun Fanatic' Jailed for 16 Years
8 April 2011
Daily Mail (UK)
It is a fearsome array of weapons including a Kalashnikov, Uzi sub-machine gun, shotguns and pistols.
But this astonishing arsenal was not seized from a gang of organised criminals, but the private collection of a fruit and veg trader.
David Evans had claimed he only bought replica weapons to use for 'war games' in his loft, where he kitted out mannequins with imitation guns to recreate scenes from war movies such as Saving Private Ryan.
But yesterday the... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge of Firearm Violence Puts Oregon City, State Gun Laws in Crosshairs
31 March 2011
Portland Tribune (Oregon)
The day after four people were wounded in a suspected Northeast Portland gang-related shooting, gun-control advocates rallied at City Hall.
Speakers at the March 21 event included Mayor Sam Adams, religious leaders and relatives of people killed by guns. They spoke passionately about the emotional and societal toll of shootings, including suicides.
"It is too easy for people to get guns. We're not safe as citizens," said Teressa Railford, whose nephew, Andre Payton,... (GunPolicy.org)
World War II Machine Gun Found in Lithuanian Mail, Bound for Germany
22 March 2011
Associated Press
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuanian customs and postal officials say they have found a fully functional machine gun dating from World War II, complete with ammunition, in a package at Vilnius International Airport.
Officials said Tuesday that the German-made MG-42 machine gun was found after scanning a suspicious 20-kilogram (44-pound) package posted in Lithuania and bound for Germany.
Customs spokeswoman Asta Mikeleviciute says it was the first time that customs... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Inspector Smuggled Machine Gun Parts to Australia 'Under Stress'
14 March 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A former senior policeman was suffering from undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the time he illegally imported machine gun conversion kits, a court heard today.
Commonwealth prosecutors were before District Court Judge Milton Griffin, SC, appealing the sentence of a discharge bond with no conviction imposed on Alan Magarry by a magistrate last year.
Barrister Stuart Shearer, for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, argued the magistrate had... (GunPolicy.org)
Louisiana Police Chief Lied About Machine Gun Transfer, Got Prison Term
28 February 2011
Associated Press
SHREVEPORT, Louisiana - A former Louisiana police chief who pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about his department's handling of firearms has been sentenced to six months in prison.
A federal judge on Friday also ordered former Vidalia Police Chief Ronnie "Tapper" Hendricks to pay a $3,000 fine and perform 1,000 hours of community service.
Hendricks pleaded guilty in November to lying to FBI and ATF agents when he denied transferring a machine gun owned by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Gun Dealer Gets 3yrs Jail for Selling Illegal Machine Gun Parts
19 February 2011
Associated Press
FORT PIERCE, Florida - A Florida gun dealer has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for selling parts to convert weapons into fully automatic machine guns.
A federal judge in Fort Pierce imposed the sentence Friday on 47-year-old Edward Todd Basile of Okeechobee. Basile pleaded guilty to two federal firearms charges in December.
Prosecutors say Basile sold an informant parts to convert legal semiautomatic weapons such as an AR-15 rifle into an automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Gun Seized at US-Mexico Border Shows Strength of Drug Cartel
10 February 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
An imposing .50-caliber belt-fed monster gun now sits on a tripod in a protected federal government office in Houston.
Instead of landing in the hands of Mexican drug cartel gangsters, it was captured by federal agents a few weeks ago when it was being delivered as part of a journey to the border.
Although no one has yet been charged in connection with the gun, it stands as a giant green reminder that a war is raging in Mexico and Houston remains a major staging... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Smuggling Machine Gun from US to Mexico Forced to Do It by Cartel?
8 February 2011
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
If a 21-year-old Texan is telling the truth, he was forced to try to smuggle a machine gun into Mexico to protect his family from being harmed by gangsters.
Julio Cesar Ramirez was caught in the border city of Pharr as he attempted to drive a Hummer sport-utility vehicle across a bridge over the Rio Grande, according to papers posted Tuesday in federal court.
On the back seat was a gun case with the .30-caliber weapon, one of the more powerful guns caught being... (GunPolicy.org)
US Customs Seize Tripod-mounted Machine Gun Bound for Mexico Cartel
8 February 2011
Reuters
EL PASO, Texas - U.S. customs agents in Texas seized a tripod-mounted machine gun they found on the back seat of a sport utility vehicle headed into Mexico and arrested the driver, authorities said on Tuesday.
Agents at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge found the .30 caliber browning machine gun on the backseat of a Hummer H3 headed to Reynosa, Mexico, last Friday and arrested the 21-year-old driver from Pharr, Texas, the Customs and Border Protection agency said... (GunPolicy.org)
Romanian Assault Rifles Modified in US, Flood South to Mexican Drug War
3 February 2011
Center for Public Integrity (Washington DC)
Camron Scott Galloway, 21, walked into X Caliber Guns in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 30, 2008, and filled out forms for the purchase of six AK-47 rifles.
Reliable and powerful, and a bargain at about $500 each, the Romanian-made gun, a semiautomatic version of the iconic Kalashnikov assault weapon, had become popular with the drug cartels in Mexico.
Galloway, who eventually pleaded guilty to a forgery charge and became a cooperating prosecution witness in a broader case,... (GunPolicy.org)
Bedouin Boy Plays with Dad's Machine Gun, Kills Himself in Saudi Arabia
30 January 2011
Emirates247.com
A Saudi Bedouin boy killed himself by accident while playing with this father's machine gun, a newspaper reported on Sunday.
The boy was playing inside his father's car near their tent house in the southwestern desert village of Raniya when he saw the machine gun, Alriyadh Arabic language daily said.
"He mistakenly pulled the trigger while the gun was aimed at him… he died instantly and police later ruled out any criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
Charges Against 2 Remaining Defendants Dropped in US Uzi Death Case
18 January 2011
Associated Press
A Massachusetts prosecutor on Tuesday dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against two men in connection with the death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself with an Uzi at a 2008 gun show, citing last week's acquittal of a third defendant.
Prosecutor William Bennett filed "nolle prosequi" - not prosecuting - motions in Hampden Superior Court in Springfield in the cases of Domenico Spano of New Milford, Conn., and Carl Giuffre of West Hartford,... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-police Chief Acquitted in Machine Gun Shooting Death of 8yr-old Boy
15 January 2011
Boston Globe
The emotionally racked trial of a former Pelham police chief charged in connection with the accidental shooting death of an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair came to an end yesterday with a jury acquitting Edward Fleury, who cried at the verdict.
Fleury, 53, was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and multiple counts of furnishing a machine gun to a minor. Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn., lost control of an Uzi submachine gun and shot himself in the head in... (GunPolicy.org)
US Police Chief Cleared in Fun Shoot Machine Gun Death of 8yr-old Boy
14 January 2011
BBC News
A Massachusetts jury has acquitted a man who organised a gun fair where a boy accidentally shot himself dead with an Uzi sub-machine gun.
Prosecutors said Edward Fleury, a former police chief, should have foreseen the risk in providing Christopher Bizilj, 8, with the gun.
He was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter after showing the boy's father allowed him to fire the weapon.
The boy lost control of the weapon, which flipped and shot him in the head.
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-police Chief Found Not Guilty in Machine Gun Death of 8yr-old US Boy
14 January 2011
Reuters
Jurors reached an acquittal verdict on Friday in the trial of a former police chief in the accidental fatal shooting of an 8-year-old boy at an October 2008 event at Westfield Sportsman's Club.
The shooting event had been organized and sponsored by former Pelham police chief Edward D. Fleury, who had been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
The child, Christopher Bizilj, was killed instantly by a shot to his head while firing a 9mm micro Uzi submachine gun. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Massachusetts Machine Gun Fun Shoot was 'Safe,' But 8yr-old Boy Died
10 January 2011
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - A gun club where an 8-year-old boy accidentally killed himself with an Uzi first agreed to hold a machine gun shoot a decade ago when the organizer told club officials it was legal and safe, one of those officials testified Monday.
Steven Sklarski, recording secretary for the Westfield Sportsman's Club, testified on the fifth day of the manslaughter trial of former Pelham, Mass., Police Chief Edward Fleury.
The club had held the event for... (GunPolicy.org)
Teen Gun Supervisor Says He Warned Dad About Uzi Which Killed 8yr-old
7 January 2011
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts — A teenager who supervised an 8-year-old who shot himself with an Uzi submachine gun at a 2008 gun fair testified Friday that he told the boy's father that "it wasn't a good idea" to let the child fire it.
Michael Spano was a witness in the trial of Edward Fleury, whose company co-sponsored the exhibition at the Westfield Sportsman's Club. Fleury has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in the death of... (GunPolicy.org)
Court: 'Reckless Behavior' Led to 8yr-old Boy's Uzi Death at US Fun Shoot
4 January 2011
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts - "Reckless and illegal actions" by a former police chief led to the accidental death of a boy who shot himself in the face with an Uzi submachine gun at a gun show, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
But others, including the boy's father, made the fatal decisions, a defense attorney said.
Former Pelham Police Chief Edward Fleury, whose company co-sponsored the event, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and furnishing a weapon to a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Collector Fires Machine Guns on Backyard Range, Irks Neighbours
27 December 2010
Charlotte Observer (North Carolina)
WESLEY CHAPEL -- Weekend mornings, John Famolari's two young children love to play baseball and soccer in their spacious backyard - at least until their neighbor across the creek breaks out his machine guns.
In a wooded lot about 500 feet away, Dr. Michael Land regularly uses a Thompson submachine gun and other automatic weapons for target practice. The racket often makes it hard for Famolari and his wife to talk - and even harder for them to entertain guests at their... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,West Asia
Navy SEAL Smuggled Middle East Machine Guns to US, Some to Mexico
23 December 2010
Las Vegas Review Journal (Nevada)
Two Las Vegas men pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday in a conspiracy with a U.S. Navy SEAL to sell machine guns and other weapons smuggled from the Middle East.
Andrew Kaufman, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to sell machine guns, other firearms and explosives and illegal transfer of a machine gun.
Omar Aguirre, 35, who had not previously been charged in the case, pleaded guilty to a criminal information also charging him with conspiracy to sell the... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Gun was 130th Firearm Seized This Year in British Columbia
17 December 2010
Province (British Columbia)
After a four-month investigation, anti-gang cops have seized a machine gun and semi-automatic pistol, bringing the number of firearms seized this year in B.C. to 130.
"We've seen numerous successes over the last year," said Sgt. Shinder Kirk, spokesman for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. "The indication to us is that we have had some impact, notwithstanding last weekend. We have seen a decline up to this point this year but we're not so naïve to think... (GunPolicy.org)
Death of 8yr-old Becomes Symbol of Lost Struggle for US Gun Control
12 December 2010
Herald (Scotland)
Gun control campaigners in the USA are waving the white flag after a year of crushing setbacks.
Shocking mass murders and shooting accidents that would scandalise any other developed nation barely register in the public consciousness. As the death toll rises, the National Rifle Association's (NRA) string of legislative and legal victories continues.
Against this backdrop comes the latest gun-related horror story: a former police chief in Massachusetts is on trial for... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Will Let Jurors See Video of 8yr-old Being Killed by Uzi at Gun Show
8 December 2010
New York Times
BOSTON — A judge ruled Tuesday that jurors can be shown video of an 8-year-old boy accidentally shooting himself in the head with a submachine gun at a gun show, setting up an unusually grisly courtroom scene in the manslaughter trial of a former police chief who organized the event.
Judge Peter A. Velis of Hampden Superior Court in Springfield, Mass., is still deciding whether audio from after the shooting — in which the boy can be heard screaming and his father... (GunPolicy.org)
Trial Begins in Case of 8yr-old Killed Firing Uzi at Massachusetts Gun Show
5 December 2010
Associated Press
BOSTON - Eight-year-old Christopher Bizilj — 4-foot-3 and 66 pounds — stepped up to the firing range to shoot an Uzi as his father and 11-year-old brother watched from a few feet away.
As Christopher fired the 9mm micro submachine gun at a pumpkin, the weapon flipped backward and shot him in the head. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Prosecutors brought manslaughter charges against the gun club where the machine gun shoot took place, two men who supplied... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Shot by Canadian Police Had Secret Weapon Room, Machine Gun
2 December 2010
CTV News (Toronto)
Police in the B.C. Interior say they've uncovered a cache of weapons and body armour hidden inside a secret room in the home of a man shot by Mounties last week.
Two Kamloops RCMP members shot and injured 43-year-old Gregory McNeil at a home in the Sun Peaks resort on Thursday while responding to a threat complaint.
On Saturday, investigators searched McNeil's home, located in a rural area near Kamloops, and discovered a concealed room filled with guns, a huge... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Los Angeles Men 'Sold Machine Guns, Assault Weapons' in Fed Sting
1 December 2010
Los Angeles Times
Federal agents and Los Angeles police arrested five suspects Wednesday as part of an investigation into illegal firearms sales and drug trafficking.
The five people taken into custody were named by a federal grand jury in a 19-charge indictment alleging that members of the group sold machine guns, sawed-off shotguns and assault rifles to undercover officers from April 2009 to June 2010, authorities said.
The investigation was led by the federal Bureau of Alcohol,... (GunPolicy.org)
Is Obama's New Choice for US Gun Regulator Chief an 'Antigun Zealot'?
19 November 2010
Christian Science Monitor
ATF special agent Andrew Traver, who last year let a TV reporter fire an AK-47 from her hip to demonstrate the weapon's lethality, is set to become America's chief firearms inspector. But Mr. Traver, currently the Chicago ATF chief, faces a tough nomination battle as gun-rights groups amass their forces in opposition.
The nomination of the Naperville, Ill., native to be top gun cop is applauded by gun-control activists, who say the 5,000-employee ATF has lost ground in... (GunPolicy.org)
'The Gun': How Automatic Weapons, AK-47 Changed the Way we Kill
26 October 2010
Salon (USA), Book review
Few common objects are as shrouded in mystery as the gun.
I don't mean to suggest large numbers of people are unfamiliar with guns, because in this country, that's not the case. The long tradition of routine, practical gun ownership in the United States continues to this day, in rural areas especially. According to a regular Gallup poll question, somewhere between 38 percent and 42 percent of U.S. households contain at least one firearm. I visited many a firing range... (GunPolicy.org)
'Gross Negligence' Kills 2 Indian Students in School Machine Gun Demo
21 October 2010
Times of India
HYDERABAD - Gross negligence on the part of a cop proved fatal for two students during a demonstration of weapons held as part of the Police Commemoration Week at Velerupadu in the district on Wednesday.
Two school students lost their lives when a 9 mm carbine weapon of APSP (Andhra Pradesh Special Police) constable Srinivas Rao went off accidentally during the demonstration held at the local zilla parishad high school at the mandal headquarters town — 80 km from... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Policeman Shoots 6 Teens, Kills 2 in School Machine Gun Demo
20 October 2010
Telegraph (India)
HYDERABAD - Little did the boys know what lay in store when they excitedly marched to school this morning to see a police demo of weapons used to fight Maoists.
Venkatkrishna and Sathyasai Babu, students of a school in Velerpadu town of Andhra's Khammam district, were killed today after the sten gun of a constable showing them how to use the weapon accidentally went off.
Police sources said the boys, students of Class X and Class IX respectively, had crowded around... (GunPolicy.org)
Everyman's Gun: Sheer Numbers Make AK-47 the World's Main Killing Tool
16 October 2010
Wall Street Journal, Book review
The AK-47 is the most numerous and widely distributed weapon in history, with a name and appearance that are instantly recognized worldwide. Designed in the late 1940s for the Soviet Army, the Avtomat Kalashnikova 47 ("Automatic of Kalashnikov 1947") became the universal weapon by the late 20th century, used by armies, militias and terrorists in practically every armed conflict, and by all sides in most of them. Even the United States has purchased mass quantities of... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida 12yr-old Dies, 17yr-old 'Fetish' Gun Collector Charged in Shooting
15 October 2010
Miami Herald
A 12-year-old Deerfield Beach boy shot by a neighborhood playmate earlier this week died of his injuries Friday.
Criminal charges against 17-year-old Jose Torres have been upgraded to felony manslaughter and tampering with evidence, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Anthony Alejandre was mortally wounded Monday while playing at next-door neighbor's house, in the 600 block of NW First Way.
Torres is accused of firing a .38 caliber pistol at Alejandre, at near... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting of 12yr-old Reveals US Teen Shooter's Machine Gun, 'Arsenal'
15 October 2010
Miami Herald
While investigating the bizarre shooting of a 12-year-old, deputies say they found an arsenal of weapons under the 17-year-old suspect's bed:
A pair of nine-millimeter pistols, a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Tech 9 machine gun, a 12-gauge Mossburg shotgun, and a host of Chinese throwing stars, swords and other martial arts weapons.
And on Thursday, Jose Torres, a student at Deerfield Beach High School, was charged with shooting his neighbor, 12-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Opposition Leader Fires Army Guns, Then Buries the Videotape
13 October 2010
Australian (Sydney)
Tony Abbott's office requested that the Defence Department "vet" video images of the Liberal leader firing a Steyr assault rifle in Afghanistan.
This action ensured broadcasters were denied access to the pictures.
The Opposition Leader's office confirmed that the images captured by a Defence video journalist were not released "on our instructions", sparking claims by television broadcasters last night of censorship.
The Defence Department did not indicate the... (GunPolicy.org)
The AK-47: 'The Gun' That Changed the Battlefield - C J Chivers Book
12 October 2010
National Public Radio (USA)
The AK-47 was designed after World War II by the Soviets, who issued the guns to the communist army's conscripted forces. In the past few decades, the AK-47 has become one of the weapons of choice for many groups — and one of the most commonly smuggled weapons in the world.
One of the first true assault rifles, the AK-47, or Kalashnikov, was designed for soldiers who have to endure terrible conditions on the battlefield: It's light, it can carry a lot of ammunition,... (GunPolicy.org)
Book Review: 'The Gun' by C.J. Chivers, New York Times AK-47 Expert
10 October 2010
Dallas Morning News (Texas), Book review
April 2, 2002, 3:45 p.m. Three assassins emerge from a taxi in front of the house of Dr. Barham Salih, a prime minister in northern Iraq. The men are clean-shaven and neat. Hanging from their shoulders are AK-47s, ready to kill. At the touch of the triggers, the guards are shredded by a hellish storm of bullets, 15 rounds per second from each barrel, turning bones to shards and ripping muscles and organs apart.
After a few seconds, five guards and two of the assassins... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovakia Mass Shooting May Lead to Private Machine Guns Being Banned
2 September 2010
New York Times
PRAGUE — As Slovakia held a day of mourning Thursday to honor the victims of Monday's violent rampage in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, a picture began to emerge of the killer, an unemployed loner who the police said had participated in shooting contests and may have harbored resentment against his Roma victims.
The killing spree, in which six members of a Roma family were killed — including a 12-year-old boy — has shaken Slovakia, a small and predominantly... (GunPolicy.org)
Nevada Anti-government Extremist Gets 18mths for Illegal Machine Gun
25 August 2010
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas anti-government extremist has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of an unregistered machine gun.
Federal prosecutors say Harold Call was sentenced Tuesday, despite the 68-year-old's attempt to withdraw his plea and fire his lawyer.
Call is one of four anti-government, anti-tax-movement followers arrested in 2009 after a three-year FBI investigation into a group who believed they were separate from the United States. Agents... (GunPolicy.org)
Pacifist Politician Accused of Illegally Selling Machine Guns in Germany
14 August 2010
Local (Berlin)
Germany's socialist party The Left, has been hit by an embarrassing scandal, with a mid-ranking functionary charged with illegal trade in military weapons.
Manfred Hämmerle, chairman of the party in Hückelhoven near the Dutch border, has been accused of illegally selling a submachine gun, and possibly a Kalashnikov AK47 as well as an Uzi machine gun.
Der Spiegel magazine, which reported the story on Saturday, said he could face at least a year in prison if convicted... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang's 'Communal' Submachine Gun Seized from Ontario Apartment
9 August 2010
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
A machine gun that was reportedly being passed between Hamilton gangsters was found by police during a raid of a local apartment, police said Monday.
Officers in the Gangs and Weapons Enforcement Unit (GWEU) had been getting information since November 2009 about a MAC-10 submachine gun "that was being passed around between numerous Hamilton gang members and associates," a Hamilton Police press release said.
The information culminated Friday when cops received further... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize Loaded Submachine Gun from Gang-linked Ontario Home
9 August 2010
Hamilton Spectator (Ontario)
Hamilton police have seized a nasty, fully-loaded 9 mm submachine gun from a Park Street South apartment.
The gangs and weapons enforcement unit seized the weapon Friday night after receiving information about a rapid fire weapon they've been hearing about on the street since November last year.
George Andrew Nossey, 46, of Hamilton, faces numerous weapons charges.
Sergeant Terri-Lynn Collings said word on the street was that someone had "a Mac 10" and it was being... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Firearm Dealers Charged in Interstate US Machine Gun Scam
7 August 2010
Maryland Gazette
The owner of a Annapolis gun shop is one of six men named in a 107-count indictment filed in federal court in Phoenix, Ariz., last week.
Hal Goldstein, owner of The Armory, at 24 Defense St., off West Street at Solomons Island Road, along with Randoph Benjamin Rodman, owner of Silver Spring-based R&S Arms, and four Arizona men were charged with conspiring to commit fraud to possess and transfer machine guns in violation of the National Firearms Act, according to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Gun Owner Found Smuggling Machine Guns from US to Canada
5 August 2010
Calgary Sun (Alberta)
One of the biggest caches of smuggled firearms seized at Alberta's border with Montana included a troubling rarity — fully automatic weapons, say law enforcement officials.
Last Sunday, a Canadian resident of Colorado crossing into Canada at Coutts raised the suspicions of officers, said Gary Selk, chief of operations for the Canada Border Services Agency in southern Alberta.
"His story of his reason in coming to Canada was incongruent and the officers then did a... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad Police Submachine Gun 'Lost' by Elite-unit Officer, Found Buried
27 July 2010
Trinidad and Tobago Express
A police officer attached to the Witness Protection Programme lost a sub-machine gun in a weekend incident that investigators were still trying to unravel yesterday.
The gun and ammunition were found buried in Barrackpore yesterday and six people were arrested.
The police corporal had, at first, said he was robbed of the weapon in San Fernando, just before midnight last Saturday.
He later told a story about driving along a lonely road in Barrackpore, where he was in... (GunPolicy.org)
Elite-unit Trinidad Cop Charged After 'Losing' Police-issue Machine Gun
27 July 2010
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
A police corporal assigned to an elite unit is expected to be charged after he reportedly "lost" a police-issued machine-gun on Saturday night.
After extensive searches headed by acting Police Commissioner James Philbert, the high-powered weapon was found in Princes Town late Sunday. The weapon, police said, was reportedly found in the possession of a man at the time of the search. It is reported that the officer in question fled from an unmarked police car after a man... (GunPolicy.org)
New Jersey Gun Owner Converts Assault Rifles to Machine Guns, Gets 5yrs
28 June 2010
Star-Ledger (New Jersey)
PARSIPPANY — A Parsippany man was sentenced today to five years in state prison for unlawfully possessing two machine guns.
Adam Coughlan, 29, was arrested May 21, 2009 after a raid of his Lake Hiawatha home turned up more than 40 firearms and ammunition. Authorities said he was converting weapons into illegal assault weapons, and was captured on electronic surveillance arranging to sell an AK-47 automatic firearm at a Quick Chek in Parsippany.
Coughlan faced a pair... (GunPolicy.org)
Calgary Police Find Machine Guns, Assault Weapons, Handguns in Raids
24 June 2010
Calgary Sun (Alberta)
The police seizure of 16 firearms — including a possible submachine gun — indicates the troubling scope of illegal weaponry on city streets, say cops.
Following a tip, plainclothes officers on Tuesday observed what appeared to be a weapons transaction involving a 9 mm Uzi submachine gun-style weapon in a parking lot on Heritage Gate S.E.
Three men were arrested at the scene and a 2004 Audi A4 seized.
On the same day, police raided a home in Edgemont where they... (GunPolicy.org)
Massachusetts House Approves Bill to Jail Illegal Gun Owners Prior to Trial
26 May 2010
Herald News (Massachusetts)
The state House of Representatives has given its approval to a crime bill that would, among other items, give prosecutors greater abilities to seek dangerousness hearings for suspects arrested while carrying illegal firearms.
According to Bristol County District Attorney's office spokesman Gregg Miliote, the House version limits district attorneys' opportunity to ask for dangerousness hearings to only those cases where the defendant is charged with carrying an illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
US Supreme Court Limits 30-year Penalty for Machine Gun Use in Boston
24 May 2010
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has ruled that a minimum 30-year prison term for crimes involving a machine gun may not be imposed unless a jury specifically convicts a defendant of using a machine gun.
The court on Monday unanimously upheld a federal appeals court ruling that had been challenged by the government. The decision came in the case of Martin O'Brien and Arthur Burgess, who were charged in connection with a failed robbery of an armored car carrying $2... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Lawmakers Stall Bill to Restrict Machine Guns in Massachusetts
10 May 2010
Boston Herald
Machine gun ownership in the Bay State is booming, while a bill to tighten ownership and outlaw full-auto free-for-alls like the one that killed an 8-year-old boy two years ago is jammed on Beacon Hill.
Gov. Deval Patrick's bill, "An Act to Reduce Firearm Violence," is a controversial overhaul of the state's gun laws that would limit firearm purchases to one per month and ban anyone who is not a cop or the licensed owner from holding a machine gun.
The Bay State may... (GunPolicy.org)
Afghanistan,Iraq,United States
Blackwater President, Execs Indicted on 'Scofflaw' Machine Gun Charges
21 April 2010
Associated Press
RALEIGH, North Carolina - Federal prosecutors launched a scathing assessment of Blackwater Worldwide's former president Wednesday, declaring in an initial court appearance that he operated the security firm with "sheer arrogance" and a "scofflaw attitude."
Gary Jackson and four past colleagues indicted last week appeared Wednesday morning before a judge who allowed them to go free as they await trial. A magistrate judge denied a government request to place a bond on... (GunPolicy.org)
Kentucky Machine Gun Shoot Always Fascinates, Alarms Foreign Reporters
10 April 2010
New Zealand Herald
Every six months, 8000 Americans gather for three days in the hills of Kentucky with machine guns, sniper rifles and cannons to blast away a million rounds. Jonathan Franklin buys earplugs and ventures to the edge of the American psyche.
Anyone can attend the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot.
Once you arrive it feels more like a pilgrimage for white American men and their kin.
Entire white families attend the event, including babies with earplugs and 10-year-olds with... (GunPolicy.org)
Arkansas Councilman Pleads Guilty to Possession of Illegal Machine Gun
31 March 2010
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK — An east Arkansas city councilman pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing an unregistered machine gun, telling a federal judge that he had the weapon because he was working on it for the local police department.
John Henry Parker pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a Glock machine gun. As part of a plea deal, federal prosecutors dropped a charge of illegally possessing a Ruger .22-caliber rifle equipped with a silencer.
Parker was... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Gun-toting Gang of Robbers Raids Swiss Casino, Escapes
29 March 2010
Associated Press
BASEL, Switzerland - An armed gang of masked men raided a casino packed with about 600 guests early Sunday and made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Swiss prosecutors.
In a statement, prosecutors in Basel described a scene like an action-film heist: About 10 men dressed in black arrived in two cars at the Grand Casino near Basel shortly after 4 a.m.
One smashed the front door with a sledgehammer, and the others ran inside with machine guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Approves Washington, DC's Assault Rifle Ban, Gun Registration Law
26 March 2010
Christian Science Monitor
A federal judge has upheld the new regime of gun laws passed in Washington, D.C., after the US Supreme Court invalidated the city's handgun ban in a landmark Second Amendment ruling two years ago.
The plaintiff in the new case was the same man, Dick Heller, who brought the initial challenge to the handgun ban and won the historic 2008 ruling.
Mr. Heller did not fare as well in his latest round of legal challenges.
US District Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled on Friday that... (GunPolicy.org)
Montana Gun Collector Gets 6yrs for Unregistered Machine Gun Possession
23 March 2010
ABC News (USA)
HELENA, Montana - A 55-year-old South Carolina man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for possessing an unregistered machine gun.
Zollie L. Byrd was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell in Helena. Lovell ordered his sentence to be served after a four-year, three-month sentence Byrd received in South Carolina.
Byrd was convicted in January 2009 in South Carolina for possession of machine guns, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Gun Enthusiast Lost 50 Handguns, Submachine Gun to Thieves
17 March 2010
680 News Radio (Toronto)
TORONTO, Ontario - Six men now face more than 540 charges in connection with a break-and-enter investigation, according to Toronto police.
Last month, a downtown apartment was broken into at 59 Isabella St. The thieves were able to make off with 50 handguns, two shotguns and an Uzi sub-machine gun. The suspects also stole a large-screen television.
After executing search warrants in the GTA, Toronto police were able to recover 10 of the 50 handguns, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
8 March 2010
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border.
He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla. He's trekked to Las Vegas twice, once... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Gun Gang Invade Tanzanian Wedding Party, Kill 5, Steal Cattle
6 March 2010
Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
TERIME, Tanzania — A wedding party was thrown into disarray in Tarime district on Thursday night, when armed gangsters stormed a homestead and shot dead five people.
Six other people, including two children, were seriously injured in the attack that rocked Kimusi village, some 40 kilometres from Tarime Township.
However, the bride and bridegroom, whose big day had started on a brighter note, with hundreds of their relatives and other villagers enjoying the wedding... (GunPolicy.org)
Found with Machine Gun, AK-47s, Gun Owner Decries 'Most Wanted' List
2 March 2010
Daily Record (New Jersey)
PARSIPPANY, New Jersey - A lawyer defending a Parsippany man accused of owning illegal assault guns and trying to sell a machine gun wants prosecutors to reveal whether his client or the buyer were on any county-wide lists of targeted alleged criminals.
Filed on behalf of defendant Adam Coughlan, attorney Gregg D. Trautmann's motion was filed in Superior Court, Morristown, in response to a law enforcement initiative announced in January by the Morris County... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Election Gun Ban Yields More Arrests for Illegal Firearms
10 February 2010
Panay News (Philippines)
SAN JOSE, Antique – The effective implementation of the Antique Police Provincial Office (APPO) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban has yielded positive results.
APPO Information Officer PO3 Rodelio B. Canja said that from January 10 to 28, three persons were arrested and one is at-large.
Confiscated on separate operations were five high-powered fire arms, two fragmentation hand grenades, two bladed weapons and 35 rds of assorted ammunitions.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed US Machine Gun Owner Loses 13 Firearms in Domestic Dispute
9 February 2010
Milford Daily News (Massachusetts)
MILFORD, Massachusetts - A Milford man was arrested and police seized more than a dozen of his guns, including an M16 and AK47, after officers went to his home Saturday for a report of a domestic dispute.
Paul A. Delaney, 45, of 48 Harvard Drive, assaulted his wife during an argument about the music being so loud that it might wake their kids in the middle of the night, police said.
One of the children ended up trying to call 911 during the fight and Delaney stopped... (GunPolicy.org)
Pennsylvania Sheriff Probes Sale of Police Guns, Machine Gun to Dealer
26 January 2010
Times Leader (Pennsylvania)
Luzerne County Solicitor Vito DeLuca said he is investigating the possible sale of other sheriff's office guns and researching whether any guns that could have been sold to make money have disappeared.
DeLuca said he is basing his investigation on information he has received.
Sheriff's office gun sales are an issue because the county administration recently learned that former Sheriff Michael Savokinas had agreed to sell a Tommy machine gun, vintage 1928, to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Business Booming at Vegas Machine Gun Range
8 January 2010
Forbes (USA), Blog
LAS VEGAS -- Mining. Cattle-ranching. Machine gun rentals. If you're a Berkeley-bred crunchie that combination is the stuff of nightmares. If you're entrepreneur Billy Conn, however, it's a living. And, thanks to a weak dollar and ever-tightening firearms laws, business at the machine gun range is good.
Conn will only say that the privately-held Las Vegas Gun Range & Firearms Center is a "multi-million" dollar business. However tough firearms laws, a weak dollar, and... (GunPolicy.org)
7 Churchgoers Dead in 'Retaliatory' Egyptian Drive-by Shooting
6 January 2010
Associated Press
CAIRO, Egypt - Three men in a car sprayed automatic gunfire into a crowd of churchgoers in southern Egypt as they left a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas, killing at least seven people in a drive-by shooting, the church bishop and security officials said.
Egypt's Interior Ministry said the attack Wednesday just before midnight was suspected as retaliation for the November rape of a Muslim girl by a Christian man in the same town. The statement said witnesses have... (GunPolicy.org)
No Right to Bear Unlicensed Machine Guns, Says US Federal Court
30 December 2009
Christian Science Monitor
A former commander in the Tennessee State Guard has lost an appeal to overturn his conviction for trying to provide his soldiers with homemade machine guns for possible use in defending the state.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati threw the case out of court.
“Whatever the individual right to keep and bear arms might entail, it does not authorize an unlicensed individual to possess unregistered machine guns for personal use,” said the three-judge... (GunPolicy.org)
13 Firearms and a Parrot Stolen From a South Beach Apartment
29 December 2009
Miami News Times
Michael Beasley hobbled up the stairs leading to his second-floor apartment near the southern tip of Miami Beach. On the way home from Haulover Park, the 60-year-old Jacksonville native had purchased a couple of burgers for himself and his beloved green Amazon parrot, Seaweed. Then something startled Beasley. His front door had been pried open.
Normally, Seaweed would squawk the greeting, "Hey, how ya doing?" But this time there was silence.
Beasley, who walks with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Maguindanao Arms Seizure Recovers Number of Police-Issued M16s
28 December 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — Several high-powered firearms seized in a series of raids in Maguindanao province over the past weeks were police-issued firearms, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said on Monday.
In an interview, Verzosa said that of the more than 800 firearms seized throughout the province of Maguindanao during and after the declaration of martial law there, more than 20 were PNP-issued.
He said most of those that were PNP-issued were... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Seized in Maguindanao Massacre Raids Marked 'Dept of Defence'
7 December 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer (Mindanao)
DATU HOFFER AMPATUAN, Maguindanao — Using sniffer dogs and shovels, troops dug up another arms cache on Sunday in a crackdown on suspects in the massacre of 57 people after the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao that has led to 62 arrests.
The seizure of 39 high-powered firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition came a day after police and military units uncovered 340,000 bullets for M-16 assault rifles in a warehouse reportedly owned by the Ampatuan clan,... (GunPolicy.org)
Family Sues Massachusetts Gun Club After 8yr-old Boy Died Firing Uzi
10 November 2009
Daily Hampshire Gazette (Massachusetts)
SPRINGFIELD — The Micro Uzi machine gun that killed 8-year-old Christopher K. Bizilj at a Westfield gun fair last October reportedly jammed twice and was inspected by a 15-year-old boy before it slipped from Christopher's grasp and discharged, according to a $4 million wrongful death lawsuit filed Monday.
Christopher was shot through the head at the "Great New England Pumpkin Shoot" last year, an event the suit alleges was advertised as "an opportunity to shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Find Abandoned, Loaded AK-47 in King's Park, Belize City
4 November 2009
7 News Belize
Police on an operation found a machine gun along with live rounds at a north side residence this morning. The weapon is an AK-47 with 7 live rounds.
Police are tight-lipped but the head of Eastern Division David Henderson promised to provide more details after a few more pieces of the investigation fall into... (GunPolicy.org)
California 'Gun Collector' Gets Prison Term for Illegal Machine Gun Sales
30 October 2009
Contra Costa Times (California)
A federal judge sentenced a 69-year-old Crescent City man this week to serve 18 months in prison for illegally dealing machine guns.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney's San Francisco office, Donald E. Nuss pleaded guilty in June to illegally dealing in firearms, admitting selling five machine guns over a one-year period. According to the release, Nuss also admitted to converting two semi-automatic rifles into machine guns for a government... (GunPolicy.org)
Child Pornographer Allegedly Making Illegal .50cal Rifles, Machine Guns
28 October 2009
Nevada Appeal
CARSON CITY, Nevada — Machinery suspected in the illegal manufacture of weapons was removed by investigators Tuesday from the shop of a man also charged with possession of child pornography.
Detective Craig Lowe said a search warrant, filed last week in Carson City Justice Court, allowed for the seizure of about $12,000 in equipment that investigators suspect Glenn Ware used to manufacture two fully automatic .50 caliber rifles and a machine gun.
About 8 a.m.... (GunPolicy.org)
Britain Deploys Permanently Armed Police in London Gang Strongholds
23 October 2009
Associated Press
LONDON — Wielding submachine guns and pistols, British police are making rare armed patrols in crime-blighted London neighborhoods — a change in law enforcement tactics that may prompt calls for the wider use of weapons by the country's traditionally unarmed Bobbies.
London's police department said Friday that a new armed unit is carrying out regular sweeps of districts riven by gun battles between rival drug gangs.
Unlike typical police procedure, the team of... (GunPolicy.org)
Massachusetts Gun Clubs All Fired Up at Tough New Range Restrictions
22 October 2009
Boston Globe
BRAINTREE, Massachusetts — Once a month on a Saturday, the Braintree Rifle & Pistol Club hosts the Second Amendment Sisters, a national organization that advocates and provides firearms training for women.
Women who have never held a gun before are invited to learn to shoot. The club provides the weapons and ammunition, and the cost to the woman learning typically does not exceed $10.
The novices will have different goals: Some want to feel safer when walking... (GunPolicy.org)
