Gun Policy News
US infantry assault weapon in the news
Mexico's Bold Move Against Gun Companies
1 September 2022
Arms Control Association
Of 193 member states of the United Nations, Mexico has the fifth-largest number of unregistered firearms in civilian hands, behind the United States, India, China, and Pakistan.(1) This availability of firearms and the violence it enables have major destructive consequences. In Mexico, guns are the weapon of choice in 70 percent of total homicides and 60 percent of homicides committed against women. Guns are also the main tool in homicides of young people.
Gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Arrests Thousands but Gangs Keep Their Guns
22 July 2022
InSight Crime
Almost four months into a nationwide crackdown, El Salvador's government has failed to disarm its notorious street gangs.
It started at the end of March, when President Nayib Bukele revealed the government's official hashtag: #GuerraContraPandillas, or the 'war against the gangs.' The government boasts it has already arrested more than 45,000 so-called "terrorists," claiming these are almost all suspected members of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) street gang, or... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Colombia,Belize,Mexico,Brazil,El Salvador,Guatemala,Guyana,Ecuador,Haiti,Panama,Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Uruguay,Paraguay,Nicaragua,Peru,Chile,Argentina,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up
1 February 2022
InSight Crime
In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.
Much of the population found themselves sinking deeper into poverty. With schools late to reopen, teenagers returned to the streets with little to do, making them prime targets for recruitment.
The pandemic also made law enforcement more difficult. Police were... (GunPolicy.org)
Permits to buy firearms on the rise
28 January 2022
El Sol de México
During the first half of Q4, 16,150 [firearm licences] were granted, 31% more than in the first three years of Peña Nieto's term.
His history with the use of firearms goes back to his childhood. When he was six years old, he would go hunting with his father in the mountainous areas on the outskirts of the ranchería where he lived in Tepalcatepec, Michoacán. His old man would show him how to hold and aim the shotgun to shoot deer, birds and other species. Now, nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Afghanistan and Libya: All Weapons in the Hands of Islamic Terrorists
22 September 2021
Corriere della Sera (italy)
Afghanistan, Libya and Syria are the three crises that today fuel the archipelago of Islamic extremism. Three countries that are out of control and where Western intervention has increased the risk to global security. In Doha, in recent months, the Americans negotiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban, promising: we will leave, but you will not allow al Qaeda or other extremist groups to operate in the country. We know how that went. And when countries... (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)
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)
Forthcoming ASW Buyback Campaign and Ban in Canada
11 February 2021
CBC News (Canada)
Voluntary program will provide compensation to gun owners who give up firearms on blacklist
The Liberal government is expected to table a bill in the coming days that will set up a program to buy back assault-style weapons that were blacklisted last spring, Radio-Canada has learned.
The voluntary program will provide financial compensation to gun owners who give up their banned weapons, with the aim of taking them out of circulation.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
Austrians Buy More Firearms Than Ever Before
4 January 2021
Die Presse (Austria)
Die Nachfrage nach Handfeuerwaffen ist in Österreich im Jahr 2020 in bisher unerreichte Höhen geschossen. Das geht aus Daten einer Marktstudie des Marktforschungsinstituts Branchenradar.com hervor. Zuwächse gab es demnach bei Neuanschaffungen, vor allem aber am Gebrauchtwaffenmarkt. Die Nachfrage habe sich um nahezu zehn Prozent im Vergleich zum Vorjahr auf insgesamt 71.250 Stück erhöht. Damit wurden um 6400 Gewehre und Faustfeuerwaffen mehr verkauft als im Jahr... (GunPolicy.org)
Stockpile Security Lapses in Thai Mass Shooting
10 February 2020
Voice of America
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, THAILAND - It's still unclear how a Thai soldier managed to steal heavy weapons from an army base which he then used to kill 29 people and hold off security forces for almost 16 hours while he was holed up in a popular shopping mall.
That he could is less surprising, say experts in military matters.
The question has a special sting because the country's tough-talking army commander just a few weeks ago gave a high-profile interview in which he said... (GunPolicy.org)
Public Health Response to Suicide In Japan Leads to Decrease
8 April 2019
Reuters
AKITA, Japan - Taeko Watanabe awoke one cold March night and found a trail of blood in the hallway, a bloody cleaver on her son Yuki's bed and no trace of him in the house. Then police discovered a suicide note in his bedroom.
"They found him in a canal by the temple and wrapped him in a blanket. After an autopsy, he came home in a coffin. I fell apart," she recalled, eyes welling up as she sat by a photo of Yuki and a Buddhist altar laden with flowers and Fuji... (GunPolicy.org)
How the AR-15 Became The Most Popular Rifle In America
14 December 2017
CNN
Larry Hyatt had never seen such a frenzy.
The lines at Hyatt Guns, his shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, snaked out the door. The deep, green-walled warehouse bills itself as the largest gun shop in America, but even then Hyatt had to stretch to meet the demand.
At one point, he dispatched 37 salespeople to man the cash registers. He put up velvet ropes and hired a police officer. He even put a hot dog stand outside.
It was just after the Sandy Hook massacre -- and... (GunPolicy.org)
One Firearm for Every 16 Inhabitants in Spain [ES]
24 November 2016
Mundiario (Spain)
[Translated Summary: Spain ranks 18th in the global ranking of civilian firearm possession, with one firearm for every 16 inhabitants. To legally own a firearm, applicants must certify that they are going to use it for sport or hunting, they must pass an exam and a background check and present a medical certificate. To own a firearm for self defence, applicants must justify a risk or a threat.]
España, con una de las legislaciones más restrictivas del mundo en el uso... (GunPolicy.org)
Traffickers Flood Mexico with Easily Bought American Guns [ES]
22 November 2016
Vice News (US)
[Translated summary: Although Mexico has some of the strictest gun legislation in the world, with only one shop where guns can be bought legally, there are more than 15 million guns in circulation and 85% are illegal. One of the main reasons is the proximity of the USA, where guns are easily available. Almost 100,000 Mexicans died of gun wounds in the last decade.]
Es casi la media noche del 11 de octubre y la policía recibe una llamada de emergencia alertando de una... (GunPolicy.org)
Namibia Extends Gun Amnesty for Another Three Months [FR]
17 November 2016
Africa Posts
[Translated summary: The Namibian firearms and ammunition amnesty that was initially going to last three months has been extended until 18 February, 2017. Since the start of the program, 925 firearms, 44,000 ammunition and 66 explosives have been recovered.]
WINDHOEK — L'amnistie de trois mois sur les armes à feu et les munitions en Namibie, initialement censée avoir pris fin vendredi, a été prolongée jusqu'au 18 février 2017.
Le responsable des relations... (GunPolicy.org)
Algeria Seizes Many Guns at Tunisian and Libyan Borders [FR]
16 November 2016
Réalités (Tunisia)
[Translated summary: Algerian Customs have seized a large number of firearms at the borders with Tunisia and Libya. The guns are very sophisticated and equipped with new technologies. They belong to trafficking networks and terrorists from Libya, where there are 20,000 illegal firearms in circulation.]
Les services de la Douane algérienne ont intensifié récemment leur présence au niveau des frontières avec le Maroc et la Tunisie et ce en ayant recours à d'autres... (GunPolicy.org)
French Groups Advocate for a Right to Possess Guns [FR]
15 November 2016
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: Following the attacks targeting France after Charlie Hebdo, several groups are advocating for the right of civilians to arm themselves. Membership of shooting clubs also continues to increase. Currently it is forbidden for a civilian to own a firearm without a hunting permit or a licence from the French Shooting Federation.]
Avec la longue liste d'attaques ayant visé la France depuis Charlie Hebdo, des voix se font entendre pour permettre aux... (GunPolicy.org)
One Gun for Every Eight Inhabitants in Ourense, Spain [ES]
14 November 2016
Faro de Vigo (España)
[Translated Summary: There are almost 3 million firearms circulating in Spain. In the city of Ourense there are over 37,000 firearms registered, an average of one gun for every eight inhabitants. Most of them, over 31,000, are shotguns and rifles for hunting. There are 26,000 licences on issue, but 10,000 more registered firearms.]
España no es, ni de lejos, Estados Unidos, cuya Segunda Enmienda de la Constitución brinda el derecho a portar armas y donde un lobby... (GunPolicy.org)
NYT Book Review: 'Another Day in the [Gun] Death of America'
27 October 2016
New York Times, Book review
In 2013, between the wee hours of Nov. 23 and the wee hours of Nov. 24, 10 American children and teenagers were killed by guns. The youngest, Jaiden Dixon, was 9, shot by the deranged father of his eldest brother. The oldest, Kenneth Mills-Tucker, was 19, shot in a car under circumstances that are still unclear.
The number of fatalities that day exceeded the national daily average of 6.75. Then again, averages are almost always misleading — murders of this kind tend... (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)
South Africa Police Destroy Another 23,000 Firearms [FR]
21 October 2016
La Revue de l'Afrique
[Translated summary: South African police have destroyed 22,999 firearms, most of them seized from criminals. 3,156 were police guns that were no longer operational. Among them were revolvers, pistols, hunting rifles and assault rifles. Police are sure that destruction will contribute to the security of the country, which sees an average of 16 gun deaths each day.]
La police sud-africaine a conduit hier une opération médiatisée de destruction massive d'armes à feu.... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'National Dialogue Has Changed' on Guns - 130 of the Worst
21 October 2016
New York Times
John R. Houser was dangerously mentally ill, too ill to carry a gun. Of that, there is little doubt.
Over 16 years, Mr. Houser, 59, had been charged with hiring a man to burn down a lawyer's office and named in a domestic violence complaint. In 2008, after Mr. Houser threatened to kill his daughter's fiancé, a judge issued a temporary restraining order and ordered him hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation. In 2014, he threatened to shoot law enforcement officers who... (GunPolicy.org)
DIY Submachine Guns Are Popping Up Across the West Bank
14 October 2016
Washington Post
AZZUN — In the predawn hours, 150 Israeli troops, including masked special forces operatives, arrived in this Palestinian town in armored personnel carriers and hardened jeeps to hunt for guns and gun makers. They found one of each. The operation was deemed a success.
The raid in Azzun is part of an aggressive campaign by Israel to rid the occupied West Bank of guns — specifically a crude kind of do-it-yourself, handmade submachine gun known on the Palestinian... (GunPolicy.org)
Groups Oppose Hidden Handguns for Civilians in Mexico [ES]
7 October 2016
Informador (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Mexican organisations criticize the proposal of Senator Preciado to allow citizens to carry guns for self-defence, saying that authorities are not recognizing the extent of insecurity in Mexico City. They say such measures worsen insecurity, as violent crimes increase as more firearms become available.]
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO -- El Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano de Seguridad, Justicia y Legalidad (ONC) y el Observatorio Ciudadano de la Ciudad de... (GunPolicy.org)
One US Gun's Journey: 42 Bullets Fired, 2 Killed, 5 Wounded
7 October 2016
Chicago Tribune
The young woman arrived home to find a footprint still visible on her front door.
Her South Shore apartment had been broken into, and the small safe she kept under her bed was missing, along with the black .40-caliber Glock handgun she kept inside.
Over the next year, that Glock would fire 42 bullets, leaving shell casings scattered on walkways, porches and side streets. In the hands of a street gang, the gun was used in at least five separate shootings that left two... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 70% Homicides in Mexico City Are By Firearm [ES]
6 October 2016
Reforma (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The first semester of 2016 was the most violent in 16 years in Mexico City, with 477 homicide victims. This represents an increase of 7% since 2015. Over 70% of the homicides are by firearm and the motive is commonly a fight or personal revenge.]
El primer semestre de 2016 ha sido el más violento en los últimos 16 años en la Capital, reveló el Observatorio Ciudadano de la Ciudad de México.
Dicho organismo fue certificado ayer por el... (GunPolicy.org)
Cache of NATO Assault Rifles, Machineguns Seized in Pakistan
5 October 2016
Dawn (Karachi)
A huge cache of Nato weapons and ammunition was recovered by police on Wednesday during a raid on an empty house in the Azizabad area of the metropolis.
Police reportedly seized a large number of weapons including anti-aircraft guns, SMGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, hand grenades and rocket launchers hidden in the water tank of the empty house.
Bulletproof jackets and helmets were also recovered during the raid by police, DawnNews reported.
The raid was conducted after the... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras: 2,038 Firearms Seized for Destruction This Year [ES]
4 October 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: So far this year authorities in Honduras have seized 2,038 firearms, such as rifles (M-16, FAL, R-15, and AK-47 ), UZI machine guns and handguns of different calibres, from commercial and prohibited use. One of the rifles most used by criminal bands is the AK-47.]
Las autoridades de Honduras se han incautado en lo que va del presente año de unas 2.038 armas de fuego como fusiles, ametralladoras UZI y pistolas de diverso calibre, entre otras,... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 900 Firearms Seized in Panama So Far This Year [ES]
3 October 2016
Crítica (Panama)
[Translated summary: Panama's National Police seized 916 firearms and 16,714 pieces of ammunition so far this year. Among the firearms there are pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, pellet guns, sub-machine guns and homemade guns.]
La Policía Nacional y el Ministerio Público (MP) de Panamá decomisaron un total de 916 armas de fuego y 16.714 municiones de diverso calibre en lo que va del año, indicó hoy una fuente oficial.
Entre las armas recuperadas y sacadas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Why Such Different Gun Ownership, Suicide Rates in US States?
29 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
Massachusetts and New Hampshire share more than a border, Puritan heritage, and the New England Patriots. Both states are prosperous, with median household incomes and state health care systems that rank among the top ten in the country. They're predominantly white and largely Christian.
Despite these similarities, the two states diverge drastically in a key public health metric. In 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, New Hampshire's gun suicide... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Mexico
Latin America Recent Seizures Reveal Thriving Gun Trade [ES]
22 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade in Latin America which continues to disrupt countries and entire regions. For example, a report by Prensa Libre found the 9mm pistol has been the weapon most commonly confiscated by Guatemala's National Police.]
Una serie de redadas e informes recientes ponen de relieve el floreciente negocio de armas en toda Latinoamérica, lo que sirve tanto para beneficio de los grupos... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil 57 Experts Oppose Bill to Weaken Gun Law [PT]
21 September 2016
Sul 21 (Brazil)
[Translated summary: A group of 57 researchers from Brazil and abroad have published a manifesto against the revocation of the Disarmament Statute. The document aims to inform society of the available scientific evidence confirming the effectiveness of the Statute as a tool to save lives. The evidence refutes the idea that more guns mean less violence.]
Um grupo de 57 pesquisadores de instituições públicas e privadas de ensino e pesquisa no Brasil e no exterior... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Central America,South America
Recent Seizures Point to Thriving Latin American Gun Trade
21 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade throughout Latin America, which serves to both profit illicit groups and to facilitate criminal violence in the region.
During a recent conference on armed violence in Central America, Ana Yancy Espinoza, academic director of the Costa Rican organization Fundación Arias, presented the results of an investigation on regional arms trafficking.
According to a press release from the Foundation for... (GunPolicy.org)
800,000 Guns, Mostly Illegal, Circulate in Honduras [ES]
20 September 2016
SwissInfo, Reuters
[Translated Summary: The International Committee for Human Rights estimates that between 800,000 and one million firearms circulate in Honduras, while about 282,000 are properly registered. Many of these are used by 60,000 security guards in private companies, while others are illegal or non-registered.]
Honduras, con más de 4 000 homicidios por año, es uno de los países más violentos del mundo y los derechos humanos, sector en el que la cooperación helvética... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Trafficking Network Dismantled in Colombia [ES]
20 September 2016
El Tiempo (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: 40 people accused of gun trafficking were captured in Colombia. During the operation, 5 machine guns, 30 rifles, more than 50,000 cartridges, grenades, over 50 handguns and 2 sniper rifles were seized.]
Luego de un operativo conjunto entre el Ejército y la Policía fueron capturadas 40 personas, en varias ciudades del país, a las que se les sindica de traficar armas con el Eln y bandas criminales. Los presuntos delincuentes incluso tenían una... (GunPolicy.org)
Half America's 265m Guns Are Owned by 3% of the People [FR]
19 September 2016
Les Echos (France)
[Translated summary: A study from Harvard and Northeastern universities shows that there are 265 million firearms in America and that 130 million of them are in the hands of only 3% of the population. This group of 'super owners' has an average of 17 firearms each. The study also confirms that owners are mostly white, conservative men.]
Une étude réalisée par les universités d'Harvard et Northeastern montre qu'une grande partie des armes à feu est concentrée... (GunPolicy.org)
Study Shows 3% of Americans Own Nearly Half the Guns in US
19 September 2016
Guardian
Americans own an estimated 265m guns, more than one gun for every American adult, according to the most definitive portrait of US gun ownership in two decades. But the new survey estimates that 130m of these guns are concentrated in the hands of just 3% of American adults – a group of super-owners who have amassed an average of 17 guns each.
The unpublished Harvard/Northeastern survey result summary, obtained exclusively by the Guardian and the Trace, estimates that... (GunPolicy.org)
Six in 10 Mexicans Oppose Having Guns at Home [ES]
17 September 2016
Animal Político (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to a survey, 6 out of 10 Mexicans are against having firearms at home, up 16% since 2002. More than half of Mexican citizens feel that firearms shouldn't be allowed in any circumstances, 32% want the right to own firearms but not to carry them, and 11% favour both home ownership and wearing hidden handguns.]
La mayoría de los mexicanos está en contra de que se permita tener armas de fuego en casa, revela la encuesta más reciente... (GunPolicy.org)
Smuggled US Assault Rifles Seized in Dominican Republic [ES]
14 September 2016
Proceso (Dominican Republic)
[Translated summary: A shipment of assault rifles, a shotgun, ammunition and accessories was seized by custom officers of the Dominican Republic. The Sandy Cargo Express ship in which they were found came from Florida. In the last few weeks, Dominican customs seized several guns and ammunition coming from New York, New Jersey, Miami and Puerto Rico.]
Un cargamento de fusiles de asalto, municiones, percutores y cargadores, así como una escopeta calibre 22, fueron... (GunPolicy.org)
New Measures on Gun Control Coming Soon in Canada [FR]
13 September 2016
La Presse (Montréal)
[Translated summary: Reporters asked Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale if he is going to act to ban certain firearms, especially one Beretta rifle that resembles the CX4 Storm but is slightly modified to fit the non-restricted category, making it available to anyone with a regular licence. Goodale stated that he will present in the next few weeks new propositions to reinforce gun laws.]
Alors que la journée de mardi marque les 10 ans depuis la fusillade au... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador,Central America,United States
M16, AK Assault Rifles Often Used By Gangs in El Salvador
12 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá), El Faro
The government of El Salvador's militarized campaign against the country's street gangs has been met by an increasingly heavily armed reaction. El Faro's investigation indicates that the gangs' growing use of assault rifles is an echo of the civil war that ended almost 25 years ago.
"Our presumption is that many are from the civil war," responds Mauricio Ramírez Landaverde, the Minister of Public Security, when questioned on the origin of the weapons that Salvadoran... (GunPolicy.org)
Suburban Gunslingers: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (2)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Rachad Adra was lying in bed with his four-year-old son when bullets ripped through the front of his Thomastown house.
Fired from the street, they travelled through a window, a front room and through an inside wall before tearing into Adra's flesh, killing him. Neighbours heard the screams of his young son, who was seriously injured.
Ten months on, the rental house in Melbourne's north-west is vacant, and while the bullet-riddled glass has been replaced, the blinds... (GunPolicy.org)
Illness, Sudden Death: Confessions of a Gun Range Worker
9 September 2016
Mother Jones (USA)
Editor's note: Americans today aren't just stockpiling guns in record numbers; they are also shooting them at upward of 2,100 gun ranges across the country. In February, the pseudonymous author of this piece—a former employee at a gun range in Orange County, California—contacted Mother Jones reporter Josh Harkinson, who interviewed the author and corroborated his account (as told to Harkinson below) through official documents, news reports, and interviews with two... (GunPolicy.org)
Twenty-year Record: 400 Shot in Chicago in August [FR]
7 September 2016
A l'Encontre (Switzerland)
[Translated summary: August was the most violent month in Chicago in almost 20 years. According to the Chicago Police, around 400 people have been victims of firearms and 78 were killed. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 487 homicides while 2015 had a total of 491.]
Ils ne seront jamais inculpés, mais les vrais criminels responsables de la violence dans des villes comme Chicago siègent à l'Hôtel de ville et dans les conseils d'administration des... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Criminal Gang Uses Mostly US-Made Rifles [ES]
7 September 2016
El Faro (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: "Maras" gangsters in El Salvador use assault weapons. The authorities, former soldiers, experts and even gang members confirm that most of them come from the civil war of the 80's. Police seize at least one rifle every 3 days and the most common are the M-16, the AK-47 and the Galil.]
El gobierno del FMLN combate contra mareros equipados con fusiles de asalto. Autoridades, excomandantes, excombatientes, académicos, expertos y los propios... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers, Health Experts Combine to Curb Gun Suicide
3 September 2016
Christian Science Monitor
HOOKSETT — As the longtime owner of a gun store, Ralph Demicco is passionate about his firearms. At the modest ranch house he built himself outside this rural New Hampshire town, he keeps a collection of rifles, shotguns, pistols, and antique weaponry, including two cast-iron cannons that he stores in the barn beneath an oval wooden wall plaque inscribed with the Second Amendment.
On special occasions, he wheels out his beloved cannons – replicas of Dutch and... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Had 78 Homicides and 400 Shootings in August [ES]
30 August 2016
Chicago Tribune
[Translated summary: Chicago registered at least 78 homicides and 400 shootings in August, making it the most violent month in 20 years. 487 homicides have been committed so far this year, while 2015 had a total of 491. Authorities blame the constant flow of illegal firearms and fights between gangs for the increase in violence.]
CHICAGO — En las semanas después de que Tavon Tanner fuera herido de bala en la espalda, el niño de 10 años de edad ha sido sometido a... (GunPolicy.org)
Admirable People at US Federal Bureau of Way Too Many Guns
30 August 2016
GQ (USA)
Say there's a murder. Blood everywhere, a dead guy on the floor. The cops come in with their yellow tape, chalk line, the little booties, cameras, swabs, the fingerprint dust. One of them finds a gun on the floor. The gun! He lifts it with his pinkie, examines it, takes note of the serial number. Back at the station, they run a trace on the gun. A name pops up. It's the wife! Or: It's the business partner! It's somebody's gun, and this is so exciting because now they... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
The AR-15 Will Remain a Restricted Weapon in Canada [FR]
18 August 2016
Ici Radio Canada
[Translated summary: The Trudeau government has officially said no to a petition signed by 25,249 Canadians and sponsored by a conservative party member. The petition demanded the declassification of the AR-15 assault rifle rifle as a restricted weapon in order to be able to use it legally for hunting.]
Le gouvernement Trudeau a officiellement dit non aux signataires d'une pétition qui réclamait la déclassification d'un fusil d'assaut semblable à celui qui a été... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Ranges Legally Rent Machine Guns to Customers
5 August 2016
Miami Herald
The instructor's face wore a frown, and I was worried that I'd committed some safety violation that was going to get me kicked out of the rifle range. When you're firing the same kind of machine gun that killed Osama bin Laden, a weapon that can spit out 900 bullets a minute, the rules are many, and strictly observed.
The instructor leaned closer. "Stop firing little bursts," he urged me. "You're not getting the real fun of the gun. This time, when you pull the... (GunPolicy.org)
How the AK-47, AR-15 Became Guns of Choice for Mass Killers
5 August 2016
New York Times
Part 1
Time and again it's the same. A lone gunman or a small group of killers with rifles commits spectacular crimes that seize the attention of the world.
The list reaches back decades: the killing of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972; the school takeover in Beslan, Russia, in 2004; the attacks in Mumbai, India, in 2008; the mall assault in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2013; the killing of more than 100 people in Paris in 2015.
Often the rifles are variants of... (GunPolicy.org)
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (GunPolicy.org)
Will France Issue Guns to Its Municipal Police Officers? [FR]
1 August 2016
Sputnik News (France)
[Translated summary: Most municipal police officers in France don't carry firearms, but now the terrorist threat suggests it's necessary to arm them. In order to do so, each officer needs to pass theory and practical tests. The Mayor must then request authorisation.]
La menace accroît et la majorité des polices municipales n'ont toujours pas d'armes. Quel avenir pour les policiers municipaux? Eclairage dans une interview du policier Alain Dal accordée à... (GunPolicy.org)
Vast Majority of Guns Recovered in Pittsburgh Not Legal
25 July 2016
EurekAlert (USA)
PITTSBURGH -- Nearly 80 percent of perpetrators carrying a gun recovered by Pittsburgh Police were not the lawful owners, a strong indication that theft and trafficking are significant sources of firearms involved in crimes in southwest Pennsylvania, a new University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis reveals.
The finding suggests a timely opportunity for collaboration between public health and law enforcement officials to better understand and... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Destroys 5,409 Seized Crime Guns [ES]
21 July 2016
Wradio (Colombia), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: Specialized personnel from the Guatemala's Ministry of Defence destroyed 5,409 firearms from different calibres. These had been confiscated in different criminal acts. The firearms (pistols, revolvers, assault rifles, shotguns and rifles) were cut using a circular saw.]
GUATEMALA - Personal especializado del Ministerio de Defensa de Guatemala destruyó hoy 5.409 armas de fuego de distintos calibres que habían sido decomisadas en diferentes hechos... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1,000 Guns Seized in Operations in Mexican City [ES]
20 July 2016
Excelsior (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Coordination Team in Tamaulipas, MX informed that between the 24th of June to the 14th of July, over 697 rifles, 171 handguns, 117 grenades, 3 rockets, 16 grenade launchers, 227,178 different calibre cartridges and 5,994 clips were seized.]
En el marco de la Estrategia de Seguridad Tamaulipas contra la delincuencia Fuerzas Federales y Estatales aseguraron en 20 días todo un arsenal que incluye cohetes, lanzagranadas, casi mil armas de fuego de... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada Murder Attempts with Guns Increased 22% in 2015 [FR]
20 July 2016
VOA Afrique
[Translated summary: According to Canada Statistics, the rate of violent crimes has increased 6% in 2015 with more homicides, murder attempts and offences with firearms, specially in the western provinces. Murder attempts with firearms have increased 22%.]
Le taux de criminalité au Canada s'est aggravé l'an dernier, après une atténuation pendant une décennie, sous l'effet notamment d'une recrudescence de l'usage d'armes à feu, a indiqué mercredi l'institut de... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico City Airport Used as Hub for Gun Smuggling [ES]
17 July 2016
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to a report by the Mexican Federal Police, the Mexico City airport is being used as a hub for firearm smuggling. Between 2015 and the first two months of 2016, 62% of gun and cartridge confiscations were made in flights from Mexico City to other locations. During that period, 539 cartridges and 34 guns were seized.]
Un informe de la PF revela que 62% de los aseguramientos de armas y cartuchos se realizaron en vuelos que partieron de la... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gunworks Now Makes, Sells Pioneering Nazi Assault Rifle
29 June 2016
CNN
Working replicas of the Nazis' storm rifle, widely considered to be the world's first assault rifle, are now being produced in the U.S.
"It's been a surprise hit with us," said Mac Steil, co-owner of Hill & Mac Gunworks in Georgia, which has taken orders for 2,000 rifles since the product launch in January. "We sold more rifles the first day than we thought we'd sell all year."
Hill & Mac Gunworks, a startup in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, is reproducing the STG... (GunPolicy.org)
France Must Meet Obligations Under Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
24 June 2016
Armer Desarmer (France), Blog
[Translated summary: Countries involved in conflict and where crimes against humanity are committed, currently receive guns originating in France. Under the Arms Trade Treaty, if one country member estimates that the firearms could be used to commit a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law, the exportation will not be authorized.]
Depuis le 24 décembre 2014, la France est engagée juridiquement dans l'application du traité sur le commerce des armes (TCA)... (GunPolicy.org)
Voluntary Disarmament in Mexico Traded 1,517 Guns [ES]
22 June 2016
Noticieros Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: As part of the "For your family, Voluntary Disarmament" program, from January to June of 2016, the Public Safety Office collected 1,517 firearms, 815 of which were handguns and 712 were rifles. 298 grenades and 24,087 cartridges were also recovered. These firearms were exchanged for money, home appliances and tablets.]
Como parte del programa "Por tu Familia, Desarme Voluntario", de enero a junio del presente año la Secretaría de Seguridad... (GunPolicy.org)
US Shop Sells 30,000 AR-15 Assault Rifles in Just One Week
22 June 2016
News (Australia)
Just when you thought you couldn't be any more dismayed by America's gun crisis, comes this depressing nugget of information.
Despite the fight for gun control making waves across the world in the week since a terrorist attack in an Orlando nightclub that left 49 dead and 53 wounded, one online gun shop has sold a whopping 30,000 AR-15 rifles.
Let me repeat that: 30,000 guns sold in ONE WEEK.
Hunter's Warehouse owner Tom Engle told Fox Business' Stuart Varney that... (GunPolicy.org)
In the Week After Orlando, 228 Americans Were Shot Dead
20 June 2016
The Trace (USA)
In the early morning of Sunday, June 12, shortly after the Pulse nightclub gunman was killed by police, Camarillo Pedro Lara, 48, was found shot to death in the passenger seat of a car in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Around the time that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer broke the news that the massacre at the venue had claimed 49 lives, making it the deadliest mass shooting on American soil in modern history, a woman in Fountain, Colorado, found a note tacked to her neighbor's... (GunPolicy.org)
US Debate: Would an Assault Weapon Ban Make a Difference?
13 June 2016
Guardian
In preparation for what would become the deadliest mass shooting in American history, Omar Mateen bought an .223 caliber AR-15-style assault rifle and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, law enforcement officials said.
The shooters in December's San Bernardino terror attack also used AR-15-style rifles. So did the shooters in the 2012 attacks at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
Critics call AR-15-style rifles the weapon of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Calls Orlando Assault Weapon 'America's Rifle'
13 June 2016
New York Times
In recent years, the AR-15 has become, simultaneously, one of most beloved and most vilified rifles in the country.
It is no surprise why the gun is so reviled by gun control advocates. Omar Mateen, the gunman in the attack this weekend on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., used a spinoff of the rifle produced by SIG Sauer to kill nearly 50 people.
The military-style weapon has also been the gun of choice in several other mass shootings: at an elementary school in... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifle the Weapon of Choice in US Mass Shootings
13 June 2016
Malay Mail (Kuala Lumpur)
WASHINGTON — When Omar Mateen entered an Orlando, Florida, nightclub yesterday to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in US history, he wielded a weapon that has been used in massacres from California to Connecticut: a military-inspired semi-automatic rifle.
Though so-called assault rifles account for a small fraction of the United States' 30,000 annual gun deaths, they have been used in at least 10 mass shootings since 2011, according to a database compiled by... (GunPolicy.org)
What We Know About the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando
12 June 2016
Everytown for Gun Safety
In the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, a gunman shot and killed at least 49 people and shot and injured at least 53 others inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL. According to a law enforcement source, the gunman had been a person of interest in two FBI investigations in 2013 and 2014 and at the time was placed on a terrorist watch list. Due to a loophole in federal law, the government is unable to block gun sales to people who have been investigated for... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Control Law to Curb Civilian Firearms in Dominica [ES]
31 May 2016
El Nuevo Diario (Dominican Republic)
[Translated Summary: Dominica's Firearms Carrying and Possession bill will keep decreasing the number of violent deaths caused by firearms. The number of deaths per 100,000 citizens in the first trimester of 2016 was 16, while between 2012 and 2016 it was 24-25.]
SANTO DOMINGO -- El vocero de los diputados del Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD), Elpidio Báez reveló este martes que la comisión de Interior y Policía del organismo legislativo rendirá en la... (GunPolicy.org)
Navy SEAL Emblum Rifle Found Near Shooter's Home in Israel
30 May 2016
Israel National News
Border Police officers located a semi-automatic M-16 assault rifle on Monday in a home in the Arab Israeli village of Ain al-Sahla in the Wadi Ara region in the north.
Making the finding of the M-16 all the more unusual was that the lethal weapon was inscribed with the logo of the US Navy SEALs, though the insignia appears likely to have been faked.
Adding another troubling aspect to the find is the fact that Wadi Ara was the hometown of the terrorist Nashat Milhem,... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Disabled 10,723 Guns in 2016 [ES]
27 May 2016
Noticias 24 (Venezuela)
[Translated summary: In Venezuela, the National Disarmament Service has disabled 10,723 firearms so far this year, since the promulgation of the Law for the Disarmament, Arms and Ammunition Control. More than 400 guns coming from police departments were also disabled.]
VALENCIA -- El Servicio Nacional para el Desarme (SENADES), ha inutilizado la cantidad de 10 mil 723 armas de fuego en el país durante el año 2016.
Así lo dio a conocer la viceministra del Sistema... (GunPolicy.org)
US Shootings With 4 Deaths or Injuries Are Invisible - NY Times
22 May 2016
New York Times
CINCINNATI — After the slaughter of nine worshipers at a South Carolina church last June, but before the massacre of eight students and a teacher at an Oregon community college in October, there was a shooting that the police here have labeled Incident 159022597.01. It happened on a clear Friday night at an Elks Lodge, on a modest block of clapboard houses northeast of this city's hilly downtown. Unlike the butchery that bookended it, it merited no presidential... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela District Seized, Destroyed 550 Guns in 2016 [ES]
19 May 2016
Radio Nacional de Venezuela
[Translated summary: Only this month, more than 300 confiscated guns were destroyed in Barinas, Venezuela. Yhey included 12 and 16 gauge shotguns, 9mm pistols and home-made weapons.]
La Comisionada estadal de la Gran Misión A Toda Vida Venezuela en Barinas, Lidia Rodríguez, destacó que sólo este mes destruyeron más de 300 armas incautadas durante diferentes procedimientos, entre las cuales destacan escopetas calibre 12 y 16, pistolas 9 milímetros y armas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Records Not Issued in Brazil for Lack of Paper [PT]
17 May 2016
Pravda (Brazil)
[Translated summary: The death of a Military Officer in Rio de Janeiro drew attention to a serious situation: the lack of paper for the issue of Gun Registration Certificates. The difficulty to obtain firearms records in Brazil is not new. After the Disarmament Statute implementation in 2003, restrictive laws sought to make the process bureaucratic and expensive.]
A morte de um Policial Militar no inicio deste mês no Morro do Alemão, no Rio de Janeiro, chamou... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain's Guardia Civil Auctions 377 Guns, Distributes 106 [ES]
11 May 2016
La Tribuna de Toledo (España)
[Translated summary: The Guardia Civil in Spain auctioned 377 guns that had been deposited by their owners because they lost their licenses or because they wanted to discard them. Most of the firearms were shotguns, but there were also rifles, carbines, handguns and airguns. 106 were allocated, 45 were returned to their owners and 232 are going to be destroyed.]
La Comandancia de la Guardia Civil subastó el lunes un total de 377 armas depositadas previamente por sus... (GunPolicy.org)
Burundi Reports 481 Armed Violence Homicides in 2015 [FR]
28 April 2016
Burundi Africa Generation
[Translated summary: The president of the National Permanent Commission of Fight Against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons claimed that gun violence and insecurity in Burundi remains, despite efforts to fight it. Only in 2015, there have been 481 homicides, mostly perpetrated by men in Mairie de Bujumbura, the capital.]
A Bujumbura, ce lundi 25 avril 2015, l'officier Laurent Kabura, commissaire de police (CP) et président de la CNAP ( Commission... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Destroyed, then Re-imported a Million Guns [ES]
27 April 2016
Globovision, EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Australia commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Port Arthur gun massacre in which 35 were shot dead. Although in 1996 the country destroyed a million guns and enacted much tougher gun control laws, Australia has since re-imported more than a million firearms.]
Australia conmemora este jueves el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó con 35 muertos y 23 heridos, con la determinación de mantener su "fuerte y... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Numbers Climb, Imports at Historic High [ES]
27 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: Twenty years after the massacre of Port Arthur, Australia is determined to maintain "strong and responsible" gun control policy. The government is allowed to regulate private possession, decide who can and cannot have firearm licences and keep a record of each firearm. Nevertheless, Australia has imported more than a million firearms in the last 16 years.]
Australia conmemora hoy el vigésimo aniversario de la masacre de Port Arthur, que se saldó... (GunPolicy.org)
2,366 Guns Destroyed in Michoacán, Mexico, 2010-14 [ES]
26 April 2016
Cambio de Michoacán (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Between 2010 and 2014 2,366 firearms, 80 grenades and 77,080 cartridges were destroyed in a buyback campaign in Michoacán, Mexico. However, between 2011 and 2015, 42,069 arms were registered in the same region.]
MICHOACAN - En el periodo 2010-2014 fueron destruidas en Michoacán dos mil 366 armas de fuego (mil 549 cortas y 817 largas), 80 granadas de fragmentación y 77 mil 080 cartuchos, obtenidos por la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 2,700 Gang Guns Seized in El Salvador [ES]
13 April 2016
Terra (Argentina), EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: El Salvador police seized 2,759 firearms from gangs between 2014 and 2016, 96 of them classified as military weapons. According to official numbers, most of the homicides in El Salvador are inflicted with firearms.]
La policía salvadoreña incautó 2.759 armas de fuego a las pandillas entre el 2014 y febrero de 2016, más del 49 % del total de decomisos, de acuerdo con información oficial a la que Efe tuvo acceso hoy.
De esa cantidad, 96 fueron... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: 75,000 Guns Surrendered and Destroyed [ES]
11 April 2016
Plano Informativo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: More than 75,000 firearms have been surrendered by civilians to the Ministry of National Defence (SEDENA), in coordination with States' Governors, private initiatives, in the framework of the Federal Act on Firearms and Explosives. These firearms were immediately destroyed.]
De 2013 a la fecha, tan sólo en San Luis Potosí, se han retirado 524 armas de fuego.
San Luis Potosí -- Más de 75 mil armas de fuego han sido retiradas y canjeadas a la... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,United States,Africa,Libya,Yemen,Iraq,Syria
Middle East: Militias Use Facebook Groups to Sell Weapons
6 April 2016
New York Times
A terrorist hoping to buy an antiaircraft weapon in recent years needed to look no further than Facebook, which has been hosting sprawling online arms bazaars, offering weapons ranging from handguns and grenades to heavy machine guns and guided missiles.
The Facebook posts suggest evidence of large-scale efforts to sell military weapons coveted by terrorists and militants. The weapons include many distributed by the United States to security forces and their proxies in... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Caribbean,Eastern Europe
40% Increase in Smuggled, Seized Firearms in France [FR]
17 March 2016
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: In France, results in the fight against arms trafficking increased strongly, with a 40% increase in the number of firearms seized (1,158 against 828 in 2014). Strong measures against arms trafficking have been implemented. France deplores 1,800 deaths by firearm every year.]
Tabac et articles de contrefaçon, drogues ou encore armes… 2015 est un cru plutôt faste pour les douanes qui ont multiplié les saisies. En matière de la lutte contre les... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks, Bullet Tracing to Curb US Gun Deaths
17 March 2016
Reuters
If every state in the U.S. had mandatory background checks for gun and ammunition purchases and required traceable bullets, firearms-related deaths might plunge by more than 80 percent, a new study projects.
More than 31,600 people died by guns in the U.S. in 2010, a rate of 10.1 deaths for each 100,000 residents. Hawaii had the lowest death rate – 3.21 for each 100,000 people – while Alaska had the highest – 20.3 for every 100,000 residents.
Laws that require... (GunPolicy.org)
World's Most Violent Country Registers 30 New Guns a Day
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between 2010 and 2015, Salvadorans were registering firearms at a rate of 11,000 per year. This suggests 30 new firearms were registered every day in a country where the vast majority of crimes are committed with guns. In a market that had sales of almost $2 million in 2014, four firms dominated gun imports.
The inhabitants of the world's most violent country have been spending more than $1.5 million on guns annually. Although the market's total size and the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg Central to Europe's Gun Trafficking Routes [FR]
9 March 2016
Le Quotidien (Luxembourg)
[Translated summary: Luxembourg finds itself in the middle of Europe's gun trafficking routes. Luxembourg police seize thousands of guns, and in 2012 86,427 firearms owned by 15,670 people were legally registered.]
Les ministres de la Sécurité intérieure et de la Justice affirment que le Luxembourg ne joue pas de rôle dans le trafic international d'armes de guerre. C'est faux. Un réseau en partie implanté au Grand-Duché et démantelé en février 2015 alimentait... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Facts, Figures and Firearm Law in Burkina Faso [FR]
26 February 2016
Le Pays (Burkina Faso), Transcript
[Translated summary: Gun facts and figures in Burkina Faso: the 2009 Firearms Decree; Consequences of the August 1983 Revolution; Arms trafficking in the region; Importance of the illegal manufacture of home-made guns; In Ouagadougou alone: 1,246 permits to carry firearms were issued in 2015, 1,270 in 2014, and 1,190 in 2013]
INTERVIEW
Propos recueillis par Michel NANA en collaboration avec Afronline (Italie)
Le Colonel Christophe Raoul Tapsoba est le secrétaire... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Buybacks Could Reduce Violence in Guadeloupe [FR]
19 January 2016
France-Antilles
[Translated summary: 328 guns were recovered during the last three government-sponsored 'Deposit the Guns' operations in Guadeloupe. However, thousands of firearms are still in circulation and violent attacks are on the rise. One possible solution would be to repeat the buybacks: for example a budget of 4 million euros could buy 16,000 guns.]
Déposez vos armes! L'opération menée par les services de l'État en Guadeloupe pour inciter les Guadeloupéens à rendre... (GunPolicy.org)
10 Americans Who Shaped the Gun Debate This Year
28 December 2015
Trace (USA)
Deborah Azrael, gun-violence researcher
Despite some 300 million guns in circulation in America, research on guns and gun violence remains seriously underfunded. Among the handful of public health experts helping to expand the available pool of data is Dr. Deborah Azrael of Harvard's Injury Control Research Center. Azrael co-authored a seminal study in 2015 that found firearm suicide rates are higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership, underscoring the... (GunPolicy.org)
How US Mass Shooters Got Their Guns
3 October 2015
New York Times
The vast majority of guns used in 15 recent mass shootings, including at least two of the guns used in the San Bernardino attack, were bought legally and with a federal background check. At least eight gunmen had criminal histories or documented mental health problems that did not prevent them from obtaining their weapons.
- DEC. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, husband and wife, killed 14 people at a holiday office party in San Bernardino, Calif. Four... (GunPolicy.org)
US Police Officers Exposed to Lead Poisoning in Gun Ranges
10 April 2015
Seattle Times
It was one of the most important weeks in Amy Crawford's law-enforcement career.
Like tens of thousands of other police officers, Crawford had to become an expert at shooting a gun. Her job as a Kirkland corrections officer — and even her life — depended on it.
On her fifth day of training at Issaquah's indoor police shooting range, she passed the firearms tests. But she felt sick and had no idea why.
Like so many other officers across the country, Crawford had... (GunPolicy.org)
Monitoring Illicit SALW in Sri Lanka
8 February 2015
Daily Mirror Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's population today is living under the threat of illegally circulating illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), which are still unaccounted for. This is mainly because of the failure of previous governments and particulaly the previous regime's inability to curb the proliferation of illicit small arms in post-war Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka continues to accumulate an unknown number of illicit small arms since the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurrection in... (GunPolicy.org)
Military-Style AR-15 Rifles: 'The Market is Saturated' in USA
3 December 2014
USA Today
ASHEVILLE — Two years ago, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in which a mentally unstable man killed 20 students and six adults with a military-style rifle, such weapons seemed to be in deep trouble.
After the Dec. 14, 2012, tragedy, President Obama and Congress called for reform and restrictions on the guns and their high-capacity magazines. Fearing an outright ban, gun buyers stampeded stores, cleaning out shelves and driving prices up to nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
High Murder Rates in Brazil and South Africa Put Firearms Back in Spotlight
24 November 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
Brazil and South Africa have dramatically expanded their geopolitical influence over the past two decades. But after years of democratic and economic gains, the two countries now find themselves in the doldrums. One of the reasons for this is that they are addicted to violence. Brazil and South Africa lead their respective continents in murder. This is no easy feat: last year the United Nations reported that 8 of the top 10 most violent countries in the world were... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Lost in Afghanistan: 465,000 Small Arms - US Can't Track Weapons it Sends
29 July 2014
Miami Herald / McClatchy
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has shipped Afghan security forces tens of thousands of excessive AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons since 2004 and many have gone missing, raising concerns that they've fallen into the hands of Taliban or other insurgent rebels.
John F. Sopko, the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, found in a report released Monday that shoddy record-keeping by the Defense Department, the Afghan National Army and the Afghan... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Report 18,000 Gun Licences Left Untransferred in Metro Manila
21 July 2014
Journal (Manila), Opinion
Philippine National Police operatives implementing the Oplan Katok ordered by Director General Alan LM Purisima have made another startling discovery: more than 18,000 firearms' licenses have not been transferred in the names of their present owners since December 2012.
Records from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office headed by Chief Superintendent Moro Virgilio M. Lazo showed that a total of 18,659 firearms' licenses have not been transferred from December 31,... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Authorities Concerned About Children with Handguns [ES]
24 June 2014
El Pais (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Authorities are concerned about the use of handguns and other firearms by children in Uruguay. Many of the handguns come from Argentina, because they are cheaper, but it is not clear how youths are obtaining the firearms.]
"Que los menores estén bien armados, es la realidad de hoy. En el pasado usaban armas más antiguas y precarias. Ese es su comportamiento", dijo a El País la jueza de Adolescentes, Aída Vera Barreto.
Una opinión similar... (GunPolicy.org)
Big Demand for Crime Guns in Canada
22 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The men hugging each other in a Windsor bar looked like old friends catching up, but the police trailing them knew better.
Investigators say they were at Rack n' Roll Club on Forest Glade Drive for a gun sale, one of many that supplied Toronto gangsters with firepower as they peddled drugs, settled scores and waged a bloody power struggle.
The salesman was Windsor's Lamar Porter, who already had more than 20 criminal convictions. The buyers were Siyadin Abdi, also... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador's Military Suspected of Dealing Firearms to Gangs
16 June 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
El Salvador's street gangs have been ambushing police with military-grade weapons, leading to fears the gangs, for the first time, have police outgunned. Is the Salvadoran military the source of their firepower?
In recent months, gangs have shot at police with M-16 and AK-47 assault rifles in multiple lethal attacks, raising questions about the source of their weaponry. Now, an investigation has unearthed evidence that the military itself is trafficking guns, and El... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Missing from Official Storage in Philippines
16 May 2014
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
MANILA, Philippines - At least 63 short firearms imported by a private gun dealer and kept in the storage facilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) at Camp Crame in Quezon City have been confirmed to be missing, an official said yesterday.
FEO chief Senior Superintendent Roberto Po said at least 10 FEO personnel were placed under investigation after the loss was discovered on Wednesday.
An employee of Juavi Gun Store, who... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Civil Guard Auctions 441 Seized Guns to Public [ES]
6 May 2014
La Opinión de Murcia
[Translated summary: The Civil Guard in Murcia auctioned 441 guns from private or commercial companies to the public, although in the past some seized guns have been sold at auction. Civilians with gun licenses are able to purchase the firearms, for as little as 50 euros, while those left unsold are destroyed.]
Conseguir un arma nunca había sido tan fácil, ni barato. La Guardia Civil de Murcia saca a subasta 441 lotes de armas que se podrán conocer durante cinco... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Smuggling and Armed Conflict in Myanmar
4 May 2014
Mizzima
The prices of weapons were cheap in the early 1990s for rebels in Myanmar and for various other groups fighting against their respective governments within the region. The cheap prices were mainly because of the end of years of conflict in Cambodia, which released to the regional market a huge amount of surplus and illegal weapons made in the United States, China and Russia.
But are they cheap now – 20 years later? How much did it cost to arm a fighter in Myanmar in... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Teen Girl Guns Down Rival in Facebook Dispute Over Boy
29 April 2014
New York Daily News
Another virtual diss has turned into a real-life tragedy.
A Facebook feud between two 14-year-old girls over a boy ended when one gunned down the other on a Southside Chicago porch in broad daylight Monday afternoon, police said.
The unnamed teen perp, who has been charged with murder as a juvenile, whipped out a stolen .38-caliber handgun about 4:50 p.m. and tried to shoot into a crowd of people. The gun jammed and the girl handed it to someone else, who cleared the... (GunPolicy.org)
Defiant US Rancher Savours Audience After Gun Threat Against Officials
23 April 2014
New York Times
BUNKERVILLE, Nev. — Cliven Bundy stood by the Virgin River up the road from the armed checkpoint at the driveway of his ranch, signing autographs and posing for pictures. For 55 minutes, Mr. Bundy held forth to a clutch of supporters about his views on the troubled state of America — the overreaching federal government, the harassment of Western ranchers, the societal upheaval caused by abortion, even musing about whether slavery was so bad.
Most of all, Mr. Bundy,... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador Police Seize Over 100 Guns in Holiday Sting [ES]
22 April 2014
Diario El Mundo (El Salvador)
[Translated summary: 107 firearms were seized by the El Salvador police over an eight day holiday period in April, including handguns, shotguns, rifles and two machine guns. Over 80% of crimes in El Salvador are committed with guns.]
La Policía Nacional Civil, (PNC) decomisó 107 armas de fuego durante el periodo vacacional de Semana Santa, comprendido entre el 12 al 20 de abril.
Según el reporte, la mayoría de las incautaciones fueron pistolas 9 milímetros,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Rights Advocates or Gun Advocates? US Gun Lobby Digs its Heels In
13 April 2014
Telegraph (UK)
The song blasts from two speakers placed either side of a beige canopy: "Guns, whether Remingtons and Glocks / Come on man it ain't like I'm a slingin' 'em on the block / I'm gonna tell you once, and listen son / As long as I'm alive and breathing, You won't take my guns."
Under the canopy is a table full of T-shirts and baseball caps embossed with the words "Open Carry Texas". And gathered around that are a handful of people with AK-47 or AR-15 semi-automatic rifles... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Borrowed from Indonesian Soldier Used in Shooting
5 April 2014
Jakarta Post
Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Moeldoko on Friday offered an apology in light of the shooting of a Nasdem Party campaign post in North Aceh regency on Feb. 16, which involved the use of a TNI-issued weapon.
The two local political party supporters suspected of the crime have since been apprehended, but the results of a ballistics examination revealed that the weapon used belonged to a soldier.
"I would like to be honest about it and apologize for the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Kills Four, Injures 16 in Second Mass Shooting on US Army Base
3 April 2014
Washington Post
An Iraq war veteran who was grappling with mental health issues opened fire at Fort Hood, Tex., in an attack that left four people dead and 16 wounded Wednesday afternoon, according to preliminary law enforcement and military reports. The gunfire sent tremors of fear across a sprawling Army post still reeling from one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
Many basic details about the shooting remained unclear in the chaotic hours after the first calls for help... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Assault Rifle Fuss: Gun Lobby Aims to 'Americanise' Canada
9 March 2014
CBC News (Canada)
Both gun owners and gun control advocates say they're confused by the government's handling of a ban on a class of military-style rifles.
Gun owners say they don't know what the government's five-year amnesty on the Swiss Arms Classic Greens means.
The guns are semi-automatic rifles called Classic Greens and they've been available in Canada for about a dozen years.
Last week the RCMP changed the guns' classification from "non-restricted" to "prohibited" on its... (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)
Cape Verde Launches Firearms Amnesty [PT]
25 January 2014
Portugal Digital
[Translated summary: Cape Verde authorities have launched a national campaign for the voluntary surrender of illegal firearms, estimated by police to be around 6,500. In the last two years, 538 firearms and 414 homemade guns were seized. Authorities said firearms were involved in 44 homicides, 323 injuries and 632 assaults. A new law was signed in 2012 to create systems to improve security and prevent the proliferation of illegal firearms.]
Praia - O Ministério da... (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)
US Man Shot, Killed During Argument Over Texting at Movie Theater
13 January 2014
New York Times
MIAMI — An argument over texting at the movies ended in a cellphone user's death, when a retired police officer in the audience shot him at a theater near Tampa, Fla., on Monday afternoon, the authorities said.
Two couples were among patrons at a matinee of "Lone Survivor" at the Grove 16 movie theater in Wesley Chapel, about 20 miles northeast of Tampa, when one of the men, a retired Tampa police officer, got angry because the man in front of him was using his phone... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida's Largest Gun Dealer Bans Gun Rentals in Wake of Suicides
10 January 2014
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Shoot Straight, Florida's largest independent gun-shop chain, has stopped renting guns to prevent its eight Florida ranges from becoming suicide parlors.
Khaled Akkawi, founder of the Apopka-based chain, made the decision last month after the latest suicides at one his gun ranges.
"We've had enough," Akkawi said Friday. "They've been increasing real fast and the one common denominator — everyone is done with a rental gun."
Shoot Straight joins a growing number of... (GunPolicy.org)
French Police Find 32 Guns, 500kg of Ammo at Man's Home [FR]
9 January 2014
Paris-Normandie
[Translated summary: French authorities found 32 firearms and 500kg of ammunition in the canton of Beaumont-le-Roger, after a man was injured in a shooting incident. The man did not have a licence for the weapons.]
Les gendarmes de la compagnie de Bernay ont découvert un véritable arsenal chez deux collectionneurs demeurant dans le canton de Beaumont-le-Roger. Ils ont, notamment, saisi 32 armes à feu et 500 kg de munitions assemblées.
Admis aux urgences
Tout... (GunPolicy.org)
Japanese Defence Officials Fear Assault Rifle Stolen in 'Unprecedented' Case
26 December 2013
Japan News / Yomiuri Shimbun
The Ground Self-Defense Force has been unable to find an assault rifle that went missing at the force's Higashi Fuji Maneuvers Area in Shizuoka Prefecture in October, it has been learned.
As the force was unable to find the Howa Type 89 assault rifle after a two-month intensive search, it has concluded that the rifle was taken by somebody. The force's police unit has began an investigation on suspicion of theft.
The rifle, which was issued to a GSDF member, was not... (GunPolicy.org)
When the Right to Bear Arms Includes the Mentally Ill
21 December 2013
New York Times, Series
Last April, workers at Middlesex Hospital in Connecticut called the police to report that a psychiatric patient named Mark Russo had threatened to shoot his mother if officers tried to take the 18 rifles and shotguns he kept at her house. Mr. Russo, who was off his medication for paranoid schizophrenia, also talked about the recent elementary school massacre in Newtown and told a nurse that he "could take a chair and kill you or bash your head in between the eyes,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Concerns, American Samoa Police to Carry Used Glocks from US
26 November 2013
Samoa News
"In order for our Police Department to be recognized and be qualified as a fully fledged police department there's a need for the police officers to be armed — because right now our motto is 'To serve and protect'. We can serve but we cannot protect," said Commissioner of Public Safety William Bill Haleck.
Last Saturday the Commissioner picked up 24 Glock-17s, which are 9-millimeter handguns which were purchased through the Criminal Justice Planning Agency, with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Burkina Faso Officials Meet with Gunsmiths Over Imports [FR]
18 November 2013
Le Faso (Ouagadougou)
[Translated summary: Burkina Faso officials have met with stakeholders and gunsmiths to explain the laws on importing and marketing firearms and ammunition, to address trafficking concerns.]
La prolifération des armes ainsi que la situation sécuritaire de la sous-région marquée par des crises commandent que le gouvernement surveille l'entrée et l'utilisation des armes sur le sol burkinabè. Pour ce faire, il a décidé de prendre les devants. C'est ainsi que le... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Find 'Staggering Collection' of Guns After Customs Tip-Off
14 November 2013
Times-Colonist (British Columbia)
Police unveiled a "staggering collection" of firearms Wednesday, seized from a Prince George home following an investigation that began when border guards came across two suspicious packages.
Karl Haus, 53, now faces 17 charges in relation to the haul from a Prospect Point home in the Hart Highlands where police uncovered nine rifles — a fully-automatic M-16 and a fully-automatic AK-47 among them — as well as three handguns, two of which were loaded, and two... (GunPolicy.org)
South Sudan,Somalia,Burundi,Liberia,Ghana,United States,Europe,Zimbabwe,Uganda,Tanzania,Sudan,Nigeria,Namibia,Kenya,Ethiopia,Africa
How Disarmament in Africa Got More Complicated
5 November 2013
IPI Global Observatory
Africa is ground zero in the international debate on controlling the small arms and light weapons trade. For more than a decade, diplomatic activity to contain arms and ammunition transfers has been animated by a concern with instability and contagion generated by the continent's many wars. Leading think tanks, research groups, and advocacy organizations have repeatedly drawn attention to the way the burden of armed violence in Africa is a product of low-tech assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 80,000 Guns Collected in Burundi Disarmament Campaign [FR]
25 September 2013
Afriquinfos / Xinhua
[Translated summary: Over 80,000 small arms and light weapons have been seized from citizens in Burundi during a disarmament campaign. Officials have called on women leaders to be involved in the efforts, as victims of many of the crimes the disarmament is trying to prevent.]
BUJUMBURA - Plus de 80.000 armes légères et de petit calibre (ALPC) de différentes sortes ont été retirées de la population à la veille de la deuxième phase du désarmement civil, prévu... (GunPolicy.org)
How I Got Licensed to Carry a Gun in 32 US States by Barely Trying
1 September 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
According to the state of Utah, I earned the right to carry a concealed handgun on a Saturday morning in a suburban shopping center outside Baltimore. Toward the back, next to a pawnshop and White Trash Matt's tattoo parlor, is the global headquarters of Dukes Defense World, a mom-and-pop firearms instruction shop certified by the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification to teach nonresidents firearm safety as a prerequisite for obtaining a concealed-carry permit.
My... (GunPolicy.org)
US Convicted Murderer's Case For Gun Control
21 August 2013
Atlantic (USA)
It was swift and cowardly.
Defenseless, distracted by music, Alex sat in the passenger seat of the rental as I made my way to the trunk. I remembered Frankie's words: "It's loaded, cocked, and the safety is off. All you have to do is pull the trigger."
At that point in our lives, Alex and I, both in our early twenties, were gun-toting thugs immersed in gangster culture. We were out on bail for separate gun charges. A few years before, Alex had been acquitted of murder... (GunPolicy.org)
In Thailand: Gun Laws Strict But Ownership High
8 August 2013
Straits Times (Singapore)
"Call me Dev," he said.
He looked straight out of a Bollywood film - stocky, confident, with a shaven head and a pink open-necked shirt. Dev is a salesman at a shop on Thailand's gun row, Wang Burapha road, which features a string of shops selling a range of guns and accessories.
The guns are two to three times more expensive than those in the United States. "Only rich people buy guns here," said Dev.
Rich people, and The Royal Thai Police. In what has long been a... (GunPolicy.org)
Trade in Iron and Blood: Impact of American Guns on Mexican Violence
30 July 2013
Action on Armed Violence
For all the news and emotion surrounding the debate over mass-shootings and gun-control within the United States, another related tragedy has been unfolding simultaneously just across the border. But, unlike in the US, this tragedy has much greater bloodshed and much less media attention.
Since 2006, tens of thousands of people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence. The numbers dead are similar to a conventional war. But, in contrast to other conflicts... (GunPolicy.org)
Fighting Guns With Graffiti in Honduras
13 June 2013
al Jazeera
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - It's almost sundown and a small sport utility vehicle glides through one of the most dangerous cities in the world which has been overrun by rival gangs and organised crime.
During the drive, dozens of Hondurans are seen making their way home, wary of the time to ensure they get there before dark. The SUV crosses a bridge and parks on the sidewalk, just two blocks away from the capital Tegucigalpa's red-light district.
It is here where Urban... (GunPolicy.org)
Violent Videos and Gun Violence
11 June 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
Grand Theft Auto V/Rockstar Games: It was one of the most brutal video games imaginable-players used cars to murder people in broad daylight. Parents were outraged, and behavioral experts warned of real-world carnage. "In this game a player takes the first step to creating violence," a psychologist from the National Safety Council told the New York Times. "And I shudder to think what will come next if this is encouraged. It'll be pretty gory."
To earn points, Death... (GunPolicy.org)
Frustrated by Delays, Some US Gun Dealers Skipping Background Checks
8 June 2013
Baltimore Sun
When Scott Schulte stopped at Pasadena Pawn and Gun last week to pick up his fifth firearm of the year, the Maryland State Police still hadn't finished his background check. The store let him take the pistol anyway.
"I figure I can use my discretion," owner Frank Loane Sr. told Schulte. "I know you."
An unprecedented surge of applications to purchase guns has overwhelmed Maryland's system for checking out the buyers. Dealers are required to wait seven days before... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Amnesty Begins in Canadian Province
30 May 2013
CBC News (Canada)
Police in B.C. will begin collecting unauthorized and unwanted guns on Saturday, as part of a month-long firearms amnesty program they say will help remove guns from communities and reduce the risk they could fall into the hands of criminals.
RCMP Insp. Brad Haugli said officers often encounter cases in which tragedy could have been averted if guns were not involved.
"As someone who has lost a loved one to suicide by firearm, I know that devastation first-hand,"... (GunPolicy.org)
New Gun Control Movement in America Making Real Strides
28 May 2013
New Republic
On April 17, the bill to expand background checks on gun buyers failed in the Senate, and the fatalistic shrugs in Washington were so numerous they were nearly audible. The legislation had been a modest bipartisan compromise, supported by 90 percent of the public and lobbied for hard by the president. A group backed by Michael Bloomberg had spent $12 million on ads pressuring senators to vote "yes." When the bill fell short — by just five votes — it seemed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Questions Over Gun Ownership Rates in Israel as Gun Crime, Theft Rises
26 April 2013
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
A 36-year-old mother of four was killed Tuesday by a gunshot in the Galilee village of Rama. Preliminary evidence shows she was killed while her husband, a career soldier in the Israeli army, who possesses a registered weapon as part of his duties, was cleaning his weapon. The loaded firearm apparently discharged a bullet by accident, hitting the woman.
This incident raises – yet again – the question of whether there is a need for all members of the Israeli armed... (GunPolicy.org)
The Gun Fighter: Garen Wintemute's Battle for US Gun Violence Research
24 April 2013
Nature
With his crisp blue suit and wire-framed spectacles, Garen Wintemute hardly looked frightening as he stepped to the podium last month to address a conference on paediatric emergency medicine in San Francisco, California. But his presence there made the organizers nervous.
Wintemute, an emergency-department doctor, is better known as the director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California (UC), Davis. As such, he has published dozens of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Crime Falls 20% in London in a Year, Youth Crime Down 30%
23 April 2013
BBC News
The number of people affected by serious youth violence fell by 30% with 1,900 fewer victims over the past financial year, according to the Met.
Overall, recorded crime in London fell by about 6% with 45,000 fewer reports between 2012-13.
The Met said personal thefts have gone up by 17% on the year before, with 70% involving mobile phones being taken.
Former Met officer Mike Pannett said he was concerned how the crime reduction would continue to improve.
He said:... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: 'Gun Shy' Govt Hushed Up Firearm Registry Destruction Bash
21 April 2013
Calgary Herald (Alberta) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Public servants spent a full month, at the "urgent" request of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, preparing two splashy announcements heralding the destruction of the long-gun registry data — only to have the events cancelled at the last moment without explanation.
The final deletion of millions of registry records last October 31 could be seen as a crowning achievement for a Conservative government that had campaigned against the registry for more than a... (GunPolicy.org)
Algeria Authorities Intercept Arms Being Smuggled to Mali
16 April 2013
Magharebia (USA)
Algerian security forces on Saturday (April 13th) intercepted an arms shipment from Libya to terrorists in northern Mali.
Special Forces eliminated five terrorists during the operation. They reportedly belonged to al-Qaeda splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and were in charge of protecting the arms shipment.
Wakt El Djazair quoted a security source as saying that a counter-terrorism military unit, supported by two helicopters, was able... (GunPolicy.org)
The Disappearing Frontier: Religious Momentum for US Gun Control
9 April 2013
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
You can learn a few things about religion and politics listening to flea market dealers in Indiana. For starters, sociologist Arthur Farnsley writes in his new book "Flea Market Jesus," it is a political mistake of biblical proportions to write off all Christian fundamentalists as red-state, moral values Republicans.
In in-depth interviews, Farnsley found among this fiercely independent group on the fringes of evangelical Protestantism an adherence to rugged... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines Military Loses 200 Guns in Fire
8 April 2013
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) lost more than 200 assault rifles and machine guns in a fire that razed its firearms supply building in Zamboanga del Sur over the weekend.
Belated reports reaching the Armed Forces of the Philippines' main headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo said that the blaze that hit the 1st Infantry Division Training Unit (IDTU) Supply building at Upper Labangan, Pulacan in Pagadian City, started with an explosion.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
NRA Publishes Study Claiming US Schools Need Armed Guards
3 April 2013
Washington Post
A 225-page study commissioned by the National Rifle Association has endorsed and amplified the gun rights group's immediate response to the mass killing in Newtown, Conn.: that all schools in the United States should have police or armed staff members trained to confront a shooter.
Although ostensibly independent of the NRA, the examination of school safety issues, released Tuesday, provides the organization with an alternative narrative to the various gun-control... (GunPolicy.org)
One Stolen Gun Blazes a Violent Path – A Typical Tale from Any City
22 March 2013
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
Thomas Allen Hoffman was looking for a "cheapie."
In the spring of 2007, he browsed a North Mankato gun dealer's collection for a Hi-Point pistol, one of the least expensive handguns on the market.
Hoffman wanted the gun for personal protection.
He paid $150 to the Red Bear Hunting Emporium and took home a Hi-Point C-9 9mm semiautomatic pistol, serial #P1352366. But soon the gun was stolen, changed hands, then changed hands again, spiraling beyond the bounds of... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun-Related Deaths: How Australia Stepped Off "The American Path"
12 March 2013
American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
Australia and the United States share many characteristics. Both are English-speaking democracies of multicultural immigrants. The 2 nations have been allies for nearly a century. Australians and Americans consume similar diets of movies, video games, popular music, recreational drugs, and alcohol. Both have vast interiors, early histories of armed European settlers mistreating native populations, plenty of feral pests to shoot, and many firearm enthusiasts. Yet the 2... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: American College of Physicians - Annals of Internal Medicine
US Gun Control Fight in Danger of Being Lost
3 March 2013
United Press International
WASHINGTON - As the images of 20 first-graders massacred in Connecticut, of the horrific attack on former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others in Arizona, of the slaughter of movie-goers in Aurora, Colo., and of numerous other mass killings in the United States fade in the national memory, the fervor to restrict access to some types of weapons and magazines appears to be abating.
The debate on gun control itself has largely been subsumed in recent weeks by concern over... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Bullets Cost the Same as Bread in Jamaica
3 March 2013
Gleaner (Jamaica)
In Jamaica, a loaf of bread retails at a corner shop for about $235 while a single 9mm bullet can be bought for about $280 or less. The degree of difficulty in purchasing the bread or the bullet is relatively the same: zero.
A special Sunday Gleaner probe has confirmed that one does not have to work up a sweat to buy bullets on the streets of Jamaica. It is literally no problem, as we found out when we purchased 25 of these 9mm bullets last week.
Anyone interested in... (GunPolicy.org)
Growing Rate of 'Suicide by Cop' Shootings in Canada
27 February 2013
CBC News (Canada)
On the evening of Jul. 17, 2010, the RCMP in Okotoks, Alta., received a report of a domestic assault, and about six hours after the initial call, with the emergency response team deployed around his house, 39-year-old Corey Lewis stepped out the door.
"He took up a kneeling stance and raised an object to his shoulder and pointed it at the loudspeaker. The object he was holding appeared to have a silver tip and was dark in colour," according to Cliff Purvis, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Switzerland Guns: Living with Firearms the Swiss Way
11 February 2013
BBC News
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, but little gun-related street crime - so some opponents of gun control hail it as a place where firearms play a positive role in society. However, Swiss gun culture is unique, and guns are more tightly regulated than many assume.
Throughout the attack, Anne Ithen kept her eyes shut.
"I didn't want to see it. I didn't want those images in my head for the rest of my life… but I remember... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Arrested for Alleged Gun Smuggling Scheme
7 February 2013
Grand Forks Herald
A Canadian man was arrested this week by federal agents at a Grand Forks motel after they say he took $24,000 in cash for six guns he thought would be smuggled into Canada.
Shawn Hartnell, 29, appeared in federal court in Grand Forks on Wednesday.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase, Hartnell faces two charges.
One count alleges that, as a Canadian citizen in the United States on a "non-immigrant," visa, Hartnell was illegally possessing firearms.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Officials Say Most Gun Crime Traced to Under 1,000 Illegal Guns
2 February 2013
Washington Post
LONDON — When police on a weapons raid swarmed a housing project after London's 2011 riots, they seized a cache of arms that in the United States might be better suited to "Antiques Roadshow" than inner-city ganglands. Inside plastic bags hidden in a trash collection room, officers uncovered two archaic flintlock pistols, retrofitted flare guns and a Jesse James-style revolver.
These days, that kind of antiquated firepower is about the baddest a British gang member... (GunPolicy.org)
How the AR-15 Became the Most Wanted Gun in America
2 February 2013
New York Times
PASADENA, Maryland - The phone rings again at Pasadena Pawn and Gun, and a familiar question comes down the line: "Got any ARs?"
The answer is no. Pasadena Pawn and Gun, a gun retailer and pawnshop 15 miles south of Baltimore, is pretty much sold out of America's most wanted gun, the AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. Since the massacre in Newtown, Conn., in December, the AR-15, the military-style weapon that the police say was used in the shootings, has been selling... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Afghanistan,Israel,Belgium,United States
How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers and Sell Guns
31 January 2013
EuroGamer
The American confectionery company Victoria Sweets claims to have invented the candy cigarette. A thin stick of chocolate, wrapped in edible paper and designed to impersonate a roll-up, it debuted in 1915 and soon became the accessory of choice for children keen to play grown-up. Hollywood star, GI Joe, team captain: the sweet gave kids the chance try out one of the vogue props of adulthood.
Within 20 years it was so popular that cigarette companies began to take... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Funds Recruitment Drive for Kids Using Games, Peers
26 January 2013
New York Times, Series
Threatened by long-term declining participation in shooting sports, the firearms industry has poured millions of dollars into a broad campaign to ensure its future by getting guns into the hands of more, and younger, children.
The industry's strategies include giving firearms, ammunition and cash to youth groups; weakening state restrictions on hunting by young children; marketing an affordable military-style rifle for "junior shooters" and sponsoring... (GunPolicy.org)
A Stale Claim: 40% of US Gun Sales Lack Background Checks
21 January 2013
Washington Post
"The law already requires licensed gun dealers to run background checks, and over the last 14 years that's kept 1.5 million of the wrong people from getting their hands on a gun. But it's hard to enforce that law when as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check."
--President Obama, remarks on gun violence, Jan. 16, 2013
"Studies estimate that nearly 40 percent of all gun sales are made by private sellers who are exempt from this... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Russia,China,Mexico
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Scotland,United States,United Kingdom,Australia,Japan
Several Countries Curbed Guns, Saw Public Safety Improve [ES]
18 December 2012
BBC News
[Translated summary: Three industrialised nations - Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom have dramatically reduced gun deaths after applying strict firearm laws.]
Tres naciones industrializadas -Japón, Australia y Escocia- han logrado reducir dramáticamente las muertes por armas de fuego tras aplicar estrictas leyes que regulan el porte y comercio de armas que podría servir de modelo en Estados Unidos cuando ese pueblo trata de reponerse de la matanza de niños y... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,United Kingdom
When Massacres Force Change: Lessons for America from UK, Australia
17 December 2012
Time (USA)
Gun-control advocates in the U.S. are hoping 2012 marks a turning point in the country's struggle with gun violence. The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary — where most of the 26 victims were killed with an assault rifle similar to the M-16 rifle issued to U.S. soldiers — might spur Washington lawmakers into action following a year of grisly, tragic mass shootings. There are now calls to reinstate a federal ban on assault weapons; the weeks ahead may see a heated... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Better Trauma Care Masks Soaring Number of Shootings in America
8 December 2012
Wall Street Journal
BALTIMORE — The number of U.S. homicides has been falling for two decades, but America has become no less violent.
Crime experts who attribute the drop in killings to better policing or an aging population fail to square the image of a more tranquil nation with this statistic: The reported number of people treated for gunshot attacks from 2001 to 2011 has grown by nearly half.
"Did everybody become a lousy shot all of a sudden? No," said Jim Pasco, executive... (GunPolicy.org)
SE Asian Soldiers Rent Army Machine Guns as Tourist Lure, Cash Cow
27 November 2012
New York Times
PHNOM PENH — Just after a Honda pickup truck screeched to a halt beyond the decommissioned Soviet-era Antonov aircraft, four resolute-looking Chinese men with a military escort climbed out, slammed the doors shut and neatly arranged a series of firearms they had been carrying on a nearby table.
Once the pistols' magazines were loaded with shiny golden bullets, they began emptying round after round into paper targets at a distance of 25 meters, or 82 feet.
Nearby,... (GunPolicy.org)
Three Mozambique Soldiers Arrested for Gun Thefts, Selling to Criminals
14 November 2012
Agência de Informação de Moçambique (Mozambique)
MAPUTO — Three members of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) have been arrested for stealing and selling firearms.
According to Orlando Mudumane, spokesperson for the Maputo City Police Command, cited in Wednesday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias", the men, named as 29 year old A.
Francisco, M. Kuamende (42) and I Naveta (29), are stationed at different FADM units in Maputo City and Province. Also arrested was 28 year old F, Joao, who purchased one of the stolen... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airport Officials Report Rise in 'Forgotten' Guns in Carry-On Bags
28 September 2012
New York Times
The list of potentially lethal weapons was certainly eye-opening: 47 guns (38 of them loaded, including six with rounds in their chambers), three inert hand grenades, supplies of black powder, hunting knives, timing fuses and a sword.
Then, consider that the list was compiled by the Transportation Security Administration, of weapons found in airline travelers' carry-on bags in the seven days that ended on Sept. 20.
In fact, the T.S.A. says the number of guns found at... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Police Allege Rise in Drug Trade Linked to Rise in Gun Violence
11 September 2012
Guardian (UK)
Penalties for growing and selling cannabis must be toughened because a surge in the trade is driving up shootings and gang-related violence, a senior police officer has warned.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ward of Merseyside police, who chairs the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, says the punishments for those caught cultivating and dealing in cannabis are not a deterrent and the drug is now causing greater problems for police than class As.
According to... (GunPolicy.org)
Nine Bystanders Injured After Two US Police Open Fire in Central NYC
24 August 2012
New York Times
As the two officers confronted a gunman in front of the Empire State Building on a busy Friday morning, they had to make a snap decision: Do they open fire in the middle of Midtown?
From a distance of less than 10 feet, the officers, Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj, answered in unison; one shot nine times and the other seven.
Investigators believe at least 7 of those 16 bullets struck the gunman, said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department's chief spokesman. But... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,United Kingdom,Australia
Australian State Considers Gun Law Change, Allow Teens to Hunt Alone
14 August 2012
BBC News
A plan to change the law in Australia could see children as young as 12 hunting by themselves. Is that a sensible step or a dangerous one?
Condemned by some as a bloodthirsty move to impose a violent culture on children, authorities in Australia's most populous state are considering a plan to allow under-18s to hunt feral animals on their own with knives, dogs and bows and arrows.
The hunting lobby in New South Wales says the proposal will encourage more families to... (GunPolicy.org)
UK NRA Boss Calls US NRA Fanatical: LaPierre 'Made Me Physically Ill'
9 August 2012
Telegraph (UK)
On the rainy summer's morning that I arrive at Bisley, a sprawling collection of colonial buildings and rifle ranges set in 3,000 acres of Surrey heathland, news is breaking about a policeman who has been shot dead in Essex. An unfortunate coincidence, this, given that I've come here not to write about gun crime but to meet some typical – that is to say, non-deranged – gun owners.
In a clubhouse which has silver trophies in display cabinets and sepia photographs of... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada,United States,Australia
Australian Academic Says Gun Culture a Risk Factor for Shooting Sprees
25 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
The number of victims in the Colorado cinema shooting would undoubtedly have been much higher than 12 killed and 58 wounded had the AR-15 assault rifle used by the alleged offender, James Holmes, not jammed. According to police, the jammed weapon was capable of firing 50-60 rounds a minute. Police say Holmes also had two Glock pistols, a shotgun and 6000 rounds of ammunition.
Shock, dismay and surprise are always expressed after such killings - and questioning of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 280,000 Firearms Destroyed in Venezuela Since 2003 [ES]
19 July 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: 287,838 firearms have been destroyed since 2003 by the Venezuelan government. During the same period, an estimated 600,000 weapons have entered the country.]
CARACAS - El gobierno venezolano ha destruido más de 280 mil armas de fuego desde el 2003 hasta la fecha y continúa este proceso en combate contra la inseguridad, afirmó hoy el miembro de la Comisión Presidencial de Desarme Reinaldo Hidalgo.
En los últimos nueve años se han destruido en... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Police Allege Gang Guns Come from Venezuela Military
18 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Colombia police have seized weapons from criminal gang the Rastrojos which include guns reportedly traced to the Venezuelan military, hinting at a connection between the neo-paramilitary group and elements of Venezuela's army.
During the operation, which took place just a few miles from Colombia's border with Venezuela, police seized 55 firearms, including M-16, AK-47, and FAL rifles, among others, said Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon. According to a report by El... (GunPolicy.org)
The Increasing Cost of Black Market Guns in Syria
17 July 2012
New York Times, Blog
ISLAHIYE, Turkey — Abu Hamed, a former Syrian Army captain who is now a guerrilla commander fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, sat cross-legged in a tent in a refugee camp this week, echoing one of the Syrian opposition's most common complaints. "We need weapons," he said. "All kinds of weapons."
And then, as the conversation deepened and tea flowed, he spoke of prices. Mr. Hamed leads a battalion near Aleppo. The demand for weapons on his turf is so... (GunPolicy.org)
Stuff You Couldn't Make Up: Controversial US Killer Killed by Stray Bullet
26 June 2012
Miami Herald
Greyston Garcia was killed in his truck three months after a judge granted him immunity under Florida's controversial self-defense law.
After he beat a murder charge under Florida's controversial self-defense law, Miami's Greyston Garcia took an anonymous job as a cashier in a cramped all-night convenience store in Liberty City.
Tuesday night, he asked to go home early.
Sure, his boss said, but first drive to the gas station to get change for some $20 bills. Garcia... (GunPolicy.org)
Spanish Police Dismantled an Internet Gun Trafficking Ring [ES]
21 June 2012
Lavanguardia (Spain) / EFE
[Translated summary: Spanish Guardia Civil dismantled a group dedicated to trafficking of firearms and other prohibited arms on the Internet.]
MADRID - La Guardia Civil ha desmantelado en las provincias de Guipúzcoa, Lleida y Tarragona un grupo dedicado al tráfico de armas de fuego y otras armas prohibidas a través de internet, en una operación en la que ha detenido a tres personas y se ha incautado de un importante arsenal.
En la operación "Easo", los agentes... (GunPolicy.org)
Congo (DRC),Central African Republic,Niger,Côte d'Ivoire,Mali,Congo (ROC)
Towards the Support of Congo in the Fight against Small Arms [FR]
25 May 2012
Afriquinfos / Xinhua
[Translated summary: The representative of the Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, reiterated the will of the organisation to support the Republic of Congo in implementing a National Plan of Action aiming at protecting the territory against proliferation of small arms and light weapons.]
BRAZZAVILLE - La représentante du Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, a traduit jeudi à Brazzaville, la volonté de son institution... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala Reported 149 Women Killed with Firearms [ES]
23 May 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: A total of 227 women were murdered in Guatemala, most of them with firearms (149), in the first quarter of 2012, representing 16.74% less than the same period of 2011, said an official source.]
Un total de 227 mujeres fueron asesinadas en Guatemala, la mayoría de ellas con armas de fuego, en en el primer cuatrimestre de 2012, lo que representa un 16,74 % menos que el mismo periodo de 2011, reveló hoy una fuente oficial.
CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA -... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Provinces Concerned about 'Back-door' Long-gun Registries
23 May 2012
Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba)
Confusion on firearms rules has some Manitoba dealers feeling like they're under the gun to abide by a so-called "back-door" registry.
Though Ottawa and the provincial government insist there's no new long-gun registry replacing a federal firearm database that was scrapped this spring, retailers say RCMP are sending mixed signals.
To firearms vendor Travis VanDaele's Brandon business, it doesn't appear that the federal Conservative government's scrapping of the gun... (GunPolicy.org)
In Turkey, Debating a Woman's Right to Have a Gun in Domestic Violence
19 May 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Turkey, hundreds of women die each year at the hands of a husband or family member, in a society that critics say too often ignores violence against women. After years of frustration, one organization has shaken up the debate with a controversial proposal: arming women and training them to defend themselves.
Looking back, Yagmur Askin thinks perhaps she should have paid more attention on her wedding day, when her husband's family welcomed her by saying, "You enter... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Couple Admit to 27,000-round Ammo Cache in Texas
15 May 2012
Reuters
Two illegal immigrants pleaded guilty in Texas on Monday to possessing 27,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition along the U.S.-Mexico border, where cross-border weapons smuggling has increased in recent years, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Police in Laredo, Texas, discovered the ammunition after they stopped a Dodge Ram pickup truck that failed to stop at a stop sign in March, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson said in a statement.
Weapons traffickers along the... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Authorities to Crack Down on Illegal Arms Trade
27 April 2012
ABC News (Australia)
As New South Wales authorities grapple with the worst bikie war in decades, the Federal Government says it is determined to crack down on the illegal gun trade, and they have handguns in their sights.
While the bikie war rages, there there have been outbreaks of gun violence in other parts of the country as well.
On the eve of the 16th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, the Government has announced plans to amend Australia's gun laws.
National figures are... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Say 68,000 Guns Seized in Mexico Were Traced Back to US [ES]
26 April 2012
El Correo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: Washington says 68,000 guns recovered by Mexican authorities in the past five years have been traced back to the United States. An official report by the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says that during this period, the Mexican authorities submitted more than 99,000 arms for tracing.]
WASHINGTON - El Gobierno de México ha recuperado más de 99.000 armas de fuego entre 2007 y 2011, de las cuales más de 68.000 procedían de... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in Gun Violence in Australia as Criminals 'Tool Up'
22 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
He affects the face of a tough guy, but the gun this twitchy young man keeps for protection looks like a novelty cigarette lighter. The .22 derringer can almost be concealed in his pudgy hand, save for the stumpy barrel that sticks out between his fingers.
The speed that he deals keeps him highly strung. But it's mainly the gun that makes him edgy. "If I get caught with drugs, I wouldn't go to jail. I don't hold enough and I haven't been caught before," he says. "But... (GunPolicy.org)
Easy Access to Guns for Minors in Castellón Province, Spain [ES]
20 April 2012
El Periódico Mediterráneo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: More than 400 minors have the permission from the province of Castellón to use arms. The accident involving King Felipe's grandson Juan Froilán, in which he accidentally shot himself in the foot with a hunting rifle, has brought the use of firearms by minors back into the spotlight.]
Más de 400 menores tienen permiso de Castellón para usar armas. El accidente del nieto del rey Felipe Juan Froilán, que se disparó accidentalmente en un pie con... (GunPolicy.org)
Las Vegas Tourist Machine Gun Range Features Gun-toting Hostesses
5 March 2012
New York Times
LAS VEGAS — For Vegas die-hards bored with the $750 tasting menu at Guy Savoy, the $250 Elton John tickets at Caesars or the $200,000 baccarat bet at the Bellagio, this city is serving up a new way to find high-priced thrills.
Machine Guns Vegas — an upscale indoor shooting range complete with skimpily dressed gun-toting hostesses — opened last week a half-mile from the Strip with an armory of weapons and a promise to fulfill the desires of anyone wanting to... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas Gun Sales Boom in Expectation of Obama Re-election
4 March 2012
ABC News (USA) / AP
FORT WORTH, Texas - Gun sales are booming across Texas, and some buyers say their growing belief that President Barack Obama will inevitably be re-elected is fueling their race to bear more arms.
And sales haven't just risen in Texas. There's been a rush nationwide, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in Sunday's edition.
The Cheaper than Dirt gun store in Fort Worth set a sales record for February, said store owner DeWayne Irwin, who described the rush as similar... (GunPolicy.org)
Ohio Boy, 'Bullied Outcast' Got Handgun, Killed 3 High School Classmates
29 February 2012
AFP
The death toll from a high school shooting rose to three Tuesday with two more teens succumbing to wounds suffered when a fellow student opened fire in a high school cafeteria.
The alleged shooter, identified as 17-year-old TJ Lane, opened fire Monday with a handgun on a group of fellow students in the cafeteria of Chardon High School shortly after the start of the school day.
The latest victims were Demetrius Hewlin and Russell King who died Tuesday from gunshot... (GunPolicy.org)
3 Former New York City Police Officers Plead Guilty in Gun-smuggling Case
27 February 2012
New York Times
Three former New York City police officers pleaded guilty on Monday to taking part in a scheme to illegally transport firearms across state lines, the authorities said.
"As they admitted today, these police officers moonlighted as criminals, and even planned to use their badges to cover their illegal activity," the United States attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, said in a statement.
Gary Ortiz, 28, who was an active-duty officer in the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn,... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Used in 66% of Homicides in Dominican Republic [ES]
27 February 2012
Listin Diario (Dominican Republic)
[Translated summary: In the last seven years in Dominican Republic, 10,955 people were killed with bullets. Firearms are used in 66% of homicides.]
SANTO DOMINGO - En enero de 2011, desconocidos asesinaron al teniente coronel Virgilio Casilla Minaya, en momentos en que departía junto a su esposa en un colmado del barrio La Fe, de Los Alcarrizos.
Cuatro meses después, fue encontrado muerto un mecánico en la autovía del Este, en San Pedro de Macorís. Al finalizar... (GunPolicy.org)
New York, Boston Mayors Lead Influential American Gun Control Group
4 February 2012
Reuters
NEW YORK - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they... (GunPolicy.org)
More Guns in Canada Today, But Fewer Owners
23 January 2012
National Post (Toronto)
Canadians own more than half a million more firearms than they did in 2006, according to the 2010 annual report from the RCMP's Canadian Firearms Program.
But while federal firearms data shows that the number of registered gun owners in Canada is dropping, the arsenal of each is getting bigger and bigger.
But many gun owners — and a Tory MP — say the government's estimates are off the mark, and that there may be twice as many firearms, and firearms owners, in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Up? It's a Beat-up Story: Real US Industry Figures Suppressed
9 January 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
The media has been awash this holiday season with stories about a "dramatic increase" in gun sales in the United States. CNN, for example, declared, "December holiday shoppers were not just interested in buying the hottest electronics and toys--they also were purchasing record numbers of guns." USA Today claimed, "Along with millions of Kindles, Angry Birds and gift cards, Santa left a record number of guns under Americans' Christmas trees." Reuters gushed about "16.5... (GunPolicy.org)
France: 10,464 Suicides Recorded in 2009, 10-20 Million Guns [FR]
13 December 2011
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: In France, nearly one death out of fifty is a suicide. women (7.6%) tried to commit suicide more than men (3.2%). In 2009, 10,464 deaths by suicide were recorded. "10 to 20 Million firearms are recorded in France. To have a gun at home reduces the reflection period if one plans to end his life.", says a specialist in suicide prevention.]
Les femmes sont plus concernées que les hommes. Les individus les plus susceptibles d'avoir des pensées... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Pakistan,Venezuela,United States,El Salvador,Colombia,Australia,Norway,Canada,Israel,Honduras,Jamaica
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,Mexico,United States
Texas Gun Shop Sold 'Infantry Squad' Weapons to Mexican Cartel Smugglers
8 December 2011
Guardian (UK)
It was nothing more than a routine inspection for federal agents. But as they browsed the records of Carter's Country gun shop in Houston, investigators picked up on a series of big sales. For cash.
Federal agents were alerted not only by the number of guns involved – sometimes a dozen at a time – but the type. Time and again buyers walked out of Carter's Country clutching assault rifles, semi-automatic pistols with armour-piercing bullets and powerful sniper... (GunPolicy.org)
In a Year, NYC Police Fire 20% of Bullets Fired in Hours by Kenya Police
4 December 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Consider this and think of the situation in Kenya as you read on: Last year, 52 officers out of a force of 34,565 officers from the New York Police Department intentionally fired 236 bullets during confrontations with suspects.
The officers reportedly shot and killed only eight people and injured 16 the whole year, in what the Police Department say marked record lows.
Of course the social and economic realities of Nairobi and New York are totally different but there... (GunPolicy.org)
Iraq,Afghanistan,United States
Conspiracists Chatter as Secretive US Company Buys Up Gun, Ammo Makers
26 November 2011
New York Times
SCARBOROUGH, Me. - Lined up in a gun rack beneath mounted deer heads is a Bushmaster Carbon 15, a matte-black semiautomatic rifle that looks as if it belongs to a SWAT team. On another rack rests a Teflon-coated Prairie Panther from DPMS Firearms, a supplier to the United States Border Patrol and security agencies in Iraq. On a third is a Remington 750 Woodsmaster, a popular hunting rifle.
The variety of rifles and shotguns on sale here at Cabela's, the national... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Mexico,United States,Guatemala
Arms Trafficking, Business of Death: Guns in Central America [ES]
16 November 2011
Contralinea (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Contralinea magazine details the routes by which guns are trafficked into Mexico, including the flow of arms from the US directly to Guatemala, and then over Mexico's southern border. English translation at: http://bit.ly/uBnEGu]
En la última década, México pasó del lugar vigesimosegundo al quinto en tráfico de armas en el ámbito mundial. Se calcula que cada día ingresan al país unas 2 mil para abastecer a los cárteles de la droga, la... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Destroyed in Australian Gun Buybacks Now Replaced with Imports
13 November 2011
ABC Radio National - Background Briefing, Transcript
Gun clubs report lots of new members, hunting is cool, and handguns are gangland chic. The hundreds of thousands of guns destroyed in buybacks since Port Arthur have been more than replaced by new ones. But guns are highly political and the national system for monitoring gun ownership is a mess. Reporter, Ian Townsend.
Ian Townsend: There may be more guns in Australia today than there have ever been. In the past 16 months in Queensland alone, nearly 50,000 guns —... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Campaign of Small Arms Destruction in Argentina [ES]
9 November 2011
Missiones Online (Argentina)
[Translated summary: The National Arms Registry (RENAR), under Argentina's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, held the destruction of 16,354 firearms. Around 17,000 other arms, voluntarily surrendered or from various warehouses, will also be destroyed.]
El próximo sábado se destruirán 9.804 armas que fueron entregadas de manera anónima y voluntaria (Ley 26.261) en las bocas del Renar y en los puestos Móviles Municipales de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, en el... (GunPolicy.org)
Rifles, Shotguns Set to Become Invisible if Canada Scraps Gun Registry
8 November 2011
McGill Tribune (Montreal)
On Oct. 25 Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative government introduced Bill C-19 to the House of Commons. This bill, known as the Ending the Long-gun Registry Act, seeks to abolish the current long-gun registry. If passed, gun owners will no longer be required by law to register rifles and shotguns. Furthermore, Bill C-19 would ensure the destruction of all existing records of these weapons in the Canadian Firearms Registry.
The Conservative government's... (GunPolicy.org)
Demand Growing in Canada for High-Tech Guns Popularised in Games, Movies
26 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Whether it's computers, cars, motorbikes or guns, 28-year-old Greg MacDonald — a self-confessed "tech nerd" — is always looking for the latest and greatest technology.
A Newfoundlander and lover of fine machinery, MacDonald says the rigorous research and development that goes into modern military-grade firearms — known as "black rifles" within shooter circles — is a sort of poetry in motion.
"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Eight New York Policemen Charged in Gun Smuggling Ring
25 October 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - Eight New York City policemen were charged on Tuesday with helping run a gun-smuggling ring in a city whose mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is leading a national campaign against illegal guns.
The men were accused of exploiting their experience and credentials to take part in schemes to illegally transport guns, slot machines, cigarettes and counterfeit goods across state lines, a criminal complaint released by the U.S. District Attorney's Office said.
Five of... (GunPolicy.org)
Small Arms and High Powered Rifles Stolen from Belize Defence Force
13 October 2011
Guardian (Belize)
The Ministry of Defense called a press conference at Price Barracks on Wednesday evening to inform the media that there was a security breach at the Price Barracks compound and a number of small arms and high powered rifles were stolen.
Allen Whylie, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Defense, said it is a devastating breach and the Ministry will leave no stones unturned to get to the bottom of the heist. The discovery was made at about 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday,... (GunPolicy.org)