Firearm News
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,New Zealand
Australia, UK, New Zealand Tackled Mass Shootings
1 June 2022
CNN, Opinion
A man – almost always a man – commonly with no criminal history and no diagnosis of mental illness, armed with a lawfully obtained semiautomatic 'assault' weapon, kills and injures a large number of innocents in a place they imagined to be safe.
It happens around the world, but horrifyingly more and more often in the United States, most recently in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
To those of us who live in culturally similar nations, but where the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,United States,Russia,Turkey,Germany,United Kingdom,Poland
What Weapons Have Other Countries Supplied to Ukraine?
17 March 2022
Guardian
The US president, Joe Biden, has announced an $800m (£610m) package of arms to Ukraine as the west steps up military aid against invading Russia forces.
The west's military assistance to Ukraine began cautiously with helmets and flak jackets but now includes drones that can destroy Russian tanks and artillery from 50 miles away.
The west has repeatedly refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine but is now supplying a range of powerful weapons. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Investigation Concluded
16 March 2022
Plymouth Herald (UK)
The police watchdog investigating how and why the Keyham gunman had his pump-action shotgun returned to him by Devon and Cornwall Police after it was removed said it has now completed its inquiry - but its findings cannot be made public at this time.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) investigation was launched in the wake of the tragic events on August 12, 2021 which saw the deaths of five people as well as the gunman, Jake Davison, by his own hand. A... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Inquest Will Look At 10 Key Points
9 December 2021
Plymouth Herald (UK)
A six-week-long jury-led inquest into the deaths of five people killed by Keyham gunman Jake Davison will include an examination of why his mother reported him to the Government's counter-terrorism scheme. Today's two pre-inquest reviews into the killings on August 12, 2021, revealed the scope of the forthcoming full inquest which will begin on January 16, 2023.
Maxine Betty Davison, age 51, Lee Raymond John Martyn, age 43, Sophie Iris Martyn, age three, Stephen John... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Doctors: A Gap in Britain's Gun Control System
22 August 2021
Guardian
Dal Babu is wrong to suggest that the British Association for Shooting and Conservation should not provide its members with details of fellow members who are doctors and are willing to provide medical verification for a firearms certificate (If you're asking how the Plymouth shooter got his gun, look at the broken licensing system, 18 August). The shooting community has an obvious interest in ensuring public safety. Without it, responsible and legal shooting as we know... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Shootings: Police Asked to Review Gun Licence Process
17 August 2021
BBC News
Police forces in England and Wales are being asked to review their current firearm application processes, in the wake of the Plymouth mass shooting.
Questions remain over why Jake Davison, who killed five people and himself on Thursday, had a shotgun licence.
The Home Office is preparing new guidance to ensure higher standards of decision making around applications.BBC News
There will be advice on carrying out social media checks on people wanting to own a firearm or... (GunPolicy.org)
13 August 2021
BBC
The mother of the Plymouth gunman, Maxine Davison, and three-year-old Sophie Martyn have been named among the five victims of his shooting spree.
Ms Davison, 51, was shot and killed by her 22-year-old son Jake Davison at her home on Biddick Drive, Plymouth, on Thursday evening.
Davison went on to kill three-year-old Sophie, her father Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington and Kate Shepherd.
His attack lasted about six minutes before he turned the gun on himself.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
What Are the Rules on Firearms Licences in the UK?
13 August 2021
Guardian
A gunman has killed five people, including a three-year-old child, in Plymouth, in Britain's worst mass shooting in more than a decade.
Police said the perpetrator, Jake Davison, 22, was a licensed firearm holder, but it is not yet known whether that gun was used. The UK has some of the toughest restrictions on firearms ownership in the world. Here is a look at how authorities determine who can get a licence.
Who can own a firearm?
The possession of firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
Azerbaijan,Armenia,Russia,Israel,Turkey,United States,United Kingdom
Arms Supplies to Armenia and Azerbaijan
17 February 2021
EVN
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in an intense and violent ethnic conflict over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for over three decades. The conflict is at the very core of the modern statehoods of both countries. It has resulted in two full-scale wars in 1992-94 and 2020 and regular skirmishes, with the most significant one being the 2016 Four Day April War. The conflict has led to both countries becoming among the most militarized countries in the world. A 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,United States,United Kingdom
Gun Trafficking from US to UK Increasing
12 August 2020
New York Times
Handguns are quietly being smuggled into Britain, despite tough gun-control laws. The police fear that the illegal weapons are contributing to a rise in gang-related crime.
NORTHAMPTON, England — Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America.
His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Handed in During Scottish Amnesty
3 July 2018
BBC News
Hundreds of illegal firearms and air weapons have been handed in to police during a two-week amnesty campaign.
A total of 474 firearms, 690 air weapons and 337 lots of ammunition were received at police stations around Scotland.
These included a machine gun, an AK47 assault rifle, and a pistol dating back to World War One.
Supt Ronnie Megaughin said getting the weapons off the streets 'lowers the risk of harm within our communities'.
He said: "Although the surrender... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Scotland Begin Two-week Firearms Amnesty
18 June 2018
BBC News
Police Scotland has launched a firearms amnesty, intended to stop weapons falling into the hands of criminals.
Anyone who has a gun or ammunition without a valid certificate can take them to one of 43 police stations.
No-one will be prosecuted just for possession of a weapon if they hand it in during the amnesty.
Officers have stressed, however, that this immunity does not apply to offences linked to the weapon before it was handed in.
The amnesty will last two... (GunPolicy.org)
The Origins of Illegal Firearms in the UK - BBC Reality Check
10 May 2018
BBC News
Over the bank holiday weekend, a spate of shootings across England hit the headlines. They add to a picture of rising gun crime, after more than a decade of big decreases.
Although gun-related offences have risen for the past four years, there were still less than half as many gun crimes in England and Wales last year as there were in the early 2000s.
Where Do the Guns Come From?
Guns are very tightly controlled in the UK. Those that end up on the black market often... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Botswana,Cook Islands,Fiji,Iceland,Ireland,Kiribati,Malawi,Marshall Islands,Nauru,New Zealand,Niue,Norway,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Tuvalu,United Kingdom,Vanuatu,Virgin Islands (US)
The 19 Countries That Do Not Arm Their Police Officers
19 July 2017
CNN
A woman who called 911 to report a nearby crime was killed by a US police officer last weekend. The circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.
The fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk, a dual Australian-US national who had settled in Minnesota in 2014, has made headlines in both her native Australia and her adopted home in Minneapolis – once again reigniting the all too familiar debate surrounding the role that firearms play in both law enforcement and in... (GunPolicy.org)
British Police Fear Stolen Guns May Fuel Terrorist Attacks [ES]
31 October 2016
ABC News (Spain)
[Translated summary: British Police fear a terrorist attack with firearms in the UK. With 800 licensed firearms lost each year, these guns could be sold by gangs to Jihadist terrorists. During the last two years, police disrupted 10 attempted attacks, and in half of them terrorists were going to use firearms.]
La policía británica, en una rara declaración, ha reconocido que teme un ataque islamista con armas de fuego en ciudades del país, al modo de los que sufrió... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns-and-Terrorism Links Worry British Police, Crime Authority
31 October 2016
East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
Half the foiled terror plots in the UK in the past two years involved a plan to buy guns, police have said, amid a surge in the number of weapons found in major British cities.
Concerns about firearms falling into terrorist hands are running high after a record level of gun seizures in London and similar spikes in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.
Authorities fear that links between street gangs and terrorists could give extremists access to weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
UK County Launches Gun Amnesty - Essex Police
31 October 2016
East Anglian Daily Times (UK)
Essex Police today launched a two-week firearms amnesty where members of the public can surrender unlicensed or unwanted guns or ammunition without fear of prosecution.
The amnesty will run from 8am today until 5pm on Friday, November 11, and during this time people are encouraged to hand in firearms, ammunition, imitation firearms and air or gas-powered weapons to one of eight police stations in the county.
Anyone surrendering firearms during this period will not... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Border Security Gaps Could Let Terrorists Bring in Guns
28 October 2016
Guardian
Weaknesses in Britain's border security may allow terrorists to get the guns they need to attack London, a report has warned.
The report, for London mayor Sadiq Khan, warns of rising firearms use in the capital over the summer, with the potential for weapons smuggled in by organised criminals being acquired by terrorists.
The study by Lord Toby Harris says that a major terrorist attack could inflict a severe casualty toll on London, and makes 127 recommendations to... (GunPolicy.org)