A few days after the fatal 1993 shootings at their firm at 101 California St., attorneys from the now-defunct Petit & Martin came together to form a group dedicated to gun control advocacy. The Legal Community Against Violence initially focused its efforts to win passage of a federal assault weapons ban, which was adopted in 1994. Gian Luigi Ferri was armed with two assault weapons during his rampage through Petit's offices. He killed eight and injured six before... (GunPolicy.org)

A gunfight seems destined to erupt at the Capitol next year, but few lawmakers expect substantial firearms legislation to make it to the governor's desk. "There could be a real stalemate," said the next Senate president, Stan Matsunaka, D-Loveland. Gov. Bill Owens shares that sentiment. "He does not believe pro-gun legislation can get through the Senate or pro-gun control legislation can get through the House, given the makeup of those two bodies," said Owens'... (GunPolicy.org)

With lighted candles and heavy hearts, family and friends of victims of gun violence held a vigil in Granada Hills on Sunday to remember not only those who died but also those still grieving over the loss of their loved ones. The group of about 40 — including Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and family members of the survivors of the North Valley Jewish Community Center shooting in August 1999 — gathered at the Granada Hills center to observe National... (GunPolicy.org)

WASHINGTON — More guns lead to more gun-related incidents, right? Not necessarily. In a little-noticed report, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the research arm of the Justice Department, said that gun-related deaths and woundings dropped 33% from 1993 to 1997. During the same time, the number of firearms in circulation in the U.S. rose nearly 10%, according to statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Combined, the reports appear to raise... (GunPolicy.org)

RICKREALL, Oregon — Buying a .22-caliber revolver at a gun show would have been almost as easy as buying groceries only a few days ago. But that's changed with the voter-approved Measure 5, requiring criminal background checks on all buyers at gun shows with more than 25 firearms. Amid vendor complaints about poor attendance, the Rickreall Gun Show at the Polk County Fairgrounds and the Oregon Trail Gun Show in Coquille this past weekend were the first tests of the... (GunPolicy.org)

Madonna's lover Guy Ritchie has lost his gun licence for failing to lock and stock his barrel properly. The film director was grilled by cops under caution for leaving his shotgun lying around at their home in Notting Hill, West London. Thieves swiped the weapon when they broke into the house as Madonna and the Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels director were asleep last Friday. Guy, 32, told cops the gun was not locked up because he was planning to go shooting with... (GunPolicy.org)

DAYTON — Ohio ranks second in the country, behind only Florida, in gun sales that the federal government considers "suspicious" and fifth in the country for guns sold in the state but used in crimes out of state, the Dayton Daily News reported yesterday. With less restrictive laws governing gun purchases than most other states have, Ohio is a gun-runner's paradise, a haven for criminals who can't get their weapons elsewhere, a five-month-long investigation by the... (GunPolicy.org)

Backers of a new Massachusetts law setting aside one month during the holiday season for recognition of homicide victims' survivors are hoping that their effort will serve as a national model. Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month in Massachusetts began Nov. 20 and will end Dec. 20, a holiday period specifically chosen because it's a time of year when survivors' grief is particularly intense, according to Tina Chery, who pushed for the bill's passage in... (GunPolicy.org)