MONTREAL — Contrary to some victim's demands in the wake of the Montreal college shootings last fall, the Conservative government is still considering a one-time application for lifetime gun licences. Applicants would still have to fill out the proper forms, provide references and undergo a criminal record check to obtain a licence to possess or acquire a firearm. After that, only a complaint from the public or a criminal conviction would trigger a review, according... (GunPolicy.org)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Hundreds of criminals were able to obtain concealed weapons permits in Florida because of loopholes, errors and miscommunication, a newspaper reported Sunday. An analysis of state records show the roughly 410,000 Floridians licensed to carry hidden guns included 1,400 who had pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies, 216 with outstanding warrants, 128 named in active domestic violence injunctions and six registered sex offenders, the South... (GunPolicy.org)

OMAHA, Nebraska — Omaha police believed a 62-year-old man shot his daughter, and shot and killed her husband and two young sons before turning the gun on himself early Sunday. Police responded to a radio call just before 1 a.m. and found four people dead inside a west Omaha home, including Richard Wilkinson, 62. Police did not know what events led to the shooting, Omaha Police Sgt. Teresa Negron said. "We're continuing the investigation to attempt to determine what... (GunPolicy.org)

Garth F. Bailey, of Pembroke Pines, pleaded no contest to manslaughter in 1988 for shooting his girlfriend in the head while she cooked breakfast. Eight years later, the state of Florida gave him a license to carry a gun. John P. Paxton Jr., then of Deerfield Beach, pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse in 1993 for grabbing his 4-year-old nephew by the neck, choking and slapping him for flicking the lights on and off. Eight years later, the state gave him a license... (GunPolicy.org)

Thirty-one more mayors from across the country have signed up for the Coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns since the group held a national summit in Washington on Tuesday. Mayor Bloomberg, who co-chairs the coalition with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, said the membership spike shows "that momentum is building for our effort to crack down on illegal guns and convince state legislatures and Congress to take ideology out of law enforcement." The bipartisan coalition now... (GunPolicy.org)

DELRAY BEACH — Cheap, available assault rifles, which closely resemble the Kalashnikov AK-47s brandished by Iraqi insurgents and African rebels alike, have become the weapons of choice for gang members and other violent criminals in Palm Beach County. Growing numbers of criminals are favoring these powerful semiautomatic weapons, which, authorities say, have greatly enhanced their capacity for indiscriminate violence. In the past six months, assault rifles have been... (GunPolicy.org)

A national group fighting gun violence tied into a mayors conference to push for reform and more federal resources to cut illegal gun sales by "corrupt dealers." The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence unveiled its study called "Shady Dealings: Illegal Gun Trafficking From Licensed Gun Dealers" last week in Philadelphia — a city struggling with gun violence — joined by the city's Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and others. The release of the study, which... (GunPolicy.org)