Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Finland,Ukraine,Sweden,Denmark,Netherlands
Firearms Supplied to Ukraine Found in Crime in Scandinavia
2 November 2022
YLE (Finland)
Organised crime is growing in Finland and there is a strong demand for weapons. Routes and connections from Ukraine to Finland are already in place. The police are hoping for resources to deal with the increasing workload caused by the war in Ukraine.
Soldiers carry weapons in the woods.
Europol, the European police agency, has warned that international criminals are trying to smuggle weapons from war-torn Ukraine to various EU countries. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba /... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,New Zealand
Australia, UK, New Zealand Tackled Mass Shootings
1 June 2022
CNN, Opinion
A man – almost always a man – commonly with no criminal history and no diagnosis of mental illness, armed with a lawfully obtained semiautomatic 'assault' weapon, kills and injures a large number of innocents in a place they imagined to be safe.
It happens around the world, but horrifyingly more and more often in the United States, most recently in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
To those of us who live in culturally similar nations, but where the... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,United States,Russia,Turkey,Germany,United Kingdom,Poland
What Weapons Have Other Countries Supplied to Ukraine?
17 March 2022
Guardian
The US president, Joe Biden, has announced an $800m (£610m) package of arms to Ukraine as the west steps up military aid against invading Russia forces.
The west's military assistance to Ukraine began cautiously with helmets and flak jackets but now includes drones that can destroy Russian tanks and artillery from 50 miles away.
The west has repeatedly refused to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine but is now supplying a range of powerful weapons. They... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Investigation Concluded
16 March 2022
Plymouth Herald (UK)
The police watchdog investigating how and why the Keyham gunman had his pump-action shotgun returned to him by Devon and Cornwall Police after it was removed said it has now completed its inquiry - but its findings cannot be made public at this time.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) investigation was launched in the wake of the tragic events on August 12, 2021 which saw the deaths of five people as well as the gunman, Jake Davison, by his own hand. A... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Soar in Lithuania After Russian Invasion of Ukraine
11 March 2022
National Interest (Lithuania)
Gun buyers in Lithuania are flocking to stores. Lithuanian media report that sales have increased eightfold and applications for gun licenses have more than doubled. Media outlets also report that shooting ranges are seeing increases in clients hoping to hone their skills.
These sales are believed to be largely driven by Lithuanian fears that Russia could invade in the future.
"[Putin] has much larger ambitions in Ukraine," President Joe Biden said in February. "He... (GunPolicy.org)
Ukraine,Netherlands,Sweden,Finland,Germany,Poland,United States,Russia
NATO Countries Pour Weapons Into Ukraine
2 March 2022
New York Times
The Dutch are sending rocket launchers for air defense. The Estonians are sending Javelin antitank missiles. The Poles and the Latvians are sending Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The Czechs are sending machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Even formerly neutral countries like Sweden and Finland are sending weapons. And Germany, long allergic to sending weapons into conflict zones, is sending Stingers as well as other shoulder-launched rockets.
In all,... (GunPolicy.org)
Irish National Police to be Disarmed Following Review
11 December 2021
Irish Times (Ireland)
The Garda is dramatically reducing the number of members carrying guns as it moves towards a model of having specialist units act as the force's primary firearms response.
The process began last year after a review of the number of armed members was carried out and it was found that more than a quarter (27 per cent or 3,778 gardaí) were carrying firearms. This was close to the proportion of members who were armed at the height of the Troubles in the 1980s.
The 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Mass Shooting Inquest Will Look At 10 Key Points
9 December 2021
Plymouth Herald (UK)
A six-week-long jury-led inquest into the deaths of five people killed by Keyham gunman Jake Davison will include an examination of why his mother reported him to the Government's counter-terrorism scheme. Today's two pre-inquest reviews into the killings on August 12, 2021, revealed the scope of the forthcoming full inquest which will begin on January 16, 2023.
Maxine Betty Davison, age 51, Lee Raymond John Martyn, age 43, Sophie Iris Martyn, age three, Stephen John... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Ireland Hits Record Gun Ownership
26 September 2021
Independent (Ireland)
There are close to a quarter of a million legally held firearms across the country, figures show, amid concerns of a rise in these weapons being used in murder-suicides.
There are currently 234,000 firearm certificates in circulation, according to Garda Headquarters. This equates to one in eight households in Ireland possessing a legally held firearm.
There is rising concern among gardaí and within the Government over the number of legally held guns being used in... (GunPolicy.org)
19,000 Firearms Licensed in Cork, Ireland
22 September 2021
Echo Live (Ireland)
If there are any concerns about a person who has a licence for a gun, that gun should be removed.
That is according to Fine Gael Cork North Central TD Colm Burke, who raised the issue of gun licences at this week's meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee.
He said six people have died in two firearms incidents in Cork and Kerry since last October.
And he added: "We have had huge challenges in the Covid period."
He told The Echo: "The use of a gun is just... (GunPolicy.org)
Doctors: A Gap in Britain's Gun Control System
22 August 2021
Guardian
Dal Babu is wrong to suggest that the British Association for Shooting and Conservation should not provide its members with details of fellow members who are doctors and are willing to provide medical verification for a firearms certificate (If you're asking how the Plymouth shooter got his gun, look at the broken licensing system, 18 August). The shooting community has an obvious interest in ensuring public safety. Without it, responsible and legal shooting as we know... (GunPolicy.org)
Plymouth Shootings: Police Asked to Review Gun Licence Process
17 August 2021
BBC News
Police forces in England and Wales are being asked to review their current firearm application processes, in the wake of the Plymouth mass shooting.
Questions remain over why Jake Davison, who killed five people and himself on Thursday, had a shotgun licence.
The Home Office is preparing new guidance to ensure higher standards of decision making around applications.BBC News
There will be advice on carrying out social media checks on people wanting to own a firearm or... (GunPolicy.org)
13 August 2021
BBC
The mother of the Plymouth gunman, Maxine Davison, and three-year-old Sophie Martyn have been named among the five victims of his shooting spree.
Ms Davison, 51, was shot and killed by her 22-year-old son Jake Davison at her home on Biddick Drive, Plymouth, on Thursday evening.
Davison went on to kill three-year-old Sophie, her father Lee Martyn, 43, Stephen Washington and Kate Shepherd.
His attack lasted about six minutes before he turned the gun on himself.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
What Are the Rules on Firearms Licences in the UK?
13 August 2021
Guardian
A gunman has killed five people, including a three-year-old child, in Plymouth, in Britain's worst mass shooting in more than a decade.
Police said the perpetrator, Jake Davison, 22, was a licensed firearm holder, but it is not yet known whether that gun was used. The UK has some of the toughest restrictions on firearms ownership in the world. Here is a look at how authorities determine who can get a licence.
Who can own a firearm?
The possession of firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun crime is on the rise in Sweden
24 July 2021
Economist
In late may a throng of a hundred or so young men, most of them from African or Middle Eastern minorities, started fighting in a square in Hjallbo, a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden's second city. Members of rival gangs seem to have started the scrap over the theft of a moped. Two days later a man in a nearby grocery shop was shot in the back of the head, thought to be as an act of revenge for the gangland battle. Then a policeman in Biskopsgarden, another suburb of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Utøya Massacre 10 Years On: What Has Changed In Norway?
22 July 2021
Conversation
It has been 10 years since 77 people – mostly teenage political activists – were massacred in a far-right terror attack in Norway that shocked the country and the world.
Anders Breivik was 32 years old on July 22 2011 when he detonated an ammonium nitrate fertiliser bomb at 15:25pm in the Regjeringskvartalet district of Oslo, attempting to assassinate government officials, killing eight. Ninety minutes later, as emergency services responded to the bomb, Breivik,... (GunPolicy.org)
26 June 2021
Spectator (Sweden)
The shots were fired at 1pm on a Sunday, in spite of a heavy police presence at the scene. A 44-year-old shop owner was killed by a bullet to the head. The murder victim was a hard-working man who was trying to make a better life for his family. Now he is dead: another victim of Sweden's gun-violence epidemic.
On 28 May, two days before the shooting, riots had broken out in the same neighbourhood, the immigrant area of Hjällbo (pronounced 'Yel-boo') in Gothenburg, as... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden's Gun Violence Rate Has Soared Due to Gangs,
26 May 2021
Guardian
Sweden is the only European country where fatal shootings have risen significantly since 2000, leaping from one of the lowest rates of gun violence on the continent to one of the highest in less than a decade, a report has found.
The report, by the Swedish national council for crime prevention (BRA), said the Scandinavian country had overtaken Italy and eastern European countries primarily because of the violent activities of organized criminal gangs.
"The rate in... (GunPolicy.org)
25 Years of Danish Shootings Mapped to the Smallest Detail
23 March 2021
Videnskab (Denmark)
Bang!
A man aged between 20 and 24 shoots and kills another with a shotgun or a pistol. He shoots the victim from the front, hitting him in the head or chest, and the killing takes place indoors.
If the victim is a man, it is probably gang-related; if it is a woman, it is probably the killer's wife or girlfriend.
The above is not a murder mystery, but an attempt to reproduce what the average shooting in Denmark might look like. The macabre facts about shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly 4,000 Legally-owned Handguns in Iceland
24 February 2021
RÚV (Iceland)
There are nearly 4,000 registered handguns in private ownership in Iceland. Icelanders own a total of close to 70,000 legal firearms, with shotguns the most popular by far. Seven guns were reported stolen last year, which was significantly fewer than in recent years.
Hunting and gun-related sports have been a popular pastime in Iceland for a long time. In order to own a gun, people must have a firearms licence, pass a test, fill out many forms – and adhere to all... (GunPolicy.org)
Azerbaijan,Armenia,Russia,Israel,Turkey,United States,United Kingdom
Arms Supplies to Armenia and Azerbaijan
17 February 2021
EVN
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been embroiled in an intense and violent ethnic conflict over Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for over three decades. The conflict is at the very core of the modern statehoods of both countries. It has resulted in two full-scale wars in 1992-94 and 2020 and regular skirmishes, with the most significant one being the 2016 Four Day April War. The conflict has led to both countries becoming among the most militarized countries in the world. A 2019... (GunPolicy.org)
Penal Code Not Well Adapted to Faroese Conditions
28 January 2021
Kringvarp Føroya (Faeroe Islands)
Hundreds of rifles and shotguns are stored away in homes across the country.
This is not because the gun owners are criminals; rather, it is because leisure shooting, such as target shooting and – in particular, shooting hares – are popular pastimes for Faroese people.
But now, defence lawyer Jógvan Páll Lassen is warning the public that police have stepped up their enforcement of the weapons law.
"If I owned a rifle, I would ask a lawyer to call the police and... (GunPolicy.org)
Faeroese Police Gain Easier Access to Gun Information
18 January 2021
Kringvarp Føroya (Faeroe Islands)
It will now be easier for the police to find information about firearms.
A new directive on registration of firearms grants the police direct remote access to the weapons register for preventive, investigative and prosecutorial purposes in connection with gun-related crimes.
The directive on overseas transportation of firearms and how these should be stored has also been amended.
A so-called firearms passport will now be required for imports and exports of... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,United States,United Kingdom
Gun Trafficking from US to UK Increasing
12 August 2020
New York Times
Handguns are quietly being smuggled into Britain, despite tough gun-control laws. The police fear that the illegal weapons are contributing to a rise in gang-related crime.
NORTHAMPTON, England — Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America.
His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years... (GunPolicy.org)
Fewer Gun Owners but More Hunting Weapons in Sweden
12 February 2020
Jakt & Jägare
It is often claimed in the debate that Sweden has about 600,000 legal gun owners. That is not true, according to the weapons register. Jakt & Jägare has ordered a run of the register from the Police. The trend is that there are fewer and fewer gun owners, but there are licenses for more and more weapons, mainly for hunting.
At the time of running the weapons register on 1 February, 552,554 people had one or more weapons licenses.
Since 2018, there are 4,519 fewer... (GunPolicy.org)
The Wave of Explosions Rocking Sweden's Cities
25 January 2020
Guardian
The first thing Daniel Georén registered was a cacophony of car alarms. It was 2am, and everyone in the attractive cobbled street where he lives in Malmö, Sweden, had been jolted awake by a giant explosion.
"The blinds shot up because of the pressure, and straightaway there was a small crowd of neighbours outside," the 40-year-old wine merchant told the Observer a week after the blast.
The damage was still there to see: the door to his backyard had been blown off,... (GunPolicy.org)
What Do We Know About Violent Crime In Sweden?
28 October 2019
Local (Sweden)
Has there been a rise in the number of explosions and shootings? Here's a look at what we do and don't know about violent crime in Sweden.
How much violent crime happens in Sweden?
In 2018, statistics from the National Council on Crime Prevention (Brå) showed there were 108 cases of deadly violence, a slight decrease from 2017 when there were 113 cases. The 2018 figure worked out as 1.06 incidents of deadly violence per 100,000 inhabitants of Sweden, and since 2002... (GunPolicy.org)
Rise In Gang Violence Across Sweden
4 July 2019
Local (Sweden)
Honour, debts, and prestige are serving as the pretext for an increasing number of deadly shootings that challenge the ideals of equality and social harmony on which modern Sweden was built.
"You strengthen your own gang by eliminating an external threat and you gain prestige," Eddy Paver, a reformed former member of a biker gang, told AFP.
Paver was long willing to pay the ultimate price in order to "belong" to a criminal gang which required absolute loyalty from its... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden Calls for Tighter Penalties for Arms Smuggling
5 May 2019
Vägen ut
A black car rolls up a shot is fired from a gun and a young man falls to the ground. Another fatal shooting added to the statistics and another family losing a loved one. A total of 45 people lost their lives in fatal shootings last year, with the most deaths in the Southern Region and the most shootings in the Stockholm area.
The number of fatal shootings continues to rise and the prognosis looks bleak. Fatal violence has been declining for a long time. But the trend... (GunPolicy.org)
This is Where Most Gun Owners Live in Sweden
14 March 2019
SVT Nyheter
According to figures from the news agency Siren, five municipalities in Norrbotten end up at the top when the number of gun owners is compared with the population.
In Arjeplog, for example, more than one in three inhabitants has a weapons license, which can be compared with Malmö, where every fifty inhabitants have one. After Arjeplog comes Storuman, Sorsele and then Jokkmokk. In Jokkmokk, 29 percent of the inhabitants have a gun license.
[Graphic: Gun ownership by... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 50,000 Firearms in the Hands of Private Individuals
3 August 2018
Postimees (Estonia)
According to the Police and Border Guard Board, 26,000 people in Estonia have 54,000 firearms at their disposal.
The number of people holding a weapons permit is evenly distributed throughout Estonia. Where more people live, there are also more gun license holders. There are 10,312 holders of a weapons permit in Tallinn and Harju County, followed by 2,285 in Tartu County and 2,054 in Ida-Virumaa. The smallest number of gun owners is in Hiiumaa, the smallest county in... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Handed in During Scottish Amnesty
3 July 2018
BBC News
Hundreds of illegal firearms and air weapons have been handed in to police during a two-week amnesty campaign.
A total of 474 firearms, 690 air weapons and 337 lots of ammunition were received at police stations around Scotland.
These included a machine gun, an AK47 assault rifle, and a pistol dating back to World War One.
Supt Ronnie Megaughin said getting the weapons off the streets 'lowers the risk of harm within our communities'.
He said: "Although the surrender... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Scotland Begin Two-week Firearms Amnesty
18 June 2018
BBC News
Police Scotland has launched a firearms amnesty, intended to stop weapons falling into the hands of criminals.
Anyone who has a gun or ammunition without a valid certificate can take them to one of 43 police stations.
No-one will be prosecuted just for possession of a weapon if they hand it in during the amnesty.
Officers have stressed, however, that this immunity does not apply to offences linked to the weapon before it was handed in.
The amnesty will last two... (GunPolicy.org)
The Origins of Illegal Firearms in the UK - BBC Reality Check
10 May 2018
BBC News
Over the bank holiday weekend, a spate of shootings across England hit the headlines. They add to a picture of rising gun crime, after more than a decade of big decreases.
Although gun-related offences have risen for the past four years, there were still less than half as many gun crimes in England and Wales last year as there were in the early 2000s.
Where Do the Guns Come From?
Guns are very tightly controlled in the UK. Those that end up on the black market often... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
Craft Weapons Seized in Finland
26 November 2017
MTV Finland
[Editor's Note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
In the forensic laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation, between 30-40 homemade weapons are investigated annually. However, the figure is not the whole truth, as some of the weapons can be studied directly by the police without the work of the laboratory.
"Making a firearm is not a very demanding job," says technical researcher Pauli Heiskanen from the forensic laboratory.
In practice,... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapon-dense Sweden Does not Have the United States' Problems
10 October 2017
Goteborgs-Posten
Did you know that Sweden is one of the world's most weapon-proof countries? Neither did I, but given the US debate on gun control after the Las Vegas massacre, it's interesting.
So I read on.
In total, there are about two million legal weapons in Sweden, which sounds like a lot, but has an undramatic explanation: The Swedish hunting tradition. Hunting weapons account for 80 percent of all weapons. The amount of weapons is also increased by the fact that shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Botswana,Cook Islands,Fiji,Iceland,Ireland,Kiribati,Malawi,Marshall Islands,Nauru,New Zealand,Niue,Norway,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Tuvalu,United Kingdom,Vanuatu,Virgin Islands (US)
The 19 Countries That Do Not Arm Their Police Officers
19 July 2017
CNN
A woman who called 911 to report a nearby crime was killed by a US police officer last weekend. The circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.
The fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk, a dual Australian-US national who had settled in Minnesota in 2014, has made headlines in both her native Australia and her adopted home in Minneapolis – once again reigniting the all too familiar debate surrounding the role that firearms play in both law enforcement and in... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland Streamlines Firearms Registration
26 June 2017
Sputnik News
While possession of firearms has long provoked heated discussions across the globe, for Finland it doesn't seem to be a matter for debate. With new gun laws, the Nordic country has simplified gun procurement to the extreme, effectively allowing firearm permit applications online and abolishing psychological evaluations and police interviews.
Starting from 2018, the process of applying for a gun permit in Finland will be as easy as shelling peas. Gun aficionados... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Firearm Registration Simplified
25 June 2017
Yle News
[Editor's note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
New gun laws will soon make it easier for people to obtain firearms permits in Finland. The reforms will allow many firearm permit applications to be made on the internet, without a face-to-face meeting with police - even for first-time applicants. Gun permit applicants will also no longer be required to undergo psychological evaluations. The reforms go into effect at the beginning of next... (GunPolicy.org)
Seizure of Illicit Weapons Increases
24 May 2017
Iltalehti News
[Editor's note: Translated from Finnish to English by GunPolicy.org]
The number of firearms and supplies seized by the police has increased.
Last year, 5,384 (2016) firearms or weapons were seized by the police, compared to 3,675 (2015) in the previous... (GunPolicy.org)
Norwegian Police Involved in Four Fatal Shootings in 14 Years
28 November 2016
Local (Norway)
Norwegian police shot and killed a 35-year-old man in Kristiansand early on Sunday morning, an incredibly rare incident in a nation where fatal police shootings are nearly non-existent.
Police would not say how many shots they fired at the 35-year-old but according to local news source Fædrelandsvennen numerous empty cartridges were found at the site.
Police received tip-offs from members of the public about an armed man who was displaying threatening behaviour.... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Turkmenistan,Finland,Uzbekistan,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates
Finland Under Scrutiny for Rising Arms Exports to Conflict Zones
1 November 2016
Modern Tokyo Times
As the global economy continues its slow recovery from the 2008–2009 worldwide recession, armament sales appear to have been one of the few recession-proof export sectors. The greater Middle East has been main emporium for such purchases. While the United States and Russia remain the world's two leading armaments exporters, other countries have also rushed in to fill niche markets, such as small arms, training aircraft and light artillery. Notably, Finland has been... (GunPolicy.org)
British Police Fear Stolen Guns May Fuel Terrorist Attacks [ES]
31 October 2016
ABC News (Spain)
[Translated summary: British Police fear a terrorist attack with firearms in the UK. With 800 licensed firearms lost each year, these guns could be sold by gangs to Jihadist terrorists. During the last two years, police disrupted 10 attempted attacks, and in half of them terrorists were going to use firearms.]
La policía británica, en una rara declaración, ha reconocido que teme un ataque islamista con armas de fuego en ciudades del país, al modo de los que sufrió... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns-and-Terrorism Links Worry British Police, Crime Authority
31 October 2016
East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
Half the foiled terror plots in the UK in the past two years involved a plan to buy guns, police have said, amid a surge in the number of weapons found in major British cities.
Concerns about firearms falling into terrorist hands are running high after a record level of gun seizures in London and similar spikes in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Liverpool.
Authorities fear that links between street gangs and terrorists could give extremists access to weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East Lothian Courier (UK), Press Association (UK)
UK County Launches Gun Amnesty - Essex Police
31 October 2016
East Anglian Daily Times (UK)
Essex Police today launched a two-week firearms amnesty where members of the public can surrender unlicensed or unwanted guns or ammunition without fear of prosecution.
The amnesty will run from 8am today until 5pm on Friday, November 11, and during this time people are encouraged to hand in firearms, ammunition, imitation firearms and air or gas-powered weapons to one of eight police stations in the county.
Anyone surrendering firearms during this period will not... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Border Security Gaps Could Let Terrorists Bring in Guns
28 October 2016
Guardian
Weaknesses in Britain's border security may allow terrorists to get the guns they need to attack London, a report has warned.
The report, for London mayor Sadiq Khan, warns of rising firearms use in the capital over the summer, with the potential for weapons smuggled in by organised criminals being acquired by terrorists.
The study by Lord Toby Harris says that a major terrorist attack could inflict a severe casualty toll on London, and makes 127 recommendations to... (GunPolicy.org)
Fewer Than 1 in 20 British Police Officers Carry Firearms [FR]
27 October 2016
France TV Info
[Translated summary: In Great Britain, less than 5% of police officers carry a firearm. In 2015-16 they used their guns only seven times. To be able to carry a firearm, officers must volunteer and pass very strict tests, as well as psychological monitoring.]
Alors que 250 millions d'euros vont, en France, être affectés à moderniser le matériel des policiers, coup de projecteur sur la situation en Grande-Bretagne. Outre-Manche, la tradition historique du bobby non... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Saudi Arabia,South Korea,United Kingdom,Germany,Algeria,Switzerland,Netherlands,United Arab Emirates,Turkey,France
Germany Defends Its Sudden Leap in Gun, Ammo Exports [ES]
26 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
[Translated summary: Between January and June 2016, Germany exported firearms and military equipment amounting to €4 billion; an increase of 500 million in relation to the same period in 2015. The government defended its firearm export policy, saying that it's restrictive and transparent and assuring that they give a "special relevance" to the respect of human rights.]
Entre enero y junio de 2016 Alemania concedió permisos de exportación de armas y equipamiento... (GunPolicy.org)
Increased Gun Smuggling in the UK
28 September 2016
Guardian
More guns are being seized in cities across Britain as the number of firearms being smuggled into the country increases, Britain's most senior police officer has said.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, told a hearing at London's City Hall that a rise in gun crime in the capital was being put down to an increase in the number of weapons coming into the country.
The Met seized a "worrying" record number of weapons in 2015, including... (GunPolicy.org)
Norwegian Police Seize Over 1,000 Illegal Guns from Collectors
21 September 2016
News in English (Norway)
Norwegians often refer derisively to how guns flourish among the public in the US, but Norway also has a high per capita amount of weapons in addition to being a weapons producer. Weapons are found in many households in Norway, for hunting or civil defense purposes. Far from all of them are legally registered, and that's what prompted the police raids carried out so far this year.
Newspaper Ringerikes Blad reported Wednesday that between 500 and 600 weapons were seized... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Company Tracks Illegal Guns, Ammunition to Hot Spots
11 September 2016
Huffington Post (UK)
"If you pick up a Kalashnikov and you've been doing this for a while, 99% of the time you can tell where it was manufactured, what the model was, and which country it originated in. On the left hand side, you have a factory code and a serial number, and then you have associated marks where the safety catch is."
James Bevan, 38, spends his life counting the world's illegal weapons. The former UN weapons inspector runs the world's most comprehensive map tracking the flow... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Becomes Second Largest Small Arms Exporter
6 September 2016
Daily Caller (USA)
The United Kingdom became the world's second largest small arms exporter this year, all while British citizens are still prohibited from owning or possessing defensive firearms.
A large portion of U.K. weapons exports went to war-torn countries, with two-thirds of sales going to the Middle East, a hotbed of terrorism and conflict. The U.K. also sold arms to 22 of the 30 countries on its own human rights watch list. While countries like Libya, Russia and China have... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in Spain, Lithuania [ES]
5 September 2016
20 Minutos (USA)
[Translated summary: 52 people were arrested in a raid that dismantled a drug and arms trafficking network linking Spain and Lithuania. Police reported that at least 50 guns were seized, AK-47 and Makarov pistols among them. The network purchased guns from collectors and repaired them in workshops to make them operational and sell them.]
Cincuenta y dos personas fueron arrestadas en un operativo que desmanteló una red de tráfico de drogas y armas que operaba en... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Russia,France,Ukraine,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Israel,Bahrain,Belgium,Oman,Turkmenistan,United Arab Emirates
UK, Second Largest Gun Exporter, Arms the Middle East [FR]
5 September 2016
Sputnik News
[Translated summary: The United Kingdom is the second largest exporter of arms. Between 2010 and 2015, the UK has sold weapons worth 10 million pounds to Oman, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates, countries that are classified as "Non-free" by the Freedom House NGO. Other countries that buy from the UK are Saudi Arabia and Israel.]
Le Royaume-Uni est le deuxième plus grand exportateur d'armes du monde sur les 10 dernières années et devant des pays comme la... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Switzerland
Arms Trade Treaty Conference Focused Only on Bureaucracy
31 August 2016
Stimson Center (USA)
In a meeting that symbolized a stark contrast between the humanitarian crises occurring around the world and the comfortable and scenic gathering of governments committed to stopping irresponsible arms transfers, more than 500 people representing Arms Trade Treaty States Parties, signatories, industry, and civil society representatives met in Geneva from August 22-26 for the Second Conference of States Parties (CSP2) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The ATT is the first... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Yemen,Saudi Arabia
Oxfam Accuses UK of Being "In Denial" Over Saudi Gun Sales
24 August 2016
al Jazeera
An international aid organisation has accused British politicians of being in "denial and disarray" over the selling of arms to Saudi Arabia for potential use in the war in Yemen.
Oxfam said on Tuesday that the UK was violating the International Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the transfer of conventional arms to ensure there are no violations of international humanitarian law.
"UK arms and military support are fuelling a brutal war in Yemen, harming the very... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Afghanistan,Bulgaria,Italy,Syria,Czech Republic,Iran,Libya,Yemen,United Kingdom,Ukraine,United States,South Sudan,France
World Powers Accused of Violating Arms Trade Treaty [ES]
23 August 2016
IPS Noticias
[Translated summary: Human Rights organisations and military analysts accuse the United States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France and Italy of violating the Arms Trade Treaty by selling to countries in conflict. Experts say that effectively implementing the treaty could save millions of lives.]
NACIONES UNIDAS - Los grandes proveedores de armamento violan el tratado que regula su comercio y que se propone frenar el flujo de armas pequeñas y ligeras hacia las zonas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Switzerland,Austria,Czech Republic,United Kingdom,United States,France
In Fear of Terror, Europeans Buy More Guns, Scare Devices
23 August 2016
Reuters
Europeans in a number of countries are seeking to arm themselves with guns and self-defence devices in growing numbers following a series of attacks by militants and the mentally ill. Here are some figures.
- In Germany, permits for scare devices including blank guns and those that fire pepper spray rose 49 percent to 402,301 in the year to June, federal statistics show.
However, the number of certificates to possess firearms dipped marginally to 1,894,283 from... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Saudi Arabia,France,United Kingdom,Yemen
France, UK, US Urged to Halt Gun Sales to Saudi Arabia
23 August 2016
France 24
As a UN conference on the arms trade kicked off in Geneva on Monday, France, Britain and the United States came under fire from NGOs for selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, which is waging a controversial campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Swiss city is hosting the second conference on the UN-backed Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which came into force in 2014 to lay out new rules governing the international arms trade. Advocacy groups are urging signatories to keep... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Syria,South Sudan,United States,Bulgaria,Czech Republic,France,Italy,Egypt,Ukraine,Moldova,Slovakia,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Germany,Spain
UN: No Tolerance for States Who Flout Arms Trade Treaty
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
- States Parties [countries] still engaging in unscrupulous arms transfers, putting lives and human rights at risk
- More than a quarter of States Parties are yet to meet the treaty's reporting obligations
- Some States Parties opting to reject public scrutiny of their arms transfers
States must ensure the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) lives up to its promise to save lives and protect human rights from the devastating effects of the international arms trade by taking... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,China,Germany,United Kingdom,France,Russia,Spain,Italy,Israel,India,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,Pakistan,Australia,Turkey,Singapore,South Korea,South Sudan,Ukraine
Killer Facts: The Scale of the Global Arms Trade, Gun Totals
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
Transfers of heavy conventional weapons
The top 10 exporters of conventional arms (excluding small arms/ light weapons – SALW) 2010-15
USA: US$55.006 billion
Russia: US$42.404 billion
China: US$9.943 billion
Germany: US$ 9.467 billion
France: US$ 8.932 billion
UK: US$ 7.627 billion
Spain: US$ 5.310 billion
Italy: US$ 4.360 billion
Ukraine: US$ 4.156 billion
Israel: US$ 3.280 billion
The top 10 importers of conventional arms (excluding SALWs) 2010-15
India:... (GunPolicy.org)
Cops Without Guns Dominate as London Awaits 'Likely' Attack
22 August 2016
NBC News (USA)
LONDON — Seconds after his police radio crackles into life, Inspector James Beattie kicks the squad car into gear, triggers its siren and roars the wrong way down a busy road.
Beattie and his partner, Constable Jill Simpson, are wearing stab-proof vests and carrying batons, canisters of mace and handcuffs. But like the vast majority of London cops, neither of them has a gun.
"I've never, ever felt the need to have a firearm," Beattie said while on patrol last week.... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden Allows Only Responsible People to Have a Gun Licence
8 August 2016
Vox (USA)
Twenty years ago, I headed to Sweden for a sabbatical year to study the country's attitudes toward hunting. As a responsible hunter, I brought my own guns — an old 12-gauge shotgun and a Remington .30-06 — because I didn't want to miss a shot or wound an animal using unfamiliar, borrowed firearms.
As a sociologist I thought that bringing my own firearms would give me some firsthand experience with European gun laws. That happened sooner than I expected.
My... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Terror Alert, Over 90% of UK Police Remain Unarmed
4 August 2016
MRC Tv (USA)
Late Wednesday, a woman was killed and five others were injured when a terrorist went on a stabbing spree in London, tragically proving yet again that evildoers bent on hurting a boatload of people aren't dissuaded by gun laws or a lack of access to firearms.
But those same gun restrictions that don't stop bad people from doing bad things sure as heck make it harder for the good guys.
Mere hours after the attack, the Wall Street Journal reported this fun fact about... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Deploys More Police with Guns at London Landmarks
3 August 2016
NBC News (USA)
LONDON — Britain is known for its unarmed bobbies on the beat. But tourists visiting London will have to get used to the city's landmarks being patrolled by more and more officers wielding firearms.
The Metropolitan Police announced the increase — dubbed Operation Hercules — during a show-and-tell event in central London on Wednesday.
As well as the armed cops who will be guarding the London's potential terror targets, also out in force were the Met's elite... (GunPolicy.org)
More Police Officers Now Carry Guns on the Streets of London
3 August 2016
New York Times, Associated Press
LONDON — London's police force is putting more armed officers on the streets — a visible response to attacks by Islamic State-inspired groups in Europe.
Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe said Wednesday he's increasing the number and the visibility of the officers "to protect the public from all manner of threats."
"In some of our big iconic locations, we've already got armed patrols — if you look at Parliament, Downing Street — so it's not entirely... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Armed Police Fired Their Guns Just 7 Times in 12 Months
28 July 2016
International Business Times (UK)
Police in the UK fired their weapons a total of seven times after attending more than 14,000 firearms operations in 12 months, according to figures. Official statistics released by the Home Office show officers discharged their firearms more times in the year ending March 2016 than in any other 12-month period since 2009.
The seven incidents where police fired their weapons is a slight increase from the previous year where there was six. There was also a slight... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Terrorism, Fewer UK Police Are Trained to Use Guns
28 July 2016
Aol (UK)
The number of police firearms officers has fallen for the fourth year in a row, new figures have revealed.
There were 5,639 authorised firearms officers in forces across England and Wales as of March 31 - down by eight compared with the previous year when there were 5,647, Home Office data shows.
It means the number has dwindled by more than 1,000 in the last five years.
The disclosure comes at a time when Britain's armed policing resources are under close scrutiny... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Air Weapons Surrendered During Scottish Amnesty
21 July 2016
BBC News
Crossbows, rifles and pistols dating back to World War Two are among thousands of air weapons surrendered during a police amnesty.
Police Scotland said 11,569 weapons were surrendered during a three-week amnesty which ended on 12 June.
An additional 1,000 have been handed in to officers across Scotland since then.
The force will continue to accept them until 31 December, when new laws make it a criminal offence to have an air weapon without a licence or... (GunPolicy.org)
New Irish Taskforce Targets 'People Running Around With Guns'
15 July 2016
Irish Examiner (Dublin)
A 50-strong taskforce to tackle gangland crime will be unveiled by the Government next week
The gardaí, drawn from experienced crime investigators, will be appointed to the Special Crime Task Force on a full-time basis.
Plans for the taskforce were announced by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Garda commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan on May 31 as part of their response to organised crime and the murderous Kinahan-Hutch feud.
Seven people had been killed by that... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Ireland,Norway,Iceland,New Zealand,United States
5 Countries Where Police Don't Carry Guns, and It Works [ES]
9 July 2016
El Dinamo (Chile)
[Translated summary: In Britain, Ireland, Norway, Iceland and New Zealand, officers don't carry guns when they are on patrol. The effectiveness of this strategy is reflected in the low crime rates of these countries. Some experts believe that, in the US, both citizens and police should be disarmed to make it safer.]
Tras los violentos hechos registrados en Estados Unidos durante esta semana, el Washington Post reveló los particulares casos que se viven en Gran... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Finland,Spain,Iceland,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Ireland
Handling Violence in Countries Where Police Don't Carry Guns
9 July 2016
Quartz (USA)
Another week, another police shooting in the United States. So far this year, 569 people have been killed by US police, according to The Guardian's count. Police brutality is a horrific normality and, in more ways than one, black men being shot by police has become the modern-day equivalent of lynching.
But, of course, it doesn't have to be this way. A police officer does not have to shoot to kill and, in several countries, a police officer does not even have to carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Licensing Changes Concern British Medical Association
22 June 2016
Guardian
Hard-pressed GPs lack the resources to deal with new firearm licensing arrangements designed to keep guns out of the hands of those medically unfit to have access to them, doctors have warned.
The British Medical Association annual conference in Belfast on Wednesday comfortably passed a motion expressing its concerns over the changes in gun licensing introduced in April.
The motion said the changes place undue burden on practices to report on every application for a... (GunPolicy.org)
How Rare Illegal Firearms Find Their Way Onto British Streets
20 June 2016
The Conversation (UK)
How it is possible to get hold of weapons in Britain despite tough laws that restrict their ownership and use? This strict firearm legislation, enacted chiefly through the Firearms Act 1968 and amendments following the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting and 1996 Dunblane mass shoting, has reduced the number of purpose-made firearms in circulation. This has contributed to the number of firearms offences (including those using airguns and air rifles) falling from a high of... (GunPolicy.org)
How Illegal Firearms Find their Way Onto British Streets
20 June 2016
The Conversation (USA)
How it is possible to get hold of weapons in Britain despite tough laws that restrict their ownership and use? This strict firearm legislation, enacted chiefly through the Firearms Act 1968 and amendments following the 1987 Hungerford mass shooting and 1996 Dunblane mass shooting, has reduced the number of purpose-made firearms in circulation. This has contributed to the number of firearms offences (including those using airguns and air rifles) falling from a high of... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Charge Man With Fatal Shooting of British Lawmaker
18 June 2016
CNN
London -- Police have charged 52-year-old Thomas Mair with the brazen killing of British politician Jo Cox.
Investigators are now looking into whether Mair -- who is described by neighbors as a loner -- had ties to right-wing extremism.
Cox, a member of Britain's Parliament, was killed Thursday in a brazen attack on a street in her district in northern England.
"We have now charged a man with murder, grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to commit... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Has Tight Firearm Laws and Low Rates of Gun Violence
17 June 2016
CNN
The United Kingdom is famous for its tight firearm laws and low rates of gun-related violence.
Its measures on owning guns are so strict, the shooting death of parliament member Jo Cox on Thursday left the nation stunned.
Those who want to own firearms go through an onerous process that includes an application through the local police department, a cover letter, references and in some cases, doctor visits.
Unlike the United States, which has an estimated 101 guns per... (GunPolicy.org)
Shooting Death of MP Surprises UK With Its Strict Gun Laws
16 June 2016
Washington Post
Four days after the horrific mass shooting in Orlando sparked a fresh debate about gun control in the United States, a fatal attack on a politician in Britain is bringing attention to that country's gun control policies.
Jo Cox, a member of the British Parliament for the center-left Labour Party, was shot and stabbed while meeting with constituents near the northern city of Leeds on Thursday. According to police, the 41-year-old has died of her injuries.
Any physical... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Germany,United Kingdom,United States
How Worldwide Firearm Policies Change After a Mass Shooting
16 June 2016
Washington Post
In the wake of the massacre in Orlando, which killed 49 people, Americans are feeling frustrated about the prevalence of gun violence in the United States and are wondering what must be done to stop it. This has renewed the debate about whether stricter gun control laws could prevent mass shootings.
Perhaps there's something to be learned from countries such as Australia, Britain and Germany. After enacting stricter gun control legislation, those countries have seen a... (GunPolicy.org)
Slaying of MP is Surprising Due to Low Gun Violence in the UK
16 June 2016
USA Today, Opinion
The Associated Press "Urgent" wire started flashing.
"British lawmaker Jo Cox has died after shooting attack in her constituency," it said in the usual dry language of such alerts.
And I felt my heart thumping.
How could this have happened in the land of my birth and upbringing? How could the American scourge of gun violence that had just killed 49 innocents in Orlando – and, to be honest, to which I have become almost numb – have spread there?
After all, in the... (GunPolicy.org)
What Could Americans Learn from Norway's Gun Laws?
16 June 2016
Kera News (USA)
Nearly five year ago, Anders Breivik carried out two attacks in Norway, taking 77 lives.
Breivik's massacre began on July 22, 2011, with a car bomb in Oslo that killed eight people. Later that day, using a semi-automatic rifle, he went on a shooting rampage on the island of Utoya, killing another 69 people, most of whom were young campers.
How did Norway react? And does it offer any lessons for the US — a nation that has once again been devastated by a mass... (GunPolicy.org)
Why MP Jo Cox's Gun Murder Is So Shocking for Britain
16 June 2016
Time (USA)
Jo Cox, a Member of Parliament for the Batley and Spens constituency in the north of England was shot and stabbed to death on Thursday, shocking Britain. and provoking an outpouring of sympathy from citizens and politicians from across the globe.
The killing, which police are still investigating, would have been jarring anywhere in the world. But in Britain, where guns are tightly controlled and gun violence is a rare event, the attack is all the more appalling.
Even... (GunPolicy.org)
United Arab Emirates,United States,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,South Africa,Iran,North Korea,Saudi Arabia
Gun Trade Still Growing at Expense of Development - Study
8 June 2016
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - A report released by The Small Arms Survey here Monday shows the alarming rate at which the trade of small arms and light weapons has been increasing.
Under Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN last September, UN member states have agreed to significantly reduce illicit arms trade flows by 2030.
"The Sustainable Development Agenda puts a clear emphasis on arms as one of the elements that will need to be taken into account for... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Arms Industry Needs Tougher Regulation
8 June 2016
Liberal Democrat Voice (UK)
The UK's arms industry is one of the most prolific and lucrative in the world. From fighter jets to armoured vehicles to small arms, our arms dealers have a lot to offer the world by way of military equipment.
No one will deny the power this industry wields in Britain. Until as recently as 2002, UK citizens and companies could arrange the transfer of arms between any other countries in the world (apart from those under a binding UN arms embargo) with complete impunity... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Netherlands,United States,Iran,North Korea,United Arab Emirates
Global Gun Trade Leapt 17 Percent in Aftermath of Arab Spring
7 June 2016
Deutsche Welle
Global trade in small arms hit $6 billion (5.3 billion euros) in 2013, a jump of 17 percent over the previous year, according to a non-profit arms-tracking organization, which released its results at a UN conference in New York on Monday.
The report, which was produced by the Swiss-based Small Arms Survey, again found that the United States was, by far, both the largest exporter and importer of small arms and light weapons, exporting a record $1.1 billion worth of... (GunPolicy.org)
North Korea,Iran,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Germany,Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates,United States,Italy
Switzerland Loses Top Slot in Gun Trade Transparency Ranking
7 June 2016
SwissInfo
For the first time since 2007, Switzerland gave up the top spot in the Small Arms Survey's latest evaluation of the most transparent small arms exporters.
"Its lower score in comparison with previous years reflects less complete reporting to United Nations Comtrade [UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database] and a lack of information on licence denials," the authors said in the 2016 bulletin published on Monday.
Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Law Forces Police to Subsidise Cost of Shooting 'Hobby'
3 June 2016
Police Professional (UK)
Although the cost of applying for firearms licences increased in 2015, forces still have to pay for administration and conducting background checks.
Former Kent PCC Ann Barnes, replaced by Matthew Scott in May, had long campaigned against police covering the costs, claiming the process was only subsiding a certain group's hobby.
But just four weeks after assuming office, Mr Scott has announced he will release £39,000 to hire new staff to help the department clear... (GunPolicy.org)
Boss of UK's Biggest Known Gun Smuggling Ring Gets 35 Years
3 June 2016
Guardian, Press Association (UK)
The ringleader of Britain's biggest known gun-smuggling operation has been sentenced to 35 years in jail for shipping £100,000 worth of weapons from the same source used in the Charlie Hebdo terror attack.
Harry Shilling bragged "we [are] now officially gangsters" after 22 assault rifles and nine Skorpion sub-machine guns from eastern Europe sailed up the river Medway from Boulogne in France.
The 26-year-old and Michael Defraine, 30, were found guilty of gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe Must Improve, Share Gun Data to Cut Violence - Study
25 May 2016
BBC News
Governments across Europe need to improve the way they gather and share information about firearms to cut gun crime, a major UK-led report has said.
Researchers' main concern was the lack of emphasis placed by some countries on investigating the source of weapons.
As part of the study, experts examined 1,000 gun cartridge cases from Serbia and found links to 50 shootings.
The findings of the research project, led by Coventry University, will be presented in Brussels... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Police to Patrol Six of London's Gun Crime Hotspots
25 May 2016
BBC News
Armed police patrols will target London's gun crime hotspots such as Hackney, Lambeth and Southwark after a rise in the number of shootings.
Met Police chiefs say there are more guns on the streets which have fuelled a "significant" rise in the number of shootings in the past three months.
There were 226 shootings in 2015. So far this year there have been 122, with a particular rise since March.
Newham, Haringey and Brent were also highlighted as shooting... (GunPolicy.org)
Farmers' Lobby Protests Online-only Gun Licensing in Ireland
16 May 2016
Farming Life
Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI), The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), and the Gun Trade Guild Northern Ireland (GTG NI) had been working in partnership with the PSNI's Firearms and Explosives Branch since late 2015 on the development of online application forms.
In late April, however, PSNI publicly announced plans to scrap paper applications completely, moving 100 per cent to online applications by July/August this year. Countryside groups... (GunPolicy.org)
Eleven Gun Attacks in Belfast So Far This Year
10 May 2016
Belfast Live (UK)
May 9 will for ever be remembered in Belfast as a day of terror.
Three separate shooting incidents occurred within 24 hours in the city, leaving one man dead.
So far this year, 11 gun attacks have already hit the greater Belfast area.
It started with Conor McKee being shot dead in North Belfast on January 8, with the latest incident seeing 55-year-old delivery driver Dan Murray blasted in his car in West Belfast around 10pm on May 9.
Our timeline, below, gives a... (GunPolicy.org)
UK War Veteran Jailed Over Huge Stash of Illegal Weapons
30 April 2016
Daily Mail (UK)
A pensioner has been jailed for possessing a 'terrifying arsenal' of illegal weapons at his home in Greater Manchester - including guns, shells and a missile.
RAF veteran Harry Jones was secretary of the Tameside Gun Club for nearly 40 years and was a trusted authority on weaponry.
But his obsession with firearms led to him amassing the huge stash of weapons, including nine handguns and an Al Capone-style Tommy gun kept in a violin case - all in full working... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Sweden,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan,Switzerland,Israel,South Africa
Americans Face Extreme Difficulty Exporting Their Guns
27 April 2016
Wall Street Journal, Blog
When American Tom Heberlein tried to import his firearms to Sweden, he got as far as his transfer in the U.K. before it started to become complicated. There, despite having the correct paperwork, a U.K. customs official said: "You can't have these guns."
And thus began Mr. Heberlein's global gun education.
Although Mr. Heberlein did, after a lot of negotiation, finally get his guns through U.K. customs and in to Sweden, the entire experience created a hassle he hadn't... (GunPolicy.org)
137 Guns Handed Over to Police in Lancashire, UK
22 April 2016
Lancashire Evening Post
Thousands of rounds of ammunition have been taken off the streets as part of a county-wide firearms surrender.
A total of 3,737 pieces of ammo were handed over to police in Lancashire Police's Western Division which includes Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.
Officers in the division also received three live rifles, six live handguns, six shotguns and a total of 15 air powered weapons.
The ammunition handed over in the west of the county made up almost 90 per cent of the... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 800 Firearms Surrendered in UK Gun Amnesty
22 April 2016
BBC News
More than 800 firearms were handed in during a two-week guns amnesty launched after a spate of shootings in Salford.
Police urged people to "give up the gun" during the firearms and ammunition surrender across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and North Wales.
Rifles, handguns, air weapons and a number of imitation and antique firearms were collected.
Unusual items included a replica AK-47 and a Smith & Wesson pistol.
There has been a... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gang Bought Guns from Same Shop as Paris Terrorists
21 April 2016
Guardian (UK)
A British crime gang bought the largest haul of automatic weapons ever detected by police on the UK mainland from the same source in eastern Europe as terrorists behind the Paris attacks of January 2015, it can be revealed.
The 22 Kalashnikov-style assault rifles and nine machine guns were described by police from the National Crime Agency as "mass casualty weapons". They were intercepted in an operation led by the NCA after being smuggled from eastern Europe to France... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Doesn't Track Small Arms Dealers and Exporters
20 April 2016
Politics Home (UK)
The UK is the sixth largest exporter of arms in the world, and business is booming. As tensions rise around the planet so too has the demand for weapons, with global sales increasing 14% in the last five years. According to SIPRI, the UK's arms exports have risen 26% in the same period, now supplying 4.5% of the total demand. And that's just what we know about.
The bulk of these figures are constituted by the sale of so-called 'large weapons,' such as aircraft. The... (GunPolicy.org)
UK War Veteran Jailed for Illegal Possession of Guns
19 April 2016
Daily Caller (USA)
Next time someone tells you how "great" the gun control laws are in the United Kingdom and that "we should look at them," you might want to bring up Albert Patterson. Albert Patterson spent 22 years wearing the uniform of a British soldier. This included service with the Parachute Regiment and with the elite Special Air Service Regiment.
The 67-year-old veteran fought in the 1982 Falklands War, and a Browning High Power pistol surrendered to him by an Argentine officer... (GunPolicy.org)
Handguns, AK-47s Seized in London Police Crackdown
14 April 2016
ITV (London)
Officers have so far arrested 30 people in a week-long crackdown on gun crime, which began on Monday, including for attempted murder, assault and drug offences.
Operation Kestrel 2 is pulling together specialist policing units to track down criminals who carry or hide guns.
Firearms seized:
- Eight handguns
- One Magnum rifle
- Three AK-47 assault rifles
- Two shotguns with ammunition
Weapons sweeps, intelligence-led operations and patrols by armed response vehicles... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Amnesty Follows Spate of Shootings in Manchester
4 April 2016
BBC News
Four police forces are staging a two-week firearms amnesty after a spate of shootings in Salford.
There has been a spike in tit-for-tat attacks since Salford "Mr Big" Paul Massey was murdered in July 2015.
People are being urged to "give up the gun" during the firearms and ammunition surrender in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire.
During the last amnesty almost two years ago hundreds of weapons were handed in, mostly antique firearms.
Greater... (GunPolicy.org)
England: More than 1,500 Children Suspected of Gun Crimes
29 March 2016
BBC News
Children as young as 10 were among hundreds of youngsters arrested for suspected gun crimes in the last three years, new data has revealed.
More than 1,500 children were held over alleged firearm offences between 2013 and January 2016.
Among the figures, the Metropolitan Police made 679 arrests, while seven children aged under 11 were held in Nottinghamshire.
The number of arrests rose by 20% last year, the Press Association said.
The data, obtained under the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police, UK City Ban 18 Men for Links to 'Gun or Gang Crime'
23 March 2016
BBC News
The names of 18 men banned from parts of Birmingham for what police say are their links to "gun or gang crime" can be revealed by the BBC.
Interim injunctions were obtained by West Midlands Police, but the force had declined to reveal the men's identities until permanent orders were granted.
However, details were revealed in County Court documents seen by the BBC.
Labour MP Khalid Mahmood criticised police using civil action to tackle gun crime rather than criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovakia,Germany,Eastern Europe,United Kingdom
East Europe's Shadow Gun Market Fuels Terrorism in West
18 March 2016
Black Sea, Der Spiegel, Le Soir
The trafficking of Communist-era weapons leads from a Slovakian website to last year's ISIS terror attack in Paris and new regulations have failed to stop the sale of deadly weapons to criminals, we can reveal.
7 January 2015. Chérif Kouachi and his brother Said leave a bloodbath in the newsroom of magazine Charlie Hebdo. Two days later, Kouachi's close contact, Amedy Coulibaly, assaults the kosher supermarket Hyper Cacher in Paris.
When Coulibaly takes the... (GunPolicy.org)
UK: Northampton Police Seized 2,700 Guns in Past 5 Years
17 March 2016
BBC News
Gangs, turf warfare and drugs have been blamed for the growing number of firearms in Northamptonshire.
In the last five years county officers responded to more than 1,100 incidents involving a firearm and seized more than 2,700 of the weapons.
Police said guns have become more available online and there are a number of gangs using guns in the county.
The force said it is currently working hard in towns like Northampton and Wellingborough to reduce gang... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Honduras,Finland,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom
US Gun Smugglers Illegally Sent Firearms to 46 Countries
16 March 2016
Washington Post
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday.
The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within the United States from 2010-2015. Spanning 46 countries and six continents, the report details... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Japan,Australia
So, America, This Is How Other Countries Do Gun Control
14 March 2016
Guardian
Thirty people will be shot dead in America today. On average. It could be more. If it's less, then more will die tomorrow. Or the next day.
The United States's gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than other high-income countries, according to a recent study.
Americans are divided on whether the country's gun deaths could be reduced through tougher laws on gun ownership. Liberals argue that legal restrictions on gun ownership could save lives. Conservatives say that... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gun Control: Good Came from the Evil of Dunblane
13 March 2016
Guardian, Editorial
It is 20 years since Thomas Hamilton walked into Dunblane primary school carrying four handguns and murdered 17 people, 16 of them children only five years old. The response to this atrocity, from the heart of the British people, was two laws which between them banned the private ownership of handguns altogether. The year after Dunblane there were 59 killings with handguns in Britain; in 2014 there were only 29. Compare this with the situation in America, where, in... (GunPolicy.org)
The People Who Want British Gun Laws to Be Relaxed
23 February 2016
BBC News
Gun debate in Britain tends to focus on what is happening in the US, but more than 700,000 firearm owners live in England and Wales. Who are they, and why do some want laws relaxed?
"It's frustrating for me that when you tell someone you own a gun you're instantly labelled a weirdo. It's like a secret society," Callum Long-Collins explains from a gun shop in Botley Mills, Hampshire.
He owns seven firearms, but did not want to show them in his own home in case it gave... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia,Sierra Leone,New Zealand,United Kingdom
Hospital-Based Research in Liberia on Armed Violence
19 February 2016
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / IPPNW (USA)
Results of hospital-based research in Liberia on armed violence spearheaded by members of IPPNW was published recently by the Small Arms Survey in Switzerland. A main finding of The Value of Hospital Data - Understanding and Preventing Intentional Injury in Liberia (1) was that the Liberian Armed Violence Observatory (LAVO) is not receiving all the data it needs to most effectively inform intervention strategies on armed violence prevention.
"Our analysis of hospital... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / IPPNW (USA)
Norway Armed Its Police for a Year, Then Disarmed Them
5 February 2016
Washington Post
Norway has long been one of the relatively few European countries where police officers do not routinely carry firearms. In November 2014, this changed: The country's police officers were ordered to be armed at all times. However, that order ran out this Wednesday, and Norwegian police officers have now disarmed.
So, after roughly 14 months, Norway's experiment with permanently armed police officers is over – for the time being, at least.
What lies behind this... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Brazil,Argentina,United Kingdom
Australian Gun Expert Critiques America: You've Lost Control
10 December 2015
Washington Post, Opinion
Although we foreigners can offer no immediate solution to America's gun infestation, we can see how you lost control of the plague of armed violence. Outsiders are also perplexed to see that you've done so little to grant your citizens a basic human right — the freedom to live without fear of death by gunshot.
Historically, there's little mystery as to how it began. The early laws of each European empire relied on two pillars of gun safety: Firearm owners were... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,United Kingdom,New Zealand,Canada
How a Conservative-Led Australia Ended Mass Gun Killings
4 December 2015
New York Times
In the continuing debate over how to stop mass killings in the United States, Australia has become a familiar touchstone.
President Obama has cited the country's gun laws as a model for the United States, calling Australia a nation "like ours." On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has said the Australian approach is "worth considering." The National Rifle Association has dismissed the policies, contending that they "robbed Australians of their right to self-defense... (GunPolicy.org)
Norwegian Police to Stop Carrying Guns Once Again
13 November 2015
Yahoo News (Norway) / AFP
Oslo (AFP) - Norway's police, who have been authorised to carry firearms for the past year due to a heightened threat of Islamist attacks, will be unarmed again now that the threat level has been lowered, police said Friday.
National police chief Odd Reidar Humlegard told reporters the measure would take effect on November 17.
The country's 6,000 uniformed police officers will "have to keep their weapons locked in their patrol cars like they did previously," he... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,United States,Canada,United Kingdom
US Political Debate About Australian-Style Gun Laws
20 October 2015
Sydney Morning Herald
Asked about Hillary Clinton's suggestion that the United States consider Australian-style gun laws, one of the country's leading gun industry champions laughed.
"You've got to ask yourself how much the NRA paid the Clinton Foundation to get her to say that," Richard Feldman, a former National Rifle Association lobbyist said.
"Forget gold, that comment is worth its weight in platinum."
Australia has been raised again in the US debate over guns in the wake of the... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,Israel
Gun Control Advocates Envy Australia, Britain's Strict Laws
14 October 2015
Washington Times
Australia and Britain have been held out as examples of foreign countries that moved quickly to impose gun restrictions in the wake of national tragedies as the United States grapples with what — if any — policy reforms could prevent future mass shootings like the recent attack in Oregon.
Both countries saw a drop in gun-related crimes after imposing restrictions, though analysts debate whether the laws deserve credit.
But all sides agree the moves Britain and... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
'Chaotic' UK Gun Licensing a Danger to Public, Says Watchdog
15 September 2015
Guardian
Britain faces new gun massacres unless the chaotic firearms licensing regime is overhauled, a police watchdog has warned.
The public are at risk because of a litany of failures and inconsistencies in the way prospective and existing gun-owners are vetted and monitored, inspectors found.
In a highly critical report, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said lessons had not been learned in the wake of tragedies such as the killing of 12 people by taxi... (GunPolicy.org)
UK 'Chaotic' Gun Licensing Could Lead to Another Massacre
15 September 2015
ITV
The UK could face more massacres like the Cumbria shootings unless "chaotic" firearms licensing is overhauled, a police watchdog has warned.
In a highly critical report, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said lessons have not been learned in the wake of tragedies such as the killing of 12 people by taxi driver Derrick Bird in Cumbria in 2010.
HMIC highlighted weaknesses in arrangements for assessing an individual's medical suitability to have a firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Millions of Weapons in Sweden - Most in the North
25 August 2015
Sveriges Radio AB
[Editor's note: Translated by GunPolicy.org from Swedish into English]
[Translated summary: Sweden's 9.7 million inhabitants have barely two million licensed weapons. The National police and SCB's new statistics for the first half of this year have been released. The number of weapons has been divided among the country's seven new police regions and the vast majority of weapons are hunting weapons. There are licences for 900,000 rifles and 640,000 shotguns in the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Yemen,Switzerland,Finland,Serbia
US Has 5% of World's Population, 31% of Mass Shootings
23 August 2015
EurekAlert! The Global Source for the Science News (USA) - American Association for the Advancement of Science
Chicago - Despite having only about 5 percent of the world's population, the United States was the attack site for a disproportionate 31 percent of public mass shooters globally from 1966-2012, according to new research that will be presented at the 110th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).
"The United States, Yemen, Switzerland, Finland, and Serbia are ranked as the Top 5 countries in firearms owned per capita, according to the 2007 Small... (GunPolicy.org)
What If Gun Laws Aren't the Solution? Norway's Example
22 July 2015
Huffington Post (UK)
As Norway marks four years after the Utøya massacre, the country might have a few lessons to teach. Especially to the US.
Picture a 12-year old riding the bus alone across town. With a rifle on his back. Imagine the commotion had it happened in the US.
Instead it happened in Norway. Two times a week, all through high school. The kid was me. On my way to biathlon training.
The national sport of biathlon is in itself probably the best illustration of Norway's relaxed... (GunPolicy.org)
How The UK Covers Up Murder Stats - NRA
17 July 2015
America's 1st Freedom
We've addressed the fact that few law-abiding citizens—including the police—are armed in the United Kingdom these days. Even those Brits who successfully defend themselves against attackers and home invaders, with a gun or otherwise, may start to wish they hadn't once they're found liable for damages. That's right: In the UK, a burglar can sue you—and win—for injuring him after he breaks into your house.
As far as we're concerned, depriving citizens of their... (GunPolicy.org)
New Slovakia Law to Limit Gun Smuggling to Sweden
5 July 2015
Local (Sweden)
Sweden's comparatively strict weapons laws ensure that authorities have a tight control on registered arms.
But after a weapons amnesty conducted in 2013, police established that a surprising number of illegal firearms were in circulation in Sweden.
Last year 115 firearms were seized by the Swedish customs authorities and it was revealed that large proportion of these had been bought over the internet from Slovakia, where the law regarding plugged - or deactivated -... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovakia,Denmark,Belgium,Spain,Czech Republic
Charlie Hebdo Killers Bought Their Guns Legally in Europe
18 February 2015
Euronews (France)
The automatic rifles used in the terrorist attacks in Paris last month may have been decommissioned weapons legally bought in Slovakia and reconverted to fire live ammunition, Euronews can reveal.
French police are exploring whether weapons used in the deadly assaults on the Charlie Hebdo offices and at a Kosher supermarket were purchased in a shop inside the European Union, according to a joint investigation with the Slovakian Nový čas newspaper.
The weapons are... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Gun Amnesty Sees 15,000 Firearms Surrendered
30 December 2014
Local (Sweden)
Thirty-six tonnes of ammunition and over 15,000 weapons were given up in the first nationwide weapons amnesty for seven years.
Sweden's National Police Board carried out the three-month drive early last year, but officers only released the final results on Tuesday.
Sweden has only had two other amnesties, the most recent in 2007 - when 13,000 firearms were handed over by the public together with 14 tonnes of ammunition - and in 1993, when there were 17,000 firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Fired Their Guns Only Six Times in 2013
19 December 2014
YLE (Finland)
Finnish Police fired their guns on duty only six times in 2013, reports the Finnish news agency STT.
"The Finnish Police respond to slightly more than one million different kinds of emergency situations per year, so in light of this fact, it is very rare that we resort to using firearms," says Jukka Salomaa, an instructor in the use of force and strategies of engagement at Finland's Police University College.
The UK magazine The Economist reported in August that... (GunPolicy.org)
Estonia Student Shoots, Kills School Teacher With Father's Legal Revolver
27 October 2014
Associated Press / Yahoo! News
TALLINN — A 15-year-old student shot and killed his teacher during class Monday in a town in southern Estonia — the first known school shooting in the Baltic nation.
Four other students were in the classroom at Paalalinna School in the town of Viljandi, police spokeswoman Tuuli Harson said. She said the shooter was apprehended and no one else was injured in the early-afternoon attack at the school of 450 students.
Government officials said the victim was a... (GunPolicy.org)
British Police Fired Their Weapons Only Three Times in 2013
15 August 2014
Economist
The shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American, by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, is a reminder that civilians—innocent or guilty—are far more likely to be shot by police in America than in any other rich country. In 2012, according to data compiled by the FBI, 410 Americans were "justifiably" killed by police—409 with guns. That figure may well be an underestimate. Not only is it limited to the number of people who were shot while... (GunPolicy.org)
Duo Jailed for Plotting Shooting Spree at University of Helsinki
29 June 2014
Helsinki Times
The District Court of Helsinki on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old man and woman to prison terms for a conspiracy to carry out a killing spree at the University of Helsinki.
The male defendant was sentenced to a prison term of three years and one month for the preparation of an aggravated offence against the health and life of others, and the possession of sexually obscene pictures depicting children following the discovery of 28 videos on his computer of minors... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Shotguns Found During Drug Arrests in Latvia
17 June 2014
Baltic Times
Two men have been arrested after police seized 54 packages of new psychoactive substances and an unregistered shotgun in Latvia, LETA reports.
The two men were arrested at their home in the Jugla region in Riga for selling illegal narcotic substances. The police also found two grams of methamphetamine on both detainees.
After raiding their homes, the police found in one of the apartments 54 packages of new psychoactive substances packed in one-gram packets. Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Collector Busted in Denmark for Guns Without Permits
12 June 2014
Copenhagen Post
Police searching the residence of a 51-year-old man's home in Ringsted on Tuesday found a large arsenal of antique weapons for which the collector didn't have the necessary permits.
Politiken reports that a total of 48 firearms were found: 20 pistols, 2 revolvers, 5 shotguns, 20 rifles and a machine gun. The search also uncovered 16,000 rounds of ammunition, gunpowder and a couple of hand grenades without detonators.
The police emphasised that the man did not have any... (GunPolicy.org)
Teachers in Sweden Get Training to Handle School Shootings
9 June 2014
Local (Sweden)
Swedish school teachers will soon be required to learn about school shootings, the National Agency for Education announced on Monday.
Following fatal school shootings in Germany, Finland, and the US, the Swedish National Education Agency (Skolverket) has decided to educate all school personnel about violence and weapons at work.
"It's critical that the faculty have thought through this and are prepared," Annika Hjelm, director of education at the agency, told... (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)
Jersey Gun Ownership Down Since 2012
7 June 2014
BBC News
The number of registered guns and gun owners in Jersey has fallen since 2012.
Police records show there are 1,514 firearm owners which is a 16% drop over the past two years.
Between them, the island's gun owners keep 9,328 guns, including air rifles and pistols, which is 4% down since 2012.
Gun ownership in Jersey has been in the spotlight since a Glock 9mm pistol went missing from an unlocked car on Friday 30 May.
The pistol was handed in two days later by a member... (GunPolicy.org)
40,000 Guns Across the Scottish Highlands and Islands
3 June 2014
Inverness Courier (Scotland)
Almost 40,000 rifles and shotguns are in private hands across the Highlands and Islands, it has been revealed.
As the debate about the routine arming of local police continues, a new report shows that gun ownership per head in the Highlands is one of the highest in Scotland. In total 39,933 guns are in the possession of 10,853 individuals.
Most legally held weapons are owned by farmers and on shooting estates.
The figures are contained in a report prepared by Police... (GunPolicy.org)
More Firearms and Shotguns Legally Held in Scotland
30 May 2014
BBC News
There are about 84,000 guns and more than 141,000 shotguns legally held in Scotland, according to new statistics.
The numbers are up on the previous year's figures, with the increase the first seen in five years.
However, the rise in the number of certificates for guns is in part due to a change in what is recorded as a "firearm".
The number of shotguns held on certificate is the highest for the past 10 years.
Firearm and shotgun certificates must be renewed every... (GunPolicy.org)
Scottish Police Chief Secretly Authorises 440 Officers to Carry Handguns
18 May 2014
Daily Record (Scotland)
More than 400 police officers across Scotland have been secretly authorised to carry handguns in a holster while on routine patrol, we can reveal.
Permission was given by Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House without any requirement for approval by politicians.
It means specialist officers are routinely allowed to carry handguns on duty – even though there may be no obvious threat to them or the public.
Previously, firearms officers had to collect... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Dies After Twentieth Shooting in Swedish City During 2014
18 May 2014
Local (Sweden)
A man was shot dead in the Backa area of Gothenburg in western Sweden on Saturday evening with a further man sustaining gunshot wounds, the 20th incident of its kind in the city so far this year.
Both men, who are 25-years-old, are previously known to police.
"Several spent shells have been found and the crime scene had been cordoned off for a technical forensic investigation," said Ulf Lörstad at Västra Götaland police.
The police have opened a preliminary... (GunPolicy.org)
Airgun Licensing Bill Introduced in Scotland
15 May 2014
BBC News
Anyone who owns an airgun will need a licence under new measures proposed by the Scottish government.
The licensing system is included in a new bill that has been laid with the Scottish Parliament to impose tighter controls on air weapons.
The proposals follow a long-running campaign by the Scottish government to crack down on the misuse of airguns.
It followed the death of two-year-old Andrew Morton, who was shot in the head with an airgun in Glasgow in 2005.
Mark... (GunPolicy.org)
Law Change Sees Fewer Firearm Permits Granted in Finland
15 May 2014
YLE (Finland)
Changing gun ownership laws in Finland have resulted in a decrease in the number of permits issued. Last year just under 60,000 permits were issued, compared with more than 85,000 in 2007.
While the Finnish government has recommended changes to firearm ownership laws for this year - a move that the police believe will curb the general public's enthusiasm for applying for firearm permits - the numbers are already down.
Last year, 59,324 gun permits were issued whereas... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Pilots Voluntary Mental Health Info Sharing for Gun Licence Applicants
7 May 2014
BBC News
A pilot to carry out more health checks on people applying for a firearms licence has revealed some people who would otherwise have been allowed one, police say.
Applicants can volunteer to let their GP give Durham Police relevant details about their mental and physical health.
Ch Insp Steve Ball said it was clear some had not been "particularly candid" about medical conditions in the past.
The force used to rely on people self-declaring such issues.
It is now... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Lessons in Gun Control from Australia and Brazil
6 May 2014
Emergency Management
In the year and a half since 20 children were killed by a gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., a handful of states have passed laws requiring universal background checks, bans on semi-automatic weapons and limits on high-capacity magazines. But the U.S. remains a patchwork of uneven regulations on firearms, ammunition and gun owners. Meanwhile, at least 44 school shootings have occurred since the Newtown tragedy.
If state leaders want to curb... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Russia,Germany,Thailand,Kazakhstan,Italy,United States,Canada,Norway
Kalashnikov Small Arms Production in Russia More Than Doubles in 2014
28 April 2014
RIA Novosti (Russia)
MOSCOW – The Kalashnikov Concern produced 230 percent more small arms weapons in the first quarter of this year than in the year-ago period, the company's press service told RIA Novosti Monday.
"In the first three months of the year we had a record-high volume production of small arms in the amount of 31,000 items, which makes 41 percent of the total output of similar products for 2013," the company said.
"The current results are 230 percent higher than those in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Pheasant-shooting UK PM Blocks Lifting of 13-year Shooters' Subsidy
22 April 2014
Guardian (UK)
An internal coalition battle over a taxpayer subsidy for cheap gun licences spilled into the open on Tuesday when a Liberal Democrat Home Office minister said that he will attempt to force through reforms despite being blocked by the prime minister, David Cameron.
Norman Baker, who has responsibilities for shotgun certificates, said he has been frustrated by the decision to block plans to raise the cost of gun licences, forcing police services to find more than £17m... (GunPolicy.org)
Uzi, Machine Guns Amongst Scotland Yard's Biggest Gun Haul in UK
17 April 2014
Telegraph (UK)
Assault rifles, sawn off shotguns, an Uzi and a Thompson machine gun have been seized by an anti-gang squad in one of Scotland Yard's biggest gun seizures.
Thirty firearms and ammunition were seized yesterday morning by the Waltham Forest Gangs Task Force in east London following an intelligence operation.
A 51-year-old man was arrested at the address and remains in custody.
Acting Detective Superintendent Gary Bruce said: "Seizing guns has helped us vastly reduce... (GunPolicy.org)
Gangs Use 'Antique' Guns Loophole to Import Banned Guns into UK
17 April 2014
London Evening Standard
Criminals are using a legal loophole to import guns into Britain for use in street shootings and robberies, the Standard can reveal.
They are exploiting legislation allowing people to own firearms legally if the weapons are classified as "antiques", according to police and officials.
The guns — which detectives say are lethal weapons — are brought from Europe, where they are easily and legally bought at antique arms fairs. Police say they are also being traded in... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Seized Over 320 Firearms in London since April 2013
17 April 2014
Guardian (UK)
Police have seized 30 firearms including assault rifles, sawn-off shotguns, an Uzi sub-machine gun and a Thompson machine gun in one of the largest arms finds recorded in London.
The huge arsenal, which included a large amount of ammunition, was found at an address in Waltham Forest, east London, after Metropolitan police officers executed a search warrant on Wednesday morning.
A 51-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody, the Met said..
Detectives from... (GunPolicy.org)
IRA Florida Gun-Running Case is Reopened
9 April 2014
BBC News
Police are to reinvestigate claims that the Provisional IRA bought guns from America and smuggled them into Northern Ireland in the late 1990s.
It follows a BBC Spotlight programme that alleged a senior member of Sinn Féin was involved in a gun-running operation from Florida.
A self-confessed gun-runner told the programme Sean 'Spike' Murray was involved in smuggling guns before and after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Murray has denied the allegations.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Bahrain,South Korea,Japan,United Kingdom,Italy,United States
Local Gun Control Laws Make Overseas US Military Bases 'Safer'
9 April 2014
Stars and Stripes (USA)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Strict gun laws in foreign countries mean many in America's overseas military communities feel safer than they would at home, although they're divided over whether tougher rules would reduce gun violence in the U.S.
"For the most part, I feel safer over here because we're not allowed to bring guns," Sgt. Roseann Baena, a 26-year-old soldier assigned to Europe Regional Dental Command in Sembach, Germany, said Tuesday.
Her comment was typical... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Man Wanted on Firearms Charges Arrested in Cyprus
4 April 2014
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A man convicted of firearms offences who went on the run after being released on licence has been arrested in Cyprus.
Louis Larsson, 29, from Bolton, was arrested in Paphos, the popular holiday resort in the south of the island, after a joint operation by Greater Manchester Police and the National Crime Agency.
It is understood armed Cypriot police were also involved in the arrest.
In 2010, Larsson, admitted a series of firearms offences after he mail-ordered gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,United States,United Kingdom,Finland
Australia, Scotland and Finland Changed Gun Laws after Mass Shootings
3 April 2014
Global Post (Boston)
The immeasurably tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children and six adults dead in December 2012, horrified the world and briefly ignited a debate about gun control. Nine months later, the debate was held all over again after the mass shooting at a US Navy Yard in Washington, DC that killed 13 people.
America's most recent mass shooting took place Wednesday evening at Fort Hood Army base in Texas. The base was also the... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovenia,Malta,El Salvador,Denmark,Croatia,Hungary,Finland,Estonia,France,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Germany,Slovakia,Ireland,Latvia,Romania
Methodists Welcome 18 Countries Ratifying Arms Trade Treaty Including UK
3 April 2014
Christian Today
The Methodist Church has praised the government's ratification of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty.
The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend Ruth Gee, hailed it as a "legal milestone that should help to protect those who are abused and oppressed".
Countries that ratify the treaty will be required to establish national arms regulators to control the exporting of conventional weapons and weapons components, and to properly regulate arms brokers. Domestic weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,United Kingdom,Slovakia,Germany,Romania,France,Spain,Bulgaria,Croatia,Malta,Denmark,El Salvador,Estonia,Finland,Hungary,Ireland,Slovenia,European Union,Latvia
18 Countries Ratify UN Arms Trade Treaty
2 April 2014
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — Eighteen countries, including five of the world's leading arms exporters, ratified a landmark treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade on Wednesday, giving a significant boost to the campaign for the treaty's entry into force.
The ambassadors of the 18 countries handed over the documents at a U.N. ceremony on the first anniversary of the General Assembly's adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, which is aimed at stemming the global... (GunPolicy.org)
Almost One Third of 2013 Swedish Homicides Involved Guns
31 March 2014
Local (Sweden)
Last year testified to an upswing in deadly violence, new crime statistics revealed on Monday, as 87 people lost their lives to violence in Sweden, compared to 68 the year before. Almost one in three was shot.
Statistics collated by the National Crime Prevention Council (Brå) showed that 2013 was more violent than 2012, but over the longer term, fatal violence has gone down in Sweden. The statistics also included manslaughter.
"The number of cases of deadly violence... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,Norway,United States
Limits of Neutrality: How Wikipedia Avoids Identifying Mass Shooting Guns
18 March 2014
Action on Armed Violence (London)
On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik took a boat to the small island of Utøya on a Norwegian lake not far from Oslo. Dressed as a police officer, he claimed to be checking on the safety of a Labour party youth camp after an explosion in downtown Oslo hours earlier. The campers did not know that Breivik was not a police officer, that he was responsible for the blast, or that he viewed them as traitors. When they gathered around, Breivik, armed with a Ruger Mini-14... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Teen Jailed After Ordering Assault Weapon Online, Delivered to Home
14 March 2014
Telegraph (UK)
A teenager who bought a machine gun online and had it delivered to his family home, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition and nunchucks, has been jailed for six years.
Reza Khalilzada, 18, was caught hiding an assault rifle under his bed which he had ordered from a US website.
Police were alerted after suspicious customs officials in the US examined a heavy box destined for Khalilzada's address in Pinner, Middlesex, in August last year.
Instead of the ceramic... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,Cambodia,Liberia,Mexico,Mozambique
Melding Guns Into Weapons of Mass Attraction – Global Picture Gallery
6 March 2014
Guardian (UK)
Art of War - Picture gallery captions:
Non-Violence, or the Knotted Gun, by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The bronze replica of a 45-calibre revolver, a gift from Luxembourg to the United Nations, was sculpted in memory of the Swedish artist's longtime friend John Lennon. Though not created from recycled munitions, the sculpture has been cited as one of the inspirations behind the arms-to-art movement.
Sculptor Gonçalo Mabunda recycles weapons recovered from... (GunPolicy.org)
Irish Gun Control Review Sparks Calls for Compensation
1 March 2014
Journal (Dublin)
A review of firearm licensing in Ireland has prompted questions over how gun owners will be compensated if they lose currently legal guns.
The Department of Justice confirmed that a joint review of licensing is currently underway with An Garda Síochána, although no concrete proposals are yet in place.
Licenses can be sought for a number of different firearms from the age of 16.
Sport and hunting
It is thought that over 200,000 licenses have currently be issued,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Club Owner Found with Machine Gun, 13,000 Rounds of Ammo in Ireland
1 March 2014
Irish Examiner (Dublin)
Gardaí found more than 13,000 rounds of ammunition and a rifle that had been modified to fire like a machine gun, when they searched a man's home in Co Limerick, a court heard yesterday.
A vast array of ammunition and guns, as well as an army helmet, gunpowder, night vision scopes, crossbows and arrow heads were discovered in the home of gun club operator David O'Dea, aged 48, on June 20, 2011, Kilmallock District Court was told.
Gardaí said they also discovered a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Idaho Gun Law: Teachers Ask 'When May I Shoot a Student?'
27 February 2014
New York Times, Opinion
BOISE, Idaho — To the chief counsel of the Idaho State Legislature:
In light of the bill permitting guns on our state's college and university campuses, which is likely to be approved by the state House of Representatives in the coming days, I have a matter of practical concern that I hope you can help with: When may I shoot a student?
I am a biology professor, not a lawyer, and I had never considered bringing a gun to work until now. But since many of my students... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Returned Licensed Guns to Farm Where Women Were Shot Dead
25 February 2014
Guardian (UK)
Police firearms officers returned a number of shotguns to a dog-breeding farm in Surrey seven months before the suspected double murder of a mother and daughter on Sunday.
The police watchdog said it was considering launching an investigation after Surrey police confirmed they had confiscated several licensed shotguns during a search of the farm in Farnham, Surrey, in May last year – but had returned the firearms in July.
Detectives are investigating whether one of... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight Guns Lost or Stolen Every Week in Ireland Last Year
24 February 2014
Herald (Dublin)
Almost 1,300 firearms, including shotguns and rifles, have been lost or stolen over the past four years.
Official figures obtained by the Herald show around 1,134 registered weapons, mainly shotguns and rifles, were stolen in the last four years.
Some 159 weapons were lost, most of which were shotguns, but also included in the list are 18 rifles and one airgun, which went missing last year.
Last year alone eight firearms were lost or stolen every week.
There are... (GunPolicy.org)
Libya,West Asia,Egypt,Syria,Mali,North Africa,Italy,France,United States,United Kingdom,Russia,Belarus,China,Algeria,Caribbean,South America,Niger,Chad,European Union,Tunisia
Post-Uprising Gun Proliferation is Destabilising the Middle East
20 February 2014
Fair Observer
In recent years, as order in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) eroded between uprisings and armed conflicts, the desire for arms amongst a wide range of actors became one more destabilizing factor in the complexities of each situation.
However, arms proliferation is nothing new to the MENA region. Whether it was through state actors or black market trading, weapons have circulated throughout the Middle East and North Africa for many years.
Today, arms... (GunPolicy.org)
French Alps Killing Suspect Had 40 Guns, Suspected of Trafficking
20 February 2014
Herald (Scotland)
A former police officer arrested in connection with the killing of a British engineer and his family in the French Alps is suspected of arms trafficking, investigators have said.
Saad al-Hilli and wife Ikbal, from Claygate, Surrey, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, who lived in Sweden, were all shot dead on a remote forest road in Chevaline, near Annecy, on September 5, 2012. Local cyclist Sylvain Mollier was also murdered.
French police arrested a 48-year-old,... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Moldova,Austria,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Sweden,Canada,Switzerland
Experts Help Moldova Authorities Curb Gun Theft, Smuggling [DE]
17 February 2014
Österreich Journal
[Translated summary: Austria has sent experts to Moldova to advise on small arms and ammunition storage and management under the OSCE framework. Sweden, Canada, Germany and Switzerland will participate in the programme by 2017, which aims to prevent smuggling of stolen ammunition.]
WIEN (bmlvs) - Insgesamt zehn Experten des Bundesheeres unterstützen ab dem 05.03. die OSZE-Mission in der Republik Moldau. Dort werden vorerst vier Angehörige der Heereslogistikschule und... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Australia,United Kingdom,United States,Japan,Russia
Japan Set to Ratify Arms Trade Treaty Despite Proposal to Relax Gun Exports
16 February 2014
Japan Times
A bill to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty, the first international pact to regulating trade in conventional arms, is scheduled to be submitted to the Diet by the end of this month, government sources said.
The measure, coming less than a year after Japan signed the treaty adopted at the U.N. General Assembly last April, underscores Tokyo's eagerness to nudge others to join the framework, the sources said Saturday.
However, the move appears incongruous with the stance of... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Arrested After Huge Firearms Seizure From UK House
6 February 2014
Dockland & East London Advertiser
Police have seized one of the largest hauls of firearms recovered in a 24-hour period in London.
The haul was found in a flat at Stepney in London's East End following a minicab being stopped by officers in Battersea yesterday and the seizure of a vehicle in Hornchurch.
Detectives from Trident Gang Crime Command found a black bag on the back seat of the minicab next to the passenger, a 22-year-old man, which contained a Colt 45 loaded with six bullets.
Officers later... (GunPolicy.org)
Elderly Swede Kept 557 Licensed Guns at Home, Cops 'Stunned'
5 February 2014
Local (Sweden)
Police have called upon the military for help and are scratching their heads as to how and why a man in southern Sweden managed to amass an arsenal of hundreds of weapons, 557 of which he had a licence to own.
Police were notified on Thursday that a 70-year-old man had weapons stashed in his home in Värnamo, south of Jönköping. When they arrived the next day, they were stunned to find hundreds of weapons and weapon parts, including grenades, guns, and ammunition.
... (GunPolicy.org)
China,Congo (DRC),Germany,United Kingdom,Myanmar,Israel,European Union,Italy,Spain,Egypt,France,Libya,Saudi Arabia
European Arms Sales to Middle East Reach Record Level, NGOs Concerned
1 February 2014
Ekklesia (UK)
European Union countries licensed arms exports in 2012 valued at €39.9 billion, according to newly released figures. This included a record €9.7 billion in sales to the Middle East – a 22 percent increase on sales in the previous year.
The statistics are revealed in the Fifteenth Annual Report on Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment.
The European Network Against the Arms Trade (ENAA) says that the figures show little change in arms export... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Candidate Suggests Relaxing Gun Ban, Opponent Labels Move 'Dangerous'
24 January 2014
Guardian (UK)
Nigel Farage has called for firearm laws to be relaxed, calling the current ban on handguns "ludicrous".
The Ukip leader criticised the "kneejerk" restrictions on handguns imposed after the 1996 Dunblane massacre in which Thomas Hamilton killed 16 schoolchildren and a teacher before shooting himself.
The laws were brought in by Sir John Major, the then Tory prime minister, and extended to a total ban by Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997.
Asked about gun... (GunPolicy.org)
One Legal Firearm For Every Nine People in Scottish Region
17 January 2014
Daily Record (Scotland)
There are more than 16,000 legal guns in the region – that's one firearm for every nine people.
A freedom of information request by the News revealed the figures, although police refused to lift the lid on how many illegal weapons had been confiscated in the past decade.
The statistics on non-registered firearms were not revealed as police believed it "too time consuming" to collate the figures.
Freedom of information officer Steven Irving said: "As at 7 January... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Police Nab Balkan Gun Shipment
17 January 2014
Local (Sweden)
Prosecutors are set to charge four people with ties to the illegal import of weapons, believed to hail from the Balkans, following a raid on a delivery van in Gothenburg carried out earlier in the week.
Prosecutor Thomas Eliasson told Sveriges Radio (SR) on Friday that the weapons probably come from the Balkans and their intended recipients were likely members of organized crime gangs in the western port city of Gothenburg.
"Because they've been smuggled here you can... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gangs Load Up on Antique Guns, No Registration Required
12 January 2014
Independent (UK)
Surrounded by a fearsome array of 2,000 assorted lethal weapons ranging from a rocket-propelled grenade to a homemade blunderbuss, Tony Gallagher points to a rack of 100-year-old revolvers straight out of a cowboy film. He said: "We're seeing a few more of these on the streets now."
As a forensic expert for the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) at its high-security laboratory in an anonymous building in a Birmingham suburb, Tony and his colleagues know... (GunPolicy.org)
Finnish Police Worried as Gangs Amass Guns
9 January 2014
YLE (Finland)
According to Finnish police local underworld groups appear to be amassing more firepower each year and seem to be placing more emphasis on arming their members. Detective Inspector Tapio Kalliokoski of the National Bureau of Investigation said that the development is worrying.
"Firearms aren't toys. They are acquired for a certain purpose, whether it be self defence against other gangs or then as a precaution. For years police have been concerned about whether we are... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorisation to Carry Guns Full-Time in Uniformed Irish's Gardai
1 January 2014
Independent (Dublin)
This is the first time that uniformed gardai have been given permission to carry guns full-time since the foundation of the force almost a century ago. The move has been sanctioned after a review of the operation of the five regional support units (RSUs) since their introduction in 2008.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has ordered that all the regional response units will be permanently armed after a rise in the number of incidents requiring garda firepower.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths Down in Ireland
30 December 2013
Independent (Dublin)
Murders linked to organised crime have dropped significantly in the past year, even though the overall death toll has only dropped slightly.
After a big jump in the number of murders committed in 2012, this year's total of 51 is down just one on the same period last year.
Knife and gun-related deaths have decreased this year - but there has been a rise in the use of physical violence by killers.
Statistics compiled up to yesterday show that eight murders are being... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Man Held Over Xmas Fatal Shooting of Father
27 December 2013
Local (Sweden)
Police in southern Sweden have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the Christmas Eve shooting in Lund, and it has emerged the victim is the suspected gunman's father.
The fatal shots were fired late on Christmas Eve when a 57-year-old man was found wounded outside a student residence in the city. He was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
A man was arrested close to the crime scene shortly afterwards. He was questioned on Boxing Day on grounds... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Security Guard Shot in Holiday Shopping Rush
23 December 2013
Local (Sweden)
Swedish police have detained three men suspected of robbery that left a security guard with a bullet wound to the stomach.
"It was a robbery against a valuable goods truck outside Citygross in the Kungens Kurva neighbourhood," Stockholm police spokesman Sven-Erik Olsson told the TT news agency. The robbery took place around noon in the busy shopping district south of Stockholm, which among other thing houses the world's largest Ikea and the Heron City entertainment... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Shooting Shocks Swedish Christmas Shoppers
15 December 2013
Local (Sweden)
A man was gunned down in central Örebro in eastern Sweden on Saturday in full view of shoppers out in the middle of the Christmas rush, with police reporting a gangland connection.
The man, who is reported to be in his twenties, was shot in the torso on Drottninggatan in Örebro's main shopping area on Saturday afternoon, according to a report in the local Nerikes Allehanda daily.
According to the police the man is connected to a gang known as Romanos and it is... (GunPolicy.org)
Five Injured After 'Chaotic' Shooting in Finland
14 December 2013
Xinhua
HELSINKI - Five people were shot and wounded in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki on Friday night, local media reported on Saturday.
Four men and one woman were among the wounded and were sent to hospital. Reports said that no one's life was in danger.
The shooting happened at midnight in Malminkartano Square in northern Helsinki as several gun shots were heard. The police received the first emergency call around 1:00 a.m. Saturday.
Preliminary investigation... (GunPolicy.org)
Netherlands,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United States,Belgium,Iraq,Algeria,Bahrain,Egypt,Mexico,Pakistan,Canada
Canada Increases Gun Exports to Countries with 'Dubious' Human Rights
8 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, countries with dubious human rights records or a history of violent internal conflict, have recently become new buyers of Canadian-made guns and ammunition, an analysis of federal data shows.
The analysis by The Canadian Press found that Canadian exports to those countries swelled by 100 per cent from 2011 to 2012, the most recent figures publicly available.
During the same time period, exports of Canadian weapons also increased... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Updated Law Banning 3D Guns, Now Requires Licence
5 December 2013
Reuters
Unlicensed 3D printing of guns is illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison, the government said on Thursday, as it moved to address growing public concern about plastic guns.
Weapons made by printing their components are already banned under the 1968 Firearms Act, but the Home Office has updated its rules to prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase and possession of them unless properly licensed.
The regulations also apply to individual gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Lots of Guns, Little Violence: Shooting Highlights Armed but Peaceful Iceland
3 December 2013
Christian Science Monitor
PARIS - A 59-year-old man was shot and killed by police, who were called to the man's apartment east of Iceland's capital because someone reported gunshots being fired inside. It's an event that might not even make the news in some countries.
In Reykjavik, the incident was front-page coverage and ultimately garnered a national apology from the country's top police official: It was the first time that the country's police have ever shot anybody in an operation.... (GunPolicy.org)
Irish Man Jailed After Killing Friend in Shotgun Dare After Gun Safety Fails
3 December 2013
Irish Times (Dublin)
A man who shot and killed his friend after the victim had dared him to pull the trigger of a gun has been jailed for four years.
Craig Mullarney (22) told gardaí that Kris Emmet (21), had assured him that the double-barrelled shotgun's safety catch was on. Ballistics tests on the legally held firearm over a year later found that the weapon would go off even when the safety catch was on.
Mullarney of Sheepmoor Avenue, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Shot Dead in Iceland by Police After Shotgun Incident
3 December 2013
Telegraph (UK)
Police in Iceland have shot dead a gunman - the first time armed officers have shot and killed someone in the country.
Officers were called to an apartment in the Reykjavik suburb of Arbaer early today when a man fired a shotgun from inside the flat.
Two policemen, who were not armed, were wounded when trying to enter the apartment. A special armed unit then entered and fired at the man, who was taken to hospital, where he died.
Iceland, which has a tiny population... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Syria,Israel,India,Ireland,Togo,Canada,United States,Afghanistan,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Sri Lanka,Germany,Russia
Growing Number of Personalised Firearms to Boost Safety Available
30 November 2013
Economist
To help push Soviet forces out of Afghanistan in the 1980s, America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) gave Afghan fighters shoulder-launched Stinger anti-aircraft missiles (pictured). Accurate and easy-to-use, the Stingers caused grievous losses. But after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the CIA wanted to discourage the use of the leftover missiles. It got hold of some of those circulating on the black market and booby-trapped them, so that anyone who tried to fire one... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes to UK Gun Licensing Process to 'Modernise' Process
20 November 2013
Shooting Times (UK)
From 1 December, there will be a single form to cover both shotgun and firearms certificate applications in England, Wales and Scotland to help simplify the application process.
A short separate form will cover variations to a firearms certificate. Holders of certificates will still be limited in the maximum amount of ammunition that they can legally possess, but the restrictions that limited how much ammunition could be bought at one time are to be lifted.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Northern Ireland Children Aged 12 Could Be Allowed to Fire Guns
11 November 2013
Belfast Telegraph
The thought of a shotgun in the hands of a 12-year-old may send a shiver down your spine – but it could become a reality in the next few years.
Justice Minister David Ford is considering lowering the age at which young people can have supervised access to shotguns and air rifles from 18 to 12.
British Association for Shooting and Conservation NI director Tommy Mayne said it should be lowered further – to 10, the age of criminal responsibility.
It seems a lot of... (GunPolicy.org)
Denmark,Southern Europe,Eastern Europe,Norway,Sweden,Croatia,Kosovo,Albania,Montenegro,Serbia
Balkan Police Work to Raise Public Awareness Against Arms Trafficking
25 October 2013
Southeast European Times
Increasing police co-operation and raising public awareness about the danger from firearms is the key to limiting the trafficking of illegal weapons in the Balkans, experts said.
Civil society groups estimated there are millions of small and light arms that are widely available.
"The significant number of circulating small and light weapons creates a fertile ground for the general sense of insecurity, vulnerability of citizens to armed violence and serious crime, with... (GunPolicy.org)
Swedish Man Shot Dead Near Neighbourhood Bike Path
22 October 2013
Local (Sweden)
A 27-year-old man was shot and killed in a residential area in Falkenberg, about 100 kilometres south of Gothenbuerg in southwestern Sweden, late Monday night.
Police received reports of gunfire around 11.30pm and arrived to the Falkagård neighbourhood to find a man with gunshot wounds lying by the side of a bike path adjacent to Solhagavägen.
"Several shots were fired in this neighbourhood," Halland County police spokesman Lars Grimbeck told the Aftonbladet... (GunPolicy.org)
EU Survey Reveals Irish Gun Escalation Fears, Law Reform Considered
21 October 2013
Independent (Dublin)
Almost three-quarters of Irish people think gun crime is going to escalate, a report has found.
As the European Commission called for tighter controls on firearms including stricter licensing, it released findings of a survey which showed 71% of Irish people expect an increase in gun violence in the next five years, compared to an average of 58% across the continent.
Brussels said it wants to use new laws, including possible minimum sentencing, to tackle the threats... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Men Shot in Swedish Suburb, Suspected Gang Link
21 October 2013
Local (Sweden)
Four young men were shot at a sausage stand in the northwest Stockholm suburb of Tensta on Sunday night with ambulances being so slow to respond that some victims were taken to hospital by car.
Two of the victims were born in 1990, one in 1991, while the fourth was born in 1996.
"One of them is in critical condition, while the others have less serious injuries," police spokesman Lars Byström told the TT news agency.
The gunfire erupted near a sausage stand in... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Sweden,Germany,United States,Australia
US Man Charged Over Internet Gun Sales to Australians
18 October 2013
Australian (Sydney) / AAP
A Kentucky man accused of selling an assault rifle and a 9mm pistol to buyers in Australia via an encrypted "deep web" website has been indicted by a grand jury in the US.
Adam Joseph Bunger, 33, will be arraigned on October 30 in the District Court in Bowling Green, Kentucky, after the jury was presented with evidence collected by Australian Federal Police and US authorities.
Bunger is accused of using the German-based website Black Market Reloaded to find buyers in... (GunPolicy.org)
Denmark,Finland,Netherlands,Switzerland,Germany,Europe,United States,France,Israel,Spain,Austria,England & Wales,European Union
Authorities Worry 3-D Printers May Undermine Europe's Gun Laws
17 October 2013
New York Times
PARIS — The gun fired four shots into a gelatin block. Each nine-millimeter bullet punched deep into the substance, which was meant to mimic the density of a human body.
For the experts at the Austrian Interior Ministry performing the test, it was a clear sign: This was a deadly weapon.
But it was no ordinary gun. The officials had downloaded the gun's digital blueprints from the Internet and "printed" the weapon on a type of 3-D printer that any person could buy... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gang Armourer Jailed Over Banned Handgun, Homemade Ammo
7 October 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
An illegal armourer has been jailed for a raft of firearms and drugs offences, including possessing two handguns and hundreds of bullets.
Today at Maidstone Crown Court, Thomas Keatley, 28, of Sussex, was sentenced to nine years and four months after he was found with two handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, gun-making equipment and a large quantity of cannabis.
Keatley, arrested as part of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service's anti-gun Trident... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,United Kingdom,Japan,United States
Study: High Gun Ownership Doesn't Correlate to Low Crime Rate
6 October 2013
United Press International
NEW YORK - Using frequency of crime as an indicator of a citizenry's safety, U.S. researchers found more gun owners doesn't translate into less crime in developed nations.
Dr. Sripal Bangalore of New York University's Langone Medical Center and Dr. Franz H. Messerli of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, examined data for 27 developed countries.
The gun ownership data were obtained from the Small Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,Australia,United States,United Kingdom
Hard Evidence: Does Gun Control Work?
20 September 2013
SBS (Australia), Series
This week brought news of yet another gun massacre in the United States at Washington Navy Yard. It is the latest in a string of 146 mass shootings, with more than 900 victims since 2006. The tragedy gives us pause to reflect on the "common sense" gun controls proposed by president Barack Obama but blocked by gun lobby senators only a few months ago.
Among other measures, Obama's proposals sought to reform the national firearm purchase check system, so that offenders... (GunPolicy.org)