Gun Policy News
Guns, small arms from Beretta in the news
Mexico's Bold Move Against Gun Companies
1 September 2022
Arms Control Association
Of 193 member states of the United Nations, Mexico has the fifth-largest number of unregistered firearms in civilian hands, behind the United States, India, China, and Pakistan.(1) This availability of firearms and the violence it enables have major destructive consequences. In Mexico, guns are the weapon of choice in 70 percent of total homicides and 60 percent of homicides committed against women. Guns are also the main tool in homicides of young people.
Gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss State-owned Small Arms Producer Sold to Italy
13 April 2022
SwissInfo
Switzerland's state-owned Ruag International company has sold its small-caliber ammunition division to the Italian firearm manufacturer, Beretta.
All the 2,700 employees of Ammotech in Switzerland and ten other countries, including Germany and Sweden, the United States and Britain, would be taken over by the new Italian owner, Ruag International said on Wednesday.
The main Swiss production site in the town of Thun would be maintained for at least five years, Ruag... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy Opens Sale of Parabellum Ammunition for Civilian and Sporting Use
23 December 2021
Fatto Quotidiano (Italy)
Parabellum, the taboo falls: Fratelli d'Italia's amendment to the European law opens up the sale of ammunition for civilian and sporting use
A historic taboo of the Italian legal system has been broken. First by practice, and since 2010 also by law, the civilian sale of parabellum ammunition has always been forbidden, Parabellum rounds have considerable penetrating power, and can make even ricocheting shots deadly in closed environments. "Their legalisation puts an end... (GunPolicy.org)
28 September 2021
Espresso
[Translation by GunPolicy.org]
Every day there are murders, death threats or crimes by those who possess a gun obtained easily with a regular licence. But only one number remains constant: that of murdered women. Giorgio Beretta: 'It is necessary to take firearms out of the hands of potential murderers'.
Eighty-five women have been killed since the beginning of the year, fifty-one by husbands, partners or exes. These are the numbers of feminicides in Italy. Eleven in... (GunPolicy.org)
How are the rules on weapons in Italy
22 July 2021
Il Post (Italy)
On Tuesday evening, the councillor in charge of security in Voghera, the Lega Nord member Massimo Adriatici, shot and killed Youns El Bossettaoui, a 39-year-old Moroccan citizen, in a square in the town centre. It seems that Adriatici had a gun licence, but the episode prompted some politicians - including the secretary of the Democratic Party Enrico Letta and some members of Italia Viva - to question the rules that allow private individuals to keep and carry firearms,... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Experts Call for a Reform on Firearm Ownership and Possession
20 May 2021
Avvenire
Saturday, April 10, in Rivarolo Canavese, in the province of Turin, an 83-year-old pensioner, Renzo Tarabella, after having shot his wife, Maria Grazia Valovatto, 70, and his 51-year-old disabled son Wilson, shot and killed the owners of the apartment where he lived, 74-year-old Osvaldo Dighera and his 70-year-old wife Liliana Heidempergher, and then attempted to commit suicide. The reason is not yet clear - probably for depression and resentment towards the neighbours... (GunPolicy.org)
Forthcoming ASW Buyback Campaign and Ban in Canada
11 February 2021
CBC News (Canada)
Voluntary program will provide compensation to gun owners who give up firearms on blacklist
The Liberal government is expected to table a bill in the coming days that will set up a program to buy back assault-style weapons that were blacklisted last spring, Radio-Canada has learned.
The voluntary program will provide financial compensation to gun owners who give up their banned weapons, with the aim of taking them out of circulation.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair... (GunPolicy.org)
In Italy 400,000 'Ghost Shooters' Unknown to Sports Facilities
13 April 2020
Il Ducato (Italy)
Italians, people of saints, poets and navigators. And, in recent years, also of sport shooters. At least according to the number of rifle licences for shooting registered by the Ministry of the Interior. But from paper to the real frequency of shooting ranges and shooting fields, as we shall see, there is a long way. Many observers and experts have long believed that the sporting firearm licence was a ploy to legitimise the possession of a weapon, to be kept at home for... (GunPolicy.org)
13 March 2019
Sole 24 Ore
There are 1,315,700 licenses issued in Italy for legal possession of weapons, up 4% compared to 2015. The data are the official ones from the Viminale, updated in July 2018. To dictate the increase is the sporting use (+27% in the last three years), while all other types of licenses are declining.
The gun permit for hunting activities is down 9%, due to the increasingly restrictive regulations for hunting, which is consequently less practised; the one for self-defence,... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Groups Used Ministerial Advisory Panel to Lobby Against Tighter Laws
20 October 2018
Guardian
Groups wanted former justice minister to recognise that 'lawful use of firearms can also have benefit to society'
Pro-gun groups used a ministerial advisory panel to lobby against mandatory 28-day cooling-off periods for firearms owners and to call for changes to the "genuine need" provisions which make up the backbone of Australia's gun laws.
Documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws reveal the former justice minister Michael Keenan... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Flourishing Gunmakers
23 February 2018
Economist
It was a blunder by Heckler & Koch, a giant German gunmaker. On February 15th the agency apologised for a "mistake" after its American subsidiary posted a Valentine's picture exhibiting a handgun surrounded by ammunition organized within the form of a coronary heart. The picture went out to social media shortly after a lethal college capturing in Florida.
The put up was additionally a reminder that though Europeans typically criticise lax firearm-ownership legal... (GunPolicy.org)
Traffickers Flood Mexico with Easily Bought American Guns [ES]
22 November 2016
Vice News (US)
[Translated summary: Although Mexico has some of the strictest gun legislation in the world, with only one shop where guns can be bought legally, there are more than 15 million guns in circulation and 85% are illegal. One of the main reasons is the proximity of the USA, where guns are easily available. Almost 100,000 Mexicans died of gun wounds in the last decade.]
Es casi la media noche del 11 de octubre y la policía recibe una llamada de emergencia alertando de una... (GunPolicy.org)
Social Media Used for Gun Sales, Trafficking in Venezuela [ES]
18 November 2016
Entorno Inteligente
[Translated summary: Venezuelans now use social media like Whatsapp, BBM, Snapchat and Instagram to illegally buy and sell guns. A Beretta 92FS pistol can be purchased for 2.7 million Venezuelan bolivars (270,000 USD). Official data from 2012 calculates that the country has between 1.2 and 1.5 million unregistered guns. Until March, 2016, only 48,000 firearms had been destroyed.]
Los índices de violencia y criminalidad siguen en un preocupante ascenso. Para completar... (GunPolicy.org)
India Tries Once Again to Buy 185,000 Army Assault Rifles
27 October 2016
Bloomberg (USA)
India's armed forces have embarked on a shopping spree for modern assault rifles, body armor and helmets, providing a potential boost to global arms suppliers.
The 1.3 million-strong military is abandoning its two decade-old Indian made rifles and seeking to outfit its infantry with more up-to-date equipment, scouting for a new model on the global market for 185,000 assault rifles. The Ministry of Defence also needs to buy hundreds of thousands of helmets and tens of... (GunPolicy.org)
Corruption Scuttles India Army Deal with Israeli Rifle Maker
26 October 2016
IndiaToday (India)
Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has scrapped a controversial Army tender worth around '1,000 crore to procure 45,000 rifles amid allegations of corruption in the acquisition process.
The tender was under the scanner over the possibility of favours being given to Israeli firm, Israeli Weapons Industry, over its other rivals in the deal. The tender for the rifles was issued in 2010 in which 44,600 close quarter carbines (rifles) were to be provided to the infantry... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raid Illegal Gun Makers in Moscow, 24 Russian Regions
25 October 2016
Tass (Russia)
MOSCOW -- Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Criminal Investigation Department have liquidated a workshop of illegal arms producers in southwest Moscow, the ministry's press office told TASS on Tuesday.
"Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Criminal Investigation Department and the Federal Security Service have carried out searches in Moscow and the Moscow Region at the places of residence of four lawbreakers to find and seize 22 pistols... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Pro-gun Lobbies Dilute Planned EU Gun Control Law
21 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
The European Commission's attempts to ban the most dangerous semi-automatic weapons, such as AK-47 assault rifles, are being watered down thanks to pressure from a pan-European alliance of gun associations, according to documents leaked to "Der Spiegel" magazine.
The Commission's proposal, drawn up in the wake of last year's terrorist attacks at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, is due to be finalized over the coming weeks by the European Parliament, the Commission,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Gun Found Among Honduras Crime Gang Weapons [ES]
29 September 2016
El Heraldo (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras police seized two AK rifles, one Beretta and one Taurus pistol left behind by criminals after an anti-drug raid. They also found grenades and bullets. One of the firearms had a National Police marking.]
La Fuerza de Seguridad Interinstitucional Nacional (FUSINA) decomisó este jueves armas y municiones que fueron abandonadas por varios sujetos.
El decomiso tuvo lugar la madrugada de este día en la comunidad de Raya, Puerto Lempira,... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Army Renews Hunt for New-Generation Assault Rifle
28 September 2016
Economic Times (India)
India re-launched on Tuesday its global hunt for new-generation assault rifles after similar attempts over the last decade failed due to unrealistic technical requirements and whiff of corruption, interspersed by debates on whether the gun should "kill" or merely "wound" adversaries.
The project is going to be a mega one, with the Army looking to induct 65,000 rifles in the first go, with another 1,20,000 to be manufactured in India. This, of course, would be just the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in Colombia [ES]
20 September 2016
El Tiempo (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: 40 people accused of gun trafficking were captured in Colombia. During the operation, 5 machine guns, 30 rifles, more than 50,000 cartridges, grenades, over 50 handguns and 2 sniper rifles were seized.]
Luego de un operativo conjunto entre el Ejército y la Policía fueron capturadas 40 personas, en varias ciudades del país, a las que se les sindica de traficar armas con el Eln y bandas criminales. Los presuntos delincuentes incluso tenían una... (GunPolicy.org)
Morocco: Police Must Use Guns More to Fight Crime [FR]
18 September 2016
Le 360 (Morocco)
[Translated summary: To face an increase in crime, Moroccan police will be required to use their firearms more often. Police sources explain that this is a right they haven't employed until now because the level of crime in Morocco was not as high as in other countries. Morocco has around 50,000 police officers and most of them carry Beretta pistols and HK machine guns.]
Pour faire face à la montée de la criminalité, la police marocaine serait désormais appelée à... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Gun Maker Beretta Will Manufacture in Argentina [ES]
14 September 2016
La Nación (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Italian company Beretta will manufacture two types of guns in Argentina. Police already use these firearms, and the production is for them.]
La empresa italiana Pietro Beretta producirá armas en la Argentina. Así lo afirmó el ministro de Defensa, Julio Martínez , que hoy se reunió en Roma con autoridades de la compañía.
Según detallaron desde el Ministerio en un comunicado, la empresa producirá en el país dos armas bajo su licencia en... (GunPolicy.org)
New Measures on Gun Control Coming Soon in Canada [FR]
13 September 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Reporters asked Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale if he is going to act to ban certain firearms, especially one Beretta rifle that resembles the CX4 Storm but is slightly modified to fit the non-restricted category, making it available to anyone with a regular licence. Goodale stated that he will present in the next few weeks new propositions to reinforce gun laws.]
Alors que la journée de mardi marque les 10 ans depuis la fusillade au... (GunPolicy.org)
As Assault Weapons Surge, Canada Drafts Tougher Gun Laws
13 September 2016
National Post (Toronto)
OTTAWA — The drafting of tougher gun laws has begun, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday on the day marking the 10th anniversary of the rampage at Montreal's Dawson College by a man firing a semi-automatic assault carbine still sold legally today.
Pressed by reporters as he headed into a cabinet meeting, Goodale deflected questions about the continued sale in Canada of the Beretta Cx4 Storm semi-automatic carbine, the restricted weapon used by Kimveer... (GunPolicy.org)
Admirable People at US Federal Bureau of Way Too Many Guns
30 August 2016
GQ (USA)
Say there's a murder. Blood everywhere, a dead guy on the floor. The cops come in with their yellow tape, chalk line, the little booties, cameras, swabs, the fingerprint dust. One of them finds a gun on the floor. The gun! He lifts it with his pinkie, examines it, takes note of the serial number. Back at the station, they run a trace on the gun. A name pops up. It's the wife! Or: It's the business partner! It's somebody's gun, and this is so exciting because now they... (GunPolicy.org)
At Mexico's Lone Gun Store, Even the Boss Discourages Sales
17 August 2016
Times-Union (Florida), Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — There's just one place in all of Mexico where you can legally buy a gun. It's tucked away in an anonymous building on an army base in the capital, staffed by soldiers.
Those who enter must surrender any cellphones, tablets or cameras, remove caps and pass through a metal detector. Weapons are kept in locked glass cases, unlike many of the 50,000-plus U.S. gun shops where used-gun racks on showroom floors allow easy access and clerks are happy to let you... (GunPolicy.org)
US Traffickers Export Illegal Guns via Global Web 'Darknet'
11 August 2016
CNN
One day, Michael Andrew Ryan sat down at a computer, hopped onto a hidden part of the Internet known as the dark Web, called himself "Gunrunner" and opened for business.
His international weapons operation offered anyone a virtual laundry list of weapons with brand names that have become disturbingly familiar:
- Glock
- Beretta
- Uzi
- Highpoint
- Walther
To make these guns hard to trace, Gunrunner took off their serial numbers and shipped them to countries where... (GunPolicy.org)
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Gun Licences Has Soared in Italy [IT]
9 July 2016
Corriere Milano (Italy)
[Translated summary: A recent homicide with a legally carried 9mm pistol brings back the central issue of gun carrying permits and the spread of weapons. There are currently 774,679 permits to carry firearms for hunting purposes in Italy, along with 471,000 licences for sports purposes (in 2007, there were half as many). Figures from the Ministry of the Interior show an increase of 12.4% for hunting licences and 18.4% for sports shooting.]
Il recente omicidio a Dorno... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Problem: Laws Weakened since Port Arthur
28 April 2016
Marie Claire
April 28 marks 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre and the implementation of Australia's groundbreaking gun legislation. But with gun ownership back to 1996 levels and firearm restrictions under threat, are our gun laws failing to protect us?
It was just after 5pm on a brisk winter Sunday in Sydney, and the sickening sense of worry was building in Michelle Fernando's stomach. She was due to meet her father, Vincent, that evening to attend a talk by a lawyer they... (GunPolicy.org)
How US Mass Shooters Got Their Guns
3 October 2015
New York Times
The vast majority of guns used in 15 recent mass shootings, including at least two of the guns used in the San Bernardino attack, were bought legally and with a federal background check. At least eight gunmen had criminal histories or documented mental health problems that did not prevent them from obtaining their weapons.
- DEC. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, husband and wife, killed 14 people at a holiday office party in San Bernardino, Calif. Four... (GunPolicy.org)
Austria to Create Central Gun Registry to Meet EU Requirements [DE]
19 June 2014
Die Press
[Translated summary: From the end of June, all legal firearms will have to be centrally registered with Austrian authorities to meet European Union requirements. 226,264 Austrian citizens have permits for weapons requiring approval however the number of legally held weapons in Austria is much higher. Austria has one of the most liberal gun laws in Europe but Austria's gun lobby calls the changes an attack on civil liberties. There is a booming internet trade in firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Slams Texas Gun Group as 'Downright Weird' After Restaurant Rally
2 June 2014
New York Daily News
Even the National Rifle Association thinks some Texas residents are taking public gun toting too far.
The notorious gun lobby has slapped members of Open Carry Texas as "downright weird" for their insistence on bringing loaded semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15s and AK-47s, into family-friendly establishments like Chipotle and Starbucks.
The statement, released Friday, came one day before a throng of some 150 people, some armed with semi-automatic rifles and... (GunPolicy.org)
Uproar as Guatemalan Police Import Glock, Beretta Pistols [ES]
3 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: Amid allegations of police corruption in Guatemala, a leaked Austrian document denies an export permit for 3000 Glock pistols. The Italian government approved the export of 14,142 Berettas.]
Gobierno deberá responder por informe presentado por Austria
Dicha nación denegó en marzo pasado la licencia de exportación de armas destinadas a la PNC, por considerar que el uso de estas podría desviarse para fines criminales.
Las armas adquiridas... (GunPolicy.org)
Austrian Govt Denies Export Permit to Guatemala for 3000 Handguns [ES]
2 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary - The Austrian government has denied a permit for the export of 3000 Glock pistols due to concerns about the high rate of corruption and crime in Guatemala, and the risk that the firearms could be diverted for criminal purposes.]
La decisión fue tomada por dicho país luego de una investigación en la que se concluye que existe un alto índice de corrupción y criminalidad en Guatemala, y que el uso de armas podría desviarse para fines... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Firearm Sales Rose Over 300% in Mexico Between 2006 - 2012 [ES]
10 February 2014
El Financiero (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The sale of firearms in Mexico increased by 331% between 2006 and 2012 according to a report, a trend which continued in 2013. On average 41 people legally purchase a gun in Mexico each day. Most purchases are legal, where citizens must get a licence, pay the fee and pass the background checks.]
La venta de armas de fuego (cortas y largas) para protección personal y de domicilio que comercializa legalmente el gobierno federal se incrementó 331... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested After Huge Firearms Seizure From UK House
6 February 2014
Dockland & East London Advertiser
Police have seized one of the largest hauls of firearms recovered in a 24-hour period in London.
The haul was found in a flat at Stepney in London's East End following a minicab being stopped by officers in Battersea yesterday and the seizure of a vehicle in Hornchurch.
Detectives from Trident Gang Crime Command found a black bag on the back seat of the minicab next to the passenger, a 22-year-old man, which contained a Colt 45 loaded with six bullets.
Officers later... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Congo (DRC),Germany,United Kingdom,Myanmar,Israel,European Union,Italy,Spain,Egypt,France,Libya,Saudi Arabia
European Arms Sales to Middle East Reach Record Level, NGOs Concerned
1 February 2014
Ekklesia (UK)
European Union countries licensed arms exports in 2012 valued at €39.9 billion, according to newly released figures. This included a record €9.7 billion in sales to the Middle East – a 22 percent increase on sales in the previous year.
The statistics are revealed in the Fifteenth Annual Report on Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment.
The European Network Against the Arms Trade (ENAA) says that the figures show little change in arms export... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Prices, Sales Up in Jordan Over Syria War Fears
15 January 2014
New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
AMMAN - Firearm prices in Jordan have soared tenfold since the war in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011 but more people than ever are buying guns for protection against a possible spillover of the violence.
The number of licensed weapons stands at 120,000 but there are more than one million unlicensed guns in the kingdom of seven million people, according to interior ministry estimates.
According to a study by the Jordanian Society for Political Sciences, 25 percent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
Cache of Guns Seized From Malay Man with Criminal Record, No Licence
7 January 2014
Star (Malaysia)
GEORGE TOWN - An ex-serviceman, said to be savvy in handling firearms, has been nabbed for possessing an arsenal of weapons without licence.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team stormed the house of the 53-year-old man in Permatang Buloh, Kepala Batas.
They seized a Beretta pistol with a magazine containing 11 bullets, a fake pistol and its magazine, three homemade airguns and a homemade shotgun during the 3pm raid on Saturday.
Also seized was a bag containing a... (GunPolicy.org)
When the Right to Bear Arms Includes the Mentally Ill
21 December 2013
New York Times, Series
Last April, workers at Middlesex Hospital in Connecticut called the police to report that a psychiatric patient named Mark Russo had threatened to shoot his mother if officers tried to take the 18 rifles and shotguns he kept at her house. Mr. Russo, who was off his medication for paranoid schizophrenia, also talked about the recent elementary school massacre in Newtown and told a nurse that he "could take a chair and kill you or bash your head in between the eyes,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Campaign Aims to Make Gunmakers More Accountable
13 December 2013
Deutsche Welle
The father of Joel Mosbacher, a rabbi from New Jersey, was shot dead in a petty robbery in 1999. The anger stayed with his son, but he decided to use it wisely and got involved in the citizens' organizing network Metro IAF.
This year, he and other clergy from New Jersey started the "Do not stand idly by" initiative to reduce gun violence. A key demand is to get gunmakers to accept responsibility, and act accordingly.
The top manufacturers fueling US gun culture are... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Syria,Israel,India,Ireland,Togo,Canada,United States,Afghanistan,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Sri Lanka,Germany,Russia
Growing Number of Personalised Firearms to Boost Safety Available
30 November 2013
Economist
To help push Soviet forces out of Afghanistan in the 1980s, America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) gave Afghan fighters shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles (pictured). Accurate and easy-to-use, the Stingers caused grievous losses. But after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the CIA wanted to discourage the use of the leftover missiles. It got hold of some of those circulating on the black market and booby-trapped them, so that anyone who tried to fire one... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Seize 'Alarming' Military-Style Weapons Cache
8 November 2013
New Zealand Herald
An "alarming" cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition have been seized from an Auckland lock-up.
Shotguns, military-style assault rifles, a silenced rifle, a handgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found by detectives at a storage compound in Onehunga yesterday as part of an on-going investigation into an associate of the Hells Angels.
A late model Holden ute was also confiscated under an asset seizure order and criminal charges are likely to be laid... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Guatemala,Italy,Israel
Beretta, Glock Pistols, Israeli Submachine Guns for Guatemala Police
7 November 2013
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
The Guatemalan government will invest some $12.6 million to buy new weapons for the National Civil Police, or PNC, a government minister said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said at a press conference that after 10 "failed bidding processes" to buy the weapons for the PNC held between 2005 and 2011, authorities opted to make the acquisition from three different foreign manufacturers via an "exceptional agreement."
The procedure, which is allowed by... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Rubbishes Conspiracy Theory That Threatens Gun Industry
9 October 2013
Huffington Post (USA)
The National Rifle Association gives one the immediate impression of an organization that never met an anti-government conspiracy theory it didn't like. After all, the NRA has been recruiting members and raising money with such absurd fantasies for years: The "mass confiscation" of privately-held firearms after Hurricane Katrina, the United Nations Small Arms Treaty "threaten[ing] individual firearm ownership with an invasive registration scheme," ATF's botched "Fast... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Seized During Police Raid in Jamaica
7 October 2013
Jamaica Gleaner
Four illegal guns are off the streets of Montego Bay, St James, and two men are in custody, following a raid in the Green Pond district by the Mount Salem Police yesterday morning.
The raid, which was carried out in Burch Hill, Green Pond, resulted in a Glock 9mm pistol, a Beretta 9mm pistol, an Intra-Tek 9mm pistol and a Bushmaster 5.56mm rifle as well as approximately 84 assorted rounds of ammunition being seized from an occupied house in the area, and the subsequent... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Easily Available From Thailand for Malaysians Wanting Them
23 September 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
DANOK - The sudden wave of gun crimes in the past few months has shocked Malaysians and rocked the country's reputation as a laidback and safe destination.
The spate of killings has led to questions being raised as to where criminals and gang members are acquiring weapons.
The New Straits Times discovered that it is not difficult to get hold of firearms. All it takes is a short drive across the border and minimum effort to find outlets that sell everything from... (GunPolicy.org)
Taiwanese Authorities Seize Modified Guns, Drugs
11 September 2013
China Post (Taiwan)
TAIPEI, Taiwan - The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) recently cooperated with the Taoyuan County Police Bureau to arrest three suspects on charges of drug possession and firearm sales, seizing a large number of modified firearms and drugs.
Between Saturday and Monday authorities seized three modified guns, 28 bullets, two cartridges, a bullet-proof vest, 11.56 grams of heroine and 43.23 grams of amphetamines.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office will prosecute... (GunPolicy.org)
Colorado Politicians Ousted Over Gun Law Position
11 September 2013
New York Times
COLORADO SPRINGS — Two Colorado Democrats who provided crucial support for a package of state gun laws were voted out of office on Tuesday in special elections seen as a test of whether swing-state voters would accept gun restrictions after mass shootings at a Colorado movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school.
The vote, which came five months after the United States Senate defeated several gun restrictions, handed another loss to gun-control supporters and... (GunPolicy.org)
Bangladesh Civilian Gun Imports Dodging Taxes
26 August 2013
New Nation (Dhaka)
Some individuals are importing light guns, particularly pistol, revolver, shotgun and rifle, in the country in under invoiced price depriving the government a huge amount of revenues taking the advantage of relaxed mood of the National Board of Revenue [NBR], sources said.
The non-prohibited bore of arms mainly permitted for the civilians - point 22, point 25, point 357 and point 32 caliber - are being imported from Singapore under the baggage rule. As per the rule,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Guns and Roses' in Tanzania as Gun Homicide Rate Rises
11 August 2013
Tanzania Daily News
A few metres down the lane from the legendary 'Clock Tower' roundabout, along Sokoine Road, there is a special store which stocks arms and ammunition. The shop mostly serves as a reminder or monument indicating that people here are free to buy and own fire arms like pistols and guns, as long as their acquisitions are done in accordance with the law .
During the boom of Tanzanite mining in the 90s, many people who were in one way or another involved with Mirerani Hills,... (GunPolicy.org)
In Indonesia: Challenge is to Keep Out Illegal Guns
8 August 2013
Straits Times (Singapore)
Money may be the only constraint when it comes to owning a gun in Indonesia - illegally.
To own it legally, strict prerequisites apply. One must be physically and mentally fit, not bad-tempered - based on a psychology test at the national police headquarters - and between age 21 and 65, with no criminal record.
Police will also evaluate the need for owning a gun before granting a permit. High-ranking civil servants and senior managers at private firms may be... (GunPolicy.org)
'Pillar Of The Community' Lived Double Life as UK Gangland Gun Dealer
6 August 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
A Tory candidate has been jailed for 16 years for selling submachine guns he smuggled from Serbia to drugs gangs in Britain.
Marcus Simpson, who narrowly missed out on being elected to his local council, offered gangsters a 'menu' of weapons that included a Scorpion submachine gun, a laser-sighted assault rifle and Walther PPKs, plus silencers and ammunition.
Simpson, 42, was a Conservative candidate for Corby, Northamptonshire, in the 2011 local elections. He lost by... (GunPolicy.org)
Indian Gunsmiths Use Govt Loans for Tools, Floating Gun Factory Found
23 July 2013
India Today
If there was a prize for criminality with chutzpah, the gunmakers of Bihar's Munger district would win it hands down. Or hands up. A Central government employment scheme has been funding several talented gunsmiths in this district for years. Munger is the traditional hub of a flourishing indigenous gun-making industry, till recently geared to making crude single-shot kattas and now moving on to West-inspired pistols and rifles. It's all illegal, of course.
According to... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested for Involvement in International Gun Smuggling to India
8 July 2013
Times of India
LUCKNOW - The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the UP Police on Sunday arrested Ramzan Ali of Machhriya locality under Naubasta police station of Kanpur in connection with an international racket involving smuggling parts of top branded firearms from Hong Kong region into India and then assembling them together here to sell weapons to the underworld at a premium.
His name figured in the case after the arrest of retired airlines officer Deesa from Mumbai who has so far... (GunPolicy.org)
25 High-Powered Guns Stolen from New Zealand Gun Store
4 July 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
High-powered firearms have been stolen from an Auckland shop.
Police are warning anyone who is offered a powerful weapon at a discount price to call them.
Twenty-five firearms were stolen during a burglary at a Mt Roskill gun shop shortly before 10pm yesterday.
They comprised four Rizzini 20-gauge shotguns, six 12-gauge shotguns, seven Tikka bolt-action rifles with silencers and scopes and eight 12-gauge Beretta semi-automatic shotguns, police said.
Investigators... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysian Man Charged Over Unlicensed Gun, Ammunition
21 June 2013
Sun Daily (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR - An unemployed man pleaded not guilty to two charges, one of possessing an unlicensed pistol and another for possessing live bullets at the sessions court here earlier today.
Ng Yim Kead, 52 claimed trial to a charge of possessing a black nine-millimetre calibre Beretta USA Corp 92PS pistol that was found in a Mercedes Benz he was driving at about 11.30pm on June 13.
He allegedly committed the offence under Section 8 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties)... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms Dealers Altering Guns a Growing Trend in France [FR]
21 June 2013
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: Done with Lord of War arms dealers and welcome to Family Guy arms dealers. These new merchants of death have been taking over the French market for the past 3-4 years. They operate in the Paris region, but also the east of France and especially the countryside where they find good customers in hunters. They won't make tons of money, but will instead live a normal life while fuelling the black market as a side job. How? By adapting hunting shotguns... (GunPolicy.org)
New Detail from US Lawsuits Shows Industry Rejects Blame for Gun Crimes
29 May 2013
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
The Glock executive testified that he would keep doing business with a gun dealer who had been indicted on a charge of violating firearms laws because "this is still America" and "you're still innocent until proven guilty".
The president of Sturm, Ruger & Co was not interested in knowing how often the police traced guns back to the company's distributors, saying it "wouldn't show us anything".
And an executive for Taurus International Manufacturing said his company... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
Turkish People Spent TL 117 Million on Guns in 2012
22 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkish people spent TL 117,922,000 on guns and bullets last year, with gun sales increasing by 54 percent, according to data from the state-owned Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
While a total of 19,575 handguns were sold in Turkey in 2011, the number of handguns sold last year rose to 30,207. The price of handguns ranges between TL 570 and TL 12,000. Of the 30,207 handguns, 21,464 were made in Turkey. A total of TL 57.8 million of revenue... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Police Investigate Criminals Stealing Guns from Farmers
12 April 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A police sting has uncovered a criminal network stealing guns from farmers.
The Herald Sun has been told Taskforce Griffin, set up in February, is probing a breakout in gun crime.
More than 100 firearms have been stolen in 41 burglaries, and there have been aggravated burglaries and two non-fatal shootings.
Detective Inspector Adrian Dalzotto, of the armed crime taskforce, said there were concerns the stolen guns, in particular the handguns, might have been sold on... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,Europe,Germany,South America,United States,Austria,Italy,Croatia,Belgium
European Arms, Money Fuel US Gun Addiction say Experts
23 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
After each massacre in the US, Europe laments America's gun culture and violence. At the same time, European companies have no problem selling arms to Americans and supporting the NRA's fight against tougher gun laws.
It is not widely reported, but European firearms for a long time have played a pernicious role in US mass shootings and Europe's gun makers are among the strongest backers of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Handguns by Austrian arms manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Norway,Switzerland,Canada,Germany,Spain,Finland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,India,Czech Republic,Switzerland,United States,Italy
Indian Factory to Make 1 Million Rifles for Army Upgrade
16 December 2012
Sunday Standard / New Indian Express (Chennai)
NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has half a million rifles and carbines it doesn't want, and now plans to junk them all over the next five years. The dark lining is that these infantry weapons were developed and manufactured in India to equip four lakh soldiers at an expenditure of Rs 25,000 crore over two decades. So far, so bad. Now add another Rs 50,000 crore that will have to be spent over the next decade to re-equip our soldiers with the four kinds of weapons that are... (GunPolicy.org)
Proliferation of Illicit Firearms in Thailand
18 November 2012
Bangkok Post
With firearm crime on the rise and the amount of illegal locally produced and smuggled weapons growing, there are concerns that a programme giving officials discounts in the name of self-protection is worsening the situation.
In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Republic,Austria,Thailand,United States
Thai Authorities Concerned Over Easy Access to Guns
18 November 2012
Bangkok Post
In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines Police Handgun Traced to Indonesia Terror Raid
25 September 2012
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - The Intelligence Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already identified the police officer whose government-issued handgun was recovered from terrorists in Indonesia, an official said yesterday.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said intelligence agents have "identified the unit and the policeman holder of the 9mm. Our agents are checking on the circumstances."
He said they are investigating how the gun ended up... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Criminals Prefer 'Brand' Guns, Extortion Rates Rise to Fund Them
24 September 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
GUWAHATI - If the brand craze rules the average Indian, can the insurgent be far behind?
The old guard might have settled for cheap Chinese copies of Kalashnikovs, but the new age rebel prefers to flaunt Glocks, Berettas and Heckler and Kochs. And to fund the jazzy arsenal, the extortion rate has gone up by nearly 30%.
Officials engaged in counterinsurgency say in Meghalaya, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) is replacing its Kalashnikovs with the Germanmade... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles Top Sellers at UAE Hunting Exhibition, Licences Available On Site
10 September 2012
National (Abu Dhabi)
ABU DHABI - Firearms sales increased by between 10 to 20 per cent at this year's Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (Adihex).
German hunting rifles, 9mm pistols and .408 calibre sniper rifles were the top sellers.
The four-day exhibition, at Adnec, welcomed more than 100,000 visitors - up from 97,812 last year.
In the first three days, 1,002 firearm licences were issued and sales representatives said demand rises each year. In 2010, 1,016... (GunPolicy.org)
51 Guns Lost or Stolen from South Africa's Defence Force in Last 3 Years
5 September 2012
Defence Web (South Africa)
The South African National Defence Force has lost or had stolen 51 firearms since 2009, including 38 assault rifles, according to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula stated that 51 firearms, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, have been lost by or stolen from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) since 2009. This emerged in response to a parliamentary question posed by Pieter Groenewald of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Indonesia Police Seize Guns, Questions over Smuggling from Philippines
2 September 2012
Manila Bulletin
MANILA, Philippines — Is there a smuggling of guns from the Philippines to Indonesia?
This question cropped up after the Indonesian police in Solo City (or Surakarta City), Central Java, Indonesia, killed two of three suspected terrorists in a raid on Friday night.
Reports from The Jakarta Post (JP), an English newspaper, said the Densus (Department) 88, an elite police group, raided two locations in Solo City, but two of the suspects, identified only as "F" and... (GunPolicy.org)
Estimated 182,000 Illegal Firearms Said Circulating in Peru
30 August 2012
La Republica (Peru)
[Translated summary: Peru held an amnesty for gun owners whose licences had expired but only collected 2,500 weapons, meaning 182,693 soon-to-be illegal weapons will be in circulation. The law is being changed to tighten the restrictions on civilian gun ownership and improve registration of weapons.]
Realidad. Culminada la amnistía, se presentaron 2.500 pedidos de renovación de las 185.193 armas que ya presentan licencia vencida. 268 pistolas, revólveres, escopetas... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Border Guards Draw Guns Less Often in 2012
20 August 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Fewer border guards drew their guns, batons and pepper spray last year in an abrupt reversal of a previous trend toward greater use of force at Canadian border points.
There were 147 such incidents at border stations in 2011-12, a significant drop from 184 in the previous year.
It marks the first significant decline in so-called use-of-force incidents over the last five years, a period during which guards were armed with handguns for the first time. Previously,... (GunPolicy.org)
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Croatia,Eastern Europe,Romania,Greece,Bulgaria,Moldova,Macedonia,Serbia
Balkan Countries Loaded With Illegal Firearms
8 August 2012
Southeast European Times
Southeast Europe's are heavily armed – according to the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, people in the region legally own 3 million firearms and another 4 million illegal weapons.
Serbia leads the region in weapons, according to Ivan Cvijovic, police inspector at the public order sector of the Belgrade police department. The rate of registered firearms per 100 people is 15.81.
Montenegro has 14.36... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana Police Accused of Selling Sub-Machine Gun Owned by Criminal
14 July 2012
Kaieteur News (Guyana)
Less than a week after Acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell warned corrupt ranks to turn in their badges, five TSU ranks are under investigation for allegedly collecting $360,000 to release a man whom they had nabbed with drugs and a loaded submachine gun.
Kaieteur News understands that the incident occurred on Thursday in Kitty and that three of the ranks, including a cadet officer, are under close arrest at the Brickdam Police Station.
Investigators have seized... (GunPolicy.org)
Algiers Police Officers Charged with Gun Theft [FR]
9 July 2012
El Watan (Algiers)
[Translated summary: Forteen people, including twelve police officers, appeared before the Criminal Court of Algiers for their involvment in the theft of 31 firearms (handguns, shotguns, hunting rifles at the Police Headquarters between 2006 and 2007.]
Après le réquisitoire du parquet et les nombreuses plaidoiries, le verdict de cette affaire devait être connu hier, tard dans la soirée.
Quatorze personnes, dont douze policiers, ont comparu, hier, devant le... (GunPolicy.org)
According to Switzerland Firearms Act: to Be Armed Is a Right [FR]
15 June 2012
24 Heures (Switzerland)
[Translated summary: The shooter of Montbenon case and the homicide of a prostitue in Payerne revive gun debate in Switzerland. The ease with which one can buy a handgun and ammunition worries.]
L'affaire du tireur de Montbenon, puis le meurtre, mercredi à Payerne, d'une prostituée ravivent la polémique
«C'est manifestement un domaine dans lequel le législateur peut faire des progrès.» Le procureur général Eric Cottier a fustigé, lors du procès du tireur de... (GunPolicy.org)
Hong Kong,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Bulgaria,Russia,India
Over 29,000 Russian AK-47s Imported by Indian Paramilitary Forces
20 May 2012
Times of India
NEW DELHI - AK-47s continue to be the preferred assault weapon for the country's paramilitary forces deployed to neutralise terrorists and Maoists at the frontiers and in the hinterland.
Over 29,000 pieces of this Russian-origin rifle were imported by forces like CRPF, BSF and NSG over the last three years, leaving behind, by a large margin, other sophisticated assault weapons procured from the US and Israel.
The inventory of the assault weapons procured for security... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Turns 'Gunshine State' After Years of Republican Control
29 March 2012
Bloomberg (USA)
For years, Florida Capitol Police asked gun owners to check their firearms at the door. Not anymore.
Since a law in October made it easier to carry concealed weapons into the 1.2 million-square-foot government headquarters in Tallahassee, Senate security relies on alert buttons installed on the phones of lawmakers and staffers that let them instantly listen in to events.
"I don't think panic buttons are going to be very helpful if somebody charges into your office... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Stigma Drives Toronto Gun Hobbyists, Shooters Underground
18 March 2012
National Post (Toronto)
Ellen loads five bullets into her favourite pistol, a .22-caliber Browning Challenger, and demonstrates her favourite shooting stances. She begins with two hands holding the gun straight out in front of her, elbows slightly bent and feet hip-width apart for balance before changing poses, with her left hand behind her back, her palm facing outward, and the pistol in her right hand.
She is a Toronto grandmother of two in her mid-sixties and she is sharing her love of... (GunPolicy.org)
Caracas, Venezuela: Police Officers Murdered for Their Guns - Report
16 March 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Some 26 Caracas police officers have been murdered so far this year, and analysts warn that they may be being targeted by criminals who want to steal their weapons.
The assassination of Reinaldo Jose Mata Malave outside his home earlier this week brought the number of police officers murdered in greater Caracas in 2012 to 26. According to El Nacional, Mata was killed for his police-issued weapon, a Beretta pistol.
Criminologist Javier Gorriño told El Universal that... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Family Arrested for Running Gun 'Supermarket' at Home [ES]
21 February 2012
Europa Press (Spain)
[Translated summary: Spanish National Police arrested a married couple and their son for allegedly running a "supermarket" of firearms in their house and in a storage room in San Vicente dels Horts (Barcelona), selling craft guns to criminals and drug traffickers who used them for settling accounts and threatening rival gangs. It is, according to the Chief of Police, "one of the largest arsenals of Catalonia".]
BARCELONA - La Policía Nacional ha detenido a un... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Arrest Nigerian 'AK-47' Manufacturer, Seize Assault Rifles, Pistols
14 February 2012
Vanguard (Lagos)
MAKURDI — Two months of renewed onslaught against criminals and violent crimes across Benue State by the new Commissioner of Police in charge of the state, Mr. John Haruna has yielded an unprecedented results with the avalanche of arrests of men of the underworld in parts of the state.
The frontal measure against criminals in the State culminated in the arrest of 620 suspects most of who were apprehended with lethal weapons and sophisticated arms and ammunition.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
In North Carolina, 2,400 Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Had Convictions
26 December 2011
New York Times
Alan Simons was enjoying a Sunday morning bicycle ride with his family in Asheville, N.C., two years ago when a man in a sport utility vehicle suddenly pulled alongside him and started berating him for riding on the highway.
Mr. Simons, his 4-year-old son strapped in behind him, slowed to a halt. The driver, Charles Diez, an Asheville firefighter, stopped as well. When Mr. Simons walked over, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Go ahead, I'll shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
Quebec Sues Ottawa to Save Long Gun Registry Records from Trash
13 December 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
QUEBEC – Quebec wants to create its own long-gun registry, using data already collected for the federal registry, and is prepared to go to court to stop Ottawa destroying gun ownership records.
Public Security Minister Robert Dutil announced Tuesday that Quebec would take legal action to recover the data once Ottawa's Bill C-19, abolishing the federal long-gun registry, becomes law.
Dutil said C-19 was "a step backwards" and called the destruction "unjust and... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,United States,Central America,El Salvador,Guatemala,South America
Black Market Gun Runners Develop New Central American Routes - Report
21 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Because the recent spike in drug-related violence in Mexico has coincided with the 2004 expiration of the U.S. assault weapons ban, and because a significant portion of the weapons used in Mexican crimes have been traced to U.S. vendors, Mexican officials often accuse liberal U.S. gun laws of being a major obstacle to a safer Mexico. Indeed, President Felipe Calderon made precisely this point during a speech to U.S. Congress in 2010.
U.S. officials have not denied that... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Mexico,United States,Guatemala
Arms Trafficking, Business of Death: Guns in Central America [ES]
16 November 2011
Contralinea (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Contralinea magazine details the routes by which guns are trafficked into Mexico, including the flow of arms from the US directly to Guatemala, and then over Mexico's southern border. English translation at: http://bit.ly/uBnEGu]
En la última década, México pasó del lugar vigesimosegundo al quinto en tráfico de armas en el ámbito mundial. Se calcula que cada día ingresan al país unas 2 mil para abastecer a los cárteles de la droga, la... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Demand Growing in Canada for High-Tech Guns Popularised in Games, Movies
26 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Whether it's computers, cars, motorbikes or guns, 28-year-old Greg MacDonald — a self-confessed "tech nerd" — is always looking for the latest and greatest technology.
A Newfoundlander and lover of fine machinery, MacDonald says the rigorous research and development that goes into modern military-grade firearms — known as "black rifles" within shooter circles — is a sort of poetry in motion.
"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Groups Want Some Guns Banned Before Registry Is Scrapped
23 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
After finishing a rotation through Afghanistan with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, 22-year-old Dan Styles is back in Canada, safe and sound with his young family.
When he's not caring for his one-year-old baby daughter, Styles now spends a lot of his personal time at the shooting range near his home at CFB Petawawa, in eastern Ontario. There, he hones the skills he relied on in the field.
"It's practice, practice, practice," he says. "The better you get at it,... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms and High Powered Rifles Stolen from Belize Defence Force
13 October 2011
Guardian (Belize)
The Ministry of Defense called a press conference at Price Barracks on Wednesday evening to inform the media that there was a security breach at the Price Barracks compound and a number of small arms and high powered rifles were stolen.
Allen Whylie, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Defense, said it is a devastating breach and the Ministry will leave no stones unturned to get to the bottom of the heist. The discovery was made at about 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Burden of Proof' Should Be on Gun Suspects, Say Cayman Police
11 October 2011
Cayman Compass (Cayman Islands)
Cayman's top cop is advocating a major change in the way the 'burden of proof' is applied in court with regard to firearms possession cases.
Expanding and clarifying comments made on the subject by Governor Duncan Taylor last month, Police Commissioner David Baines said Friday that what's being reviewed with the attorney general's office now is essentially a "reversal" in the burden of proof for people found in possession of unlicensed guns in their homes or vehicles.... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Trapped After UK Police Set Up Fake Shop in Manchester
4 October 2011
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A gun dealer was trapped after police set up a fake shop selling combat clothing.
Undercover cops posed as shop workers who were looking for lethal weapons in the elaborate sting.
The store was set up after police became concerned at the number of firearms on the streets of Manchester.
After weeks at the store on Princess Road, Moss Side, a gang member customer introduced the plain clothes officers to Marc Billingham, who supplied them with two working guns, an air... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Kills his Parents and Himself with Legally Owned Gun in Quebec
16 September 2011
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
A Gatineau man shot and killed his parents and then shot himself with a handgun that he legally owned, police said Thursday.
Police confirmed Patrick Mongeon-Johnson, 32, used his licensed and registered nine-millimetre handgun to kill his mother and stepfather before turning it on himself at 115 De Saguenay Street on Sept. 7.
An autopsy confirmed Lucie Johnson, 51, and Denis Lagacé, 59, died of gunshot wounds.
A handgun is considered a restricted firearm under... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Seizures of Guns Mainly Firearm Dealer Imports - Australia Customs
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
December 23, 2008
Sydney
Huge haul of weapons including:
Assault rifles: Steyr F88, Norinco SKS, Marlin 60 and ADI SLR L1A1
Handguns: Beretta 92FS and Remington 870 Wingmaster
Shot guns: Mossberg 500A
Teargas
16cm rifle silencer
Pistol scope
Megatron Transformer
December 8, 2009
Sydney
980 rounds of FMJ green tip M855 Penetrator armour piercing bullets
July 25, 2006
Brisbane
Steyer tactical scout elite .308 calibre rifle, with telescopic sight
May 30,... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad: 'For Such a Small Country, a Large Number of Illegal Guns'
12 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
Nine more guns including a high-powered AK 47 assault rifle, have been recovered by the police within the past three days in various exercises in North, Central and West Trinidad from Friday to yesterday. This brings to 88 the number of guns seized since the start of the State of Emergency (SOE) on August 22.
A nitrogen cannister believed to be used in the manufacturing of silencers for firearms was also recovered and seized. A silencer is a component of a firearm used... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Police Fuel Illegal Trade: 11,935 Guns Missing Over 5 Years
11 September 2011
Democratic Alliance (Cape Town), Media release
Once again it has been revealed to the Democratic Alliance (DA) that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been fueling the illegal arms trade. In a reply to a parliamentary question asked by the DA to the Minister of Police, he admits that in 2010/11 a total of 1 335 SAPS firearms were 'lost or stolen'. 101 of these were rifles, 46 were shotguns and the rest were handguns. Only 167 of the firearms have been recovered.
A copy of the DA question and the Ministers... (GunPolicy.org)
Los Angeles Police Department Seeks Tighter Regulations on Airguns
7 June 2011
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck is proposing that the city require BB-gun replicas of actual firearms to be brightly colored so that police officers don't mistake them for real weapons.
The proposal, which the Los Angeles Police Commission will consider Tuesday, comes after two shootings involving officers and people with replica weapons, including one in which a teenager was wounded. Under the new rule, all such toys sold in Los Angeles would have the "entire... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Trafficking Network Dismantled in Algeria: 16 Charged
31 May 2011
Le Temps d'Algérie
Un réseau de trafic d'armes à feu a été démantelé dans la wilaya de Mostaganem par le groupement de la Gendarmerie nationale de la wilaya selon son premier responsable, le commandant Mohamed Ben Hmida. Ce réseau est composé de seize personnes dont trois accusées de soutien au terrorisme.
Trois autres personnes demeurent actuellement en fuite et font l'objet de recherches. La gendarmerie a aussi récupéré 22 armes à feu dont 16 pistolets automatiques (PA) de... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapons Lawfully Bought in US End Up in the Hands of Mexican Cartels
28 May 2011
Deseret News (Utah)
WASHINGTON — Convicted gun smuggler John Phillip Hernandez of Houston was likely not the kind of customer that Bushmaster Firearms International had in mind when he purchased 14 of the company's .223 caliber AR-15s at Houston area gun shops in 2006 and 2007.
Bushmaster describes the AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the U.S. military's standard-issue M-16, as intended "for law enforcement, security and private consumer use." But the weapons that Hernandez and his... (GunPolicy.org)
Long Battle Against Guns in US Began With a Son's Death
13 May 2011
Bay Citizen (San Francisco), Column
Kenzo Dix was named for the Japanese characters for "health" and "creativity," and at age 15 he embodied those attributes, playing on the Berkeley High School basketball team and enjoying school art projects.
After finishing a class assignment — a graffiti-style display on a school handball court — he called his father for permission to go to a friend's house. A few hours later, his father received another call: Kenzo was at Children's Hospital in Oakland.
"The... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Owners, Dealers, Gun Shows Fuel Minneapolis Gun Violence
22 March 2011
Minnesota Public Radio, Transcript
MINNEAPOLIS — In January 2010, three men were gunned down during an apparent robbery attempt at the Seward Market in south Minneapolis. One of the victims worked at the store. The second victim was the clerk's cousin who stopped by to chat. The third was a man who just happened to walk in at the wrong time.
The report from the police homicide investigation shows that five shell casings found at the crime scene likely match a test casing provided by the maker of a... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gun Dealers Face US Charges Involving Tens of Thousands of AK47s
20 February 2011
Guardian (UK)
His lawyers contend he is a model citizen. And as a successful businessman, Gary Hyde certainly exudes an aura of respectability. For years the 41-year-old father of two was a volunteer police officer in his home town of York, until a serious injury forced him to retire. "He is an upstanding and respected member of that community," his lawyers argued last week.
But now another picture of Hyde is emerging. A man who had turned his enthusiasm for guns and military... (GunPolicy.org)
German Father Guilty of Manslaughter After Son Killed 15 with Dad's Gun
10 February 2011
Deutsche Welle
Two years ago, a 17-year-old went on a shooting rampage in the southern German town of Winnenden, killing 15 people and himself. Now the gunman's father has been found guilty of manslaughter and breaking gun laws.
The father of the 17-year-old boy who shot dead 15 people in the southern German town of Winnenden has been convicted of breaking gun laws, for failing to store his weapons properly, and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Jörg K., 52, was given a... (GunPolicy.org)
Business Brisk at Tucson Gun Show Just a Week After Shooting Rampage
15 January 2011
Reuters
TUCSON, Arizona - Thousands of shoppers browsed for guns at a trade show in Tucson on Saturday, a week after a shooting rampage that killed six people and raised questions about permissive gun laws in the United States.
"People see it as either guns are going to get banned, or I'm going to get shot," said stall holder Randall Record, 27, explaining the mood at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show on the outskirts of the city. "Either way, it drives sales."
The show was... (GunPolicy.org)
How Glock Became Weapon of Choice for Cops, Gun Hobbyists and Killers
13 January 2011
Business Week / Bloomberg (USA)
For all the anguish and outcry in the days after a community college dropout named Jared Loughner allegedly sprayed a Tucson crowd with 33 bullets from a semiautomatic pistol, one response was notably absent: any sense that America's latest shooting spree, which killed six people and wounded 14, including Representative Gabrielle Giffords, would bring new restrictions on the right to own or carry large-capacity, rapid-fire weapons.
The gun control debate has vanished... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Shop Raided, Police Guns Being Sold to Criminals in Jamaica
31 December 2010
Jamaica Gleaner
Senior police investigators are now trying to identify the mastermind behind a suspected gun shop which operated out of premises along McWhinney Street, near the Tower Street Adult Centre, in east Kingston.
Yesterday, the police stumbled on to the gun shop during a routine operation and seized seven firearms, 25 loaded magazines and 33 rounds of ammunition.
According to an official report, police operatives from the Trans-national Crime and Narcotics Division, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmania Police Net Almost 1300 Guns, Only 26 Given Voluntarily
26 December 2010
Hobart Mercury (Tasmania)
Police say it is "impossible" to know how many unregistered guns there are in Tasmania.
The admission comes days after the closure of a public consultation period for gun law reforms, which includes recommendations to make pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns more easily available.
The Tasmanian Firearms Act 1996 is under review and a cover letter for the public consultation paper shows there are more than 122,800 registered guns in the state enough for one in... (GunPolicy.org)
LAPD Shoots 13-yr-old, Then Finds He Was Playing with a Pellet Gun
18 December 2010
Los Angeles Times
The shooting of a 13-year-old Glassell Park boy carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun by a Los Angeles Police Department officer is a "tragedy," Chief Charlie Beck said.
"This is a tragedy for all involved, but in particular for the young man injured in this police shooting and for the officer who believed that he was protecting himself and his partner from a real threat," Beck said in a statement. "The pellet gun the juvenile was using is the exact dimensions of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Tracing Regulations Delayed for Third Time by Canadian Government
5 December 2010
Canadian Press
OTTAWA - The Harper government has once again delayed implementation of regulations that police say they need to quickly trace guns used in crimes.
The government quietly posted a notice last Tuesday — one day before the firearms marking regulations were to have come into force — disclosing that implementation has been postponed until Dec. 1, 2012.
This is the third time the Harper government has delayed the regulations, which were created by the Liberal... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey,Italy,Portugal,Netherlands,Europe
Italian Gas Guns Illegally Converted in Portugal to Arm European Criminals
19 November 2010
NRC Handelsblad (Rotterdam)
As the EU cracks down on firearms, illegal trafficking in altered alarm guns is booming on the Continent. They're cheap, easy to alter, impossible to trace – so they're becoming the criminal's weapon of choice.
At the age of 10, Massimo Tanfoglio was already packaging pistols in his father's factory. Now, age 57, he manages the Fratelli Tanfoglio firearms factory in Gardone Val Trompia, in northern Italy. Strolling down the streets of this small town, you'll see... (GunPolicy.org)
Mel Gibson Surrenders Handguns, Rifle, Shotgun in Domestic Abuse Case
14 November 2010
Sydney Morning Herald
Troubled actor Mel Gibson has surrendered a cache of lethal weapons to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The court order came after his former girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, accused the star of domestic violence, the celebrity website Gossip Cop reports. A judge ordered Gibson to give up his guns, which he did on July 15.
Police records show Gibson had a 9mm Glock handgun; a 9mm Beretta handgun; a shotgun and rifle, and ammunition for all the weapons.
The revelation... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Predict 'Someone Will Be Shot' Unless More NZ Airguns Controlled
11 October 2010
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Replica firearms not covered by a law change coming into effect this week could just as easily cost a life if they appear real, police warn after incidents in Napier.
Napier Detective Sergeant Emmet Lynch and his colleagues have dealt with three firearms in the past week that were either replicas or looked like more powerful weapons.
One, a rifle that fires slug pellets, was used in a random drive-by shooting in which a man was shot in the stomach while socialising... (GunPolicy.org)
Woman Shoots, Kills 3, Dies After Explosion, Police Shootout in Germany
20 September 2010
Agence France Presse
Four people died and a police officer was seriously wounded yesterday after an explosion and a shootout that ended at a hospital in the town of Loerrach, southwest Germany, police said.
"At around 1600 GMT, firefighters were called out to an explosion at an apartment in a street near the hospital," a spokesman for Loerrach police said.
"An armed woman came out of the burning apartment and headed towards the establishment (the hospital), where a shootout with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Conservative MP Sees Police Conspiracy in Canadian Gun Registry Debate
1 September 2010
Toronto Star (Ontario)
OTTAWA — A controversial Saskatchewan Conservative MP says the support of Canada's police chiefs for the long-gun registry is part of a conspiracy to take away Canadians' guns.
His remarks, publicized in an online magazine, have flabbergasted even those who are critical of the registry, and may be enough for at least one rural NDP MP to vote against a Conservative private member's bill later this month to kill the registry.
"Why are police chiefs so strident in... (GunPolicy.org)
Calgary Gun Dealer Loses 54 Handguns, Firearm Registry Fingers His Clerk
4 August 2010
Calgary Herald (Alberta)
A man who collaborated with his common-law wife to steal four restricted handguns from a Calgary sporting goods store where she worked as a clerk has been sent to prison.
Steve Claudio Todd, 25, was given three years jail on Tuesday, while Cara Patricia Gavin, 27, got a conditional sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community -- the first year under house arrest at their Airdrie residence.
Both had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of theft... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Tipped to Shoot Up in Wake of New US Supreme Court Ruling
16 July 2010
ABC News (USA)
After a Supreme Court decision affirming the right to bear arms was handed down in June, the owners of Midwest Sporting Goods, just outside of Chicago, started noticed something any retailer would find encouraging an increasing number of customers.
With Chicago's 28-year ban on handgun ownership rendered unconstitutional, more people were coming into Midwest, in Lyons, Illinois, to exercise their Second Amendment rights, according to Noel, the store's owner. He asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Reporter Tests for Gun Show Loopholes, Describes Scene in Minnesota
3 June 2010
City Pages (Minneapolis)
"If there's an unequivocal opposite to growing up around guns," says Andrew Rothman, "it's being raised by New York Jews." He puts down his glass of water and wipes his dark goatee with a napkin. It would be quite the outlandish statement were he not talking about himself.
"I grew up believing guns were bad," he continues. "That's what my parents taught me. But they also taught me to read. That was their first mistake."
Rothman is the executive director of the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Tourists Smuggled 83% of Guns Seized at Canadian Border [Fr]
1 June 2010
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Of 2,777 illegal weapons seized at the Canadian border, 83% were smuggled by American tourists. Of the firearms confiscated, 72% were easily concealable handguns.]
OTTAWA - Les touristes américains qui viennent au Canada n'apportent pas que leurs dollars. Plusieurs d'entre eux tentent de franchir la frontière munis de leurs armes à feu.
En fait, la majorité des armes à feu saisies par les douaniers canadiens appartiennent à des voyageurs... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mayor's Gun Law Revision Aims for More Controversial Measures
25 May 2010
WJI Times Observer (New York)
A proposed package of changes in New York City's gun laws has lit a fire under gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment rights groups. The changes are a part of the gun law reforms proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Bloomberg touts the proposals as a way to streamline the process by which New Yorkers can obtain gun permits. One key change involves reducing the famously lengthy time and difficulty in obtaining a gun permit in New... (GunPolicy.org)
Italian Gun Maker Beretta Rescues Russian Weapon Plant in Joint Venture
7 May 2010
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW - State Technology Corporation Rostekhnologii plans to embark on a joint small arms production venture with Italian firearms company Beretta, Kommersant business daily reported on Friday.
Director General of Rostehnologii Sergei Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday the state corporation is negotiating with the Italian company on the production of "hunting and sporting arms, and handguns for the special services and police."
A source... (GunPolicy.org)
Estranged Husband Welcomed Wife, 4yr-old Daughter, Shot Them Both
31 March 2010
Berwickshire-News (UK)
A tearful neighbour has told an inquest how she saw a Hampshire mother shot by a her ex-partner who then also shot dead the couple's four-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.
Rachel Southon was putting her two boys in a car outside her house in Aldershot, on December 29 last year when Julie Harrison, 40, pulled up with her daughter Maisie.
Mrs Southon told the inquest in Alton, Hampshire, that Ms Harrison kept the engine running as the door was opened... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Carefully Chose an African-American for Pivotal Court Case
30 January 2010
Chicago Tribune
From behind the wheel of his hulking GMC Suburban, 76-year-old Otis McDonald leads a crime-themed tour of his Morgan Park neighborhood. He points to the yellow brick bungalow he says is a haven for drug dealers. Down the street is the alley where five years ago he saw a teenager pull out a gun and take aim at a passing car.
Around the corner, he gestures to the weed-bitten roadside where three thugs once threatened his life.
"I know every day that I come out in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police 'Lose' 3,000 Pistols a Year, Fuel Crime Gun Trade in South Africa
27 January 2010
South African Press Association
The police are "unwittingly fuelling the illegal arms trade" by ordering thousands of new pistols to replace those that have been lost or stolen, the Democratic Alliance said on Wednesday.
Dianne Kohler Barnard said 4 000 new pistols ordered by the South African Police Service (SAPS) were not to boost firepower, but "mostly to replace lost and stolen firearms".
"As revealed on the Armscor website, the ordering of 4 000 new Beretta pistols means that another... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Imports More Handguns to Replace Thousands Lost by Police
27 January 2010
Telegraph (UK)
Almost 3,000 South African police firearms were lost or stolen in just nine months, it emerged today – about three for every police station in the country, which has some of the highest crime rates in the world
The worrying statistic comes less than six months before the football World Cup kicks off in the country.
Dianne Kohler Barnard, the opposition Democratic Alliance shadow police minister, said that the state weapons manufacturer Armscor had recently ordered... (GunPolicy.org)
Many Cops and Military Violating Philippine Election Gun Ban
10 January 2010
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines -- Thirty minutes into Sunday, police officer Dennis Quinto, in civilian clothes, came down the road on a motorcycle with a .45-cal Armscor pistol tucked in his waist.
Quinto, a Police Officer 1 belonging to the regional mobile group of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), never got past the police checkpoint in Quezon City.
He was the first violator of the nationwide election gun ban and one of a total of 18 people arrested in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Bush Employee Nabbed Near US Capitol with 2 Guns and Ammo
23 December 2009
Mother Jones (USA)
The man who was arrested with two guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition
near the Capitol during President Barack Obama's health care speech in
September had been an employee of the George W. Bush White House. The arrest
of the man, Joshua Bowman, was widely reported at the time, but the news
stories made no mention of his previous employment: For several years he
worked in the Executive Office of the President, dealing with tech issues,
including White House emails,... (GunPolicy.org)
Civilians, Reservists Surrender Assault Weapons in Kenya Gun Ban Drive
21 December 2009
Kenyan Broadcasting Service
Residents of Iisiolo district have surrendered 177 assault rifles to the government in a bid to beat the amnesty period deadline.
Security personnel have in the past two weeks also recovered 7,939 rounds of ammunition from civilians while Kenya police reservists have handed back 217 guns issued to them by the government.
Isiolo DC Mr. James Mwaura commended the residents for surrendering illegal firearms and expressed optimism that those in possession of illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Mystery New York 'Drug-related' Shooting Yields Second Handgun
20 December 2009
New York Times
When the police arrived at the crime scene on Amsterdam Avenue between West 83rd and West 84th Streets on Thursday, all the pieces of an initial homicide investigation seemed to fit.
Three dead bodies were found in a third-floor apartment, and a fourth — who, the police suspected, was the killer — was found outside in the back; he was presumed to have fallen out a window.
Two weapons were found: a .380 Hi Point semiautomatic pistol and a bloody knife. And there... (GunPolicy.org)
US Supreme Court Exempts Gun Maker in Shooting of 13yr-old Boy
14 December 2009
WLS-TV News (Chicago)
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the current gun law.
The family of a boy who was shot to death was fighting a law that protects gun makers from lawsuits by shooting victims. But the court refused to hear an appeal from the uncle of a boy accidentally killed by a friend. The suit claimed the gun did not have the proper warnings or safety mechanism.
Family members say they're frustrated and believe there has been no accountability for the shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
School Shooter's Father Let Son Have Gun, Faces 15 Homicide Charges
27 November 2009
Deutsche Welle (Germany) / DPA / AP
German prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the father of a teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree in March. Victims' relatives have demanded that he pay for leaving the murder weapon unsecured.
A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office in the southwestern city of Stuttgart said on Friday that the father of Tim K. had been charged with 15 counts of negligent homicide. A trial date is yet to be announced.
In March, the 17-year-old killed... (GunPolicy.org)
Supreme Court Case Puts Gun Control on US Culture War's Front Burner
18 October 2009
United Press International
WASHINGTON — As the U.S. Supreme Court makes its stately way into the new term, a case over the horizon promises to hit the 20,000 gun control laws in this country with the impact of a 9mm round.
The prep work came last year in District of Columbia vs. Heller. A narrow 5-4 majority struck down the gun control law in the nation's capital, and for the moment settled an argument over just what the Second Amendment to the Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Take Handgun from Drugged Drunk, Montana Judge Gives it Back
8 October 2009
Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri)
Earlier this year, the General Assembly seriously considered allowing concealed firearms on college campuses. The twisted logic held that pistol-toting underclassmen would help prevent the next Virginia Tech-style massacre.
Now comes the curious case of John L. Richard (pronounced "ree-shard").
In November 2006, Scott County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Richard's home in Benton in response to a domestic dispute. His wife told a 911 operator that she had... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Lying Gun Nuts: Bloomberg Gun Show Sting Exposes Loophole
8 October 2009
Daily News (New York), Editorial
The latest gun sting ordered up by Mayor Bloomberg has blown a cannonball-size hole through some of the National Rifle Association's bloodiest lies.
Thanks to the NRA, Congress exempted many sales at gun shows from background-check requirements. Second Amendment fanatics won the day by portraying unlicensed vendors who sold weapons at gun shows as making:
(1) occasional sales,
(2) from personal collections and
(3) not engaged in trafficking for profit.
Lie.... (GunPolicy.org)
Handgun Registration, Tracing Nails US Cop Charged with Trafficking
1 October 2009
New Haven Independent (Connecticut)
Days after cops reported they found a gun owned by Police Sgt. Harold David Setzer in the hands of a convicted felon, Setzer's son came forward with a cover story.
Setzer, 41, of Davis Street in New Haven, remains on paid administrative leave from the Waterbury police force, where he's been a cop for 18 years and a firearms instructor for 10-15 years.
He was arraigned in Connecticut Superior Court on Elm Street Thursday morning. He was arrested Wednesday on seven... (GunPolicy.org)
Pistol Used in 5 US Shootings Traced to Police Sgt Trafficking in Guns
30 September 2009
Waterbury Republican-American (Connecticut)
WATERBURY, Connecticut — Two arrest warrants have been issued for a city police sergeant stemming from charges that several of his guns disappeared and wound up in the hands of felons.
Sgt. David Setzer, a decorated 17-year veteran of the department, is expected to surrender to police in New Haven today on charges of illegally transferring or selling firearms, manufacturing bombs, risk of injury to a minor, illegal possession of explosives and illegal possession of... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggled Handguns Detected by Indonesian Airport Cargo Company
18 September 2009
Jakarta Post
Police and customs and excise officials at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have foiled an attempt to smuggle a package containing two firearms, police said Friday.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Chrysnanda Dwi Laksana said an employee of a shipping company was the first to detect the package at the airport's cargo section on Thursday.
"The employee was suspicious of the package during an X-ray check," Chrysnanda said.
When opening the box, the employee found... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Gets 6yrs for Selling Registered Guns to US Drug Gangs
14 September 2009
The Hour (Connecticut)
NORWALK — A Norwalk man was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison on Friday for selling altered guns that were used in various crimes.
Matthew Caporizzo, 34, was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user of any controlled substance.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Caporizzo allegedly sold... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Dad Helped Son Buy Bullets Used in School Mass Shooting
14 September 2009
Spiegel (Germany)
Earlier this year, Tim K. killed 15 people and himself in a shooting spree that started at his former school in Winnenden, Germany.
According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, the investigation files show that Tim's father went with him to a gun store to buy 1,000 bullets seven weeks before the shooting.
Police investigators have found that the father of Tim K., the 17-year-old who killed 15 people and then himself in the March 11 school shooting spree in and around... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunmaker to Liverpool Underworld, Torch Gun Maker Jailed for 20 Years
12 September 2009
Times (UK)
A judge called a gunmaker who crafted weapons for Merseyside's gangsters as a "dealer in death" as he jailed him at Liverpool Crown Court for 20 years. David Hampson, 44, who could transform a replica firearm into a handgun in 20 minutes, was caught in a 12-month police undercover operation. His speciality was converting miniature torches into single-shot weapons.
Senior officers in Merseyside Police were jubilant at the severity of the sentence which, they say, will... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Encouraged, Gun Culture Thrives in Thailand's Climate of Fear
9 September 2009
Agence France Presse
NARATHIWAT, Thailand — The portly assistant school principal pushes aside his paperwork and from his old leather satchel draws a Chinese pistol — his protection here in the violent Thai south.
"The children don't know I carry a gun," says Prachin Ruengchim, as the laughter of young students carries down from the upstairs classroom. "Almost nobody knows, only close friends. Some other teachers don't know."
The 59-year-old reveals that he always carries the firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Collector Sold 121 Handguns, Machine Guns to NZ Gangs
29 August 2009
New Zealand Herald
The last act in laying bare John Noel Mabey's big lie occurred on Tuesday but the danger to the public will go on for years.
After two years, Mabey, 45, finally admitted in the Thames District Court that the burglary in which he claimed his entire collection of 121 restricted firearms (pistols, machine guns and military-style semi-automatics) was stolen, was an elaborate fake.
Not that anyone had believed him for long. The suspicion of the police officer who... (GunPolicy.org)
Interview with Gun-toting Protester at Obama Rally was Staged by Lobby
18 August 2009
CNN
PHOENIX, Arizona — He was to demonstrating his right to bear arms — and he wanted you to know it.
Video of the unidentified man toting an assault rifle outside President Obama's speech to veterans Monday was aired all over the country, causing a buzz about weapons popping up — legally — around recent presidential events.
The protester, who refused to give his name, was interviewed by a man carrying a microphone and said, "I am almost always armed."
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Tiny Caribbean State (pop. 23,000) Imports Guns, Ammo Worth $2 Million
17 July 2009
Turks & Caicos Weekly News
Almost $2m worth of guns and ammunition has been imported by Islanders in the last three years, the Weekly News can reveal.
The alarming number of licensed firearms in the TCI is raising fears that the nation could be headed for the same fate as many of its trigger-happy Caribbean neighbours, plagued by spiralling gun crime.
Figures — contained in the Government's external merchandise trade statistics 2008 — show that $649,467 worth of arms was brought into the... (GunPolicy.org)
Jailed Students Bought 22 Handguns in US, Smuggled them to Canada
15 July 2009
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba)
WINNIPEG — A young Winnipeg man attending a North Dakota college to play football has admitted to fuelling street crime in his home city by helping smuggle nearly two-dozen high-powered guns across the Canadian border in exchange for cash and drugs, according to court documents.
Thomas Scher, 20, was sentenced in an American courtroom Monday to 366 days jail, in addition to three years of supervised probation, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a... (GunPolicy.org)
Global 'Gun Fight' Tipped as Handgun Makers Bid to Equip Victoria Police
7 June 2009
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A global "gun fight" is expected to break out over the lucrative Victoria Police .
Police will go to tender on Tuesday and international arms makers from across the globe could be in the running.
The contract's specified requirement is that the semi-automatic pistol has a .40 calibre.
Austrian company Glock, Belgian gunsmiths Browning and US company Colt all make a semiautomatic pistol with that size bore.
James Bond's favourite arms manufacturers, Beretta, from... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Drug Cartels Go Bargain Gun Shopping in Houston, Texas
28 May 2009
Reuters
HOUSTON — Mexican drug gangs looking for weapons powerful enough to stop a vehicle, penetrate a bullet-resistant vest or confront an army detachment need look no further than the Houston area's 1,500 gun shops, where merchandise is priced to move.
Guns like the Barrett M-82 sniper rifle, the AK-47 and Bushmaster .223 are among those favoured by cartel hitmen that slaughtered some 6,300 people in Mexico border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana last year.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Governor Gives $6m Handgun Fund Back to 'Paranoid Gun Lobby'
28 May 2009
Orlando Sentinel (Florida), Column
Even in this time of budgetary sacrifice, Gov. Charlie Crist understands certain priorities.
The biggest one is not to offend the NRA when running for the U.S. Senate.
And so with a stroke of his veto pen, Charlie gave the very grateful gun lobby the $6 million it so loudly demanded.
The Legislature provided Charlie with this golden opportunity. Lawmakers played the anti-gun saps so he could play the pro-gun hero.
Desperate to plug budget holes, lawmakers raided... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP's No-show Scuttles Another Bid to Scrap Canada's Gun Registry
25 May 2009
National Post / Canwest News
OTTAWA — An attempt by a Saskatchewan Conservative MP to abolish the controversial long-gun registry quietly died Monday.
Garry Breitkreuz, who represents a riding in rural Saskatchewan, had introduced a private member's bill in the House of Commons aimed at scrapping the controversial registry and the bill was to be debated in the House of Commons Monday morning. But Mr. Breitkreuz failed to show up for the debate and, according to rules of procedure in the House,... (GunPolicy.org)
How Pakistan's Notorious Illegal Gun Industry Runs Arms to Karachi
13 May 2009
News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Collector Jailed, Loses Firearm Licence for Life
6 May 2009
Kingston Whig-Standard (Ontario)
A 65-year-old gun collector, whose illegal outing with several of his weapons last month had Ontario Provincial Police scrambling to detour traffic away from a section of Highway 7 near Sharbot Lake, has been released from custody.
Raymond A. Fletcher was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty in Kingston's Ontario Court of Justice to unsafe use of a firearm, unauthorized transportation of a loaded Ruger handgun and illegal possession of a loaded restricted... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP Stays Mum at Canadian Gun Lobby's Famous 'Pistol Raffle' Bash
19 April 2009
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz attended a gun-lobby dinner last night in Mississauga where a Beretta handgun was the advertised raffle prize — despite misgivings from the Prime Minister's Office and gun-control advocates.
The pro-gun Saskatchewan MP was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the annual general meeting and dinner for the Canadian Shooting Sports Association, but the invitation was withdrawn last month after Breitkreuz faced harsh... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Mass Killer Kept His Fury Private, Rehearsed with Legal Pistols
12 April 2009
New York Times
In November, Jiverly A. Wong walked into an employment center in downtown Binghamton. He had been laid off from his job at a vacuum cleaner plant, and he needed help applying for unemployment benefits.
Speaking in broken English, he struggled to communicate with a receptionist. She told Mr. Wong that a phone number that he could call for assistance provided information in Chinese or Japanese. She asked him if he was either one.
"No, I'm Vietnamese!" Mr. Wong told her,... (GunPolicy.org)
98 Shots Fired in 1 Minute Makes New York Mass Killer 'New Rambo'
8 April 2009
Associated Press
The man who gunned down 13 people at an upstate New York immigration center fired 98 shots from two handguns in a little more than a minute, police said Wednesday, a gunslinging feat one expert said would make him a "new Rambo."
Gun control advocates said if a man who complained about not getting enough in unemployment benefits could afford enough ammunition to repeatedly practice shooting and go into his killing zone with a satchel of bullets around his neck, new ways... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police, Domestic Violence Groups Want to Keep Gun Registry
1 April 2009
Winnipeg Free Press (Manitoba), Opinion
The Conservatives, the party of law and order, appear on a collision course with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
Saskatchewan MP Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville), a fervent opponent of the gun registry, has introduced a private member's bill that launches the most sweeping attack on Canadian gun control since its inception.
Bill C-301 not only has the full backing of the Conservative caucus, but also from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. If just 11... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax US Gun Laws Undermine Mexico's Efforts to Slow Flood of Weapons
31 March 2009
USA Today
MEXICO CITY — There is one gun store in Mexico. Only one. And not just anybody can shop here.
The "Directorate for Arms and Munitions Sales," as the store is called, is run by the Mexican army and occupies two rooms in an olive-green, heavily guarded building near the army's headquarters.
Prospective customers need a permit from the army that can take months to get. And once they buy a gun, there are reams of rules: how much ammunition they can buy each month; where... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Tories 'Disingenuous' Private Bill Tactic to Scrap Gun Registry
30 March 2009
Hill Times (Ottawa)
Conservatives are being "dishonest" by trying to win support on both sides of the divisive gun control issue by relying on Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz's private member's bill to end the long-gun registry rather than bringing in a government bill, says Liberal public safety and national security critic Mark Holland.
"They're trying to whisper in one ear to people who have concerns about the need to continue the registry which includes the chiefs of police by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Lobby, Tory Political Ally Take Flak for Poor Reasoning
23 March 2009
Star Phoenix (Saskatchewan), Editorial
In spite of his persistent electoral success in the Yorkton-Melville riding, Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz is anything but political.
If he had a little more finesse, the longtime opponent of the long gun registry would have trod a little more delicately when asked to address the Canadian Shooting Sports Association next month in Mississauga, Ont.
Not that there is anything wrong or the least bit unnatural with Mr. Breitkreuz addressing a group of gun enthusiasts.... (GunPolicy.org)
Tory MP 'Uninvited' as Gun Lobby Dinner Speaker Following Pistol Uproar
20 March 2009
Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz has been dropped from the speaker's list at a convention of firearms enthusiasts, as the Harper government moves to distance itself from a plan to raffle off a semi-automatic handgun as part of the festivities.
Breitkreuz, who has long campaigned to ease federal gun control laws, had been scheduled to address the Canadian Shooting Sports Association next month — until news broke Thursday of the raffle prize: a Beretta PX4... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Lobby Blames 'Dirty Politics, Dirty Media' in Pistol Fiasco
20 March 2009
Toronto Globe and Mail (Ontario)
A Conservative MP won't be the guest of honour at a gun enthusiasts' dinner in Mississauga next month, but the organization still plans to raffle off a Beretta semi-automatic handgun — a decision that drew fire yesterday from Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and others.
"My advice to them is that they change the item they are going to raffle off to something that is more acceptable," Hazel McCallion said of the door prize the Canadian Shooting Sports Association... (GunPolicy.org)
'Screaming Anti-gunnners' Spoil Canadian Gun Lobby's Pistol Giveaway
19 March 2009
CTV News (Toronto)
An invitation for a Conservative MP to attend a gun lobby dinner near Toronto next month has been withdrawn after a controversy erupted over a handgun being raffled off at the event.
Saskatchewan MP Garry Breitkreuz had been scheduled to attend the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) dinner, where a rare Beretta semi-automatic handgun is being given away as a raffle prize.
Opposition MPs criticized Breitkreuz's choice to attend saying it was an insensitive... (GunPolicy.org)
German School Rampage Killer Told Me He Did It 'For Fun' - Hostage
19 March 2009
Agence France Presse
The man taken hostage by German gunman Tim Kretschmer last week has broken his silence, telling a magazine that the teenager had told him it was "for fun" and wanted to find another school.
Igor Wolf, hijacked by the 17-year-old and forced to drive 40km with a gun in his back, asked him: "Why are you doing this shit?"
"Because it is fun. Because I find it fun," the gunman replied, according to an interview with Wolf to appear in Thursday's edition of Stern magazine.... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Fired 423 Bullets in Pakistan Cricketer Ambush: Every Shot Missed
18 March 2009
Daily Times (Lahore)
LAHORE — Gulberg Police have claimed firing 423 bullets in the Liberty shootout but at the same time admitted that none of the assailants were hit.
The Gulberg incident left six people dead and 16 others, including five Sri Lankan players, injured.
The police have claimed in its reports, copies of which are available with Daily Times, that 17 policemen through 21 weapons fired 423 bullets at the assailants, who fled unharmed.
In the first information report (FIR),... (GunPolicy.org)
Parents of German Killer Never Imagined Him Capable of Gun Massacre
17 March 2009
Associated Press
BERLIN — The family of a German teenager who killed 15 people in a shooting spree said Tuesday the deaths left them agonizing over how they failed to "notice his despair and hatred."
Expressing their shock and sorrow, Tim Kretschmer's parents and sister said they never imagined him capable of gunning down nine students and three teachers at his former high school then slaying three bystanders before taking his own life.
"We keep asking ourselves over and over again... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Debate Rages in Germany, Editorials Predict No Real Change
16 March 2009
Spiegel (Germany)
With memories of last week's school shooting in Winnenden still fresh, many in Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, would like to see stricter gun control laws. German commentators, though, don't think that will ever happen.
Does Germany need new gun control laws? That question has become the focus of political debate in Berlin six days after 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer went on a shooting spree in the southern German town of Winnenden, killing 15 people before... (GunPolicy.org)
German Chancellor Mulls Tighter Gun Law, 78% Want Private Gun Ban
15 March 2009
Reuters
BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for greater supervision of her country's gun laws on Sunday, after a teenager shot dead 15 people last week before killing himself.
Merkel said she had been stunned by the massacre in the southwestern town of Winnenden, where 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer shot 15 people with his father's pistol, including 12 at his former school.
Merkel told Deutschlandfunk radio it was crucial that rules about the storage of weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Killings: Blame Violent Videos, or Easy Gun Access? [NL]
14 March 2009
De Standaard (Antwerp)
[Translated summary: Blaming violent videos for triggering Germany's latest mass school shooting overlooks a more obvious cause: the easy availability to the killer of his father's insecurely stored 9mm semi-automatic pistol.]
Het worden stilaan klassieke beelden in Europese steden. Wenende, geschokte of rouwende mensen rond een openbare plek vol bloemen en brandende kaarsjes, om de slachtoffers te herdenken van een nieuw geval van 'zinloos geweld' door een wilde... (GunPolicy.org)
German Gun Club Killer Had 'Deep Fascination with Guns, Ready Access'
13 March 2009
Australian (Sydney) / Times (UK)
The "unremarkable" teenage killer who went on a rampage in southern Germany on Wednesday with his father's Beretta had a deep fascination with guns and ready access to a domestic arsenal.
To most who knew him, Tim Kretschmer seemed normal, but the 17-year-old from an affluent family, who came back to terrorise the school he left last year with poor grades, had a dark side that few would have guessed at.
His father, Jorg, who runs a packaging company that employs 20... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Trade in Karachi Traced to Craft Gun Industry in Dara Adam Khel
13 March 2009
International News (Karachi)
KARACHI — Pakistani society is plagued by the phenomenon of easy access to arms, and this is one of the reasons why society has become victim to terrorism and conflict. It has been learnt that there are places in the country where different groups are assembling arms imported from various countries. These groups also have the expertise to manufacture the deadly weapons by themselves.
Investigations pointed towards Dara Adam Khel and disputed areas of Pakistan as the... (GunPolicy.org)
German Killer a 'Reclusive Gun Freak, Well Trained in Use of Firearms'
13 March 2009
Independent (UK)
BERLIN — Tim Kretschmer was a reclusive gun freak who had dozens of airguns on display in his bedroom. He liked to practise with his father's arsenal of 15 pistols and rifles on a firing range in the basement of his home. Officials described the 17-year-old killer yesterday as "well trained in the use of firearms".
But the teenager who, on Wednesday, went on a rampage at his former school and shot dead 15 people, also saw himself as a failure. He was said to have... (GunPolicy.org)
Portrait Emerges of Troubled, Depressed, Well-armed German Gunman
13 March 2009
New York Times
FRANKFURT, Germany — A portrait of a troubled, depressed teenager with easy access to an unsecured pistol has begun to emerge in the days after the youth went on a rampage, killing 15 people before taking his own life.
The police have established that the teenager, Tim Kretschmer, 17, last year broke off a round of psychological counseling for depression.
Searching his bedroom, the police found violent computer games — in which, experts say, players digitally... (GunPolicy.org)
German School Massacre: 17yr-old Killer Was 'Totally Normal Teenager'
12 March 2009
Spiegel Online International (Germany)
WINNENDEN, Germany — Inconspicuous. Friendly. Shy. That's how former schoolmates of Tim K. describe him — one day after he gunned down 15 people in a rampage that started at his former school. An eyewitness reports how self-assured he looked with a Beretta in his hands.
She immediately threw herself onto the floor. It was an automatic reaction, as if she had rehearsed the move a thousand times. But she hadn't. Indeed, the first hint Sandra* had that something... (GunPolicy.org)
Detectives' Union Says German Gun Storage Law Weak, 'Not Enforced'
12 March 2009
Wall Street Journal
BERLIN — A shooting rampage that began in a southern German school on Wednesday and left 16 dead is likely to stoke fresh debate in Europe about gun control and public security.
The shooting began about 9:30 a.m., when 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer, a former student, entered Albertville high school in Winnenden, a suburb of Stuttgart. He killed nine students and three teachers with a Beretta 9mm pistol before fleeing, police say. In Winnenden, he killed a passerby and... (GunPolicy.org)
Dad's Legal Handgun Killed 16, Storage 'Negligent,' Say German Police
12 March 2009
Reuters
WINNENDEN, Germany — German authorities are looking into whether to press charges against the gun-collecting father of the teenager who went on a shooting rampage at his former school on Wednesday, killing 15 people.
The motive for the attack by 17-year-old Tim Kretschmer remained unclear a day after the massacre in the southwestern town of Winnenden.
The teenager, who neighbours described as a loner with a fondness for violent videos, appears to have taken his own... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen Killed 15, Self with Dad's Registered 9mm Beretta Pistol
12 March 2009
Washington Post
BERLIN — Residents of a small German town struggled Wednesday to decipher the motives of a teenager who burst into his former high school and went on a shooting rampage, killing 15 people before taking his own life.
Authorities said Tim Kretschmer, 17, entered the Albertville Realschule in the town of Winnenden about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, wearing black clothes and carrying a semiautomatic pistol. They said he fatally shot 12 people there — all but one of them... (GunPolicy.org)
German Teen Aimed for Female Students, Told Parents of His 'Suffering'
12 March 2009
Associated Press
WINNENDEN, Germany — A 17-year-old wielding a Beretta 9mm pistol burst into classrooms at his former high school Wednesday and gunned down students — some of whom died with their pencils still in hand — in a rampage that ended with 15 dead before he took his own life, authorities said.
There was no immediate indication of motive, but the gunman's victims were primarily female: eight of nine students killed were girls, and all three teachers were women. Three men... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany Shocked by Teenager's Killing Spree with Dad's Legal Handgun
11 March 2009
Spiegel Online International (Germany)
Germany was in shock on Wednesday after a 17-year-old youth killed 15 people in a shooting rampage that began at his school, where he shot dead 10 pupils and three teachers. He later took a gun to his own head during a shootout with police. His motive remains a mystery.
A 17-year-old youth killed 15 people in a shooting rampage in Germany that began at his former school and ended in a wild shootout in the parking lot of a car dealer. According to the latest information... (GunPolicy.org)
Supreme Court Refusal Ends New York City's Suit Against Gun Industry
10 March 2009
New York Times
WASHINGTON — New York City's nine-year lawsuit accusing gun makers of flooding illicit markets with their firearms came to an end on Monday, when the United States Supreme Court refused to consider a lower court's dismissal of the case.
Without comment, the justices decided not to review a ruling by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which declared on April 30 that federal law protected the manufacturers from such... (GunPolicy.org)
New York City Loses 9-year Court Battle to Hold Gun Industry Accountable
9 March 2009
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has turned away pleas by New York City and gun violence victims to hold the firearms industry responsible for selling guns that could end up in illegal markets.
The justices' decision Monday ends lawsuits first filed in 2000. Federal appeals courts in New York and Washington threw out the complaints after Congress passed a law in 2005 giving the gun industry broad immunity against such lawsuits.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Afghanistan,Albania
21yr-old US Gun Dealer Got $300m Pentagon Arms Contract, Handcuffs
18 February 2009
Details / GQ (USA)
On the afternoon of May 16, 2007, an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane rumbled down the tarmac at Burgas Airport in eastern Bulgaria, its hold packed with 110,000 grenades bound for Kabul, Afghanistan. The aircraft lifted off, climbed above the rolling farmlands to the west and the Black Sea to the east, and headed toward war.
Half a world away, on the first floor of a sun-dappled office building amid the palm trees of Miami Beach, Florida, a 21-year-old high-school dropout... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Officers Can Break Makarov Tradition, Buy Foreign Pistols - Putin
10 February 2009
Moscow Times
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed a decree allowing some law enforcement officials to carry imported guns for self-defense. The decision is unprecedented in Russia, which is proud of its arms-making traditions.
Putin signed a document Jan. 31 allowing prosecutors and investigators with the prosecutor's office to use the Italian-made Beretta 92, Czech CZ 75 and Austrian Glock 17 pistols, Interfax reported Monday.
Prosecutors previously could carry only Makarov... (GunPolicy.org)
Rush to Buy Guns Includes More Women, Say Florida Gun Show Dealers
28 January 2009
Florida Trend
MIAMI — It was a tough day for Victor Bean. Typically, a weekend in September would find 3,300 people at his Victor Bean Southern Classic Gun and Knife Show in Miami. But the threat of a hurricane had people in line at Home Depot and Publix, making for a very slow day for Bean, a friendly 49 year old. "When things are slow, we joke, 'Where's Bill Clinton when you need him?' "
Many a true word spoken in jest. Two months later, Barack Obama won the presidency, and... (GunPolicy.org)
'Landmark' Indiana Court Ruling Says US Gun Industry Can Be Sued
19 January 2009
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
One by one, local governments have filed lawsuits that try to hold firearms manufacturers responsible for gun violence on city streets.
And, one by one, the lawsuits have either been dismissed by courts or dropped. Until last week.
In what gun control advocates quickly hailed as a landmark decision, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled last week that a lawsuit filed by the city of Gary can proceed toward trial.
That leaves Gary as the last plaintiff standing among more... (GunPolicy.org)
Indiana Court Says Gun Makers Must Prove They're Not a Public Nuisance
13 January 2009
Medill Reports, Northwestern University (Illinois), Web Page
The Indiana Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will allow the City of Gary's lawsuit against sixteen gun manufacturers and six gun dealers to go to trial in the Superior Court of Lake County.
The Indiana Court of Appeals had held in October 2007 that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act does not protect gun manufacturers from knowingly violating Indiana's public nuisance law. The gun manufacturers' appeal of this decision was denied by the state Supreme... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Medill Reports, Northwestern University (Illinois)
Indiana Supreme Court Approves Lawsuit Holding Gun Makers to Account
13 January 2009
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
A nearly decade-old lawsuit seeking to hold gun makers responsible for the city of Gary's rampant crime received a green light Monday to head to trial.
The Indiana Supreme Court declined to review a lower court ruling, ending the second round of appeals since the case was filed in 1999. Gary's suit alleges that 16 gun makers, including Smith & Wesson and Beretta, and six Northern Indiana gun dealers sold handguns they knew would get into the hands of criminals barred... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Irish Gun Owners Lose Another 31 Handguns to Criminals
2 January 2009
Independent (Dublin)
Thirty-one handguns have been stolen by criminals — including the gangster's favourite weapon, a Glock semi-automatic pistol — since the law on licensing was relaxed four years ago.
New official figures show that a variety of pistols, revolvers, air pistols and starting pistols and revolvers have been taken from the owners' homes. A breakdown of the figures show that the haul included one Glock, two Webley revolvers and a Beretta semi-automatic pistol.
Apart from... (GunPolicy.org)
Texan Gun Dealers Deny Responsibility for Arming Mexico's Drug Cartels
14 December 2008
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO — Texas is serving as the armory of Mexico's bloody drug cartels that are ruthlessly killing the guilty and innocent in their battles for dominance of the drug trade routes from Mexico into the United States.
In the first two installments of a three-pieces series of articles published Saturday and Sunday, the San Antonio Express-News reported that the cartels freely pay "straw buyers" — Texans with clean criminal records who can skirt gun laws without... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas is Gunrunners' Land of Plenty and Source of Mexico's Crime Guns
6 December 2008
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico — In the vivid dreams that now comfort 17-year-old Angelica Navarro Calderon, her father often comes to visit, dressed in his police uniform. The bullet hole between his eyes has vanished. Nine other bullet wounds in his chest, arms, leg and back are healing beneath white bandages.
Father and daughter banter about life, just like they did before narcotics traffickers killed him and three other police officers at noon on a busy street last year... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Collector 'Lost' 121 Guns, Armed NZ Gangs for Years to Come
6 December 2008
New Zealand Herald
Guns from a missing Coromandel collection have fallen into the wrong hands and created a black market legacy that will last for decades, say police and a gun control advocate.
One of the guns among Hot Water Beach collector John Mabey's missing pistols, submachine guns and semi-automatic rifles has been identified as the weapon used in a fatal shooting.
Mabey's guns disappeared in July last year, and police say eight of the 10 that have been recovered were found in... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Shows, Dealers, Citizens Supply Most Mexico Drug War Guns
27 November 2008
Federal Government, United States of Mexico, Fact Sheet
How does arms trafficking operate in Mexico?
According to the legal definition, arms trafficking consists of illegally bringing into the country weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives or materials that are reserved exclusively for use by the Army, Navy or Air Force, or that are subject to controls. This regulation is explicit in article 84 of the Federal Firearms and Explosives Act (Ley Federal de Armas de Fuego y Explosivos).
Based on investigations carried out... (GunPolicy.org)
US Election Triggers Upsurge in Sales of Military-style Assault Weapons
6 November 2008
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)
As polls and pundits in recent weeks increasingly pointed to the election of Barack Obama as the next president, scores of Utahns flocked to gun stores.
Obama has supported renewing the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban, which stops the manufacture of several semiautomatic guns with large magazines.
"Such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets," Obama's Web site states.
Local gun dealers quickly are running out of stock of magazines for... (GunPolicy.org)
Toronto Cops Swap 'Loose' Guns for Digital Nikons, No Questions Asked
22 October 2008
Toronto Star (Ontario)
The gun used to kill Toronto police officer Todd Bayliss in 1994 was stolen. The World War II souvenir was taken from a locked closet.
A handgun implicated in the Boxing Day 2005 shooting of student Jane Creba was also procured by illicit means, among countless other examples, criminologists say.
That's why gun amnesty programs, such as the novel one by Toronto police that begins today, are so important.
"It's one of the many measures that can help," Ryerson... (GunPolicy.org)
McCain: 'No Gun Control.' Obama: 'I Will Not Take Your Guns Away'
15 October 2008
Associated Press
BOSTON — John McCain supports background checks for buyers at gun shows and has his name on a law restricting special-interest group advertising, two positions strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association.
So how'd he end up with the group's presidential endorsement? By running against Barack Obama, whom NRA leaders accuse of wanting to put the firearms industry out of business.
"Hillary was right: You can't trust Obama with your guns," the association's... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Culture, Gun Crime on the Rise, But Still Officially Hidden in China
13 October 2008
Wall Street Journal
SHANGHAI — China's weapons laws are among the world's toughest. Its blanket ban on private ownership of rifles, pistols and even gun replicas is a core tenet of social policy. Still, a gun culture is taking hold.
China may be freer from gun crime than many nations, and official statistics show overall crime on a continuous down trend. Yet, these days, reports about gun crimes turn up as often as several times a week even in the tightly controlled state-run media. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Strident, Dismissive US Supreme Court Sides With Foes of Gun Control
30 September 2008
Journal of the American Medical Association / JAMA. 2008;300(13):1575-1577, Editorial
In District of Columbia v Heller, The Supreme Court held, for the first time in its history, that the Second Amendment grants an individual right to possess and use firearms for personal use, which encompasses the right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense. Justice Scalia, writing for a bitterly divided court that split 5 to 4 along ideological lines, said that the Second Amendment "surely elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Journal of the American Medical Association / JAMA. 2008;300(13):1575-1577
US Pays Clandestine Gun Dealers to Flood Iraq with Millions of Weapons
24 September 2008
Asia Times / Inter Press Service News Agency
SAN FRANCISCO — Clandestine gun suppliers, funded by the United States and Iraqi governments, have flooded Iraq with millions of weapons since 2003, charges a new Amnesty International investigation.
Because of faulty or non-existent government tracking systems, many of those guns have gone missing, and some have turned up in the hands of insurgents.
Contracts with one of these companies, Taos Industries, account for almost half of the US$217 million Baghdad and... (GunPolicy.org)
US NRA Launches $40 Million Campaign to Defeat Obama on Guns
24 September 2008
CBS News (USA)
The defining moment in the National Rifle Association's eight-figure advertising offensive against Barack Obama takes place about 15 seconds into a new spot featuring Karl Rusch, a white, middle aged Virginian clad in hunting gear.
After claiming that Obama supports "a huge new tax on my guns and ammo," Rusch closes the door of his truck and turns directly to the camera.
"Where is this guy from?" he asks. "He's probably never been hunting a day in his life."
The... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Iraq,United Nations
US, UK Failing to Monitor Flood of Million Guns into Iraq, Amnesty Warns
17 September 2008
Guardian (UK)
Iraq is being flooded with weapons despite human rights violations by all parties in the conflict there, and without any proper monitoring by the US and Britain over where the weapons end up, Amnesty International says today.
There is no clear accountable audit trail for some 360,000 small arms supplied to the Iraqi security forces, many by the US and UK, it says. Subcontracting makes the arms trade even less transparent. Among examples cited by Amnesty are the supply... (GunPolicy.org)