A 6-year-old girl who was struck in the head by a stray bullet while watching fireworks about 1:30 yesterday morning is in stable condition at Guam Memorial Hospital, said Guam Police Department Sgt. Richard Cress. Emily Mae Caalim, daughter of Mamerto Caalim and Elmie Caalim, is scheduled for surgery to remove the bullet today. Cress said he suspected the bullet was fired upward as part of a New Year's Eve celebration and police will try to match unique grooves on the... (GunPolicy.org)

The full weight of Palau's ban on all hand guns and rifles has been enforced with the sentenced of a man to 12-and-a-half years in jail for possession of a firearm. Inis Remoket pleaded guilty to possessing the weapon and ammunition after being arrested in July last year. The court heard there was an incident at a bar where it's alleged Remoket taunted another customer with a hand gun, which he later threw away when police arrived. The ban on hand guns and rifles... (GunPolicy.org)

A Guam Police Department SWAT officer has been indicted in the Superior Court of Guam on numerous charges in connection with the theft of guns. According to court documents, Kenneth Castro allegedly sold a number of firearms that belonged to someone else and stored them in the police department's armory. GPD spokesman Officer Allan Guzman said that Castro is still with the department and back on the job after serving his administrative punishment. Guzman said that... (GunPolicy.org)

GOODMAN, Missouri — The first man shot in the rural Missouri church sanctuary was a grandfather of three who had shepherded the local community of Micronesian immigrants for about 15 years. His uncle started apologizing to the gunman in an attempt to defuse the situation, a witness said. Instead he was shot next. Members of the tightly knit Micronesian community struggled Monday to comprehend why a gunman stormed into their church service, killed three religious... (GunPolicy.org)

A safety education class is no longer required for gun license renewals. This came yesterday as Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed into law Senate Bill 15-70. The measure, which is now Public Law 15-62, exempts license renewal applicants from the mandatory firearms safety education class. The legislation states that although it is appropriate to require new gun owners to attend the class, existing licensees should not have to go through the class each time they renew... (GunPolicy.org)

The Legislature is deadlocked on a measure easing regulations on gun ownership. The Senate has rejected amendments made by the House of Representatives on Senate Bill 15-70. The presiding officers must now appoint members to a conference committee to draft a version of the bill that both houses agree upon. Introduced by Senate Vice President Pete P. Reyes, the bill seeks to exempt renewal applicants from the mandatory firearms safety education class. The bill's author... (GunPolicy.org)

Police arrested a man who was allegedly selling a handgun and ammunitions on Saipan Wednesday night. Hongzhe Jin, 37, was arrested for manufacturing, selling or possessing a firearm; and illegal possession of a handgun and ammunition. Jin was brought to the Superior Court yesterday afternoon for a bail hearing. Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja imposed a $20,000 cash bail for Jin's temporary liberty. Naraja appointed the Public Defender's Office to represent the... (GunPolicy.org)

The house of the Department of Public Safety's shooting range master Ambrosio T. Ogumoro's brother, acting DPS police director Capt. Aniceto Ogumoro, was also covered by a search warrant requested by the police. According to documents filed in the Superior Court, investigators from the DPS Criminal Investigation Bureau asked the court to include in their search the residence of Capt. Aniceto Ogumoro, which is located near Ambrosio Ogumoro's house in Capitol Hill. CIB... (GunPolicy.org)

SAIPAN — Some 3,000 firearms, most of them confiscated over the years by the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) government for various reasons, are sitting idle at the Department of Public Safety (DPS). This is according to Congressman Ramon Tebuteb, who is pushing for the immediate disposal of the guns, Saipan Tribune reports. "We're talking here of about two truckloads. It' quite a significant number of firearms which are unused and (are sitting) idle at... (GunPolicy.org)

The Department of Public Safety issued at least 20 firearms permits this year without imposing the required safety education class, according to Saipan Rep. Ramon Tebuteb, who is now pushing for a legislative probe on the matter. Tebuteb, during a session Thursday, called on the House Committee on Judicial and Government Operations to look into the alleged violation of Public Law 14-51, which requires a mandatory firearm safety education class to all gun owner... (GunPolicy.org)

KOROR, Palau — The Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Affairs of the House of Delegates will conduct an inquiry into the recent sale of government firearms and ammunitions to foreigners. Del. Augustine Mesebeluu, the committee chairman, said they were informed recently about the sale of eight outdated firearms to MY Tattoosh, the vessel reportedly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Mesebeluu said lawmakers want to know how many firearms and ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)