Gun Policy News
Gun owner licensing and prior criminal, mental history
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
The Deadly Toll of California's Craft Weapons
18 May 2021
Guardian
When Brian Muhammad, a program manager at a gun violence prevention group in California, asked a 16-year-old boy in 2018 how young people were getting guns, he assumed the answer would be Nevada, the neighboring state with looser gun laws.
"Who would waste time going to Nevada when you can just get them in the mail and put it together?" the Stockton teen nonchalantly replied.
Three years later, homemade weapons known as "ghost guns" have risen to the top of the Biden... (GunPolicy.org)
Reports indicate financial costs of gun violence, MA gun laws effective
25 February 2021
Boston Globe
For gun-safety activists or everyday Massachusetts citizens concerned about gun violence, it doesn't get much better than this.
Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Massachusetts is the state with the least amount of gun violence per capita, while a new study by Everytown for Gun Safety concludes that the Commonwealth has the lowest-in-the-nation per capita costs from gun violence. Building on that good news, US Senator Ed Markey... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Shooting Survivors Are Fighting Back
21 February 2018
Guardian
The students who survived a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school are aiming to reshape America's gun control debate.
"You're either with us or against us," senior Emma González told politicians on Sunday, following a viral speech to gun control advocates the day before when she promised, "We are going to be the last mass shooting."
Many people see the American gun control debate as a helpless stalemate dominated by the intransigence of the National Rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Number of Gun Background Checks on US Black Friday
28 November 2016
The Trace (USA)
Hillary Clinton lost her bid for the White House, and the National Rifle Association's 2016 champion Donald Trump is almost certain to leave firearm regulations alone. But America's appetite for guns is more voracious than ever.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System processed more background checks for gun transactions on Black Friday — 185,713 in total — than on any single day since the system launched nearly two... (GunPolicy.org)
One Firearm for Every 16 Inhabitants in Spain [ES]
24 November 2016
Mundiario (Spain)
[Translated Summary: Spain ranks 18th in the global ranking of civilian firearm possession, with one firearm for every 16 inhabitants. To legally own a firearm, applicants must certify that they are going to use it for sport or hunting, they must pass an exam and a background check and present a medical certificate. To own a firearm for self defence, applicants must justify a risk or a threat.]
España, con una de las legislaciones más restrictivas del mundo en el uso... (GunPolicy.org)
American Women Buying More Guns Than Ever, Claims Dealer
22 November 2016
Opposing Views (Canada)
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NCIS) numbers indicate that 2016 is on pace to have the highest number of background checks for guns on record.
Up until the end of October, NCIS conducted 22,206,203 firearm background checks, which is less than 1 million away from the record year of 2015, which ran 23,141,970 firearm background checks. With two more months left to report, 2016 will likely surpass 2015 when the November numbers come through.
NCIS... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks May Affect Suicide Prevention Efforts in US
22 November 2016
The Trace (USA)
There is one question Carol Runyan considers vitally important to ask the parents of suicidal teens: Is there a gun in the house?
Runyan, the director of Program for Injury Prevention, Education, and Research at the Colorado School of Public Health, knows the presence of a firearm in a home increases the odds that someone who lives there will take his or her own life. Guns are reliably lethal — research indicates that suicide attempts involving a firearm result in... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Owners Plan to Eliminate Curbs on Ownership - NYT
22 November 2016
New York Times
HOUSTON — Before the election, gun rights activists were so worried Hillary Clinton would win the presidency that some of them bought extra ammunition and guns, fearing a crackdown on certain weapons, bullets and magazines.
They're not worried now. Instead, since the election of Donald J. Trump, gun advocates have been rejoicing, crowing about their political clout and plotting ways to eliminate many remaining curbs on gun ownership and use as they await one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Is it so Easy to Openly Carry Loaded Rifles in Texas?
17 November 2016
KCBD (Texas), KFDA
Open carry has been legal in Texas for almost a year, but Amarillo law enforcement said they still see more long guns and rifles carried openly than hand guns and pistols.
The problem is the long guns and rifles don't require a license.
One of the most popular guns sold in Amarillo is the AR-15.
Gun experts tell us they're big sellers because they're versatile and can be used for sport and protection.
And unlike a handgun, they don't require any licensing or... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Background Checks Work, May Hamper Suicide Prevention
17 November 2016
Channel News Asia (Singapore), Reuters
Gun control laws that mandate a background check before a gun can be temporarily transferred to a friend or family member may interfere with suicide prevention efforts, researchers say.
The research team looked at what happens when people want to temporarily remove firearms from their home because they fear someone in the house might be considering a suicide attempt. In some states, they found, gun control laws may actually hamper the ability to easily transfer a gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Attempted Illegal Gun Possession Unpunished in Washington
16 November 2016
King 5 (US)
Thousands of people attempted to buy guns this year in Washington state, even though court orders prohibited them from owning firearms.
In all of these cases, the attempt to purchase a firearm was halted because the buyers failed the required background check.
But none of those people needed to fear punishment; their gun crime was one the justice system will let them get away with.
An investigation by KING 5 shows that police and prosecutors rarely pursue criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Trump's Victory Just Wounded US Gunmakers
9 November 2016
Bloomberg (USA)
For all of President-Elect Donald Trump's warnings that Hillary Clinton was coming for America's guns, it turns out that it was his surprise victory that came with immediate pain for the firearm industry. Shares of gunmakers were tanking on Wednesday morning as investors prepare for a gun-friendly Trump presidency. The somewhat counterintuitive thesis goes like this: With the threat of stronger gun control laws fading under a Trump administration, fewer people will rush... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks on All Gun Sales Now to Be Law in Nevada
9 November 2016
Las Vegas Review Journal (Nevada)
Nevadans voted in favor of expanded background checks for private gun sales by the thinnest of margins Tuesday.
The "Yes" vote on Question 1, which would require in-person background checks for all guns sold among friends, online and at gun shows, was approved by a 50.45 percent to 49.55 percent margin, which amounted to less than 10,000 votes statewide.
Starting Jan. 1, Nevadans looking to conduct a private sale or transfer of a gun will have to go to a federally... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Measures Expected to Win in Four US States
8 November 2016
Reuters
Gun control-related ballot measures in four states are expected to pass on Tuesday, opinion polls showed, after gun safety advocates poured a massive amount of money into backing the initiatives.
In Maine and Nevada, residents are voting on whether to mandate universal background checks for firearm sales, including private handgun transactions.
If those two measures pass, half of all Americans would live in states that have such expanded checks. Eighteen states and... (GunPolicy.org)
California to Pass Background Checks for Purchase of Ammo
4 November 2016
New York Times, Editorial
While Congress shamefully fails to face up to the toll of gun carnage, California's lawmakers and voters are forging ahead with innovative safety measures, including mandatory background checks for the purchase of ammunition, not just guns.
The focus on ammunition sales, for which there are no federal controls, is a creative addition to Proposition 63, a ballot initiative that polls indicate should pass on Tuesday. It is being watched as a barometer of the re-emergence... (GunPolicy.org)
US$ Millions Spent to Expand Gun Sale Background Checks
2 November 2016
New York Times, Reuters
Gun safety advocates are pouring tens of millions of dollars into Maine and Nevada to support ballot initiatives that would mandate background checks for gun sales in an effort to clinch state-level victories after years of failed drives in Congress.
The avalanche of money spent on supporting such initiatives ahead of the Nov. 8 vote could hand gun control organizations their biggest win since they failed to secure the passage of federal legislation after the massacre... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Control Groups Aiming Their Money at State Ballots
2 November 2016
NPR (USA)
Gun control has been a minor theme of this year's presidential election, as Hillary Clinton promises to close "loopholes" in the background checks for gun purchasers, and Donald Trump pledges "unwavering support" for the Second Amendment.
The real battle over guns, though, has been waged at the state level this year — with a new emphasis on ballot initiatives.
Washington is a prime example. Like many western states, it has a tradition of permissive gun laws; there's... (GunPolicy.org)
Gaps in Washington Gun Law: US Attorney General's Report
1 November 2016
Northwest News Network (US)
A new white paper by the Washington state attorney general's office finds the state's system of conducting background checks for gun purchases to be fragmented, complex and inconsistent.
In Washington, rifle purchases are fairly straightforward. A licensed gun dealer conducts an instant background check and if approved the sale can go through. But pistol purchases are different. That system relies on 260 local law enforcement agencies and can involve several databases... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton #2 Tim Caine: US Gun Violence Is a Public Health Crisis
1 November 2016
Time (USA)
In every elected office I have held over the past 20 years, gun violence has been a serious issue. When I was mayor of Richmond, Virginia, our city had one of the highest homicide rates in the country. When I was governor, our commonwealth experienced the worst campus shooting in U.S. history. And as I serve in the U.S. Senate and our country falls victim to one mass shooting after another, Congress has yet to pass any commonsense gun safety legislation. Like many... (GunPolicy.org)
Why US Domestic Abusers Often Get to Keep Their Guns
31 October 2016
The Trace (USA)
Last month, Rashied Mitchell shot and killed a Seattle mother, Tabitha Apling, in front of their two young children. At the time, Mitchell was subject to a court order barring contact with Apling, his ex-girlfriend. Mitchell had a rap sheet of at least 12 prior similar convictions, and had been arrested for an alleged domestic violence attack against Aplin just days before her death.
This scenario is not unusual. Under federal law, anyone convicted of domestic violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Too Bad, NRA: Even Your Members Want Background Checks
31 October 2016
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada), Editorial
When you see a political ad that opens with a burly guy cleaning a pistol with a rack of rifles in the background, you'd be excused if you braced yourself for yet another blast of NRA paranoia.
The Second Amendment is under fire! Don't let the government infringe on your rights by _________ (fill in the blank with any action aimed at reducing gun violence, regardless of how pragmatic it might be.)
We've heard the NRA's over-the-top rhetoric for years, and the result... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Election Day Ballots to Advance Gun Control in US States
31 October 2016
Christian Science Monitor
Voters in four states will decide on Election Day whether to enact more stringent firearms laws, as gun control activists outspend gun rights groups in an aggressive policy-shaping strategy that some have likened to the nationwide push for same-sex marriage.
Unlike past elections, there are no state initiatives to expand gun rights anywhere in the United States. The only ballot measures are designed to keep firearms away from people deemed dangerous in Maine, Nevada,... (GunPolicy.org)
4 US States to Weigh Tougher Gun Control in Nov. 8 Election
30 October 2016
Fortune (USA), Associated Press
The last time voters in Maine were asked about gun rights, they easily passed a constitutional amendment creating a right to own firearms that "shall never be questioned."
Three decades later, the state known for its hunting tradition will vote on whether to tighten restrictions on gun sales and transfers.
Maine is one of four states, along with California, Nevada and Washington, where voters will decide Nov. 8 whether to enact tougher firearms laws. In a change from... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'National Dialogue Has Changed' on Guns - 130 of the Worst
21 October 2016
New York Times
John R. Houser was dangerously mentally ill, too ill to carry a gun. Of that, there is little doubt.
Over 16 years, Mr. Houser, 59, had been charged with hiring a man to burn down a lawyer's office and named in a domestic violence complaint. In 2008, after Mr. Houser threatened to kill his daughter's fiancé, a judge issued a temporary restraining order and ordered him hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation. In 2014, he threatened to shoot law enforcement officers who... (GunPolicy.org)
US Groups Push New Gun Control Evidence, Election Sways
11 October 2016
New York Times
With guns emerging as a major flash point in the presidential race and campaigns nationwide, gun-control advocates are spending tens of millions of dollars on a central message: Stronger firearms laws can reduce gun violence.
Although the National Rifle Association has long rejected that assertion, a growing body of evidence from academics, advocacy groups and others supports the link between gun restrictions and a reduction in violence.
The latest analysis comes out... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Americans Support Common-Sense Gun Regulation - NYT
10 October 2016
New York Times, Editorial
The vast majority of Americans — about nine in 10 — support reasonable, common-sense gun regulations. The numbers are only slightly lower among gun owners and members of the National Rifle Association. And yet, year after year, lawmakers in Congress and in statehouses across the country, all beholden to the gun lobby, act as if the opposite were true.
They reject even mild, sensible laws — such as background checks and bans on gun ownership by domestic abusers or... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Key US States Will Vote Pro/Con Stricter Gun Control
6 October 2016
USA Today
WASHINGTON — Voters in four states will decide on proposed gun restrictions next month, as gun-safety proponents, often rebuffed by Congress and state officials, increasingly turn to ballot initiatives to push passage of stricter firearms laws.
Voters in Maine and Nevada will decide whether to expand background checks for gun buyers. In Washington state, where activists passed a background-check measure two years ago, voters will decide whether judges can temporarily... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Such Different Gun Ownership, Suicide Rates in US States?
29 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
Massachusetts and New Hampshire share more than a border, Puritan heritage, and the New England Patriots. Both states are prosperous, with median household incomes and state health care systems that rank among the top ten in the country. They're predominantly white and largely Christian.
Despite these similarities, the two states diverge drastically in a key public health metric. In 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, New Hampshire's gun suicide... (GunPolicy.org)
Justice Dept Flags 'Deficiencies' in US Gun Sale System [FR]
28 September 2016
VOA Afrique (Africa)
[Translated summary: According to a report by the inspection service of the American Justice Department, the control system of gun buyers has 'deficiencies', specially regarding the update of data bases. For example, gun dealers need to send the clients' data to the FBI for them to perform a background check. If they don't receive results in three days, they are free to sell to that client.]
Le système de contrôle des acheteurs souffre de "faiblesses", notamment dans... (GunPolicy.org)
Clinton Doesn't Spur Gun Sales as Much as Obama Did
25 September 2016
Washington Post
Few people have sold more guns than Barack Obama. In March of last year, we looked at the effects of his presidency on the gun industry, estimating that the gun industry had seen about $9 billion more in sales during Obama's presidency than might otherwise have been expected. That's an estimate, but it's clear that the past eight years have been a boon for gun manufacturers. Half of the guns in the United States are owned by 3 percent of adults, suggesting that people... (GunPolicy.org)
Missouri Gun Law Eliminates Safeguards for Hidden Handguns
23 September 2016
Washington Post, Editorial
Most States require a person who wants to legally carry a concealed handgun in public to acquire a permit and, in most cases, receive firearms training. Giving law enforcement a say in who can carry guns in America's cities and neighborhoods, while ensuring they are properly trained, just makes sense. Unfortunately, that commodity is in short supply in Missouri, where lawmakers buckled to pressure from the national gun lobby and overrode the governor's veto of a bill... (GunPolicy.org)
40% of Gun Sales in Maine Don't Require Background Checks
14 September 2016
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Editorial
If the point of requiring background checks before selling guns is to keep firearms out of the hands of people who aren't supposed to have them, Maine, along with most other states, is failing. That's because an estimated 40 percent of gun sales take place online or through other venues that do not require background checks.
Federal and Maine law prohibits the sale of firearms to felons, domestic abusers and others deemed too dangerous to own them. But without... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Sale Background Checks Rise to Record Number
6 September 2016
CNN
Guns are selling at unprecedented levels this summer, which means 2016 is well on its way to breaking the all-time record for background checks.
Background checks conducted by the FBI totaled 1,853,815 in August 2016, a 6% increase from August 2015.
That's the most checks ever in the month of August since the FBI started conducting background checks in 1998. In fact, every monthly tally this year has hit an all-time high, meaning that 2016 is on track to be the record... (GunPolicy.org)
Many Stringest Tests Required to Own a Firearm in Japan
31 August 2016
The Blaze (USA)
The right to "keep and bear arms" in America is expected to be a hot topic for both Republicans and Democrats leading up to the election, as the debate rages between those who see America as a great place to own a gun and those who believe we are a country with too many guns and seek to get rid of the Second Amendment.
But what about gun rights other countries?
Last weekend, Fareed Zakaria's "Global Public Square" on CNN spent an entire hour sharing "lessons" about... (GunPolicy.org)
Durable, 3D-Printed 'Glock' Fires 18 Shots, 1000s of Rounds
25 August 2016
Outdoor Hub (US)
One thing can be said about the firearms community as a whole: there is plenty of fascination with new possibilities. Whether it is the hot gun du jour, or another promising new trend, our curiosity is often piqued and many of us want a piece of the pie.
3D printed guns are no exception.
As the possibility of a 3D printed gun hit the internet a few years ago, it was met with immediate attention. It was almost as if an electrically charged hush fell over the pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
New Amendments to Toughen Firearm Licensing in Namibia
17 August 2016
New Era (Namibia)
Over the years Namibia has seen a steady escalation in violent crimes ranging from suicide to so-called crimes of passion that have resulted in hundreds of lives lost. Many of these incidents are attributed to the fact that too many people can too easily easily buy guns of their choice.
Now proposed new amendments to the Arms and Ammunition Act are expected to make it harder to acquire a firearm license, especially small arms, like pistols. Amongst others, the new... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Maker Stocks Surge After Record Background Checks
1 August 2016
Guardian
The gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson's share price reached an all-time high on Monday after it was reported that the background checks for new guns had set a new record for July.
Shortly after the FBI announced July's figures on Monday afternoon, shares in the second largest gun manufacturer hit $30.59 each. Smith & Wesson's shares closed the day at an all-time high of $30.36, up 3% for the day and beating a previous record high of $29.37 set in March.
Shares in Sturm... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Already Strict Gun Laws Are Tightened Even Further
1 August 2016
Washington Post
NEW DELHI — As mass shooting incidents in the United States rise, India has tightened its firearms regulations, making it even more difficult for common citizens to own a gun.
India already had one of the strictest gun laws in the world, a vestige of British colonial rule, which aimed to disarm its subjects. India law allows citizens to own and carry guns, but it is not a right enshrined in the constitution. Getting a gun license in India is a difficult task that can... (GunPolicy.org)
New California Law Requires Registration of All 3D-Printed Guns
25 July 2016
Digital Trends (USA)
Signed into law last week by California Governor Jerry Brown, anyone that attempts to create a homemade firearm with technology like a 3D printer will be required to apply for a serial number from the state's Department of Justice. This new law is also designed to close a loophole that's allowed gun enthusiasts to sell "unfinished receivers;" items like the core frame of a firearm as well as ammunition feeders and firing pins.
The serial number, or another form of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Street-level Police are More Likely to Support Gun Rights
19 July 2016
Guardian
US police officers, on the front lines of gun violence every day, have particular reason to be on edge in the presence of civilians carrying guns, after 11 days in which eight officers were killed in two planned shootings.
With Cleveland's open-carry law now also in the spotlight as many fear violence around the Republican national convention, the Cleveland police union went so far as to ask Governor (and former Republican presidential candidate) John Kasich to suspend... (GunPolicy.org)
The NRA Accidentally Made a Great Case for Gun Control
19 July 2016
Nation (USA)
Cleveland —The National Rifle Association sent its top lobbyist, Chris Cox, onto the stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night. Keeping with the theme of the proceedings—scary people are coming to kill you—Cox told a little parable:
Imagine a young mother at home with her baby, when a violent predator kicks the door in. He's a three-time loser who was released from prison early because some politician wanted to show their compassion. What's she... (GunPolicy.org)
51 Times More Gun-Related Deaths In USA Than In Canada
8 July 2016
National Observer (USA)
Five police officers were killed in a Dallas mass-shooting Thursday night, blocks away from where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 53 years ago.
Twelve police officers and two civilians were shot during the attack that saw one sniper — who targeted white police — open fire on officers working a peaceful protest in response to police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana.
In Dallas, the shooter, 25-year-old Micah Johnson, was trained in the military and... (GunPolicy.org)
Mistake Allowed Racist Mass Killer to Buy a Gun - US FBI
2 July 2016
Independent (UK)
The FBI is being sued by survivors of the deadly attack on a church in Charleston who say that mistakes by investigators allowed alleged shooter Dylann Roof to purchase a gun.
Nine people were killed in June 2015 as they attended a bible study at the Emanuel AME Church in the South Carolina city. Dylann Roof, 22, a white supremacist, has been charged with nine counts of murder over the shootings and he faces the death penalty if convicted.
In a lawsuit filed by three... (GunPolicy.org)
California Lawmakers Pass Raft of Gun Control Bills
30 June 2016
Los Angeles Times
Spurred by outrage over recent mass shootings, California lawmakers on Thursday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a sweeping package of gun control bills, including a ban on the sale of semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, background checks for those buying ammunition and new restrictions on homemade firearms.
The flood of bills was introduced in response to the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino that killed 14 people at a holiday party, but momentum for... (GunPolicy.org)
Seven Reasons It's So Easy to Buy a Gun In the US
20 June 2016
Teen Vogue
The monstrous shooting at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, two Sundays ago has brought America's lax gun laws back into tragic focus.
The killer, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, used a 9mm Glock 17 and a Sig Sauer MCX assault rifle that he purchased legally — despite investigations in 2013 and 2014 by the Federal Bureau of Investigations for his potential ties to terrorism.
The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, according to data... (GunPolicy.org)
Orlando Shooting Unlikely to Bring Major New Gun Laws - NYT
16 June 2016
New York Times
WASHINGTON — It didn't happen after a congresswoman was shot in the head at an official event. It didn't happen after 20 children were gunned down in their elementary school classrooms. It didn't happen after terrorists fired on a holiday party at an agency that provided services for people with disabilities in Southern California.
Now, after the worst mass shooting in American history, major new gun control legislation is still not likely to pass in... (GunPolicy.org)
Six US Politicians, Leaders in Gun Violence Prevention
15 June 2016
Salon (USA)
The House of Representatives acknowledged the victims of last weekend's Orlando massacre in predictable fashion on Monday: not with discussion of why a man once on an FBI terror watchlist was able to legally purchase the guns he used to kill at least 49 people, but with a time-honored ritual that has become so commonplace as to lose all meaning: the moment of silence.
Speaker Paul Ryan called for the obligatory gesture, bowed his head for a few seconds, and then... (GunPolicy.org)
What We Know About the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando
12 June 2016
Everytown for Gun Safety
In the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, a gunman shot and killed at least 49 people and shot and injured at least 53 others inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL. According to a law enforcement source, the gunman had been a person of interest in two FBI investigations in 2013 and 2014 and at the time was placed on a terrorist watch list. Due to a loophole in federal law, the government is unable to block gun sales to people who have been investigated for... (GunPolicy.org)
US General Petraeus, Astronaut Kelly In New Gun Control Group
10 June 2016
The Hill
Gen. David Petraeus and retired astronaut Mark Kelly announced Friday they are forming a new gun control group for veterans.
The Veterans Coalition for Common Sense will push to strengthen gun background check laws and help prevent veterans from committing suicide. It pointed to several alarming statistics about the military and gun violence.
According to the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), about 22 veterans kill themselves each day.
Since September 11, 2001, more... (GunPolicy.org)
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Aim to Curb Gun Background Checks
7 June 2016
Guns.com
Legislation will be brought up Tuesday in the House to replace the troubled Pennsylvania Instant Check System that has long drawn the ire of gun rights advocates.
The proposal to scuttle the system in favor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Background Check System, is backed by Republican Speaker Mike Turzai and currently has over 70 bipartisan sponsors.
"The PICS system duplicates the background check which is already completed when a NICS... (GunPolicy.org)
1934 US Firearm Law Shows How Well Gun Control Can Work
31 May 2016
New York Times, Opinion
For more than 80 years, the United States has enforced a tough and effective gun control law that most Americans have never heard of. It's a 1934 measure called the National Firearms Act, and it stands as a stark rebuke to the most sacred precepts of the gun lobby and provides a model we should build on.
Leaders of the National Rifle Association rarely talk about the firearms act, and that's probably because it imposes precisely the kinds of practical — and... (GunPolicy.org)
US 3rd-Party Gun Sales Don't Require Background Checks
25 May 2016
WKRN TV Nashville
NASHVILLE – If you buy a hand gun from a gun shop in Tennessee, you need to pass a background check.
But if two private citizens buy and sell a gun, that transaction doesn't require a background check—and it is legal.
News 2's Andy Cordan was offered a chance to buy a gun on the street the other day from a man who first tried to pawn it.
It happened Monday about 5 p.m. when the man left the shop in South Nashville carrying a gun he later identified as a TEC-9, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Ownership Rises Each Year in Belgium [FR]
24 May 2016
Derniere Heure (Brussels)
[Translated summary: Despite strict laws, the number legally owned firearms increases from 1 to 2% every year in Belgium. Applicants must have a clean criminal record, pass a background check and also have a genuine reason to own a gun. Possible reasons are: hunting, sport, personal defence only for people with a specific risk, putting together a historical collection or participating in historical or folkloric activities.]
Malgré une législation stricte, le nombre... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Gun Safety Initiatives to Watch in US Election 2016
23 May 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
After a bill to expand background checks for gun buyers stalled in the Washington state legislature in 2013, gun safety advocates tried a different path forward: collecting enough signatures to put the measure on the 2014 ballot. That November they landed a decisive victory, with 60 percent of voters approving the measure. Despite the longtime influence of the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun lobbyists in the nation's statehouses, background checks are... (GunPolicy.org)
In Many US States the Mentally Ill Can Easily Buy Guns
16 May 2016
Union Leader (New Hampshire)
Despite a history of psychiatric illness, the man accused of shooting two Manchester police officers on Friday was able to walk into a Derry gun store and purchase the handgun linked to the shooting, according to court records released on Monday.
Police affidavits said Ian MacPherson, 32, purchased a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun at Chester Arms on April 1, after successfully completing a background check through the New Hampshire State Police Gunline.
New... (GunPolicy.org)
Twelve Straight Months of Record US Gun Sale Inquiries
4 May 2016
Washington Free Beacon
This April saw the most gun-related background checks of any April on record, making it the 12th month in a row to achieve a high water mark for gun sales.
The FBI ran 2,145,865 checks through the National Instant Background Check System last month, according to the agency's records. That represents more than a 400,000 increase over the previous record set in April 2014. Though the numbers represent the best April on record, the month also saw the fewest checks of any... (GunPolicy.org)
Inside Secret Group For Gun Owners Banned From Facebook
3 May 2016
Forbes (USA)
He's been called "a good guy working for us behind enemy lines," "one of our allies," "a man who gives us hope," and, "the ultimate badass."
His name is Chuck Rossi, and he's a director of engineering at Facebook. He's also one of the company's most prominent gun enthusiasts, who, by his own account, has trained hundreds of fellow employees to shoot pistols. More recently, Rossi has taken on a new, unofficial, role: advocate for gun groups on Facebook.
For months,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun, Pistol Manufacturer Sales Up 26% from Last Year
3 May 2016
Guardian
Sturm, Ruger & Co, one of the largest gun manufacturers in the US, reported sales of $173.1m for the first quarter of 2016, up 26% from last year and some of the highest earnings in the company's 67-year history.
At a shareholding meeting, executives said "we are good citizens" and predicted that demand for guns could continue to grow thanks to the increasingly heated political rhetoric of the 2016 election, and a long-term trend of Americans wanting guns for... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Puts His Weight Behind Smart-Gun Technology
29 April 2016
New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Obama will use the power of his office to try to jump-start long-stalled "smart-gun" technology that could eventually allow only the owner of a firearm to use it, the White House announced Friday.
Over the opposition of gun rights groups, he also vowed to push ahead with a new federal policy giving the F.B.I. access to more mental health records of some Social Security recipients to better flag people who might be banned from buying a gun.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Could Australia's Gun Control Laws Be Weakening?
28 April 2016
The Conversation
Gun violence has halved in Australia since laws were changed under the National Firearms Agreement adopted in the wake of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Before the killing of 35 people by 28-year-old Martin Bryant at Port Arthur in Tasmania, each state and territory had different gun laws. Western Australia had the strongest laws and lowest rates of gun violence; Queensland had the weakest laws and gun violence was high.
In 1987, five people in the Northern Territory... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Advocates Ask for Tighter Regulation of Firearms
27 April 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
Gun control advocates have called for tighter regulation of firearms on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, saying that landmark gun control measures passed in its wake have since been eroded.
"We don't want laws regressing but that is what I see in NSW and that is why my sister was able to access a firearm," said Michelle Fernando at NSW Parliament on Wednesday.
Ms Fernando's father, Vincent, was shot dead six years ago after his daughter -... (GunPolicy.org)
More Stringent Requirements for California Gun Dealers
19 April 2016
Breitbart News (USA)
On April 19, a bill that could literally ban all Federal Firearm License holders (FFLs) from doing business in the state of California goes before the State Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection.
The bill – Assembly Bill 2459 – is sponsored by Assembly Member Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). If passed, it would shackle FFLs with four new requirements, the totality of which could simply force gun stores to close their doors.
The NRA-ILA reported the... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposed #California Gun, Ammo Control Law 'Won't Help'
8 April 2016
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
What if we passed a law knowing that even usually law-abiding people wouldn't comply with it? This fall, California voters may do just that if they approve Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's Safety for All gun reform initiative. The result could be a small enhancement in public safety, and a potentially significant increase in disrespect for the law.
The Safety for All ballot measure has two main provisions: a requirement that purchasers of ammunition undergo a background check,... (GunPolicy.org)
Fox News To Blame for Upsurge in US Gun Sales: Newsweek
6 April 2016
Newsweek (USA), Opinion
There are a lot of reasons why Americans buy firearms, but one of the main reasons is the concern that gun control is, this time, really going to happen, and it's necessary to buy guns now, because you won't be able to later.
Why would Americans think this? Perhaps because the news media, and Fox News in particular, are saying it. The possibility of gun control may make for good ratings, but it's also directly responsible for millions of additional gun sales in America... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Law Loopholes Raise Fatal Domestic Abuse Risk
4 April 2016
Refinery 29 (USA)
The beginning of Jitka Vesel's story is familiar. Back in 2008, she briefly dated a man she met online. When she decided they didn't have a connection, she broke it off.
That's when Dmitry Smirnov began stalking her.
For three years, Smirnov pursued Vesel. She reported the harassment, changed her phone number, cut off contact with her stalker — even moved. In 2011, Smirnov followed Vesel to the parking lot of her workplace. He killed her, shooting her 12 times as... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks, Bullet Tracing to Curb US Gun Deaths
17 March 2016
Reuters
If every state in the U.S. had mandatory background checks for gun and ammunition purchases and required traceable bullets, firearms-related deaths might plunge by more than 80 percent, a new study projects.
More than 31,600 people died by guns in the U.S. in 2010, a rate of 10.1 deaths for each 100,000 residents. Hawaii had the lowest death rate – 3.21 for each 100,000 people – while Alaska had the highest – 20.3 for every 100,000 residents.
Laws that require... (GunPolicy.org)
'Uber Made Me Do It' Says Kalamazoo Mass Killer Cabbie
15 March 2016
Detroit Free Press
A Kalamazoo Uber driver accused of killing six people and wounding two others last month told police that the ride-sharing app took over his "mind and body" and made him carry out the rampage.
In a series of interviews with police in the hours after the Feb. 20 shootings, Jason Dalton, 45, blamed the killings on the Uber app, saying his iPhone directed him where to go and when to shoot people. Dalton said he would have gotten in a shootout with police when he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns on Facebook a Problem Even Facebook Can't Solve
10 March 2016
Forbes (USA)
An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. Ammunition for your concealed carry handgun. Your grandfather's hunting shotgun.
Virtually any gun, gun part or accessory you can think of is being sold or traded on Facebook today, in flagrant violation of the site's new policies.
In January, Facebook announced it was banning the private sale of guns and ammunition on its site and on Instagram, which it owns. The move was applauded by gun violence prevention groups that advocate for... (GunPolicy.org)
What's the Solution to Gun Violence in America?
8 March 2016
Atlantic (USA)
Any American with even a glancing familiarity with the news can rattle off the progression, a litany of place names transformed from cities and towns into metonyms for gun violence: San Bernardino, Colorado Springs, Umpqua, Charleston, Fort Hood, Navy Yard, Sandy Hook, Aurora …. That doesn't even take into account the thousands Americans killed by guns in single-death murders, or the roughly 21,000 who take their own lives with firearms annually.
The many shootings... (GunPolicy.org)
A Look at Thailand's Fervent Gun Culture
19 February 2016
Deutsche Welle
Widely known as a welcoming tourist destination, Thailand is also a country awash with easily obtainable firearms, featuring one of the highest gun homicide rates in Asia. DW examines why gun ownership remains so high.
Thailand has the highest reported rate of gun-related deaths in Southeast Asia - almost 50 percent more gun homicides than the Philippines. And with 7.48 registered violent gun deaths per 100,000 people, the figure is also twice as high as that of the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Botswana,Algeria,Libya,South Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Djibouti
7 African Nations More Effective at Gun Control than the US
11 January 2016
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
In a BBC interview last July, US President Barack Obama admitted that failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US has been the greatest frustration of his presidency.
Since he took office in 2008, there have been repeated mass shootings including the 2011 Tucson Arizona shooting in which Gabrielle Giffords, then a member of Congress and 18 others were shot in a supermarket parking lot. Six people died that day.
Another shooting was at Emanuel African... (GunPolicy.org)
10 Americans Who Shaped the Gun Debate This Year
28 December 2015
Trace (USA)
Deborah Azrael, gun-violence researcher
Despite some 300 million guns in circulation in America, research on guns and gun violence remains seriously underfunded. Among the handful of public health experts helping to expand the available pool of data is Dr. Deborah Azrael of Harvard's Injury Control Research Center. Azrael co-authored a seminal study in 2015 that found firearm suicide rates are higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership, underscoring the... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Guns in US Mass Shootings Were Legally Obtained
5 December 2015
NBC News (USA)
The weapons used in this week's massacre in San Bernardino, California, were purchased legally, raising questions about how preventable gun violence is under current U.S. firearm laws.
Eighty-two percent of weapons involved in mass shootings over the last three decades have been bought legally, according to a database compiled by Mother Jones magazine that defines a mass shooting as taking the lives of at least four people in a public place. Using that criteria, Mother... (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)
10 August 2015
Economist
With one of the highest murder rates among OECD countries—second only to Mexico—America retains its reputation as a disproportionately dangerous country. The number of violent assaults in America is comparable to those of other western countries, yet murders are much more common. The prevalence of guns goes a long way toward explaining America's terrible record—they are used in two-thirds of all murders. Americans are five times as likely to be murdered as Brits... (GunPolicy.org)
Studies on the Link Between Mental Health and Gun Violence
19 November 2014
New Yorker
On Friday, October 24th, during the busy lunch hour in the school cafeteria of Marysville-Pilchuck High School, in Marysville, Washington, Jaylen Fryberg opened fire on his classmates, killing one student and wounding four others, three of whom later died from their injuries. Then he killed himself.
Just a week earlier, Fryberg had been crowned prince of the school's homecoming court—he was a community volunteer, student athlete, and all-around "good kid." But within... (GunPolicy.org)
Does Rural Australia Have a Gun Problem?
27 October 2014
The Conversation, Opinion
The recent multiple homicide in a small Victorian township, coming barely a month after a mass shooting in rural New South Wales, may give the impression that firearm-related murders in rural Australia are rampant.
It would be easy to attribute this to higher density of gun ownership in country areas relative to cities, particularly where farming is a dominant industry and firearms are "tools of the trade". But understanding gun violence is not that simple.
Firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
As UK MP Suggests Relaxing Laws, Secret Life of Britain's Guns Uncovered
7 June 2014
Voice of Russia, Audio
The leader of the UK Independence party, Nigel Farage, has suggested in an interview that Britain's gun laws should be relaxed. He said it was party policy for hand guns to be legalised and licensed in the UK. They've been banned for the last 18 years following the Dunblane School shooting in 1996.
VoR's Juliet Spare hosts a discussion.
Recent statistics from London's ambulance service reveal paramedics were called to 973 victims under the age of 25 suffering a gun or... (GunPolicy.org)
We Need Better Data for a Serious Gun Control Debate in America
27 May 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
Even before the massacre of six people in Santa Barbara had reached its bloody conclusion, the Great American Gun debate was taking shape. Some headlines described a deranged lunatic intent on retribution against women. Others honed in on the premeditated nature of the killing spree and argued that better armed civilians could have prevented the carnage. Still more highlighted how access to a semi-automatic pistol dramatically increased the number of dead and injured.... (GunPolicy.org)
As US Congress Sleeps, More Americans Die – New York Times
27 May 2014
New York Times, Editorial
Richard Martinez has a message for the politicians who have been calling to express condolences on the death of his son, Christopher Michaels-Martinez, in the massacre of six people in Isla Vista, Calif., on Friday: "I don't care about your sympathy," he said. "Get to work and do something."
Through his tears, he called lawmakers in Washington "a rudderless bunch of idiots" for bowing to the National Rifle Association and refusing to enact restrictions that might have... (GunPolicy.org)
Georgia's Lax, Lax Gun Laws Feed New York Crime Gun Market
22 May 2014
New York Daily News
When Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson put out a 558-count indictment against six firearms traffickers who conspired to sell illegal guns here, all 155 of the weapons recovered by the NYPD came from one place: Georgia.
If you think you've heard this story before, you have. Last September, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. indicted an individual who had illegally trafficked a huge stockpile of guns — via the post office — here from Georgia.
As... (GunPolicy.org)
Do Background Checks Prevent Disturbed People From Getting Guns?
22 May 2014
Mother Jones (USA)
It's a question at the heart of the gun debate. Most Americans think the answer is yes (an overwhelming majority continues to support comprehensive background checks for gun buyers), while the National Rifle Association emphatically believes the opposite (its leadership opposes new firearm regulations of virtually any kind). Now, a new report from the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety crunches some actual data: Citing figures from the FBI, the gun-reform group... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg,United States,Germany
Ten Things the Gun Industry Won't Tell You – Wall St Journal
20 May 2014
Wall Street Journal
1. "Owning our product may be hazardous to your health."
In the U.S., there are now somewhere between 270 million and 310 million guns, according to the Pew Research Center — that's almost one gun for every person in the nation. Judges and legislators across the political spectrum recognize the constitutional right to bear arms. And gun and ammunition sales to private citizens are a significant part of a nearly $15 billion industry that's seeing plenty of growth: On... (GunPolicy.org)
Untraceable Homemade Assault Rifles Exploit US Gun Law Loophole
16 May 2014
Portland Press Herald (Maine) / Washington Post
SAN FRANCISCO — It was John Zawahri's failure to pass a background check that prevented him from buying a firearm in California several years ago.
So the 23-year-old obtained an "unfinished receiver," the metal piece that holds the critical mechanisms that allow guns to fire, and built an assault rifle himself. Last summer, he went on a rampage at a college in Southern California, firing about 100 rounds and killing five people before police fatally shot... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Youth Gun Programme Ends in Mentally Ill Woman Fatally Shooting Dad
27 April 2014
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Eighteen years ago today, a lone gunman brandishing semi-automatic firearms shot dead 35 people and wounded 23 others at Port Arthur in Tasmania.
Most of us would remember where we were when we first heard that news. But nearly two decades on, there are young people who may have never have heard of this massacre. Tighter gun laws in Australia have meant no gun mass killings in their lifetimes.
Recent statistics on gun ownership from Gun Control Australia reveal that... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Laws: How Key US States are Easing or Tightening Restrictions on Firearms
26 April 2014
Guardian (UK)
After Congress failed to pass gun reform last year, the debate over gun violence and Second Amendment rights has largely moved from Washington DC to state capitals. That debate heated up after the December 2012 shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
Last year, lawmakers in Connecticut and Colorado – another state rocked by a mass shooting in 2012 – passed sweeping new gun-control measures. In January 2013, New York enacted a law... (GunPolicy.org)
County Gun Shop May Have Been Worst in US, Missing Guns and Illegal Sales
26 April 2014
Seattle Times
BURLINGTON, Skagit County — For more than 65 years, Kesselring Gun Shop has been a firearms fixture in the Northwest, arming hunters, target shooters and police from one of the largest inventories on the West Coast.
Until surrendering its federal firearms license last October, the family-owned gun store also may have been the worst gun retailer in America.
It was nearly a decade ago when inspectors with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Checks in America Miss Millions of Criminals, Fugitives
23 April 2014
USA Today
WASHINGTON — Millions of fugitives can pass undetected through federal background checks and buy guns illegally because police departments across the country routinely fail to put their names into a national database that tracks people on the run from the law.
Those background checks, conducted by the FBI, are designed to block fugitives, felons, the mentally ill and others who might be violent from buying firearms. They automatically bar sales to anyone identified... (GunPolicy.org)
Georgia Law Allows Guns in Many Public Places, Despite Opposition
23 April 2014
CNN
ELLIJAY, GA - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a wide-ranging gun bill into law Wednesday that has critics howling and proponents applauding.
House Bill 60, or the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014 - which opponents have nicknamed the "guns everywhere bill" - specifies where Georgia residents can carry weapons. Included are provisions that allow residents who have concealed carry permits to take guns into some bars, churches, school zones, government buildings and... (GunPolicy.org)
US Doctor Funds Gun Injury Research with $1 Million of His Own Money
22 April 2014
ProPublica
Federal funding for research on gun violence has been restricted for nearly two decades. President Obama urged Congress to allocate $10 million for new research after the Newtown school shooting. But House Republicans say they won't approve it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's budget still lists zero dollars for research on gun violence prevention.
One of the researchers who lost funding in the political battle over studying firearms was Dr. Garen... (GunPolicy.org)
The 'Public Health Crisis' That Is US Gun Culture – Analysis
16 April 2014
CBC News (Canada), Opinion
Three days after Frazier Glenn Miller tried to kill some of the Jews he has spent his life despising (the self-styled paramilitary warrior actually wound up gunning down three Christians instead), the National Rifle Association's website remains silent about the attacks.
Instead, the site features, among other things, a Fox News appearance by the NRA's chief legislative lobbyist about the need to defeat Barack Obama's nominee for surgeon general.
The nominee, a doctor... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Opposes Nominee Whose Views on Guns Match Public Opinion
20 March 2014
Guardian (UK)
Few Americans have likely heard of Vivek Murthy, President Obama's nominee to be the nation's Surgeon General. But let me tell you, this guy has got some pretty nutty views.
Don't believe me. Listen to what the National Rifle Association has to say about him: "Dr Murthy's record of political activism in support of radical gun control measures raises significant concerns."
"Radical gun control measures"! Go on.
Murthy has some crazy, crazy ideas about guns. For... (GunPolicy.org)
Psychotic? Homicidal? You Can Still Buy a Gun in America
19 March 2014
Bloomberg (USA)
Let's say your mental landscape is similar to that of Colby Sue Weathers back in 2012: suicidal, homicidal, paranoid, schizophrenic. Oh, and with a drug and alcohol problem. You are too disabled by mental illness - schizophrenia was diagnosed in 2011 - and recurring hospitalizations to work. You are not great about maintaining your psychotropic drug regimen, which you administer inconsistently and sometimes to woozy excess. And you have an occasional hankering,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Has More Guns, Fewer Owners: 5% Own Most of the Firearms
15 March 2014
Economist
WARRENTON, Virginia - Live fire crackles from the range at Clark Brothers, a gun shop in Virginia. Inside, the most striking things are the enormous gun safes. Some of these metal boxes, which cost over $1,000, can withstand hours of exposure to wildfires and being dropped from 200 feet.
They are the result of a shift in gun ownership. Surveys suggest that the proportion of American households that own guns has declined from about 50% in the early 1980s to about 35%... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Industry Benefits from America's Epidemic of Gun Violence
10 March 2014
Baltimore Post Examiner
America is a violent place by any standard. The national firearm-related death rate has held steady at 10.5 per 100,000 people since 1999, well above the global average. Some of its cities exhibit epidemic rates of gun death on par with crime-affected urban centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Hard as it might be to believe, levels of lethal violence are actually at historic lows.
Declines occurred after the passage of specific legislation designed to prevent... (GunPolicy.org)
Under Pressure, Facebook Announces Major Gun Policy Changes
5 March 2014
CBS News (USA)
After a campaign by gun control advocates to address concerns of firearm-related commercial activity on Facebook, the company today announced a series of "educational and enforcement" measures regarding discussion of guns and other regulated items on its social networks.
The changes, which also apply to Facebook-owned Instagram, include new age limits for posts or pages promoting private sales of restricted items like firearms, alcohol or adult products. There's new... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Asks US Congress for Money to Prevent Mass Shootings
4 March 2014
Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama returned to the subject of mass shootings on Tuesday by proposing to spend millions of dollars more on gun safety programs, inspections of retailers and background checks for people buying firearms.
If enacted by a U.S. Congress that has been wary of gun control measures, the $182 million package would advance an issue that rose to the top of the national agenda after the December 2012 shooting of 20 children and six adults at a Newtown,... (GunPolicy.org)
Kentucky 'Outreach to Rednecks' Converts to Christ with Gun Giveaway
3 March 2014
USA Today
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — In an effort its spokesman has described as "outreach to rednecks," the Kentucky Baptist Convention is leading "Second Amendment Celebrations," where churches around the state give away guns as door prizes to lure in the unchurched in hopes of converting them to Christ.
As many as 1,000 people are expected at the next one, on Thursday at Lone Oak Baptist Church in Paducah, where they will be given a free steak dinner and the chance to win one... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun-Control Activists Cite Merits of Background Checks
28 February 2014
Christian Science Monitor
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And again. And again. That appears to be the mantra of proponents of federal gun control legislation, who arrived on Capitol Hill Friday with new ammunition for their fight.
Though they were turned back last year on the issue of universal background checks, and neither the House nor the Senate has plans to revisit that issue, gun-control advocates came to Capitol Hill bearing … statistics. Assessing 20 years of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Homicides, Diversion Up in US State After Background Checks Removed
17 February 2014
BBC News
Researchers claim a new study provides some of the most compelling evidence yet for tighter gun controls in the US.
The team followed the consequences of the State of Missouri repealing its permit-to-purchase handgun law in 2007.
The law had required purchasers to be vetted by the local sheriff and to receive a licence before buying a gun.
Reporting soon in the Journal of Urban Health, the researchers will say that the repeal resulted in an immediate spike in gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Murders Spike After State Repeals Gun Background Check Law in US State
17 February 2014
Raw Story
A new study has found that around 60 more people have been murdered each year since the state of Missouri made it easier to buy a handguns without going through a background check.
In the study which will be published in an issue of the Journal of Urban Health, a team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research Director Daniel Webster found that between 55 to 63 more people were murdered each year after Missouri repealed its... (GunPolicy.org)
Falling Gun Registrations in Argentinian Region [ES]
10 February 2014
Diario El Argentino (Argentina)
[Translated summary: 47 guns were registered in the Argentinian region of Entre Rios in January 2014 according to data from the Provincial Weapons Registration Division (Repar). Most buyers are men over the age of 40 and the guns are purchased for hunting or sport shooting. The number of guns registered in the province fell from 645 in 2012 down to 566 in 2013 and it is estimated that there are 1.5 million registered in Argentina overall. Citizens must undergo a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Policy No Longer Domestic as Weapons are Smuggled to Mexico
1 February 2014
National Catholic Reporter (Kansas City)
Mexico, a state with highly restrictive gun laws, minimal arms manufacturing, and only one gun shop in the entire country, is awash in firearms, many of them from the United States. A study published last year by the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego estimates that upward to a quarter-million weapons are purchased in the U.S. and smuggled into Mexico annually.
Amid the hyperviolence of Mexico's war on drugs, this southward flow of illicit arms has... (GunPolicy.org)
US Web Forum Reddit Used to Buy, Sell Guns Without Background Checks
9 January 2014
RT-TV Novosti (Russia)
Users of the online forum Reddit took advantage of a community page to purchase at least 150 firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, since June, highlighting the potential to exploit a common loophole in federal gun law online.
The subreddit page GunsForSale has been an active spot for gun buyers and sellers since 2011, offering over 1,000 listings from more than 400 Reddit users in the last six months, according to an investigation by Mother Jones.
Moderators at... (GunPolicy.org)
US to Consider Gun Law Reform on Background Checks, Mental Health
3 January 2014
Reuters
The Obama administration on Friday proposed two new gun control regulations aimed at clarifying restrictions on gun ownership for the mentally ill and strengthening a database used for background checks before firearm purchases.
The measures are the latest step in a year-long push by President Barack Obama to tighten U.S. gun laws in the wake of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children were killed.
Obama tried last year to bring in sweeping new gun... (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)
More Than Half of Americans Now Have Tougher Gun Laws
12 December 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
An unthinkable massacre ignites an intense national debate. Then, Congress does nothing. The powerful gun lobby wins again. End of story.
[Interactive charts of US state gun laws are displayed in the original]
So went the popular narrative last spring with the collapse of gun control legislation on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, scores of people have been wounded or killed in five new mass shootings and other gun rampages around the country, and an estimated 30,000 have... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun-Control Groups are Shifting Efforts and Resources to Handful of States
12 December 2013
Washington Post
DENVER — In Colorado, a state scarred by two mass shootings, Democrats passed some of the nation's toughest gun legislation this year. Gun rights supporters responded by recalling two state senators who had championed the bills.
Now gun-control advocates are plotting their revenge. Inside a hotel conference room here this week, 60 activists spent a day strategizing to defend the remaining legislators who voted for the measures and protect them from repeal efforts.... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Senator Calls for Background Checks on Private Gun Sales
30 November 2013
San Jose Mercury News (California), Opinion
Twenty years ago Saturday, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act became the law of the land. This ground breaking gun-safety law requires background checks on all gun sales by licensed dealers.
Background checks on gun purchases work. The law has stopped more than 2 million convicted felons, domestic abusers and individuals with serious mental illnesses from purchasing firearms.
But the Brady Act has a big loophole: It does not require background checks on the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun-Buying Spree Wanes After Post-Newtown High
28 November 2013
Washington Times
Federal gun-purchase background checks ticked up in October, but analysts say the surge in applications to buy guns, which peaked in the months after the Newtown school shootings in Connecticut, likely has leveled off.
After hitting an all-time high of 2.8 million in December 2012, checks run through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System remained high through May when compared to previous year tallies. Sales then dropped for the next four months,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Mail-Order' Guns Still Easy to Get in America
17 November 2013
Connecticut Post
WASHINGTON - Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, with a mail-order Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5 millimeter bolt-action rifle, for which he paid $19.95 plus shipping and handling.
Fifty years later, obtaining guns via mail is less common because the U.S. Postal Service imposes major restrictions on firearms shipments.
But despite a myriad of federal and state laws regulating gun transactions, buying a firearm via the Internet is... (GunPolicy.org)
US Photo-Sharing App Instagram Now an Open Market for Guns
22 October 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
With people increasingly using social media websites to sell all kinds of stuff, Instagram is growing in popularity as a digital marketplace for people trading in firearms.
Traditionally the photo-sharing app, which was bought by Facebook last year for $1 billion, was a forum for people to show off their glamorous lifestyles but that's changing as users realize it can be just as effective for more shady dealings.
With no stated policy barring firearm sales - unlike... (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)
Time to Block Gun Violence Against Women in America
8 October 2013
Reuters
If October is like every other month, 46 women in the United States will be murdered with a gun by an intimate partner.
Public attention was gripped by the most recent mass shooting, at the Navy Yard in Washington, but during Domestic Violence Awareness month, we need to focus on the fact that women face a heightened risk of gun violence.
Women are more than three-and-a-half times as likely to be killed by an intimate partner as men. A gun in a household with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Black Children in America Top Targets for Gun Violence
7 October 2013
Miami Herald
In the weeks since the Washington Navy Yard shooting, the city of New Orleans reached a tragic milestone.
All told, 108 people have been murdered in the Crescent City so far this year. In September two black girls, one 11 years old and the other age 2, were shot and killed. And earlier this year a national organization advocating for stricter gun control told the story of a black 10-year-old New Orleans boy who has been shot and seriously injured twice in his short... (GunPolicy.org)
How the NRA Tried to Stop a Member From Doing Gun-Control Research
25 September 2013
al Jazeera (America)
The National Rifle Association reportedly advised its members against participating in a study released this week that shows a majority of gun sellers want tougher background checks for gun buyers.
The NRA apparently was unaware that the University of California professor behind the study - himself an NRA member - received the email discrediting his research.
Garen Wintemute, director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, conducted a survey of 1,601... (GunPolicy.org)
Editorial: New Report Shows Scourge of Online Gun Sales in US Clear
21 September 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
It's not difficult to grasp how a man with a history of gun arrests and mental instability obtained the necessary firepower to commit a massacre at the Washington Navy Yard earlier this week. Buying a gun, or even an arsenal, is exceptionally easy in the U.S.
Even so, there are some people who both fail to meet the minimal requirements for purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer and whose relevant personal details are known to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Prevented US Navy Yard Shooter from Buying Assault Rifle
17 September 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The suspect in the killing of 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday test-fired an AR-15 assault rifle at a Virginia gun store last week but was stopped from buying one because state law there prohibits the sale of such weapons to out-of-state buyers, according to two senior law enforcement officials.
Instead, the suspect, Aaron Alexis of Texas, bought a law-enforcement-style shotgun — an 870 Remington pump-action — and used it on Monday as... (GunPolicy.org)
In Gun Debate, Divide Grows as Both Sides in US Dig in For Battle
15 September 2013
New York Times
The weeks after a gunman killed 20 schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., were characterized by a new optimism about a goal that had seemed elusive for almost a decade: tougher gun laws. The shooting was called on more than one occasion "a game changer."
In the nine months since, although supporters of stricter legislation have won some victories, those high hopes have been tempered by a series of losses, most notably in April when the Senate defeated several measures to... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear of Obama, Gun Control Panic Continue to Drive US Ammo Hoarders
8 September 2013
Maine Sun-Journal / Bangor Daily News
BANGOR — Ammunition and gun experts at the 36th annual Bangor Gun Show said there are a lot of rumors floating around about why there is an ammunition shortage, but they say it simply comes down to supply and demand.
"People are concerned they won't be able to get it, that our Second Amendment is under attack, so they're buying all they can," ammunitions dealer Jeff Holt, who with wife, Nancy, are the owners and operators of Farmington-based Appalachian Ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
In Thailand: Gun Laws Strict But Ownership High
8 August 2013
Straits Times (Singapore)
"Call me Dev," he said.
He looked straight out of a Bollywood film - stocky, confident, with a shaven head and a pink open-necked shirt. Dev is a salesman at a shop on Thailand's gun row, Wang Burapha road, which features a string of shops selling a range of guns and accessories.
The guns are two to three times more expensive than those in the United States. "Only rich people buy guns here," said Dev.
Rich people, and The Royal Thai Police. In what has long been a... (GunPolicy.org)
Study Finds Vast Online US Market for Guns Without Background Checks
5 August 2013
Washington Post
The marketplace for firearms on the Internet, where buyers are not required to undergo background checks, is so vast that advocates for stricter regulations now consider online sales a greater threat than the gun-show loophole.
A new study by Third Way, a center-left think tank with close ties to the Obama administration, found that thousands of guns, including so-called assault weapons, are for sale online and that many prospective buyers were shopping online... (GunPolicy.org)
When the US Senate Gun Control Bill Died, So Did the Story
14 July 2013
Washington Post, Blog
Seven months ago, Adam Lanza blasted his way into a first-grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School, murdering 20 children and six staff members before turning the gun on himself.
The massacre in Newtown, Conn., set off a furious debate, prompting an unprecedented amount of media attention on America's gun laws. But the press's declining interest in gun control in recent months illustrates just how hard it is for advocates to keep a story alive once Washington... (GunPolicy.org)
US Officials 'Hamstrung' by Lack of Gun Data
17 June 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
How do criminals get their guns? Are there observable patterns to gun crime? Who is at the greatest risk of injury, or causing injury to others, from firearm use? Which gun-safety practices are most effective at preventing accidental injury?
The answers to these and other basic questions remain difficult and obscure in part thanks to a senseless ban, on the books for a decade, that limits research on gun violence and denies researchers and even police and prosecutors... (GunPolicy.org)
US Democrats Quietly Renew Push for Gun Measures
13 June 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House renewed their push for gun legislation on Thursday, just months after it was defeated in the Senate, amid delicate talks on a new background-check measure that advocates hope could change enough votes from no to yes.
But those negotiations met a warning from Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, who said he would not accept any bill that is substantially weaker than the one defeated in... (GunPolicy.org)
Violent Videos and Gun Violence
11 June 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
Grand Theft Auto V/Rockstar Games: It was one of the most brutal video games imaginable-players used cars to murder people in broad daylight. Parents were outraged, and behavioral experts warned of real-world carnage. "In this game a player takes the first step to creating violence," a psychologist from the National Safety Council told the New York Times. "And I shudder to think what will come next if this is encouraged. It'll be pretty gory."
To earn points, Death... (GunPolicy.org)
Frustrated by Delays, Some US Gun Dealers Skipping Background Checks
8 June 2013
Baltimore Sun
When Scott Schulte stopped at Pasadena Pawn and Gun last week to pick up his fifth firearm of the year, the Maryland State Police still hadn't finished his background check. The store let him take the pistol anyway.
"I figure I can use my discretion," owner Frank Loane Sr. told Schulte. "I know you."
An unprecedented surge of applications to purchase guns has overwhelmed Maryland's system for checking out the buyers. Dealers are required to wait seven days before... (GunPolicy.org)
New Gun Control Movement in America Making Real Strides
28 May 2013
New Republic
On April 17, the bill to expand background checks on gun buyers failed in the Senate, and the fatalistic shrugs in Washington were so numerous they were nearly audible. The legislation had been a modest bipartisan compromise, supported by 90 percent of the public and lobbied for hard by the president. A group backed by Michael Bloomberg had spent $12 million on ads pressuring senators to vote "yes." When the bill fell short — by just five votes — it seemed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Report Shows Drop in US Gun Violence but Most Killings Still With Guns
8 May 2013
Washington Post
Gun violence dropped dramatically nationwide over the past two decades, but nearly three-quarters of all homicides are still committed with a firearm, the Justice Department said in a report released Tuesday.
The report, by the department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, painted an encouraging picture of long-term trends at a time of divisive political debate over guns and legislation to regulate them. Firearms-related homicides declined 39 percent between 1993 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Amid Gun Control Debate, US Asks How Bombing Suspects Got Guns
22 April 2013
Leader Post (Canada)
WASHINGTON - Just days after U.S. senators defeated a bid to expand background checks on potential gun buyers, Americans are asking how the Boston Marathon bombing suspects acquired a cache of firearms alongside their explosives.
Among the weapons officials have said were in the possession of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were not only several bombs, but handguns, an M-4 carbine rifle and more than 250 rounds of ammunition.
Much of that arsenal was on fiery display... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials say US Gun Checks Would Stop Illegal Guns Getting to Bahamas
18 April 2013
Tribune (Bahamas)
Officials in the Bahamas had hoped that the now failed proposed measure to expand gun background checks in the United States would have assisted law enforcement here to stem the tide of illegal firearms into the country.
Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, speaking to reporters yesterday, said any legislation that would have made it more difficult to traffic in firearms would have had a significant impact in the Bahamas.
"Very early on in our administration, the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Bill Defeated Amid Heavy Lobbying by NRA, Obama 'Furious'
18 April 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona was in an empty hallway in the Capitol on Tuesday when he bumped into Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic member of Congress from his home state who was critically wounded in a mass shooting. Both froze in anticipation of the painful minute about to unfold.
Ms. Giffords, who had been fiercely promoting a background check bill for gun buyers, knew that Mr. Flake, a Republican and an old friend, had announced on his... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senate Blocks New Laws, Ignore Pleas from Gun Victims
18 April 2013
Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans backed by a small band of rural-state Democrats scuttled the most far-reaching gun control legislation in two decades Wednesday, rejecting tighter background checks for buyers and a ban on assault weapons as they spurned pleas from families of victims of last winter's school massacre in Newtown, Conn.
"This effort isn't over," President Barack Obama vowed at the White House moments after the defeat on one of his top domestic... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Aren't US Gun Control Advocates Focusing More on Online Sales?
17 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
Despite clear demonstrations of the ease with which anonymous weapons transactions can occur online — including ties to mass shooting incidents — the issue has been largely sidelined during the political debate.
After all, the "gun show loophole" — the shorthand expression for exempting a number of gun buyers from background checks — is much more than a gun show loophole. The image of two guy shaking hands to finalize a sale in a crowded, well-lit conference... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Senate in the Gun Lobby's Grip
17 April 2013
New York Times, Opinion
Senators say they fear the N.R.A. and the gun lobby. But I think that fear must be nothing compared to the fear the first graders in Sandy Hook Elementary School felt as their lives ended in a hail of bullets. The fear that those children who survived the massacre must feel every time they remember their teachers stacking them into closets and bathrooms, whispering that they loved them, so that love would be the last thing the students heard if the gunman found... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: US Gun Lobby Rhetoric, Not Money, Blocking Gun Control
17 April 2013
Guardian (UK), Opinion
Of all the senators who attempted Wednesday to rally support for the doomed Manchin-Toomey background check amendment, Connecticut's Democratic freshman representative, Chris Murphy, probably faced the greatest temptation to borrow the moral authority of the Newtown families. They are his constituents and many were present in the chamber.
He's young – the youngest sitting senator, actually – and an early Obama supporter, given to occasional bouts of... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Children Find Loaded Gun in Snow, Fire Round
14 April 2013
Local (Sweden)
A group of children playing in a snow drift in Umeå in northern Sweden on Saturday came across what they thought was a toy gun only to find out that it was a real weapon when one of them pulled the trigger.
Luckily the shot was fired into the ground and none of the children were hurt.
"It could have gone really badly. The children could just as well have started playing a war game and begun shooting at each other. It is also an area with lots of people and children... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promises Gun Violence Prevention - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Approach Promising Path to Reducing Gun Violence - NEJM
12 April 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Scientists, policymakers, and advocates are increasingly advised to use "the public health approach" to address myriad social issues, from alcoholism and arthritis to vision care and war. However, it is rarely clear what exactly is meant by "the public health approach."
Policymakers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe the public health approach as a four-step model: Define the problem, identify risk and protective factors, develop and test... (GunPolicy.org)
Mayor Says NYC is Example on How to Combat Youth Gun Crime
5 April 2013
Washington Post
NEW YORK — New York City's mayor met Thursday with the parents of a Chicago girl killed just days after performing at President Barack Obama's inaugural festivities, then suggested that places interested in reducing gun violence might want to emulate the Big Apple, where studies have found teenagers are less likely to carry weapons than in any other major U.S. city.
The meeting between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the parents of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was... (GunPolicy.org)
US State Agrees to Tough Gun Law Changes After Mass Shooting
2 April 2013
BBC News
Lawmakers in the US state of Connecticut have agreed to a sweeping set of gun restrictions, including a ban on new high-capacity magazines.
The proposal requires background checks on all gun sales and expands the state's assault weapons ban.
It comes as new federal gun measures appear to have stalled in Congress.
Debate over US gun laws was reignited after a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, at a Connecticut primary school in December.
Tighter gun... (GunPolicy.org)
US President Uses Executive Power to Advance Gun Control Agenda
29 March 2013
The Hill (Washington DC)
President Obama is quietly moving forward on gun control.
The president has used his executive powers to bolster the national background check system, jumpstart government research on the causes of gun violence and create a million-dollar ad campaign aimed at safe gun ownership.
The executive steps will give federal law enforcement officials access to more data about guns and their owners, help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, and lay the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Heads to US Senate, Leader says Background Checks a 'Must'
21 March 2013
Reuters
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Thursday any gun-control bill that passes his chamber can only be effective if it includes universal background checks, an embattled centerpiece of President Barack Obama's bid to curb gun violence.
Reid voiced hope an elusive bipartisan compromise could soon be reached on requiring virtually all firearm purchasers to be screened for possible criminal and mental-health records.
Republicans have voiced concerns that a proposed... (GunPolicy.org)
Sandy Hook Shooting May Make Almost No Difference in US Gun Control Laws
11 March 2013
Time (USA)
Here's a hard truth: all the emotion and outrage and sadness that followed the Dec. 14 shooting of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook elementary school may make almost no difference in federal gun control laws. How little is the Hill going to do on gun control? As things stand, Congress may not even pass two gun control measures that even some elements of the powerful gun lobby have suggested they could support. But if post-Sandy Hook gun control measures are badly... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senate Panel Backs Tougher Penalties for Illegal Gun Trafficking
7 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved tougher penalties for illegal gun-trafficking in the first congressional vote on gun restrictions since the December shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.
Still, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein said her proposed assault-weapon ban is on a "very hard road."
The 11-7, almost party-line vote on the trafficking measure today emphasized the hurdles to passing gun legislation even after the Dec. 14 mass killing of 20 children... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senate Approves Bill to Prevent Straw Gun Purchases, Gun Trafficking
7 March 2013
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a measure that would make the practice of illegally buying a gun for someone else a felony, and increase penalties for the crime.
The measure, which addresses a practice known as straw purchasing, passed the committee by 11 to 7; the only Republican to vote in favor was Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa. Mr. Grassley's nod on the measure, which already had two Republican co-sponsors, was significant... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Advocates Split with NRA on Call for More Background Checks
6 March 2013
Washington Post
Some of the gun lobby's strongest allies are breaking with the National Rifle Association to support proposals that would expand background checks for private firearm sales.
In behind-the-scenes talks with congressional staff members and others, gunmakers, dealers and other Second Amendment advocates have offered support for more instant criminal background checks, buoying the hopes of gun-control supporters, including President Obama, who has put a top priority on... (GunPolicy.org)
Wintemute: Responding to the Crisis of Firearm Violence in the USA
6 March 2013
JAMA Internal Medicine
The United States has belatedly awakened to the knowledge that it is, in effect, under armed attack. More than 30 000 people are purposely shot to death each year — more than 300 000 since the World Trade Center was destroyed in 2001. Rates of firearm-related violent crime have increased 26% since 2008. Physicians have joined others in demanding a strong response to this crisis. We look to scientific research to provide the evidence on which that response should be... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lobby Objects to Using Civilian Gun Fees for Seizing Crime Guns
6 March 2013
Los Angeles Times
SACRAMENTO — Enforce the laws already on the books. Take away the criminals' weapons, not the law-abiding citizens'. Sound familiar? It's the mantra of the gun lobby.
That is, until the government actually attempts to do it. Then the lobby changes its lyrics.
It seemed surreal listening to lobbyists for gun rights groups Monday, as if the ears were playing tricks. They testified at a state Senate Budget Committee hearing in opposition to legislation that would spend... (GunPolicy.org)
US Senators Seek Tougher Gun Background Checks for Mentally Ill
6 March 2013
Reuters
A Republican senator introduced bipartisan gun background check legislation on Wednesday that would make it harder for mentally ill people who are considered to be dangerous to buy a firearm.
The legislation proposed by Lindsey Graham would require reporting of certain mental illness treatments and legal proceedings to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the clearinghouse for all new gun purchases.
Those cases would include anyone found not guilty... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Has Fewer Guns, Fewer Deaths Than US
11 February 2013
Forward, the Jewish Daily
WASHINGTON — Nine days after the Newtown, Conn. massacre in which 20 children died, Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's executive vice president, broke his group's long silence with a bristling attack against gun regulation that included a theme heard frequently among gun rights advocates.
"Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland,United States,France,Yemen
Three Dead, Two Injured in Swiss Shooting
8 February 2013
Washington Post
DAILLON, Switzerland — On Jan. 3, the day Sandy Hook Elementary students returned to school in Newtown, Conn., Florian Berthouzoz leaned out his window and opened fire on this tranquil Swiss village with an old military carbine and a 12-gauge shotgun.
By the time he finished shooting, three women were killed, apparently at random, and two men were wounded. Berthouzoz was brought down by a police officer's bullet in the chest.
The shooting in Daillon, on a steep... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Fact-Check: Dispelling Pro-Gun Myths in America
31 January 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
By cutting off federal funding for research and stymieing data collection and sharing, the National Rifle Association has tried to do to the study of gun violence what climate deniers have done to the science of global warming. No wonder: When it comes to hard numbers, some of the gun lobby's favorite arguments are full of holes.
Myth #1: They're coming for your guns.
Fact-check: No one knows the exact number of guns in America, but it's clear there's no practical way... (GunPolicy.org)
A Stale Claim: 40% of US Gun Sales Lack Background Checks
21 January 2013
Washington Post
"The law already requires licensed gun dealers to run background checks, and over the last 14 years that's kept 1.5 million of the wrong people from getting their hands on a gun. But it's hard to enforce that law when as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check."
--President Obama, remarks on gun violence, Jan. 16, 2013
"Studies estimate that nearly 40 percent of all gun sales are made by private sellers who are exempt from this... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Becomes Life's Work for Some US Mass Shooting Survivors
20 January 2013
Washington Post
The mass shootings that have rocked communities across the country in recent years — from Blacksburg, Va., to Tucson to Aurora, Colo., to Oak Creek, Wis., to Newtown, Conn. — have left a well-documented trail of carnage and grief.
But those tragedies and others like them also have produced what could prove to be the most formidable, fervent advocates in the looming fight over U.S. gun-control policy: survivors who know what it feels like to be in the crosshairs of... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Brazil,United States
What the US Can Learn from Brazil's Epidemic of Gun Violence
18 January 2013
Latitude News
A man walks into an elementary school with two handguns. Within minutes, more than thirty children are dead or wounded.
This isn't Newtown, Connecticut, but Realengo, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On April 7th, 2011, Wellington Oliveira murdered twelve children and wounded twenty others. The tragedy sparked a national conversation on gun violence, a huge problem in Brazil.
On Wednesday, in reaction to a different massacre, President Obama proposed a series... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Joins the Gun Fight: This Time the Cynics Are Wrong
17 January 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Is it real this time? President Barack Obama's announcement today that he will support a range of legislative and executive actions on gun safety will be dismissed as just one more tilt at the gun lobby windmill, bound to end in political failure for Obama, and personal tragedy for countless Americans.
But the White House agenda, and the presidential commitment behind it, is a genuine milestone on the long, twisted road toward sensible U.S. gun laws. This time the... (GunPolicy.org)
Interactive Display: US Gun Laws by State
16 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defence and carry laws.
Carrying firearms: open and concealed
Open-carry and concealed-carry laws determine how public citizens can carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey's Gun Regulation Remains Lax, Mental Health Checks a 'Formality'
6 January 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
"Things just aren't what they used to be," may seem like a knee-jerk truism in Turkey, but few seem to say it with more conviction than Fatih Demirok, a counter clerk at a gun store in İstanbul's old banking and warehouse district of Karaköy.
"Things have changed quite a bit in the gun industry. You can't just walk in and buy a gun these days," the 25 year old says from behind a counter of neatly arrayed shotguns and hunting rifles. "There's a detailed process with... (GunPolicy.org)
US School Shooting a Watershed: Think Pearl Harbour, 9/11 – Wintemute
4 January 2013
Sacramento Bee (California)
Gun violence has not been far from our collective minds since the nation was shocked Dec. 14 by the shooting of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Conn. Now a New Year's Eve shootout in Old Sacramento has left two people dead and three wounded in our own community, bringing the issue of public violence closer to home.
Perhaps no one in the Sacramento region is better known for his research on gun violence than Dr. Garen Wintemute, who as director of the UC Davis Violence... (GunPolicy.org)
We Know Several Ways to Reduce, Prevent Gun Violence - Wintemute
26 December 2012
New England Journal of Medicine
We are learning how to watch the news through tears. All those children, and the adults protecting them. With an assault rifle. Up close. The survivors, eyes averted, are led to safety in daisy chains. Ambulances rush to the scene, but nearly all return empty. Loved ones go home empty, too.
We pore over the details, searching for the clues that will bring order to chaos and help us predict and prevent the next one. But these catastrophes are all different. We have... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,United States,Palestine
Israel Evidence Shows Gun Restrictions Work, Disproves US Lobby Claims
25 December 2012
Washington Post / Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Israel's policy on issuing guns is restrictive, and armed guards at its schools are meant to stop terrorists, not crazed or disgruntled gunmen, experts said Monday, rejecting claims by America's top gun lobby that Israel serves as proof for its philosophy that the U.S. needs more weapons, not fewer.
Far from the image of a heavily armed population where ordinary people have their own arsenals to repel attackers, Israel allows its people to acquire... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
US Chance to Emulate UK, Australian, Canadian Gun Control 'Is Gone'
16 December 2012
Nation (USA)
The following is a Q & A with Professor Garen Wintemute, Baker-Teret Chair of Violence Prevention, at the University of California at Davis medical school. Wintemute is one of the country's leading experts on the public health theory of gun control. He has long argued that gun violence is equivalent to a medical epidemic, and that, as such, public health measures ought to be taken to counter its spread.
Sasha Abramsky: What happened in Connecticut last Friday was by... (GunPolicy.org)
Online Gun Market in US Tested in New Lawsuit After Shooting Death
13 December 2012
Salon (USA)
In a lawsuit that may set a precedent for cases involving the burgeoning online gun trade, the family of a woman shot dead last year is suing the website through which her shooter acquired his weapon.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed a lawsuit in Illinois this morning against Armslist.com — a Craigslist style listing site for firearms on behalf of the family of Jitka Vesel, a 36-year-old Czech immigrant who was murdered by a jilted lover. Vesel was... (GunPolicy.org)
US Stings Show Need for Controls on Online Gun Sales, Family Sues Site
12 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
The family of a woman who was murdered last year by a stalker wielding a .40-caliber handgun bought illegally on the internet is suing the gun website through which the firearm was procured for allegedly causing the shooting.
The legal action against Armslist.com, a web listing site that specialises in firearms, is the first of its kind and opens up a new front in the ongoing battle to tighten America's loose gun controls. It was filed in an Illinois court on Wednesday... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear of Regulation Drives 'Frenzy' of Gun Sales in US Under Obama
29 November 2012
New York Times, Opinion
President Obama's election and recent re-election have apparently fueled a gun-buying craze in this country unlike anything we've seen in modern times.
USA Today reported this week:
"For the second consecutive year, prospective gun buyers joined Black Friday shoppers in record numbers as firearms dealers swamped the F.B.I. with required buyer background check requests. The F.B.I. fielded 154,873 calls, a roughly 20 percent increase from last year's previous one-day... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airport Officials Report Rise in 'Forgotten' Guns in Carry-On Bags
28 September 2012
New York Times
The list of potentially lethal weapons was certainly eye-opening: 47 guns (38 of them loaded, including six with rounds in their chambers), three inert hand grenades, supplies of black powder, hunting knives, timing fuses and a sword.
Then, consider that the list was compiled by the Transportation Security Administration, of weapons found in airline travelers' carry-on bags in the seven days that ended on Sept. 20.
In fact, the T.S.A. says the number of guns found at... (GunPolicy.org)
American Group to Put 3D Printer Gun Plans Online, Allow Full Access
26 September 2012
Guardian (UK)
Imagine an America in which anyone can download and print a gun in their own home. They wouldn't need a license, a background check, or much technical knowledge, just a 3D printer. That's the vision a cadre of industrious libertarians are determined to turn into reality.
Last week, Wiki Weapon, a project to create the first fully printable plastic gun received the $20,000 in funding it needed to get off the ground. The project's goal is not to develop and sell a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Survey of US Gun Sellers Shows Easy Access for Criminals
11 September 2012
Futurity / UC Davis (United States)
A new survey reveals that 54.9 percent of US firearms dealers and pawnbrokers believe it's too easy for criminals to get guns in America.
The UC Davis Firearms Licensee Survey is believed to be the first of its kind to gather the views of federally licensed firearms dealers and pawnbrokers on important social issues and the firearms business itself, as well as to collect data on the characteristics of these business establishments.
The survey was conducted by the UC... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Loophole Allows Felons, High-risk Americans Easy Access to Guns
27 August 2012
Chicago Sun-Times
Presidential candidate Barack Obama was resting in his Kenwood home on the morning of Sept. 23, 2008, after a fund-raiser the night before in Chicago.
Outside, a drama was unfolding as police stopped a BMW at the security barriers protecting his house. Officers found a Fabrique Nationale Herstal .40-caliber handgun and a bulletproof vest in the car.
They learned the man behind the wheel was a felon barred from owning a firearm. And when federal agents conducted an... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Company Makes Millionth Gun in 2012, Auctions for NRA
20 August 2012
Business Wire
SOUTHPORT, Conneticut - Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (NYSE-RGR) is on pace to beat its own record of 1,114,700 firearms produced in one year, set in 2011. On August 15, 2012 Ruger produced its one millionth firearm of the year, a Ruger SR1911 pistol which will be hand-engraved by Baron Technology, Inc. and auctioned off to support the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action.
"Last year, Ruger became the first commercial firearms company to produce one... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Town Sells 'Tens of Thousands' of Assault Rifles to US
14 August 2012
New York Times
IZHEVSK, Russia — The nickname of this town, home of the factory that makes Kalashnikov rifles, is the "Armory of Russia." Over the years, it has armed a good number of other countries, too, as the lathes and presses of the Izhevsk Machine Works clanged around the clock to forge AK-47s and similar guns for insurgents and armies around the world.
But these days, many of Izhevsk's weapons are headed somewhere else: the United States.
Despite the gun's violent history... (GunPolicy.org)
Handgun Type in US Sikh Shooting Is Mass Shooting Weapon of Choice
7 August 2012
New York Times / Reuters
The semiautomatic handgun used in the deadly attack on a Wisconsin Sikh temple is the same type used in other recent U.S. mass shootings, including one at a theater in Colorado, and the attack on a congresswoman in Arizona, gun experts said.
Wisconsin shooter Wade Michael Page used a Springfield 9mm semiautomatic handgun to carry out the attack at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, officials said. As in several other recent mass shootings, the gun had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Kennesaw, Georgia: Compulsory Gun Ownership to Make a Political Point
28 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
Dent Myers has a friendly presence, rheumy eyes, a firm handshake, a long matted beard that hides his age - at first - and a pair of Colt .45s that he wears loaded and holstered over his denim shorts as he pads about his cluttered Civil War memorabilia shop in the town of Kennesaw, Georgia.
Tourists like to come and get their photographs taken with Dent, and to poke around his narrow shop - properly known as Wildman's Civil War Surplus and Herb Shop. For 25¢ he will... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Laws Prevent Purchase of US Mass Shooting Guns
24 July 2012
ABC News (Australia)
The awful shooting tragedy in Colorado last week happened in Aurora, 30kms from Bega's sister city of Littleton, in turn adjacent to the scene of the 1999 Columbine school massacre. The Bega-Littleton Exchange was the first Australia-US sister city relationship, developed from the two communities recognising shared characteristics and values. Over the fifty years of the relationship many things have changed, particularly in Denver's satellite communities like Littleton... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Murder and Powerful Firearms: Put Public Health, Safety First
23 July 2012
CNN, Opinion
Scenes from the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater are horrific, but are all too familiar in the United States.
Some have argued that gun control is irrelevant to mass shootings because the perpetrators are typically so determined that they will overcome any legal hurdle to acquiring firearms. However, mass murderers often use assault weapons or guns with large ammunition capacity. …
One of the guns James Eagan Holmes allegedly used to shoot 70... (GunPolicy.org)
Tunisia,Yemen,United States,Japan
Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Firearm Deaths
23 July 2012
Atlantic (USA)
I've heard it said that, if you take a walk around Waikiki, it's only a matter of time until someone hands you a flyer of scantily clad women clutching handguns, overlaid with English and maybe Japanese text advertising one of the many local shooting ranges. The city's largest, the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club, advertises instructors fluent in Japanese, which is also the default language of its website. For years, this peculiar Hawaiian industry has explicitly targeted... (GunPolicy.org)
America Resigned to No Change in Gun Laws Despite Mass Shooting
23 July 2012
Agence France Presse
WASHINGTON — The alleged Colorado gunman legally purchased four guns, including a military-style assault rifle and a special magazine that meant he could fire off 50 to 60 deadly bullets a minute.
Over eight weeks he stocked up over the Internet on 6,300 rounds of ammunition: 3,000 for his .233 semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, another 3,000 for his two .22 Glocks, and 300 cartridges for his pump-action shotgun.
When the gun dealers performed the minimal background checks... (GunPolicy.org)
Sloggers for Gun Control Are My American Heroes - Gail Collins, NY Times
20 July 2012
New York Times, Opinion
My favorite American heroes are the ones who went for the long slog, even when their cause appeared to be hopeless to the point of ridiculous. Civil rights activists in the 1950s. Generations' worth of suffragists who trudged around the country collecting signatures on petitions to give women the right to vote.
Also, anybody who works on gun control.
"We do just seem to slog along, from one tragedy to the next," said Tom Mauser of Colorado Ceasefire.
The gun control... (GunPolicy.org)
The Truth About the Fast and Furious US-Mexico Gun Running Scandal
27 June 2012
Fortune (USA)
A Fortune investigation reveals that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. How the world came to believe just the opposite is a tale of rivalry, murder, and political bloodlust.
FORTUNE -- In the annals of impossible assignments, Dave Voth's ranked high. In 2009 the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives promoted Voth to lead Phoenix Group VII, one of seven new ATF groups along the Southwest border... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Killer Likely Issued Gun Licence Without Background Check
13 June 2012
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Double-killer Angus Mitchell was likely issued his firearms licence without a check of the database that records encounters with police where no criminal charges are laid.
RCMP Sgt. Greg Cox confirmed from Ottawa Tuesday the Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME) database is not routinely checked before someone is issued a firearms licence.
Cox said generally, only the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database is searched, which records... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Cancel 2,982 Gun Licences, Cite 'Rampant Misuse' in India
4 June 2012
Times of India
KOCHI - From now on, owning guns is not going to be an easy affair in Ernakulam as the city police have begun checking rampant misuse of licensed weapons. They are cancelling licences of existing gun owners as well as rejecting fresh applications.
According to police officials, they cancelled arms licence of 2,892 gun holders of the total 5,214 licence holders in Ernakulam district in the last two years.
The licence cancellation drive was initiated after the police... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers Bypass US Feds, Sell Guns to Foreign Buyers at Airport
8 May 2012
Gun Reports (USA)
According to a recent open letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to Federal firearms licensees (FFLs), "It has recently come to the attention of [the agency] that some Federal firearms licensees (FFL) are arranging for the exportation of firearms and ammunition through an in-person disposition to foreign purchasers at the airline ticket counter of local international airports. Industry members are advised that this manner of disposing... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Gunfest Focuses US Fight Over 'Shoot First' Hidden Handgun Laws
14 April 2012
CBS News (USA)
ST. LOUIS - Avid hunter Rob West drove from Chillicothe, Ohio, to St. Louis this week to join some 70,000 fellow National Rifle Association members at the organization's annual convention, where seven acres of guns and gear were on display and where politics was never far from anyone's mind.
For the NRA, which opposes any restrictions on gun ownership and President Barack Obama's re-election, the Second Amendment right to bear arms is sacrosanct.
"We don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Killed 391 US Civilians, Police in 5 Years
28 March 2012
New York Times, Column
The debate over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin seems to be devolving into an argument about the right to wear hoodies, but it really does not appear to be a promising development.
Congress, which never draws any serious conclusions from terrible tragedies involving gunplay, did have time on Wednesday to fight about whether Representative Bobby Rush of Chicago violated the House dress code when he took off his suit jacket, revealing a gray sweater he was wearing... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shooting Survivor Slams 'Outrageous' Lack of US Gun Sale Checks
15 March 2012
CNN
A man who survived the April 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech says not enough is being done to keep guns out of the hands of people like the shooter even as a jury found the university failed to warn students earlier that a gunman was on campus.
"As someone who lost a teacher and many friends as a result of the Virginia Tech massacre, I am gratified by the verdict," said Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the rampage by Seung-Hui Cho.
A jury Wednesday awarded... (GunPolicy.org)
Twelve American States On Path to Hidden Handguns with No Permits
7 March 2012
USA Today
Legislatures in a dozen states are considering laws that would eliminate requirements that residents obtain permits to carry concealed weapons.
Gun-control advocates view the efforts as part of a long-range strategy to eventually weaken gun laws across the country. But supporters say armed, law-abiding citizens prevent crime.
Andrew Arulanandam, policy director for the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, which supports these legislative... (GunPolicy.org)
Buy a Gun Online in the US, No Questions Asked - Investigation
9 February 2012
NBC News (USA), Report
Today marks the debut of Rossen Reports, a new unit led by national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen. First out of the gate: A hidden camera investigation exposing how easy it is for anyone – even criminals – to buy dangerous weapons.
Some say it's a major loophole in the law. At gun stores, you have to get a background check before you can buy a weapon. But online in most states, anyone from law-abiding citizens to dangerous criminals – even terrorists... (GunPolicy.org)
How America's Lax Gun Laws Enable Drug Cartel Killings in Mexico
5 February 2012
Washington Post, Editorial
Do America's failed gun policies contribute to the terrible violence in Mexico? Alejandro A. Poire Romero makes a compelling case that the answer is yes.
Law enforcement officials in both countries acknowledge that 70 to 80 percent of the traceable guns seized in Mexico can be tracked to the United States. Mr. Poire Romero, a top Mexican national security and criminal justice official, offers additional evidence that the United States has been an enabler of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Super Bowl TV Ad Makes New York Mayor Bloomberg US Gun Control King
4 February 2012
Christian Science Monitor
The gun control movement has faltered in recent years. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has vowed to spend his own fortune to buck that trend, most notably with a Super Bowl ad.
ATLANTA - With little political capital to lose and millions of his own cash to spend, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is determined to check the role of guns in American society.
A 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring Mr. Bloomberg on a couch with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will go a long way... (GunPolicy.org)
Talk of US Gun Buying Spree Based on Inaccurate, Biased Estimates
4 February 2012
Reuters
The conventional wisdom is that gun sales have increased dramatically since the election of Barack Obama because people fear gun rights will be curtailed. But as it turns out, there are no completely accurate measures of either gun purchases or gun ownership.
The gun industry's trade group, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), tracks gun sales by looking at the number of new requests to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). A... (GunPolicy.org)
New York, Boston Mayors Lead Influential American Gun Control Group
4 February 2012
Reuters
NEW YORK - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama, US Congress Share 'Abject Failure' to Repair Gun Control Laws
26 January 2012
New York Times, Editorial
House members were moved to tears on Wednesday when Representative Gabrielle Giffords handed in her resignation because, she said, she needed more time to heal from the grievous gunshot wound she suffered last year at the hands of a would-be assassin. The rarest of Congressional events — a display of genuinely bipartisan tributes — was the parting gift from her colleagues along with unanimous approval of Ms. Giffords's bill to fight drug trafficking along the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Up? It's a Beat-up Story: Real US Industry Figures Suppressed
9 January 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
The media has been awash this holiday season with stories about a "dramatic increase" in gun sales in the United States. CNN, for example, declared, "December holiday shoppers were not just interested in buying the hottest electronics and toys--they also were purchasing record numbers of guns." USA Today claimed, "Along with millions of Kindles, Angry Birds and gift cards, Santa left a record number of guns under Americans' Christmas trees." Reuters gushed about "16.5... (GunPolicy.org)
Record Numbers of US Gun Checks, Sales for Christmas
1 January 2012
Telegraph (UK)
According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December. Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.
It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.
On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.
The actual number... (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)