Gun violence exacts a great emotional toll on society and a big financial toll as well. Researchers found that the nation's 1997 firearm injuries, the most recent for which complete information was available, cost $802 million in hospital charges. And almost a third of the patients had no health insurance, which means the hospitals had to absorb the cost of care. Gunshots were "the leading cause for uninsured hospital days in the country that year," said Dr. Jeff... (GunPolicy.org)

ST. JOHN'S — While the much-maligned national gun registry has overrun its costs and fallen short of its goal of registering every firearm in the country, a special police team has been finding hundreds of illegal guns while working on a tight budget. The National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) is a unit of officers with weapons expertise who support local law enforcement to stop trafficking and smuggling of guns. In the nearly two years since it was... (GunPolicy.org)

Starting today, gun buyers and dealers in Maryland will face a restriction not shared by their counterparts anywhere else in the country: a ban on the sale of newly made handguns that lack internal safety locks. The first-in-the-nation law that goes into effect today was part of a major gun safety package passed in 2000 at the urging of Gov. Parris N. Glendening. Aimed at reducing accidental shootings — especially those involving children — it was hailed by backers... (GunPolicy.org)

Californians will be barred from buying handguns until they prove they can handle and operate them safely. A new state law, effective today, will require buyers to pass a 30-question written test and a proficiency demonstration. The program has increased fees for purchasing a gun from $35 to $45 — with half the hike imposed a year ago and the remainder this month. Legislation authorizing the program, SB 52 and AB 35, was signed by Gov. Gray Davis in 2001. Officials... (GunPolicy.org)

Canada has launched a gun-registration program that aims to register every firearm in the country by Jan. 1. What this means for Alaska gun owners who bring their firearms across the border is complicated, and may involve one or more additional hurdles to clear at customs. "Looks like there are more hoops to jump through," said Gary Jenkins, a Juneau man who hunts up the Taku River in British Columbia. The new gun registration requirements are easiest for Alaska gun... (GunPolicy.org)

Maryland legislators say attempts by Republican Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to alter the state's strict gun laws, such as the one taking effect today that could ban the sale of most new handguns, will encounter stiff resistance in the General Assembly. In the Senate, Mr. Ehrlich's gun proposals would have to get past Sen. Brian E. Frosh, chairman of the Judicial Proceeding Committee. Mr. Frosh, Montgomery County Democrat, was a strong supporter of Gov. Parris N.... (GunPolicy.org)

OTTAWA — The federal government has doled out nearly $6-million in rebates over the past three years to firearms owners who paid their registration fees before Ottawa started offering freebie incentives to encourage Canadians to license and register their guns. But all gun owners who miss today's deadline will have to pay $18 to register their firearms. They have a six-month grace period as long as they've sent Ottawa a letter of intent. The government had earlier... (GunPolicy.org)

TAMPA, Florida — All Nicholas Larosa wanted to do was give his dad a welcome-home hug. But the simple gesture left the 4-year-old seriously injured after his father's gun accidentally went off. After a daylong hunting trip, Mark Larosa, 42, returned to his Carrollwood home about 9:45 p.m. Monday. Waiting to greet him were Nicholas and 6-year-old Markie. Trying to hide his .45-caliber handgun from his young sons as he carried it inside, Larosa wrapped it in his... (GunPolicy.org)

When Ralph T. Miles and some friends stole an electric guitar and a tank of laughing gas 25 years ago, they weren't thinking about what could happen to their constitutional rights to own firearms or run for public office. "There was this plan for a big concert, and we were all going to be famous rock stars," said the 43-year-old contractor from New Castle County. "We were thinking bigger than reality." It wasn't until earlier this year, when Miles was pardoned by Gov.... (GunPolicy.org)